BV 825 .W566 1846 Willison, John, 1680-1750. 'sacramental directory, or, A treatise concerning the SACEAMENTAL DIRECTORY, A TREATISE CONCERNING THE SANCTIFICATION OF A COMMUNION- SABBATH. CONTAINING Directions in order to our preparing for and rightly receiving of, &c. the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. A Preface, persuading Ministers to the frequent dispensing of this Ordinance, by evangelical preaching, looking for the Spirit's effusion, &c. TO WHICH ARF. ADDED Meditations and Ejaculations proper for Communicants before, in time of, and after partaking of this Holy Ordinance, found among the Author's papers. BY THB REV. JOHN WILLISON, LATE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT DUNDEE. The Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. — 1 Chron. xv. 13. ABERDEEN: PUBLISHED BY GEORGE AND ROBERT KING, ST. NICHOLAS STREET; WILLIAM COLLINS, GLASGOW; AND JOHN JOHN- STONE, AND THOMAS NELSON, EDINBURGH. 1846. CONTENTS. Fagb. Preface, ----------v. Introduction, --------.43 CHAPTER I. eONTAININft DIRECTIONS HOW TO PREPARE FOR A COMMU- NIONS-SABBATH. Direct. I. Concerning the nature, ends, and uses of the Lord's Supper, and of the work of communicating, - - - 44 Direct. II. Concerning the necessity of communicating, and the sin of neglecting this duty, ..__.. 48 Direct. III. Concerning the necessity of frequent communicating, 67 Direct. IV. Concerning the necessity of solemn preparation before our partaking, -.--..-.-77 Direct. V. Concerning habitual and actual preparation, - - 80 Direct. VI. Concerning the sin and danger of unworthy communi- cating, --..-.----83 Direct. VII. Concerning sequestrating ourselves from the world before partaking, ---.. --.-90 Direct. VIII. Concerning self-examination before partaking, - 94 Direct. IX. Concerning humiliation and mourning for sin before partaking, .-..----- 121 Direct. X. Concerning our closing with Christ by faith before partaking, - - - - - - . . -134 Direct. XI. Concerning the duty of personal covenanting, - - 152 Direct. XII. Concerning our cleansing heart and hands, and turn- ing to the Lord, before partaking, - . - - -161 Direct. XIII. Concerning our meditating upon the death and sufferings of Christ before partaking, - . . _ . 169 Direct. XIV. Concerning prayer, and what we should pray for, before communicating, - - - - - - -174 Direct. XV. Concerning deniedness to all our preparations, - 182 CHAPTER II. CONTAINING DIRECTIONS EOR THE RIGHT SPENDING OF A COMMUNION-SABBATH WHEN IT IS COME. Direct. I. Concerning our rising in the morning that day, - - 184 Direct. II. How to get faith and love quickened, by viewing the sufferings and lo,e of Christ, ..---- 195 IV. Direct. III. How to get our souls in a suitable frame for approach- ing this holy table, -....-.. 191 Direct. IV. Concerning our ejaculations by the way, - - - 197 Directions concerning our carriage when the time of receiving doth approach, - - - - - - - - -199 Directions proper for communicants when they are sitting at the Lord's table, ---.--... 203 Some further meditations on the sacramental elements, actions, and words, - - - - - - - - -231 CHAPTER III. CONTAINING BIKECTIONS CONCERNING OUR BEHAVIOUR AFTER PARTAKING. Sect. I. Concerning our deportment when rising and going from the Lord's table, 242 Sect. II, Containing directions how to behave when we go home to our retiring places, .._-... 251 Sect. III. Containing directions anent our conversation in the world, when all the work is over, . . - - _ 268 Direct. I. Be faithful soldiers to your General, - _ . 268 Direct. II. Be active in a course of new obedience, - - - 269 Direct. III. Guard strictly against all known sin, _ - . 270 Direct. IV. Watch against the temptation of Satan, ... 271 Direct. V. Improve and feed on a crucified Christ, - . . 273 Direct. VI. Keep up the impression of the vows of God, - - 274 Direct. VII. Crucify sin, that crucified your Saviour, - - 276 Direct. VIII. Walk still under the sense of God's all-seeing eye, 277 Direct. IX, Walk cheerfully and contentedly in every lot, - - 279 Direct. X. Delight in the company of God's people, - - - 279 Direct. XI. Shine in meekness, patience, &c. - - - - 280 Direct. XII. Keep up longings for communion-occasions, - - 280 Meditations before partaking, ------- 283 Meditations when partaking, .-.-«-- 288 Meditations after partaking, -__.-.. 293 PREF This Directory being first published in the year 1716, the preface was added to the second edition of it in the year 1726, in which now I have made some additions and alterations. The book itself also is coiisideraldy en- larged from what it was at first, namely, in proving and pressing the necessity of communicating in obedience to our dying Lord's command ; and it is to be regretted that there should be still so much need for urging it. Ah ! that so many christians, who profess respect to Christ as their Saviour, should live in neglect of his dying charge. Perhaps, my friends, upon viewing the hazard of eating unworthily, some of you may think that you are on the safest side to keep away from this ordinance altogether ; not considering that the danger of unworthy refusing is fully as great as that of unworthy receiving. For, you see, those who made light of Christ's invitation to the marriage-supper escaped no better than he that came without the wedding-garment ; Matt. xxii. 7, 13. Likewise I have adduced many arguments to press fre- quency in communicating, and have answered objections against it; which, if you duly consider, you must own that frequent partaking is most advantageous and neces- sary for the exigencies of your souls, and highly accept- able unto God. If there be a " book of remembrance written before the Lord, for them that fear the Lord, think upon his name, and speak often to one another ;" Mai. iii. 16 ; we have no ground to question that there B is a book of remembrance written for tliem that love their R(Mleemer and often rt-meniber his death and snfFer- ings in the sacrament, which lie Iiath instituted for that end. And as I wonid have you to c(tme fiecjupiitly to this solemn ordinance, so I would always have you to come with snitHble preparation ; and, f<»r your help in this matttT, I have composed the following Directory. Special care should be taken that our frequency do not breed formality, but that we be as devout as we are fre- quent ; and, though we communicate ever so frequently, that we trust not to former preparatictns, but that we examine and prepare ourselves of new for every com- munion. But seeing it is in vain to exhort christians to frequent receiving, unless ministers do also frequently administrate this ordinance, and call tiieir people to partake thereof, it may be proper lo speak something of the necessity of frequent dispensing of the Lord's supper. All the argu- ments and reasons which I bring, in the ensuing treatise, to prove the necessity of people's frequent partaking, do as much prove the necessity of ministers' frequent dis- pensing; seeing, if ministers do not dispense, people cunnot partake: but besides these, I shall, with all humi- lity and becoming respect, add some things here, which I hope may be of weight, with myself and other ministers of the gospel, to persuade to frequent dispensing. I. The inspired apostles of Christ, and other pastors of the church that were contemporary with them, did, in obedience to the intimation which their Lliors and tvjyps whereby Christ and iiis benefits are represented, — his manifold sweet re- lations to his peuple, — his mediatory fulness, — his deep eflFectual means for it ; for, in tliis solemn ordinance, we have man's fall and disease, together with his recovery and remedy, set forth to the life ; and that in such a way as makes imjjression on the outward senses, so that the eye may affect the heart- Would we have sin and vice kept under constant re- bukes amongst our people, let us keep their eyes always fixed upon tlie bleeding wounds of a crucified Jesus; would we have them carefully to maintain family religion, secret duties, and a holy, tender walk, let us constrain them to it, by the love of a dying Jesus frequently set before their eyes in this ordinance. This, through the divine blessing, would' be an excellent mean and help to carry about with us always the dying of the Lord Jesus, and to make the print of his wounds keep a lasting impres- sion on our hearts. If we dnly ponder these things, I hope it will appear that the advantage of the frequent celebration of the Lord's supper will abundantly recompense our small toil and pains. Objec. 7. The unworthiness of our people is a great discouragement to the frequent celebration of the Lord's supper amongst them ; we have but i^w that are in any measure fit to be admitted to it. Ans. \st. If this reason were valid, it would conclude as strongly against the dispensing of this ordinance at all, as against the frequency of it ; and we know, an ar- gument that would prove too much proves nothing. '2dly. I know many are unwortliy, but all are not alike ; and the unfitness of many cannot excuse us from administrating to those that are in some measure fit. As it is a sin for parents to keep back from their cliildren their due and necessary food, because of some unworthy persons that are in the family ; so it is a sin for pastors to withhold this soul-nourishing meal from those of their people that have a right to it ; for though not a few do slight or abuse it, yet there are others hungry, and need- ful of it; and these ought not to be denied the advan- tage of frequent partaking, for the fault of their neigh- bours. It is the saying of one, " That we find fault upon good ground with the Papists for denying one of the elements to the people : and how can we justify those that deny both elements to their people at least for a long time?" '6dli/. Tliongh the numher of our comraunicaiits be small, that should not discourage us from our duty ; for the divine blessing is not tied to numbers. God did own the institution of the possover, though there were but few that ate it together ; and our blessed Saviour had but a small number that did partake with Iiim at the first communion ; but, for our encouragement in that case, he graciously promiseth, that, where two or three are met together in his name, he will own them with his presence and blessing. Objec. 8. To administer this sacrament so frequently as before-mentioned, would require considerable expenses to furnish communion-elements, and otherwise; and we have no sufficient fund for that charge. Ans. \st. Though we should be put to more charge this way than formerly, I hope no faithful minister will say, that this consideration should be laid in balance with the glory of God and good of souls ; we should all be willing to spend and be spent for Christ ; and whatever we expend of our private goods this way, is surely lent to the Lord, who will repay it. 2c?/y. The law provides a fund in every parish for such expenses ; and where it is not settled, our judges are very favourable to the church, and give a liberal allowance to such ministers as do apply for it : and no doubt, if the sacrament were more frequently celebrated they would not grudge to augment the fund when it is not sufficient. 2dly. If a sufficient fund cannot be had otherwise, let collections be made in parishes for defraying tins charge; as Kusebius tells us was done by the primitive christians in this case ; ap.d surely there is no honest-hearted chris- tian or communicant but would contribute liberally for that effect, rather than the Lord's work should be hindered. Lastly. We may see, from the old Acts of Assembly, that the General Assembly, 1638, had this very objec- tion under their consideration, and declared, that the charges should rather be paid out of that day's collection, than that the congregation want the more frequent use of the sacrament. But I hope the General Assemblies of this church will in due time take this and other objec- tions under further consideration, and provide effectual answers and remedies thereto, so that this solemn ordi- nance shall be more frequently celebrated amongst us than it is at present ; and I wish all may pray fervently, that, together with the foresaid laudable practice, some- thing of the warm love and zeal of the ancient christians may be happily revived in oar land. Before I conclude this preface, there is another thing I would advertise the reader, that, in the following treatise, I have endeavoured to keep by the form of sound words in use amongst us, avoiding both the ex- tremes of Antinomianism and Legalism, seeing the prin- ciples of this church do guide us equally to evite both the one and the other. And it must be acknowledged that it is not easy to shun extremes, for people com- monly, when their zeal is excited against one extreme, are in great hazard of sliding insensibly into the other, according to the old proverb, " Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt" i. e., " Fools, in shunning some faults, at times run into others." And indeed, not only fools, but some of the greatest and wisest of men, have erred in this respect. It was Mr. Baxter's zeal and great I keenness against Antinomianism that drove him to some rash and dangerous assertions on the other side. And this should be a warning to us always to take heed to ourselves, for we are still in hazard this way, and especi- ally when things come to warm disputations with us. It is possible, that some who preach the gospel may pick out some of the glorious truths thereof; such as, The freedom of grace in the salvation of sinners, — our justification by the righteousness of Jesus Christ as our surety, — the excellency of faith in Christ, — the privilege of the covenant, and blessings of Christ's purchase; and may make these truths almost the only subject of their preaching ; and yet perhaps manage them so unhappily, as not to lead people to study regeneration of heart, ho- liness of life, abhorrence of sin, tenderness of walk, and the conscientious practice of all commanded duties. And, surely, in this way of doing, they in a great mea- sure miss the design of our Saviour's incarnation, and the end of the doctrine of grace, which is, "to destroy the works of the devil," and to teach men to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." On the one hand, it is as possible that others may in- sist very much in enforcing morality, and make very fine rational harangues of its excellency; and yet make little use of gospel motives to press it, and be at little pains to show the gospel-principles from whence it must proceed. Likewise, they may preach much against vice and im- morality, and warn people of the evil of it ; and yet take up but little time to teach them concerning the root and spring of vice, — viz., our fall in Adam, and the corrup- tion of our natures, — and the necessity of an inward change by a work of regeneration, for healing of the in- ward disease and plague of the heart. Also, they may press holy duties very much, and yet make little mention of the true fountain and source of holiness, — viz., our union with Christ by faith, and the renewing of the Holy Gliost, — and speak little of the necessity of Christ's blood to wash our performances. Now, both these extremes, in the way of preaching, are equally to be avoided. It is a prevailing conceit among many, tliat there is no more requi«iite to make a man a christian than moral- ity, or a blameless walk before men. Morality, indeed, is a very comely thing, and most necessary both to beau- tify and preserve human societies; and, therefore, it is to be wished there were much more of it in the world than we see there is; and every preacher of tiie gospel ought strongly to recommend the practice of it ; but yet it is certain that morality is not sufficient to make a man a christian, seeing it hath been found in heathens, and those that were ignorant of Christ and the way of sal- vation through faith in him. Christianity, indeed, doth enforce morality and moral virtues by the strongest motives and arguments ; but, in the meantime, it teacheth us, that these virtues are never good and acceptable to God, until they he the fruit of the Spirit's operation, and spring from their proper prin- ciples, faith in Christ and love to him ; they must be grafted in Christ as their root, have a new principle to quicken them, and a new end to direct them, before moral virtues can commence christian graces. Unre- generate morality will never please God ; let men advance it ever so far, yet, till the heart be renewed, it is still but nature at best ; and the fruit is always sour that grows not upon the root, Christ ; it can never be acceptable to God, while Christ's strength and Spirit is not sought and employed in it, nor his righteousness to cover it. So that there is a great diflFerence betwixt morality and gospel holiness. A moral man, then, though he profess himself a chris- tian, yet he really is not so, if he lives not as one that looks for and receives daily influences from Christ ; if he hath not Christ in his undertakings, duties, and affec- XXVll, tions, and be not saying', " How empty and vain are all my duties withont Christ! yea, tliongli I could do ever so much, I siiould be utterly l<»st and undone, if it were not for Christ, my surety, and his righteousness. I count all but loss and dung to be found in him." This cliurch, a good many years ago, manifested much zeal against Antinomianism, and doctrines whicli seemed to tend tiiat way : and surely it is in(;uinbent upon all churclies to watch and take care that the obligation of christians to holiness and good works, and to all kind of duties, both of the first and second table, should never be in the least weakened by preachers of the gospel, under the specious pretext of exalting free grace ; see- ing- free grace and strict holiness do nobly consist to- gether. Again, on the other hand, it should equally be the church's concern to labour to prevent the spreading of Legalism, or the preaching of morality, and tlie practice of duties, in a legal strain ; that is, in a way tending to the neglect of Christ and his righteousness, or to the dis- paragement of the doctrine of free grace. It was the flagrant reports of the abounding of that sort of moral preaching, especially among younger clergymen, that occasioned the bringing in an overture to the General Assembly, 1726, for an act to discourage the same, and to direct to the right method of preaching Christ, and how to preach morality in an evangelical strain. But though endeavours were used by severals to get this overture turned into an act, it was hindered by some leading men, lest it should reflect upon the characters of some preachers to whom they had respect ; so that an act of this kind could never be got brought a-bearing until the Assembly 1736; and then those who were most zealous to promote the act, in order to get it the more unanimously agreed to, were fain to drop out of its preamble the true cause of making it, namely, the XXVlll. abounding of legal preaching in the land, or of a wrong strain of preaching the gospel. But, notwithstanding of this, the act itself is of excellent use, if duly regarded and put in execution : and without this, the best acts in the world signify nothing. O that I could persuade all ministers and preachers of the gospel to consider and observe the foresaid acts ! It would surely fare the better both with themselves and their hearers ; and if no more be done for that purpose, let me at least use some means to get the act made known to them, by trans- cribing it in this place. ACTS CONCERNING PREACHING. Edinburgh, Mmj 21, 1736. Sess. 8. " The General Assembly, being moved with zeal for the honour of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, especially at a time when the Christian revelation is openly im- pugned, and infidelity, Deism, and other errors do so much prevail : They do hereby recommend to all mini- sters and preachers, seriously to consider and observe the Directory of this church concerning the preaching of the word, which is approven by the General Assembly, 1645; and, in particular, that they be careful to warn their hearers against any thing tending to Atheism, De- ism, Arianism, Socinianism, Arminianism, Bonrigianism, Popery, Superstition, Antinomianism, or any other errors ; and that in their sermons they insist frequently upon the truth, necessity, and excellency of supernatural revelation, the Supreme Deity of the Son and Holy Ghost, as well as of the Father ; together with the one- ness of the Godhead, our sinful and lost estate by nature, the necessity of supernatural grace, and of faith in the righteousness of Christ, without which the best works cannot please God ; and that they make it the great scope of their sernions, to lead sinners from a covenant of works to a covenant of grace for life and salvation, and from sin and self to precious Christ. And the General Assembly recommend to all who preacli the gospel, when they handle the doctrines of God's redeem- ing love, and of his free grace in the justification and salvation of sinners, the blessings of the RecJeenier's pur- chase, and privileges of tiie new and better covenant, to study to manage these subjects so as to lead tlicir iiearers into an abhorrence of sin, the love of God and our neigh- bours, and tlie practice of universal Iioliness ; seeing it is one great end of the gospel to destroy the works of the devil, and to teach men to live soberly, righteously, and godiy, in tliis present world. Upon which account, it is incumbent on all who preach the gospel, to insist, not only upon the necessity and excellency of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, but also upon the necessity of re- pentance for sin, and reformation from it ; and to press the practice of all moral duties, both with respect to the first and second table of the law, as indispensably neces- sary, in obedience to God's command, to testify our gra- titude to him, to evidence the sincerity of our faith, and for the benefit of human society, the adorning the pro- fession of religion, and making us meet for eternal life, seeing, without holiness no man can see tlu; Lord. " And the Assembly do seriously recommend to all ministers and preachers of the gospel, that, in pressing moral duties, or obedience to the lav.-, they show the na- ture and excellency of gospel-holiness, and enforce con- formity to the moral law, both in heart and life, not from the principles of reason only, but also, and more especially of revelation. And, in order to attrdn there- to, it is necessary to show men the corruption and de- pravity of human nature by their fall in Adam, their natural impotence for, and aversion to, what is spiritually c good, and to lead them to the true and only source of all grace and holiness, viz., Union with Christ, by the Holy Spirit's working faith in us and renewing us more and more after the image of God ; and to let their hearers know that they must first be grafted unto Christ as their root, before their fruit can be savoury unto God, that they must have a new principle to animate, and a new end to direct them, before their actions become gra- cious and acceptable in the siglit of God ; and that they teach them the necessity of living by faith on the Son of God, in a constant looking to and dependence upon him, as the great Author of all gracious influences, for the performance of every duly; and withal, that, after the best performances and attainments, they must count them but loss and dung in point of justification before God ; and to make it their great desire only to be found in Christ and his righteousness. And that ministers, in the application of their sermons, do endeavour rightly to divide the word of truth, speaking distinctly to such various cases of the converted and unconverted, as arise natively from the subjects they have been handling; and that, in the whole of their discourses, they take care to suit themselves to the capacity of their hearers, as to matter, method, and expression, and to the prevailing sins of the time and place, with all prudent and zealous freedom and plainness ; as also, that they make gospel- subjects their main theme and study, and press with all earnestness the practice of moral duties in a gospel man- ner ; and that they forbear delivering any thing in public, that may tend more to amusement than to edification ; and beware of bringing into their sermons and public dis- courses matters of doubtful disputation, which tend to gender strife rather than to promote the edification of christians. And the Assembly exhort all to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. «' And finally, the General Assembly recommend to all professors of divinity, to use their best endeavours to have the students under their care well acquainted with the true method of preaching the gospel, as above direc- ted ; and that presbyteries, at their privy censures, in- quire concerning the observation of this act." Now, blessed be the Lord that there is such a public act in record, as a standing witness for Christ in the midst of all our backslidings and defections : may God put in the hearts of all who preach the gospel among us, to ob- serve the directions of it ; that the scope and tendency of their sermons may still be to exalt Christ, and raise him above all in the business of our salvation ; to press the doctrine of regeneration and the new birth ; to preach up justification by Ciirist's righteousness alone, appre- hended by faith, and the necessity of the inward opera- tions of the Holy Spirit, which Christ hath purchased and promised, for working that faith in us, and for bring- ing about the gracious change of the new birth, and car- rying on a work of sanctification in us, and for enabling us to live the spiritual life ; This being the scope of the act, happy it were for tlie land if it were also the main scope of our sermons. But, after all, if professors of di- vinity do not their parts in training up students according to it, and if presbyteries do not theirs in calling to ac- count those who do not observe the act, the church will not reap much benefit by it, as I fear she hath not yet done ; for if she had, what meaneth tlie bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen, which we still hear ? what means the murmuring of serious christians from several corners for want of the proper food of their souls? what mean the continued complaints of the growth of Deism and infidelity through the land ? It is a just ob- serve, that when moral preaching in a Christless way doth much abound, it makes way for the increase of Deism and infidelity : for when persons do long hear moral ser- c 2 irions, and little of Christ in them, or the peciiliur doc- trines of Christianity, they are tempted to think there is but little difference between them and the discourses of Seneca and otiser heathen moralists ; and therefore, that they may be safe enough, and get to heaven, without any Christianity at all ; and that every moral man is a good enough christian. 01 this is a fundamental defection of most heinous guilt ; it is ia God-provoking and unchurching evil, which all the ministers and lovers of Christ should be deeply concerned about ; for if we suffer ourselves and others to fall from our regard and love to glorious Christ, neglect to exalt him in- our sermons, and to preach salvation to men only through Christ's suretiship and sacrifice, and to tell the world, and inculcate it daily upon them, that this, and this only, is the way for them to obtain pardon, peace, grace, glory, and every good thing; I say, if we turn careless and negligent in what so nearly concerns Christ's glory, and our own office as christian preachers, may he not justly plead a controversy with our church, smite us with the most awful judgments, suffer a flood of infidelity, error, and profanity, to invade us, withdraw bis Spirit from ordinances and judicatories, infatuate our counsels and conduct, mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of us, and give us up to the most unnatural divi- sions and mournful breaches among ourselves ? Ab ! bow much is this the case with us at this day! And no wonder, seeing Christ's glory is so little minded, not- withstanding of the foresaid excellent act of Assembly, and many other good acts that are sadly neglected this day by ministers and preacliers among us. And how can we expect that any individual man should pay re- gard to them, and particularly to the 7th Act of Assem- bly, 1736, concerning preaching, when he sees whole judicatories pay no respect to the 14th Act of that As- sembly, against intrusions; nor to the 10th Act of As- sembly, 1712, and the 9tli Act of Assembly, 1715, con- cerning the usurpation of patronage upon the church, and her right of calling her own ministers ; which acts are conform to other ancient acts of this church, and to our Reformation principles, declared in the second book of discipline, (see chap. 3, par. 4 and 5 ; chap. 12, par. 9, 10,) and which are sworn to in our national covenant, and ratified by many acts both of church and state? Now, how strange and surprising is it to see men de- liberately going contrary to these excellent acts and deeds of the church, both ancient and modern, — which are well-founded upon the word of God and sound rea- son, — by drawing on the yoke of patronage upon the church, without necessity, voluntarily strengthening the hands of patrons in their spiritual tyranny, and encourag- ing men in that vile church-breaking and soul-destroy- ing practice of accepting presentations, — which no law doth require, — and adhering to them, in opposition to the people's choice ; and yet this way is continued, even after conviction, by long dear-bought experience of the pernicious eifects of it. I well remember the time — yea, it is not above twenty years ago — when it was thought to be the universal opinion that accepting of presenta- tions was inconsistent with Presbyterian principles and the rights and rules of this church, which we are solemnly engaged to maintain by our Formula, 1711, and other- wise : at that time presentation-hunters among Presby- terians would have appeared as monsters, and their so- ciety frightful : but now, alas ! they are become tame and familiar creatures to us. It is a woful practice, to- gether with the itch of pleasing great men, that hath of late been the great snare to draw in judicatories to go cross to the declared principles maintained in this church ever since the Reformation, which we should have firmly cleaved to, and never declined from in any case, by raakinor intrusions and violent settlements in christian congregations, to the ruin, alas ! of the glorious gospel, and of precious souls therein : and upon that account alone, though we had no acts or declared principles against intrusion, it is astonishing to think, how any man, that hath the glory of his Master and the saving of souls at heart, should ever concur in a violent settlement that is manifestly destructive to both. That is an awful threatening to ministers, Jer. xxiii. 1, " Wo be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of ray pasture, saith the Lord ;" and yet, notwithstanding, we see many who go under the character of wise men still persisting in that miserable infatuation and destructive course, driving multitudes of hearty friends and serious chris- tians out of the church, and never gaining any to it of those they intend to gratify ; yea, acting as if they were joined in a conspiracy against the commons of Scotland, and were carrying on a plot to strengthen tlie secession from the church. But let me tell these wise brethren, if our conventions and parliaments about fifty years ago had paid as little regard to the inclinations of the people of Scotland as onr judicatories do now, we would not have had these courts at this day to sit in. I shall not insist here upon this melancholy subject, having said so much on it elsewhere ; only let me add this word, — if leading men go on in these methods, though they may enjoy their ease, power, and preferments for a while, yet upon their grave-stones it is loo likely it may be written, " Here lie the men who did destroy the most beautiful national church and constitution that was in the world." But, alas ! we have cause not only to lament our de- parting from Reformation principles and weakening the establishment, but also our shameful defection from vital and practical religion. The power of godliness is at a very low ebb among us, and little of God's Spirit is to be found in our administrations ; God is angry, and threatens to cast us off. Ah ! great ground have we to bewail our moiirnful case, and cry with the prophet under the fearful tokens of God's anger, Jer. xiv. ; Lam. v., " Hast thou utterly rejected Judah ? hath thy soul loathed Zion ? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us ? We looked for peace, and there is no good ; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the ini- quity of our fathers, for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake ; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory ; remember, break not thy cove- nant with us. The anger of the Lord hath divided us, the crown hath fallen from our head ; wo unto us that we have sinned! Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time ? Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned. Renew our days as of old." There are many other passages in Jeremiah's writings very suitable to our present case ; such as, Jer. xii. 10, 11, " IMany pastors have destroyed my vineyard; they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made a pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being desolate, it mourneth unto me." Now, what can the sons of Zion do for their mother in such a case ? They must even bring her case to the Physician of souls, when it is wholly desperate and incurable as to human help; and cry, as Psalm Ix. 11, " O God give us help from trouble ; for vain is the help of man." Let us fall in with Christ's call to the man with the lunatic child, whom his mother could not cure ; Matt, xvii., " Bring him hither to me," saith our Lord. Let us bring the case to Christ when it is des- perate, and incurable by all others. The church's ex- tremity is Christ's opportunity ; he can help her, even when all her friends are going with their hands on their mouths in the greatest anguish and trouble, according to that word, Jer. xxx. 6, 7, " Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness ? Alas ! for that day is great, so that none is like it ; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble." Yet even then, when Jacob's trouble conies to that extremity that nothing' can match it, the Lord pities, and adds that word, " But he shall be saved out of it." A matchless trouble cannot nonplus his saving skill. Now, how doth he save Jacob out of such extremities ? not by human might or power, but " by his own Spirit ;" Zech. iv. 6. O that God would help all Zion's friends to plead with him for an outpour- ing of his Spirit upon ministers, preachers, students, and all ranks, for saving bis covenanted land out of extreme distress, and reviving primitive Christianity among us ! this and nothing else will do it. O that he would speak such a comfortable word to Scotland, as that he said to the Jews when their state was low ; Hag. ii. 5, " Accord- ing to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you ; fear ye not !" He hath rememliered his covenant with Scotland in former times, and surprised our fathers with gracious eflfusions of his Spirit ; let us steadily look up to him who hath still bowels of pity, and can help us as well as others in distress. We have heard of the wonderful goodness of the Lord of late, in pitying other nations and countries, when under great darkness, deadness, and distress, by sending down his Spirit to revive his work among them in an extraor- dinary maimer, which may be ground of hope to others. How glorious was the appearance of his sovereign grace, about eight or nine years ago, in Saltzburgh in Germany, in determining about twenty thousand of the inhabitants to espouse the reformed religion, merely by reading of the bible, and to become so zealous for it, as to be willing to leave houses, lands, temporal goods, and relations, and all they had, in a woi'd, that they might enjoy the preach- ing of the gospel ! How marvellously did lie display the riches of his grace, and the work of his Spirit, in the wonderful conversion of great numbers in Northampton and other parts of New England, by tiie ministry of Mr. Jonathan Edwards, and others in that country, about five or six yeftrs ago, of which we had a well-attested narrative published among us! Nay, within these two years, we have most surprising accounts of the goings of our God, and the effusions of his Spirit on several places of Old England and Wales, our neighbouring countries, where, by the ministry of Mr. George Wbitefield, Mr. John Wesley, and others, who insist mainly on the doctrine of the new birth and justifi- cation by faitii in Christ, great numbers, even of the most profligate, are convinced and pricked in their hearts, and brought to cry out, " What shall we do to be saved?" Which extraordinary work, I hear, doth still continue in divers places of England. And this very same year we Iiave like accounts from Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and others of the English plantations in America, by the mi- nistry of Mr. Wliitefield and others. Likewise, we have very strange accounts of the success of tlie gospel in many different parts in the world, even among the heathens, by Count Zinzendorf, bishop of the Moravian church, and his missionaries. Verily, these good news which we now hear, of God's glorious appearances in the gospel, do look as if God were about to accomplish his promises to his church in the latter days, when "the whole earth shall be full of the know- ledge of the Lord." O how refreshing are the remotest dawnings of the glory of these days ! Also they serve to teach us how easy it is for God to raise up wheti he pleaseth, for the revival of bis work in decayed churches, when their case seems to be very hope- less. JHow easy is it for him to raise up instruments to preach his gospel, with such life and power as to awaken c5 whole towns and countries of sleeping sinners together, to hearken to the gospel-call ! he can make a nation to be born at once ; which should encourage us to wait on him still. And now, when our Lord is graciously pleased to mount his white horse, as King of Zion, and make his circuit in other countries, to give such evidences of his glorious power, and send down pleasant showers of his grace among them, and make many to bow down at his feet ; may we not hope that he hath a great work on the wheels, and is on his march to go through his churches in a conquering manner, to confound Deists and infidels, and quell the daring boldness of his adversaries ? And, in that case, may not Scotland look for a visit from him among the rest, and even plead that ancient kindness may revive towards it? May we not draw hope from the second Psalm, and other scripture-passages, where God promiseth to give his Son " the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession ;" and that " the isles shall see his salvation, and wait for his law?" among which places Scotland certainly is ; and though it is a land that is little, and despised among the nations, yet he whose thoughts are not as a man's thoughts, hath shown a distinguishing respect to it, by his early sending the gospel to it ; and when overspread with darkness, promoting reformation in it, against both the power of the mighty and counsels of the crafty ; nay, advancing reformation so far, and making gospel-light so clear and powerful in it, by the remarkable down-pouring of his Spirit, tliat Scotland was noticed by divines of other places, and called " Philadel- phia," and the " Morning- star of the Reformation." Nay, he took Scotland into covenant with himself, in a peculiar manner, and gave singular tokens of his presence with his people ; he hath wonderfully appeared for the interest of religion, when almost sunk from it ; he hath raised up saviours on our Mount Zion, and brought about great deliverances for it, as for Israel of old when grievously oppressed and brought low. And from these ancient and peculiar proofs of our Redeemer's care, may we not hum- bly hope, that he will not leave the land that is given him by his Father and solemnly devoted to him by its inhabitants ? Our decays and backslidings from God, indeed, are very great, fearful, and threatening; yet he hath still left a mourning and praying remnant in the land, who are sensible of the want of his presence in ordinances, desire to lament after the Lord, and sigh and cry for all the. abominations that are found in the midst of the city ; and thongh her desolations are mournful, the breaches in her walls many, and the glory of the Lord is gone up from the cherub, yet it seems still to hover, and stand over the threshold of the door ; and there is a remnant among us, wrestling and pleading against onr departure. Tliere are a number who take pleasure in our Zion, have a kindness for her stones and rubbish, and cease not to lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left ; and we see gracious promises made to the prayers and tears, wrestlings and witnessings, of a small, godly remnant ; Psal. xii. 5 ; Psal. cii. 13, 14; broken and divided in the way and manner of their witnessing at this day ! O that the meek Jesus, who rules in Zion, would meeken all tlieir hearts, save from a spirit of bitterness, and from dangerous ex- tremes in separating from one another ! O that the God of peace, that hath the command of hearts, would unite his broken remnant together, give them a Christ-like spirit, and make them one stick in his hand ! It is nowise difficult to him to accomplish this union, even when the case is most hopeless in our eyes, and instruments to mediate for breaches are out of sight. Let us remember and plead that promise, Jer. xxx. 17, " For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord, because they have called thee an outcast, saying. This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after." Many of xl. God's worthies, now in glory, have gone off the stage in the belief and hope that God would yet arise and have mercy on his Zion, that he would signally build her up, and appear in his glory ; yea, there would be more glo- rious gospel-days seen in Scotland than either we or our fathers have beheld. Surely these considerations may encourage God's remnant in Scotland to wait and pray in hope, Iiowever dark and cloudy our day be at present. In the mean time, let us rejoice, and bless the Lord, tliat he is pleased to pour out his Spirit, make bare his holy arm, and glorify his power in other parts of the world, yea, and get himself a great name amOngst those that have not known him, whatever he do vvitii us. May his right hand and his holy arm get him the victory among them more and more, that we may hear gospel-songs from the uttermost parts of the eartli ! Likewise, let us mourn for those sins, both old and late, which provoke God to make our heavens as brass, and to withhold those pleasant showers from us he is letting fall upon others. And let us plead, that Scotland, which formerly was the glory of ail lands for the effusions of the Spirit, may not now be passed by, and left behind all others. O let not her fleece be dry, wlien many others have their fleeces vi'et ; and when they are getting abundance of rain, may we liave a little cloud appearing, like a man's hand, to prog- nosticate a shower a-coming ! May the Lord rise up from iiis place, and come mercifully to decide the quarrel between Deists and us; and let infidels and the profane gcofFers of these last days see, that the bible is the word of God, and that the preaching of it is his institution ; and that there is a supernatural power attending it, for chang- ing men's liearts as well as lives! May he let the world see, it is not fine moral harangues, nor the enticing words of men's wisdom, but the plain preaching of a crucified Jesus, that is tlie only remedy for lost sinners, that be- comes the power of God to the conversion and salvation of men. xli. But some have their questions, *' By wliom shall Jacob arise? Will he show wonders to the dead ? Shall the dead arise and praise him ?" Tliese, indeed, are non- plussing difficulties to us, but none at all to him who raiseth the dead, and calleth the things which be not as though they were. He hath still spirit and clay enough for new instruments ; yea, he can make strangers build up his walls, and the greatest enemies become zealous for his glory. And however unlikely the appearance of things may be at present, both scripture and experience assure us, that the time of God's people's extremity (as said before) is his usual season for appearing for them : " It is on the mount that the Lord will be seen ;" so may that text be rendered ; Gen. xxii. 14. God did not ap- pear any way for Isaac's deliverance all tlie three days' journey he made with his father, till he came to the top of the mount, and was just ready to be sacrificed ; neither did he interpose for the Jews in Esther's time, until the decree was passed, and day fixed, and but a hair-breadth betwixt them and ruin ; then God steps in, and posts are instantly despatched to stop the execution. Thus tiie Lord acts agreeably to his promise; Deut. xxxii. 36, "For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left." Here then is food for faith and prayer in the most straitening limes. O for grace to pray in hope, mourn in hope, labour in hope, and wait in hope, seeing our dearest Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is our hope, is gone up, and sits at the helm ! O when shall the power of this great Lord be present to heal us ! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. Dundee, Sept. 30, 1740. a >- ^ ' A TREATISE CONCERNING THE SANCTIFICATION OF A COMMUNION SABBATH. INTRODUCTION. It being our great business in the world to promote God's glory and our own salvation, and, in order there- to, to seek acquaintance with, and secure an interest in, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sole Mediator betwixt God and man, and also to labour for the comfortable persua- sion and assurance of this interest ; it hath pleased God, for our assistance in this matter, graciously to prescribe to us the use of several outward means, as the word, sa- craments, and prayer ; and also to promise the inward influences of his Holy Spirit, for making these means effectual to the end aforesaid to such as conscientiously attend and use them. The sacrament of the Lord's supper, one of these means, being instituted, by our Lord Jesus Christ, as a bright representation and compend of the whole chris- tian religion, and an ordinance nobly adapted for carry- ing on the ends of God's glory and our soul's salvation, and particularly, for clearing up our interest in Christ, and improving oui*' acquaintance with him ; it highly con- cerns every christian to make conscience of attending it in a due and suitable manner. I have elsewhere shown that the Lord's day is of divine appointment, and the celebration of the Lord's supper is the proper work of this day, and one special design of its first institution. Now, if ordinary Sabbaths do require great diligence and care in our preparing for them, and improving of them, much more do comnuuiion Sabbaths, which are solemn and high days, and in a special manner days of the Son 44 of man : these beingf times wherein we make most near approaches unto God and he makes near approaches unto us : and so may be called days of iieaven upon earth ; for they do eminently represent the employments and enjoyments of the glorified saints in heaven ; and, by the right improvement of them, we come to be prepared for living amongst that blessed company. It is, then, our great duty and interest carefully to make ready for these Sabbaths when they draw nigh, and to improve every hour and minute of them with the greatest diligence when they actually do come. The subject of the Lord's supper is pretty fully handled in my Sacramental Catechism, both in a doctrinal and casuistic manner. And seeing it is needless to repeat what is there written, I must refer my reader to it for a more full explication of several things relative to this ordinance, than what is here to be expected ; seeing I mainly design in this treatise to give practical directions for the right improvement of communion Sabbaths. Tlie subject is still very large and copious, after all that hath been said and written upon it ; and there is room for much more. Wliat 1 here intend maybe comprehended under tiie three following iieads : — I. Directions how to prepare for a communion Sab- bath, before it come. II. How to spend it when it is come. III. How to beiiave ourselves when it is over. CHAP. I. CONTAINING DIRECTIONS HOW TO PREPARE FOR A COMMUNION SABBATH. DIRECTION I. Carefully endeavour to study to have a just and right up- taking of the Nature, Ends, and Uses of the Lord's Supper, and of the work of Communicating while at the Lord's Table. There are many who have wrong notions of this ordi- nance, do greatly mistake tbe ends and designs of it, and 45 therefore cannot rightly partake of it ; hut, if we would be worliiy communicants, we must s(nious]y ponder, and rigliily understand the nature and ends of this solemn in- stitution of our Lord Jesus Ciirist, that so we may ap- proach his table with distinct uptakings of our work and business there. This ordinance was not instituted to turn bread and wine into the true body and blood of Christ, for people to worship it; nor to sacrifice Christ again to the Father, to be a propitiation for the sins of the quick and dead, as the Papists do absurdly affirm ; neither was it ap- pointed to make attMiement for former sins, to purchase a remission, and insure heaven to us, opere operato, as some ignorant people do imagine ; nor was it designed to cloak some wicked practices, or maintain a good name among men, or any other worldly end, as hypocrites do intend ; but it is appointed by our great Lord and Saviour as a visible representation and commemoration of his death and sufferings for his people, till he come again to judge the world. And, in obedience to his command, all his people ongiit to come to his table, to celebrate this ordinance ; and, while partaking of the outward symbols of bread and wine, they are believingly and thankfully to remember Jesus Christ and his dying love ; and also receive and embrace him, as their bleelies of strength, to enable us to perform duties, hear crosses, resist enemies, and beat down lusts ; and conse- quently we have frequent need of this quickening, re- storing, and strengtheniiig meal, which Christ hath gra- ciously provided for us in this ordinance. It is hereby that faith is strengthened, repentance renewed, love in- flamed, desires sharpened, and the soul encouraged, and confirmed in the ways of God. V. This ordinance was instituted for bringing us to near communion with God ; and therefore should be frequently celebrated and attended by us. Hence it is that we call it tlie communion, according to that word ; 1 Cor. X. 16. And as the apostle tells us there, ver. 19, 20, that the partaking of things sacrificed to idols was a fellowship with devils; so here the partaking of that which was sacrificed to God is a fellowship with God. In this ordinance there is more communion to be had with God, than in any other ; more than in prayer or praise ; for we have not so near communion with a prince or great man, by petitioning him, or returning him thanks for a favour received, as we have by sitting with him at his table, and partaking of the same bread and the same cup with him. It is here that believers sit, feast, and converse familiarly with Jesus Christ. Christ was made known to his disciples in the breaking of bread, though they knew him not before in the opening of the scriptures ; Luke xxiv. 30, 31. Now, if it be our duty to seek fre- quent communion and converse with God, and frequent views and discoveries of Jesus Christ, then surely it is our duty to make frequent approaches to the Lord's table. Do we think that we can too uft behold a crucified Jesus ? Can we too oft clasp about our bleeding High Priest? can we too oft hear the music of his voice, or see the beauty of his face ? Surely, if we love him, we will de- sire frequently to be in those ways where we may meet with him. VI. This sacrament is an excellent mean for the weak- ening of sin, and keeping it under ; and therefore we should frequently attend it. The soul is most animated and resolved against sin, when it sees God's wrath and 71 indigriation manifested ajjainst it : now, where can we behold this so well as in this ordinance, which represents the dreadful agonies and sufferings of Christ, our surety ? Here we may see Christ sacrificed to justice, overwhelmed with blood, made a curse, and bearing all that wrath and vengeance which the law threatened for sin. The soul's looking upon Christ here, doth open the spring of sorrow for sin ; Zech. xii. 10. Our frequent approaches to a wounded Saviour here, do kindle frequent resolutions against sin that pierced him, and make us look and cry to him for grace to subdue it. Now, this is what we are constantly needing : for there is still a root of bitterness in us always sprouting up ; but frequent approaches to this ordinance do contribute to curb and crop it. Sin and lugts of themselves are apt to revive and gather strength ; but the sacramental cup is poison to them. Do you think, then, that we can too oft take up this cup into our hands, or put our hands into Christ's wounds, or take a view of this sin-killing blood ? VII. This ordinance is a choice mean of strengthening our faith in the promises, and confirming us in the sense of Christ's love ; and therefore it should be frequently celebrated. It was upon this account that so great joy and gladness did attend the keeping of the passover of old ; 2 Cliron. xxx. 21, 26. It was the frequent breaking of bread that made the primitive christians to continue in their gladness of heart; Acts ii. 46. And no wonder a man's heart be glad, and he be encouraged to go on his way rejoicing, when he gets a new seal of his pardon and peace with God. We frequently contract guilt, and thereby blot our evidences, and disturb our peace ; and therefore we need to come frequently to this ordinance to get the blood of sprinkling applied, for removing our guilt, clearing our evidences, sealing our peace, and re- newing our joy. It is matter of joy to see the rainbow appearing frequently in tlie clouds, as a sign of God's minding his covenant, and securing the world against a destroying deluge. In like manner, it should rejoice the heart, and strengthen faith, frequently to behold this sa- crament, which, like the rainbow in the clouds, is a sign of God's securing the believing world against the over- flowing flood of God's wrath. VIII. VVe need frequently the influences of the Holy Spirit ; and therefore should come frequently to this or- 72 dlnance ; for in this sacrament it is most likely tliat the Spirit will work and exert himself — when the office of the Spirit, and end of tiie institution, do meet and agree in one. The office of the Spirit is to hring things to our rememhrance, and liie chief design of this ordinance is to bring a crucified Jesus, and his love and sufferings, to remembrance. Now, surely, it is the most likely time for the Holy Spirit to come and exercise his blessed function, and join in with the end of tiie sacrament. Hither then should becalmed souls frequently repair, and wait for the Spirit's gales. I might add many other arguments ; but surely, if we had a due sense of our soul's necessities, we should need no more to convince us of the necessity of frequent com- municating. Do not we feel our needs frequently recur- ring, our graces languishing, faith weakening, love cool- ing, affections turning dead ? Are we not apt frequently to grow cold and formal in hearing and praying, yea, dull and lukewarm in all our performances ? And have we not frequent need of this reviving and enlivening ordi- nance, to recruit ns with new strengtii and quickening ? but, alas ! we have little sense of our soul's wants, and little sense of our Saviour's love ; otherwise we would not be so unwilling frequently to remember such an in- comparable friend and benefactor, who took our sins upon himself, and cast upon us the robe of his righteousness. Did primitive christians think once a-week little enough to commemorate his love, and shall modern christians reckon once a-year sufficient? Is this our kindness to the always lovely and loving Jesus ? O, will we not re- member him frequently, who remembers believers per- petually ! Objections Answered. Objec. I. But, say some, the zeal and devotion of the apostolic age is now gone ; and christians are become more careless and formal in religious duties than in those days, and so are unfit for frequent partaking of this so- lemn ordinance. Ans. \st. I grant, indeed, the first christians were ani- mated with more life and love, and were habitually in a belter frame for this love-feast, than, alas! the most of ns are : yet 1 am persuaded you will not deny but we 73 are under the same oblig-ations of love and gratitude to our dying Redeemer that they were, and Iiave as much need of the frequent application of his blood, and a con- firmed interest in his meritorious death, as they had. And seeing our obligations and exigencies are the same, our differing so widely from their practice cannot be justified. 'idly. The ancient church did follow the example of the apostolic age, in communicating generally every Lord's day, for several hundreds of years after the apostles' days, as might be made appear by many quota- tions, if it were needful, out of the histories and writings of Eusebius, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, and many others of the ancient fathers. As the blood of Christ is as fresh and efficacious in tlie present as the first centuries of tiie church, so it should be as dear and precious to christians in this as any former age. Qdly. It is most sad that christians should be so easy under the decay of piety and love to a crucified Jesus, that is so visible in these latter days. Should not the consideration hereof be matter of bitter lamentation and complaint to all the lovers of Christ, and put us inces- santly to cry to heaven. Wilt thou not revive us again ? Renew our days as of old. Athly. Is there not ground to think, that the decay of piety and christian love in our days is much owing to the neglect and unfrequent use of this soul-quickening ordi- nance ? No wonder that our hearts turn hard, when we so seldom have recourse to Christ's blood for softening them : that our graces grow weak and withered, when we so little use Christ's appointed means for cherishing and strengthening them : and that we have but little of the smiles of his face, when we so little regard his dying words. Frequent communicating in Christ's own way and method, miglit be a mean, through iiis blessing, to revive decayed religion, to keep sin under constant re- bukes and disgrace, and Christ in continual esteem and respect among us. This might contribute to cure and prevent that formality in duty, carelessness of spirit, and forgetfulness of Christ, which so wofully prevails in our land. Objec. II. If we communicate often, as you urge us, we are afraid frequency will breed formality in this duty. Ans. \st. The apostles and prisnitive christians found no such bad effect of their frequent partaking ; but were 74 farther from formality, and far more serious, fervent, and spiritual in tliis duty, than those christians who now par- take hut once a-year. ^dly. Our formality in attending this ordinance is nowise chargeable upon the institution of Christ, or its frequent administration, but upon the corruption and carelessness of our hearts, which all christians should carefully watch and wrestle against, and labour in the strength of Christ, so oft as they partake, to prepare for it with all seriousness and solemnity. Zdly. Were this a good reason ag'ainst frequency in this duty, it might be pleaded against frequency in other duties also ; and so we should seldom read or hear the word ; seldom meditate on God, pray, or sing psalms, lest fre- quency should beget formality therein. But it is a bad way of arguing, to say, because frequency in prayer, hearing, or cctmmunicating, may occasion formality and heart-wanderings, therefore I will seldom pray, &c. No ; the inference sliould rather be, therefore I will watch over my heart more carefully ; 1 will look for the renewed influences of the Spirit, and strive to be more sincere and fervent in duty. Athly. Though frequency in partaking should have a bad eflect on some, yet it hath and will have a good effect upon others who make conscience of preparing for the duty. Instead of breeding formality, it doth beget the greater liveliness and spirituality in them, and raise their appetite the more after the heavenly manna. It is cer- tain, the ottener we carefully and believingly communi- cate, the better disposed we shall be for new approaches. Objec. III. The Jews did partake of the passover only once in the year. Ans. God fixed the passover to a certain day of the year, to mind tiiem of their temporal deliverance from Egypt, as well as of their future redemption by the Mes- siah's death at that time ; and therefore, it was annual. But, besides that, they had their daily sacrifices of slain beasts in the temple, which were lively types of Christ, and remembrances to them of his death; so that the Jews did not need such a frequent celebration of the passover for that end. But, in the New Testament church, Christ hath settled only his supper as the great ordinance of commemoration of his death and sufferings ; and there- fore we ought not to confine ourselves to the Jews' annual 75 custom ; nay, on the contrary, christians now, to whom Christ hath made such hright discoveries of his love, in sacrificing himself upon the cross for their salvation, should far exceed the Jews — who lived in such dark times — in expressing love to their Saviour, and in celebrating the memorials of his love ti> them. The love of the primitive christians was so warm this way, that they thought them- selves bound to celebrate their gospel-passover in remem- brance of a crucified Christ once a-week, which the Jews did hut once a- year. Objec. IV. But, saith one, mv business and calling in the world is such, that I have not liberty for frequent communicating, neither have I occasions near me for doing it. Alls, \st. I grant that all men cannot communicate alike often, seeing the worldly calling and affairs of one man do administer more distractions than those of another ; and some cannot command their time so much as others. ^dly. People should do what lies in them to order their affairs so before-hand, that they may have freedom for frequent communicating. But if persons have business brought on them, not by themselves, but by the provi- dence of God, they are excusable for their omission at one occasion, but then they should be careful to lay hold upon the next. In keeping of the passover, there was a dispensation allowed to those that were under ceremonial nncleanness, or engaged in business on a journey; Numb. ix., yet it was allowed not for a year, but for a month's omission. For, when they could not keep it upon the fourteenth day of the first month, they were ordered to keep it the fourteenth day of the next month, and not to stay until the next annual revolution ; Numb. ix. 10, II. As it would be aij^reeable to this injunction, so it would be a desirable attainment in the church, and an advantage to the members of it, if matters were so ordered among us, that when persons are necessarily hindered from par- taking of the Lord's supper in their own congregation, they might be sure of an occasion to do it next month, if not in their own, at least in a neighbouring congregation. Objec. V. The last time I was at the Lord's table, I got no benefit by it, nay, I fear I communicated unwor- thily ; now, for me to come frequently in this manner, I fear to contract greater guilt, and do myself more hurt than good. Therefore, 1 will not soon adventure upon another approach. 76 Ans. \st. There are some good things implied in this objection, such as a review of" former actions, some sense of sin, and trouble for it, and a loathness to offend God, which are some desirable tokens of repentance, and may yield some comfort to an exercised soul. ^dly. In tiiis case, long deferring will do you more hurt than frequent communicating ; for as, by too much fasting, we often lose our stomachs, so, by long with- drawing from the Lord's table, you may come to lose your desire after the food of your souls, and to have a low esteem of Christ, and (»f his solemn ordinance. 3c?/?/, There is no communicant bnt, upon a review, may spy many defects in his frame and preparation, for which he could not answer, if God did enter into judg- ment with him, but he must not therefore abandon his duty, but flee to Christ's fountain for washing, and to the covert of his righteousness to screen all his imperfections. We read of several in Hezekiah's time, 2 Chron. xxx., that were not so suitably prepared for the passover as they should have been, and ate it otherwise than it was written, and yet, upon Hezekiah's praying for them, God pardoned their sin and healed them. Atlily. It may yield comfort to a troubled soul, if, upon a review, he can say, it was his earnest desire to commu- nicate humbly, with a lively frame, and the exercise of all the sacramental graces ; and whatever shortcomings he was chargeable with, they were not wilful and allowed, but matter of grief and mourning to him. If this be your case, then your defects are sins of infirmity, which your gracious Ge bronj^ht to their remembrance : \sty They might look back to Egypt, and remember tlie sorrows and bondage they endured there, and be thank- ful for their redemption ; and, especially for their de- liverance from tiie destroying angel that night he passed over tlieir houses, which were sprinkled with the blood of the lamb. 2c?/y, They were to look forward to the Messiah, and remember the bitter agonies and sufferings he was to endure for their sins. Thus the paschal lamb, for several days, was to be prepared for its suf- ferings, to teach the people of God solemnly to prepare themselves for eating thereof, and, therein, to celebrate the memorial of the Messiah's sufferings, which were thereby typified. That four days' separation of the lamb was a continual standing sermon, preaching preparation to the Israelites, as if God had said to them. Be ye also sequestered from the world, and take time to think on the bleating of the lamb, the agonies of Christ, and pre- pare yourselves for this solemn ordinance. Oh! what shall we say of those who, instead of four days, never spent four hours in serious pre{>aration for our great gospel-passover ! O worthy communicant, as soon as you hear the Lord's supper intimatrd, let the lamb be tied to yctur bed-posts ; entertain the lively meditation of your Redeemer's sufferings, and beg preparation of heart from God for celebrating the memorial thereof. 79 Was our Lord so long' a time in preparing for them, and shall we take no time in preparing to behold them, especially when it is so liiglily for onr advantage so to do? We read that the primitive christians and ancient fathers used to sit np whole nights at prayer before they approaclied the Lord's table, whicli they called their vigili(B. In tliis ordinance; God makes great preparations for lis ; he hath provided a feast whicli liatii cost more than ten thousand kingdoms, or a million of worlds ; and ought not the guests who are honoured with an invitation to it, to make great and solemn preparation for it? Were we called to dine with an eartldy prince, we would dress ourselves, and would see to have everj'' thing about us in good order ; but here we are called to feast witii a holy and all-seeing God, who will, infallibly, spy out every unprepared communicant, "when he comes in to see the guests." If the linen on the conimnnion table, or the vessels that contain the elements, were foul, you would be ready to cry out, It is a liorrid shame and abomination to see them in such a case ; and so, indeed, it would, for there ought to be an outward decency in these things: our Lord would have the very room in good order, where he was to eat the passover. But, O ! it is a small crime to have a foul cloth or vessel for receiving the outward elements, in respect of what it is to liave a foul hfr'arr, an unprepared soul, to receive the body and blood of Clirist. Joseph prepared himself, by shaving himself, and changing his raiment, before lie went in unto Pharaoh ; and wilt thou not prepare thyself, by putting thy soul in the holiest dress, and humblest posture, when thou art to go in to the King of heaven and earth ? O communi- cant, thou exceedingly wrongest thine own soul if tlion do it not! Preparation is the seed-time, receiving is the liarvest ; "Asa man soweth, so shall he reap. He whicli soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly : and lie which soweth bountifully, sliall reap also bountifully," 2 Cor. ix. 6. It is in the duty of partaking as in the duty of praying — the more prepared the heart is to pray, the greater is a man's return from heaven ; Psalm x. 17, " Thou wilt prepare their heart — thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." So, in the case of receiving, it may be said, " Thou wilt prepare their heart — thou wilt cause E 2 80 thine hand to give." When God gives us a heart pre- pared for duty, it is a token he hath a hand prepared for mercy. Hence it is, that the Lord makes that gracious pro- mise ; Psahii Ixxxi. 10, " Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." I'll enlarge my hand as you enlarge your hearts. He saith, as Joseph said to his steward ; Gen. xliv. 1, " Fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry." According as Joseph's brethren prepared sacks in number and largeness, so did they carry corn away ; and the fewer and smaller sacks they had, the less carried they away. So, here, if you bring prepared and enlarged hearts to the ordinance, you shall be sup- plied with as much as you can carry. DIRECTION V. Consider, that both habitual and actual preparation is requisite for loorthy communicating. 1. Habitual preparation is necessary to every com- municant ; that is, that he be a believer, a man in a gra- cious state, furnislied with the graces of the Spirit, endued with knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and new obedience. No man is fit to approach the Lord's table, til! he have these gracious habits planted in his soul. He must be a man that is renewed inwardly by the Spirit of God, and aims at holiness in all manner of conversation. Tills new wine must not be put into an old vessel, else the wine will be spilt, and the vessel perish. It was an ancient abuse of this sacrament, condemned by the Car- thaginian council, to give it to dead men ; so it is an abuse condemned by tlie word of God, to give it to dead souls, and those who have no spiritual life. Under the law God did forbid the offering of sacrifices that either were blind or lame, Mai. i. 8 ; and they that were cere- monially unclean, could not keep the passover. The ignorant person's sacrifice is blind, for he cannot give account of his own work ; the hypocrite's sacrifice is lame, for he halteth on God's way. The profane man is morally unclean, and so cannot entertain communion with a holy God. Holiness becometh God's house, and in a special manner his table. Habitual holiness is re- quisite for all that would be worthy communicants. You 81 must be holy universally, holy in the frame of your hearts, and in all the actions of your lives ; holy in your shops, by diligence and justice ; holy at your tables, by sobriety and thankfulness ; holy in the streets, by an innocent, useful conversation ; holy in your closets, by prayer and meditation. Yea, you must account vour whole lives nothing but an opportunity of serving a holy God, and of mortifying sin and corruption ; and this habitual holi- ness would dispose your souls for the acts of immediate worship. But unholy persons are altogether unprepared for such a near approach to God. Hearts full of rancour and malice are not meet to come to a feast of love ; feet that walk in the ways of sin are not fit to tread in God's holy place; hands stained with injustice are unfit to handle these holy mysteries ; mouths that are polluted by swear- ing and evil speaking, are not fit to eat and drink the sa- cred symbols of Christ's body and blood ; eyes defiled with unchaste looks, and bewitched with the world's vani- ties, are unfit to look on the holy Jesus ; ears that enter- tain reproaches of God's people, and hearken not to the counsels of his word, are not fit to hear the joyful sound of pardon intimated at his table. They who expect the King of glory to enter in into their souls at this solemn occasion, must have the doors thereof cleanly and pure. Unhallowed sinners are not fit to receive this hallowed bread and wine. Our Lord's body nevpr saw corruption in the grave ; nor will he lodge in those bodies that are as noisome sepulchres and corrupt sinks of sin. It lay only in a virgin womb and sepulchre, to show that he will only reside in virgin souls, that are devoted and con- secrated to his use, and kept pure and chaste for his ser- vice, and do not entertain his rivals. I grant, indeed, impure thoughts will sometimes be crowding in to the best hearts ; but if we do not entertain them, but sin- cerely strive against them, and earnestly wish for better company, it is a token Christ's spirit hath entered, and is about this work of purifying the heart. It we would be habitually prepared for the Lord's table, we must be daily acquaint with tiie work of morti- fication and true repentance. We must always eye sin as our Saviour's deadly enemy, have no pity on it, but severely condemn ourselves for every trespass, instantly grieve for it, look to the blood of sprinkling for pardon. 82 renew our resolutions to amend, and pray for special strength against every particular sin. We must daily meditate on precious Cluist, and upon his first and second ciiming, and live continually in the view of death. And if we lived thus, it would not be so hard to prepare our- selves for the Lord's table. Jf we lived in an habitual preparation for the day of death, we would also be ha- bitually prepared for tlie day of communion. Had we God frequently in our thouglits, and lived constantly under the sense of his all-seeing* eye, on the communion- day we should find little else to do but revive our graces by the exercise of prayer and praise. II. Actual preparation is also necessary before our approach to the Lord's table. Seeing, alas ! the most part of christians in this degenerate age are so defective in their habitual preparation for this ordinance, they ought to be the more diligent in actual preparation for it. And this doth consist in a^reat many particulars ; such as, I. Sequestrating ourselves from the world. 2. Self-examination. 3. Humiliation for sin. 4. Renew- ing our personal covenant with God in Christ. 5. Re- formation of what is amiss. 6. Exciting of all the graces to a lively exercise. 7. Meditation on tlie death and sufferings of Jesus Christ. 8. Earnest prayer to God for preparation and assistance in the work. All these belong to our actual preparation for the Lord's supper, and of them I shall afterwards treat more particularly. Only I shall here observe, that both habitual and actual preparation must go together, if we would be worthy communicants. We must both have grace in the habit, and grace in the lively exercise. All wise virgins, that wait for the coming of the bridegroom, do take care to have oil still in their vessels, as well as in tiieir lamps; nay, they must see to have their lamps burning every day. But when they hear that the bridegroom is actually coming, then, in order to meet him, they do arise, and fall afresh to the trimming of their lamps ; they snuff them, stir up the light, and apply more oil to make them burn the brighter and clearer. And this you ought to do, O communicant, if you would bave a joyful meeting with the lovely Bridegroom in the sacrament. Nay, if you come not with the actual, as well as with the habitual, preparation, the sacrament may prove to you as the summer brooks to the thirsty traveller, of which Job 83 speaks ; Job vi. 19, 20, " The troops of Tenia looked, the companies of Sheba waited for tiiem. They were confounded because they had hoped ; they came thither and were ashamed." Some come to the sacrament with a sort of actual preparation, but have no habitual prepa- ration; no grace in the habit- Some again have habitual, but not actual, preparation; they want grace in exercise. But these will go from the ordinance as the troops of Tema, and companies of Sheba, disappointed of spiritual refreshment. If we would reap spiritual advantage in this ordinance, we must take care to be ready both ways, habitually and actnallj^ for it is ordy such that the all- seeing Master of the feast will look upon as worthy com- municants. DIRECTION VI. Be convinced of the greatness of the Sin and Hazard of Unworthy Communicating. We are told both the one and the other in very plain terms, I Cor. xi. 27—29, " He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." And again, " He eateth and drinketh damnation [or judg- ment] to himself." So that we see the sin and crime is no less than that of murdering Jesus Christ, and of being found accomplices of the Jews and soldiers who imbrued their cruel hands in the innocent blood of the Son of God, which is a most dreadful charge ! The hazard which this sin exposes to is both temporal strokes and eternal damnation. Seeing I have spoke of the nature and danger of this sin, Sacr. Cat. pp. 107, 108, 110, &c. \_Jirst edit.'] I shall say the less in this place. Only, to communicate unworthily, is to approach in an unworthy state, or in an unsuitable frame, or with wrong ends. When a person comes to the Lord's table in ignorance, without self-examination, without grief for sin, love to Christ, or faith in his blood, and is unpre- pared for this solemn ordinance, then he is an unworthy communicant. Now, this must be a very heinous si?i ; for it imports your undervaluing the blood of Jesus Christ, as if it were the blood of an impostor or malefactor. For if you look on the sufferings of Christ here represented as 84 the suflFerings of the innocent Son of God, and glorious Saviour of mankind, why do you not come suitably af- fected therewith, and grieved for your sins that were the cause thereof? But, if you do not really own or regard them as such, then on the matter you charge Jesus Christ as being the greatest impostor and criminal in the world, in declaring himself to be the Son of God, and Saviour of sinners, when, in your esteem, he was not. If you say, " God forbid we be guilty of this; we own Christ to be the Son of God, and the King of glory ;" why then are you guilty of treason, and of offering the greatest indignity to your Prince, by throwing his pic- ture or great seal into a mire, by defacing or defiling a statue erected for his honour and remembrance ? For any dishonour done to the image or representation reflects upon the original. What horrid contempt would it be for a subject to come in with nasty clothes and filthy hands, and offer to sit down at his sovereign's table, and dip into the dish with him ? Now, all this, and much worse you do, when you sit down unprepared at the Lord's table, and eat and drink unworthily. Nay, you are guilty hereby of the basest disingenuity, and of solemn mocking of tiie Lord Jesus Christ ; for, by coming to the Lord's table, you pretend to be doing honour to Christ, to be deeply affected with his suffer- ings, and to declare your abhorrence of sin that was the cause thereof. Now, when there is really no such thing, but, on the contrary, sin is hugged and embraced, what is this but horrid dissimulation with an all-seeing God? Yea, it is an acting of Judas' part over again, a betraying " the Son of man with a kiss." But, which is worst of all, by this sin you become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord ; for, as he is justly reckoned accessory to a murder, who either con- sents to it, makes light of it, or that abets and entertains the murderers ; so unworthy communicants, who look upon the death and sufferings of the Son of God with- out remorse for their sins that pierced him, nay, love and lodge those traitors in their hearts that betrayed and crucified the Lord of glory, are plainly accessory to the Jews' horrid guilt of shedding the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a fearful thing to be guilty of any man's blood, even of the blood of a wicked man ; but how much more to be guilty of the blood of a righteous person, even of 85 tlie Holy One of God ? Simple murder is a crying sin ; Gen. iv. 10, " Tiie voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the groniid." It cries so that it gives God no rest, as it were, till he come and take vengeance on the shedder of it. Nature's light taught the barbarians, that vengeance should not suffer a murderer to live ; Acts xxviii. 3. But O what a cry do you think the innocent blood of Christ must have against the guilty communi- cant ? It is terrible to have that blood which pleads for sinners, crying against thee. Clirist's blood, applied by faith, speaks "better things than that of Abel;" but, when it is trampled on in the sacrament, it doth speak and cry worse things than that of Abel : it will cry for more terrible vengeance than Abel's blood cried for. Wo to that poor soul for whom Christ's blood speaks not, but ten thousand woes to that soul which this blood speaks against ! It is tlie worst kind of treason to shed the blood of an earthly king; but what wickedness must it be to shed the blood of the King of kings, one drop whereof is more precious than all tlie blood wliich ever ran in the veins of the kings and princes of the world since its first crea- tion ! We see what David said concerning tlie motirm for kiliinsf king Saul, " Who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's aiiointed, and be guiltless?" 1 Sam. xxi. 9. But O! who can be guiltless that stretches out his hand against the Son of God ? " Had Zimri peace who slew his master?" cried Jezebel to Jehu; 2 Kings ix. 31. And thinkest thou to have peace, O Cimimunicaiit, that goest to slay thy Master and Redeemer too ? It' God declared, that on him who slew Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold. Gen. iv. 15, what vengeance shall be taken on him that slayeth Jesus Christ? Hadst thou never harsii thoughts of the Jews for their cruelty to the Son of God, and yet wilt thou be guilty of worse thyself? The Jews crucified him but once, but thou, by continuing to be an unworthy receiver, crucifiest Iiim often — they did it ignorantly, but thou dost it knowingly. And the time when thou committest this sin, makes thy guilt pro- digiously great. Would it not be reckoned a piece of the most barbarous wickedness in a poor traveller, that was found starving by the way-side, and out of pity ta- ken in by a person given to hospitality, for him to rise up, without any provocation, and stab his kind friend, E 5 86 wliile he was entertaining^ liim at his own table ? What a monstrous crime would this be ! But how much more is it for you to pierce and stab Jesus Christ, when he is making- a rich feast for you, displaying his banner of love, and inviting you to take sanctuary in his wounds ! It was a dreadful curse and imprecation that the Jews wished against themselves; Matt, xxvii. 25, " His blood be on us and on our children ;" and now it has accordingly lain upon their heads these 1600 years, which has made them ihe most miserable people on the face of the earth. And wilt thou venture, by a rash approach to tlie Lord's table, to bring the Jews' curse upon thyself? Nay, stand in awe of this sin, and the curse following on it, and say wiih David, when Abishai persuaded him to slay Saul, " The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed." So, when Satan, or thy own heart, would persuade thee to be slight in thy s(df-examination, formal in thy huniiiiation for sin, and careless in thy preparation for this ordinance, that thou mightest be guilty of the body and lilood of the Lord, let consciencf! then cry out, God forbid that I should stretch iovth my hand against Jesus Christ, the Lord's anointed! How can I do this wickedness and sin against God, and wrong my own soul ? O communicant, if thou venture on this horrid crime, God will remember it against thee, and make it bitter to thee another day in another place, if mercy prevent not. As Renlieti told his brethren when they were in distress; Gen. xlii. 22, " Spake I not unto you, saying, Sin not against tiie child, and ye would not hear ; therefore, be- hold, his blood is required." So, if thou approach to the Lord's table in sin, or in a formal way, and without pre- paration, then look for it, when affliction, sickness, or death comes, or at lea^tin the other Morld, that conscience will fly in thy face, and say, " Spake I not unto thee, say- ing, Do not sin against t!ie holy child Jesus, and thou wouldst not hear ? Therefore, behold, his blood is re- quired at thy hands. And O what wilt thou do in such an hoiir!" If thou wouldst prevent such a challenge, take heed to thy preparation, and notice the frame of thy heart. Re- member, G(»d will take exact notice what respect thou bast to the body and blood of his Son, and how thou pre- parest to receive it ; JMatt. xxii. II — 13, "And when 87 the King came in to see the guests, lie saw there a man which had not a wedfliiig-gartnent." Clirist observes all those that come to his table ; and if there be but one unprepared, he cannot escape his eye, be the numher or crowd ever so great. He observes with what appetite thou goest to this heavenly feast. He observes with what resolution against sin for time to come, thou goest for pardon of sins past ! He notices, O communicant, if thou goejit to this gospel-ordinance in a gospel-order. And wilt thou dare to trample on the blood of the Son of God, as the blood of the malefactor, and even when he himself stands by and looketh on? Will not the sense of his piercing eye overawe you at such a time ? Surely, if in any time of thy life thou wouldst be extra- ordinarily serious, this ought to he tlie season. Now, thou ongiitest so to prepare for this feast, that the Mas- ter of it may see thou art watcliful of his eye, tender of his honour, and fearful of his anger. Forget not what was the fate of that man who came to the wedding-feast without a wedding-garment ; when the king challenged him, he was speechless ; and his sentence was, " Bind liim hand Und foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Remember also what strict orders were given concern- ing Mount Sinai, when God solemnly appeared on it ; if a beast did but touch it, it was to be stricken through with a dart ; and wilt thou venture to touch thf^ table <»f the Lord with a beastly heart, a heart possessed with hrutish lusts? Mayest thou not fear to be stricken through with a dart of God's wrath ? We read of some, as the emperor Henry, and Pope Victor II., who were poisoned with the sacrament hy the wickedness of the priests, who mingled pnison with the bread and wine. Didst thou, O communicant, apprehend that the bread and wine before thee were poisoned, woidd not the very suspicion make thee tremble to eat and drink of it? Well, if thou art an unworthy receiver, there is poison in it to thy soul, and thou hast ground to cry to the minister, as the sons of the prophets did to Elisha, 2 Kings iv. 40, " O thou man of God, there is death in t!ie p«)t :" there is poison in the bread, there is wratli in the cup; how shall I partake, till this meal be sanclitied to me, and my soul sanctified for it ? 88 Our Lord makes a question, Luke xi. 11, " If a son ask bread of his father, will he give him a stone?" No, he will not deal so with a son that comes to his table sin- cerely to seek bread for his hungry soul ; but with an enemy that comes unpreparedly to him, he will give a stone instead of bread. Unworthy receiving makes a transubstantiation here, it changelh the bread into a stone ; so that it will no more nourish thy soul, than a stone would do thy body : nay, like a stone, it will choke and kill thee, if the Physician of souls do not prevent it. We are told by the apostle, that unworthy receiving brings on temporal judgments, as well as spiritual and eternal. It brings on sickness and mortality on our bo- dies ; 1 Cor. xi. yO, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." And some think it was the pestilence, or some such mortal distemper, that the Corinthians' unworthy receiving did bring on them. Well, let us think on this; surely, if ever the pestilence come into Scotland, we may look on unworthy communi- cating as a chief cause of this desolating stroke. What a great risk, then, O sinner, dost thou run, when thou venturest to his holy taide without due preparation ! Tiiou even rnnnest upon the bosses of God's buckler, and provokest the vengeance of God against tiiyself. Thou mayest justly expect that God will turn it into such a feast to thee as Belsiiazzar's was to him, who in the time thereof saw "a hand upon the wall, writing his condem- nation, so that his countenance was changed, his thoughts trouliled him, and his knees smote one against another." In this ordinance yon make a very near approach to God, that is infinitely holy, and who is terrible from his holy place. The nearer God's altar, the fire of divine jealousy burns the hotter; and a wrong touch or look at such a time is criminal, and may cost you dear. The Lord smote Uzzah dead for one rash touch which he gave the ark ; he smote fifty thousand of the men of Bethshemish for an irreverent l<)(d< into the ark; he devoured with fire from heaven Nadab and Abiliu, for offering strange incense at his altar ; and what he may do to thee for a rash approach to his holy table, none can tell. God may make thee a monument of wrath where thou sittest, strike thee dead witli the bread in thy mouth, or the cup in thy hand ; and if it be otherwise, thou wilt be highly indebted to the divine patience for sparing thee. 89 And indeed we have cause to be astonished at the matchless goodness and long-sufFering of God, in suffering so many thousands of vile murderers to live so long in his world, and that he should suffer them to approach his table, and to wound and stab his dear Son over and over again, when he hath flames and vengeance at command, and can more easily crush them all, than we can do a moth ; and which is yet more, that he should unto such murderers make and repeat his offers of that blood which they have spilt, to wash them from the guilt of shedding it. And indeed, it is this, and nothing but this, which is able to do it. But though God be patient and merciful, he will not bear always with such criminals : no, he hath many spi- ritual and invisible judgments, which he inflicts upon them ; he makes fearful breaches upon their souls. He frequently lets loose Satan against them, so that Satan enters in with the sop. And how fearful a thing is it, for the devil to be permitted to enter into a man or woman, and to do it even at the Lord's table, so tiiat the man rises up from this holy table with more eagerness after his lusts, and with more resolution and strength to do the devil's service, than before! And thus the table of the Lord becomes the table of devils, and the cup of the Lord the cup of devils, to such persons. And should God also let loose Satan against their bodies, as upon Judas after the sop, what terrible havoc would he make among unwor- thy communicants! how fearfully would he revenge the blood of Christ! many communion tables would he turn into Golgothas and Aceldamas, places of skulls and fields of blood. As the sweetest wine becomes the sharpest vinegar, so communion love, when abused, brings the sorest wrath. The death and sufferings of Jesus Christ are the most serious and awful things that can be represented in the world, and therefore are not to be dallied with. The blood of Christ is the most precious tiling in the world, and therefore a drop cannot be spilt without a cry for vengeance. And have not the best of us, alas! ground to fear we have contracted much of this guilt? Were our hearts never hard, our affections dead, our spirits carnal, and our minds wandering, when we have sat down at the Lord's table? Nay, have we not all reason to cry with David, Psal. li., " Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, 90 O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing- aloud of thy loving-kindness ?" Ought we not all carefully to guard, and earnestly to pray against this cry- ing sin, and so prepare ourselves for this lioly table, that we may not poison our precious souls with that choice cordial which is intended for our health and eternal wel- fare ? DIRECTION VII. In order to your better preparation for the Lord's Supper, sequestrate yourselves from worldly cares and husi?iess some time before. When you see the time of this solemn approach drawing near, separate yourselves from the world, and set earthly thoughts aside, that you may the better apply yourselves to the spiritual work you have in hand. Under the law, the Jews were unfit for keeping the passover at the time appointed, in two cases ; Numb. ix. ; either if tliey had touched a dead body, or were on a journey. Tiie first made a man unclean, so that he behoved not to meddle with that holy ordinance, till he were cleansed according to the instituted method, which took up some time to do it. The second made him unfit, in regard his mind and tliougiits would be so distracted with the business of his j(»urney, that he could not be in a composed frame for keeping the passover; his heart would be unfixed, and disturbed witli worldly thoughts. There are not a h)\\ who seem to think, if they be free from a dead body, i. e. if they be not defiled with some gross or scandalous sin, they are fit enougii for the sacra- ment ; and that they may approach to it, though tiiey have their hearts in journeys, travelling up and down after their worldly aflfjiirs. No, be not mistaken : a journey unfits you for the gospel-passover, as well as a dead body; a journeying, earthly heart, as well as a noted defilement by any gross sin. if y(»u would be worthy receivers, you must be abstracted from the cares and vanities of this l<»wer world, and seek after a staid, spiritual, and heaverdy frame of heart. Be not as men in a journey when you come t«t the Lord's table, but lay aside all wandering and earthly thoughts! for if you harbour these about such a time, you will not be in case to answer the apostle's rule, 91 1 Cor. vii. 35, " Attend upon the Lord without distraction. We are told, that in the temple of Jeriisalem, notwith- standiniT of the great abundance of flesh sacrificed in it, not one fly was to be seen stirring there. And so it should be with US at the sacrament, not a fly of an earthly, wan- dering thought should be allowed to buzz or stir there. Now, if these flies be not driven away beforehand, they will surely pester you in the temple, and trouble you when yon have most to do ; nay, they will mar the duty, and corrupt the sacrifice, as that grievous swarm of flies, men- tioned in Exod. viii. 24, did the land of Egypt. It is a shrewd sign, then, that those who bring earthly and wandering hearts with them to the Lord's table, are Egyptians, not true Israelites ; seeing they have the Egyptian plague of flies upon them. In the forecited place we are told, that there came a grievous swarm of flies into the houses of Pharaoh and his servants, and into all the land of Egypt, so that the land was corrupted thereby ; but in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt, there were no swarms of flies. So, if you would be worthy communicants, ye should be at the sacrament, like the Israelites in Goshen, free from that Egyptian plague of flies ; ye must not have swarms of earthly tiioughts to trouble you there with their buzzing noise and importunity. And the only way to be free of them is, to drive them away timeously before, and purge your hearts of earthly afl^ections. You ougiit to do as Abraham, when he was called by God to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah ; Gen.xxii.4, 5, " When he saw the place afar ofi^, he said to his young men. Abide you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again unto you." Abra- ham knew, if they had gone alongst with him, they would iiave so disturbed him with their clamour and noise, that he could not have ofl:ered the sacrifice with any freedom and tranquillity of spirit ; therefore, wiien he saw the place afar off^, iie orders them to stay behind. The same should we he doing with our worldly affairs, when we see the time afar oft", and much more when we see the time approacliiiig and at hand. Then we should give strict orders to all our earthly thoughts and business to stand aside, and not ordy not to go to tiie mount with us, but not to go to our closets and retiring places with us. Pos- sibly, at such a time, some aft'air of importance may offer 92 to thy mind, and require to be considered ; but treat all secular avocations as Nehemiah did Sanballatand Geshem, when they sent to him, (Neh. vi. 2,) saying, " Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages," &c. But mark how he answers them ; ver. 3, — " And I sent mes- sengers to 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 companions had so round and peremptory an answer, yet they were importuning him still; ver. 4, " Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort." But he still answered them in the same mannerc Thus it will be with a man when he begins to sequestrate himself for actual prepara- tion for the sacrament; this and the other business will be calling upon him, that it may be considered and at- tended ; but let your answer be, " I am doing a great work, I am preparing myself for the sacrament, — I cannot wait upon you ; why should the work of preparation cease, whilst I leave it and attend upon you ?" And though they haunt and importune you many times after this sort, yet still answer tiiem in the same manner. Likewise remember how Nehemiah treated those mer- chants that violated the Sabbath ; Neh. xii. 19, " When it began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath ; and some of my servants I set at the gate." Do so with your worldly affairs ; shut up the gates of your hearts against them, and let them not be opened till all the duties of the solemn occasion be ended. Perhaps, like these merchants, they will be ho- vering about the gates for entrance ; and therefore set conscience to watch at the gate, testify against them, re- buke and threaten them, as Nehemiah did. Let thy spirit, in a holy indignation, rise against them ; check and chase them from you, as coming most unseasonably, to the hurt and prejudice of thy precious soul. As our Saviour says about prayer, Matt. vi. 6, Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray; so may I say concerning preparation for the sacrament, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut the door, prepare thyself by meditation, self-examination and prayer ; and especially shut the doors of thy heart against secular cares and earthly thoughts about thy business, and then set upon the work. The work is so weighty. 93 that it requires all thy thoughts to be employed about it ; it concerns you to put your soul in the same order and state as if God were calling you to surrender it to hirn by death ; and, if you be not ready to die, neither are you to receive tlie sacrament. All communicants should be in such a posture as our Lord directs; Luke xii. 21, " Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning ; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord — that when he cometh and knocketli, you may open to him immediately." Now, if your hearts be encumbered with worldly things, you cannot be in case to answer this di- rection : you cannot be in a fit, attentive posture to meet with, and wait upon the Master of the feast. O com- municant, wouldst thou have this ordinance comfortable? Say then some time before it. Farewell my wife and child- ren, friends and secular concerns ; abide you here at the foot of the mount : be hushed and mortified, all irregular passions and affections; you are a clog to my soul; I have something else to do than attend you. It is most lamentable to consider how n)any come to the sacrament in such an unprepared manner. Many are in their journeys when they sit down at the Lord's table; many, Egyptian-like, are environed with a swarm of flies — wandering and earthly thoughts ; many bring their servants and asses to the very mount of sacrifice ; many leave the Lord's work in the very middle, to meet with their Sanballats and Geshems ; they open the gates on the very sacrament-day to their merchants ; nay, the the world is both in tiieir liearts and mouths about this solemn occasion. If we would ask the question at many communicants which our Lord asked the two disciples he overtook going to Emmaus; Luke xxiv. 17, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk by the way ?" Wiiat manner of conference and communications were those ye had together when ye went home from the preparation-sermons ? Nay, those ye had the very morning as ye walked together to the church to receive the sacrament. How ashamed would many communicants be to tell what passed amongst them ! There are many who could not answer with these two disciples, verse 19, Concerning .Jesus of Naza- reth. We were talking concerning a crucified Jesus, our lovely Redeemer; concerning the advantage of meet- 94 ing with liim in the sacrament, and the preparation need- ful for that end. Nay, it is to be feared, the aii«;wer of many would be, if they should be ingenuous, We were talking about our corn, cattle, merchandise, families, relations, &c. These things, alas! many bring in their mouths to the church doors. But should we search more narrowly, and propose another question : " What manner of thoughts were those you entertained that night, or tliat morning, before the sacrament ?" Oh ! the world would cry, Fy and shame on tlie thoughts of many, if they were known. Well, remember it, our all-seeing Lord knows them all, and you may expect he will "answer you according to the idols of your hearts." O purge your hearts from vain tiioughts, and sequestrate yourselves from worldly business, if you would rightly prepare for this ordinance and profit in partaking of it. DIRECTION VIII. Set some time opart for the work of Self-examination he- fore you approach to the Lord's Table. This is a dnty indispensably necessary unto worthy par- taking ; 1 Cor. xi. 28, " But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." The word which the apostle iiseth here (dokimazeto,) signifies " a diligent and narrow search" into the nature, and properties of a thing, as a goldsmith proves the goodness of his metal. It lies in a close and free com- munion with our conscience, and bringing our state and actions to be tried there by the rule of God's word. Self-examination is a reflex act of the mind, whereby we turn our eyes backward, and take a vievv of our by-past life ; and also inward, in order to ransack the state of our hearts, and the principles and scope of our actions, by putting such questions to ourselves as these : What have we been doing ? Wherein have we offended ? What are we doing now ? Where am I, and whither do I design to go ? What shall I do to be saved ? Wherewithal shall I appear before the Lord ? This duty supposes a serious pause of the soul, an arresting of the thoughts, and an awakening of our powers and faculties to be attentive in this work, that we may pro- ceed with all calmness and sincerity, seriousness and de- 95 liberation, in a matter so important, that we may find out the truth of onr state, the sincerity of our perform- ances, tlie corruptions of onr hearts, and enormities of onr lives. And this must be an exact and impartial search. A ji^eneral survey of ourselves will not suffice to discover things as they really are; for Satan and our own hearts are very deceitful, and ready to impose upon us in this matter ; tiierefore, we must be very faithful and particular in our examination before the sacrament, and not sist in generals, or content ourselves with a superficial inquiry. Some, at sucli an occasion, act like Nebuchadnezzar ; Dan. ii. 3, 5, " I iiave dreamed a dream," says he, " but the thiiig is gone from me ;" so say some, " I have sinned, I have come short ;" but scarce can tell wherein, when put to it. If you would deal faithfully in this work, you must retire from the world, and summon yourselves to the bar of your own consciences ; accuse yourselves plainly, and try yourselves impartially by the laws of heaven re- gistered in the holy scriptures. And if ye would have a just sentence pronounced concerning your state and ways, then you must, in the first place, look up to God for light, direction, and assistance ; and then you must excite and awaken conscience to do its oflice, and to speak and judge for God ; for though a judge be on the bench, yet if he be deaf, dumb, or asleep, he cannot judge. Conscience, then, must be roused up and charged to act faithfully; and you should pray to God for a lively and tender conscience, that will give just and impartial judgment. A deaf conscience that hears nothing, a dumb conscience that speaks nothing, a sleepy conscience that feels nothing, is the greatest plague in the world. But, O! it is a great mercy to have a waking and tender con- science, that will faithfully do its office in the duty of self-examination, especially before the sacrament. This duty is absolutely necessary; for, witliout it, we cannot know how it is with us, we cannot kuow our plagues and miseries, our defects and necessities ; and, till such time as we know these, we will neither value nor apply the remedy provided for us in the sacrament. Nay, we will be ready to mistake our condition, and think we are in a good state, that we have true grace, when we really have it not. Tliere is much counterfeit grace in the world, and many are deceived therewith ; 96 yea, there is no grace but what hath its counterfeit. What did Moses for a time, but the Egyptian sorcerers did the like? Did Moses turn the waters into blood? so did they. Did Moses bring frogs on the land ? so did they. And the magicians' blood and frogs seemed as real as those produced by Moses, and yet they were nothing but counterfeits and external appearances. So there is nothing a true christian hath or can do, but hypocrites may iiave and do the same as to outward ap- pearance. Therefore, it is necessary we bring our graces and duties to be weighed in the balance of the sanctuary. O communicants ! would you know how matters are with you now, and how it is like to fare with yon for ever ? Would you have your hearts affected with your condition, and made acquaint with Jesus Christ? Would you have a visit from Christ at his table ? Would you have grace quickened, and your wants supplied? Would you be worthy receivers, and prevent you eating and drinking your own damnation ? — then, examine your- selves before ye approach. Many a christian can de- clare, that the time of their searching themselves in their younger years, in order to prepare for the Lord's table, was the very time their hearts were first engaged to Jesus Christ and serious godliness. O wherefore is it that there are so many dead and formal communicants? why so many bard-hearted and impenitent sinners, who could never yet be brought to mourn for their sins, or turn from them to God and holiness ? The reason is plain from God's word ; Jer. viii. 6 ; Lara. iii. 40 ; Psalra cxix. 59 ; they are strangers to the duty of self-exa- mination. If you neglect to examine yourselves, remember you have to do with an all-seeing and heart-searching God, who will not fail to examine and find out every careless and unworthy communicant, to his utter shame and con- fusion. Christ, whose eyes are "as a flame of fire," will, certainly, come in and see the guests ; and, when he comes, he will look narrowly upon them ; and, though the house be full of guests, he will spy out one man that wants a wedding-garment ; Matt. xxii. IL In a great crowd or multitude, one single man might think to skulk, and not be found out ; but we see that not one man can escape his piercing eye ; far less, then, can forty, fifty, or an hundred unworthy communicants think to escape 97 in one of our congregations. Again, remember what was the fate of the man that came to the feast without the wedding-garment. In the first place, we see our Lord not only spied and singled him out, but he examined him also.- The man had come without examining him- self beforehand, whether he had this wedding-garment or no ; hut God smartly examined him. So that we see, those who will not be at the pains and trouble to examine themselves, God will examine them to purpose, yea, it would be such an examination as the chief captain com- manded Paul to be examined with; Acts xxii. 24, viz., that he should be examined by scourging. Every ques- tion and interrogatory that God will put to a sinner, or an unworthy communicant, will have a lash or sting alongst with it. What a scourging question did he put to the man ; Matt. xxii. 1, " Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment?" It was so sharp it drew blood of his conscience; nay, it stunned and con- founded him, for it is said, " He was speechless." Friend, says he, why, thou professest thyself to be a friend of Christ, and dost associate thyself with his friends ; but in thy heart thou art an enemy to Christ, a traitor that cometh to stab him under the fifth rib ; "therefore bind him hand and foot, and take him away," &c,, verse 13. In the mean time, the man is speechless — Christ-con- demned and self-condemned ; he had nothing to say against the justice of the sentence. The man that comes without a wedding-garment on his back, shall not go without chains and fetters on his feet, his hands, yea, on his heart, his will, his conscience, and his whole soul. Better for the man to have examined himself, and so to have prevented this terrible examination and sentence. God's questions to unworthy receivers will be nonplus- sing and confounding. Consider these stinging interro- gatories ; Isa. i. 12, " Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?" Psalm 1. 16, " What hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth ?" Jer. vii. 9, 10, " Will ye steal, murder, commit adultery, and walk after other gods, and come and stand before me in this house ?" Those be scourging examinations, that fetch blood at every stroke ; and you may look for it, that God will come and examine thee thus, either by an awakened conscience in this life, or at a dying hour, or as soon as thou enterest into eternity; "and who may abide 98 the clay of his coming ?" Now, the way to prevent such an examination, is to examine yourselves : for, if we judge ourselves, we should not he judged. David did not fear God's examination, when he had examined himself sincerely beforehand ; nay, with a Inimble confidence he doth appeal to God to search him; Psahn cxxxix. 23, 24, " Search me, O God, and know my heart ; try me," &c. Wouldst thou prevent the terror of God's search ? then put searching questions to yourself beforehand, and see how matters are with your soid. It is better to have conscience awakened to search tliee now, than to have it awakened in hell, whore there'is no place for repentance. This is a duty incumbent, not only on natural and un- renewed men, and upon those who were not at the Lord's table before, but even upon the best of men, and those who have communicated frequently. We ciu never be too sure about our soul's estate ; besides, we daily con- tract new guilt, are liable to new decays, new wants, new burdens and grievances ; and therefore, the best have need to examine themselves every time they repair to this holy feast ; hut much more they who were never there before. Now, there are several things you ought to inquire into at such a time. 1. The state and condition of your souls. 2. Your sins and short-comings. 3. Your wants and ne- cessities. 4. Your ends and designs. 5. Your graces and qualifications. I have discoursed on all these points very fully in my "Sacramental Catechism," from p. 117 to p. 210, \^first edit.^ to which the reader is referred. Some ^e\v things more I shall add here. 1. Of the Examination of our State. Seeing this holy feast belongs only to the children of God, and those tliat are strangers have no right to it, it liighly concerns all that design to approach the Lord's table, to examine what state they are in. As the Lord cried to Adam in the garden, Adam, where art thou? so do thou cry to thy soul, O my sotd, where art thou ? Art thou in the broad way or in the narrow? Wliether art thou in Satan's or in Christ's camp ? Whether un- der a covenant of works or a covenant of grace ? Un- der a cloud of wrath, or under a banner of love? In a 99 special ■nuntier, there are two important questions tliat every coniinunicant sliould much tiiiiik on : Wliose am I? and whom serve I? Happy is the man that ran an- swer both these questions with Paul ; Acts xxvii. 23, " It is God, whose "I am, and whom I serve." It is not the devil, it is not the world, it is not my lusts; but God, whose I am, and whom I serve. Surely Paul, in this condition, though a poor, despised prisoner, was happier than Cesar himself, to whose bar he was then going-. Alas! it is to be feared that there are many communicants, if they should answer tiie foresaid questions truly, nuglit say, It is not God, but the devil, or the world, or fleshly lusts, whose I am, and whom I serve. " Oh, Lord, pity such, and open their eyes to see what woful masters and bad service they are engaged into, and deliver them speedily from their bondage." Look then to yourselves, examine your state, and see if you be among those who have a right to this sacred meal. Have you a right to these characters? 1. Are you priests to God? Under the law, it was not lavvful for any to eat of the shew-liread but the priests; Mark ii. 26 ; so under the gospel, none iiave right to eat of this consecrated bread, but those who pertain to the spiritual priesthood. Try then if you be priests to God. L Are you set apart and dedicated to God by your own consent and v(duntary resignation ? 2. Are you related to the great High Priest of the church, Jesus Christ ? And do you pertain to his family ? 3. Are you conse- crated to God, by being washed in Christ's blood ? Rev. i. 5, 6, " He hath loved us, and washed us in his blood, and ha!h made us priests unto God." 4. Do you offer up to God the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praises? Heb. xiii. 15. 5. Do you present the sacrifice of Christ's blood and merits, in the hand of faith, to divine justice, whenever you find yourselves ac(;used by the law, or challenged by conscience ? Well tlien, if you have these marks of priests, it is lawful for you to come and eat of this holy shew-bread. II. Are you members of God's family and household ? then you have a right to tliis precious food : for Christ's flesh and blood in the sacrament is the food that God provides for those of his own househ.old : not for strangers and foreigners, not for dogs or profane persons ; Matt. XV. 26, " It is not meet," sailh our Lord, " to take the 100 children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." Are ytu child- ren of the family? then may you eat of the household provision. But, ah ! may some say, how shall we be numbered among the children ? Have ye faith in a Re- deemer ? then are ye among the cliildren ; Gal. iii. 26, "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Are ye born in his house? Is there a saving change wrought upon you ? Have you the natures of children ? Are ye friends of Christ, and sincere well-wishers to him, bis family, and interest in the world? Then you have right to the children's bread. III. Observe the characters of those who were admit- ted to eat of the passover in Ezra's time; Ezra vi. 21, " And the children of Israel, who were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat." Now, there are three characters of these ancient partakers mentioned. 1. They were such of the Israelites as were come out of captivity; for, while they were captives in Babylon, they did not eat the passover. Well, try yourselves if you be among Christ's ransomed captives, delivered from the bondage of Satan, the reigning power of sin, and captivity of your lusts. 2. They were such as had separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen, viz., swearing, who-ring, drunkenness, profanation of the Lord's day, &c. ; these things are the filthiness of the heathens. Examine if you be separated from all these abominations, not only from the practice, but even from the love, of them. 3. They were such as designed sincerely to seek the Lord God of Israel. Well, can you say, it is the great aim of your soul, in approaching to the Lord's table, to seek the Lord and Master of the feast. It is not the outward ordinance, but a gracious meeting with the God of ordinances, that your soul thirsts for ; then you may come and eat of the gospel-passover. By these and such like characters, let communicants examine what state they are in, before they adventure to this holy table. This is a feast for Christ's friends to eat of; Cant. v. 1. And if enemies thrust themselves in among them, it is at their highest peril. This ordinance supposes you to be within that covenant which it doth seal; for those who are out of the covenant have nothing 101 to do with the seals of it. It supposes you to have some- thing of that spiritual life which it doth sustain and nourish ; so that those wlio are dead in sin have no right to meddle with it. Uiicircumcised persons were not to eat of the passover; so neither are unrenewed persons to eat of the Lord's supper. You must be horn again before you can eat it ; you must be united to Christ be- fore you can feed on him ; you cannot receive juice or sap from the vine, except you be a branch in it. It very much concerns you, then, at such a time, to inquire nar- rowly into the state of your soul ; and, in order to attain a true discovery thereof, you ought to put plain and par- ticular questions to yourselves, and charge your con- sciences, as in the presence of God, to give free and ingenuous answers thereto. And, for instance, see what answer you can give to these questions following: — Ques, I. Have I ever been spiritually enliglitened, and got my eyes opened to see the depravity of my na- ture, and the sinfulness of my heart and life, and that I am all as an unclean thing before God ? Ques. 2. Have I been truly convinced and made sen- sible of the exceeding evil that is in sin ? Is my heart touched with a deep remorse for it, and brought to loathe it, and willingly to forsake every known sin ? Was I ever brought the length even to be willing to be loosed from this body of flesh, that I may be freed from the body of sin ? Ques. 3. Have I been brought to see my absolute need of Christ to save me from sin and wrath, to bring me unto God, and to give me grace and glory ? Have I seen such beauty, and tasted such sweetness in Christ, that he is truly precious to me, and altogetlier lovely in my esteem, so that I would willingly part with all things for him ? Ques. 4. Have I a covenant-relation to an interest in God as mine ? Have I made choice of him as my God and portion ? and have I resigned and given up myself to him? Can I say, I am thine. Lord, and all I have, both body and soul? Are my eyes the Lord's, to behold his wondrous works? Are my ears his, to hear his hea- venly word ? Are my taste and smell his, to relish his surpassing sweetness in the creatures? Is njy tongue his, to proclaim and triumph in his praise ? Are my hands his, to work what is good, and to help his people ? F 102 Are my feet bis, to walk in liis ways? Is my iinrlpr- standing liis, to know his will, and contemplate Ins per- fections? Is my memory his, to treasure up his counsels and promises ? Is my conscience his, for a deputy to accuse or excuse under him ? Is my will liis, to choose or refuse according to his pleasure ? Is my grief his, to mourn for what is offensive to him ? Is my hatred his, to ahhor and flee from what is hateful to him ? Are my desires his, to long and pant for his presence ? my love his, to embrace him ? my delight his, to acquiesce fully and contentedly in him ? Ques. 5. Is sin in some measure mortified in me? Do I find it weaker, or have I more strength to resist it than f(»rmerly ? Is it now any grief and burden to find it moving and stirring in my heart? Ques. 6. Doth the interest of G(»d, my Creator and Redeemer, prevail in my heart above the interest of the world, or of the flesh ? Do I set^k chiefly, and above all things, the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Do I prefer Jerusalem above my chief jny ? Now, if you llius examine yourselves, and commune with your own hearts in secret, you may, by the blessing of God, come to find out the truth concerning your spiritual state and condition. Objec. But may we not mistake in examining our state ? Do not we see the most part of men presuming that their state is safe and good, and having little doubt of their right to the children's bread ? Ans. ist. There are many, who make no great question anent their state, such as, the grossly ignorant, who know not the misery of a natural state, nor their need of Christ, and the opeidy profane, who go on in the broad way of swearing, lying, drunkenness, neglect of prayer, &c. He that runs may read their character, that they are Christless and unconverted : w hoever they be that are in this state, and go on in it, they are unfit for this ordinance ; they are not invited guests ; they have no part nor lot in this matter. Ignorant persons cannot examine themselves, nor discern the Lord's body; pro- fane persons mock God when they pretend to seal a covenant witii him ; and if they thrust themselves upon this table tliey affront Christ, and seal their own condem- nation. We would reckon it a loathsome sight to see some dead corpse, or men full of plague-sores, sit down 103 beside us at our tables ; and do you tliink that a living and holy God can look with pleasure upon dead sinners, or those with the running- ulcers of swearing, drunken- ness, &c., sitting at his holy table ? Let all such stand off: for they will find poison in the bread, and death in the cup, and go away worse than they came. Tliis is not a converting but a confirming ordinance, in its own nature, and therefore doth suppose that they are con- verted, and in Christ, wiio come to it. 2dli/. There are others who come the length of a form and profession of religion, that yet are in a bad state ; and if they would allow themselves the free use of their reason, and compare their case with tlie word, they might easily perceive the badness of their condition. Upon a small search, they might discover, tliat though they per- form some duties, yet it is not for the glory of God, but to be seen of men, or to satisfy a natural conscience ; they rest upon their duties, and make a saviour of them ; and though they read, hear, or pray, yet they never notice heart-work: they love the world more tlian God, and " mind the things of the flesh more than the things of (he Spirit;" they are careless about secret prayer, and allow themselves in known sin : they sufter pride, covetousness, malice, revenge, and other lusts to reign in their hearts, without resisting them, or mourning for them , surely these are black marks of a Christless state. And if ye would set up a tribunal in your own breasts, and hear what God's word and your own consciences would con- clude concerning your condition, you would find your- selves ranked among the unclean, and such as have no right to the children's bread, while you remain in your present state; but, alas ! how many such do rus!i n|)on this solemn ordinance, without any heart-search, or ac- quaintance with themselves! They trust to their out- ward form, and hence flatter themselves that tiiey are safe enough; and so, like the foolish virgins, they slumber away their time, still dreaming of heaven and iiappiness: and nothing that God's word or ministers can say will undeceive them, till the cry at midnight awaken tliera ; and behold then when they open their eyes, I hey meet with an eternal disappointment; wben they thought of no- thing but open gates at the first knock, behold, " Depart from me, I know you not." O that he "who searchelh f2 104 Jerusalem with candles," and knows the heart, would undeceive you, and awaken you in time! 2dly. Tiiere are others who are really in a good estate, though the evidences of it are not so clear to them. Satan raises many fogs and mists to obscure the sight of grace, and the saving change that the Spirit of God hath wrought in their soul. Besides what I have formerly said I shall add these few marks or questions more, whereby you may discern it. 1. Have you got new discoveries of tilings which ye had not before ? Though perhaps you cannot tell exactly the time, manner, and steps of the cliange, yet can ye say with the blind man, John ix. 25, " One thing I know, that whereas once I was blind, now I see," — " Once I saw a little evil in sin, but now I see it exceeding vile and damnable; once I thought there was some good thing in me, but now I see my heart is deceitful and des- perately wicked, and swarming full of base lusts: once I sligiited heart-holiness, but now I see it to be most beau- tiful and necessary ; once I saw little need of Christ, but now I see he is more necessary to my soul, than meat and drink to my body : once I saw littie beauty in Christ, but now I see him to be the chiefest among ten thousand? nay, among all the thousands in the world." Then, to be sure, there is a change wrought ; though ye were once darkness, yet now are ye liglit in the Lord. 2. What are those things ye are mostly taken up and concerned about? Can you say. Once it was my question, " What shall I eat, what shall I drink, and wherewithal shall I be clothed?" but now my great question is, " What shall I do to be saved?" Once my main care was to se- cure and increase my temporal enjoyments ; but now it is to lay up my treasure in heaven, and clear up my evi- dences for it : once the world and temporal things were my nptaking business ! but now my Saviour, my soul, and eternity, are my chief concerns, and lie nearest to my heart. 3. How stands your hearts towards secret and spiritual duties, and towards secret and spiritual sins? 1. As for the first, do ye earnestly desire and study patience under affliction, meekness under injuries, and contentment with your lot and condition? Do you study humility and low- liness of mind, and desire to have pride brought down, that you may still be lower in your own eyes? Are you 105 . delighted with secret mourning for sin ? are ye desirous of lutitiiate converse with God, by secret prayer and me- ditation ? Wlierever grace is wrought in the heart, it bends towards God, and centres in him. It is the voice and very first cry of the new creature in the soul. Psalm Ixxiii. 28, " It is good for me to draw nigh to God." Nearness to God is the mean of its livelihood and subsis- tence. This is given as a mark of Paul's change, Acts ix. 11, "Behold he prayeth." The spirit of grace is never a dumb spirit; Zech. xii. 10; Gal. iv. 6. But if thou art a stranger to converse with God in secret duties, it is a sad sign of thy estrangement to a saving change upon thy soul. 2. How stand you affected to secret and spiritual sins? Are you grieved for your pride, ambi- tion, envy, unbelief, atheistical thoughts, backwardness to duty? &c. Do ye feel the stirrings of indwelling corrup- tion and heart-lasts, and earnestly strive against them ? Doth the eye of God, or the love of Christ, restrain you as much from secret sins as from open transgressions ? Do you abhor the temptations to sin, and start at the first appearance thereof, like Joseph; Gen. xxvi., " How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Ohjec. Alas ! I am a poor, dark, confused creature ; I know not what to make of my case; I would sometimes fain lay claim to some of the foresaid marks, but presently 1 am beat oiF, and all is darkened to me ; for when I begin to consider narrowly, I cannot say that I have any (rue love to Christ, or that I ever rightly closed with him by faith; 1 know little of a work of grace in my heart; I cannot take up the beanty of Christ and of holiness. Ans. 1 pity those poor trembling and doubting souls who cannot attain to any light or clearness about their condition ; who yet are labouring for it and would give all the world to obtain it ; and though in the mean time they dare not renounce all hope, yet they can see no solid ground to build upon, and are often tempted to give over all further endeavours. To such I would say, that you ought to wait on God, and hold on in the way of duty to your life's end, what- ever discouragements you meet with therein ; God in his own time will let you know that your labour is not in vain. In the mean time, for thy comfort, I would ask thee some few questions. J. Thou sayest, thou hast no love to Christ, nor hast 106 thou closed with him by faith. But is love to Christ that which thou wouldst fainest have of any thing in the world ? Is it thy greatest grief, so that sometimes it forceth tears from thine eyes, that thou canst not get thy wretched heart to love liim ? Then, to be sure, thou art not destitute of love of him. Hast thou not so much love to him, as makes every thing that bears bis image amiable in thine eyes ? You fear you love him not; but can you say there is nothing in all the world would please you so much as one ray or love-blenk of his countenance? And though he should never own you, yet you resolve to lie all your days at his feet, and look up to him, and to none other for salvation ? Then be of good cheer, poor soul, for these are comfortable degrees ol faith and love. 2. What is the object in all the world that thy rest- less heart is most pointing out after? Canst thou say, if thy heart deceive thee not, it is an interest in Christ, communion with God, and love to his ways ; and the ob- taining of these would yield thee more content than all the gold of Ophir ? Then, to be sure, there is true grace wrought in thee. There are many true diamonds that are but like sparks in respect of bigger stones, yet these are as true as the other. Every degree of peace is grace; and sincere desires after grace are certainly true grace. 3. Upon what is it that you spend the strength of your prayers, and what are you most earnest for ? Is it, O doubting soul ! for the death of sin, the removal of heart- plagues, the curing of heart-wanderings, heart-deadness, and backwardness to duty ? Again, dost thou spend ano- ther great part of thy prayers for the increase and lively exercise of grace, and for the actings of faith and love ? Then it is a sure mark of the Spirit's work in thy soul ; for, if thou sawest not the evil of sin and beauty of grace, thou wouldst not spend the strength of thy prayers for killing sin, and quickening grace in thy soul. But, lastly, O doubting soul, if thou canst not win to clearness, by poring on the marks of grace and faith — as indeed sometimes doubting believers cannot, since there is no mark that can be given but a scrupulous conscience will find a back door — then try another way ; endeavour to act faith in a direct manner upon Jesus Christ; for many times a believer will sooner come to a clearness of his interest by the direct acts of faith, than by the reflex 107 acts. Therefore, if thou canst not see faith in thy soul, then presently flee to Christ, and lay hold upon the oflFer and promise of life, as if ihou hadst never done it before; run as a malefactor to the city of refuge for protection, as if you had never fled thither before ; go as a wounded man to the physician for a plaster to thy wounds, as if you had never got one applied before. Go, transact and covenant with God in Christ, as if you had never essayed any thing like it before : for, whatever you have been, Christ still tenders himself to you to be your Saviour, and you cannot possibly be so willing to accept of him, as he is to accept of you. Try this method, and there is good ground to hope that light will break up, and fears evanish ; and so you may with comfort come to this seal- ing ordinance. II. Of the ExaminatioJi of our Sins. Examine yourselves of your sins and shortcomings; take an account of your debts, and see how great they are ; put the question to yourselves, which the unjust steward put to his lord's debtors, " How much owest thou to my lord?" And see that ye tell the truth, and do not for a hundred write down fifty, as many false consciences do; but deal truly and ingenuously, for an all-seeing God is looking on. Do as the Jews, who, before the celebration of the passover, searched their houses for leaven very narrowly ; they lighted candles, and sought every corner and hole therein ; and, when they found it, they threw it away with detestation. Some think it is with allusion to this custom that tiie Lord is said to "search Jerusalem with candles ;" Zeph. i. 12. In like manner, you must narrowly search every corner of your hearts, for the lea- ven of pride, avarice, malice, and hypocrisy ; 1 Cor. v. 7, 8. The iniquities of wicked men will find them out, but good men will find out their iniquities. Now, if ye will find them out, ye must set time apart, and convene your souls before God and conscience, and compare your hearts and lives with God's word and the rule of his commandments. Look back upon your actions, recal the passages of your lives, and remember your faults before the Lord. If you would have your repentance full, ye must endeavour to take a full and particular view of your sins, both original and actual, of omission and commission, 108 of youth and riper age, of purpose and of practice, of heart and of life. View your sins, both secret and open, against first and second table ; consider how ye have wronged God, your neighbour, and yourselves ; how ye have transgressed every commandment, either in thoughts, words, or deeds; think upon the lusts of your hearts, the sins of your tongues, and outbreakings of your lives. Particularly, search out your predominant and beloved sins, and also the heinous circumstances and aggravations of your sins; and forget not to examine yourselves con- cerning the breach of former vows and the guilt con- tracted since the last sacrament. Let no wound or sore be concealed or skinned over, but search them all to the bottom, if you would have them perfectly cured. Let it not satisfy you to ask conscience in an overly way con- cerning the foresaid sins, but wait for an answer, nay, urge it to give it, and put it hard to it. IIL Of the Examination of our Wants. Examine your wants and necessities, and come sensible of them to this ordinance, where ye may find all needful supplies treasured up in Christ's fulness, which is here exhibited ; search out your defects and needs, and come to Christ with them. Are you polluted, heavy loaden, and under bonds and terrors ? Do you see yourselves blind, naked, lame, sick, or wounded? Come sensible of thy miseries, O sinner, to Christ, who has abroad plaster for every sore. Dost thou find thy graces weak ? Doth thy faith shake, thy hope stagger, thy love decline, thy holy desires abate ? Dost thou want wisdom, sincerity, self-denial, meekness, humility, or brokenness of heart? Then come sensible of these defects to Christ for new supplies and reinforcements. Do you want a sight of your interest in Christ, a seal of your pardon, clear and unclouded evidences of grace, a view of the King's face, or strength to vanquish your lusts? Nay, are you trysted with bodily wants and infirmities, crosses, and losses, and many outward pressures and afflictions? Then come, with a due sense of all these wants and burdens upon your spirits, to Jesus Christ, and cast them all upon him. In this ordinance, Christ sets himself upon a throne of grace, with a sceptre of mercy in his hand, and waits to hear his people's complaints and petitions. A feasting 109 time is a time of granting requests ; see then that ye be ready to present yours at his feast. Christ here saith to tbee,as theking did to Esther at the banquet of wine; Esth. V. 3, " What is thy petition ? and what is thy request? and it shall be granted to thee." Or, as he said to the blind man ; Matt. xv. 23, " What will ye that I should do unto you ?" Be ready with them to answer, " Lord, that our eyes may be opened ;" or, Lord, that our hearts may be softened ; Lord, that such a weak grace may be cherished, that such a strong lust may be vanquished, that such a plague may be removed, &c. IV. Of the Examination of our Ends. Examine your ends and designs in approaching to the Lord's table. Christ examined the people's ends in going to hear John ; Matt. xi. 8, "What went ye out for to see ?" Much more ought we to examine our ends in going to the Lord's table. See that it be not to observe the fashion of the country where you live, or to get a name, and be the better thought of by ministers, friends, or neighbours, or to make an atonement for your sins, as some ignorant persons among us do apprehend, who rest upon the bare ordinance, and outward signs and elements, for pardon and justification, without looking to Christ for it. Thus, alas! many content themselves with Elijah's mantle, without asking for the God of Elijah; give them the shell, they ask not for the kernel; let them have their communion, as they call it, though it really be nothing but a bit of bread and a sip of wine, they think all is well; their sins are pardoned, they are sure of hea- ven, they are ready to die, the devil can have no power over them ; and so they use this sacrament as a cliarm, being ignorant of the true ends and uses of it. Ques. Wiiat are those ends and designs we ought to have in our approaches to this sacred table ? Ans. It is of great consequence to be well instructed hereof, and to try ourselves diligently concerning them. Examine then, (L) If it be your design sincerely to give obedience to our Lord and Saviour's call, can ye say that bis authority hath a powerful influence upon you in this mat- ter, and ye dare not slight it? and that ye cannot think of neglecting Christ's dying charge, and the command he f5 110 hath left behind him to his disciples, to solemnize and celebrate the memorial of his dying- love ? (2.) Is it your design to show forth Christ's death ? This should be your great business in this ordinance ; 1 Cor. xi. 25, 26. You are to show forth and annnciate Christ's death three ways : 1. With respect to yourselves, you are b)'^ this sacra- ment to give a lively representation to your mind of Christ's death, and keep up a fresh remembrance of his sufferings and dying love, and of the great propitiatory sacrifice he offered for you upon the cross, and the great things he hath thereby purchased for you ; and hereby you are to raise your faitli and hope in a crucified Saviour. 2. With respect to the world, you are hereby to testify your respect to a crucified Christ, and that ye publicly own yourselves to be iiis disciples, and are not ashamed of a crucified Jesus, or his ignominious death, but glory in it as the wisdom of God, and power of God ; and count it your honour to be his followers. As also, ye declare, that ye look to iiis death and merits as the only hope of your salvation, and reject all other saviours be- sides him. 3. With respect to God, and that two ways: 1. Show forth Christ's death to a just and sin-revenging God, in a way of faith and prayer ; present and plead this sacrifice, as a screen and defence against the sword of justice, the wrath of God, and curse of the law ; plead it as the ground of all your hopes and desires. Show it forth to a good God, in a way of thanksgiving and praise. Praise God for such a glorious Redeemer and such an excellent sacrifice ; bless him that sent him, and bless him that came. Thanksgiving to God is a special design of this ordinance, and upon this account it is called the Eucha- rist or Thanksgiving. Here it is we should celebrate the praises of our Redeemer, who came from a throne to a dunghill, yea, from the height of glory to the depth of misery, to save us from perishing eternally. (3.) Is it your design to renew and seal a covenant with God in Christ, ratify your baptismal vows, and solemnly bind yourselves to be the Lord's people ? As believers here c(»me to God's seal of his covenant, for confirming their right to the benefits of it ; so also they are to seal their covenant engagements, to take God for their God, accept of Christ for their Prince and Saviour, give up Ill themselves to bim, renounce sin, and walk in the ways of gospel-obedience. Now, because many profess to cove- nant with God in this ordinance, who yet deal falsely with him, ye ought to be at great pains to try the sincerity of your hearts in this matter. And, for trial of it, see if you can say, that your wicked hearts are a greater burden to you than all the crosses and troubles you meet with in the world ; and that ye are more desirous to be rid of sin and heart-plagues, than of any affliction whatsoever. Or, can ye say, that you desire heart-holiness, and further de- grees of grace, faith, love, and brokenness of heart for sin, more than any iionours, profits, or pleasures this world can afford ? Or, can ye say, tliat tiie world's best things are in your eyes as dung or notiiing, in compari- son of Christ and his righteousness, and an interest secured therein ? And, can ye say, that ye are sensible of your insufficiency and weakness to make or keep any covenant with God ; and therefore ye are made to renounce all confidence in yourselves, and to say, In the Lord only I have righteousness and strength ? Then these are good signs that you are honest and sincere in the making of this bargain, and are likely to be found steadfast in God's covenant. (4.) Is it your design to draw near to God, and hold intimate communion and fellowship with Christ in this ordinance ? And do ye earnestly desire that ye may sup with him, and he with you ? This table is instituted for the kind correspondence of Christ and his people, and their mutual feasting one with another : for, as Christ here sets before you the dainties and comforts of heaven, and invites you to feast thereon ; so you are to set your graces and affections before him, and invite him to come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. You are to come iiere, not only to receive the tokens of Christ's love to you, but also to give the expressions of your love to him ; here there is a mutual communication of secrets be- twixt Christ and his people. (5.) Is it your design to get your manifold wants sup- plied out of Christ's fulness ? Is it your earnest desire that this ordinance may be an effectual mean, through the blessing of God, for the weakening and killing of your sins and lusts, the nonrisliing and strengthening of your souls, the curing of your diseases and plagues, the increase and exercise of your graces ; particularly for strengtiien- 11 -2 ing your faith, inflaming yonr love, kindling your desiress, quickening your hope, and renewing your repentance and resolutions against sin ? Again. Is it your design to get clearer evidences of your interest in Christ, the smiles of his face, and com- forts of his Spirit ? Would ye have a seal of his pardon, a display of the riches of free grace, a sight of the Sun of righteousness, the love of God shed abroad in your hearts, and all your fears removed ? Would ye have at this feast furniture for your spiritual journey, support under affliction, strength against temptations, and pre- paration for suffering? Would ye liave a pledge and foretaste of heaven, and the eternal communion that is above ? Then these are good designs ; and, if you be sincere in them, you may expect welcome from the Mas- ter of the feast. V. Of the Examination of our Graces. A FIFTH thing you must examine yourselves of, in order to prepare you for tliis holy table, is your graces and qualifications. Search diligently if you have those sa- cramental graces requisite in worthy communicants : such as knowledge, faith, love, repentance, hungering desires, and new obedience. 1. We must examine our knowledge, and see if we have a competent understanding of the principles and grounds of Christianity, and of the nature, signification, and use of the Lord's supper. Without this we cannot know God, nor ourselves ; we can neither know God's infinite justice and purity, our own natural corruption and misery, nor Jesus Christ, our great help and remedy ; the knowledge whereof is absolutely necessary to worthy communicating. In some churches in ancient times, in- fants and children were admitted to the Lord's supper ; and the Greek and Arminian churches do the same at this day; but we justly dissent from them in this prac- tice, because it is necessary, in order to our being fit and worthy partakers, that we examine ourselves, and dis- cern the Lord's body in the sacrament, according to 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29 ; neither of which can be done by those that are not come to the years of understanding and dis- cerning. A man without knowledge is not in covenant with God, 113 and therefore hath no ripfht to partake of the seals of the covenant; Heb. viii. 10, 11, " This is the covenant I will make, &c. All shall know me, from the least to the greatest." So that those who know not God have no interest in his covenant, and consequently can have no title to its benefits, nor any (gracious communion with God. Observe how the promise runs ; Jer. xxiv. 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." It is threatened as a heavy judgment, for persons to die without knowledge ; Job xxxvi. 12, " They shall die without knowledge:" it is as much as if it were threat- ened. They shall die in their sins, and perish for ever. Now, if it be a sad case to die without knowledge, so is it to come to the sacrament without knowledge; for that which makes a man unfit to die, makes him also unfit to communicate : no man is safe to partake in that case which he is not in safety to die in. Neither children nor fools are fit to receive the Lord's supper, because they are not capable to examine them- selves, and discern the Lord's body. Now, ignorant per- sons, in God's account, are botli children and fools ; so he reckons them ; Jer. iv. 22, " For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, they have no understanding." Lender the law, it was reckoned an abomination to offer that which was blind unto the Lord ; Lev. xxii. 22. Now, a blind offerer, that hath the eyes of his understanding darkened, is more abominable than a blind offering. Error or ignorance makes a man morally unclean before God. When the leprosy affected the head, then the priest was ordered to pronounce the man utterly unclean, and exclude him from the camp of Israel; why? because the plague was in his head ; Lev. xiii. 44. Every ignorant man has a plague in his head, a plague of spiritual blind- ness and darkness, besides many woful plagues in his heart ; for without knowledge the mind is not good ; — whatever ignorant folk speak of their good hearts and good meanings ; — it is full of earthliness, enmity, and backwardness to what is good ; Prov. xix. 2 ; 1 Pet. i. 14. Surely, then, such unclean persons are not fit to come to the holy table of the Lord. It concerns us, then, to examine our knowledge before we approach. As for the objects, properties, and usefulness of this knowledge, 114 I refer the reader to Sacr. CaX. Jirst edit. p. 165, &c. 2. Examine your faith, before you approach to the Lord's table ; for faith is absolutely necessary here. " Without faith, it is impossible to please God," in any duty; and far less is this, where faith is so highly need- ful, and so mucii to be employed. He that would receive Jesus Christ in the sacrament, must have an eye to see Christ and Iiis worth, a foot to come to Clirist, a hand to lay hold on Christ, and a month to feed on him. All these are necessary, in order to partake of Christ at the Lord's supper. Now, faith is all tliese to the believing' communicant. 1. It is the eye of the soul, by which it sees Christ ; Isaiah xlv. 22, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." 2. It is tlie foot where- by we come unto Christ; John vi. 25, " He that cometh unto me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." 3. It is the hand whereby we receive and lay hold on Christ; John i. 12, " To as many as re- ceived him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." 4. It is the mouth whereby we feed on Christ ; John vi. 53, " Except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, ye have no life in you ;" i. e. except ye believe on Christ. Now, what can ye do at the Lord's table without faith ? Can a man see witliout an eye, come without a foot, receive without a hand, and feed without a mouth ? Moreover, without faith you can have no right to this holy table, for it is children's bread ; and it is by faith you become children. Without it you cannot enter into co- venant with God ; for faith is the very assent and consent of the soul unto tlie marriage-covenant, which is trans- acted and sealed in the Lord's supper. Without faith you can have no communion with God in this or any ordinance ; God will surely hide his face from them that come without it; Deut. xxxii. 20, " And he said, I will hide my face from them ;" and the reason he gives for it is, "for they are children in whom is no faith." So that without faith you cannot see God in the sacrament ; for how can a man see a veiled or hidden face ? Unbelief cuts a man off from God ; Rom. xi. 20, " Because of unbelief they were broken off." And how can a man cut off from God have any communion with God? 115 Without faith you can derive no virtue from Christ, nor benefit from this ordinance: for as a rich jewel can do you no fjood unless it be accepted, nor a sovereign medicine unless it be applied, nor a deep well without a bucket to draw with; so neither will Christ's shed blood, or purchased salvation, avail you, unless you bring faith to apply it to your souls. " The well is deep," said the woman to Christ, "and thou hast nothing to draw with." So I may say to thee, if faith be wanting. Moses saith of God's kindness to Israel, Deut. xxxii. 13, " He made him suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." Now, Christ is a rock that yields all manner of necessaries to believers, honey and oil, sweetness and fat- ness, quickening and comfort. But how do they come by it from this rock? It is said, "he made him suck honey out of the rock." There is no honey or oil to be had without sucking, and there is no sucking without the mouth of faitli. He that hath faith can suck this honey and oil from Christ in the sacrament; but he that wants it can suck nothing. Unbelievers, then, must have a dry sacrament of it; for they cannot suck though the breasts be full. Nay, which is worse, unbelief lays restraints on the virtue and healing power of Christ in the sacrament; for we are told, Mark vi. 5, 6, " He could there (i. e. in his own country) do no mighty work, because of their unbelief." Why? could any thing bind our Redeemer's hands, or limit his mighty power? No; but he lays down this order of working, which he will not alter, "to put forth his mighty power in and unto those that be- lieve ;" Eph. i. 19. So that unbelief doth enervate the force and operation of the sacrament. Without faith you can neither prepare for this ordi- nance, nor partake of its virtue. Without faith you can- not put on the wedding-garment, you cannot discern Christ through the elements, you cannot feel the print of the nails, you cannot flee to the city of refuge, you cannot take hold of the horns of the altar, nor gripe to the plank of mercy to save thy perishing soul. And what good can you get at the sacrament, if you do none of these ? Pre- cious faith is the wing whereby the poor, trembling dove doth fly to the window opened in tiie side of the ark ; it is by this that it doth take shelter in the clefts of the rock. In a word, faith is the grace that puts life and vigour in a dead soul ; it is the spring and first mover of all other 116 graces ; it doth set repentance, love, desire, and all the rest, on work ; so that a man can do nothing at the Lord's table without faith, except it be to wound Christ, and bring wrath on himself. You see, then, what need you have of faith at this or- dinance, and to examine if it be true, and not counterfeit. As Philip examined the eunuch of his faith before he ad- mitted him to the sacrament of baptism ; Acts viii. 36, " Believest thou with all thine heart?" so should every man examine himself before the Lord's supper. Do I believe with all mine heart? Do I esteem Christ most precious? Doth my heart bleed for piercing him? Do I embrace him in all his offices, and say, he is all my sal- vation, and all my desire? Wei!, if thou canst truly say so, thy faith will make thee whole, and thou mayest ex- pect a kind welcome at thy Saviour's table. The Lord has furnished you with abundance of marks in his word for the trial of your faith. See Sacr. Cat. _/?;•*/ edit. p. 172, &c. Try your faith now, for you know not but your faith may come to a fiery trial, as did the martyrs' faith of old ; and how will you be able to abide such a trial as that, if you never put it to a previous private trial? "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou contend with horses?" How wilt thou abide a fiery trial, that canst not endure a closet trial ? Men will not buy oxen for ploughing, but they are desirous to put them to trial ; Luke xiv. 19, " I have bought five yoke of oxen, and 1 go to prove them ;" and will communicants pretend to such precious jewels as faith, love, &c., and yet not desire to prove tliem, and especially at a time when it is so highly requisite, and so very much depends on the doing of it ? 3. Try your repentance before you partake, for with- out a broken heart you cannot expect to meet with a broken Christ in the sacrament; but a broken and a con- trite heart is a sacrifice he will not despise. You must sow in tears, if you would reap in joy ; for a wet seed- time doth here prognosticate a sun-shiny and plentiful harvest. It was of water that Christ made the choicest wine at the marriage-feast in Cana in Galilee ; so the water of true repentance will produce the choicest wine of consolation in the sacrament. When .Joseph's brethren came to be sensible of their sin in selling him, then it was, and not till then, that he made them a feast and 117 kindly entertained them at his table ; so, till such time as we be sensible of our sins, and repent for piercing our Re- deemer, he will not feast us, nor smile upon us at his table. Now, because there is so much counterfeit repentance in the word, go, retire in secret, and put questions to yourselves concerning your repentance: — say. Am I a penitent in heart, and a secret mourner for sin when no eyes see me but God's? Do I mourn for inward and se- cret sin as well as for outward and open sins ? Do I mourn for the dishonours done to God by the sins of others, as well as by my own ? Am I troubled more for the evil of sin, than for the evil of affliction ? Am I more grieved for abusing tiie mercy and goodness of God, than for exposing myself to the sword of his justice? Do I cry with the penitent prodigal in my confessions, as in Luke xv. 18, " Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee!" Alas! I have wronged a kind and loving Father, whose goodness towards me has been as the dropping dew ; ah ! I have pierced my compassionate Redeemer, and crucified him over again by my sins ; and what do I deserve at his hands ?" Again. What are the effects and fruits of your repen- tance ? Doth it beget in you a vehement hatred and in- dignation against sin, and a watchfulness to prevent it ? Wherever there is true repentance, there will be a hearty aversion to sin. As a burnt child will dread the fire, so a christian who hath truly repented of sin is so sensible of the weight of sin and the wrath of God, that he is re- solved never more to touch these burning coals. David, who, before his repentance, had his conscience so har- dened, that he could even drink the blood of Uriah ; yet, after his repentance, his conscience was so tender, that he refused so much as to drink of that water which had been but the occasion of hazarding men's lives. And, lastly. Doth thy repentance work in thee a holy revenge against sin ? Dost thou look upon it as the ene- my of God, the murderer of Clirist, and destroyer of thy soul, and upon that account, tliat it doth not deserve to live ? It was Esau's expression ; Gen. xxvii. 41, " The days of mourning for my father are at hand ; and then will I slay my brother Jacob." But say thou, O com- municant, The days of mourning for the death of my dear Saviour and everlasting Father are come, and now will I slay my most beloved lusts, now will I be revenged 118 on them for seeking to rob me of ray spiritual birth-right, and wrong me of my eternal blessing, and, which is worse, for actual crucifying of my glorious Redeemer. Shall sin be suflFered to live in my soul, that would not suffer my Saviour to live in the world ? Away with it, away with it ; crucify it, crucify it. By such marks as these try the sincerity of your repentance. As for the trial of your love, desires, spiritual appe- tites, new obedience, and other graces, seeing I have no new thing here to add, I refer you to Sacr. Cat. first edit. p. 193, &c. Some Objections of doubling Christians, relative to the former doctrine, Anstvered. Objec. I. By what I have heard, may some say, I fear I am not fit nor prepared for this solemn ordinance : and, it being a thing so dangerous to come to it unpreparedly, I tremble and fear to go forward to that holy table. Ans. 1st. Did you always keep the fear of God in your souls, preparation-work would be less painful, and an ap- proach to God less frightful, than it now is : for then you might go to the Lord's table, with holy fear and reve- rence, and slavish fear would not so much haunt you. Did you keep more at a distance from sin, and fear to do what God has forbidden, you would not so much fear to do what he hath commanded. 2dli/. Though you be not so prepared for this ordi- nance as you desire, yet if you sincerely make conscience of preparation-work, and do your utmost to get yourself ready, you ought to go forward, in obedience to God's command, " Do this in remembrance of me." I know there are not a few exercised christians brought to great straits betwixt a sense of their own unfitness and the obligation of God's command, so that they know not what to do ; their fears and discouragements are so great that they are like to be overwhelmed with them. But let such mind the word of the Lord to the children of Israel, when they were in great perplexity at the Red Sea, and their hearts sinking for fear ; Exod. xiv. 15, " And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the children of Isi'ael that they go forward." Forward, might they say, and the deep sea before us! as good go backward to the Egyptians, or stand still, and let them come up and put 119 us to the sword, as go forward into the sea, and be drowned ; surely the deep sea will have no mercy on us more than the Egyptians. But for all this, " Speak to the children of Israel, (saith the Lord,) that they go for- ward ;" let them obey my commandment, and trust me with their lives. Here is encouragement to the doubting believer, that in all sincerity makes preparation for this ordinance, though he hath many doubts about his right to it, and great fear about the event of the duty: the Lord bids us speak to such a man, that he go forward : let him obey God's commandment, and trust God for his through-bearing and success. Objec. IL But, saith another, none should come to this table but they who are in a state of grace ; and I appre- hend I have no grace, I cannot lay claim to any of the marks of grace before-mentioned, and particularly, I want faith in Jesus Christ : and how shall I go to the Lord's table ? Ans. There may be true grace and true faith in a soul sincere and acceptable before God, though yet the degrees of it may be so small, and the operations of it so weak, that it can hardly be discerned by us. Now, though you cannot lay claim to the foregoing marks, yet see if you can at least answer to the following questions : — 1. Do you not see yourself undone and lost for ever without Christ, and that none but Christ can save you, and you never resolve to look to any other ? 2. Are you not grieved for the sins that have undone yon, and would as willingly be free of them, as ever a sick man would be free of his sickness, or a prisoner of his chains? 3. Do you not conscientiously practise whatever you are convinced to be your duty, and dare not omit it when you know it? Do ye not sincerely aim at prayer, searching the scriptures, mourning, meditation, and other duties ? 4. As you dare not omit these duties, can you say also, that you dare not rest in them, nor rely on them, because you see your prayers for pardon have need of pardon, and your tears for sin have need themselves of being washed in the blood of Christ? 5. Do thou unfeignedly desire Christ, and hunger and thirst for him, and for his righteousness, as that which only can be sufficient to cover the nakedness of your souls? 120 Are you willing to accept of him on any terms, willing that he should sanclify as w(4l as save, bring you to obedience as well as to glory? Doth your judgment value Christ above ail ? and doth your will choose him before all things ? If you doubt whether you love him, yet tell me whether you would love him if ye could ? If you doubt whether you have already received him, yet tell me whether you are unfeignedly willing to receive him ? Then these are some degrees of grace, some workings of faith, well-pleasing in God's sight: and if you cherish and improve them, in the use of God's ap- pointed means, they will increase. Objec. III. But, saith one, we are required to draw near to God with a true heart, in full assurance of faith ; and how can I be accepted who have a heart full of fears and doubts ? Ans. \st. The assurance of faith is indeed to besought and endeavoured by all in their approaches to God, but yet it is not the attainment of every believer in his ap- proaches to God ; for there are some who have come to him with much fear, and yet have gone away with much comfort ; Mark v. 32. The woman that had the bloody issue came fearing and trembling, and fell down before Christ ; and yet Christ said tf) her, verse 34, " Daughter, go in peace :" she came to Christ in fear, and yet went away in peace. 2dli/. The best course we can take, under a burden of fears and perplexities, is to go with them to Jesus Christ for relief. David, when he was overwhelmed therewith, gets to the Rock that was i)igher than he ; Psalm Ixi. 2 ; and on this Rock he lays all his burdens, and founds all his hopes. O believer, your Rock, Christ, is higher than you, higher than all your enemies, higher than all your fears and temptations : he is sufficiently able to over- match them all : get yourselves to this strong Rock, and shelter your souls in tlie clefts thereof. Objec. IV. But, saith another, I have little hope of meeting with Christ at his table : and what should such a hopeless creature do there ? Ans. \st. It is indeed the duty of all believers to come to this ordinance with raised hopes and expectations of meeting with Christ ; for ordinarily his mercy is upon us, and according as we hope in him ; Psalm xxxiii. 22. Yet, '2dly. A believer may sometimes meet with Christ 121 when he has least hopes to find him ; for Mary, when she met with Christ, (John xx. 15,) and supposed he had been the gardener, and had inquired of him as such, for Christ, she had little hope ; f<»r before he answered her, she turned iierself from him, as thinking it wholly needless to stand talking with him about finding Christ ; and this ap- pears by her turning herself to him, as we are told she did, when he spake the word that gave her comfort. Christ called her by her name, Mary, and made himself known to her just then, when siie had turned from him as hopeless of finding him. It is good tlien, O discouraged communicant, to be, in the use of means, searching and trying yourself, and making preparation for this ordi- nance, however small your hopes may be of success : for a poor soul may sometimes find Christ, when he hath least hopes of doing so : " Or ever I was aware," saith the spouse, " my soul made me like the chariots of Ara- minadab ;" Cant. vi. 12. DIRECTION IX. Set some time apart for deep Humiliation and Mourning for your Sins, before you approach to the Lord's Table. Having found out your sins by self-examination, as be- fore directed, you ought to be deeply humbled for tliem, and ingenuously confess them before the Lord in se- cret ; and tluit you may speed the better in this work, join fasting vvitli your humiliation, for we are commanded to turn to the Lord, (Joel ii. 12,) " with fasting, with ■weeping, and mourning." Fasting, so far as the state of the body and health will allow, is one of God's appointed means for removing that drowsiness and heaviness, that didness and deadness of spirit which we are otherwise liable to ; and also for bringing the body more in subjection to the soul, and fit- ting both for the better performance of holy duties, as meditation, prayer, reading, hearing, examining, judging, and reforming ourselves. It tends to promote spiritual mindedness, kindle zeal, quicken prayer, and to wean the heart from the world ; and the soul being hereby for a time taken oft from the thoughts, cares, and pleasures of this life, is the more disposed to be wholly intent and taken up in the work and special duties of the day. Fast- 122 ing likewise carries in it somewhat of a holy revenge upon the flesh of its former excesses, which in a sincere peni- tent is acceptable to God, thongh it cannot make satisfac- tion to divine justice for the least sin. It dotli also im- ply a deep sense of onr guiltiness and ill-deservings before God, and is a plain acknowledgment of our unwortliiness of the least mercy, or even of the common necessaries of life, and far less of the heavenly manna that God provides for his children in the sacrament. Now, it is the humbled and self-condemning sinner that God is pleased to lift up and comfort. But it is not enough that the head " be bowed down as a bulrush for a day," that the outward man may be humbled, or the body chastened : this is not the fast that God hath chosen : the soul must be afflicted before the Lord, and the man inwardly troubled and cast down for offending God. O communicant ! believe it, and be firmly persuaded of it, that repentance and humiliation for sin is a most important and necessary work for thee before the sacra- ment. Antinomians do vilify this doctrine of repentance, and say it is no part of the gospel; that it is a legal duty, and not necessary to the obtaining of pardon. But, to show you a little of the excellency and necessity of this duty, consider that our Saviour, the great Prophet of the church, doth teach it as one of the first anr the cure ; Lord, nothing will do it hut the plaster of thy bloo.l." Mourning is absolutely necessary for thee, O communi- cant, if thou wouldst have the wine of consolation in the sacrament. When did Jacob find God in Bethel, but wiien " he wept and made supplication to God?" Hos. xii. 3. When did Mary meet with Christ, but when she "souglit him weeping and sorrowing?" .loliii xx. 1 1. If you cast out a flood of tears in Christ's way, he will not be able, for his compassi(mate heart, to pass over it, but will turn in and lodge with you. Objec. Alas! I cannot win to tears for sin. Are tears absoltitely necessary? Ans. They are very desirable wliere they are ; the penitent's tears are the joy of angels, and the delight of God; he keeps a bottle for them; but yet all constitutions are not alike moist; a tender heart may be matched with a dry brain that cannot easily command tears; and some, perhaps, may lay more stress on tears than on the frame of the heart that produces them, not minding that God looks more to the inward frame than to the (tiitward ex- pressions. But the truth is, if thou be one that can get tears for other things, for worldly losses and crosses, and yet can find none for sin, it is a sign thy Iiearl is not right. How many, alas! can weep abundantly for the loss of a child, vea, for a horse or cow, and yet have not one g5 134 tpar for the loss of their soul, or of Christ's favour or presence. DIRECTION X. Flee to Jesus Christ by faith, and embrace him as he is offered to you in the Gospel, before you come to his table. None have right to Christ's table, but those who come first to him in the way of faith ; for it is a feast designed only for believers. What hath been said above, concerneth the multitude and heinousness of your sins, for which you ought to be humbled and mourn, may serve to show your great need of Christ to deliver you from them. Think not that your repentance, confessions, or tears for sin, can any- wise satisfy tlie justice of God for it, or merit acceptance or pardon for you. This were to put these things in Christ's room, that are only means to lead you to him ; and to take up with a righteousness of your own, instead of his that allenarly can atone tiie justice of God for sin- ners. O then, see that you look beyond all to Christ alone for atonement, rigliteousness, pardon, and salvation, and count all things but dung and loss in respect of him. Now, since the gospel offers Christ to all that hear it, and the call and command to receive and embrace Christ as a Saviour is given to all and every one, even to the vilest of sinners, you have a full warrant to lay hold on him for pardon, and flee to him for mercy ; and you heinously sin against God and your own soul, if you ne- glect to do it. How shall we escape, if we negh^ct so great a salvation, and slight so great a Saviour ? I shall theref(U-e make use of some motives to press poor perishing sinners to flee from sin and wrath to Jesus Christ the only Saviour, and to receive and rest upon him for life and salvation ; and come to the sacrament, to get flieir right and title to Christ, and all his purchase, sealed and confirmed. I. Take a view of the misery of a natural and Christ - less condition ; and O that God would open your eyes to let you see it, and convince you, that while thou art in this state, thou art a rebel to thy God, a prodigal to thy father, a slave to thy lusts, and an alien to the com- monwealth of Israel : if thou comest not to Christ with 135 t!iy burdens, the whole burden of unpardoned sin lies upon thy back ; and this is a burden that will sink thee lower tlian the grave ; nay, it will press thee to the lowest hell, and keep thee eternally sinking tiiere. Con- sider also, how vile and loathsome thou and all thy ac- tions, whether natural, civil, or religious, are in the sight of a holy God, while tliou art out of Christ : thy soul is naked, and swartns with the vermin of filthy lu>*ts ; and thou hast neither a garment to cover thee, nor a fountain to wash thee : the leprosy of sin spreads over all ; so that, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there is nothing but bruises and putrefying sores : so that there is no mire so unclean, no vomit so loathsome, no carrion so offensive, no pestilence so noisome, as thou art in thy Chrisiless state, in the eyps of a holy God, who cannot look upon iniquity but with ablxirrence. Again, consider thou art a slave to Satan, the worst of tyrants ; he rules and works in your hearts, as a workman doth in his shop ; £lph. ii. 2 He uses your powers, faculties, senses, and members according to his pleasure ; he savs. Go, and you go ; Do this, and you do it. Your bondage is worse than the Israelites under Pharaoh ; for they groaned under theirs, but you, alas! are not sensible of yours, neitiier will vou believe it. The devil knows that if you perceived your slavery, you would seek to make your escape from him ; therefore, to make sure work, he deals with you as the Philistines did with Samson, puts out your eyes, that you may not see your chains, nor look to Christ for liberty. O that God would open tliem, and cause you groan under your fetters, and to look to Christ for relief! Moreover, while thou art in thy Chrisfless state, God's wrath is still burning against thee, the flaming sword of justice is always over thy neck; Psalm vii. 11, " God is angry with the wicked every day ;" every day of tiie week, and every hour of the day ; and when thou goest out, and comest in, risest up or liest down, God is still angry with thee: yea, "he hath bent his bow, and made ready his arrows," which are steeled with wrath, and headed with vengeance ;" nay, " his bow is drawn, and his arrows are at the flight ;" and, O Chrisfless soul, thou art the very butt thereof; and, if he let them fly, tiiey will pierce thee to the very soul, and who will heal that wound ? What a dangerous state is this! 136 And further, all the curses of the law are levelled against thee, and a just God is engaged by his oath to ruin tiiee, if tliou abidest in this state ; Heb. iii. 18, " To whom swear he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to tlienn that believe not ?" Should not the thoughts of this make thee tremble? Were it but the oath of a man, or company of men, to procure thy death, as of those forty men that bound themselves, under an oath, they would neither eat nor drink till they killed Paul, it would bereave thee of thy night's rest and quiet till they were made friends with tliee ; and will the oath of the great God have no effect upon thee, nor move thee to flee to Christ for protection and reconciliation? Who can help thee, or deal for thee, if Christ be neglected ? With what face canst thou look to him, or cry for mercy from him, when he comes to judge thee at the last day ? If thou remainest Christless now, thou wilt be speechless, helpless, and hopeless then. O think, what pale faces, quivering lips, fainting hearts, and trembling consciences will be among Christless sinners then ? How will their heads hang down, and knees knock together, and cry, Alas for the day ! They can look nowhere for comfort; for the Judge frovrns on them, the saints deride them, their own friends upbraid them, the angels mock them, the devils scoff at them, the heavens thunder against them, the earth flames about them, and hell groans for them, and down they will go roaring and howling for ever. O Christless soul, bow canst thou think to lie in that dark dungeon for ever, where there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth to be heard, and utter darkness to be seen, but never a blenk of the light of God's favour to all eternity? How wilt thou live in that pit where there is no water ? Not a drop of comfort or refreshment to the thirsty, scorched prisoners ; no, not so much as one drop to cool their tongue ; — the torments there are both endless and easeless. O poor Christless soul, thou art, as it were, apprehended by justice for thy debt, and brought the length of this prison door, and there are hun- dreds of diseases and devils waiting for a warrant to open the door to let you in ; and wilt thou not employ a surety, nor seek for a ransom, when justice is waiting a while to see if thou wilt do it, and Christ is earnestly offering himself to be thy cautioner, and his blood to ransom thee 137 from this pit ? then, to be sure, no other thing will do it. See Zech. ix. 11. II. As it is God's command that you should receive and believe on his Son Jesus Christ, so he declares that it is a work above all others most pleasing to him ; John vi. 29. It is emphatically calked his commandment, John iii. 24, being a command he values more than all the other commands in the bible ; and so, upon the other hand, there is no sin so provoking to God as un- belief and rejecting of Christ ; yea, he is more offended with it, than with the breaking of all his other commands. See Heb. x. 28, 29. Put all your other sins in one scale, and unbelief in another, and you will find that unbelief weighs down all the rest ; for it is a slighting of the whole work of redemption, which is the masterpiece of all God's works, being that which his heart is most set upon, and he hath been at most pains about ; 1 John iv. 8. O be persuaded then to do the work that is most acceptable to God, and obey his great command of believing upon the name of his Son ! The whole creation obeys his commands ; he commands the sun to run its daily course, and it obeys him ; he commands the sea to ebb and flow twice a day, and it obeys to a minute ; he commands the angels and all the host of heaven, and they punctually obey him ; and will you only be disobedient to liim, and "that to his beloved command, when yet he hath done more for you than for the whole creation ? III. Consider what an unspeakable mercy and happi- ness it is to you, to enjoy the free offers of Jesus Christ, and to have God commanding you to receive him. How- would the fallen angels value such a mercy, if they had it? They would not be loath to leave their dungeon, and accept of a Saviour, as you are ; but their state is eternally hopeless and desperate, tliere is no remedy for their misery. O do not put yourselves in the same case with them, by slighting the offered remedy. How would damned souls prize such an offer ? The least news and remotest hopes of it would make them leap in their chains, and sing in the flames. O how glad would they be to lift up their flaming hands to grip to the cords of love and mercy, if they could be let down to them in that dark dungeon ! Why then should you wilfully put your- selves into the same hopeless condition with them by your unbelief? Nay, your neglecting so many offers will sink 138 yoii far deeper in that scalding' lake of fire and hrimstone, and increase your flames to more vehemenoy, than tliose (if others who have not heen so privileged. O how will devils, Turks, Jews, and Pagans npbraid yon there, for your inexcusable folly in slighting your mercy and de- stroying your souls ! Be wise then in time, prize your ])rivilege ; and consider " the things that belong to your j>eace, before they be hid from your eyes." IV. Consider what an excellent and suitable help Christ is for fallen sinners : he is well furnished and qualified for your case; he hath gold for your poverty, eye-salve for your blindness, balm for your wounds, jdiysic for your diseases, bread for your hunger, white raiment for your nakedness, a fountain for your pollu- tion, and a ransom for your debt and bondage. In a word, he hath a broad plaster for your broad sore, a deep fountain f(»r your deep guilt ; lie is the chief of Saviours for (he chief of sinners. Behold how one deep calls to another, the depth of thy misery for the depth of his mercy! Are your sins and miseries very extensive? then view the large dimensions of his mercy. Who can fathom the height, the depth, the breadth, or length of it ? As for its height, it is high as heaven, and surmounts the highest mountains of guilt ; it is so deep, that it can bury the greatest of your sins ; it is as broad as the east is from the west : and for its length, it is from everlasting to everlasting; so that it fully atisvvers all your wants and miseries. In Christ there is all you need, or can de- sire ; there is both food and physic, clothing, strength, and cordials. O sinner ! ht^re is blood to justify thee, and water to cleanse thee ; here the water of life, O be- liever ! that will restore thy soul again, renew thy youth as the eagle's, cure all thy diseases, and heal all thy pains. In a word, you have in Christ all that can make you good, all that can make you great, and all that can make you happy. V. Consider how near you are to Christ and mercy. The remedy is prepared, and salvation is brougiit to your very door: so that you need not say, " Who will ascend to heaven, and bring me down the water of life ?" For it is brought to earth to thy hand ; you need not say. " Wlio will roll me away the stone from the well's month?" for Christ hath done it fur thee ; and it is now a fountain opened, and running by your door. O wliy 139 \vill you be so mad as perish for thirst beside this foun- tain ? or starve for hung'er beside a full feast? or die of your wounds beside a physician ; And all for want of a heart to accept of the offer. O it would be sad to be so near Christ, and yet eternally miss him ; to perish, like the thief on the cross, with a Saviour at your side; to be within a step of him, and yet never touch him ; yea, to sink into hell betwixt the outstretched arms of liis mercy, and with his sweet calls sounding' in your ears. What a heart-stinging consideration will tliis be to you in that place of torment for ever! O then stir up yourselves to take hold of Christ, when he is so near, and in your offer: strive earnestly, while there is an ark prepared, and a window opened in the side of it, and the hand of mercy put forth to pull in shelterless doves, that can find no rest elsewhere; I say, strive to come near by the wings of faith, make your nest, at least, beside the hole's mouth ; be not found hovering without, lest the flood wasli you off from the sides of the ark, and ye perish miseral)ly. If you be foolish, you will wish eternally that ye had never heard of Christ, or that ye had been born among the wild Indians or JMaliometans, that never heard a ser- mon or witnessed a communion. VI. Consider how importunate Christ is in his offers, and how much he presseth you to receive him. " Wis- dom crieth in the streets ;" Prov. i. 20. Christ makes loud and open proclamations of himself, and oft repeats his call; Isaiah Iv, 2, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money : come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come," &c. Behold, so earnest is lie with sinners, that he bids them come to him three times in one verse, " Come, come, come!" What allur- ing methods he hath taken to gain your hearts! How tenderly and affectionately iloth he call and court back- ward souls ! ^aiah li. 4, " Hearken unto me, my people ; give ear unto me, O my nation." What melting- expres- sions are these ! " My people, my nation !" But if calls do not prevail, lie comes himself to "seek and to save that which was lost." He came personally in the days of his flesh, and now he comes by his Spirit, in his word and ordinances. The three wise men came from the east a long journey to seek Clirist; but now Christ hath come from heaven to earth, a long journey ; yea, come to every one of your congregations to seek you; and are ye not willing to be found of him ? 140 Nay, he is content to follow you when you run away from him, and pursue you with his gracious oifers. As the rock foUovvocl the Israelites in the wilderness with its running streams of water, so Christ, our spiritual Rock, follows you now with the si reams of his mercy and blood, to wash and save you. O sinm^rl if you will not hear the words of his mouth, hearken to the call of his wounds, which are opened as so many mouths to plead with you. He hath suffered his blessed side to be opened, that ye might look into his bleeding heart, and see it panting with love, and also hear the sounding of his bowels to- wards you; will not this prevail? Then behold him by faith, with a heavy cross on his back, weighed down with your sins, and the curses of a broken law, following you, and calling after you. Hear him knock. Open to me, poor perishing sinner! give me harbour in thy heart; behold what I have suffered from heaven, earth, and hell, for thee : look wliat justice hath done ; look wliat the de- vil, the Romans, the Jews, and my own disciples, have done. View my head, my side, my hands, and my feet, my wounded body, and my bruised soul. O, canst thou find in thy heart to keep Christ at the door, when thus wounded, bleeding and mangled for thee? Wilt thou let him stand all the day long, when he hath put on his dyed garments, and red apparel, to court thy backward heart, and when he is saying, O sinner, if thou wilt not believe, "reach hither thy hand, and feel the print of the nails, yea, thrust it into my pierced side, and feel my warm, bleeding heart, and see if 1 love you not?" Wilt thou deny my access, who has done so much for thee? Will not this prevail ? Then behold him displaying his glorious beauty and excellency before thine eyes in a preached gospel, to win thy heart. Will not ministers' commendations of him move thee? Then hear how he commends himself: " I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys; I am tlie true vine; I am the good shep- herd," &c. And will you not believe his own report, who cannot lie? Surely he is in good earnest with you when he takes this course. Will not this do? Then hearken how mournfully he complains when he wants success, and passionately regrets your folly in rejecting liim. He sighs when he mentions it; Psalm Ixxxi. 13, "O that my people had hearkened unto me!" He bitterly laments it; Matt. xxii. 37, " O 141 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not!" He doubles the name, to show his tender aiF(^ction ; as David, when he regrets his son Absalom, " O my son Absalom, my son, my son !" &c. " How often would I have gathered you under my wings!" How many an affectionate ser- mon, call, and invitation, have I given you, but to no purpose! Shall I go through a sea of wrath and blood to save you, and will you not accept of me when I have done it? Shall I shed my blood in vain? Shall I bear the wrath of God, the scorns of men, the terrors of death, and curse of the law, to no effect? Will ye still prefer your sins before me, and hear Satan's knocks sooner than mine ? Hear that compassionate complaint, John v. 40, " Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." As if he had said, Why run ye so fast from your Saviour? Why come ye not to me, who am come from heaven to seek and save you ? It is not an enemy, but a friend, ye run from : the worst turn 1 would do you, is to save your lives; ye will go without much pressing to the devil, to get death and eternal damnation ; but ye will not come to me to get life and eternal salvation. O what inex- pressible madness are ye guilty of! Behold how he weeps for self-destroying Jerusalem rejecting his offers ; Luke xix. 41. When he sat down to consider their case, his bowels yearned with pity, his tongue broke forth in lamentation, and his eyes gushed out with tears ; so that his weeping even interrupted his voice, and made him utter short and abrupt expressions; " If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day," &c — where he seems to pause at every other word, and drop first a word and then a tear. What a moving sight was this, to see the Son of God in such a pang of grief, and flood of tears, for lost sinners ! Had he been inquired at, as he did Mary, (John xx. 15,) " Blessed Lord, what seekest thou? why weepest thou?" his an- swer readily would have been, " I seek not myself, I weep not for myself; for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, though sinners be not gathered ; but I weep to see sinners so mad as to reject the Saviour and salvation, rather than part with their lusts, that have damnation following tliem at their heels ; it is my grief to see them content rather to cast themselves headlonsr into the devil's 142 arms, than throw themselves into my arms of mercy, or embrace me in the arms of their faith." O ! did Christ weep for you, poor sinners ! and will ye not weep for yourselves ? Did his heart melt with pity for yon ; and will not yours melt with desires towards him ? Can he do no more to win your hearts than this ? Yea, if this do not, he is pleased to expostulate the matter with you, and lay your danger before vou : "Turn ye, turn ye," saith he, "for why will ye die?" Yea, he condes- cends to reason the matter with you in a familiar way : " Come," says he, " let us reason togetlier," Isaiah i. " O my people, what have I done unto thee ?" Mic. vi. 3, " What iniquity have ye found in me?" What want or unsuitableness have ye seen in me? "Have I been a barren wilderness to you? Are not my ways equal?" Thus he seeks to draw you " with the cords of a man, and with the bauds of love;" Hos. xi. 4. And if there arise objections in your heart against coming to Christ, and receiving him for your Saviour, see how carefully he lays out himself in his word to answer them all ; for he well foresaw every one of them ; " Produce your cause," saith the Lord, "bring forth your strong reason;" I am ready to hear and answer all your scruples. O ! saith some poor, humbled soul, I have no right to come to Christ, for I am a great sinner. O, saith Christ, J came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Ohjec. But I am the chief of sinners, my sins are red as crimson. O, saith Christ, I can make them white as wool : nay, it was my errand into the world, to save such as thou art ; 1 Tim. i. 15. Ohjec. But I am sick and wounded ; what hath Christ to do with me? O, saith Christ, it is my proper employ- ment to be taken up with you ; for " the whole need not a physician, but they that are sick;" Matt. ix. 12. Am not 1 the good Samaritan, who am come to pour oil into lliy sores, and "tenderly bind up thy wounds?" Psalm cxlvii. 3. Ohjec. But I have no ground to hope, for I am a lost wretch. O, saith Christ, I came for this very errand, " 10 seek and save that which was lost," Luke xix. 10; and many a lost sheep have 1 sought and found. Ohjec. But I am past cure, for I am quite dead, and rotten in the grave of sin. O, saith Christ, I am the re- surrection and the life : " he that believes in me, though 143 he were dead, yet shall he live ;" John xi. 25. And again he saith, Eph. v. 44, " Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Objec. But I am a slave to sin and Satan, and a pri- soner to justice. O, saith Christ, I am come to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; Isa. Ixi. 1. " Yea, I have the key of David, that opens, and none can shut! I have the blood of the covenant, that brings prisoners out of the pit. Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope ;" Zech. ix. 11, 12. Objec. But f have heavy burdens that weigh me down. O, saith Christ, " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest." Objec. But my hand is withered, and I cannot receive Christ, or anything from him. Then do as the man who had the withered iiand, make a mint upon Christ's call, and he will enable thee to stretch out thy hand. Objec. But I am lame, and cannot walk in Christ's ways. O, saith Christ, " I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes;" Ezek. xxxvi. 27. "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart;" Isa. xxxv. G. Objec. But what if Christ withdraw his Spirit and grace from me again ? No, saith Christ, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ;" Heb. xiii. 5. Objec. But may not I, notwithstanding, leave him, and make apostasy ? No, saith Christ, the covenant runs otherwise; Jer. iii. 19, " Thou shalt call me. My Father, and shalt not turn away from me." Christ is surety for thy perseverance. Objec. But I will be overcome by strong temptations. No, saith Christ, " My grace shall be sufficient for thee." Objec. But, saith some poor, sensible sinner, alas! my case is not yet touched, for it is singular ; my sins are heinous and peculiar ; they are against light, love, con- science, vows, and a thousand obligations ; there is none that knows what a sinner I have been, but God and my own conscience. Will Christ ever accept of such a wretch as me Ans. Art thou worse than a devilish Manasseh, or a persecuting Paul, whom Christ pitied and saved? Art thou worse than Mary Magdalen, who was a most noto- rious, vile wretch? yet seven devils and an army of lusts could not keep Christ out of her heart. Nay, though 144 thy heart were as foul and black as hell, and thy life did swarm with tlie most ahominahle sins, yet Christ is bolh able and willing to save thee, if thou come to him. Are you worse than those in that black catalogue! 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Read and see what a sad roll is there; and yet the apostle saith to the believing Corinthians, verse 11, " Such were some of you, yet ye are washed," &c. The blood of Christ is a powerful fountain, and is able to wash away the greatest sins that ever were committed, be they ever so black or bloody- God gave full proof of this by the first sin we read of, that was cleansed by this blood after it was shed, even the murder of the Son of God ; Acts ii. 38, 39. Tiiis was the most prodigious wickedness that ever the sun saw ; yet the sun fainted at the siglit, as afraid to look (m it; for, suppose a man were able to pull heaven and earth to pieces, destroy the angels, and murder all mankind, he would not contract so mon- strous a guilt as those did in crucifying the Son of God, whose person was infinitely superior to the whole crea- tion; yet thousands that were actors in this black tragedy were washed by this blood, to give us a convincing ex- periment of its infinite value and virtue, and that no sin or guilt whatsoever was too strong for it: " The blood of Christ," saith John, (1 John i. 7,) "cleanseth us from all sin." Objec. But though Christ's blood be sufficient, yet I have no right to it. Ans. Be what you will, you have a full and sufficient warrant from the gospel-call to flee to it. See what Christ enjoins his apostles to do ; Mark xvi. 15, " Go in- to all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;" q. d., " Make ofl^er of my blood to all without distinction, even to the worst of sinners, every creature, be they ever so wicked ; yea, though they liave sinned themselves into the likeness of beasts or devils, yet, if they be creatures of Adam's race, offer my blood, my mercy, and merits to them ; invite and pre.-s them to come unto me, ' and him that Cometh I will in no ways cast out.'" O sinner! ac- cept of the gospel-offer ; and whatever you have been, you shall find there is mercy enough in God's bowels to pity you, merit enough in Christ's blood to purchase a pardon for you, and prevalency enough in his intercession to procure and apply it to you. Objec. But I have often slighted the gospel-offer, and 145 trampled on this precious blood ; with what conGdence can 1 lay claim to it ? A?is. Since Christ doth not exclude you, you ought not to exclude yourself; but should reckon that you have greater need to hasten to this blood, the more heinous that your sins be ; yea, you have a peculiar ground to plead upon f(»r pardon on this account. See how David pleads it; Psalm xxv. 11, "Pardon mine iniquity;" Why? " For it is great." This would be a strange ar- gument with men, pardon my crime for it is great ; but it is a strong argument with God. Lord, it is great, and so I have the more need of pardon. It is great, and so thou wilt have the greater honour in pardoning me, even as a physician hath in curing a desperate disease. The sinning against Ciirist's blood, or slighting it, is indeed a very heinous sin ; but the more it is so, ye have the more need to hasten to this blood, as the only fountain that can wash away the guilt of trampling it ; and this, indeed, can do it etfectually ; nay, though you had actually shed this blood, as the .Jews did, yet, if you be humbled for it you are welcome to come to it for fnercy. Observe that commission which Ciirist gave to his apostles, Luke xxiv. 46, 47, where he orders them to preach repentance and remission in his name to all nations ; and begin, saith he, at Jerusalem. O ! mi^^ht they say, wliy at Jerusalem ? to be sure it is not our part to begin there, where they mocked, pierced, and crucified thee the Lord of glory. Nay, says he, begin there, for these miserable wretches have most need of my blood to «ash them. If anything could alienate Christ's heart from sinners, the considera- tion of their crucifying of liim, and using him so despite- fully, might have done it ; yet, says he, go make offer of my blood and mercy to these my murderers; and accord- ingly it was done by Peter, Acts ii., and many of them got this blood applied to tliem. Objec, But as my sins are grievous in their nature, so they are vast in their number ; they are even like the sand by the sea-shore, both weighty and without number. Ans. Remember, the merit of Christ's blood is infinite, but the number of thy sins is not so ; nay, though they were ten thousand times more than they are, they could not stop the current (tf this everflowing and overflowing fountain. Though the sands be many and large, yet the . sea would overflow them all; so, though thy sins be very 146 numerous and extensive, yet the sea of Christ's blood can cover them all, and hide them from the sight of God, so as they shall never again appear, or rise up against you in judgment. Objec. But my sins are not only grievous in their nature, and vast in their number, but they are of very long con- tinuance ; I am an old, rotten sinner, long have I lain in the grave of sin ; surely Christ will never accept of me. Ans, Your sins may be old, yet they are not so old as Christ's mercies which are from everlasting. It is not the first old distemper that Christ hath cured ; he raised Lazarus with a word, that iiad Iain four days in the grave; he stopped a bloody issue with the hem of his garment, that had run twelve years ; he loosed a poor woman that Satan had bound eighteen years ; he cured an impotent man, that had an infirmity thirty-eight years; and can he not as easily cure all your old soul-distempers ? He re- ceived those that came in at the eleventh hour, yea, saved some at the last hour; particularly the thief on the cross, whom the devil thought lie was sure of, having drawn him the length of the mouth of hell, and just ready to cast him in ; yet even then, upon his looking to Christ, did the arms of mercy catch hold of him. What more canst thou object, O sinner ? Hath not Clirist provided answers to all thou canst say, either against thyself or him ? Hath he not given unanswer- able demonstrations of his ability, fulness, fitness, and willingness to be thy Saviour ? Hath he not given full proof of his earnest desire to save thee, by the many me- thods he takes to prevail with sinners to accept of him ? Will not all the pains he hath hitherto taken prevail with thy obstinate heart ? What more would you have Christ to do with unwilling sinners ? There is yet one step further he makes, and that is a very low one ; he even, as it were, turns a btmible supplicant to thee, and upon his bare knees beseeciies thee to be reconciled to him. Read 2 Cor. v. 20, " We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." O wonderful condescension 1 Behold divine mercy kneeling down to a sinner in the humblest posture, with wringed hands and watery cheeks importuning the sinner to receive his Saviour, accept of his pardon, save his soid, and be re- conciled to God in Christ. Be astonished, O heavens • 147 shall the sovereign Creator turn supplicant to the vile traitor, and follow him with his remission ? or the loving father to the prodigal child, and follow him with entreat- ies ? And O sinner ! will thy stubborn heart be able to refuse peace, or slight the blessed peace-maker Jesus Christ, after all this pains? If all his arguments prevail nothing, yet one would think that the humble entreaties of the great God will certainly do it ; how can you resist tl)ese. Objec. I have no strength to come to Christ, I cannot believe of myself: I have a dead and bound-up heart, and I cannot help it. Ans. 1. Canst thou say in earnest, that thou art willing and desirous to embrace a Saviour, if thou wast able ? Alas ! it is here that it sticks : whatever you pretend, you are not truly willing. It is our unwillingness that ruins us : it is not so much for want of power — though indeed we want it — as want of will, that sinners want Christ : were you once willing, strength would not be wanting. O to get the will conquered, and made to sur- render to Christ ! then the day were won. O for one pull more from the omnipotent grace, to make you " a willing people in the day of his power !" ^dli/. Labour for a deep sense of thy own impotency ; take your dead heart and lay it before God, and lie groaning in Christ's way, and plead for pity. It is true, God is not bound, in strict justice, to hear an unbeliever's prayer, but, if you be earnest with him, you may expect he will do it, out of his great goodness and mercy. He hears the ravens when they cry : O then cry to him with your utmost ability, in a deep sense : be as earnest seek- ing faith, as your daily bread ; cry as fervently for the life of your souls, as ye would do for the life of your bo- dies, if ready to be execute : if you would do sr», God would not deny you. More particularly plead these things : — 1. Take your bible, kneel down, and cast up that gracious free promise ; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27 ; read it, and plead it, put thy finger to it, and put the Maker of it to his word ; lay thy dead heart before it, and look up and cry, " Lord, make good this word to n\e, is it n()t a free promise ? There is no condition required of me for getting it fulfilled, but to inquire at thee for doing it; verse 37. Now, Lord, I am come to inquire, and request thee to do it." 148 2. Humbly plead thy own impotency, and the in- sufficiency of all others to help thee in this state. This was the impotent man's plea with Christ at the pool of Bethesda ; John v. 6, 7. It had good success with him, and so it may have with you. Say, Lord, I have lain many years with this dead plagued heart beside the open fountain of thy blood, that has saved many in my condi- tion ; I am impotent, and unable to move to it of myself, and have none to put me in ; I have tried others, but I find it altogether in vain ; ordinances cannot do it, sacra- ments cannot do it, ministers cannot do it, the loudest knock or call will not do it : tliou, Lord, must put to thy helping hand, or it cannot be done, for it is a work peculiar to thy mighty arm. I have been looking to all airths for help, but. Lord, there is none in heaven or earth but thee alone : every one of the creatures, means, and ordinances, say, It is not in me; every one of the saints and angels say, as the king of Israel did to that poor, starving wo- man, 2 Kings vi. 27, " If tiie Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee ?" So if thou, Lord, help me not, I must perish. 3. In a deep sense of your own impotency, flee to God's power, and plead it. Do you feel tlie Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, of your own corruptions, swel- ling within you ? Say with Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. 12, " We have no might against this great company, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee." If you could win this length, then were there good ground of hope ; for when we see that we are wholly helpless and shiftless in ourselves, then God's help is nearest ; *' When I am weak," saith the apostle, 2 Cor. xii. 10, " then am I strong." Renounce, then, all help in the creature, and look to the Creator ; say. Lord, though it be impossible with man, yet thou hast told me, Mark x. 17, that with thee, " all things are possible." Though I may despair of all help in myself and others, yet thou hast forbid me to despair of help in thee; therefore I flee to thee alone. " Lord, give what thou commandest, and then command what thou wilt." 4. Plead thy extreme need of Christ, and of faith to give thee an interest in him. The world cannot tell thee, O sinner ! how great thy need is ; there is not a starving man that needs meat, a wounded man that needs a physi- cian, a shipwrecked man that needs a plank, a dying man 149 with the dive rattling in his throat, that needs breath, so much as thou needest Christ. What wilt thou do on a death-bed, or at a tribunal, without an interest in him ? And what will become of thee to all eternity? Go to him, then, and seek faith in Christ, as a malefactor going- to die would do his life ; fall down at his feet, and cry, " Give me faith and strength to carry me to Christ's blood, or else I die; I may live without friends, wealth, honours, and pleasures ; but I cannot live without faitii : I am lost, undone, a dead man, and I perish for vvav without it. Lord, deny me what thou wilt, but deny nie not faith. It had been better for me never to have ban born, than to live without Christ, and an interest in him : if I win not to the fountain of Clirist's blood, 1 will sink eternally in that scalding lake of fire and brimstone ; if I go to Christ's table without faith, I will shed his blood, and eat and drink my own damnation." 5. Plead with God, how easy it is f(tr him to helj) thee; cry with the psalmist, Psalm Ixxx. 1, "O thou that dvvellest between the cherubim, shine forth!" " It will cost thee no more pains to work faitii in me, and do all that I desire, than it doth the sun to sliine forth ; yea, thou canst more e.'isily put forth thy power and grace, than the sun can dart out its beams. It is no trouble or loss to the sun to shine forth ; so neither will it be to thee to show thy power and mercy: a look or touch from thee would do it ; a little thing will save a drown- ing man : Lord, suffer me not to perish, when it is so easy for thee to prevent it." Were it any loss or trouble for God to help us, we might well doubt of it ; but since it is none, we may cry with hope, " Lord, grant such an hungry beggar an alms out of the ocean of tliy bounty ; for thou wilt never miss it. As the sun, the more it shines, displays its glory the more ; so thou wilt gain glory, by putting forth thy power to help such a helpless creature as I am." Objec. But I have often looked and cried to him for help ; but, alas ! I am such a grievous sinner, he doth not answer me, unless it be with a frown. Ans. \st. It may be, there is some idol or sin still har- boured, that thou art not willing to part with. This may be the Achan in the camp, that causeth the Lord to hide his face ; search for it, and cast out " the accursed thing ; let not thine eye pity it, neither do thou spare it." H 150 If thou canst not find it out, go humbly to God and cry, Siiow me, Lord, wherefore thou contendest witli me. 'idly. It maybe, thou art not fervent enough; God keeps the door bolted, that you may be provoked to knock the harder; Matt. vii. 7, " Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." In which one verse, Christ gives you three calls to fervency and importunity in prayer, each stronger than another, — ask, seek, knock. The woman of Canaan readily took up the meaning of Christ's refusing to an- swer her ; she turns the more fervent and importunate, and so gets all her will. Zdlij. Resolve, whatever discouragements you meet with, yon will never quit the throne of grace, but you will always lay yourself in Christ's way, and never look to another for lielp : yea, that you will die wailing on him. Remember the psalmist's experience; Psalm xl. 1, " I waited patiently for the Lord, and at length lie inclined his ear, and iieard my cry." There was never anj' yet that waited on him had cause to be ashamed. You may meet with many discouragements and temptations^ and be put to very sad thoughts: but you must be resolute in looking to Christ for help, come what will : and, in imitation of the four lepers at the siege of Samar'a, rea- son with yourself. If I live at a distance from Christ, I'll infallibly perish, there is no hope for me ; if Christ pity me not when I am waiting on him, I shall but perish : but vet there is hope, he will have pity at length ; therefore if I perish, I will perish at Ciirist's footstool, looking up to him, where never one yet perished, and I hope he will not let me be the first. Athly. Make use of arguments in pleading with him. 1. Plead the freeness of his mercy ; it needs no motive, and expects no worth, but " whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely." It runs freelv, so that mountains cannot stop the current of it, more than rocks can stop the ebbing and flowing of the sea. Indeed, Lord, if sin and unworthiness could stop mercy, I might despair, for 1 am as unworthy a creature as ever the sun shined upon ; but blessed be God, grace is free. 2. Plead Christ's commission ; Isa. Ixi. L He was sent " to proclaim liberty to the captives, and tlie open- ing of the prison-doors to them that are bound." Lord, 151 here a poor prisoner, a frozen, locked, bound up heart : here is employment for thee: loose me, knock off my fet- ters, and bring my soul out of prison. Thou hast all fulness dwelling in thee, and thou hast it given thee to bestow on such miserable objects as I am ; Lord, here a naked back for thee to cover, an empty stomach for thee to fill, a wounded soul for thee to cure. Lord, thou camest to seek and to save that which was lost ; and wilt thou not be found of a lost sinner that is seeking tiiee ? 3. Plead the communicativeness of his mercy to others. He had compassion upon men's bodies when he was on earth, even the bodies of wicked men, such as liie un- thankful lepers ; he let none of them go without healing that came to him. Say, Lord, didst thou show so much compassion to diseased bodies, and wilt thou not have some pity on my dying soul, that is far more precious than carcasses of clay ? Plead his compassion that he hath showed to the worst of sinners, such as Manasseii, Mary Magdalen, Paul, and those who murdered him. Plead his compassion towards tlie finally obstinate and impeni- tent, such as Jerusalem, over wliicli he wept ; Luke xix. Lord, did thy heart melt with pity to such ; and wilt thou not pity an humbled sinner, that confesseth sin, and would fain be reconciled to God ? Is not mercy the work thou delightest in ? Micah Vii. 18. Lastly. Labour for a sense of the misery of a Christ- less state, of your great need of Christ, and of tlie happi- ness of being found in him ; and, in a sense thereof, look to Christ, and make a mint to take hold of him. Stir up your- self to it, and rest your soul on him as you can ; and God will help you, and communicate strength. Oe will not fail to notice and encourage an honest mint ; Jor. xxx. 21, " Who is this that engageth his heart to approa ;!) me ?" He will pity and help such. Try, O poor soul ! if you can get a grip of Christ, especially upon a sacra- mental occasion, when you are nearer him than at other times : if you cannot apply Christ to yourselves, and say, He is mine ; yet apply yourself to Christ, and say, I would fain be thine, yea, I am resolved to be thine. Go forth to Christ with all the faith you can win at ; say with the poor man, " Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief." You must not sit still and do nothing, but use all means in your power, for it is in the use of these tiiat God works faith : hoise up the sails, and wait for the gales. h2 152 DIRECTION XI. Come and join yourselves unto the Lord in a perpetual and personal Covenant, before you go to his Table. Unless yoii be within tlie covenant of grace, you Lave no right, to tiie seal of t!ie covenant ; now, if you would be found within the covenant, you must by faith take hold of the covenant, and heartily go in with the gracious terms and contrivance of it. And this is what we commonly call personal covenanting with God. And the more ex- press and distinct we are in this matter, we will have the more comfort. As for the nature, necessity, and manner of personal covenanting, I refer my reader to my Sacr. Cat., from p. 118 to p. 13G, \first edit.,'] where this subject is largely handled. Personal covenanting is the communicant's best token ; and without it you cannot warrantahly come to the Lord's table. You will mock God, and deceive your own souls, if you take the great seal of heaven, and append it to a blank or a sheet of clean paper ; and this you do, when you communicate without previous covenanting with God. O beware of appending heaven's seal to a blank ! lest the King of iieaven be wroth, and fill up the blank with a curse. O communicants ! come then, take hold of the cove- nant of grace, and give a hearty and fiducial consent to its graci(»us ofTers and terms. You are miserable while under a covenant of works ; be convinced of it, and speedily betake yourselves to tiie new covenant, and the gracious method of salvation through Jesus Christ and his righteousness. Cordially accept of Jesus Christ in all his offices, and in him make choice of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as your God and portion ; and give up yourselves, Sdul and body, and all you have, to be the Lord's, to be for him, and not for another ; and in Christ's strength engage to live for God, serve bim, and walk with him in newness of life. Do all this in the most solemn and express manner, with sincerity, humility, and self-denial ; and if this you be helped to do, God will accept of you at his table, and deal with you as his covenanted people. 153 Ohjec. But, saith one, I know it is my duty to come and transact with God in this manner, and renew cove- nant with him conform to my baptismal vovvs ; and some- times I tliink I am willing to do it, but I much suspect my sincerity in tiiis matter ; and it is higiily dangerous to deal falsely witli God, in pretending to covenant with him, when tlie heart is not right with God, Ans. You iiave just cause to suspect your own hearts, and therefore should be at all pains to search and try yourselves ; and, for your help, I shall give some charac- ters of those who aim sincerely to transact and renew covenant with God. 1. They are such who are thoroughly convinced of their misery under the first covenant, as being wholly un- able to fulfil its condition, or pay its penalty ; and tliere- fore see they cannot abide indthis case without being un- done to all eternity. 2. They are heartily grieved for their natural estrange- ment, and long living at a distance from God ; and are made to say, " Oh ! how long have I lived in Mesecl), far from the fountain of my happiness!" 3. They are troubled for their long slighting of Ciirist's gracious calls and offers of mercy in the gospel, and for the backwardness of their hearts to leave sin and Satan, and come and enter into covenant with God. " OIi ! how long have I preferred Satan's drudgery and service to God's friendship and favour, lived in league with my soul's enemy, and at war with my best friend !" 4. They have sometimes a soul-affecting view of the new covenant and the new way and metliod of salvation contained therein. They see there is no righteousness of man or angel that can justify them ; none but the righte- ousness of Clirist alone, nothing but an infinite satisfaction can do their turn ; and it is their cry, " None but (Mirist." 5. Tliey are fully resolved on a rupture and breach with all the enemies of God, and to break all leagues and covenants with sin, Satan, and the world ; and lliat they will never be slaves to them as formerly : they lieartily join wit!) the psalmist ; Psalm cxix. 115, " Depart from me, ye evil doers, for I will keep the commandments of my God." 6. They are sensible of, and humbled for the former treachery and false dealing of their hearts with God. Are there not many who have formerly entered into cove- 134 nant with God, have sworn allegiance to liim as their Sovereign, and that not only at baptism, but have renew- ed this deed at the Lord's supper ; but may not the Lord take up the same complaint against them as against Israel? Psalm lxxviii.36, 37, "They lied to him with their tongues; for their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant." Well, if you be deeply af- fected on this account, the Lord will not reject you. 7. They sincerely accept of Christ as their surety and cautioner before God ; they esteem him " altogether lovely," and infinitely precious. They renounce their own righteousness in justification, and their own strength in sanctification, and look to Christ for both, saying as those, Isa. xiv. 24, " In the Lord have I righteousness and strength ;" I liave not sufficiency of myself either to make or keep covenant with God, but my confidence is entirely in Christ, my all-sufficient Surety. 8. They are content to give themselves to the Lord, and all they are and have. Faith hath two hands ; by the one it receives Jesus Christ, and by the other it gives the soul to him. Now, if your faith want either of these, it is lame. 9. They feel indwelling sin as a grievous clog ; they desire heart-holiness more tlian any earthly thing, and resolve, through grace, upon more care and watchfulness against sin tlian formerly. Now, try your sincerity in covenanting with God by these marks ; and if you can lay claim to one or more of them, tlien you are not hypocrites, nor of the number of those who give God the hand without the heart ; who pretend to make a covenant with God, and yet keep a secret league with the devil, the world, and the flesh ; who profess a great outward respect to God and his ways, and yet keep a secret antipathy to godliness, as, alas ! many do wijo come to the Lord's table. And if you would manage this weighty transaction aright, you must be very deliberate in it ; take many a view of the nature and frame of tlie covenant of grace, and consider what God offers and promises therein, and what he doth require of us ; and endeavour to get your hearts wrought up to a cheerful compliance therewith. Your souls are at the stake, and a mistake here ruins you eternally; but if once it be well done, it is done for ever. This bargain is not for a short term, but for life, nay, for 155 eternity ; and therefore you should count the cost of it, and consider it duly; and be resolved, whatever trouble or persecution shall arise, or whatever temptation you may meet with to leave Christ, to say to them, like Ruth to Naomi, when she was steadfastly resolved to go with her; Ruth i. 16; Entreat me not to leave Christ; for where be goes, I will follow him, though it were into banishment : where he lodges, I will lodge, though it were in a prison ; for neither death nor life shall part Christ and me. And, again, beware of delays in making, or entering into covenant with God. It is a work for eternity, and therefore requires present despatch. The time of youth is a rare season for this work, and ought carefully to be improven, and no time lost. And here I shall address myself to the young. O, young people, and ye that never communicated be- fore, set about this work of personal covenanting before ye approach to the Lord's table. Do not delay or put off to another year, or till old age or sickness come on ; for what do you know but God may be provoked to harden your hearts so in old age, (though you sliould live till that time,) that ye shall have no liking to religion and the ways of God! Must it not be higiily displeasing to God, to reserve for him the refuse and dregs of your strength and time ? Will you give your Creator and Redeemer only so much of your time and strength as the devil and the world hath left ? O, what is this, but to offer the blind and lame of the flock in sacrifice to God (Mai. i. 7) which is an abominatiosi ! O, young folk, can you dispose of yourselves better in the days of your youth, than give up yourselves to the Lord ? When you are ready to choose callings and set- tlements in the world, can you take a wiser course, than first choose a settlement in Christ's family, which would make all other conditions and circumstances of life the more comfortable to you ? Now, the way to be made a member of this family is, by covenanting with God ; without this, you have no right to the children's bread, nor the seals of the covenant. It is not enough that ye were baptized, and are christians by your parents' dedi- cation, unless you be christians by your own free choice and consent. Remember, you are now to enter into the state of adult-cburch-membership, and to be admitted to 156 share of the children's privileges, sealed to you in bap- tism ; and now, therefore, you must act as rational men and women, and make a choice for yourselves. You ought, personally and explicitly, to renew your baptismal covenant, and ratify your parents' deed, now when you are of age ; otherwise your baptism and parents' dedica- tion will not profit you. I call you to engage to no more here than what you are already obliged to by your baptism; for it is just the same covenant j'^ou are t(» enter into now, that you have already consented to by your baptism ; only by your personal resignation, vo- luntary consent, and taking the second seal of the cove- nant, you are to bind yourselves the faster to it ; the which if you neglect to do, your baptism will be so far from profiting you, that it will be a witness against you, and cry for vengeance on you, and you will be in no better condition than the heathen that never were bap- tized. O, young communicants, take heed to your first com- municating, for very much doth depend upon it. You are now, as it were, to lay the foundation-stone of your salvation-work ; and this ought to be done with much spiritual skill and knowledge, if you would have a sure building. O, then, dig deep, and found your house, your salvation, your hopes of heaven, upon the rock Christ, by personal covenanting and express closing with him upon the terms of grace; for if you do it not, but approach to the Lord's table in ignorance, unbelief, or liardness of heart, you may provoke God to smite you with judicial blindness and obduration, and give you up to such heart-hardness and formality in duty, as may cleave to you all your lives long, and so you are ruined for ever. The time of your first communicating is a most critical juncture for your souls ; for, according to the state, frame, and disposition of people's souls at their first communicating, so it very often fares with them, in some measure, at all the rest of the communions they partake of. Many have found this; some to their sweet, others to their sad experience. Some, by their careless approach at first, and neglecting* expressly to covenant with God, have drawn down the plagues of heart-hard- uess and formality upon themselves, and provoked God lo leave them to wander in the dark all their days, with- out any solid assurance, or comfortable view of their in- 157 terest in Clirist and the covenant of grace. But others, by means of their sincere preparation and covenanting with God at tliis time, have got a seal of their conver- sion, and a view of their interest in Christ, which hath proved very useful and comfortable to them all the rest of their lives, and especially in the time of distress, and when on a death-bed. Then they have remembered, how that at such a time and place they joined themselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant, and then and tliere God spake with them, intimated their pardon, and owned them as his covenanted children. As their souls were helped to say to the Lord, "Thou art my God ;" so God said to them, " I am your salvation." And, hereby, many have been strengthened, when reaily to faint under doubts and discouragements. Therefore, O young com- municants! as ye regard the well-being of your precious and immortal souls for ever, look well to yourselves at this time; if matters be right with you now, they will never be altogether wrong afterwards. Labour to get some distinct uptakings of the covenant of grace, and of tiie nature, ends, and uses of this solemn ordinance, which is the compend and seal of it, before your first partaking. Pray fervently for .knowledge and spiritual illumination ; apply to Jesus Christ, our great Prophet, for this, and see to improve the means and helps which he is pleased to afford you for it. Retire for meditation and reading of the bible; read and meditate much on the sufferings of Christ; read our "Confession of Faith," " Vincent's Catechism," " Guthrie's Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ," Doolittle, and other good books on the sacrament, that ye may attain to some right impres- sions of the covenant and the Lord's supper; an(i, par- ticularly, of the obligations yon already lie under by the first seal of baptism. And then, under an humble sense of guilt, and with a hopeful view of the gospel-oftVr, go, with all seriousness and solemnity, and renew these en- gagements ; enter into covenant with God, and next come to his table, to get the transaction sealed and ra- tified, by getting the other seal of heaven appended to it. And now, young people, I put it to yonr ciioice, as Jo- shua did to the Israelites; Josh. xxiv. 15; " Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Make choice at this time whom ye will be saved by, and whom ye will obey. Whom will ye have for your master, whether Christ or h5 158 the devil ? Both are courting" your hearts : which of them will you yield to ? Lay your hands on your hearts, and see whetiier you will grant Christ's or the devil's de- sire ? Whether shall the devil have you, soul and body, to all eternity, or shall Christ have you ? Oh ! will any be so foolish as to halt betwixt two opinions in this case, any so mad as to stand in doubt whether to be saved or damned, whether to live with Christ or the devil for ever ? Now Michael and his angels, and the dragon and iiis angels, are fighting about your hearts; the devil is hold- ing, and a dying Saviour is drawing. O, will you not be on Christ's side, and wish Michael may prevail ; that the red dragon's head may be broken, that the devil may get a total defeat, and that Christ may get your hearts for ever ? Remember, Christ will have none but willing servants, Psalm ex. 3, none but those who freely offer themselves unto the Lord. Amaziah, the son of Zichri, is recorded with s^reat honour, 2 Chron. xvii. 15, because he " willingly offered himself unto the Lord." O for many Amaziahs, many such free-will offerings among young communicants ! It would be a most pleasant sight to God and ministers, to saints and angels, whose eyes are upon you. The first fruits, under the law, were to be offered to the Lord. " The kindness of youth is mucU remembered by iiim ;" Jer. ii. Young folk's praying, re- penting, and covenanting, are most melodious music in his ears. O give Christ the first and best of your days, for he well deserves this. Make earnest of covenanting work in secret, that the communion day may be a day of your espousals to the Lord Jesus, and the marriage-knot may be cast so sure at his table, that death nor hell may never be able to loose it. Need I use any motives to press you to make this bar- gain, which is so advantageous for your souls? God in- vites yon to treat with him ; nay, he summons you to do it; 2 Chron. xxx. 8, " Yield yourselves to tlie Lord;" strike hands with God, submit to his mercy, accept of the terms of grace. O that God himself would sound an alarm in your ears, and show you the misery of an un- converted state ! 1. While you are in this state, you have no interest in Christ, no share in his blood or purchase; you have neither art nor part in the God of Israel ; Eph. ii. 12. 2. You are under a covenant of works, and the power, 159 terror, threaten iiig-, and curses of a broken law. The sentence of death is pronounced against you, and you may look for execution of it every moment. 3. While you are out of the covenant, you have no right to any mercy, and all the mercies you receive are cursed to you, and you know not how soon God may strip you of all you have. 4. Consider what a sad stroke death gives to an unco- venanted soul ; it deprives him of all mercies, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, at one blow, and sets him a-going for ever. And whither can ye flee in (he day of visita- tion, when nothing but grim horror and despair do stare you in the face ? When the body is on*the brink of the grave, and the soul is on the brink of hell, how will you have confidence to cry to an uncovenanted God, to whom you have been strangers all your days ? Must it not be terrible for an uncovenanted soul to think, " I am going to appear before that God I do not know, have no interest in, nor acquaintance with ? Can I look for friendship from him now, since I never sought after it before ?" But, on the contrary, how pleasant then will it be for a covenanted soul to look death in the face, who can say, " I know whom I have believed, and I know whither f am going; tlie place I know, the way I know, and the God of that land I know! Why should I be backward to go to my covenanted friend, with whom I have oft conversed, been long acquainted, and in whose presence I have placed my happiness?" 5. Consider liow lamentable your case will be for ever- more, if you slight the present opportunity; the treaty will not always last with yon ; nay, the day is n(»t far off, when it shall end, and God shall treat with yon no longer ; the door will be eternally shut, and God will become in- accessible, inexorable, and irreconcilable for evermore ; Christ, the blessed Mediator, will become thy implncahle Judge; and how will ye look him in the face, wiien on the throne, whom you so basely slighted at the Com- munion-table? Wiiat wilt thou do when thou findest thyself shut up under the flaming wrath, without hope? The remembrance of lost opportunities will be as oil to thy flames: " Time was when God treated, and would liave made a bargain with me, but I would not ;" this will be tiie burden of thy eternal lamentation. O how will you be able to bear the wrath of an uncovenanted God 1 160 " Who can dwell with devouring fire ?" A small shower of fire and brimstone lighting on our heads now, would be terrible; but O, it would be infinitely more so, when it shall be poured down in whole streams, and that not for a time, bus for ever and ever. Will not ten thousand years' suffering do tlie turn ? No, no ; it will be eternal. Well, if you be able to dwell with everlasting burnings, ye need not treat with God ; but O, it is fearful to fall into the hands of a living God ; one that lives, and will for ever live, to revenge liimself upon you ! Hard must your hearts be, if they be not moved by these tlireatenings ; but harder still must they be, if they be not melted bjT God's condescending entreaties. Hear him; Isa. Iv. 1 — 3, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come, &c. Incline your ear, and come unto me ; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with yon." Is God so willing to make a covenant with his creature, a slave, a worm ? and are you not willing to cast down the weapons of rebellion, and enter into a league with him ? Is it not a bargain most suitable for you, and all your circumstances and necessities ? Is it not most glorious and honourable for you to be betrothed to so great a prince? Hos. ii. 19. Is it not rich and advanta- geous for you to be infeft in so great an inheritance, and to have a sealed right to such blessed privileges as a free pardon, gracious access, fatherly love, covenant-presence, covenant-support, covenant-provision, covenant-protec- tion, and covenant-comforts? Objec. Alas! I have made a personal covenant before, but have broke it. Ans. \st. You have cause to be humbled for it before God ; and, if you be not, it is a bad sign indeed. ^dly. All sensible and mourning backsliders are invited to return to him, and renew their covenant; Jer. iii. Endeavour to make the bargain surer than you did before. Objec. I am afraid of breaking it over again ; and is it not better not to engage ? Ans. \st. It is good to be jealous of yourselves, and feared for breaking; for the more you distrust your own strength, the stronger you are. 2dli/. If you covenant honestly, you will get covenant- grace and strength, wliich shall be sufficient for you ; you will get the dominion of sin broke, and power to wrestle 161 against it ; and, above all, you will get Christ engaged for you as your Surety ; and, to be sure, though you be weak, he is able enough. DIRECTION XII. Labour for a thorough cleansing of both heart and life from sin, and turn unto the Lord, in the ways of new obedience^ before you come to the Lord's Table. All that would attend a holy God, and expect commu- nion with him in this holy ordinance, must see to have pure hearts and clean liands ; Psalm xxiv. 3, 4; James iv. 8. What was David's pious resolution, Psalm xxvi. 6, ought to be yours on this occasion, " I will wash my hands in innocc^ncy, and so will I compass thine altar, O Lord." He alludes to the ceremony of the priests wash- ing at the brazen laver, before they ministered at the altar ; to let us see, that though this ceremony belonged only to the priests, yet tiie morality belongs to all ; and that there is a washing which concerns all before they meddle with holy services, and especially such as the sacrament of the Lord's supper. There is a double washing required of all communicants: — 1. A washing of yourselves in Christ's blood, by the actings of faith. 2. A washing of yourselves, by the exercise of true re- pentance and reformation, which is in an effect of tlie former. By the one, the guilt of sin is taken away ; and by the other, the fiUii of sin is r»Miioved. Now, this cleansing must be both external and inter- nal ; more than the outside of the cup and the platter must be washed, for God looks principally to the heart. Observe these parts of the sacrifice, that in a special manner behoved to be washed under the law ; Lev. i. 9, " But the inwards and his legs shall he wash in water." Now, wiiy should the inwards and legs of the sacrifice be washed above all the rest ? Because tiie entrails con- tained the excrements of the beast, and the legs and feet did tread in the mire and puddle, and so these parts were more defiled than any part of the body. And all this to teach us, that, when we draw near to God in S(demn worsiiip, we should wash there where most filth is likely to be contracted. I. Our inwards, our hearts and consciences, nmst be 162 washed. O wliat filtli and excrements, even a dunghill of filthy lusts, lie there! Jer. iv. 14, " O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness; how long shall vain thougfhts lodg-e within thee?" O communicants! you must look well to the inwards at this time, and see to get all in- ward and secret lusts washed out by repentance, and strong resolutions in Christ's strength against them. II. Our legs and feet must be washed also. The steps of our daily conversation are defiled by walking and treading in foul ways ; O how much pollution do even believers gather by the steps of their daily walk ! And hence it is, that he who has already washed, needs daily, and upon every new occasion, to have his feet washed ; John xii. 10. We should, then, be in earnest, before we come to the Lord's table, to have all the defilement of our outward actions washed away by true repentance and reformation of life. Alas ! that we should come to this holy table with such inwards, and with such feet, as many times we have ; " Lord, purge us with hyssop, and we shall be clean ; wash us, and we shall be whiter than the snow." Our own washing will not do it, if Christ put not to his hand ; yet we must be sincerely using the means, and waiting for the help of his Spirit. If you would be suitably prepared for this solemn or- dinance, and have a gracious meeting with Christ at his table, you must not only search out your sins, be deeply humbled for them, make confession of them before the Lord, and by faith lay hold on Christ for pardon, as be- fore directed ; but you must also be washed and cleansed from sin, forsake sin in your life, and cast it out of your heart ; for if you come to Christ's table with any of his enemies and traitors lodged in your bosoms, with any of your old lusts unmortified, and sins not put away, he will look upon you as his murderers, and smite you with his judgments; yea, you may expect that the wrath of God will come upon you whilst the bread is in your mouths, as it did upon Israel for the same reason ; Psalm Ixxviii. •30, 31, " They were not estranged from their lusts ; but 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 Isra<4." Perhaps, O sin- ner ! thou mayst not feel this wrath at the time, but it may be inflicted insensibly on thy soul ; and every sacra- ment thou receivest in this condition, thou dost heap and 163 treasure up wrath against the day of wrath : every time tliou bringest a new fagot to the heap, which will make a terrible fire at last, when it is thoroughly kindled against thy soul. O ! then, you who design to approach to the Lord's table, be persuaded to put a bill (»f divorce into the hands of all your lusts and idols ; cast away all your former transgressions, and begin a new life ; resolutely turn your backs on sin, Satan, and hell, and come, take on with a new Master ; and engage, in God's strength, to be good servants and faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ for the time to come. If you do this, God promiseth you mercy and pardon, and that your former sins shall not be so much as mentioned to you ; Isa. Iv. 7 ; Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. But if you do it not, severe wrath is- threatened ; Psalm Ixviii. 21. The sacrament doth work and produce effects accord- ing to the state and disposition of the receivers there- of; as the " water of jealousy" did to the woman under suspicion of uncleanness ; Numb, v. 27, 28. If the wo- man was clean, then the water did her no hurt; nay, it did her good, made her conceive, and become fruitful ; but if she was defiled and unclean, it did her great mischief; " her belly did swell, her thigh did rot, and she became a curse." It is so in receiving the sacrament; if a man be in a gracious state, and made clean by faith, repent- ance, and reformation, then tlie sacrament brings a bles- sing, it makes a man spiritually healthful and fruitful ; but, if he be defiled and impenitent, it doth poison and rot his soul, and he proves a more rotten and wretched sinner than before. O ! then, let none venture to har- bour sin, and deal falsely with God, when he comes to drink this water of jealousy. The Pharisees quarrelled with Christ ; Matt. xv. 2, " Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread." But on better grounds may we quarrel many communicants. Why do ye transgress the command- ment of the Lord ? for ye wash neither hands nor heart when ye eat bread at the Lord's table ; nay, ye presume to dip your filthy hands into the dish with a holy Jesus. Do you think he will bear with such an affront from vile worms, when it is more easy for him to crush you, tlian for you to trample a worm under your feet? Remember, 164 he is a " God of purer ej'es than that he can behold iniquity." Would ye have God to draw near to you in this holy ordinance, then cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts: " Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before his eyes'; cease to do evil, and learn to do well." And if ye would be accepted by God, your turning from sin must have these properties: 1. It must be a cordial turning with all the heart and soul. You must not forsake sin with reluctancy, and by constraint — as Phaltiel left Michael — but willingly and readily. 2. You must turn from your sins presently, and without delay. Do not adventure to lie down and sleep with tliem another night, lest yonr waking next day be in hell, or under a sentence of final hardness and impeni- tency ; you are not sure the day of grace will last, or the door of mercy stand open till to-morrow. 3. You must turn from sin finally and everlastingly; your qnarrel with sin must be irreconcilable ; for, if imw ye declare war against your sins as the traitors and mur- derers of your Lord and Master, ye must draw the sword against them, and throw away the scabbard, and vow ne- ver to be satisfied till you revenge Clirist's death upon them, and get them utterly destroyed. O never enter- tain a favourable thought of, nor give a kindly look to, the bloody knife that killed your dearest friend. Be not like many, who only part with their sins about the time of a communion, or when conscience is awakened ; but when that is over, they return with the dog to the vomit. Many say to their sins as Abraham to his servants, "Stay at the foot of the mount till I go up and worship, and 1 will return to you again." You ought to say so indeed to your necessary worldly affairs at this time ; but, for your sins, yon should pass an act of eternal banishment upon them, and say with Epliraim, " What have I to do any more with idols?" 4. You must turn from sin universally. You must not, like Herod, part with many, and reserve some, but readily give up with all; with inward heart sins, as well as outward and gross sins ; with sins of omission as well as of commission ; with secret sins, as well as open sins. And particularly, turn from your predominant sins, what- ever they be ; and from those sins that are common in the age and place wherein you live ; reserve no sin, nor 165 darling lust, but hew thy beloved Agag in pieces before the Lord : leave no grip of thy heart to the devil, lest he pnll thee to hell by it. Turn from all tongiie-sins, rotten discourse, and cor- rupt communication. You would reckon it a sad disease to have your excrements come out at your mouth ; and yet, alas! this is the disease of many. O swearer! turn from your swearing; what mean you to study the language of hell, utdess you would have the world be- lieve that you design to travel thither ? For those who are to go to a strange country to live, desire to learn something of the language of the country ere they go. What profit or pleasure have yon in this sin? Why will you dare heaven and defy God's law without any temptation ? what would you say, if men should baffle or abuse your name or your father's name, as you do the Lord's name. Objec. O! say some, it is only the devil's name that we baffle. Ans. There is nothing pleases the devil more than to have his name so frequently used ; for thus you make him a god, whom you worship and pray to, by bidding the devil take this or that. Objec. I do not ban or swear, but when I am in pas- sion, and provoked to it. Ans. \st. This is an aggravation of your sin, first to be in passion, and then to swear. Do you think that one sin will excuse another ? 2. It is just to flee in the face of your Creator, because you are affronted by your fel- low-creature. Will you stab your father, because your enemy strikes you? If a man wrong you, will you put forth your anger on God who never wronged you ? Objec. I swear but little oaths, by faith, conscience, &c. Ans. \st. The devil would have you think these but little sins now ; but, stay till a death-bed or a judgment-seat, and you will find iiim alter his note. 2. Do you think it a light matter to make a common baffle of faith, the pre- cious instrument of our justification; or of conscience, that is the deputy of the great God ; or of your precious soul, that cost the blood of Christ to redeem it? 3. These are but creatures, and to swear by them is plain idolatry; for it is a giving worship, and ascribing divine attributes to the creature. O cursers and swearers! be persuaded to forsake these 166 sins and turn to God in Christ for mercy. What will God say to you in the great day, if you do not? You wished for damnation in your ordinary discourse ; you are now holden at your word, and damned you shall be; you swore in your ordinary discourse, therefore God will swear in his wrath, " you shall not enter into his rest ;" you could not speak without cursing, therefore you shall be banished out of God's presence witii a curse ; those tongues that were so liberal of oaths and blasphemies shall fry in endless and easeless flames, without one drop of water to cool them. Again, O liar ! forsake your lying and come to Christ. Though this sin be common, yet consider it is most abo- minable in the sight of God ; the devil is the patron of this sin, and the father of liars; it was with a lie he ruined all mankind : " Ye shall be as gods," said he to our first parents. There is never a lie thou makest, but the devil is at thine ear, and whispers it to thee. Remember what God did to Ananias and Sapphira for lying, Acts v., he struck them dead with a lie in their mouth ; and it will be a wonder of his patience, if he do not so to thee. Do you know, O liar ! whose children you are ? Not God's children, for they are children that will not lie; and there- fore you must be Satan's children, " for he is a liar from the beginning, and the father of liars." Knowest thou, liar! whither thou art going? Even to thy father : should not children be with their father? You cannot look upward, and say, "Our Father which art in heaven;" but thou mayest look downward, and say. Our father which art in hell ; and tliere it is — if you repent it not — that thy tongue shall be tormented in flames for ever. Tremble at this, O liar! and be assured it is no lie that I tell you: " Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die ?" Moreover, O drunkard ! turn from your drunkenness, and come to Christ. While you live in this sin, you lie under many woes and curses ; Isa. v. 11, 12 ; xxviii. 2 ; 1 Cor. vi. lO. God's curses are not light, therefore make not light of them ; for if you do, O drunkard! remember what is abiding you hereafter, even a cup of red venge- ance, filled up with the dregs of God's wrath, which shall be poured down your throats for ever ; and yet you shall eternally cry out, I thirst ! 1 thirst ! and for all the drink you have had on earth, you cannot get tliere a drop of cold water to cool your tongue. 167 In the next place, O covetous man, cheater, and de- frauder! turn from your covetousness, your injustice, and unrighteous gain, and come to Christ. If you do not, you shall pay dear in another world for all your unjust gain ; God is the avenger of all such as you defraud ; 1 Thess. iv. 5. You think yourself very cunning when you can cheat your neighbour of a little money ; but, know you not that the devil in the meantime is niore cunning in cheating you of your precious soul, which is infinitely more valuable ? O, Sabbath breaker, secure and prayerless sinner ! turn from your sins unto God and holiness ; flee to Christ for shelter from them, and the wrath due to them; righteousness and redemption are only to be found in him. Would you not count him mad, who, being con- demned to a cruel death, for base crimes, and might escape it, if he would accept of a pardon ready provided for him, and leave off such vile facts for the future, would yet obstinately refuse to do it ? And are you not yet madder, that slight your Saviour, and hug your lusts, when your danger is a thousand times greater ? What madness is it to dishonour God and damn your soul, to gratify the devil, or please a vile carcass that shortly will be so loathsome, that men cannpt endure it above ground. O, sinners ! I beseech you, in the name of the great and glorious Jehovah, and in the name of our glorious Redeemer, be reconciled to God, accept of a pardon through Christ's blood, and engage to quit those sins that would destroy you. Will you please God, and show kindness to your poor soul by doing it? However much you have abused God's patience, trampled his love, slighted his calls, despised his threatenings, and under- valued his promises, yet he is still standing and beseech- ing you to be reconciled to him. O ! will not all tliis goodness melt your heart, and cause you, with Ephraim, Jer. xxxi. 18, " bemoan yourself," and cry, " Turn thou me, O Lord, and I shall be turned ?" Witiiout this turning, see that you venture not to this sacred ordi- nance ; let none with the running ulcers of sin upon them offer to sit down at his holy table, for God's pure eyes cannot look upon them. And, if you would turn aright, see that ye turn believingly to God in Christ ; for there is no access to the King of heaven without 168 bringing the Prince of Peace, the King's Son, in your arms ; no atonement without Christ, no acceptance but in the Beloved. Lastly. If you would turn to God aright, you must not only turn from sin, but also turn to the ways of holi- ness and new obedience. It is not enough to " cease to do evil," but you must also " learn to do well." Some do part with their sins of commission, but continue still in sins of omission ; they leave their gross outbreaking, but still neglect commanded duties. But not only the tree that bears evil fruit is adjudged to the fire, but also the tree that bears no fruit; so that the neglect of duty will damn us as surely as the commission of sin. Com- municants that God would smile upon, are such as not only forsake all known sin, but do sincerely endeavour, through grace, to yield obedience to the whole revealed will of God, and, in Christ's strength, do set about the performance of every commanded duty. But as for those communicants that do not study new obedience, and to make conscience of performing every known duty, God will say to such, as he saith to the wicked ; Psalm 1. 16, 17, " What hast thou to do, that thou shonldst take my covenant [or the sesil of my cove- nant] in thy mouth, seeing thou easiest my words behind tliee ?" They can expect no communion or fellowship with him at his table. But, on the other hand, he makes very gracious and comfortable promises to those that study obedience ; Jer. vii. 25, " Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people." As the prophet Isaiah speaks to the Jews of the good things of the land of Cainaan, so may we say to you concerning the good things of the sacrament; Isa. i. 19, " If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." As the land of Canaan produced very precious fruits, so doth the Lord's supper ; and these far more excellent than those. It is here that the marrow and fatness of God's house is distributed to his children. Well, if ye be will- ing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good things of the sacrament. But see that your obedience spring from right prin- ciples, from love and gratitude to God, from a true Iiatred to sin, and a higii esteem of holiness. It was an excellent saying of one, " Were there neither heaven 169 nor hell, yet sin should be my hell, and holiness mv heaven." The spiritually-enlightened soul doth see an unspeakable deformity in sin, which causeth him to ab- hor it ; and he sees such a charming beauty in holiness, that he cannot but love and desire it. DIRECTION XIII. 3Ieditate much upon the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, before you approach to his Table. AYouLD you have your hearts put in a suitable com- munion-frame, then read and tliink much of the suffer- ings ^f Christ, and, in a special manner, take a close view of them on the Saturday's night before the com- munion. Think on them till your hearts melt and af- fections warm; yea, resolve you will not give over till then, and beg God's blessing on your meditations for this end. Think and wonder at the greatness of the humiliation of the Son of God. Admire the low stoop and con- descension of the Son of God, and the King of Glory, that he should be content, for us, to become a creature, and such a mean creature as man ; that he who was equal with God, should become less than God ; John xiv. 28 ; yea, less than angels ; Heb. ii. 7 ; yea, to be depressed below tiie ordinary condition of man ; Psalm xxii. 6, " I am a worm," &c. Think how he denuded himself of all his riches and glory ; that though he was the heir of all things, yet, for our sakes, he became so poor, that he had not a cradle of his own to lie in when born, a house to lay his head in while he lived, nor a grave to be buried in when he died. He left his throne of state, to lodge in the virgin's womb ; he is born, not in his mother's house, but in a common inn, and the basest place of the inn, a stable, the inn being probably taken up by persons of richer quality; he is cradled in a manger, having no better place allowed him on earth, though the highest heavens were too mean for him. Think how he was carried to a wilderness, to fast and watch, and live forty days among the wild beasts, haunted and tempted by the devil, and sadly buffetted by his own slave ; and all this for us. View him going about on foot, hungry, thirsty, and 170 weary, yet always doing good ; and the more good he did to souls and bodies, the more was he hunted and per- secuted, reproached, and blasphemed ; and all for our sakes. View him entering into the gates of Gethsemane, be- ginning to fear, turn heavy, and cry out, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." What made him heavy, bnt the dead weight of our sins, and the curses of the law annexed to them ? Behold him complaining to his poor disciples, that could make no help to him : nei- ther they nor the angels in heaven durst touch his load, nor taste his cup ; he could have helped them, but they could not help him. Yea, he got not so much as sympathy from them ; they fell asleep when he was at the \yorst, and left him to tread out the wine-press alone ; and all for our sakes. View him in his fearful agony and bloody sweat, fall- ing sometimes on his knees, and sometimes on his face, praying once, praying again, and praying the third time, " that the cup might pass from him," till he is over- whelmed and covered with his own blood. Behold the great drops of blood bursting through and standing above his garments, and falling and lying upon the ground round about him, being at this time pressed betwixt the mill- stone of God's justice and our sins. Behold him sweat- ing without heat, and bleeding without a wound : the fire and the wounds were invvard, even in the soul. How freely did the fountain of his precious blood open and run to wash us ! Every vein and pore pours out a stream, not waiting for the tormentors ; and all for our sakes. Behold him betrayed, and sold for thirty pieces of silver, taken and bound with cords like a thief; yea, bound fast, as Judas bade ; and so fast, as some say, that the blood did burst out of his tender hands. Can your hearts or eyes hold, to see those hands that made heaven and earth, wrung together and bruised with hard " cords; to see iiira bound that came to set the prisoners free, and loose us who were Satan's bond slaves ? Blessed Jesus ! had not the cords of thine own love tied thee faster than the cords of thine enemies, though they had been the strongest cables or iron chains, they could not have held thee ; but thou wast a willing prisoner for our sakes. Behold him struck upon the face, spit upon, buffetted. 171 blindfolded, mocked, and cruelly affronted by rude sol- diers, a whole night ; though he could have breathed them into hell, yet meekly holds his peace ; and patiently suffers all for our sakes. Behold his lovely countenance all disfigured by their plucking the hair from his cheeks with pincers ; Isa. 1. 6. The sweetest face that ever the sun saw was all besmeared with blood and spitting: yet he hid not his face from sliame. Behold him led up and down from place to place, with a ridiculous garb put upon him, and yet never resists ; he is abused and disgraced ; a Barabbas, a murderer, the vilest malefactor in all Jerusalem, is preferred before him ; and yet he complains not. View him as he was used by his own family, his chosen disciples ; one of them betrays him, another of them denies him, and all the rest forsake him, and leave him alone among his bloody ene- mies' hands. Behold him that clothes the lilies of the field, stripped naked; behold him scourged, back and side; yea, scourged above measure, — Pilate thinking thereby to save his life, — till all the pavement of Pilate's judgment-hall about him is bedewed with his precious blood ; yet he willingly gave his back to the smiters, that we might be freed from the everlasting lashes of God's wrath in hell. Behold iiim with a plaited crown of thorns upon his head, with the sharp points turned inward, and driven into his head, till they pierced his head and skull in an hundred places ; and so he is content to be as the ram caught in the thicket, to be sacrificed in your room. Be- hold a new shower of blood running down his neck and whole body : Oh! it was my sins that plaited the thorns, and they were the reeds that drave them in. Behold him, after all these sufferings, put to bear his heavy cross, upon his sore and bleeding shoulders. With what patience and humility did he bear his cursed tree, that was weighed down with our sins, and the law's curses fastened to it ! Yea, he hears without complaint, till his strength is spent, he is breathless and ready to faint under the burden, till another must help. It was not the cross that made him faint ; he had a greater bur- den to bear than ten thousand worlds, even the infinite vvrKth of God due to our sins. Behold him stretched forth naked, and laid upon tlie 172 frround, that they may take the measure of his body, and flie holes for the nails ; yea, tliey make them longer than they need, that they might both crucify him and rack him at once. Behold the four large nails driven in through the most sinewy and sensitive parts of his body, and the cross lift up, with the Lord of glory nailed to it ; and when it fell into the hole digged for the foot of it, how did the fall rend and tear his whole body! His own weight was his torture ; and the longer lie lived, his wounds grew the wider. His hands and feet are fixed, he cannot turn any way for ease ; the blooil streamed down for several hours, till he expired amidst these tortures. Behold him hanging on a cross betwixt heaven and earth, as if he had been unworthy of a place in either of them ; betwixt two thieves ; as if he had been the great- est malefactor of the three. His sufferings were uni- versal, and did extend over all the parts and powers of his soul and body ; no part free but his tongue, which was at liberty to pray for his enemies. He suffered in all his senses ; his sight was tormented with the scornful gestures of those that passed by, wagging their heads ; his hearing, with taunts and mocks ; his smell, with the noisome savour of dead mens' skulls ; his taste, with gall and vinegar ; his feeling, with the nails and thorns that pierced his head, hands, and feet. Behold him on a cross, suffering till his strength is dried up like a potsherd; his tongue cleaves to his jaws till he cries out, I thirst. And no wonder he thirsted ; for, besides all the loss of his blood, he was scorched with the fire of God's wrath: yea, "the arrows of the Al- mighty were within him, the poison whereof did drink up his iipirit." Behold him at the worst, crying out for relief, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But yet no relief appears, there is none to answer : yea, his own sun, his own heaven, his own Father, his own Godhead, hid their faces and consolation from him. He is left alone, in midst of devils and enemies insulting over him : he falls a sacrifice to incensed justice for our heinous guilt and provocations. Behold the Sun of righteousness under a fearful eclipse. For a candle to be put out is no great matter, but for the sun to be darkened is marvellous and strange. 173 In the next place, take a view of Iiis willingness to suffer all tliese things for us. He quickens Judas to do his work, and he goes out to meet his persecutors, and boldly tells them, that he was the man they sought ; he will not suffer Peter or (he angels to do any thing for his rescue, because of his desire to drink the cup which the Father hath given him; John xviii. 11. And, God knows, a full and bitter cup it was, being all mingled with guilt, wrath, and curses, heaped up and running over; a cup which, if men or angels had tasted, they iiad all stag- gered and fallen back headlong into hell ; yet how cheer- fully did he drink it for us! He was not, like the legal sacrifices, dragged to the altar; no, he went willingly to it, and tied himself with the cords of love to the horns of it. O what affections should the consideration of these things stir up in the souls of communicants ! Are you going up to mount Calvary, to see Christ crucified? and will not ye think on his sufferings, and be affected with them, ere ye go ? You may here, as in a looking-glass, behold what you deserved at the hands of a just God, if Christ had not interposed for you. You may see the wondrous love of Christ that passeth knowledge, which ought to kindle a flame of love in your hearts. You may see the cursed nature and demerit of sin, that exposed Christ to so much sorrow and suffering. Can you look on liim you have pierced, and not mourn bitterly for sin that did it, and hate it as the most ugly thing in the world ? Wonld not your hearts rise against the man ; yea, against tiie knife, that killed your father, brother, husband, or friend ? and will not your hearts rise against sin, that has killed him that is instead of all relations, and should be far dearer to us than a thousand fathers or brothers? Can we look on Christ's sufferings, and not make s(demn vows against sin, and part with lying, swearing. Sabbath-breaking, &c., that crucified him? When the king of Aloab was pressed hard by Israel, he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him up for a burnt-sacri- fice upon the wall ; 2 Kings iii. 27 ; whereupon they raised the siege, and went liome. Well, tlie great God hath taken his only Son, and sacrificed him to justice, that we might thereby be persuaded to leave off fighting against heaven. O ! let this strange act, which is both an act of justice I 174 and of goodness, so overawe your hearts with fear, and overcome them with h)ve, tiiat you may leave off to offend God any more. DIRECTION XIV. Be frequent and fervent in Prayer before you approach the Lord's Table. They that forget God in their closets and families, are not fit to come and rememher him at his tahle ; therefore let no prayerless soul venture tliither. You ought to double your prayers and mes«ages to heaven that week, and especially that night, before you approach to this or- dinaiicp ; if ever you prayed and wrestled with God, now should be the time of it. As the heathen shipmaster said to Jonah, so say I to thee, O communicant! Jonah i. 6, " Arise, O sleeper ! and call upon thy God, if so be that God will thiuk upon thee, that thou perish not." O sleep not now, when you are in hazard of eating and drinking eternal damnation ; hut be praying when others are sleep- ing. This course will surely redound to thy advantage, and be the means of procuring special blessings to thy soul. When was it that God gave commission to open Paul's eyes, and fill him with the Holy Ghost, but then, when he was earnest in prayer to God ? Acts ix. 11 — 17, " Behold he prayeth. — The Lord hath sent me," said Ananias, «' that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." So, if you were in earnest before the sacrament, God would notice you, as he did Paul, and give charge to his ordinance to be the means of enlightening thy soul, and filling thee with the Holy Ghost. It was at the sacrament of baptism, that Christ's prayers opened heaven, and brought down the Holy Ghost upon him ; so, at the sacrament of the Lord's sup- per, the fervent prayers of a believing communicant will open heaven, and bring down the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit upon him. Your work at this time is very great, and much need have you to look to God in Christ, and plead with him for his special assistance; you have very great encouragement to do it; for God never calls any t(» do his work, hut he helps them in it. It is said, 1 Chron. xv, 26, that " God helped the Levites that bare the ark." One would think that the work of bearing 175 the ark needed no more help from God tlian the general concourse of his providence ; and yet God helped them with special assistance, and helped tlie Levites to bear the ark, because it was ids work: will lie not help us to receive the sacrament, which he hath instituted for dis- playing his glory, if we sincerely seek his help? You have many errands at this time to the throne of grace, for you have many things to pray for. 1. You ought in general to pray for preparation for this solemn feast; for the " preparation of the heart in man is from the Lord," Prov. xvi. 1. Lay out the case of your heart and soul before the Lord, and say, Lord, thou callest me to a very solemn ordinance, and who is suflBcient for these things ? I have neither a meet sacri- fice to offer, nor a meet temple to receive thee in. I know not how to pray, or to prepare myself; how to receive Christ, or beliave myself at his table. Behold the Bride- groom cometh, but I am not ready; I want the wedding- garment; Oh ! what shall I do for clothing t-o my naked soul? "My beloved hath spoke, saying, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." I have heard his voice; but. Oh! I am not stirring for it; my heart still saith. Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber. Lord, awa- ken my heart, stir up my graces, and prepare me for a meet- ing with my Saviour. Lord, thou art the giver of grace as well as of glory, thou must give the frair.e as well as the feast; for without thee we have nothing, we can do no- thing. Thou prepares! a table for me in this wilderness ; but, shall the time of receiving come, before thou comest into my soul to stir up thy graces in me? What com- merce can a dead heart have with a living God? Lord, thou knowest my sins, and the unpreparedness of my heart; and if thou wilt mark iniquity, O Lord, who shall stand ? JMy very preparations and best performances carry in them matter of indictment against my soul. But, Lord, though my sins be many and great, yet doth not tlie blood of Christ cry louder for pardon than my sins do for punishment ? O that the cry of that blood may wholly drown the cry of my sins at this time, and answer for the defects of my preparation. O, let not my soul, wliose only hope is to be saved by Christ's blood, be sent away from his table with the guilt, instead of the comfort, of tliis blood upon me." 2. And, more particularly, you ought to pray for savinr; i2 176 knowledge : — say, Lord, I am naturally alienated and estranged from thee, tlirono:!) the ignorance that is in me: O give me understanding, that I may know thee and the mystery of saving grace ! Hast thou not said, that the covenant thou wilt make with thy people is this, " They shall all know thee, from the least even to the greatest." O give me right uptakitigs of thy covenant, which is well ordered in all things, and sure ! Give grace to know the nature, necessity, use, and ends of this ordinance, which is the compend and seal of it, that so I may receive it with understanding, and rightly discern the Lord's hody. 3. Pray for holy reverence and humility of spirit: Lord, affect my heart with awful reverence of the great- ness and holiness of thy majesty, to whom I am to make so near an approach, and with whom I am to renew co- venant. Oh ! how durst I, who am sinful dust and ashes, presume to come so near thee, unless thou hadst in- vited and commanded me? O for deep self-abasement and humility of soul, when I go to receive the unspeak- able gift of God ! O what a wonderful gift is Jesus Christ to such an unworthy and ill-deserving creature as I am ! Lord, give me grace whereby I may " serve thee acceptably, with reverence and godly fear." 4. Pray for godly sorrow and contrition for sin : Lord take away my " heart of stone, and give me an heart of flesh," that 1 may loathe myself in my own sight for all my iniquities and abominations. May I abhor them as the scourge, thorns, nails, and spear, that afflicted my Lord and Saviour; and may I be weary and heavy laden with the burden of my sins, so that Christ may give me rest. Lord, help me so to accuse myself, that thou mayest absolve me : and so to exercise a holy re- venge upon myself, that tliou mayest spare me. The days of mourning for my Redeemer's death are at hand : O that then I may slay my most beloved lusts, and be revenged on them for it, and for their endeavours to rob me of my spiritual birthright, my eternal blessedness ! O that I may come to thy holy table, and receive a bleeding Saviour with a broken heart ! 5. Pray for faith, both for the being and the increase of faiti) : Lord, faith is thy own gift, as well as Christ : " I believe. Lord, help lliou mine unbelief." O for faith's eye to look upon Clirist, faith's wings to flee to 177 Christ, faith's arms to embrace Christ, faith's mouth to feed on Christ, faitli's hand to apply Clirist! When I see the bread and wine on the table, O let nie see a bleed- ing, crucified Jesus. Let me not only eat the bread of the Lord, but the bread which is the Lord. May this ordinance be a lively resemblance, remembrance, and application of Christ's sufferings to me ; and may I be helped so to put my finger into tiie print of the nails, and my hand into his side, that I may be persuaded of his suffering and dying for me ; and tliat I may not be " faithless, but believing," and may say with Thomas " My Lord, and my God ;" and with Paul, " He loved me, and gave himself for me ;" and with the spouse, " My beloved is mine, and I am his." O that I may so touch him, that I may feel strength, peace, and virtue come from him, and be healed of all my plagues and un- cleannesses ! Let me so feed by faith on his blessed body, and bathe my soul in his precious blood, that I may be filled with peace and joy in believing: yea, "my soul may magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour." 6. Pray for love to God and Christ : Lord, circum- cise my heart to love the Lord with all my soul, with all my strength. Lord, shed abroad thy love into my cold and frozen heart, and inflame it with fervent affection and desires towards tliee, that I may be a disciple whom •Jesns loveth, and that leans on his breast. O that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith, and that, being rooted and grounded in love, I may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, the depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge ! O that the remembrance of Christ's love may transport me with love, captivate my will, and engage all my affections to him. Lord, though I cannot say, I am sick of love to thee, yet I desire to be sick that 1 can- not love thee more. O for grace, that I may be numbered among them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ! 7. Pray for love to all the people of God : Lord, make all those lovely in mine eyes to whom Christ is precious ; that I may know I am passed from death to life, because I love the brethren. O for a warm love to all those who are Christ's friends, on whom he has set his heart, and to whom he has given his Spirit, that so my heavenly Father may look down upon his children, 178 feasting' toja^ether with mutual love and delight, in remem- bi'.ince of that great love wliich he hath already shown to us, and with joyful expectations of those great things lie hath further promised us. And, Lord, seeing thou liast so loved me, let me be perfectly reconciled to every man, that I may love my very enemies, and do good to them that hate me. May every spark of anger, malice, and envy, he utterly extinguished in me. 8. Pray for new obedience : Lord, since thou givest this heavenly feast only to thy disciples, O make me one of them, and let me obtain this mark of a disciple, obedi- ence to my Master. Lord, I cannot eat the passover, and stay in Egypt still in the service of Satan, and in bondage to my lusts : O bring my soul out of prison, and let me eat tlie passover, with my loins girt, and ready to march towards tiie promised land. O help me to wash my hands in innocence, that so I may encompass thy altar. O make me willing- and obedient, that I may eat the good of this ordinance. And may the love of Christ constrain me to a course of sincere, universal obedience, that I may run in the ways of thy commandments. See- ing Christ offers himself to me by way of surety, Lord, help me to give up myself to him by way of surrender, to receive Iiiu) as a Saviour, and submit to him as a Prince. And, on that solemn feast of dedication, let me come and dedicate myself to thee, set myself apart for thee, that all my days 1 may live to thy praise. 9. Pray for heart-purity, fixedness, and spirituality, that you may be fit to entertain converse with a holy God : Lord, help me to lay aside and leave behind me all vain, earthly, and unseasonable thoughts and imagina- tions, that I may attend upon thee without distraction. O let no worldly or wandering thoughts come in, to stir up or disturb the beloved of my soul ; let them not come near to displease him, nor call me away from entertain- ing and enjoying of him. Lord, bid them begone. Alas!, my heart is naturally in great disorder, and wholly indis- posed for such solemn and spiritual work ; but, O thou who callest me to it, do thou dispose my heart for it ! 10. Pray for spiritual hunger and thirst: Lord, thou art ready to give bread to the hungry, and the water of life to him that is athirst; but both the appetite and food, the feeling of want, and the relief, are from thee. O for enlarged affection and desires after this ordinance, answer- 179 able to my need of it ! Lord, create and stir up in me earnest longings, and a spiritual appetite after this hea- venly food, that so wit!i dfsire I may desire to eat this passover. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so let me pant after thee, O God. Lord, enlarge my heart, and open my mouth wide, that thou mayst fill it. 11. Pray for spiritual thankfulness, and holy joy in partaking of this feast : O make me to relish this hea- venly food, and receive it with a thankful heart. Let me not sit sad and dejected, as if I liked not tlie provision, or thought myself not welcome ; but take me into the banqueting-house, and let " my soul be satisfied as with marrow and with fatness, that my mouth may praise thee with joyful lips." I am to feed on angel's food, O let me be employed in angel's work, praise. Let my soul re- joice in Jesus Christ as my portion, and triumph in his mighty acts, in his victories and purchase. 12. Pray for the assistance of God's Spirit in this work : Lord, cast me not away from thy presence, take not thy Holy Spirit from me ; for without thee I have nothing, I can do nothing. Lord, thou hast promised, and declared thyself more willing to give the Spirit to them that ask it, than parents to give their children. Our love to our children is but hatred, our compassion hard- ness, in comparison of thine to thy children ; O do not then deny me when my need is so great. " Thou never saidst to any of the seed of Jacob, Seek ye my face in vain." Lord, send thy Holy Spirit to breathe on my dry bones and decayed graces, and to be the harbinger to pro- vide entertainment for thy Son in my soul, that he may find it swept of all sin, and garnished with all sacramen- tal graces. O for the Spirit of God to adorn my naked soul, and put on me the wedding garment, viz., the glo- rious outer garment of the righteousness of thy Son, and the beautiful inner garment of the holiness of thy Spirit, and the fine linen of the saints ; that all my nakedness may be covered, and my great deformities hid from thine eyes. 13. Pray for the cure of all thy diseases at this heal- ing ordinance: Lord, my plagues are great, my wounds deep, and my distempers many ; but I have heard of the balsam of the new covenant, my Redeemer's blood, that heals all diseases : " Is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there not a physician there ?" Oh ! then, let not my 180 pains be perpetual, nor my wounds incurable. Lord, I come to tliee to get my dead sou! quickened, my strong corruptions subdued, my faint purposes strengtiiened, and my languishing graces revived. O let tlie author of spi- ritual life uphold and preserve life in my soul, inflame my coldness with the tire of thy love, soften my hardness with the dew of thy grace, enlighten my blindness with a beam of thy light, and anoint my blind eyes with thy eye-salve. Let tliy compassion pity my vileness, let thy mercy par- don my sinfulness, let thy wisdom enlighten my dark- ness, and let thy strength support my weakness. Oh ! will the Head let a member perish ? shall a branch wither for want of juice? Thou art the true vine; O communicate sap and influence to my languishing soul. Lord, art thou not as willing to bestow the fruit of thy blood on us, as to shed it it for ns ? Art thou not a ready Physician, willing to be employed by diseased souls ? Dost thou not bestow thy cures without money and without price? Lord, here is work for thee, a Job full of boils, a Lazarus over-run with sores, as poor a patient as ever came to the Physician's door : yet if I could but touch the border of thy garment, or get but one word from thee, I should be made whole. Oh ! say unto me, " Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt." 14. Pray for a willing and cheerful heart in perform- ing this and all other duties: Oh! did my Saviour so cheerfully undertake to suffer for me ; and shall I be slothful and careless in approaching to him? Did he go so willingly to the cross to die for me; and shall I be so backward to go to the communion table to remember his death? Lord, make me "run in the ways of thy com- mandments;" and let me pray, hear, and communicate with freedom and enlargement of heart. O draw my heart to thee, and let it be carried on with more un- weariedness and cheerfulness in thy service. Send forth the gales of thy Spirit, that may " make my soul like the chariots of Aminadab." 15. Pray for nearness and communion with God in his ordinances, and especially at the communion table : Lord, what will a communion feast avail me without com- munion with Christ in it? I go not there for bread and wine, but to see Jesus. What are the elements to me without Christ's presence? Nothing but this can satisfy me ; Lord, what wilt thou give me, if I go from thy table 181 Cliristless? Shall I go away empty from a treasure, hungry from a feast, dry from a fountain, cold from the sun, comfortless from the Comforter? Lord, stand not at a distance behind the wall: show thyself through the lattice of thy ordinance, and let me " see tiie goings of my God and my King in his sanctuary." Lord, do thou not only stand and knock, but do thou also open the door of my heart; vouchsafe to come in and abide with me, yea, sup with me, and let me sup with thee, that I may be abundantly satisfied with "the fatness of thy house, and drink of the rivers of thy pleasures ;" and when " the King sitteth at his table, let my spikenard send forth the smell thereof." Descend into my henrt by the influences of thy grace, and let me ascend to thee by tlie breathings of faith, love, and desire. Lord, make this feast a type and earnest (tf that eternal banquet above ; and let me enjoy thy ligljtsome, reviving company in the state of my pilgrimage. O let Christ appear, and be " known of me in the breaking of bread ; O let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine." Cry importunately to God at this time; say, " I will not let thee go till thou bless me ; — if thy presence go not with me, carry me not up hetice." VYiit thou not relieve an importunate beggar, and hear the cry of a needy sup- plicant ? Lord, open rivers in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Let Jordan at tliis time overflow all its banks, and let all tiie dry roots of thy people be watered. And O let me come from thy table with my pardon sealed, my corruptions subdued, my graces quick- ened, my faith strengthened, my resolutions coiifiinied, my heart enlarged, and my soul refreshed and encour- aged to run in tiie ways of thy comn)andments, and so inseparably united unto thee, that no temptation may be able to dissolve the union. O for the spirit of grace and supplication at such a time! For it is the praying and wrestling soul that will be the joyful and praising com- municant. I 5 182 DIRECTION XV. After you have done your utmost for preparing yourselves for the Lord's Table, see that ye lay no stress thereupon, but wholly distrust your oivn preparations. communicants! when you have made the greatest preparation possible, by self-examination, repentance, prayer, &c., say after all, " We are but unprofitable ser- vants." The greatest stress and difficulty of the christian life lieth in this, to be diligent in duty, and yet wholly denied to our duties. Learn, then, this great point in Christianity, to distrust all yonr preparations, and cast yourselves wholly on Cluist for assistance, as if you had done nothing at all, saying, It is only "in the Lord that 1 have righteousness and strength." You ought to do as king Asa did ; who, though he had raised a prodigious army of five hundred thousand, all mighty men of valour, to fight against the Etiiiopians, yet he cried to the Lord, and trusted in him for Iielp, as if he had been left alone, without one man to fight for him ; for, after all his great preparations, it is recorded of him, 2 Chron. xiv. 8 — II, " And Asa cried to the Lord his God, and said. Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power. Help us, O Lord our God ! for we rest on thee, and in thy name go out against this multitude." So let every communicant say. Lord, all my strength and preparations are nought ; I have no power for celebrating this feast ; help me O Lord my God! for I rest on thee, and in thy name I go to this great and weighty ordinance. Tlie soul is never so well prepared, as when it is most sensible of its own weakness, and relies on the Redeemer's strength : " When I am weak," says the apostle, " then am I str»»ng.". And hence it is said t»f the ancient worthies, H(^b. xi, " Out of weak- ness [i. e. felt and apprehended] they were made strong." The gaudy flower, that stands and grows on its own stalk, doth quickly wither and decay; when the plain ivy, that hangs and leans <.'n the house, is fresh and green all the year. We ought then to lie denied to ourselves, and write after David's ad done all for God and his temple that he could, he makes free grace his only plea with God ; Neh. xiii. 22, " I commanded the Levites to cleanse themselves, &c. Remember me, O my God, concerning tliisalso; and spare me, according to the greatness of thy mercy." Whatever good things he had done, yet he depends upon none of them, but pleads, " Spare me, according to ihe greatness of thy mercy." Hence also Paul wholly disclaimed his own righteousness, and that not only while he was a Pharisee, but even when he was a christian, and a renewed man : " I count all things but loss for Christ." O this is a noble attainment, but not easily come at. Mr. Fox used to say, " He was more afraid of his graces than his sins," because he found himself in such danger by them to be puffed up, and tempted to self-confidence. Let us, then, be denied to our own attainments in preparation for this solemn ordinance, if we would be accepted of God ; for that man comes to God most worthy, that comes most sensible of his own unworthiness. So much for the first head of directions how to prepare for a communion Sab- bath before it come. I proceed now to the second head, to give directions how to spend it when it doth come. 184 CHAPTER II. CONTAIXING DIRECTIONS FOR THE RIGHT SPENDING A COMMUNION SABBATH AVHEN IT IS COME. DIRECTION I. See that you rise earlier this morning than ordinary, see- ing you have an extraordinary work in hand. And, while you are rij.ing and putting on your clothes, let your minds be filled with suitable meditations and ejaculations. Think wliat a privilege it is that your eyes see such days of the Son of man, which many prophets and kings desired to see, and might not. O that I may be thankful, and may not abuse thy mercy ! This is a great day ; O that it may be a good day to my soul, even a day in God's courts, and in God's presence, that will be better and sweeter to me than a thousand ! Again, think this may be the last communion day that ever I may see on earth ; this may be the last time that I shall drink of the vine at a communion table ; it may be the last offer that I shall get of the water of life ; O that I may improve it well! Perhaps severals who saw the last communion where I am going, and also drank with me of the sacramental cup, have now a cup of the red wine of God's vengeance put into tiieir hands, and are eternally sinking or swimininf» in the brimless and bottom- less ocean of God's wrath : God keep me from unworthy comniuniciiting this day, lest that be my lot before the next sacrament. But, on the other hand, it may be there are some who sat with me at the last communion table, that are now sitting at the higher table, and are drinking it new witli Christ in his Father's kingdom. What a new song are they presently singing ! " Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father ; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." O that I may this day get a foretaste of that celestial feast and iieavenly joy, and such a seal of Christ's love, as may fill tnv soul with hope to be a communicant at that upper table, if God shall call me hence before the next communion table : Lord, let me have one good day in all my lifetime : show me a token for good before I die. 185 DIRECTION II. Retire presently, O communicant, for prayer and medi- tation, in order to excite and quicken grace in thy soul ; and, in a special manner, see to get faith enlivened and love inflamed. And, for this end, 1. Take a new view of Christ's sufferings, and his unparalleled love manifested therein : Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. If you would have a clear discovery of his love and sufferings at the table, be taking frequent views of him before-hand. Consider how free and undeserved Christ's love was. Behold the Son of God entreated by no man, but hated by all men : yet, in his love and pity, entreats for man, yea, suffers and dies for him, even then when he was a sinner and an enemy to him. Behold him suffering for sin, that never sinned ; yea, behold him made sin for thee, who had no sin ; that thou, who hadst no righteous- ness, might be made the righteousness of God in him. View his love with wonder, that made liim take on the heavy burden of your iniquities, and bear it till he sweat, bled, groaned, and cried, under the weight. Behold him struggling, praying, and falling to the ground, till he is all covered with his own blood ! fix the eye of faith upon him, till thine eye affect thy heart. Take a view of his tears and bh)ody sweat, his pierced hands and wounded feet, his scourged back and opened side, his streaming heart and yearning bowels to poor sinners ; this is he, O sinner ! that would rather die than thou shouldst die, who chose thy life before his own, and now pleads his blood before his Father. Behold and wonder at his love, that made him tread the wine press alone for us, and drink the cup of the red wine of tlie wrath of God ; a cup whereinto all our vile and deadly sins are grated, a cup that no angel durst taste: yea, the tasting of it made Christ's heart to melt like wax in the midst of his bowels. Psalm xxii. 14 ; which was a greater matter than if the whole world had melted to nothing ; yet he drank it oft', with the bitterest dregs of it, and left not so much as one drop of it for us. Behold him taking his most precious heart's blood, to quench hell's flames that were ready to break out on us! Was there ever love like this ? 186 This love is unsearchably great ; you may sooner find out the height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, or the depth of the sea, than measure Christ's love; for it passeth knowledge; Eph. iii. It is the unfathomable ocean, that hath neither bank nor bottom. O wiiither did his love carry him? Even from heaven to earth, from the throne to the manger, from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the grave ; yea, from the glory of heaven to the torments of hell; and all this for poor creatures, that were despicable as worms, defiled as lepers, deformed as mon- sters, black as Ethiopians, yea, as black and ugly as hell could make us. Worse are we than devils, if we be not affected with this love, that made the glorious Sou of God leave tlie heaven of his Father's presence, and wade through liell for the dregs of the creation. Did Christ see any tiling in us to make him love us? No, he saw much to loathe us, but nothing to love us ; yet the time when we were most loathsome was Clirist's time of love ; Ezek. xvi. We were lying polluted in our blood, and all spread over with running ulcers and putrefying seres, when Christ loved us. Our souls were as unlovely as Lazarus' body, whose sores the dogs licked ; or Job's body when he was full of boils, and sat in the ashes, and scraped himself with a potsherd ; yet all this could not cool his affection to us. The instances of Christ's love are inexpressible, both ill their nature and number. Wonder at his condescend- ency, in becoming not only a creature, but such a mean creature as man, for us ; yea, not only a man, but in tak- ing on him th.e fitrm of a servant, for us ; and being wil- ling not only to lie in a manger, but in a cold grave, for usi Wonder that the glorious Redeemer of Israel should be content to be born as a beggar, live as a servant, and die as a slave, for us! Wonder that he who is infinitely pure, should be willing, not only to be numbered among sinners, and to bear our sins, but also to be made sin. and likewise a curse for us I Was it not for you, and your advantage, he did all this? and will you not admire and love him ? He was content to endure the poverty of the world, that you miglit enjoy the riches of heaven ; he lived in the form of a servant, that you might have the adoption of sons ; he humbled himself to live with men, that he might exalt you to live with God ; he bowed his soul to death, that he might raise you to eternal life ; he 187 was shut up forty days with the devil, that you might not he shut up with him for ever; he was hungry that you might be fed ; he was numbered among transgressors, that you might have room among the blessed. O be- liever ! he wept that you might rejoice : sorrow oppres- sed his heart, that everlasting joy might be on your head; he was scourged and wounded, that you by his stripes might be healed of sin's wounds ; he was crowned with thorns, that you might be crowned with glory ; he was slandered and condemned before men, that you might be justified and acquitted before God ; he bore the curse, that you might inherit the blessing ; he drank the bitter and poisonous cup of God's wrath, that you might drink the pure river of life ; lie was deserted of God, that you might not be forsaken by him eternally; he bore the bur- den of sin and wratli, that you might be freed from that burden; he hung upon our cross, to advance us to sit up- on his throne ; he cried out in sorrow upon a cross, that we might shout joyfully in singing God's praise for ever; he thirsted on the cross, that we miglit not thirst eter- nally with Dives, for a drop of cold water to cool our tongue ; he struggled in a bloody agony, that we might not struggle among devils in hell's furnace for ever: O what shall we say of this love ! Lord Jesus, thy pity was infinite, thy love hath overflown all banks, and thy compassion knew no bounds : thou stoodst before the mouth of hell that I deserved, and stoppedst the flaming furnace of divine vengeance tiiat was breaking out against me: when I was, like Isaac, b(tund to the altar, ready to be sacrificed to justice, thou offeredst thyself, like the "ram caught in the tiiicket," to be sacrificed in my room: when my sins had raised a terrible tempest, which threat- ened to drown me eternally, thou wast content to be thrown overboard, like Jonah, to appease the storm : when the sword of justice was furnished, and ready to be sheathed into my bowels, thou iiiterposedst betwixt me and it, and receivedst the blow into thy heart: when I was shipwrecked and perishing, thou cast thyself in as a plank of mercy to save my life. Can I thiidi on this, and my heart not burn ? Can I speak of it, and not seek, with .Joseph, a secret place to weep in ? View the surpassing nature of Christ's love. No love like to it ; yea, Christ's love to us transcends his love to all other things ; he loved us more than angels, for he 188 would not put on their nature ; lie loved us more than heaven, for he left that to come and save us ; he loved us more than riches and honour, for lie chose poverty, and became of no reputation, to redeem us; he loved us more than the comforts life, for he parted with these, and be- came a man of sorrows f«tr our sake ; he loved us more than his blood, for he willingly parted with that for us ; he loved us more than his soul and body, for he gave both these to be an offering for our sins; he was more concerned for us than for himself; he rejoiced more in our welfare tiian in his own ; he wept and prayed more for us than for himself; and in the time of his greatest strait, wlien heaven, earth, and hell were all at once rush- ing upon him, we have his prayer, John xvii., yet it is all spent for us, except one verse or two for himself. Again, Christ loved us more than his life, and " all that a man hath will he give for his life;" yet Christ willingly parted with that for our sakes ; but, is there nothing tiiat is better than life? Yes, David tells of one thing that is better ; Psalm Ixiii. 2, " Thy loving-kindness is better than life." The saints and martyrs, that parted with all other things would by no means part with that, they would rather part with a thousand lives than quit with that; yet Christ, who had infinitely more of it than ever any saint attained to, for our sakes parted with it, and had the light of God's countenance totally eclipsed from him on the cross ; so tliat he cried out, " My God, my God, wliy hast thou forsaken me ?" II. If you would have the sacramental graces quick- ened, particularly faith, take a view of Christ in all his sweet offices and relations ; " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ;" Isa. xlv. 22. O com- municant! endeavour, upon the morning of a communion Sabbath, to give a believing look to Ciirist, in all his blessed offices and relations, and this will strengthen and quicken faith, and help thee to act it the more distinctly at a communion table. 1. Look to Christ as a bankrupt debtor to his surety, and say, " Lord, I owe many thousands more than I can pay, but thou hast a sufficient ransom to pay all my debt; 1 flee to thee as my surety ; Lord, undertake for me, and satisfy thy Father's justice, that I he not seized on, and dragged to hell's prison for ever." 2. Look to hira as an able Physician to cure thy 189 wounds ; say, " Lord, here lies a Job full of boils, a La- zarus full of sores at thy gate ; here a paralytic hand, here a blind eye, here a hard heart, here a plague, and there a wound, that have scorned all other physicians, and despised other remedies ; let me this day get the balm of Gilead, even the sovereign plaster of thy blood, to my various maladies ; one touch of the hem of thy garment, and I shall be whole." 3. Look to him as a Ransomer of captives, and say, " Lord, it was thy errand to proclaim liberty to the cap- tives ; I look to thee this day to knock off my fetters, loose all my bonds, and bring my soul out of prison, that 1 may praise thy name." 4. Look to him as a Mediator and peace-maker, to remove all enmity and quarrels betwixt God and thy soul, and say, " Lord, stand betwixt me and the flaming sword ; let thy atoning blood this day quench the fire of thy Father's anger, and bring the news of peace to my soul." 5. Look to him as an Advocate, to plead for thy guilty soul ; say, " Lord, my crimes are great, and my cause is bad ; but never any cause miscarried that thou took in hand ; be thou mine Advocate, and let every one of thy wounds this day be as so many open mouths to plead for me : let thy blood speak, that ' speaketh better tilings than that of Abel.'" 6. Look to him as thy refuge-city and hiding-place, and say, " Lord, I flee to thee for my life ; for the avenger of blood, the law and justice of God, are at ray heels pursuing tne ; and if they find me afar off from thee, I am slain without mercy ; the clefts of the rock are my hiding-place; Lord, be a safe-guard to me. A heathen could say, when a bird scared by a hawk flew into his bosom, ' I will not give thee up to thine enemy, seeing thou camest to me for sanciuary;' and surely thou wilt not deliver my soul, when I flee to thee for shelter." 7. Look to Christ as the ark that can only save thee from being drowned by the flood of God's wrath ; say, " Lord, there is no ark to save me but thee alone ; I am shipwrecked in Adam, and there is no plank but Christ to bring me to shore ; I clasp to thee by the hand of faith ; Lord, save me, else I perish." 8. Look to him as a reliever of burdened souls ; say, 190 " Lord, hear a heavy-laden sinner coming to thee this day for rf>st : O ! sin is heavier than a mill-stone, it is weighed down with tlie law's curses : and O how many of these mill-stones are on my back ! Lord, I come this day to roll them upon thee, who art ' the sure foundation that God has laid in Zion,' able to bear me, and all I can lay upon it : angels cannot free me of my burden, for the burden of one sin has sunk many thousands of them to the bottomless pit; the saints cannot do it, they have bur- den enough of their own ; nay, the whole creation cannot bear my burden, for it is already groaning under the weiglit of me and it ; but, Lord, thou art the mighty one, on whom sinners' help is laid, and liast promised rest to such as come to thee. Lord, let all my burdens fall off this day, that I may be at freedom to run in the ways of thy commandments." 9. Look to him as a rich, a bountiful helper of the needy ; say, " Lord, pity me, a needy beggar, this day, that is going to the feast-house to wait for a crumb; thou liast supplied many, and I have heard a good report of thy bounty ; never came there a poorer wretch to thy door than I ; not a penny of grace is there left to help me, not a crumb to keep in my life. Lord, let me not go from thy treasure-house without an alms; thei'e is bread enough in thy house, and to spai-e, let me not go without a crumb." 10. Look to him as a Prophet and Teacher, that can open thine eyes, and give thee gracious discoveries of his truths and ways ; say, " Lord, 1 have heard much of thee by the hearing of the ear, but little have mine eyes seen of thee ; I have been long in Christ's school, but little proficiency have I made : Lord, come this day, and teach me to profit ; let my eye be opened, that in this ordi- nance I may see the heinous nature of sin, the severity of divine justice, the greatness of divine love, the beauty «»f Christ, the preciousness of souls, the excellency of the remedy provided for sinners," &c. IL Look to him as thy Head and Husband, with whom you are this day to seal a marriage-covenant; say, " Lord, though I be a most deformed, black, and un- worthy bride, and have nothing hut poverty, debt, and danger to recommend me to thee ; yet, since thou, who art the chief among ten thousand, are content to match with me, O give me a heart to consent willingly to the 191 bargain, and say* ' My beloved is mine, and I am his.' Lord, help me cheerfully to say Amen to the covenant, and all the articles of it, that I was reviewing- and re- newing yesternight. O let the marriasi:e-knot this day be cast, that sin or Satan, death or hell, may never be able to loose it again ; let him this day kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. O for sweet communion and fel- lowship with him at his own table. Lord, show me a token for good, set me as a seal upon thine arm ; mani- fest thyself to me as thou dost not unto the world." DIRECTION in. Labour, O communicant! to get thy soul put in a right and suitable frame for approaching God's holy table, and entertaining thy Saviour tliere. Now the cry is making, " The Bridegroom comefh, go ye forth to meet him ;" prepare the palace of your hearts to him; cleanse, sweep, and wash them ; get them adorned and perfumed with the graces of the Spirit. Is Christ gone to prepare a place for you, and will you not prepare a place for him ? Set up a throne for Christ, go forth to meet him with acclamation and praise ; receive him gladly, set the crown on his head, and swear allegiance to him, and say, as the men of Israel said to Gideon ; Judges viii. 22, " Rule thou over us, for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian." O but Christ hath delivered us out of the hand of Satan, a far worse oppressor than Midian. Let us welcome him, and compass him about with songs of deliverance. O, communicants! deal not with Christ as his countrymen the Jews did; John i. 11, " He came to his own, but his own received him not ;" when he came into tiie world, there was no room allowed for him anywhere but in the manger, and thither was he thrust. O deal not so with your Saviour ; think not a foul stall good enough for Christ, but make clean your hearts, and give him the best room, yea, the upper room there. O send the key of you hearts this morning to Christ, saying, " Lord, take thy choice where to lie ; alas ! I may say, with the centurion, ' I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof;' my soul is a ruinous, smoky, and defiled cottage, thou hast not a fit place with me to lay thy head ; but O! thou that didst not disdain to lie in a manger among beasts, and to be 192 entertained in the house of Simon the leper, come into my soul, repair the house, and j)repare an upper room for thyself, that I may eat the passover vvitli thee. Lord, speak the word, and thy servant's heart shall be healed, cleansed, and made lioly, soft, and pliable, fit for thy use and service. Lord, none can mend my heart but thou that made it ; I put it into thy hands. Lord, make it as thou wouldst have it." Ques. What is that frame and disposition of soul that we should come with to the communion table? Ans. Take these directions concerning it. L Come to it with holy awe and reverence of God. Were you going to a prince's table, you would go to it with some awe and concern ; and will you have none when you go to the table of the great Jehovaii, who is your Judge, searches the heart, and observes all your actions? He is a God that is very jealous of his honour, and will not be mocked ; you ought to come to this table with a holy dread and reverence, adoring the holi- ness and justice of God, manifested in the sufferings of Christ. How vehemently did he hate sin, that he would not pity or spare his dear Son, %vhen he cried to him ! but, seeing he had undertaken to pay our debt, and drink our cup, the least farthing or drop he would not abate him. Though the sinner be spared, yet sin must be punished to the uttermost ; our cautioner paid dearly for it. We ought to adore his justice, saying, with the men of Bethshemesh, 1 Sam. vi. 20, " Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" There is no standing but at Christ's back, our blessed cautioner, in whom God is well pleased. 2. Come with holy fear and jealousy over your- selves, lest you be found unwelcome guests, and draw down the guilt of unworthy communicating upon your- selves ; cry, " Lord, keep me from wounding Christ and ray own soul this day ; let me not betray the Son of God with a kiss ; deliver me from blood-guiltiness, and from drinking damnation. O ! what if I want the wed- ding-garment, when the King comes in to view the guests !" 3. Come with brokenness of heart for sin, the cause of Christ's sufferings. Look on your pride, pas- sion, hypocrisy, covetousness, malice, lying, swearing, &c., as Christ's only tormentors; behold how they pressed 193 ^ him down in the garden, till lie sweat blood — see them binding- the cross on Christ's back — see them nailing his hands, piercing his temples, and grieving his heart — see them buffeting and spitting on him — see them making him groan, weep, and roar out his complaint, " IMy God, my God, why liast thou forsaken me ?" It was on us this tragedy should have been acted — on us these vials of wrath should have been poured; "for he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities," Isa. liii. 3. O, shall we see Christ's heart streaming blood, and our eyes not drop tears? Shall we see him stretched out and nailed for us, and our hearts not bleed ? Oh ! it was my sins that made the nails ; they drove them in, they thrust in the spear, yea, they killed the Lord of life ; and shall I not mourn? Did you see a malefactor, who had committed twenty murders, used like Christ, your hearts would be concerned ; and will you not be affected to behold the innocent Lamb of God so abused by your sins? Look on him ye have pierced, and mourn. This passover must be eaten with bitter herbs. Sow in tears, if you would reap in joy. A weeping communi- cant is a very pleasing sight both to God and man ; a broken-hearted, weeping sinner will suit well with a bruised and bleeding Saviour. 4. Come with burning love and affection to Christ. This is a feast only for the friends and lovers of Christ ; Cant. V. L Without love you have nothing to do here. O believer ! is thy heart cold when Christ's love is warm ? Will you not recompense love with love ? Can you be- hold Christ on a cross dying with love in his heart, and smiles in his looks ; can you see iiis bleeding arms open to embrace you, the spear reaching his heart, and his affections streaming out to you in blood, and that when you were enemies to him, and iiaters of him, and not be ravished with his love ? Can you behold his wounds, or put your finger into the print of the nails, and not be sick of love, and cry out with Thomas, " My Lord and my God ?" Can you view him that is the chief among ten thousand, yea, among an hundred thousand, and among all the thousands in heaven and earth, and your hearts not love him ? Turn over all things both in hea- ven and earth, you can find none like him, so excellent in himself, and so well adapted to your condition and circumstances. Paul was a learned man, and knew many 194 '«/ things — a travelled man, and had seen and heard many things ; yet when he casts «p his accounts of all he had ever seen, heard, or known, he says, " I count all but dung or loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ ;" Phil. iii. 8, 9. 5. Come with much hunger and thirst to this full feast. See that your appetites be not glutted with the world, for " the full soul loathes the honey-comb ;" it is only the thirsty that are welcome ; Rf v. x. 10 ; Clirist fills the hungry with good things. When the desire opens the heart widest, tlien he opens his hands largest to fill it ; Psalm Ixxxi. 10. O then cry, Give me Christ, and deny me what thou wilt ; a crumb of mercy from thy table, or else I am gone for ever. Endeavour to say, as Isa. xxvi., " The desire of my soul is unto thee, and to the remembrance of thy name. O that I knew where to find him! When wilt thou come unto me? O for fur- ther tokens of his love, and clear evidences of my interest in him ! O for the smiles of his face, and the voice of joy and gladness ! There are many heavenly dainties here ; here are all the fruits of the tree of life, tlie com- forts of the Spirit, tlie influence of his grace, the bread and waters of life ; therefore come with enlarged appe- tites. The spouse cries, Cant. ii. 5, " Stay me with fla- gons ;" as if she had said. My thirst is so great, it is not a drop or a little cup that will quench it, I would have whole flagons. Fear not to wrong your neighbours, for there is a river to every one of you. Observe how earnest Christ was to feast with us ; Luke xxii. 15, " With de- sire," says he, " have I desired to eat this supper with you," thougli he had no need either of you or it. And will you not, whose needs are so great, say, With desire have I desired to eat this supper with Christ before I die: it may be my last communion, O let me have something to carry my expense through the wilderness ; let me have something to comfort and support me when I go through the valley of the shadow of death. 6. Come with humility and self-denial, and , content to be nothing, that Christ may be all ; and willing to sub- mit to any thing, for a blink of his countenance. Be sensible of your ill-deservings, and acknowledge a crumb will be a great mercy. Be content, with the prodigal and vi'oman of Canaan, to be taken into Christ's family, though it were in the meanest station and employment : 195 Let me be the meanest of Christ's servants, though I be ever so ill used, or ill respected, I will be thankful if I be within Christ's doors, have a relation to his family, and can call him Master. Again, come self-deniedly, renouncing all confidence in yourself, your preparations, humiliations, or performances : these may be good graces and good duties, bnt they will be ill Christs, and ill Sa- viours. Freely own tlsat it is not your own righteousness that saves you, nor your own strength that quickens you ; but only Christ's ritrhteousness and Christ's strength. Say, Blessed Jesus, I flee to thee alone ; I have no hope in myself, nor in anything besides thee ; all my confidence is in the freeness of thy love, the mercy of thy bowels, the merit of thy death, the worth of thy blood, the suffi- ciency of thy righteousness, and power of thy intercession. 7. Come with charity and love to all men, even to your very enemies. Banish all malice and envy, pray for your enemies, forgive them, wish well and do good both to their souls and bodies, according to Christ's ex- ample on the cross ; but especially bring with you love and affection to God's people, delight in their fellowship above all others, for they are the excellent ones of the earth. 8. Come with honest designs to seal a marriage- covenant with Christ. Consent frankly to Christ to be your Prince and Saviour ; do not think of halving in with Christ, be willing to take him entirely upon his own terms. Be content not only to be saved by him, but to serve him ; live for him, fight for him, and cleave to him all the days of your life; resolving that all the pleasures of sin, temptations of Satan, and allurements of the world, nay, the hopes of enjoying ten thousand worlds, shall never prevail with you to part with Christ. Come, re- signing yourselves, your hearts, and all you have, to Christ : say. Lord, though I had ten thousand hearts, and every one of them ten thousand times better than they are, they should all be thine. Come with strong vows and purposes against sin, that murdered your Sa- viour ; resolve never to harbour it, or make peace with it, hut that you will fight agaiiist it to your last breath and revenge the death of Christ on it. 9. Come with thankfulness and praise to God for redeeming love, and providing such a Saviour for you. Let the liigii praises of God be in your mouths ; send up 196 whole volHes of praise to your Redeemer, for undertak- ing- your deliverance. Invite the angels and all the crea- tion to assist you in this work. Stir up your souls, and all that is within you to bless his holy name ; your souls, like Mary, should magnify the Lord, and your spirits rejoice in God your Saviour ; your hearts should ascend, like Manoah's angel, in the smoke of thanksgiving and praise. Say, Lord, what shall I render to thee for all thou hast done and suffered for me ? Lord, what am 1 that thou shouldst part with thy glory, yea, with thy blood and with thy life, for such a wretch as me? I am ashamed that I can love and praise thee no more ; Oh ! my heart is cold, my tongue is slow ! Let heaven and earth, angels and men, join and extol his free grace and wondrous love ; let all the world ring with his praise. 10. Come with hope and expectation, depending on God's promise and Christ's merits. You ought greedily to look to Christ, expecting something from him, as the poor cripple from Peter and John ; Acts iii. 4, 5, Peter said, " Look on us : And he gave heed to them, expect- ing to receive something from them." We ordinarily receive little, because we expect little : " God's mercy is upon us, according as we hope in him ;" Psalm xxxiii. 22. raise your desires and expectations ; for you come to a merciful and liberal God, that will not let the expecta- tion of his poor creatures perish ; Psalm ix. 18, " The needy shall not always be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." Objec. Alas ! 1 am a poor, weak, heartless creature ; 1 have little ground to hope. Ans. You have God's call and promise to encourage you. Groan under your deadness, and use the means: aim honestly at your duty, and look to God for accom- plishing his promise. Do as the Israelites did in the wilderness; Num. xxi. 16 — 18. God had called them to the place where he promised them water, which was very ranch valued in that dry desert : well, did they sit still ' idly, waiting till the water should spring? No, the nobles put to their staves, digged in expectation of God's fulfill- ing his promise, and sung, " Spring up, O well," &c. Make an honest mint, look up with hope, and cry for the springing of the well. Come, bring all your empty vessels to the fountain, in expectation of a fill. Do as the poor widow, 2 Kings iv,, " Bring not a few ;" for I am sure 197 the vessels will fail before the oil fail. Plead with God for the accomplishing of his word : Say, Lord, tboiio^h we cannot say, " Pour water on ns, for we are tliirsty ;" yet we can plead, " Pour floods on ns, f(tr we are dry gronnd." Lord, make ns as hungry as we are empty, and thirsty as we are dry ; Lord, if tlion deal with us ac- cording to our sense of need, we will get little; hut. Lord, we plead thon wilt deal with us according to our real need and thy royal bounty, and then we will be right enough. O, poor soul ! art thou hinging for the springing of the well, saying, O that I knew in what part of this valley of Baca the well would spring, what ordinance, what duty would be the mean ; tiiere 1 would wait anngue ch^ave to tlie roof of my mouth." O that 1 could even go out <»f myself to reniem- ber thee, and never think on thee without an ecstasy of wonder I II. Think upon the bitterness of Christ's passion, and the variety of his sufferings, and rev(dve in thy th(»ughts the several s^eps and degrees thereof; and particularly, take a view of your Redeemer's agony for yon in the garden of Gethsemane; walk into that garden, and be- hold him falling to the ground under the weigiit of your sins, wrestling as in an agony, and sweating great drops of blood, and these bursting through all bis garments. O see how he lay, and how he bedewed and stained the flowers of the garden round about him with his blood. Never any in the world was known to sweat in such a manner before, and never any since that time. In a natural way of speaking, the coldness of the night, his lying on the cold ground, and the exceeding greatness of Christ's fear at that time, should have drawn all his blood inward from the outward parts of his body. Oh! but this sweat was j)reternatural ; he sweats vvithou! fire, and bleeds witiiont a wound. There was no heat, no fire without him, that made him sweat at this lime ; no, the fire was within him, even the fire of God's wrath kindled his soul : this made tlie blood about his heart to boil, and burst through his veins, flesh, skin, and cluthes, and all together. There is no wound outward as yet given him ; no sword, no spear, no weapon as yet had touched him, and yet he bleeds: Oh! the wound was inward in his soul: deep and fearful was that gash which the sword of justice made at this time in his soul. The breach was wide as the sea, and accordingly a whole sea of wiath K 5 206 hrake in wit!i violence upon hi.-; soul. He falls first upon liis knees, and then upon the orourid ; he lies under the pressure till he is oven-whelmed with his fiither's wrath and his own blood. Deep calleth unto deep, till all these dreadful waves and billows have passed over him. He cried to his father, he complained to his disciples, he sought their sympathy and prayers ; but no relief had he from earth, he must tread the wine-press alone. Next, O communicants ! follow your Redeemer after he was apprehended, by your meditations, and trace his steps through the streets of Jerusalem. Think what he underwent when he was hurried from one tribunal to another. Go into the high priest's palace, and to Pilate's judgment-hall, and observe what unparalleled affronts and indignities he suffered there, and none to take his part. He was reproached, despised, and aliandoiied by all men, as if he had been the worst of men, and unworthy to breathe in tiie world. He was put in competition with a vile murderer for his life, and yet the murderer was pre- ferred before iiim. Yea, his own chosen disciples, who had been eye-witnesses of iiis miracles, and ear-witnesses of his oracles, they turned their backs on him with the rest ; one of them betrays him, another denies him, and all the rest forsake him. Behold how unworthy men buffft him, blindfold him, and spit on that beautiful face which angels behold with wonder. Behold how he was scoprged, dragged up and down, iiffronted and mocked a wiiole night on your account, as if he had been the de- risioii of wicked men and devils. Now the devil thought, if Christ was to be the elect's surety, and was to pluck them out of his claws, he «ihould pay well for them ere he got thein; and therefore many a wound and buffet he got ; but content is our Redeemer to take all, to get his elect free and safe. In the next place, behold how the heavy tree of the cross was laid and fastened on the sore and bleeding shoulders of our Saviour, and he obliged to carry it to the place of execution. Follow him in your thoughts, and see him wrestling under the weight, when going- up mount Calvary ; lie carries it till he can carry it no furtlier ; he is spent and f((unders under the load, yet denies any relief. Ascend mount Calvary, and there see the cross laid down upon the ground, and Ciwist, tiie blessed victim, laid down upon tlie cross, which was a rack as well as a death ; see 207 how he is racked and nailed to it by the bloody execu- tioners. And then behctld tlie cursed tree lifted up, with the Lord of jjlory fastened to it, and fixed upon the fop of mount Calvary, as a sacrifice to justice for an elect world. Behold him ranked among malefactors, and Iiang- ing betwixt two thieves. Behold his hands and feet, pierced and rent with nails, his glorious head covered witii a crown of tliorns, and his tender side run through witli a spear. See how the thorns pierce his holy head ; see how his precious blo'od trickles down from his many wounds ; see how his royal visage turns pale ; see how his head bows and lies a-dying on his bleeding breast. Is not tiiis an affecting sight? Again, consider the [)rodigious, outward darkness that was on Ciirist, during his passion on the cross, for several hours together, to show the horrible inward darkness that was on his soul while the wrath of God acted against hira, as being tlie sacrifice for the world's sins. We read, that while Abraham was offering his sacrifice, Gen. xv. 12, the sun was going down, and an horror of great darkness fell upon him. So fared it with Christ, wdiile he offered him- self a sacrifice for us. Now, the Lord revealed his wrath from heaven against the unrighteousness of the world, wliich was at this time laid on Christ. Our Redeemer lay under this darkness, to show that we should have suffered the horror of darkness for ever, even that black- ness of darkness which the apostle Jude speaks of. But, glory to God, the blackness of darkness caused by God's wrath for sin, v.'as novv laid on our Surety. Strange I God causeth his sun to shine upon the just and unjust, but on our Redeemer now it must not shine, as if, of all the unjust ones in the world, he were the most unjust, having the whole injustice of the elect laid to his charge. O ! spotless Lamb of God. innocent Redeemer of man- kind, most pure and just One, that never offended against the law! and must thou be dealt with as the most unjust person that ever breathed in the world, because of the injustice of others? Now all the powers of earth and hell were let loose against our Redeemer ; all these lions, bulls, dogs, and unicorns were set upon him to tear him. And, was it not enough that earth and hell were against him, but must heaven itself be against him too, and de- clare its indignation by that visible sign of the horrible and continued darkness ? Oh ! this was heavier and 208 sharper to our Redeemer than all the rest of his suffer- ing's. Under the rest he was silent, hut now he cannot lioli his peace; and, therefore, sends forth that formi- dahle lourl cry, " My God, my God, why hast thou for- saken niH ?" During the continuance of these three dark hnnrs was Cinist dririkiu"^ the hitter cup; and now he comes to the bottom, and bitterest dreg-s of it. Now were the envenomed arrttws of the Almighty piercing him in the most sensible part ; and, therefore, he must cry. O how justly, then, might he have cried out with Job, and on better ground, too, than he ; Job xix. 21, " Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God haih touched me!" How truly might the Husband now have taken up the spouse's lamenta i(m; Lam. i. 12, " Is it notliing to you, all ye that pass by ? Behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done nnt(» me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger!" Do but imagine what excessive pain and exquisite tor- ment he underwent, both in sroach- ful treatment, tliat princes were hanged up by their hands; Lam. V. 1*2. Oh, thus was the Prince of the kings of the eartli treated for our sakes : and shall not we be deeply affected with it? III. An«»iiier suitable subject of meditation at the Lord's table, is the willingness of our Redeemer to un- dergo all these sufferings fur us. He was ndwise impor- tuned or compelled, but n)(»st freely undertook to pay the elect's debt; Psalm xl. 7, 8, "Then said I, Lo, 1 come, I delight to do tliy will." As if he had said. Father, I see no other is able to pay the debt of these pof»r bank- rupts. The Levitical priests, for all the beasts they have killed, and all the sacrifices they have offered these many hundreds of years, they have not been able t(» pay so much as one farthing of the elect's debt to this day; it is entirely owing still. " Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldst not:" I see these will not do; but I ktiow what will ; then said he, " Lo, I come ;" I'll be Surety, and I will do the work effectually; but I must leave tlie glory of heaven fur a time. Then farewell, Father, for thirty- three years ; farewell all my angeis and all my saints, till I come back again ; I must go and relieve these per- ishing souls, and I will do it to purpose. '^I'he Lord saith to us, by that wise man Sohmion, " Be not surety for any man ;" but, saith Christ, Though I give tliat advice to others, yet I will not take it to myself; I will be Surety for many mers, yea, for strangers, though my very gar- ments should be taken away for it ; my heart bleeds for them ; I cannot see them thrown into an eternal prison, when I am al)le to pay their debt ; I will go and pay it for them. Well, when time came to pay the debt, did he begin to rue the bargain, when he found the debt great, and the payment heavy? Did he siuin his creditors as many men do? No; he is as willing to pay the elect's debt, as God to exact it. " With desire," says he, *' have 1 desired to eat this passover ;" because now the term of payment which 1 have long looked for is come. One 213 might have thought, for as frank as he is in undertaking, yet stay till he once taste the bitter cup he is to drink, he will perhaps change his mind, and begin to slirink from it. No, no; the taste he had got of the cup's brim, made him thirst the more earnestly for the very dregs of it, that he might get his poor elect put altogether beyond the danger of it; Luke xiii. 59, " I have a baptism to be bap- tized with, and how am I straitened till it be accom- plished ?" It is a terrible black cloud that hangs over my people's heads ; I long for its breaking upon me their Surety, that I may get them safe and out of all hazard. And Peter drew a sword to defend his Master, and pre- vent his suffering : Hold thy hand, saith he to Peter, no swords; the cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? It is a hitter cup indeed, i find it from the large draught I have taken of it just now in the garden ; but though it be bitter, yet it is just; I have undertaken it as the elect's Surety, and, Peter, will you hinder a man to pay his debt? What then would become of all my elect's souls, and of your soul among the rest ? If this cup be death to me, it would be eternal damnation to you. I have legions of angels ready to rescue me, if I needed them ; they are all looking on, and waiting my orders ; but keep your posts, ye angels, come none of you to my assistance ; let no man draw a sword, let none of my disciples offer to interpose : for I am resolved to pay debt, I will lay down my life for my sheep. Let Jonah then be cast into the sea, and ye shall be safe. Oh ! what a willing sacrifice was our Redeemer! He is con- tent to swim in a sea of wrath for the space of thirty- three years, and never desires deliverance till the sea is perfectly calm, and his elect out of hazard of being swal- lowed up. Consider how he quickened the traitor, Judas, and bade him make despatch, when he was going about his bloody work. He sung a hymn wiien he was going to the gar- den to be apprehended. He casts himself in the perse- cutors' way ; goes forth to meet them, and boldly presents himself to them, and, as if they were too slow in appre- hending him, he quickens them to it, by telling them twice over he was the man they sought. And then remember how willing he was to let malefactors' bands be laid on his innocent hands; hands that never did evil, hands that never stole any thing, that never shed blood, nay, hands 214 that healed diseases, cured the lame, fed the hungry, and loosed our fetters. But what need was there for binding so willing a prisoner ? He was to make no struggle, no resistance, hut was like a lamb led to the slaughter without opening his moulh. O but he is willing to be bound for your sakes ! Father, says he, bind me and loose them; let me be the ram caught in the thickets ; slay me and save them. All their ills, all their debts, all their deserts be upon me; as Paul said to Philemon concerning Onesi- mus, Philem. 18, " If they have wronged thee, or owe thee ought, put that on my account:" charge it on me, take payment and satisfaction from me. Again, when he was before the high priest accused, and witnesses laid against him, he woidd not say a word in his own defence ; though tiiey could prove nothing, yet he desired not to be released. Though he was entirely innocent of crime or fault before the world, yet he knew he was guilty by imputation and voluntary substitution, and therefore he holds his peace. Seeing he was liable before God as a Surety, he would not hinder the pay- ment, but willingly submits to the hardest conditions for our relief. Though wicked Pilate was convinced of his innocence, and sought to save his life, yet he sought it not himself; hence we read how Pilate scourged Christ very sore, with sharp-plaited cords, and then brought him forth to the people, to see if their hearts would relent when they saw him all bleeding, saying, " Behold the man." Surely, thinks Pilate, when they see his furrowed back and bloody shoulders, they will be ready to say, Poor man ! thou art ill enough bandied already for any ill thou hast done. But Oh ! he knew no better ; justice was not satisfied, and these hell-hounds were not satisfied* they must have his life, his heart's blood, or nothing. And your loving Saviour, O believer, says amen to it: you shall have it, I will die, I will be a sacrifice for sin, I will satisfy my Father's justice to the uttermost, I will have my beloved bride out of danger : 1 will not leave one farthing of the debt for my people to pay. Next, observe how willingly he took on the heavy cross upon his bleeding shoulders to carry it to the place of execution, though his strength was very much spent al- ready with watching, wrestling, buffeting, scourging, and loss of blood. O what a sight do you think was our Lord Jesus going forth out of the gates of Jerusalem with his 215 heavy cross and your sins on his back ; and like to fall under the burden as he went! How weak was he in body, and weary in soul, ere he got to the top of mount Calvary ! And what saw he before him as he was climb- ing- that mount ? Nothing but a cursed death, and a black cloud of God's wrath. Yea, he had a load of wrath on his back that was far heavier than the cross he was bear- ing : Oh ! it was no wonder he staggered, foundered, or fell under his burden : so that Simon the Cyrenian was compelled by his enemies to carry the light end of the tree behind him, lest he had died before he came to the top of the mount. But our loving Jesus, though he was spent and weary in his body, yet forward and willing was he in iiis mind to go and be made a sacrifice for us ; and therefore up the mount he will go, though he sees justice, devils, and wicked men at the top of it, waiting to fasten on him when he comes : but, seeing there was no other way to deliver his lost sheep, he will go and meet them. Well, O. communicant, observe and take notice of your Saviour's steps as he went up the mount, with the burden you laid upon his back ; follow him all the way with the eye of faith ; though it was cursedly heavy, yet how pa- tiently doth he bear it ! He complains not, he opens not his mouth ; he will not bid you or any of the elect lend him a lift; for he knows you are not able to bear the least grain of weight of his burden, it would break your backs, and crush you to hell for ever : he will bear it all alone ; only he will have you to notice him with the eye of faith, and to remember him with love and gratitude. IV. Let the blessed effects and benefits of Christ's sufferings be the subject of your thoughts at this time. Hereby justice is satisfied, and believers are redeemed ; the fire of divine anger is quenched, the mouth of hell is stopt, the ocean of wrath dried up, the raging sea quelled, the roaring lion vanquished, the old serpent is unslinged, and his venomous head bruised ; the law is disarmed of its thunders and curses, and its loud clamours against us silenced ; our debts are paid, and a discharge obtained ; an angry God becomes a reconciled Father, and both grace and glory are purchased. Hereby our putrefying sores are cleansed, our deadly plagues cured, God's beautiful image restored, slaves of Satan become sons of God, heirs of hell become heirs of heaven, rebels against heaven become favourites of God, and traitors 216 get access to his tlirone. Her(^by the gates of paradise are opened, the fiiiniing sword removed, glorious man- sions prepared, and the crown of life purchased for be- lievers. It was not for nought tliat our Redeemer groaned and wept, sweat and struggled, bled and died. These great deliverances and mercies were deadly hard to bring forth. They made our Redeemer cry out, to the amazement of angels and horror of men, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But now it is finished, his agony is over, the deliverance is wrought, and redemption is purchased: justice now saith. It is enough, I am fully satisfied with the Surety's payment, I demand no more : the sacrifice is of a sweet-smelling savour to me, and it perfumes all the elect's persons and performances. Nay, so efficacious and acceptable were these sufferings, that the virtue of them reaches back to the beginning of the world, and extends forward to the end of it. God was so well pleased with them, that he ac- cepted of them as a ransom for elect souls four^thousand years before he endured them. The Surety's payment was so acceptable, that he took many thousands to heaven before the debt was paid, upon Christ's parole that he should pay : for all the saints went to heaven this way. " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This God declared from heaven again and again, q. d. Many a time have the elect grieved me ; many a provo- cation have their sins given me, yea, have their duties given me ; but I am well pleased with my Son : their Surety hath satisfied me for them all. V. You ought to meditate on the impulsive cause of Christ's suffering on his part. His free love was the only motive ; it was this that caused him to take upon him the heavy burden of our sins, that would have sunk us into the bottomless pit. As often as we come to the Lord's table to partake of these elements, we should do it in remetnbrance of Christ's unspeakable and incompre- hensible love to us : we should never perform this holy duty without admirati(m and astonishment at the thoughts of our Saviour's infinite love and undeserved compassion towards us, in that he laid down his life to save ours, who had rebelled against him. Our Redeetner well knovveth the evil nature and disposition of man, that he is apt to forget his best friends, and to turn unthankful for the greatest benefits ever he received ; and therefore 217 he consults oiir eternal good, by enjoining us to solemnize this ordinance in retnernbrance of that immense love he expressed towards us in his death and sufferings. Be- side what I have formerly said of your meditating of, and admiring the love of Christ, before your coming to his table, I do exhort you, now you are at the table, to fall a wondering at it afresh, for this is most proper work for you at such a time. O the l(»ve of Christ, that passeth knowledge! Where shall I begin my thoughts on this subject? and when begun, how shall I make an end ? Thy love. Lord, is ancient ; thou lovedst us first, and that when tliere was "no eye to pity ;" thou tookst not on tbee, the "nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham;" tiiey are bound with chains of darkness, whilst thou art drawing us with cords of love. Yea, thou lovedst us when enemies. To have spared our lives, had been unexpected, unrleserved mercy to us. Who finds his enemy and lets him go away ? But, Lord, thou hast found me in mine enmity, and hast pitied me; yea, when my hand was lifted up against thee, thine arms have been opened to embrace me. Nay, thou hast opened thy very heart to lodge thy professed enemies, who have trod thee under foot. Tliy bowels yearned towards them who raked in them with their bloook on the temple and holy city, that stood on the east side of mount Calvary ; hut he liad a gra- cious meaning and design to us therehy ; and now was that word remarkably fulfilled, Psalm Ixvi. 7. " His eyes hehold the nations:" for now his eyes looked to us Gentiles, when he was upon the cross ! and O it was an eye of love and pity he cast then upon us : and shall not this encourage us to lift up an eye of faith to him upon the cross for healing and salvation? Especially seeing he calls us to do it, Isa. xlv. 22. " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." And it is to be observed, that Christ in this call had a special eye to us in Scotland, who were tl)en Gentiles, and are likewise among the ends of the eart-li, O shall we in this land and corner of the world have such a loving invitation to look to a crucified Saviour for mercy, and will we ne- glect it ? Behold his arms stretched out to embrace you, and will you not desire to flee into them? Behold him bowing his head on the cross to take a view of your wounds, and whisper comfort into your ears ; behold him opening a window in his side to take you into iiis heart, and pouring out blood thence to redeem you, and water to cleanse you, a fountain both for your justification and sanctification. Again, when yon seethe bread broken, look to Christ's wounds as an open city of refuge for thy soul, that is pursued by justice, to take sanctuary in : his wounds are laid open, that you may see into his bleeding heart, and see his yearning bowels of mercy, and hear tiiem sound- ing towards you, an object of pity and spectacle of misery. Poor shelterless soul, quit all other shelters, and flee to the clefts of the Rock here opened, saying, " This is my rest, and here I will stay." Pray, at this time, ' Lord, may my hard heart be broken and melted, that I may in some measure be conformed to my broken Saviour.' Or, ' Lord, break tlie united forces of my sins, and scatter them by thy mighty arm.' When you see the minister offering the bread to the communicants, and hear him saying, " Take ye, eat ye," &c. think how freely God offers his Son, and Christ 235 offers himself to be ours ; think how you see him at the head of the table, making offer of himself to you, saying, Take me, and the whole purchase of my blood; take my sealed testament, and all my legacies in it; take a sealed pardon of all your sins, and a sealed right to eternal life. When you receive the bread into your hand, see that you stretch forth the hand of faith to recf^ive and em- brace Christ crucified, as your bleeding High Priest, to make atonement for you. Say, with your heart, ' Con- tent, Lord ; even so I take thee, and seal a covenant with thee, I clasp about thee as mine ; " I believe, Lord, help my unbelief."' If Christ be not received by faith in this ordinance, there is nothing done but what is ill. O will you come to tliis table, and receive the bread of the Lord, and not receive the bread, the Lord ? O it will be sad, it will be bitter at death or judgment: when you come to die, you will cry, "Lord, receive my soul ;" well, may not Christ answer you, " I will just receive your soul as you received my body in the sacrament, when you were entreated, and that was not at all." O then, consider wbat Christ has done for you, and the ab- solute necessity you stand in need of him, and receive him into your souls. O will ye not accept of a bruised Lord, a bruised friend, when he is knocking with the cross on his back, the nails in his hands, and spear in his side! Can you find in your hearts to hold him at the door in this posture? Will you not open your hearts to him, who opened his side to you ? When you are making use of bread, praise and mag- nify God for providing this heavenly manna to keep your soul from perishing ; bless him for this feast, and feed on it, that you may live : apply Christ and his benefits, for the nourishing your souls and strengthening your graces ; bless him for this noble contrivance and undertaking. Rejoice in Christ, that hath found out a way, by his deatii, to reconcile an angry God to you, and procure you access to his table, that you may feast with him. With what joy and thankfulness did the Israelites go forth to gather manna, that bread which God sent them from heaven ! But, (»h here is better manna come from heaven ! will ye not be thankful for it, and run with desire to get it? The Israelites' manna could not give life to the dead ; but here is manna that can both restore and preserve life ; yea, give everlasting 236 life to both soul and body. The Israelites' manna fell not on the Sabbath, and they might not go to gather it that day; but, blessed he God, this manna falls every day, and double on the Sabbath, and welcome are ye to gather it this day; for Christ now rains it in greater plenty, and calls you to be more diligent in gathering it than on any other day ; his table is well furnisiied with manna this day : O feed and refresh your souls well be- fore you leave it, and strive to preserve the relish of it when you are gone. Cry now with those, John vi. 34. '" Lord, evermore give us this bread." The bread both satisfies the sonl and creates an appetite; O for a per- petual hunger for it ! It is the same bread tiie glorified saints feed on for evermore; in heaven they never loathe this manna, nor weary of it, as the Israelites did of theirs. It is but a small crumb, O communicants, you get of it here, compared to that eternal feast provided above. Again, bread in Scripture is called the staff of bread. O this is the true staff of bread : here is bread, if eaten by faith, that will prove a staff to support you, a staff to defend you, a staff to beat your enemies, and put all your lusts to flight: this is a staff tiiat will enable you to run in God's ways and fight the armies of the aliens. That is a strange dream that one of the Midianitish host had when Gideon was coming upon them. Judges vii. 13. " Beliold a cake of barley bread came tumbling into the host of Midian, and smote a tent," &c. Strange ! a piece of bread overturned a tent. Lo! that dream is in- terpreted in this sacrament ; here is a piece of bread, O communicant, if eaten by faith, that will tumble into the host of Satan and thy lusts, these Midianites who have long vexed you with their wiles, strike down their tents, and put them all to flight. Surely a view here, by faith, of Christ's body pierced and nailed by sin, will turn a believer's heart against it as the most hateful thing in the world; let sin flatter as it will, he will never forget what it hath done to his dear Saviour. This is both quicken- ing and killing bread ; for, as it is life to your souls, so it is poison to your lusts. When you see the wine poured out, think how freely and willingly Christ suffered for you. He poured out his blood as freely as the wine is poured out to you ; yea, it is said, Isa. liii. 12. "He poured out his soul unto 237 death," as freely as we pour water out of a vessel. He had freely emptied his veins in the garden and on the cross: every pore became an eye to weep blood for your sakes ; he is wounded over all his soul for you ; and would you have any more from your loving Saviour? O did he pour out his soul unto death, and will you not pour out your souls into his bosom ? Again, when you see it, by faith behold the wells of salvation now opened, the stone rolled away, and the fountain of the water of life running freely, and follow- ing poor sinners. O run not away from it, but turn to it ; drink, and live for evermore. O shall the fountain of life be opened, and the mouths of your souls shut fast? Can you see Christ's blood running, and not desire to be bathed witli it ? Hast thou blind eyes or lame feet, weak hands or feeble knees, a cold or hard heart, a fear- ful or doubting soul ? here's a cure for all thy diseases. Thou art at the side of the pool, just at the healing waters, one step will bring you to them : look to Christ for strength, stir up your souls, step in, drink, bathe, and be made whole for ever. When you drink the cup, remember the precious blood of Christ; eye it by faith, plead it with God, apply it to your souls, and thirstily drink it by the mouth of faith. Say, « I am an unrighteous creature, but here is justifying blood ; my soul is wounded, but here is heal- ing blood; my heart is very dead, but here is quickening blood ; it is very hard, but here is softening blood : O let me not miss a cure, when the balm of Giiead is among ray hands : this blood healed thousands, and shall my plagues continue ? Lord, may that innocent blood, that dropt from thy hands and thy side, wash away all the spots and stains of my guilty soul.' As you find the wine warm on your cold stomach, so let the love and blood of Christ warm your cold heart and affections with vehement love and desire to him. Shall Christ's heart be hot as fire to you, and will yours be cold as ice to him ? Can you feel his warm and bleeding heart, and not cry out with Thomas, "My Lord and my God ?" How shall I express my love to my lovely and loving Jesus, who loved me and gave himself for me ! How dearly. Lord, hast thou purchased my love, unworthy as it is ! What hath the world or sin to do with that which Christ hath bought so dear ? O for 238 a heart ready to burst with love to him that is only worthy to be the object of it! O for a live coal from God's altar, to kindle a flame that many waters might not quench ! Worse am I than a beast, if I be not ra- vished with Christ's matchless love. When you see the elements divided and distributed among the communicants, believe it, tliat Christ is really, though invisibly, dealing forth the effects and benefits of his death and sufferings to the worthy receivers. When you see both the bread and the wine given, think that God is offering and giving Christ, and all Christ unto us ; and we must be willing to take Christ and all that is in him, all his benefits, all his offices, all his laws, and all his cross he thinks fit to lay on us. When the bread and wine are offered to you, and you hear Christ saying, " Take, eat, drink:" O then cast open all the doors and gates of your soul, that the " King of glory may enter in ;" say, ' Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? As I receive the bread of the Lord into my mouth, let me receive the bread of the Lord into my soul. Lord, it was my errand to receive thee into my heart, let me not go without thee.' Stir up faith mightily, to receive Christ and all his bene- fits. Stretch out faitii's arms as far and wide as you may, to welcome, embrace, and clasp about your Saviour; and say, " My beloved is n)ine, and I am his ;" 'now may the marriage be sealed and ratified, and the knot cast which never shall be loosed again ; and happy, happy for ever, is my choice, rich is my portion, my soul is made up to all eternity.' When you are eating and drinking the bread and wine, let your soul be busy making close and particular appli- cation by faith, of Christ and all his benefits, according to your various necessities. And consider, that as by eating and drinking, your food incorporates with your bodies, and turns one with you; so is Christ by faith mystically united to you, and you are made one with Christ : as tiie broken bread enters into your body, and becomes yours by feeding upon it, so you are to believe, that as truly Christ's broken body, and the purchase of his blood, are applied to you for curing and saving your soul, and that ail his merits and graces are yours by faith : " This is my body that, was broken for you." Again, as eating and drinking of proper food is very pleasant to our bodies, so 239 we ought to take great satisfaction and complacency in partaking of Christ and his benefits. Let as satiate our- selves in tasting of his goodness, and feasting on his hea- venly dainties. And as by our earthly food, our bodies are strengthened for labour, so, by this spiritual food, our souls and our graces are nourished and strengthened for the duties of religion. Again, you are to look upon these sacramental actions as a mutual giving and taking sasine and infeftment be- twixt Christ and your souls. Hereby you get infeftment of a crucified Christ, his great purchase and glorious in- heritance ; and hereby Christ takes infeftment of your soul and body, to be his children, his heirs, his servants, and soldiers, to obey him, and fight for him while you live. You are hereby consecrated to be temples for his service and residence ; beware of defiling the temple of the Lord ; suffer not a herd ef swinish lusts to enter therein, lest God abhor you, and cast you off for ever. When you hear these words of the institution, " This cup is the new testament in my blood ; this do in remem- brance of me ;" consider why it is called a testament ; it is because in this ordinance we have Christ's testament and latter-will sealed, wherein he leaves many a rich le- gacy to his poor friends ; and here he gives a sealed copy of his testament into every one of their hands. Quest. What are the legacies he leaves? Answ. Pardon, peace, wisdom, righteousness, sanctifi- cation, redemption, grace, and glory. Quest. But, how shall I know if I have any interest herein ? Ansic. Are you one of Christ's poor relations ? Can you claim any sibness to him by faith and regeneration ? then your name is in Christ's testament. Quest. But, how shall I be sure that the testament is in force, and will be executed ? Answ. It is become of force by the death of the Testa- tor, wlio died, and left his testament in the hands of the blessed Spirit to be executor of it, and to apply it to those the Testator appointed : yea, (blessed be God,) the Tes- tator is risen again, and lives to see the execution of it himself likewise. Quest. But, will I get all Christ's purchase and legacies just now ? Answ. You shall be infeft, and have your right secured 240 to all this great estate left by Christ's will to you ; and out of it you shall have a present maintenance, till the time appointed come when you shall enter into the full possession of the iniieritance. You are but minors yet, and not fit to be intrusted with it; but it is secured in good hands for you till you come to full age. In the mean time you hear tlie dying Testator leaves a charge upon you, to "do this in remembrance of him:'' Think on him and his love to you : think what he has contrived, what he has promised, what he has done, wiiat he is still doing, and what he is about to do for you ; remember him who remembered you in your lowest estate, and is still remembering you ; remember him that is coming again quickly in the clouds, to meet you, take you home to his palace, and put you in possession of all. He commands you to show his death till he come again. When you hear of his coming again, consider what a glorious coming and glad meeting that will be. O be- liever ! you now see Christ only through these elements by an eye of faith, but then you shall see him by an eye of immediate vision, you shall see him even as he is; and O how mightily surprised will you be at the sight! You will say as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon, ' The half was not told me concerning his glory, when I was in my own country ;' but, " behold a greater than Solomon is here." Before you rise from the table you may think on Eli- jah's cake baken on the coals, and his cruise of water, in the strength of which meat he we*it forty days and/orty nights, till lie came to Horeb, the mount of God, 1 Kings xix. 6, 8. Think how much more substantial, durable, and nourishing the food is that thou hast been partaking of, and bless God for it. Elijah is twice there wakened to take a double meal ; and so ought you to rouse up and provoke your spiritual appetite to take another morsel ere you go : you should feed plentifully at Christ's table. It is a virtue to be a holy glutton at this feast : you know not if ever you get another feast like this till you come to the mount of God above ; this may be your last com- munion here, and the last time you shall drink of the fruit of the vine in this manner ; take a large fill to strengthen your soul for your journey, you know not what blasts and storms may blow in the way ; you have a siege to hold out, take in provisions here ; you iiave a 241 voyage to go, see that you victual your ship ; death will try, and put all yonr graces to it. Tlie wisest vir- gins have no graces to spare at the coming of the Bride- groom : what storms of temptations and difficulties do many poor saints meet with on a death-bed ! It is with much ado they put safe into the harbour at last. O then gather manna while it is falling, for your gathering time may be short ! Consider, that while you are at the table, you are near Christ, your Physician ; tlierefore be sensible of your maladies, and look up to him with your finger on your sore, and cry with the Psalmist, Psalm xli. 4. " Lord, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee." Now the balm of Gilead is among my hands, and it will be sad if. I should miss a cure. The blood of Christ that hath healed thousands, is now at hand ; O let not my plagues continue with me ! O let a drop of that precious blood light on my cold, dead, and hard heart, that some heat, life, and softness, maybe begot and preserved therein. You are come to Christ on a good day, when he is on a throne of grace, with a sceptre of mercy in his hand ; see tiiat you make all yonr wants known to him. A feasting time is a time of granting requests. " What is thy petition, and what is thy request. Queen Esther?" said King Ahasuerus at the banquet of wine. So saith King Jesus to the worthy communicant at this royal feast, " What is thy petition, and what is thy request? What will ye that I shall do unto you ?" as Christ asked the blind man. Matt. 30c. .32. Let your requests be like those of the Psalmist, " Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God ; lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep tiie sleep of death," Psal. xiii. 3. " Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee," Psal. cxix. 175. " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and 1 shall be whiter than snow," Psal. li. 7. " Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit," Psal. li. 12 — Or you may put up some of the spouse's petitions at this time, " Draw me, we will run after thee," Cant, i. 4. " Awake, O north wind, come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his plea- sant fruits," Cant. iv. 16. " Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or a young hart on the mountains of spices," Cant. vii. 14. 242 O communicant! thou art near a crucified Christ when at the table, as the penitent thief was near to him when on the cross ; he got mercy from Christ when he sought it, and so may you, if you seek it with the same frame of spirit. Cry, ' Lord, look on a poor sinner at thy table, as thou didst on him that hung by thy cross. " Lord, remember me, now thou art in thy kingdom." Thy wounds are open now ; Lord, shelter me in them. Thy blood is running fresh ; O bathe my diseased soul in this fountain, that I may be whole for ever.' So much for the second head of directions. I now proceed to the third head. CHAPTER in. CONCERNING A COMMUNICANT'S BEHAVIOUR AFTER PAR- TAKING, AND WHEN THE COMMUNION-SABBATH IS OVER. In discoursing this head, I propose to do these following things: L To give some directions concerning your de- portment when rising and going from the Lord's table. 2. Concerning your carriage when you go home to your closets and retiring places. 3. Concerning your behavi- our and conversation in the world, when all the work is over. SECTIONAL Containing Directions concerning your Deportment when Rising and Going from the Lord's Table. Believers are sometimes ready to say, " It is good for us to be here, let us build tabernacles," and dwell still. But this table, though it be satisfying, is not lasting ; though the meal be sweet, it is short; ' All things here below are transitory, and communions are passing things with the rest.' You must rise and go down from the mount, and return to the world, and travel in the wilder- ness again ! ' Oh !' may the believer say, ' and must I rise and go back to that unsatisfying and soul-starving world again ! What shall I do there if my Redeemer go not along with me? Lord, take me by the hand, lead 243 me, uphold me, and be thou still with rue ; and at last brin^ me to that endless feast thou hast prepared for thy people above, where I may ever lie in thy bosom, under the uninterrupted beams of thy smiling' and cheerful countenance, and for ever feed my hungry soul on thy blessed self, without the help of symbols or sacraments, and where the guests will never be called to rise from that glorious table any more.' Quest. What is that frame and disposition of soul that we slioidd have in rising and going from the Lord's table ? Answ. With respect to that, observe the following di- rections : You ought to rise and go from the table, I. In a wondering and admiring frame: continue to wonder at the love of God in giving his beloved Son to die a cursed death for us. Though he loved him most dearly, yet he wounded him most deeply, that his precious blood might stream forth and save us. Hence it is said, Isa. liii. 10, "It pleased the Lord to bruise him." Junius reads it, Valde delectatus est; i.e. He was exceedingly delighted in it. Strange ! other parents, whose love to their children is nothing in comparison of the Father's love to Christ, do follow their children to their graves with many tears, especially when they die violent deaths; but the infinite God delighted in the painful and bloody death of his only Son, because it tended to the salvation of believers ; he willingly gave his own dear Son to die a shameful and cursed death, that you might live a glori- ous and blessed life for ever. O what manner of love was this ! And what art thou, O believer, that thou shouldst be the object of this love more than others ? By nature thou art mean as the worm, vile as the mire, black as hell, and a child of wrath even as others ; and thou hadst now been wallowing in sin with the worst of the world, if free grace had not renewed thee; nay, thou hadst been roaring in hell at this hour, if free grace had not reprieved thee. Look about thee, and see others re- fused when thou art chosen, others polluted when thou art sanctified, others put off with comiuon gifts, when thou hast special grace. Though you and they per- haps sat together in the same desk hearing the word, or at the same table receiving the sacrament, yet free grace came and made the difference, " One is taken and the other left." Here is matter for your admiration. 244 The consideration of this free love and distinguishing mercy (»f God should make thee say, witii David, "Lord, what am I, and vphat is my house, that thou hast brought me hitliprto ? What is man that thou art mindful of him?" and what am I, the worst of men, that thou shouldst be thus mindful of me ? O how did JVIephibosheth ad- mire David's kindness, when he spake familiarly with him and said, "Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually," 2 Sam. ix. 7. Observe his answer, ver. 8, " What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am ?" But surely, O believer ! thou hast much more reason to say so, and wonder that such a mean creature should sit at the table of the great God, and be honoured to feast with himself. Lord, what am I, that thou shouldst have noticed the like of me ! I better de- served to have been howling among the dogs without the door, than to be set in and feasted among thy friends; I better deserved to have been sent roaring to hell with devils, than to be set at the table to rejoice with thy children. Lord, when thou wast pleased to look on me with an eye of pity, and embrace me in the arirfs of thy tender mercy, thou mightest justly have spurned my guilty soul into hell, saying, " Depart from me, I know you not." What a wonderful mercy is it, that I, who have forfeited all mercies, and deserved such a sentence as that in Jer. ix. 15, to be fed with wormwood, and to have the water of gall to drink, should nevertheless have the flesh of the Son of God given me to be my meat, and his blood to be my drink. The Lord Jesus might justly have said unto me, as in Zech. xi. 9. " I will not feed you ; that which dieth let it die ; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off." But, O how tender are his bowels, how compassionate his heart ! Rather than my soul should starve, he is content to be slain, that his flesh might become my food. H. Rise and go from the table in a thankful and prais- ing frame. Thankfulness well becomes this eucharistical feast, which is mainly designed as a thanksgiving to God for redeeming love. On this occasion you ought to "bless God in the congregations, even the Lord from the foun- tain of Israel," Psal. Ixviii. 26. Now you should " siir up your souls, and all that is within you, to bless his holy name," with the Psalmist, Psal. ciii. 1, 2, 3. Now you should, with the angels, sing, " Glory to God in the 245 highest," that there is " on earth peace, and good will towards men," Luke ii. 14. Now you should, with John, sing praise " to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Rev. i. 5. '• O !" may tiie worthy communicant say, " How shall I mention the loving-kindnesses and praises of the Lord, according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses, and according to all he hath bestowed on me, and his great goodness to the house of Israel ?" O that J could pro- claim thy love to all the world, and make the whole earth ring with thy praises! O that I could sing praises to him that loved me ; to him that made the w(»rld. and fur- nished it so richly for me to dwell in ; to him that made my body so wonderfully, and gave me a soul so capable to serve and enjoy him ; to him that remembered me in my low estate, that laid aside his glory, took on my na- ture, and paid my debt on the cross ; to him who sent his Spirit to quicken me, dead in my sins ; that opened mine eyes, bowed my will, and turned me from darkness to light ; to him who forgives my iniquities, heals my diseases, redeems my life from destruction, and crowns me with loving-kindness ; to him that hath endured for me many slights, put up with many affronts, and waited on me with infinite patience ; even " to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests to God his Father," a note the angels themselves cannot sing ; and " to him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, be glory, majesty, and dominion, now and for evermore. O give thaidis unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy en- dureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord ? Who can show forth all his praise ? Now blessed be his name for ever ; let the whole earth be filled with his glory !" And, O believer ! remember that you only begin this duty of singing praise in this world, for eternity itself will not end it : endless eternity will he short enough for this glorious work of praise. You ought to be ac- quainting yourself much with this work while here, that you be not a stranger to it hereafter. Resolve, with David, not only to begin it, but to persist aifd hold on in it also, Psal. cxlv. 2. " Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever ;" as if he had M 246 said, I will begin it now, and do it every day while here, in hopes that 1 will spend a whole eternity in it hereafter. Again he says, Psal. cxlvi. 2. " While I live I will praise the Lord : I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." And when I have no longer being on earth, I hope to have a being in heaven, where I shall praise him lo better purpose ; and, wherein. Lord, I am deficient now in thy due praise, I will pay it hereafter in everlasting hallelujahs. O communicant! hast tliou not great ground of praise this day, that thou livest not among the Pagans, that never heard tell of Jesus Christ? that thou art not among the fallen angels, for whom a sacrifice was never provided ? that thou art not among the damned in hell, who are without the reach of mercy and of hearing the joyful sound ? You liave been set at a full table, when others suffer an everlastiiitf famine. And what will you render to the Lord for this distin- guishing love and undeserved goodness ? I have good ground to caution you against unthankfulness, as Moses did the Israelites upon the view of their entry into Ca- naan, Deut. viii. 10, IL " When you have eaten and are full, forget not to bless the Lord for the good land that he hath given you," that you have a Goshen on earth and the prospect of a Canaan above ; bless him for a land of light that you dwell in, and for the rich table that he covers for you ; bless God for a sacrament day, for it is one of the days of heaven ; it is a day that you ought highly to prize, and to praise God for. They that know the worth of this day could wish, with Joshua, that the sun stood still upon it, that it might be lengthened out for their enjoying communion with God : but, in a spe- cial manner, they would wish, with Joshua, that the sun stood still this day and sliined, that, with Joshua, they might get a more full revenge on their enemies, viz., their lusts, these cursed Canaanites, that remain still in the land. in. You ought to go from this table in the eunuch's frame, who, after his sealing a covenant with God, " went on his way rejoicing," Acts viii. 39. God's people are frequently in scripture called " to rejoice and be glad in the Lord ;" and, to be sure, there is not a more fit season for it than now, when he hath been mak- ing such a glorious discovery of that great love where- with he loved them. A man that is condemned for a 247 crime, and ready to be execute, O what joy hath he when he receives his pardon. And, should not believers re- joice in God, wlio here receive the atonement, and are, as it were, brought back again from the gibbet, by the mercy of God in Christ ? There are two things you ought to rejoice in : 1*^, In God; 2d, In his ways. As to the^V*^, it is the duty of a covenanted people to rejoice in tlieir covenanted God. With what joy doth Zaccheus entertain Christ, when he closed a bargain with Iiim, Luke xix. 6 ; and likewise the jailor, Acts vi. 34. And, to be sure, whenever the babe of the new man is formed in the soul, it will leap for joy. It is most rea- sonable that Christ should have a joyful welcome into the soul. God not only commands and presses this joy, as in Psal. V. 11. Joel ii. 23. Phil, iii. Land iv. 4 ; but be affords the greatest grounds for it. God the Father gives himself to us as a portion ; his Son to be our Sa- viour : his well-ordered covenant as a never-failing spring of consolation ; his Holy Spirit to be our Comforter ; his influences to blow up this holy flame of joy; his graces of faith, liope, and love, to breed and feed it; his ordi- nances to maintain and increase it ; and particularly, the Lord's Supper is a spiritual feast instituted for clieering the soul ; for, after it, we see that Christ and his disciples sang a hymn. What ground of joy have believers in their covenanted Redeemer, in his love, in his victories, and in his pur- chase ! What ground of joy in his person and natures ! In God incarnate they may see heaven and earth con- joined, God and human nature eternally married toge- ther, and themselves very nearly related to God. O believer ! he is bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh, and has a fellow-feeling of your infirmities; and is not this matter of joy ? Wliat ground of joy have you in the attributes of God, which are all engaged for you, and become yours by covenant ? The thoughts of God may be sweet to you as to the Psalmist, Psal. civ. 34. The thoughts of God are a terror to the wicked, but everyone of his attributes may be a cordial to you, yea even the most terrible of tliem : his justice, that before stood witii a flaming sword, to keep you out of paradise, doth now turn an M 2 248 advocate to plead for your happiness, 1 John i. 9. Justice is come over to your side, and pleads for your pardon and discharge, since Christ your Surety has paid tlie debt ; and for the crown of glory to you, since he hath laid down the price. His goodness and mercy afford you great matter of joy. Why ? for he is good, so he doth good, and will let his people want nothing that is good for them ; he will hear their cry, pity them in danger, and he a strong- hold to them in the day of trouble. And, when you meet with mercies and comforts, you may receive them as tokens of his special love : they come to you wrapt up in the bowels of Christ, a right in his blood, and so are doubly sweet. When you get a deliverance from any distress, you may say as Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 17. " Thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption." O believer ! all thy mercies are covenanted to thee, which may make them sweet to thy taste; that word in Eccl. ix. 7. belongs to thee, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for now God accepteth thy works." Every morsel of bread thou eatest comes from thy Father's hand, sweetened in the blood of Christ, and is an earnest of greater and better things laid up for thee. God's wisdom and faithfulness may rejoice thy heart. He is a skilful Physician ; he ponders our case, weighs our necessity, and knows how to prescribe sometimes bitter potions, and sometimes cheering cordials; he knows how to time our blessings and our crosses also. O cove- nanted soul! it may be sweet to thee to think that all thy afflictions, as well as mercies, are the fruit of infinite wisdom and faithfulness ; yea, thy being within the co- venant alters the nature and property of thy crosses, and makes them become good and medicinal to thee ; thou art now to look on them as mercies covenanted and pro- mised to thee. When his children transgress, he will visit them with the rod. " In faithfulness hast thou af- flicted me," saith the Psalmist. O what comfort may this bring thee, when thou considerest that all thy afflic- tions are an article of the covenant, the effect of God's love, and a fruit of Christ's purchase ; so that you may say of every rod you meet with, " The Lord sees I want this, otherwise I should not be exercised with it ; my covenanted God and Father knows that this, and no less 249 than this, is needful for me : What am I, that he should be so mindful of me ?" You may rejoice in the almightiness of God. He hath an arm that is full of power, that can easily level your spiritual Goiiahs, pull down Satan's strongholds, and make good his promises. You may rejoice in his immutability. He is unchange- able in his love, and in his covenant. Mutable creatures change their respects, and break their leagues and cove- nants, but God's covenant is indissolvable ; for he is en- gaged for our part as well as his own, Jer. xxxii. 40. believer, God hath promised both for himself and thee ; as you may farther see in Heb. xiii. 3, compared with Jer. xxxi. 9, and 2 Tim. i. 12. If once in the co- venant, thou art always in it: you may sing that sweet song, Psal. xlviii. 14. " For this God is our God for ever and ever ; he will be our guide even unto death ;" yea, likewise in death and over death. That which dis- solves the marriage-covenant among men, will not dis- solve this ; adultery will not do it : for God saith, " Though you have played the harlot with many lovers, yet return unto me Turn, ye backsliding children, for 1 am married unto you." Death cannot dissolve it; yea, it brings you nearer to your covenanted God, where you shall ever rejoice in his presence. Thougii death I'obs worldly men of their poor liappiness, and hungry heaven; yet it doth no harm to you ; nay, when you find death begin to assault your tabernacle of clay, you may "lift up your head with joy; for behold the day of your redemp- tion draweth nigh." You may sing with the Psalmist, Psal. Ixxiii. 26. " My flesh and heart faileth ; but God is tlie strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." What though my eye and my heart-strings be ready to break, and the lamp of my life be like a candle burnt to the socket, and near the going out ; yet still God is my God and portion for ever. Thus Olevian, a dying saint, comforted himself: "My hearing is gone, my smelling is gone, my siglit is going, and my speech is almost gone, but the loving-kindness (»f God shall never depart from me." When the worldling's portion is gone, yours re- mains sure to you ; lose what you will, you cannot lose that. Good cause had Habakkuk to say, Hab. iii. 17, 18. " Akliough the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, &c., yet I will rejoice in the 250 Lord, and joy iti the God of my salvation." O believer! the more you view your portion, you will find the more ground of rejoicing therein ; for in God you have all tilings you need, and all things you can desire, yea, more than " eye hath seen, ear heard, or heart Ccin conceive." But, Secondly. As you ought to go from tliis ordinance rejoicing in God, so likewise in the ways of God ; and, like Jehoshaphat, you onght to have your hearts " lift up in the ways of the Lord." Put on holy resolutions to proceed with zeal, delight, and alacrity in the ways of God's commandments : your hearts should now be en- larged to run and sing in iiis ways, and go about every duty with pleasure, steadfastly resist every sin, and especially the sin that hath most easily beset you, your predominant sin, your beloved idol. Abhor both out- ward and inward sins; flee drunkenness, uncleanness, swearing, lying, ciieating, Sabbath-breaking, &c. Keep God's Sabbaths, and delight therein; make religion your main work, and make conscience of heart-holiness; study to live near Christ, make much use of him, and con- stantly depend on him for righteousness and strength ; study to perform the duties both of the first and second table; carefully observe family-duties and secret prayer: in a word, go on cheerfully in all the ways of piety and devotion, and especially in those duties wherein com- munion and correspondence with God is to be obtained and kept up. Go on joyfully in the ways of justice and honesty, meekness and peace, temperance and sobriety, charity and beneficence, humility and self-denial ; and trust in your covenanted God for covenant-strength, and furniture for every good word and work. IV. In going from tiie Lord's table, you ought to mix your joy and praises with a holy fear and trembling : and you have great cause for this, when you consider, L Your manifold shortcomings in this solemn approach to God. Surely your souls were not cleansed according to the pu- rification of the sanctuary, your preparation was defective in tiie sight of God. Have you not cause to be ashamed that your hearts were not more deeply affected with the great sights presented to your view, and the glorious tilings put in your offer? Have you not ground to be humbled for the coldness of your hearts, the waverings of 251 your minds, the deadness of your spirits, and carnality ot your affections, wlien you were about this heavenly and spiritual work? Alas! for the weakness of our graces, the inconstancy of our frames, and the manifold infirmities which cleave to our best performances ! Had we no more sin to answer for but the iniquities of our holy things, they would be too heavy for us to bear. Let us be hum- bled under the sense of them, and look to our great High Priest to make atonement for them. 2. You have cause to be humbled, and fear, considering the manifold dangers you are exposed to, and the enemies you are environed with, who are never more busy than after a sacrament and our being admitted to nearness with God. Christ, immediately after his baptism, and the solemn manifesta- tion he had from heaven, was led away to be " tempted of the devil," Matt. iv. 1. And it was after the Lord's supper that Christ told his disciples that Satan desired to have them, that he might sift them as wheat, Luke xxii. 31. It was after Paul was rapt up to the third heaven, that he was in danger of being exalted above measure, or puft up with pride, and therefore had a messenger of Sa- tan sent to buffet him, 2 Cor. xii. Have you got any thing of the riclies of Christ and the treasures of heaven at this ordinance? then look well to yourselves that you lose it not, for the devil is going about seeking to rob you thereof. Therefore be not lifted up or secure, but be humble and watchful, and walk circumspectly. SECTION IL Containing Directions hoiv to behave when you go home to your closets and places. Think not your work over on a communion Sabbath, when you are come home from the church ; but, as soon as possible, retire, 1. For prayer. You should be more bent upon prayer now than ever. The Psalmist, when Goil had dealt kindly with him, resolves therefore tiiat he will call upon God as long as he lived, Psal. cxvi.2. This is a strange return he would give God for fcu'mer favours; he would go and beg new favours from him, and lie the more closely about his hand ; 1 will love God and love prayer the bet- 232 ter all my days. This is not the manner of men, Imt God is delighted with such a return. Quest. But what shall we pray for now? can God give more than what he hath given us in the sacrament. Answ. Though God hath here given you the seal of the covenant, and a right to all its privileges and promises, yet he will be inquired of hy you for the particular ap- plication and accomplishment of them ; you must put God to his word, and pray with the Psalmist, Psal. cxix. 49. " Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. Be it to thy servant according to thy word." Again, you should pray that God may continue and preserve any good frame or tenderness of heart, spiritual motions and resolutions, or any warmness of affections and desires, that have been wrought in you by this ordinance, for our hearts are ready to cool, and our goodness to evanish " like the morning cloud and the early dew ;" you have need therefore to pray with David, 1 Chron. xxix. 18. " Lord, keep this for ever in the ima- gination of the thoughts of my heart;" and Psal. Ixviii. 28. " Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us." Your hearts are naturally deceitful, and your feet bent to backsliding ; pray, as in Psal. xvii. 3. " Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slide not." You have no strength in yourselves to keep the promises and perform the vows to the Lord which you have made : therefore, beg from your covenanted God that he may furnish you for every good word and work ; for "it is he that worketh in you both to will and to do." II. Self-examination is a duty most necessary on the back of this solemn ordinance, as well as before it. Re- view your carriage at it, that so you may be humbled for defects, or thankful for attainments ; cast up your ac- counts, and see what you have gained at this great gos- pel-market. Will you not be as wise for your souls, as you are wise for your bodies? Were you at a market, trading for the things of this world, you would take this course after you had come from it ; hut, O " what will it profit you though you gain the whole world, if you should lose your souls ?" There are two things you should carefully search into when you come front the Lord's table: 1. If you had sincerity in covenanting with God ; 2. If you had his gracious presence with you in this ordinance. 253 Quest. 1. How shall I know if I have sincerely trans- acted with God at his tabln, and if he hath taken me into the bond of his covenant ? Ansio. It is of great consequence for you to know this, for it is not every one that externally receiveth the seal of God's covenant, that is really taken into the bond of it. Many thousands deceive themselves in this manner. You may discover all yonr sincerity in covenanting, by review- ing the frame and condition your souls were in when you were about it, and by considering the frame and disposi- tion they are in now. I. What was the frame of your souls when you were transacting with G(»d ? 1. Were you filthy and vile in your own eyes, and deeply humbled under a sense of your own unworthiness and ill- deserving ; so that you were made to say with the centurion, from the bottom of your heart, " Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof:" I have live things despised ; but the least crumb of grace is to be noticed, and received with thankfulness ; and this is the way to get more. We are not to judge of our profiting in duty, and of our gaining by ordinances, by our present feeling and re- ceiving of sensible comforts : for the souls of God's people may be in a thriving- state of grace, even when they are much cast down and sharply exercised. Let us then seriously reflect upon our conmiunicating, and see if we can say, tliat our hearts were single and sincere in the performance oT the duty, and in onr covenanting with God, and if we continue steadfast with God therein; this may administer ground of cotnfort to us upon our after- reflection, though our souls were not lifted up with joy and comfort in the lime of performance. God looks not so much to people's sudden fits of passion, or flashes of aflFection, as he doth to the steady bent and tendency of a sincere soul. Let none, then, go from tiiis ordinance with any harsh thoughts of Ciirist, or at all give credit to those evil re- ports that Satan and our wicked hearts would bring upon his good ways ; but let us still love and praise him, and speak to the commendation of his grace and bounty, what- ever way he take iti dealing with us. Thougii we should get no more from him, surely it is great matter of praise, if he continue to strive with us by his Spirit, when he lets others fall dead asleep ; if he keep us waking and restless without him, when he suffers others to lie still in careless security; if he keeps us still hoping and wait- ing in the way of duty, when others are sunk into the gulf of despair. Whoever they be that sincerely trust in God's mercy, their hearts shall at last rejoice in his salvation, Psal. xiii. 15. Secondly. As to the second sort of communicants be- 261 fore mentioned, namely, those of God's people, who can- not but acknowledge, to the praise of free grace, that they have been kindly dealt with at his table, they have been privileged with special manifestations of God's love and favour at this holy ordinance. Well then, O believers ! hath the Lord distinguished you from others at this occasion ? Hath lie taken you into his banqueting-honse, and dealt bountifnlly with your souls ? Hath he feasted you with the goodness of his house, and allowed you his gracious presence, and the special intimations of his love ? Then, to be sure, you are under the highest obligations of love and gratitude to him : God looks for more at your hands than others. Be careful to give him suitable returns, a id improve what you have got to his glory. And for that end I shall give you the following advices : I. Delight and solace yourselves in his presence: say as in Psalm cxvi. " Return to thy rest, O my soul : for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." Make Christ's love and favour the beloved centre of your soul. How much did Peter solace himself in that manifestation of Christ's love and glory he had on the mount of trans- figuration ? " It is good for us (saith he) to be here. Let us build three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias." Not a word of building one for himself : he was so satisfied and delighted with the glory he saw in Clirist, that he was content to be with- out doors to behold it ; neither cold nor rain could make him faint or weary. II. Is Christ come into your soul ? take care to enter- tain him suitably, and attend him duly; wander not from his presence, but keep close by him, and follow hard after him, that you may be able to say with the Psalmist, " I am continually with thee ; I will lie down with thoughts of him at night, and when I awake I will be still with him." Beware of any thing that may be uneasy to him : it is a pity that such a blessed guest should meet with any disturbance, or be smoked out of the house by sin : O then lay a strict charge on all your lusts, corruptions, and worldly thoughts, to depart, that they " stir not up nor awake your beloved till he please;" according to Cant, ii. 7. III. Earnestly entreat him to stay with you: say, ' Lord, be not as a wayfaring man, that turns aside to 262 lodge for a night, or a short time ; but be thou my con- stant guest. And, when he hints to go away, strive to detain and hold him by prayer, as Abraham did Christ, Gen. xviii. 3. " My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant ;" and, with the two disciples going to Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 27, say, " Lord abide with us ; for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent;" and it is said, " They constrained him, and he went to tarry with them." In like manner plead with Christ, ' Lord, it is towards night, and I know not what a black cloud is coming on me or the churcli : I need thy strengthening presence before-hand ; Lord, stay with me a while ; I know not how far I may go, and what storms I may meet with ere I gel such another meal.' IV. Set conscience to the watch-tower of thy soul, charge it to keep its post, and strictly examine all that go out and all that come in, what thoughts go out from the heart, and what temptations are seeking to come in: and when lusts come in knocking at the gate, seeking entrance into the heart, answer them according to that word, Ezek. xliv. 2, 3. It is for the Prince ; the Lord God hath en- tered in by it, therefore it shall be shut: it shall be patent to none but Christ. O it is sad when conscience falls asleep, suffers an enemy to come up to the gates, and enter into the city, without giving warning. Charge conscience then to watch and give a timeous warning against every lust and temptation, against every declining of affections, or backsliding of heart, and against every wrong or un- tender step that may blot your evidences, or darken your sky ; for though a believer cannot lose his salvation, yet he may lose the joy of his salvation, Psal. li., and be left to grope in the dark, and in a most uncomfortable state, without sun or stars appearing to him for many days. V. Delight to think on Christ. Let your meditation of him be sweet ; remember him on your bed, and medi- tate on him in the night-watches ; let him lie as a bundle of myrrh all night between y(»ur breasts, i. e. in your heart. Carry him up and down in your thoughts all the day ; mind what a view you got of Christ at his own table, think on what he has done and suffered; what a sea of wrath, what a sea of blood, a sea of tears, a sea of suf- ferings and sorrows, he did wade through to bring re- demption and pardon to you. If we rightly considered 263 what cost and pains Christ had been at for us, we might wonder how he should be one whole hour together out of his people's minds : O what a shame it is to forget him ! We see a worldly man doth not weary to think of his money, lands, buildings, and plantings, for a whole day or a week to an end ; but, alas ! we weary to think on precious Ciirist and heaven for an hour or two. O let us lament this plague, and beseech our blessed Phy- sician to cure it. VI. The more you see of Christ and his beauty, be still desirous of further discoveries of it ; if you have shared of this holy feast, you will find it both satisfies and begets an appetite. No doubt Moses was ravished with divine contemplations through the forty days he conversed with God on the mount ; yet after he comes down from it, he still longs for more, and cries, Exod. xxxiii. 18, " I beseech thee, show me thy glory." In like manner thirst and pray for further discoveries of the King in his beauty. VII. Take pleasure in commending Christ to others, and showing what a lovely Saviour and choice Master he is ; invite them to come, and taste, and see that God is good. Let his name be sweet and savoury to you : de- light in mentitmingit. How sweet was his name to Paul. For, in 1 Cor. i.and the first thirteen verses of that chap- ter, he mentions his name no less than twelve times ; he could never get enough of that sweet name Jesus, that rings with salvation : he sometimes there mentions it twice in one verse. VIII. Remember that Satan envies you, and eyes you as a pirate doth a richly laden ship, and will do what he can, either to rob ycm of your treasure, or give you a troublesome voyage ; you may expect trials on the back of this feast, and it may be from hands that ye would little expect ; but resolve, whatever temptations come or winds do blow, that you will cleave to your Master, and never weary of his work and service ; say to him, as the Hebrew servant to his master, Deut. xv. 16, " I will not go away from thee, because 1 love thee and thine house, and because I am well with thee." I am sure, O belie- ver ! thou hast far better reason to say so than any else ; there is no drudgery in Christ's service ; you have the best Master, the best work, and the best wages : have you not found him kind to you at this time ? Will you 264 erer forget it ? You have at this time eaten plentifully of his bread ; O do not lift up the heel against him ! never betray him, nor give a wound to his interest any more. IX. Be much concerned for his glory, and for the ad- vancement of his kingdom. Pity those who are strangers to him, and pray for them ; send portions to them for whom nothing is provided ; pity others who have not won your length, and put in a word for them, pray for a crumb to them from that full table at which you have been feeding so plentifully. X. Hath Christ been dealing more kindly with you than others ? Then he expects you will do more for him than others, Mat. v. 47, He hath done singular things for you; see that you do singular things for him ; carry as becomes his peculiar people. Be not content with common mercies, or such portions as bastards may have ; be not content with common gifts, graces, and attainments, such as hypocrites may have; be not content with common conversations ; live not as the men of the world, whose hearts are set on things below ; but live above the world, have your feet where other men's heads are ; show so much humility, mortification, patience, heavenliness, and charity in your walk, that the world may not only take notice that you have been with Jesus, but that you design to lodge and live eternally with him. Live not accord- ing to common examples, but set Christ and iiis saints before you for patterns ; and, whatever others do about you, resolve to stand for Christ, though it were alone ; say with Joshua, " As for me and my house, we will serve our covenanted God." XI. Labour to keep still up a lively and spiritual frame of soul, and beware of losing what you have ; be sensible that you are not able to maintain it, more than to beget it; you have many enemies seeking to rol) you of it; walk with a holy suspicion and jealousy, as a traveller, having much money about liim, suspects every one he meets for a thief. Delight in Christian fellowship ; one live coal helps both to kindle others and to keep them burning, Heb. x. 24, 23. " Let us consider one another, to provoke to love and good works ; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another." Again, be tender and circumspect in your walk, for a tender walk keeps up a 265 tender frame. Beware of tlie cares of the world and earthly-mindedness ; for if you thrust a knife into the earth, it blunts its edge. Frequent sacramental occasions and those heart- warnnng- ordinances wliicli God hath ap- pointed for your soul's advantage, call your hearts fre- quently to account : say, O my soul ! how is it with thee now? Time was when lliou hadst a good frame, good motions, and desires ! What is become of you now ? Such a chamber, such a place in the field, such a kirk or communion-table, can witness the meltings of thy heart, and flowings of thy affections towards Christ and things above : Where are they now? But, above all, be much in secret prayer, and in the exercise of faith on Christ the fountain of life : intrust your hearts and frames to his keeping, who is your great Friend and Surety : be- lievinglysay with the Psalmist, " Lord, be surety for thy servant for good ; into thy hands, O Lord, 1 commit my spirit : for thou hast redeemed me, O God of truth :" let thy everlasting arms be underneath me, and hold up my goings. Plead for the constant supplies of his Spirit, that he who is as the dew of Israel, may afford oil to your chariot wheels, and wind to your empty sails. You have need to watch and pray, for Satan is still going about: tliis old crooked serpent can win himself in at a very narrow hole; he hath many cold frost winds to freeze up your aftections,manydeceitful charms to lull youasleep: you may sleep, but he never sleeps. O communicant ! watch : for if he find you asleep, he will soon steal away the living child, and lay a dead one in its room ; God save you from this dead sleep. XI L Have you tasted of God's goodness at this occa- sion? Sit not down satisfied in what you have got: but let it excite in you earnest longings for heaven, where the full feast is. These are but the foretastes and first-fruits of the promised land, sent to wean your hearts from the world, and sharpen your desires after the Canaan that is above, where these first-fruits do grow and are fully ripe. A communion- Sabbath is the likest thing we have in the world, to that everlasting Sabbath that is above : but how small are the comforts of the lower table, if compared with the higher table ? What is a sacrament-feast here, to the marriage-Supper of the Lamb? What is drink- ing of the fruit of the vine here, to the drinking of it new M-ith Christ in his Father's kingdoai, where the glorious 266 I heavens will be the room, and heavenly hosts the attend- ants ? Here we feed on Christ by symbols and sacra- ments, and have but bad appetites, but there they enjoy and see him as he is; here are many traitors and un- worthy communicants, that thrust tliemselves in among the children, but there no Judas, unfurnished guest can come, nor any thing that can impair the glory of that feast. What is the singing of psalms here to the music of angels there? Had you been with the shepherds, Luke ii. and seen the angels, and heard the multitude of the heavenly host praising God, saying, " Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will towards men," you would never have forgot that glorious sight and sound: but O that is little to what you shall see and hear above. The greatest manifestations of God here below are but a faint shadow of the beatific vision above. When Moses was talking a little with God in the mount, and saw his back-parts from the clefts of the rock, it made his face so glorious, that the people could not behold it without a vail ; but, O how will Moses' face and all about him shine now ! It was little that he saw then, to what he sees now and what we (if believers) will see ere long. Peter was so transported on the mount with a sight of Christ's transfiguration, and Moses and Elias talking with him, that he was in an ecstasy of admiration, and said, " Master, it is good for us to be here, let us build taber- nacles ;" q. d. let us dwell still here, and not go down to yon vain empty world again ; here's better company and purer delights. But O iiow much more is Peter ravished with wonder now ! This was but a small part of that glory which Peter and the saints above see there. O believers ! you ouglit on a communion-day to get up to the mount of meditation, as Moses did to Mount Nebo, and view this promised land ; and as you see it, you ought to long for it, and also " rejoice in hope of the glory of God ;" and say, ' O shall I ere long join with that one hundred and forty thousand that follow the Lamb? Shall I bear a part in that heavenly comfort ? Shall all tears be wiped from my eyes ? Shall my poor dying body be turned into a glorious star ? Shall 1 be for ever with the Lord, and drink of the rivers of plea- sures that run clear as crystal alongst the banks of eter- nity, and whose streams make glad the city of God ? 267 And shall not my henrt leap for joy at the prospect of it? The night is far spent, the day is at hand, the sun is at the rising, and will not a heliever rejoice in the hope of it!' The wise men, when they but saw the star that point- ed out where Christ was, yet it is said, " thev rejoiced with exceeding great joy," Mat. ii. 10. But, O believing communicant! thou wilt shortly *ee the Star of Jacob, namely Christ himself, who is the " bright morning Star," shining in his glory ; and will not that cause far more joy to thee? If the disciples returned from the sepulchre with great joy, when they but got the news that Christ was risen from the dead, what joy will it be to thee, to see him risen and reigning in his gh)ry, and thyself rais- ed from the grave to reign eternally witli him ? Well, then, let a communion-day, and the comforts of it, put thee in mind of that happy state, and raise suitable desires and affections in thee towards it, and make thee long, and say, ' Lord, these joys are too great to enter into me now: O make me fit to enter into them !' Lastly. As far as time and strength can allow, the evening of a communion- Sabbath should be spent in secret and family duties. I acknowledge our frail bodies may be much fatigued by our long attendance, intenseness, and abstinence this day ; but, O if we could say this even- ing, and particularly ministers and elders, who liad great- er work this day upon their hands than others, that though we may be weary with our work, yet we are not weary of this work : for it is Christ's work, which is both pleasant and profitable, and carries its own reward in its bosom. And since your bodies must be refreshed this night, and you must entertain some fellowship with others, there ought to be a more divine and heavenly air upon your conversations at this time than ordinary: let your car- riage and discourse be such as becomes tiiose who h.ave been on the mount this day witli God, that others may take notice of you, that you iiave been with .Jesus. When you see the table covered this night, or supper set upon it, you may think or say, ' Now I am come from a communion-table to a communion-table ; from tasting of the upper springs, to share of the nether springs; from feeding on manna, to eat the bread that perisheth ; how great is the ciiange of my fare ! Lord, let not this table be a snare to me, nor anywise tend to divert my 268 mind, either from the sweet table I have been at, or that blessed table above I would be at.' We may likewise take occasion to admire the infinite bounty and goodness of God to both our souls and bodies ; O what pains and cost he is at with us ! At our common-tables we see his beasts killed to maintain the life of our bodies, and at the communion-table we have seen his dear Son slain to pre- serve the life of our souls. In the last place, keep a watchful eye upon all your ihougiits and words tliis night; look well to the frames of your souls. Hath God shed abroad Ids love this day in your heart? Then keep yourselves in the love of God. Lie down this night with sweet thoughts of Clirist, fervently praying for a rich blessing upon the day's work, and for his gracious presence on the morrow, that the last day of the feast may be the greatest and sweetest. SECTION III. Containing Directions to all Communicants in general, concerning their after-conversation in the World. Remember you have been covenanting with God, and taking solemn vows on yourselves at the Lord's table ; see that your conversation be suitable hereunto. You have been admitted to great honours and special privi- leges ; see then that ye sliow your thankfulness to God, the author of your mercies, by the love of your hearts, the praises of your lips, and exemplariness of your lives. But, more particularly, observe these following directions: I. Study to be true and faithful soldiers to your Ge- neral, whose colours you have solemnly sworn to. You have come under a sacramental oath to God : see that you keep it sacred and inviolable. The Psalmist gives it as a mark of a man that will go to heaven, Psal. xv. that he keeps his oaths and promises, even though it should be to his iiurt and prejudice. How mucli more, then, should a man be careful to keep Ids oatiis and engagements he comes under to God in the sacrament, when it is greatly for his good and advantage so to do? O communicant! be faithful to the Captain of your salvation, abide by his standard, desert him not in the day of battle, go not over to his enemies' camp. Remember what he hath done and suiFered for you, and let the love of Ciirist constrain you 269 to abide with him. Plutarch tells us of the soldiers of Pompey, tliat when he could not keep them in the camp by any persuasion, yet when Pompey threw himself on the ground, saying-, ' If ye will go, ye sliall trample on your general,' it is said they were overcome, and per- suaded to stay. So your General, Ciirist, when in the garden, threw himself on the ground, wrestling in an agony, to save you from sin, and stop your career to hell : O, then, do not trample on your General, but stop your self-destroying course, and abide wiih your Saviour. We read, 2 Sam. xx. 12, that David'ssoldiers, while march- ing very fast, when they saw the dead body of Amasa, lying in the way, viz., their general wallowing in blood, they stopt their march and stood still. O communicant! though formerly thou hast been marching furiously in the ways of sin, yet when thou seest tiie mangled, wounded, pierced, and crucified body of thy Saviour before thee, thou shouldst stop thy course, and proceed no further. Oil ! do not trample on thy wounded General, do not despise his bleeding wounds, nor forget his dying love. Keep stedfastly your sacramental oath, and never act contrary to it. Beware of plotting against him, or cor- responding with traitors. Let it never be heard, that any of Christ's sworn siddiers shall either desert or betray their renowned General. If ye would be faithful soldiers to Christ your General, then carefidly obey his orders, courageously adhere to his interest, valiantly fight for his cause, manfully resist his enemies, and abide by his stand- ard to the very last. " Be thou faithful to the death, and thou shah get the crown of life," Rev. ii. 10. DIRECTION II. Study to he active and diligent in a Course of new Obe- dience, after the Sacrament. You should now walk circumspectly; be more liumble and pious towards God, more just and righteous towards man, and more sober and temperate towards yourselves. Have a sincere respect to every commanded duty; keep the Sabbath more exactly, hear more attentively, pray more fervently, meditate more frequently, and see to watch over your liearts, your words, and your ways, more diligently, that so you may please God, walk worthy of N 270 Chiist, walk worthy of the covenant, of the sacrament, of the kingdom, of the gospel and grace of God. Let your present depctrtnient be answerable to your future preferuiint ; and see that tliere be some proportion be- twixt your privileges and your duties. It should be with a man, after his communion with God in the sacrament, as it was witli Jacob after iiis comuiu- nion wiih God in Bethel, Gen. xxix. I. '* Then Jacob lift up his feet," as it is in the original, "and came into the land of the people of the East." And after Jacob had met with God, tlien he lift up his feet, i. e. he went on his journey with strength, with spirit and cheerfulness. So, after we have had fellovvsliip with God in the sacra- ment, we s!h)u1(], in the strength of that meal, lift up our feet, and go on cheerfully and res(dntely in our journey towards heaven. Nay, we slnuild, like Jehoshaphut, not only Slave our hands and feet, but also our " hearts lift up in the ways of the Lord." We should now run his er- rands most readily, sing in his ways, and serve him with alacrity. When God calls us to any duty, we should presently answer tlie first intimation of his will ; " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." O communicant! thou onghtest now to be swift to hear every one of God's calls: be like the P^almis^ Psal. xxvii. 8. " When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto tiiee. Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Though before i have negle(;ted to seek thee in public with others, and in priv;:te by u»yself, and been, alas! very negligent in the duties of thy wor- ship; yet now I will begin to read the Scriptures, praise thy name, and pray diligently, not ordy in s(fciety with ore grievous and piercing to Jesus Christ than the sins of many others. David was Jiot much troubled at Shimei's railing, hut Absalom's rebelliim pierced his very S(»ul, 2 Sam. xvi. 12. " Behold, my son whic!i came fortii of my bowels, seek- eth my life." So may Christ say, the sins of the wicked are no surprising thing, but the sins of communicants are very piercing : " He that did eat bread with nie, hath lift up the heel against me," Psal. xli 9. O believer! hath Christ delivered thee from sin and Satan, hell and wrath? and, wilt thou rebel against thy deliverer? O! wilt thou thus requite the Lord for his marvellous loving-kindness? Mayst thou not say, with the Jews, after tlieir return from the Babylonish capti- vity, Ezra ix. 13, 14. " After sncli a deliverance as this, should I again break thy commandments, wouldst thou not be angry with me, till thou hadst consumed me?" If I should again join with the wicked, and return to my old sins, O what a dreadful place in iiell might I look for ! DIRECTION IV. Keep a watchful eye, and a strong guard, against the Temptations of Satan, upon the b(,ck of a Sacrament. Satan is never more busy, nor more violent to tempt and draw men to sin, than when they are newly come from the Lord's table: Why? He is exceedingly mali- cious and hellish in his enmity against souls ; and lie knows, if he can draw them info sin upon the back of such a near approach to God, it is the way to make their sins n2 272 out of measure sinful before God, and exceedingly to widen the breach betwixt God and their souls. Look how Sennacherib dealt with Hezekiah, after he had re- formed the church, settled the worship of God, and put all in good order, 2 Chron. xxxii. 1. There it is said, " After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sen- nacherib, King of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself; in like manner doth Satan deal with communicants, after they have been at the sacra- ment, and have renewed their covenant with God, and established their resolutions against the commission of sin, and for the performance of duty ; after these tilings will the devil come witli all his forces, and encamp against tlie fenced cities, (the communicants' hearts,) and seek to win them for himself. He hath an army of stratagems, wiles, devices, snares, and temptations, always at com- mand ; and he lays many ambushments against the com- municant : Oh ! what need have we to be on our guard after such a solemn ordinance, and to labour to foresee and prevent Satan's hellish designs against us ! It were happy if we could say with the apostle, " We are not ig- norant of his devices." O communicant ! when Satan comes to tempt thee to sin after the sacrament, say, What ! vvouldst thou have me perjured before God ? Shall I, who have been at God's table, and have ate and drank with iiim, lift up my heel against him ? Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? Shall I de- file that body wherein he hath chosen to reside? Shall I force him out of his habitation by any impurity, or of- fend him by entertaining noisome thoughts, or the vile suggestions of that unclean spirit ? Shall these hands, that have received the sacred elements work deceit? Shall these eyes, that have been filled with tears at the Lord's table, be filled with lust or envy? Shall the mouth that hath drank of the consecrated wine, be full of rotten discourse? Imitate Joseph when tempted, flee with haste out of temptation's way, and say, " How shall I do this wickedness, and sin against God ?" Or say with the spouse, " I have washed my feet how shall I de- file them ?" I have washed my soul, how shall 1 pollute it with sin ? I have taken on with Christ, and how shall I turn my back on so good a master ? "Get thee behind me, Satan." 273 DIRECTION V. Study that blessed Art, of improving and feeding on the Sacrament and a crucified Jesus rejjresented thereiii, after you are gone from it. We should not only feed on Christ while at the sacra- ment, but should continue to feed on Christ, the matter «>f this feast, when the communion-table is removed. As the Israelites in the wilderness, they did not only drink of the rock when they were at it, but, after they were removed and gone from it, they still continued to drink of it. But how could that be ? Tlie apostle tells us, that " the rock followed them," 1 Cor. x. 4 ; i. e. the water that issued out of the rock followed them as they journeyed in all their stages and removes. So, when we are gone from the clefts of the rock that were streaming to us in the sacrament, we should continue to make use of these streams, and share of the virtue and efficacy of this water of life, which follows us, and streams after us all the while we are travelling in the wilderness of this world, until we come home to the heavenly Canaan. And as the streams of the rock not only followed, but also accompanied the Israelites, and run before them too, so we must have Christ with us, and depend on him every step of our journey, and likewise have our eye still upon him as our guide and leader to heaven. O that we could learn the lieavenly art of living by faith on the Son of God ; by a continued dependence on him, and making application to him for righteousness and strength: righte- ousness for removing our guilt, and justifying our per- sons before God ; and strength for performing duties, conquering lusts, and bearing of crosses ! O that we could come with our daily sins and fiollutions to a cruci- fied Jesus, and make renewed and daily application of that blood we were bathing our souls witii in the sacrament! May we still drink of the spiritual Rock, and daily find the virtue, efficacy, and benefit of the sacrament following and streaming after us while we are in the wilderness ! May we constantly meditate on the love and death of our lovely Jesus, carry the print of the nails in our hearts, and continually bear about with us the dying of the Lord Jesus, that we may look still to him, draw nourishment 274 from him, and walk on in the strengtli of the spiritual meal we have been receiving', till we come to perfection. DIRECTION VI. Endeavour to keep up a lively and lasting impression of the Vows of God upon you. Consider seriously the engagements you have come under at the sacrament : you have done like the people of Judah in Nehemiah's time, Neh. x. 29, who entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord. It is a solemn oatii, and a fearful imprecation you come under at the Lord's table, to be faithful subjects and servants to Clirist ; you swear allegiance to the King of heaven, over tiie broken body and shed blood of the Lamb of God : you imprecate upon yourselves, that a cup of wrath may be put in your hands, instead of the cup of the New Testament, if you deal falsely with God in his covenant whicii you do here seal. Now, if you perjure yourselves, consider the iiazard ; you incur not only all the curses of God's law, but the sore vengeance of his gospel also ; you not only draw down upon you the wrath of a just God, but likewise the wrath of a merciful Mediator ; and whom have you to interpose for you, if he be against you ? O communicant, if thou shouidst, like Samson, break all these bands asunder, and venture to fetch that sacri- fice awfty from the altar whicli thou hadst tied to it with such strong cords of oaths, vows, and covenants ; mayst thou not expect to bring fire from the altar along with it, that will consume thee ? There are some who remember their vows no longer than the sacrament lasts: while they are at the Lord's table, they have perhaps some sense of their obligations to serve God, and leave sin ; but when they rise and de- part from the table, tlie sense of their engagements de- parts from them. I have read of the Abyssines, that after the sacrament tiiey think it not lawful for them to spit that day till the setting of the sun. Tliis is super- stition in them, but yet their superstition will rise up in judgment against (he profane carriage of many after the sacrament. Would they not spit that day ? What 275 shall we tliink of those who so soon forget their vows, that they do not stick to spit in Christ's face on that very day they eat his bread, by their loose and nngodly prartices afterwards. There are ()thprs not quite so gross, that will lay tliem- selves under some restrictions for a day or two after the sacrament; bnt then, alas! they drop all their eng-age- mtnts, and return to their former sinful liberties. Oh ! doth the sacramental covenant bind but for a day or two ? Doth the efficacy of that solemn ordinance last no longer with you? Is not the bond thereof as strong on thy conscience the next month, or the next year, as the very day thou receivest? The sacrament of baptism is bnt once administered, and that in our infancy ; and yet we own that the baptismal vow and covenant doth bind to tlie day of our death, though we should live an hundred years. Now, is it not the same covenant and vow we renew at the Lord's supper, which we make in baptism ? Why then should not the bond in this sacra- ment be as binding and lasting as in tlie other? O communicant ! keep up always upon thy spirit a fresh sense of thy sacramental covenant ; renew the im- pressions thereof every moriung in thy secret retire- ments, and then tliou wilt be in a better case to beat oflr al! the temptations to apostasy through the day. Say still to temptations, tempt me not from my allegiance and fidelity; the vows of God are upon me, sealed at the sacrament, and recorded in heaven ; not one of my fellow- communicants but will be witnesses for G<>d, that they saw me ])ersonally afid publicly own and renew my co- venant with him ; wiierefore, fitr mv oath's sake, and those that sat with me, I will not do this evil, and sin against God. Shall I alienate atid pollute the heart so solemnly devoted to God ? Sliall I make light of my oath, turn disloyal to my King, and false to my God ? Shall I ever be so ingrate or perfidious, as forget his kindness to me, or my vows to liiin ? Shall he escape that doth such things? Or shall he break the covenant and be delivered ? Thou hast great need to pray that God may fix the lasting impression of thy vows upon thy heart ; for it is naturally deceitful, prone to forget (lod, and seek after the vanities of time. Cry with the Psalmist, Psal. cxix. 36, 37. " Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and 276 not unto covetousness ; turn away mine eyes from be- holding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way." Let me never be so eager upon the world, as to forget to re- tire to converse with my Saviour ; let me never so per- plex myself with worldly business, as to omit to pray, to meditate, to read, and sing due praises to my God. No, no ; I will say to the world and all time's things, " I am not at my own disposal : I have sworn and will perform that I will keep God's righteous judgments." O how deeply am I obliged to him that has paid my debt ! What shall I render unto the Lord ! Lord, though I can do nothing that is satisfactory, let me do something gratulatory. Christ gave himself a sin-offer- ing for me, let me give myself a thank-offering to him ; let me offer up myself a living sacrifice to my Redeemer, who offered up himself a dying sacrifice for my re- demption. DIRECTION Vn. See that you crucify Sin, after you have been seeing Christ crucified set forth before your eye in the Sacra- ment. Hath sin been so cruel as to put to death the Son of God ? See that henceforth you have no pity upon the murderer of Christ your Saviour. As Saul eyed David to kill him, so do you eye these traitors, your sins, from this day forward, to kill and destroy them. Never cor- respond or parley with them any more ; never entertain a favourable thought of them, nor give them a kind look again, seeing they have done so horrid and inexcusable a deed. O communicant ! hast thou seen Christ struggling to satisfy justice for sin, and save thee from it? and will you, after all, choose wilfully to walk in sin ? will you not burn the spear that pierced him, and break in pieces the nails that crucified him ? Every one of Christ's wounds is a mouth opened to plead for wounding and killing of sin. Had you seen Christ wrestling in the garden, in his bloody agony, sweating great drops of blood, lying on the ground : had you heard him utter these words, " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me :" had you seen his soul beset on all hands by 277 your bloody sins, and even brought to a nonplus, John xii. 27. when he knew not (to speak with reverence) well what to say : iiad you seen him bound, led and nailed to the cross, wiih a black angry cloud upon his soul, crying out, "My God, my God, why hast thou for- saken nie ?" would you not have vowed a revenge upon sin ? O could you have loved or hugged the soldier, or been fond of the spear that pierced his blessed side ? Well, O communicant ! this thou dost when thou hug- gest thy sins, and especially when thou entertainest thy predominant lust, or darling sin, your other sins are as the nails in his hands and feet, but this is as the spear that made a great wound in his side, and went nearer his heart than any of the rest. Oh ! never suffer sin to live any more in you, that would not suffer your Saviour to live in the world ; never allow that a room in your heart, that would not allow him a room among the living on earth. O beware of crucifying Christ afresh. Never dispute any more, when a temptation is presented, whether Christ or Ba- rabbas should be preferred ; your lusts denied, or Christ crucified; but presently cry out against your lusts, "Cru- cify them, crucify them." Have you seen God taking oft' your former burdens, and laying tliem upon the back of his dear Son, who willingly touk them on for you, though they pressed him down to the eartii? O then go not to lay any more loads upon him! Hath he taken you, and washed you from your sins in his own blood ? O do not return, with the sow that is washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Hath the Lord been graciously sealing the pardon of your sins ? Go not to turn his grace into wantonness, by venturing to run on in a new score. If you have washed your feet in the blood of the Lamb, O beware of detiliug them again. DIRECTION VIII. Walk alwmjs under a sense of God's all-seeing eye upon you in every thing you do. A HOLY and circumspect walk is what every communi- cant should endeavour, especially after tiie sacrament ; this would tend not only to your own peace and comfort, but also to the glory of God, and the promoting of his iu- N 5 278 terest and kinofloin in thp worlrl. Wore your lives ten- der, circnmxpoct and sliiriing- in iinliness Ijefore the world, there wonld be little need of miracles to confirm the word, or convert infideU ; for j'our ccmversations would allure stransjersi, and nii^^htily recommend religion unto tliem, so that they miijlit thereby he drawn to seek acquaint- ance with the G(»d of holy communicants, as Nebuchad- nezzar was with the God of Daniel ; and thus you would be the instruments of " tnrning^ many to ri^liteousness," and so "shine as tlie stars for ever and ever." Now if you would shine in a hvely one ? especially when I think how he loved me and died for me, and hath appointed his portraiture, with the mark of his wounds, to be put in my hands at his table, and ail to win my heart. O that there I may view it narrowly, and remember him kindly! How many were the wounds he received from me, by the thorns which pierced his head, by the pincers that plucked his hair, by the scourges that tore his back, by the nails that pierced his hands and feet, and by the spear that opened his side ! Let me view him in that case, and love him : for though he be bleeding, wounded, and mangled by my sins, he is still fairer than all the sons of men, yea, and all the sons of God too : for faith then doth see him to be white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. MEDITATION IV. Now I am going to a great feast, let me examine if I be a welcome guest, one upon whom the Master of the feast will smile. O then, can I say in sincerity, I am one of his heart-friends ? Good news ! for he says, " Eat, O friends," Cant. v. 1. Or, can I say, that I am a sensible sinner ? Good news ! for he says, " He came not to call the righteous but such sinners as these," Mat. xi. 13. Can I say, sin is my greatest burden? Good news! for he bids tiie heavy laden come to him for rest, Mat. xi. 28. Can I say, I am sick, and groan under my diseases ? Good news ! for he says, the Physician chooseth to con- verse with such. Mat. ix. 12. Can I say, I am poor and needy? Good news! for he tells me the needy shall not be forgotten, Psal. ix. 18. Can I say, I hunger and thirst for a crucified Christ ? Good news ! " for he fills the hungry with good things," Luke, i. 53. Can I say, ray heart loves Christ ? Good news ! for he says, " He will manifest himself to such," John xiv. 21. Can I say, my heart is open to Christ's oifers, and consents to him in all his offices ? Good news ! for he says, " If any man hear his voice, and open the door to liim, he will come in, and they shall sup together," Rev. iii. 20. Have I put on the wedding-garment of imputed righteousness? 286 I sliall neither be excluded nor neglected. Lord, I am assured thou art more willing to give the Spirit to them that ask it, than loving parents are willing to give bread to their hungry children : for what is our compassion to our children, in comparison of thine ? O I^urd, 1 rest upon thy word, for thon art not more free in making pro- mises, tiian faithful in making thern good. Thou art a God that keeps covenant to a tliousind generations. Why then, I will venture in hope to thy holy table. MEDITATION V. Lord, enable me beforehand to take frequent views of my work at thy holy table, and wisely to consider how to manage it when the time cometh. 1 have three graces then to be exerted, faith, love, and godly sorrow. I have three subjects of meditation at the time, Clirist's passion, Christ's affection, and my own corruption. Who can think of Christ's sufferings without sorrow, and of his blood without tears, if lie but firmly believe that amazing word, Isa. liii. 3. " He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities!" Surely Christ's love, in its heat, may well thaw the most frozen spirit. Can I see my loving Jesus sub^^titule in my room and stead, God acting against him as an inexorable Judge, Jehovah running against him as a giant, not only withdrawing his loving-kindness from him, but making bim the butt of his envenomed arrows, and not be filled with love to my Saviour, and sorrow for my sins? Oli! my sins were the thorns which pierced bis head, the nails which pierced his hands, and the spear that pierced his heart. My cursed sins put the Lord of life t(» a cruel death. When my Lord was in the garden, no Judas nor Pilate, no Jaw nor Gentile was there, to cause his amazing horror of soul, and fearful sweat of blood. But, oh ! my unbelief, my pride, my carnality, my hypocrisy and other sins, were there, and with their weight pressed him to the ground, and brought that agony and sweat upon him. Oh! my dissimulation was the traitorous kiss ; my ambition the thorny crown ; my drinking ini- quity like water, the potion of gall and vinegar ; my want of tears caused him to weep blood; my forsaking of God made him to be forsaken of God ; my soul being 287 exceeding guilty, made liis sotil exceeding heavy. Lord, prepare and fix my lieart to nieditate upon Clirist's soul- suiierings for my soul's sins ! MEDITATION VI. O FOR faith's view of the love of Christ! surely a right sigiit of it is sufficient to mollify a heart more cold and frozen than ice itself. O love uiifathomahle ! who can measure its dimensions ? It hath a height without a top, a deptii without a bottom, a breadth without a side, a length without end: Wonderful! that my Lord should stoop to become a man, a poor man, a dying and a dead man ; nay, more, that he should be made a curse, and underlie a dreadful load of wrath upon his innocent soul, yea, infinitely more than any damned soul in hell can bear : O what a sea of wrath did Christ swim through, to save me from perishing ! That sea wrought, and was tempestuous; it roared most terribly, and threatened to swallow me np, with the rest of the elect world. But how seasonably did Christ offer himself to be the sacrifice for calming the sea! " Take me, (saith he as Jonah,) throw me in, and ye shall be all safe." In this red sea, our blessed Jonah was content to swim for thirty-three years, and never desires deliverance, till the sea is per- fectly calm, and every elect soul is out of danger. God help me to remember and admire redeeming love and redeeming blood, at my Redeemer's table. See that blood, O blessed Jesus, that ran from thy holy heart and blessed side, wa>h me from all sin, atid cause showers of blessing to fall upon me: " If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." O say to me as to the leper, " I will, be thou clean." If Christ be coining to me in streams of blood, let me rise and meet him with floods of tears. Lord, descend thou into my heart by the influences of thy spirit, and let me ascend unto thee, by tlie actings of my grace. " While the king sits at the table, let my spike- nard send forth the smell thereof." I may well cry with Jehoshapliat, Lord, I have no aliility, no might for this great ordinance, neither kmiw I what to do, but my eyes are unto thee. Help, Lord, for I rest on thee, and in thy name I go forward to this awful table. " If thy presence go not with me, carry me not iience. I will go in the strength of the Lord God ; I will make mention 288 of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices may flow out." Meditations and EjACULATiONSjoroper in time of Par- taking, or in time of Serving the Communion Table. MEDITATION I. O LET not that which God hath instituted as a blessing, he made a curse to me through my unworthy partaking of it. Wherefore, Lord, rebuke at this lime all unseason- able thoughts and imaginations ; stir up and act in me every grace of thy Holy Spirit; and help me so to behave now, that I may not provoke but glorify thee, that I may not increase my guilt, but augment my grace. My re- quest now is that of the spouse, " Lord, draw me, and I will run after thee." My soul is heavy with sin and guilt, and unfit to run ; but when shall I move if not now, when I am near a lifled-up Saviour, who hath said, " If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me ;" i. e., people of all tongues, kindreds, and lan- guages ; multitudes of all sorts, Jews and Gentiles. O let me be drawn among the rest ! O what a drawing engine is a lifted-up Saviour on tiie cross, with his arms wide extended to embrace sinners ! The first experiment was made of its virtue by the Apostle Peter, Acts ii., there were three thousand souls drawn to Christ at once ; yea, whole nations have been drawn to him, by lifting up tiiis blessed engine in the gospel offers : surely it hath not lost its virtue to this day : now it is lifted up in an eminent manner. O let me feel its power ; let my heart be drawn off from the vanities of time and the love of sin ! Let the cords of Christ's love draw my heart home to him ! Now tlie devil is holding, but Christ is drawing : Satan indeed is the strong man, but Christ is stronger than he. Clirist and the devil are fighting for my lieart ; the eyes of the glorious Trinity, the eyes of angels, mini- sters, and saints, are on me, to see wliat tlie issue will be. O let Christ gain the prize! It is his by right. MEDITATION IL When Christ was lifted up on tiie cross, his face was turned to the Gentiles, his eyes beheld the nations, and 289 all to draw us unto him ; lliere he bowed his head to- wards us, to draw my soul to him ; there he opened a cleft in liis side, to draw me ; there blood and water flowed from his heart, to draw me. O what a drawing sight is it to see, by faith, my dear Lord nailed and lifted up on a cross, his royal visage turned pale, his head bow- ing, his side red with iiis own blood, and the streams of this precious blood watering his pierced feet I O now let the King Jesus exert his dying power! Lord, I can never move toward thee, if thou draw me not ; I can never overcome the pleasures of sin and the temptations of Satan, if thou give not a pull. Neither word nor sacrament, ministers nor angels, ordinances nor provi- dences, judgments nor mercies, can draw this heavy heart of mine ; but I look beyond them all to my lifted up Sa- viour, wlio only can do it. Lord, I'll sit still in Sodom, if thou draw me not; I'll die in my sins, if thou draw me not; I'll be eternally damned, if thou draw me not. It will l)e a lifeless and lost ordinance, if thou draw me not. Lord, how easy is it for thee at this lime to draw me ! One pull of thy grace, one touch of thy hand, nay, a look of thy countenance, one cast of thine eye, would do it. O now let me have it, to draw love from my heart, and tears from mine eyes ! Did Christ sweat blood and weep bl(»od for my sins, and will I not weep tears for them ? O, shall I be more sparing of my tears for Christ, than Christ was of his blood for me? How fast did the blood trickle down Christ's cheeks in the day he wore the crown of thorns for me ? but how slowly did the tears trickle down my cheeks in the day of com- memorating his love ? It I get one tear t(» drop, with what difficulty can I get another to follow? Blush, O hard heart, and dry eyes ! can I shed tears in plenty for a dead child or relation, and have I none reserved for a dead Saviour, a Saviour slain by ray sins ? How sad to see how many weeping eyes at a funeral, and so many dry at a communion-table ! MEDITATION IIL O NOW let the siglit of a bleeding Saviour make me a weeping sinner! Had I been upon Mount Calvary, and seen my dear Lord racked and nailed to the tree, iuid I seen him lifted up, beheld his dying looks, and heard his 290 flying frroans, and seen his blood for many hours run from his hands and feet to the earth ! O, could I have stood by with dry eyes, or an unconcerned heart, especi- ally when I had consirlcred that he snffcred all this in my room, and for my sins ? O then, should not 1 be as much concerned now, when I come to celehrate the memorial of that fearful tragedy ? O what kind of blood is it that I see running down ? Is it not innocent blood ! precious blood ! heart blood ! nay, the blood of the Son of God, every drop whereof is of infinite value? and yet all shed for such vile worms and traitors as 1 am ! Oli ! can I see this bl(»od run down in streams, and my eyes not pour out some drops ! Shall I not give drops of water for streams of blood ? Oh ! what a hard heart is this of mine ; can I see others wee[>ing that sit at the same table, eat the same bread, and drink the same cup with me, and I cannot g*^t one tear? Is God come and waiting with his bottle for my tears, and shall my eyes remain dry? Shall others drop tears plentifully into God's bottle, and shall not I have one tear for it ? Ast(!nishing goodness ! that God should so carefully notice and observe his people's tears, that none of them can be lost ! Lord, pity my hard heart, and give me such a look as thou gavest Peter, that uiay cause me weep, and weep bitterly, at the remembrance of my sins, my pride, my passion, my dis- obedience, which pierced my dearest Lord. O let this be tiie time (tf fulfilling that prophecy, Zech. xii. 10, " They shall look upon him they have pierced, and mourn !" O, when shall I mourn and weep, if not now, when I see Jesus my surety all red with blood, for my red and scarlet-coloured sins ? Lord, what means the hardness of my heart, and the dryness of my eyes, at thy table? Oh! dost thou intend to reserve weeping for me in hell, where tears shall never he dried up ? God forbid. Now is the time to weep. Lord, make this my weeping time, that hereafter I may rejoice ! MEDITATION IV. Now is the time for me to draw nigh to my crucified Jesus. Lord, I will not stand afar oif, and locdv to thee, as tiiose who followed thee from Galilee to the cross, Luke xxiii. 49. No, I will come close to thee, and take a near and narrow look of thy wounds, and hear what 291 tliey say, when, like so many inoiitlis, tlieyare wide open to speak to me. Beside many lesser wounds, I beliold five h\g wounds my Jesus lias received for me, in eaci) of liis liands and feet, and in his side. Methinks 1 hear the language of the two wounds in his hands saying. Come to me and I will embrace you. JVIethinks I hear the lan- guage of the wounds in liis feet. Run to me, cast your- selves down at them, and I will pr 292 through Christ, to satisfy both tlie demands of justice and the intreaties of mercy. Well may a crucified Christ be called the Wisdom of God — When I take the cup of wine, let me not forget the cup of tvormwood which my Saviour drank for my sake. " He drank of the brook in the nay," even the cup of God's wrath, that I might drink the cup of blessing. O what shall I render for tills love? This might have been the day that I might have been drinking the cup of the fierceness of God's wrath, but, lo ! there is he that hath done it for me. O thou who sparedst not thy Son for my sake, do thr)u now spare me for thy Son's sake! Is not thy Son's bloody death a sufficient satisfaction for all my sins, and a sufficient price for my redemption ? is not the least drop of his blood of more value than a sea of mine ? My sins have shed the blood of Christ, but. Lord, impute not the guilt but the merits of his blood unto me ! My sin did shut me out of para- dise; but here is the blood tiiat opens the heavenly para- dise for me again ; here it gives me a right, and after- wards an admission ; it is through this Red Sea I must enter into this heavenly Canaan. O my soul, thou art near the fountain of life, apply and live ! Awake, O my faith, and receive the atonement ; flame out my love, and enjoy the beloved ! Now the wax is warm, O let the seal be stamped fair, that I may see the impression ever afterward ! MEDITATION VI. O HOW low was our fall, that nothing could raise us but the low abasement of the Son of God ! How low was the step he must make to help us ! The Almighty Phy- sician must come from heaven and let his heart be pierced, to prepare a medicine to cure our desperate disease. He that thought it no robbery to be equal with God, must be made equal to robbers and murderers. Amazing love ! Now I see the remedy is provided, the well of salvation is opened ; let me come with the chain and bucket of faith, to draw water with joy. Now the healing streams are running on either side of the table, let me bring all my diseases to them ; my blind eyes, weak hands, feeble knees, lame feet, my hard heart, cold affections, my doubt- ing soul. Now the balm of Gilead is among my hands, let me not miss a cure. One drop of that blood which 293 fell from Christ's wounds can cure all my maladies. O for faith to apply it! Save from unbelief, lest 1 die in my sins. Who would have pitied a stung- Israelite, though he had died of the poisoned stings of the fiery serpents, if he had refused to lift up hi* eyes to the remedy God appointed for iiini? arid who will pity me, if I refuse to apply my Saviour's blood ? Here Christ's testament is se.ilt^d, and everv true be- liever gets a sealed copy of it put into his lia?i(ls, with all the leg-acies in it. Let me have a copy also, and be enai)Ied to read my name in the testament. O that I were of kin to the Testator, and could receive him in my arms by a true faith, then all the legacies are niine! Lord, I believe, and do here put in my claim for what is left me. I plead the will of the Testator, my elder Bro- ther, with my heavenly Father. Now tlie Testator is dead, the testament is valid- Lord, thou wilt nut alter the will of the dead ; be it to me according to his will. My Redeemer hath left me pardon, peace, grace, faith ; yea, he hath bequeathed to me all the sure mercies of Davif old : thus let him answer me, even with a twofold fire kindled in my heart, as the two disciples, viz. of love to Clirist, and indignation against sin. O let me not spare my darling sins for thy sake, who sparedst not thy beloved Son for mine! " Let the words of my mouth, and meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and Redeemer !" MEDITATION V. Lord, what am I, a gospel-slighting and grace-abusing creature, that thou shouldest spare, yea feed and feast me in such a manner ? Long ago migiitest tliou have shaken off the hand of thy providence such a viper as I am, into fire unquenchable, and there made me know, to sad experience, what it is to abuse free grace, by the loss of eternal glory. But instead of that, thou hast, of thy infinite compassions, become my surety to appease justice for my heinous sins, when no other sacrifice would 297 do. Lord, it had been much if thou hadst provided an angel to mitigate my sufferings, by giving me drops of ■oater to cool my tongue in bell. But that tliou thy blessed self should be content to become a curse, and un- dergo amazing soiil-travuil, besides bodily pain, to re- deem me from tbe curse, is love inconceivable. O that I may henceforth live under the contiriual sense of my infinite obligations to my glorious Surety, tliat would make his soul an offering for my sin ! What return shall I give him for his soul-travail and agonies for me ? that I could all my days magnify his grace and love, give cheerful obedience to his laws, and live to liis glory, that bought me at so dear a rate ! Now blessed be his glorious name for ever and ever : let the whole earth be filled with glory, and let all the people say, Amen. MEDITATION VI. 1 HAVE been beholding the bloody tragedy of Christ's sufffrings re-acted, which might still pierce and rend my heart. But, glory to God for the encouraging word I have heard from the cross, " It is finished." Now the tragedy is over, my Saviour's sufferings are ended, the ransom finished, the righteousness complete, the prophe- cies accomplished, the ceremonies abolished, the elect's salvation wrongiit out : I have a sure foundation now to lean my soul upon. Well, since Christ's sufferings are finished, let me not go about to crucify him over again by my sins. It is enough, he died once, his pains were grievous enough already; I will not put him to suffer over again. I have been washing my soul at the fountain opened in the sacrament, yea, I have been making my robes clean in the blood of the Lamb: O let me keep them clean, and not defile them again in the mire of sin ! I have now turned my back on Satan's nasty dwelling, and am going forward to my Father's bouse above. It is a clean house I am going to, a pure dwelling, an undefiled city; I cannot take filthy hands or feet tliiiher, for "no unclean thing enters there." Having therefore such great and precious promises, let me cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfect- ing holiness in the fear of God. Has God promised me a happy eternity ; O that I could diligently spend this 298 small span of time in liis service! Let me imitate the holy Jesus, whose whole life was one continued act of goodness ; let his hlessed will be the rule of all my actions; and, Lord, give me those daily supplies of grace which may enable me to serve thee, and lead my life in all godliness and honesty. Give strength to do what thou commandest, and then command what thou wilt. Lord, take not thy Holy Spirit from me ; forsake not the work of thine own hands, but perfect, O Lord, that which concerneth me ! O thou, wdio hast begun a good work, be pleased to carry it on to the day of the Lord Jesus ! 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