Section 17

Section 17

Let me, therefore, set myself, and stir up myself, to admire it. I have much more reason to say than Mephibosheth had, when David took him to eat bread at his table continually, (2 Sam. ix. 8.) What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? I am less than the least of God's mercies, and yet he has not withheld the greatest from me ; I have forfeited the comforts of my own table, and yet I am feasted with the comforts of the Lord's table ; I deserve to have had the cup of the Lord's indignation put into my hand, and to have drank the dregs of it, but, behold, I have been treated with the cup of salvation. Were over traitors made favourites? such traitors made such favourites ? Who can sufficiently admire the love of the Redeemer, who received gifts for men, yea, even for the rebellious also upon their return to their allegiance, that the Lord God might dwell among them? Ps. Ixviii. 18. And have I shared in these gifts notwithstanding my rebellions ? This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous. Whence is this to me, that, not the mother of my Lord, bat my Lord himself, should come to me ? that he should thus regard me, thus distinguish me with his favonn? Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest tkyseif U we, and not unto the world?

II. We should come from this ordinance lamenting our own manifold defects and infirmities in our attendance upon God in it. When we look back upon the solemnity, we find, that as we canoot speak well enough of God and his grace, so we cannot speak ill enough of ourselves, and of the folly and treachery of our own hearts. Now, conscience, thou art charged in God's name to do thy offee, and to accomplish a diligent search: review the workings of thy soul in this ordinance distinctly and impartially.

1. If upon search thou findest cause to sospect that all has been done in hypocrisy, then set thy soul a trembling, for its condition is sad, and highly dangerous. If I have been here pretending to join myself in a covenant with God, while I continue in league with the world and the flesh ; pretending to receive the pardon of my sins, when I never repented of them, nor designed to forsake them; I have but deceived myself, and have reason to fear that I shall perish at last with a lie in my right hand. While this conviction is fresh and sensible, let care, be taken to mend the matter, and, blessed be God, it may be mended. Have I reason to fear that my heart is not right in the sight of God, and that, therefore, I have no part or lot in the matter, but am in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity? I must then take the advice which St. Peter gave to Simon Magus, when he perceived that to be his condition, after he had received the sacrament of baptism, 'Acts viii. 21—^23.) Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the tkmtgkt of thine heart may be forgiven thee. Let that be done with a double care after the ordinance, which should have been done before.

2. But if upon search thou findest that here has been, through grace, truth in the inward part; yet, set tliy soul a blushing, for it has not been cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. When we would do good, evil is present with us: our wine is mixed with water, and our gold with dross; and who is there that doeth good, and sinneth not, even in his doing good? We find, by sad experience, that the sons of God never come together, but Satan comes among them, and stands at their right hand to resist them; and that wherever we go, we cany about with us the remainders of corruption, a body of death, which inclines us to that which is evil, and indisposes us to that which is good. If the spirit be willing, yet, alas, the flesh is weak, and av cannot do the things that we would, .

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O what reason have I to he ashamed of myself, •nd blush to lift up my face before God, wlien I review the frame of my heart during my attendance on this ordinance! How short have I come of doing my duty, according as the work of the day required! My thoughts should have been fixed ; and the subjects presented to them to fix upon, were curious enough to engage them, and copious enough to employ them; and yet they went with the fool's eyes unto the ends of the earth, and wandered after a thousand impertinences. A little thing served to give them a diversion from the contemplation of the great things set before me. My affections should have been raised and elevated, but they were low and flat, and little moved: if sometimes they seemed to soar upward, yet they soon sunk down again, and the things which remained were ready to die. My desires were cold and indifferent, my faith weak and inactive; nor were there any workings of soul in me proportionable to the weightiness of the transaction. Through my own dulncss, and deadness, and inad-▼ertency, I lost a deal of time out of a little, and slipt much of that which might have been done and got there, if I had been close and diligent.

This thought forbids us to entertain a good conceit of ourselves and our own performances, or to build any confidence upon our own merit. While we are conscious to ourselves of so much infirmity cleaving to our best services, we must acknowledge that boasting is for ever excluded: we have nothing to glory of before God; nor can we challenge a reward as of debt, but must ascribe all to free grace. What good there is in us, is all of God, and he must have the honour of it: but there is also much amiss, which is all of ourselves, and we must take the shame of it, lamenting those sad effects of the remainder of sin in us, which we feel to our loss when we draw nigh to God in holy ordinances.

This thought obliges us, likewise, to rely on Christ alone for acceptance with God in all our religious duties. He is that great and gracious High Priest, who bears the iniquity of the holy thingsy which the children of Israel hallow in their holy gifts that notwithstanding that iniquity, when it is repented of, the gifts may he accepted before the Lord, Exod. xxviii. 38. Of his righteousness, therefore, we must make mention, even of his only; for, the most spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through him, 1 Pet. ii. 5.

HI. We should come from this ordinance rejoicing in Jesus Christ, and in that great love wherewith he has loved us. From this feast we should go to our tents, as the people went from Solomon's feast of dedication, joyful and glad in heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done by David his servant, for Israel his people, 1 Kings viii. 66. They that went forth weeping, must come back rejoicing, as they bave caasc, if they bring their sheaves with them.

Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6. Has God here lifted up the light of bis countenance upon us? That should put gladness into our hearts, Ps. iv. 6, 7. Have we here lifted up our souls to God, and joined ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant? We have reason, with the baptized eunuch, to go on our way rejoicing, Acts viii. 39. The day of our espousals should be the day of the gladness of our hearts. Cant. iii. 11. This cup of blessing was designed to be a cup of consolation, and its wine ordained to make glad man's heart, to make glad the heart of the new man. Having, therefore, drank of this cup, let our souls make their boast in the Lord, and sing in his ways, and call him their exceeding joy.

Let this holy joy give check to carnal mirth; for having seen so much reason to rejoice in Christ Jesus, we deceive ourselves, if we rejoice in a tiling of nought: we are not forbidden to rejoice, but our joy must be turned into the right channel, and our mirth sanctified, which will suppress and silence the laughter that is mad. The frothiness of a vain mind must be cured by a religious cheerfulness, as well as by a religious seriousness.

Let it give check also to the sorrow of the world, and that inordinate grief for outward crosses, which sinks the spirits, dries the bones, and works death. Why art thou cast down, and why disquieted, for a light affliction, which is but for a moment, when even that is so far from doing thee any real prejudice, that it works for thee a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ? Learn, my soul, to sit down upon the ruins of all thy creature-comforts, by a withered fig-tree, a fruitless vine, and a blasted crop, and even then to sing to the praise and glory of God, as the God of thy salvation. When thou art full, enjoy God in all; when thou art empty, enjoy all in God.

Let this holy joy express itself in praises to God, and encouragements to ourselves.

1. Let it express itself in the thankful acknowledgment of the favours we have received from God. As spiritual joy must be the heart and soul of divine praise, so divine praise must be the breath and speech of spiritual joy. Whatever makes us joyful must make us thankful. Do we come from this ordinance easy, pleasant, and greatly refreshed with the goodness of God's house ? Let the high praises of God then be in our mouths, and in our hearts. This is a proper time for us to be engaged with great fixedness, and enlarged with great fluency, in his service. If we must give thanks for the mercies we receive at our own table, which relate only to a perishing body, and a dying life, much more ought we to give thanks for the mercies we receive at God's table, which relate to an immortal soul, and eternal life. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God, for the good land which he hath given thee, Deut. viii. 10. Bless him for a

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Canaan on earth, a land of light, a valley of vision, m which God is known, and his name great; and for the comfortable lot thou hast in that land, a name among God's people, and a nail in his holy place, a portion in Immanuel's land. Bless him for a Canaan in heaven, which he has given thee the promise and prospect of, that land flowing with milk and honey: rejoice in hope of that, and sing in hope.

Bleu the Lord, O my 4oul, and let all thai is within thee, all thy thoughts, and all thy powers, be employed in blessing his hoty name; and all little enough. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, good to all, good to Israel, good to me. / tnll mention the loving-kindnestet of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on usy 4rc. Isa. Ixiii. 7. Give glory to the exalted Redeemer, and mention to his praise the great things he has done for us. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to take the book, and open the seals; worthy to wear the crown, and sway the sceptre, for ever worthy to receive blessing, and honour, and glory, and power; worthy to be adored, by the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect; worthy to be attended with the constant praises of the universal church ; worthy of the innermost and uppermost place of my heart; of the best affections I can consecrate to his praise, and the best services 1 can do to his name : for he was slain, and has redeemed us to God, by his blood, and has made us to our God kings and priests. He has loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own b'ood ; a note of praise, which the angels themselves cannot sing, though they have many a song that we are-strangers to. He loved me, and gave himself for me, to satisfy for my sin, and to obtain eternal redemption for me. Blessed, and for ever blessed, be the great and holy name of the Lord Jesus; that name which is as ointment poured forth ; that name which is above every name; which is worthy of, and yet exalted far above, all blessing and praise.

And whenever we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, let it always be done to the glory of God the Father, Phil. ii. 11. His kindness and love to man, was the original spring and first wheel in the work of our redemption: it was he that gave his only-begotten Son, delivered him up for us all, and who was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Glory therefore, eternal glory be unto God in the highest, for in Christ there is on earth peace, and good-will toward men. God has in Christ glorified himself; we must therefore in Christ glorify him, and make all our joys and praises to centre in him. In the day of our rejoicing this must be the burthen of all our songs. Blessed be God for Jestu Christ, Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift, the foundation of ail other gifts.

2. Let this holy joy speak encouragement to ourselves, cheerfully to proceed in our Christian course.

The comfort we have had in oar covenant-relatioiitf God, and interest in Christ, should put a swee Cnoi into all our enjoyments, and sanctify them to«: we must see the love of God in them, and taste M he is gracious, and this must make them comforti indeed to us. See the curse removed from theiB,M a blessing going along with them, and then Ge tkf way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink tky tme mile merry heart, for God now aceeptetk iky works, Ecd. ix. 7. Have we good ground to hope, that tbroagk grace our works are accepted of God t If we lii-' cerely aim at God's acceptance, make that our ad, and labour for it with an eye to Christ as Mediator, we may hope that our persons and performances mn accepted. If we accept God's works, accept the disposals of his providence, and the offers of his grace, with a humble acquiescence in both, that will be a good evidence that he accepts our works. Asd if so, we have reason to rejoice with joy unspeakable, | and full of glory. Eat thy bread with joy, for itii thy Father's gift, the bread wherewith the Lord tlij God feeds thee in this wilderness, through which lie is leading thee to the land of promise. Drink thj wine vrith a merry heart, remembering Christ's k>vt more than wine. What thou hast, though mean and scanty, thou hast it with the blessing of God, which will make the little thou hast better thantke rtekestf many wicked, Ps. xxxvii. 16.

Rejoice in the Lord now, O my soul, rejoice in hia always: having kept this feast with gladness, (as Hezekiah and his people did, 2 Chron. xxx. 33.) carry with thee some of the comforts of God's taUe to thy own, and there eat thy meat with gladness,» those primitive Christians did. Acts ii. 46. live a life of holy cheerfulness, and the joy of the Lo d will be thy strength.

IV. We should come from this ordinance madi quickened to every good work. Seeing ourselves compassed about here with so great a cloud of witnesses, bound by so many engagements, invited by so many encouragements, and obliged to God and godliness by so many ties of duty, interest, and gratitude, let us lay aside every weight, and ike sim that most easily besets vs, whatever it is, especially the evil heart of unbelief which is our gat hinderance, and let us run with patience the race that is set brfere us, looking unto Jesus, Heb. xii. 1, 2. Let the covenants we have here renewed, and the comforts we have here received, make us more ready to every good duty, and more lively in it; more active and zealous for the glory of God, the service of oar generation, and the welfare and prosperity of our owa souls. From what we have seen and done here, we may fetch powerful considerations to shame us out of our slothfulness and backwardness to that which is good, and to stir us up to the utmost diligence in our Master's work.

When Jacob had received a gcions visit (mm

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God, and had made a solemn vow to him, (Gen. xxviii. 12, 20.) it follows, {eh. xxix. 1.) Then Jaeoh went on his way. The original phrase is obsenrable, Then Jacob lift up his feet. After that comfortable night he had at Bethel, knowing himself to be in the way of his daty, he proceeded with a great deal of cheerfulness: that strengthened the weak hands, and confirmed the feeble knees. Thus should our communion with God in the Lord's supper enlarge our hearts to run the way of God's commandments: after such an ordinance, we should lift up our feet in the way of God; that is, (as it is said of Jehosha-phat, 2 Chron. xvii. 6.) we should lift up our hearts in those ways ; abiding, and abounding, in the worhs of the Lord.

Rouse up thyself now, my soul, from thy spiritual slumber; up, and be doing, for the Lord is with thee. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, put forth thy strength, that thou mayst push on thy holy war, thy holy work, with vigour; shake thyself from the dust, to which thou hast too much cleaved; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, with which thou hast been too much clogged, Isa. Hi. 1, 2. Meditate more fixedly, pray more earnestly, resist sin more resolutel , keep sabbaths more cheerfully, do good more readily. Thou hast heard the sound of a going m the tops of the mulberry-trees, plain indications of the presence of God with thee, therefore now thou shalt bestir thyself 2 Sam. v. 24. Let the comforts of this ordinance employ thy wings, that thou mayst soar upward, upward toward God; let them oil thy wheels, that thou mayst press forward, forward toward heaven: let God's gifts to thee stir up his gifts in thee.

V. We should come from this ordinance with a watchful fear of Satan's wiles, and a firm resolution to stand our ground against them. Whatever comfort and enlargement we have had in this ordinance, still we must remember that we are but girding on the harness, and, theiefore, we have no reason to boast, or be secure, as though we had put it ofi*. When we return to the world again, we must remember that we go among snares, and must provide accordingly: it is our wisdom so to do.

1. Let us therefore fear. He who travels with a rich treasure about him, is in most danger of being set upon, and is most afraid of being robbed. The ship that is richly laden is the pirate*s prize. If we come away from the Lord's table replenished with the goodness of God's house, and the riches of the covenant, we must expect the assaults of our spiritual enemies, and not be secure. A strong guard was constantly kept upon the temple, and there needs one upon the living temples. The mystical song represents the bed which is Solomon's, thus surrounded by valiant men, of the valiant of Israel, because of fear in the night, Cant iii. 7, 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying, that believers in this world are in a military state, and the followers of Christ must be his soldiers. They that work tho good work of faith, must fight the good fight of faith.

We must always stand upon our guard, for the good man of the house knows not at what hour the thief will come; but this we know, that immediately after our Saviour was baptized, and owned by a voice from heaven, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, (Matt. iv. 1.) and that immediately after be had administered the Lord's supper to his disciples, he told them plainly, Satan hath desired to have you, {iKtirtiaaro v/iac — he' hath challenged you,) that he may sift you as wheat, (Luke xxii. 31.) and what he said to them then, he says to all, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Matt. xxvi. 41. We must then double our guard against temptations to rash anger, and study to be more than ordinarily meek and quiet, lest by the tumults and transports of passion, the Holy Spirit be grieved and provoked to withdraw. If we have in this ordinance received Christ Jesus the Lord, let a strict charge be given, like that of the spouse, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that nothing be said, nothing done, to stir up or awake our Love until he please. Cant. ii. 7. Peace being spoken, peace made, let us be afraid of every thing that may give a disturbance to it We should also watch against the inroads of worldly cares and fears, lest they make a descent upon us after a sacra ment, and spoil us of the comforts we have there received.

But with a particular care we must watch against the workings of spiritual pride after a sacrament When our Lord Jesus first instituted this ordinance, and made his disciples partakers of it, they were so elevated with the honour of it, that not content to be all thus great, a contest immediately arose among them, which of them should be greatest, Luke xxii. 24. And when St. Paul had been in the third heavens, he was in danger of being exalted above measure with the abundance of the revelations, 2 Cor. xii. 7. We therefore have cause to fear, lest this dead fly spoil all our precious ointment; and to keep a very strict and jealous eye upon our own hearts, that they be not lifted up with pride, lest we fall into the ron-demnation of the devil, 1 Tim. iii. 6. Let us dread the first risings of self-conceit, and suppress them; for what have we that we have not received? And if we have received it, why then do we boast f 1 Cor. iv. 7.

2. Let us therefore ^x ; and let our hearts be established with the grace here received. What we have done in this ordinance, we must go away firmly resolved to abide by all our days. I am now fixed, immovably fixed, for Christ and holiness, against sin and Satan. The matter is settled, never to be called in question again: / will serve the Lord. The bargain is struck; the knot is tied; the debate is come up to a final resolve; and here I fix, as one

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stedfastly resolved with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. No room is left to parley with a temptation : I am a Christian, a confirmed Christian, and, by the grace of God, a Christian I will live and die; and, therefore, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence to me. My resolutions, in which before I wavered and was unsteady, are now come to a head, and are as a nail in a sure place. 1 am now at a point; / have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go bach, (Judg. xi. 36.) and therefore, by the grace of God, I am determined to go forward, and not so much as look back, or wish for a discharge from those engagements. 1 have chosen the way of truth, and therefore, in thy strength. Lord, / will itich to thy tettimoniety Ps. cxix. 30, 31. Now my foot stands in an even place, well shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I am now like a strong man refreshed with wine, resolved to resist the devil, that he may flee from me, and never to yield to him.

YI. We should come from this ordinance praying, lifting up our hearts to God in ejaculatoiy prayers, and retiring as soon as may be for solemn prayer. Not only before, and in, the duty, but after, if we have occasion to ofler up our desires to God, and fetch in strength and grace from him.

Two things we should be humbly earnest with God in prayer for, after this solemnity; and we are furnished from the mouth of holy David with very emphatical and expressive petitions for them both: we may, therefore, take with us those words, in addressing God.

1. We must pray, that God will fulfil to us those promises, which he was graciously pleased to seal to us in this ordinance. David's prayer for this is, (1 Chron. xvii. 23.) Now, Lord, let the thing that thou haft spohen concerning thy tervant, and concern ing hit hotue, be established for ever ; and do as thou hast said. God's promises in the word are designed to be our pleas in prayer; and we receive the grace of God in them in vain, if we do not make that use of them, and sue out the benefits conveyed and secured by them. These are talents to be traded with, and improved as the guide of our desires, and the ground of our faith in prayer ; and we must not hide them in a napkin. Havir«;^ here taken hold of the covenant, thus we must take hold on God for covenant mercies: Lord, remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caiued me to hope, Ps. cxix. 49. Thou hast not only given me the word to hope in, but the heart to hope in it. It is a hope of thy own raising; and thou wilt not destroy, by a disappointment, the work of thy own hands.

Come, therefore, O my soul! come, order thy cause before him, and Jill thy mouth with arguments. Lord, is not this the word which thou hast spoken ? " Sin shall not have dominion over you : The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet: There shall no temptation take you, but such as is oominoa to men ; and the faithful God will never suffer you to be tempted above what you are able.'' Lord, be it unto thy servant according to these words! Is not this the word which thou hast spoken; ** That ill things shall work for good to them that love thee; that thou wilt be to them a God all-suflicient, ihdf shield, and their exceeding gat reward ; thattbon wilt give them grace and glory, and withhold no good thing from them; that thou wilt never fidl them nor forsake them V Now, Lord, let those words which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant (and many other the like) be established for ever, and do as thou hast said, for they are the words open which thou hast caused me to hope.

2. We must pray, that he will enable us to fulfil those promises which we have made to him in this ordinance. David's prayer for this is, (1 Chron. xxix. 18.) O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and «f Israel, our fathers,, keep this for ever in the immgina-tion of the thoughts of the hearts of thy peopU, and prepare (or confirm) their hearts unto thee. Have there been some good afiections, good desires, and good resolutions in the imagination of the thoughts of our hearts at this ordinance, some good impressions made upon us, and some good expressions drawn from us by it ? We cannot bat be sensible how apt we are to lose the good we have wrought; and therefore it is our wisdom, by prayer, to commit the keeping of it to God, and earnestly to beg of him effectual grace, thoroughly to furnish us for eveiy good word and work, and thoroughly to fortify us against every evil word and work. We made oar promises in the strength of the grace of God; that strength we must therefore pray for, that we may be able to make good our promises. Lord, maintain thy own interest in my soul; let thy name be ever hallowed there; thy kingdom come, and thy will be done in my heart, as it is done in heaven.

When we come away from this ordinance, we return to a cooling, tempting, distracting world; as when Moses came down from the mount, where he had been with God, he found the camp of Israel dancing about the golden calf, to his great disturbance, Exod. xxxii. 19. In the midst of such sorrows and such snares as we are compassed about with here, we shall find it no easy matter to preserve the peace and grace which we hope we have obtained at the Lord's table: we must, therefore, put ourselves under the divine protection. Methinks it was with an affecting air of tenderness, that Christ said concerning his disciples, when he was leaving them, (John xvii. 11.) Now I am no more in the world; the days of my temptation are at an end; but these are in the world, they have their trial yet before them: what then shall I do for them ? Holy Fathet-, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. That prayer of his was both the great example and

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411 the great encouragement of our prayers. Now, at the close of a sacrament, it is seasonable thus to address ourselves to God : *'I have not yet put off this body ; I am not yet got clear of this world: yet I am a traveller exposed to thieves; yet, I am a soldier, exposed to enemies: Holy Father, keep through thy own name the graces and comforts thou hast given me; for they are thine. My own hands are not sufficient for me; O let thy grace be ao, to preserve me to thy heavenly kingdom."

Immediately after the first administration of the Lord's supper, our Saviour, when he had told Peter of Satan's design upon him, added this comfortable word, (Luke xxii. 32.) / have prayed for ihee, that thy Jaith fail not; and that is it that we must pray for, that this faith, which we think is so strong in the day of its advantage, may not prove weak in the day of its trial: for, as they who would have the benefit of the Spirit's operation must strive for themselves, so, they who would have the benefit of the Son's intercession must pray for themselves.

VII. We should come from this ordinance with a charitable disposition. Anciently the Christians had their Ayavaif their love-feasts or feasts of charity annexed to the Eucharist; but what needed that, while the Eucharist is itself a love-feast, and a feast of charity ? And surely that heart must be strangely hardened and soured, that can go from under the softening sweetening powers of this ordinance in an uncharitable frame.

The fervent charity, which now we should have among ourselves, must be a loving, giving, and forgiving charity. Thus it must have its perfect work. 1. We must come from tliis ordinance with a disposition to love our fellow-Christians. Here we see how dear they were to Christ, for he purchased them with his own blood ; and thence we may infer, how dear they ought to be to us, and how near they should lie to our hearts. Shall I look strangely upon them who have acquaintance with Christ; or be indifferent toward them whom he was so much concerned for ? No : we that are many, being one bread and one body, and having been all made to drink into one spirit, my heart shall be more closely knit than ever to all the members of that one body, who are quickened and actuated by that one spirit. I have here beheld the beauty of the Lord, and, therefore, most love his image wherever I see it on his sanctified ones. I have here joined myself to the Lord in an everlasting covenant, and thereby have joined myself in relation, and consequently in affection, to all those who are in the bond of the same covenant. I have here bound myself to keep Christ's commandments ; and this is his commandment, that we love one another ; and that brotherly love continve.

Those from whom we differ in the less weighty matters of the law, though we agree in the great things of God, we should now think of with particular thoughts of love and kindness, because from them our minds are most in temptation to be alienated : and those to whom we have given the right hand of fellowship, in this and in other ordinances, we should likewise be mindful of with particular endearments; because of the particular relation we stand in to them, as our more intimate companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Yea, after such an ordinance as this, our catholic charity must be more warm and affectionate, more active, strong, and stedfast, and more victorious over the difficulties and oppositions it meets with; and, as the apostle speaks, (1 Thess. iii. 12.) we should in-erettse and abound in love one toward another, and fo-ward all men, and in all the fruits and instances of love.

2. We must come from this ordinance, with a disposition to give to the poor and necessitous, according as our ability and opportunity is. It is the laudable custom of the churches of Christ, to close the administration of this ordinance with a collection for the poor; to which we ought to contribute our share, not grudgingly, or of necessity, but with a single eye, and a willing mind, that our alms may be sanctified and accepted of God. And not only to this, but to all other acts of charity, we must be more forward and free after a sacrament. Though our Saviour lived upon alms himself, yet out of the little he had he gave alms to the poor, particularly at the feast of the passover, (John xiii. 29.) to set us an example. Days of rejoicing and thanksgiving (and such our sacrament days are) used to be thus solemnized : for when we eat the fat and drink the sweet ourselves, we must send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, (Neh. viii. 10.) that when our souls arc blessing God, the loins of the poor may bless us. If our hearts have here been opened to Christ, we must evidence that they are so, by our being open-handed to poor Christians: for, since our goodness cannot extend to him, it is his will that it should extend to them, Ps. xiv. 2,3. If we have here in sincerity given ourselves to God, we have with ourselves devoted all we have to his service and honour, to be employed and laid out for him ; and thus we must testify that we have heartily consented to that branch of the surrender. As we have opportunity, we must do good to all men, espe cially to them that are of the household of faith; remembering that we are but stewards of the manifold grace of God. If our prayers have here come up for a memorial before God, as Cornelius, our alms, like his, must accompany them. Acts x. 4. We have here seen how much we owe to God's pity and bounty toward us; having therefore obtained mercy, we ought to show mercy, knowing the grace of the Lord Jesus, that though he was rich, yet for our sokes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Read Isa. Iviii. 7—11.

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3. We must come from this ordi Dance with a disposition to forfve those who have been provoking and injurious to us. Our approach to the sacrament made it necessary for us to forgive; but our attendance on it should make it even natural to us to forgive, and our experience there of God's mercy and grace to us, should conquer all the difficulty and reluctance which we are conscious to ourselves of therein, and make it as easy to forgive our enemies, as it is to forgive ourselves, when at any time we happen to have had a quarrel with ourselves.

That which makes it hard to forgive, and puts an edge upon our resentments, is, the magnifying of the affronts we have received, and the losses we have sustained. Now, in this ordinance, we have had honours put upon us sufficient to balance all those affronts, and benefits bestowed on us sufficient to countervail all those losses; so that we may well afford to forgive and forget both. With ourselves, we have offered up to God our names, estates, and all our interests; in compliance therefore with the will of God, (that God who bid Shimei curse David, and who took away from Job that which the Sabeans and Chaldeans robbed him of,) we must not only bear with patience the damage we sustain in those concerns, but must be charitably affected toward those who have been the instruments of that damage, knowing that men are God's hand, Ps. xvii. 14. and to his hand we must always submit

But the great argument for the forgiving of injuries, when we come from the table of the Lord, is taken from the pardon God has in Christ there sealed to us. The jubilee trumpet which proclaimed releases, sounded at the close of the day of atonement. Is God reconciled to us? Let us then be more firmly than ever reconciled to our brethren. Let the death of Christ, which we have here commemorated, not only slay all enmities, but take down all partition-walls; not only forbid revenge, but remove strangeness; and let all our feuds and quarrels be buried in his grave. Has our Master forgiven us that great debt, (and a very great debt it was,) and ought not we then to have compassion on our fellow-servants ? Matt xviii. 32,33. Let us, therefore, who have in this ordinance put on the Lord Jesus Christ; put on, as becomes the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies and kindness, inclining us to forgive; humbleness of miud, and meekness, enabling us to conquer that pride and passion which object against our forgiving; that if any man have a quarrel against any, it may be passed by, as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven OS, CoL iii. 12, 13.

VIII. We should come from this ordinance longing for heaven. Every good Christian lives in the belief of the life everlasting, which God (that cannot lie) has promised; looking for that blessed hope. And doubtless, much of the power of godliness consists in the joyful expectation of the glory to b» revealed. But though we should look upon ou selves as heathens, if we did not believe it, and m desperate, if we had not some hopes of it; yet «e have all reason to lament it, as not only our vdt' licity, but our iniquity, that our desires toward it are so weak and feeble. We are too apt to take up our rest here, and wish we might live always oa tlib earth ; and we need something, to make ns hangar and thirst after that perfect righteousness, that crowi of righteousness, with which only we shall be filled. For this good end, the Lord's supper is Tery impnnr-able, to hasten us toward the land of promise, and carry our souls in earnest breathings after the felicities of our future state.

1. The complaints we find cause to exhibit at thu ordinance, should make us long for heaven; for whatever is defective and uneasy here, we shall be for ever freed from when we come to heaven. Whei here we set ourselves to contemplate the beauty of God, and the love of Christ, we find ourselves in a cloud, we see but through a glass darkly; let u therefore long to be there, where the veil shall be rent, the glasses we now make use of laid aside, asd we shall not only see face to face, but (which will yield us more satisfaction) we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are known. When here we would soar upward upon the wings of love, we find ourselves clogged and pinioned; this immortal spirit is caged in a house of clay, and does but flutter at the best: let us, therefore, long to be there, where we shall be perfectly delivered from all the incumbrances of a body of flesh, and all the entanglements of a ^world of sense; and love, in its highest elevations, and utmost enlargements, shall survive both faith and hope. When here we wonkl fix for God, and join ourselves closely to him, we find ourselves apt to wander, apt to waver; and should therefore long to be there, where our love to God will be no longer love in motion, constant motion, as it is here, but love at rest, an ever- . lasting rest. Here we complain, that through the I infirmity of the flesh we are soon weary of welldoing ; and if the spirit be willing, yet the flesh is weak, and cannot keep pace with it: but there we shall run, and not be weary, we shall walk, and not faint; and shall not rest, because we shall not need to rest day or night, from praising God. O wbea shall I come to that world, where there is neither sio, nor sorrow, nor snare; and to the spirits of just mm made perfect there, who are as the anyeU of God u heaven,

2. The comforts which, through grace, we experience in this ordinance, should make us long for heaven. The foretastes of those divine joys shoold whet our appetites after the full fruition of then. The bunch of grapes that meets us in the wilderness, should make us long to be in Canaan, tbat

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413 land of overflowing plenty, where we shall wash our garments in this wine, and our clothes in the hlood of this yrape, Gen. xlix. 11. Rev. vii. 14. If communion with God in grace here, affords as snch a satisfaction as far surpasses all the delights of the sons of men, what will the fulness of joy be in God's presence, and those pleasures for evermore ? If the shadows of good things to come be so refreshing, what will the substance be, and the good things themselves? If God's tabernacles be so amiable, what will his temple be? If a day in his courts, an hour at his table, be so pleasant, what then will an eternity within the veil be ? If I find myself so enriched with the earnests of the purchased possessions, what then will the possession itself be ? If the joy of my Lord, as I am here capable of receiving it, and as it is mixed with so much allay in this imperfect state, be so comfortable, what will it be when I shall enter into that joy, and bathe myself eternally in the spring-head of those rivers of pleasure?

Pant then, my soul, pant after those fountains of living water, out of which all these sweet streams arise; that boundless, bottomless ocean of delights, into which they all run! Rest not content with any of the contentments here below ; no, not with those in holy ordinances, which are, of all others, the best wc meet with in this wilderness; but long for the enjoyments above, in the vision of God. It is good to be here; but it is better to be there; far better to depart, and to be with Christ. While thou art groaning under the burthens of this pre.sent state, groan after the glorious liberties of the children of God, in the future state. Thirst for God, for the living God : O when shall I come and appear before God! That the day may break, and Uie shadows flee away, Mahe haste, my Beloved; and be thou lihe to a roe, oi' to a young hart upon the mountains of spiees.

CHAPTER XIII.

AN KXHOBTATION TO ORDER THE CONVERSATION ARIGHT AFTKR

THIS ORDINANCE.

We will now suppose the new moon to be gone, the sabbath to be post, and the solemnities of the sacrament-day to be over; and is our work now done ? No; now the most needful and difllcult part of our work begins, which is, to maintain such a constant watch over ourselves, that we may, in the whole course of our conversation, exemplify the blessed fruits and effects of our communion with God in this ordinance. When we come down from this mount, we must, (as Moses did,) bring the tables of the testimony with us in our hands, that we may in all things have respect to God's commandments, and frame our lives according to them. Then we truly get good by this ordinance, whea we are made better by it, and use it daily as a bridle of restraint, to keep us in from all manner of sin, and a spur of constraint, to put us on to all manner of duty.

I shall endeavour, I. to give some general rules for the right ordering of the conversation, after we have been at the Lord's supper: and then, II. I shall mention some particulars, wherein we must study to conform ourselves to the intention of that ordinance, and abide under the influence of it.

I. The Lord*s supper was instituted, not only for the solemnizing of the memorial of Christ's death at certain times, but for the preserving the remembrance of it in our mind at all times, as a powerful argument against every thing that is evil, and a prevailing inducement to every thing that is good. In this sense, we must bear about with us continually the dying of the Lord Jesus, so as that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal bodies, 2 Cor. iv. 10. It was instituted not only for the sealing of the covenant, that it may be ratified; but for the imprinting of it upon our minds, that we may be ever mindful of the covenant, and live under the commanding power of it

We must see to it, that there be an agreement between our performances at tlie Lord's table and at other times; that we be uniform in our religion, and not guilty of a self-contradiction. What will it profit us, if we pull down with one hand, what we build up with the other; and undo in our lives, what we have done in our devotions ? That we may not do so, let us be guided by these rules.

1. Our conversation must be such, as that we may adorn the profession which in the Lord's supper we have made. We have, in that ordinance, solemnly owned ourselves the disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus; we have done ourselves the honour to subscribe ourselves his humble servants, and he has done us the honour to admit us into his family; and now we are concerned to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, that our relation to Christ being so much an honour to us, we may never be a dishonour to it. We are said to be taken into covenant with God for this very end, that we may be unto him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory, (Jer. xiii. 11.) that we may be witnesses for him, and for the honour of his name among men.

We must, therefore, be very cautious that we never say or do any thing to the reproach of the gospel and Christ's holy religion, or which may give any occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. If those who profess to be devout toward God, be unjust and dishonest toward men, this casts reproach upon devotion, as if that would consist with and countenance immorality. If those who call them-

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selves Cbrislians walk as other Gentiles walk, and do Satan's drudgery in Christ's livery, Christianity suffers by it, and religion is wounded in the house of her friends: injuries are done it, which cannot be repaired ; and those will have a great deal to answer for another day, for whose sakes the name of God, and his doctrine, arc thus evil spoken of. By our coming to the Lord's supper, we distinguish ourselves from those, whose profession of Christianity, by their being baptized in infancy, seems to be more their chance than their choice; and by a voluntary act of our own, we surname ourselves by the name of Israel Now, if after we have so distinguished ourselves, and so raised the expectations of our neighbours from us, we do that which is unbecoming the character we wear ; if we be vain, carnal, and intemperate; if we be false and unfair, cruel and unmerciful; what will the Egyptians say? They will say, commend us to the children of this world, if these be the children of God : for what do they more than others ? Men's prejudices against religion are hereby confirmed, advantage is given to Satan's devices, and the generation of the righteous is condemned for the sake of those who are spots in their feasts of charity. Let us therefore always be jealous for the reputation of our profession, and afraid of doing what may in the least be a blemish to it: and the greater profession we make, the more tender let OS be of it, because we have the more eyes upon us, that watch for our halting. When we do good, we must remember the apostle's caution, Let not your good he evil spoken of Rom. xiv. 16.

We must also be very studious to do that which will redound to the credit of our profession. It is not enough that we be not a scandal to religion; but we must strive to be an ornament to it, by excelling in virtue, and being forward to every good work. Our light must shine, as the face of Moses did when he came down from the mount; that is, our good works must be such, that they who see them may give religion their good word, and thereby glorify our Father who is in heaven. Matt. v. 16. Our conversation must be as becomes the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they who will not be won by the word, may be won by it to say. We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. If there he any virtue, if there he any praise, more amiable and lovely than other, let us think on these things, Phil. iv. 8. Are we children ? Let us walk as obedient children, well taught, and well managed. Are we soldiers ? Let us approve ourselves good soldiers, well trained, and well disciplined ; so we shall do honour to him who has called us. If God's Israel carefully keep and do his statutes, it will be said of them to their honour among the nations. Surely they are a wise and understanding people, Deut. iv. 6. And this will redound to the honour of Christ; for thus Wisdom is justified of her children.

2. Our conversation must be such, that we maf fulfil the engagements which at the Lord's supper we have laid ourselves under. Having at God's altar sworn that we will keep his righteous judgments, we must conscientiously perform it in all the evidences of a holy, righteous, and sober conversation. The vows we have made (express or Implicit) must be carefully made good, by a constant watchfulness against all sin, and a constant diligence io all duty; because. Better it is not to vow, thsm to vow and not to pay, Eccles. v. 4, 6.

When we are at any time tempted to sin, or in danger of being surprised into any ill thing, let this be our reply to the tempter, and with this let ns quench his fiery darts; Thy vows are upon me, 0 God. Did I not say, / will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue ? I did say so; and therefore / will keep my mouth as with a bridU, Ps. xxxix. I. Did I not make a covenant with my eyes ? I did : that therefore shall be to me a covering of the eyes, that they may never be either the inlets or the outlets of sin. Did I not say, / will not transgress ? Jer. ii. 20. I did say so; and therefore, by the grace of God, I will abstain from all appearance of evil, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. An honest man is u good as his word.

When we begin to grow slothful and careless io our duty, backward and slighting in it, let this stir up the gift that is in us, and quicken as to every good word and work. O my soul, tkou hast said unts the Lord, thou art my Lord; thou hast said it with the blood of Christ in thy hand. He is thy Lord then, and worship thou him, Ps. xvi. 2. and xW. 11. When a lion in the way, a lion in the streets, deten us from any duty, and we cannot ploagh by reason of cold, nor sow or reap for fear of winds and clouds, let this help our difiiculty, with a steady resolution; it is what I have promised, and I roust perform it; I will not, I dare not, be false to God, and my covenants with him ; / have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and (without incurring the guilt of peijuiy) / cannot go hack.

3. Our conversation must be such, as that we may make some grateful returns for the favours which we have here received. The law of gratitude is one of the laws of nature; for the ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib; and some have thought, that all our gospel-duties may very fitly be comprised in that of gratitude to our Redeemer. In the Lord's supper we see what Christ has done for us, and we receive what he bestows, and in consideration of both, we must set ourselves not only to love and praise him, but to walk before him in the land of the living; that though we cannot return him any equivalent for his kindness, yet by complying with his will, and consulting his honour, we may show that we bear a grateful mind, and

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416 would render again according to the benefit done unto us.

By wilful sin after a sacrament, we load ourselves with the guilt not only of treachery, but of base ingratitude. It was a great aggravation of Solomon's apostasy, tkat he turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings xi. 9. More than twice, yea, many a time, God hath appeared not only for us in his providences, but to us in his ordinances, manifesting himself in a distin-^ishing way to us, and not unto the world. Now if we carry ourselves strangely to him who has been such a friend to us, if we affront him, who has so favoured us, and rebel against him, who has not only spared but ransomed us, we deserve to be stigmatized with a mark of everlasting infamy, as the most ungrateful wretches that ever God's earth bore, or his sun shone upon. Foolish people and unwise we are, thus to requite the Liord. Let us, therefore, thus reason with ourselves, when at any time we are tempted to sin: After he has given us such a deliverance as this, shall we again break his commandments? Shall we spit in the face, and spam at the bowels, of such loving kindness ? After we have eaten bread with Christ, shall we go and lift up the heel against him ? No, God forbid, we will not continue in sin after grace has thus abound-ed« Rom. vi. 1, 2.

By an exact and exemplary conversation we show ourselves sensible of the mighty obligations we lie under to love him, and live to him, who loved us, and died for us : we should, therefore, from a principle of gratitude, always abound in the work of the Lord, and lay out ourselves with zeal and cheerfulness io his service, thinking nothing too much to do, too hard to suffer, or too dear to part with, for him who has done, and suffered, and parted with so much for OS. Let the love of Christ constrain us.

4. Our conversation must be such, that we may preserve the comforts which in the Lord's supper we have tasted. Have we been satisfied with the goodness of God's house? Let us not receive the grace of God therein in vain, by the forfeiture or neglect of those satisfactions. Fear the Lord and his goodness, (Hos. iii. 5.) that is, fear lest you sin against that gdness, and so sin it away. Have we received Christ Jesus the Lord ? Let us hold fast what we have received, that no man take our crown, and the comfort of it. Has God here spoken peace to us? Let us then never return to folly, lest we break in upon the peace that God has spoken: it is a jewel too precious to be pawned, as it is by the covetous for the wealth of this world, and by the voluptuous for the pleasures of the flesh. Have we tasted that the Lord is gracious ? Let us not put our mouths out of taste to those spiritual and divine pleasures, by any carnal delights or gratifications. Has God made us to hear joy and gladness ? Let us not set ourselves out of the hearing of that joyful sound, by listening to the voice of Satan's charms, charm he never so wisely.

If we walk loosely and carelessly after a sacrament, we provoke God to hide his face from us, to take from us the cup of consolation, and to put into our hands, instead of it, the cup of trembling; we cloud our evidences, shake our hopes, wither our comforts, and undo what we have been doing at this ordinance. That caution, therefore, which the apostle gives to the elect lady and her children, should ever be sounding in our ears, (2 John 8.) Look to yourselves, that we lose not tlie things which we have wrought; or as the margin reads it, the things which we have gained. Let us not, by our own folly and neglect, let slip the benefit of what we have done and of what we have got at the table of the Lord.

Especially, we should take heed lest Satan get an advantage against us, and improve that to our prejudice, which we do not take due care to improve, as we ought, to our benefit. After the sop, Satan entered into Judas, John xiii. 27. If the comforts which we think we have received in this ordinance, do not make us more watchful, it is well if they do not make us more secure. If they be not a savour of life unto life, by deterring us from sin, there is danger, lest they prove a savour of death unto death, by hardening us in sin. It was one of the most impudent words which that adulterous woman spoke (and she spoke a great many) when she allured the young man into her snares, (Prov. vii. 14,15.) I have peace-offerings with me, this day have I paid my vows, therefore came I forth to meet thee. I have been confessed, and been absolved, and therefore can the better afford to begin upon a new score: I know the worst of it, it is but being confessed and absolved again. But shall we continue in sin, because grace has abounded, and that grace may abound? God forbid : far be it, far be it from us ever to entertain such a thought. Shall we suck poison out of the balm of Gilead, and split our souls upon the rock of salvation? Is Christ the minister of sin ? Shall the artifices of our spiritual enemies turn this table into a snare, and that on it which should be for our welfare into a trap ? Those are but pretended comforts in Christ, that are thus made real supports in sin. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Hell will be hell indeed to those who thus trample under foot the blood of the covenant, as an unholy thing, and do despite to the Spirit of grace. Their case is desperate indeed, who are imboldened in sin by their approaches to God.

5. Our conversation must be such, that we may evidence the communion we have had with God in Christ, at the Lord's table. It is not enough to say, that we have fellowship with him; the vilest hypocrites pretend to that honour, but by walking in

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darkness they disprove their pretensions, and ^ve themselves the lie, 1 John i. 6. We must therefore show that we have fellowship with him, hy walking in the light, v. 7. and as he also walked, I John ii. 6. By keeping ap communion with God in providences, having our eyes ever toward him, and acknowledging him in all our ways, receiving all our comforts as the gifts of his bounty, and bearing all our afflictions as his fatherly chastisements, we evidence that we have had communion with him in ordinances. They who converse much with scholars, evidence it by the tongue of the learned; as one may likewise discover by the politeness and refined-ness of a man's air and mien, that his conversation has lain much with persons of quality. Thus they who have communion with the holy God, should make it to appear in all holy conversation, not suffering any corrupt communication to proceed out of their mouth, but abounding in that which is good, and to the use of edifying, that by our speech and behaviour it may appear what country we belong to.

When Peter and John acquitted themselves before the council with such a degree of conduct and assurance, as one could not have expected from unlearned and ignorant men, not acquainted with courts, or camps, or academies, it is said, that they who marvelled at it, took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus, Acts iv. 13. And from those who had been with Jesus, who had followed him, sat at his feet, and eaten bread with him, very great things might be expected. In this ordinance we have been seeing his beauty, and tasting his sweetness, and now we should live so, that all who converse with us may discern it, and by our holy, heavenly converse, may take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus,

II. Let us mention some particulars wherein we ought in a special manner to approve ourselves well after this solemnity, that as we have received Christ Jesus the Lordy we may so walk in him. Col. ii. 6.

After we have been admitted into communion with God, and have renewed our covenants with him at his table, it behoves us to be careful in these six things:

1. We must see to it, that we be sincerely devout and pious. It is not enough that we live soberly and righteously, but we must live godly, in this present world, and our sacramental engagements should stir us up to abound therein more and more. After an interview with our friends, by which mutual acquaintance is improved, and mutual affections confirmed, we are more constant and endearing in our correspondence with each other; so we should be with God, after this ordinance, more frequent in holy ejaculations and breathings of soul toward God, intermixed even with common business and conversation ; more abundant in reading, meditation, and solemn prayer; more diligent in our attendance on public ordinances; more fixed and enlarged in eloiet devotions, and more lively and affectionate in oer family worship. Those religious exercises wfaerda we have formerly been remiss and careless, easily persuaded to put them by, or put them off, we should now be more constant to, and more careful in ; more close in our application to them, and more serioos in our performance of them.

If we have indeed found that it is good for os to draw near to God, we will endeavour to keep near him, so near him, as upon every occasion to speak to him, and to hear from him. If this sacrament has been our delight, the word will be our delight, and we shall daily converse with it; prayer will be oar delight, and we shall give ourselves to it, and continue instant in it They who have been feasted upon the sacrifice of atonement, ought to abound in sacrifices of acknowledgment, the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, and a broken heart, which are acceptable to God through Christ Jesus; and having in our flock a male, we must offer that, and not a corrupt thing.

It is the shame of many who are called Christians, and have a name and a place in God's family, that they are as backward and indifferent to holy duties, as if they were afraid of doing too much good for God and their own souls, and as if their chief care were to know just how much will serve to bring them to heaven, that they may do no more. They can be content to go a mile, but they are not willing to go twain. And does it become those on whom God has sown so plentifully, to make their returns so sparingly ? Ought we not rather to inquire what freewill offerings we may bring to God's altar? and how we may do more in religion than we have used to do? They who have found what a good table God keeps, and how welcome they have been to it, should desire to dwell in his house all the days of their life; and blessed are they that do so, tkeywiU he still praising him, Ps. xxvii. 4 ; Ixxxiv. 4.

2. We must see to it that we be conscientioasly just and honest. We not only contradict our profession, and give ourselves the lie, but we reproach the religion we profess, and give it the lie, if after we have been at this sacrament, we deceive or defraud our brother in any matter; for this is that which the Lord our God requires of us, that we do justly, that is, that we never do wrong to any, in their body, goods, or good name, and that we ever study to render to all their due, according to the relation we stand in, and the obligation we lie under, to them* That, therefore, which is altogether just (justice juS' tice, as the word is,) thou shalt follow, Deut. xri. 20. There are many who make no gat pretensions to religion, and yet natural conscience, sense of honour, and a regard to the conmion good, keep them strictly just in all their dealings, and they would scorn to do a base and dishonest thing; and shall not the

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417

bonds of this ordinance added to those inducements, restrain us from CTcry thing that has but the appearance of fraud and injustice? A Christian! a communicant! and yet a cheat! yet a man not to be trusted, not to be dealt with but standing on one's guard ! How can those be reconciled ? Will that man be true to his God, whom he has not seen, that Is false to his brother, whom he has seen ? Shall he be intrusted with the true richet, who is not faithful in the unrighteous mammon ? Luke xvi. 11.

Let the remembrance of our sacramental tows be always fresh in our minds, to give a check to those secret covetings which are the springs of all fraudulent practices. I have disclaimed the world for a portion, shall I then, for the compassing of a little of its forbidden gain, wrong my brother, whom I ought to do good to; wrong my profession, which I ought to adorn; and wrong my own conscience, which I ought to keep void of offence ? God forbid. I have likewise renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, and promised not to walk in craftiness. By the grace of God I will therefore ever have my convert sation in the world in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. i. 12; iv. 2. They who are so well skilled in the arts of deceit, as to save themselves from the scandal of it, and to be able to say with £phraim, though he had the balances of deceit in his hand. In all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me, that were sin, (Hos. xii. 7, 8.) yet cannot thereby save themselves from the guilt of it, and the ruin that attends it; for doubtless the Lord is the avenger of all such, 1 Thess. iv. 6. Those who cheat their neighbours, cannot cheat their God, but will prove in the end to have cheated themselves into everlasting misery ; and what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

3. We must see to it, that we be religiously meek and peaceable. We must not only come from this ordinance in a calm and quiet frame, but we must always keep ourselves in such a frame. By the meekness and gentleness of Christ (which the apostle mentions as a most powerful charm, 2 Cor. x. 1.) let us be wrought upon to be always meek and gentle, as those who have learned of him. The storms of passion that are here appeased, must never be suffered to make head again, nor must the enmities that are here slain, ever be revived. Having eaten of this gospel passover, we must all our life long keep the feast, without the leaven of malice and wickedness, I Cor. v. 8. Having been feasted at Wisdom's table, we must always abide under the conduct and influence of that wisdom which ia first pure, and then peaceable,gentle, and easy to be entreated. Jam. iii. 17. God was greatly displeased with those who, after they had released their bond-servants according to the law, recalled their release, and brought them into subjection again, Jer. xxxiv. 11, 17. And so will he be with those who seem to set

2 E aside their quarrels when they come to the sacrament, but as soon as the fervour of their devotion is over, the heat of their passion returns, and they resume their quarrels, and revive all their angry resentments ; thereby making it to appear that they did never truly forgive, and, therefore, never were forgiven of God. Factum non dicitur quod non per-severat — The reality of the act is only proved by per' severing in it.

Let those who have had communion with God in this ordinance, be able to appeal to their relations and domestics, and all they converse with, concerning this; and to vouch them for witnesses, that they have mastered their passions, and are grown more mild and quiet in their families than sometimes they have been, and that even when they are most provoked, they know both how to hear reason, and how to speak it. Whatever others do, let us never give occasion to the enemies of the Lord to say, that the seriousness of religion makes men sour and morose, and that zeal in devotion disposes the mind to peevishness and passion: but let us evidence the contrary, that the grace of God does indeed make men good-natured, and that the pleasures of serious godliness make men truly cheerful and easy to all about them. Having been here sealed to the day of redemption, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, that blessed dove; and that we may not, let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from us, with all malice, as it follows there, Eph. iv. 30, 31.

4. We must see to it that we be strictly sober and chaste. Gluttony and drunkenness, and fleshly lusts, are as great a reproach as can be to those who profess relation to Christ, and the expectation of eternal life. It becomes those who have been feasted at the table of the Lord, and have there tasted the pleasures of the spiritual and divine life, to be dead to all the delights of sense, and to make it appear that they are so, by a holy indifference to them. Let not the flesh be indulged to the prejudice of the spirit, nor provision made for the fulfilling the lusts thereof. Have we been entertained with the dainties of heaven ? Let us not be desirous of the dainties of sense, nor solicitous to have the appetite gratified, and all our enjoyments to the highest degree pleasing. When our Lord had instituted his supper, and given this cup of blessing to his disciples, he added, (Matt. xxvi. 29.) / will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine; now welcome the bitter cup, the vinegar and the gall: teaching us after a sacrament to sit more loose than before to bodily delights, and to be better reconciled to hardships and disappointments in them. It was the sin and shame of the Israelites in the wilderness, that while they were fed with manna, angels' food, they lusted, saying, Who will give us flesh to eat? And they sin after the similitude of that transgression, who, when they

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have eaten of the bread of life, and drank of the water of life, yet continue to be as curious and careful about their meat and drink, as if they knew no better things, and had their happiness bound up in them; as if the kingdom of God were in this sense meat and diink, and a Turkish Paradise were their heaven. Surely, they who are of this spirit serve not our Lord Christ, but their own bellies.

But if they thus shame themselves who indulge the flesh, though their reason remains with them, what shall we think of those, who, by their intemperance, put themselves quite out of the possession of their own souls, disfit themselves for the service of God, and level themselves with the beasts ? A Christian ! a communicant! and yet a tippler, a drunkard, a companion with those who run to this excess of riot! This, this is the sin that has been the scandal and ruin of many, who, having begun in the spirit, have thus ended in the flesh ; this is that which has quenched the Spirit, hardened the heart, besotted the head, debauched the conscience, withered the profession, and so has slain its thousands, and its ten thousands. Against this sin, therefore, the Lord's prophets must cry aloud, and not spare: of the dan- I f er of this the watchmen are concerned to give warn- , ing: and dare those who partake of the cup of the Lord, drink of the cup of devils? 1 Cor. x. 21. Can there be so much concord between light and darkness, between Christ and Belial ? No, there cannot, these are contrary the one to the other. If men's communicating will not break them off from their drunkenness, their drunkenness must break tbcm off from communicating; for these are spots in our feasts of charity, and if God be true, drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Let me, therefore, with all earnestness, as one that desires to obtain mercy of the Lord to be faithful, warn all who profess religion, and relation to Christ, to stand upon their guard against this snare, which has been fatal to multitudes. As you tender the favour of God, the comforts of the Spirit, the credit of your profession, and the welfare of your own souls here and hereafter, take heed of being entangled in any temptations to this sin. Shun the society of those evil-doers: abstain from all the appearances of this sin : watch and be sober: he who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, has made its unto our God kings and priests. Rev. i. 5,6. Are we priests? This was the law of the priesthood, and it was a law made upon the occasion of the death of Nadab and Abihu, who probably had erred through wine, (Lev. x. 9.) Do not drink wine nor strong drink when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation. Are we king t It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine — lest they drink and forget the law, Prov. xxxi. 4, 5. It is not for Christians to drink to excess, and to allow themselves in those riotings and re Vellings, which even the sober heathen condemned and abhorred.

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and laacin-ousness, are likewise lusts of the fleah, and deilii{ to the soul, which therefore all those most caiefiny avoid, who profess to be led by the Spirit; they ue abominable things, which the Lord hates, and wkkk we also must hate. Are not our bodies templei d the Holy Ghost? Dare we then defile them? kn they not members of Christ? And shall we make them the members of a harlot ? Let those who est of the holy things, be holy both in body and spirit, aad possess their vessel in sanetification and kotumr, sai not in the lusts of une Uanness. Let those eyes neitr be guilty of a wanton look, that haTe here leei Christ evidently set forth crucified among us: letM lewd, corrupt communication proceed ont of tkit mouth into which God's covenant has been takn: let no unclean, lascivious thoughts be ever haihov-ed in that heart which the holy Jesns Tonchsafetto dwell in. Let those who have eaten of Wisdon't bread, and drank of the wine that she has miagled, never hearken to the invitations of the foolisk woman, who courts the unwary to stolen wattxii and bread eaten in secret, under pretence thattky are sweet and pleasant; for the dead are tiere, ud the guests are in the depths of hell FroT. ix. 17,1&

5. We must see to it that we are abundantly di-ritable and beneficent. It is not enough that we do no hurt, but if we would order our convemtioB aright; we must, as we have opportunity, do good to all men, as becomes those to whom God in Christ is good, and does good, and who profess themseiva the disciples and followers of him, who went aboat doing good. Shall we be selfish, and seek our on things only, who have here seen how Christ humbkd and emptied himself for us ? Shall we be spariig of our pains for our brethren's good, who have hat seen Christ among us as one that serveth, as one that suflereth, and as one that came not to he wamt-tered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a muem for many ? Shall we be shy of speaking to, of speaking for, our poor brethren, who have here seen ov Lord Jesus not ashamed to own us and intercede for us, notwithstanding our poverty and mea Daesf Shall we be strait-handed in distributing to the l cessities of the saints, who have here found Chriit so liberal and open-handed in imparting to as, lot only the gospel of God, but even his own soul. After we have been at this ordinance, we should showbov much we are affected with our receiving there, br being ready and forward to every good work: because our goodness extendetk not to God, it ongbt to extend to the saints thai are in the earik, Psal. XfL 2, 3. Thus we must be followers of God sis iter children ; we must walk in love, as here we see Cbrift hath loved us, and gave himself for us, £ph. v. 1,3*

6. We must see to it, that we be more taken of

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4i& from this world, and more taken up with another world. A Christian then lives like himself, when he lives above the things that are seen, which are temporal, and looks upon them with a holy contempt; and keeps his eye fixed upon the things that are not seen, which are eternal, looking upon them with a holy concern. We are not called out of the world, but we are not of it; we belong to another world, and are designed for it; we must therefore seek the things that are above, and not set our affections on things beneath.

The thoughts of Christ crucified should wean us from this world, and make us out of love with ^it: the world knew him not, but hated him; the princes of this world crucified him, but he overcame the world ; and we also, by faith in him, may obtain a iictory over it, such a victory over it, that we may not be entangled by its snares, encumbered with its cares, or disquieted by its sorrows. By frequent meditation on the cross of Christ, the world will be crucified to us, and we to the world, (Gal. vi. 14.) that is, the world and we should grow very indifferent one to another, and no love shall be lost between us.

The thoughts of Christ glorified, should raise our hearts to that blessed place where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, (Col. iii. 1.) and/roffitc;AeYic« we loohfor the Saviour, Phil. iii. 20. When we commemorate Christ's entrance within the veil, as our forerunner, and have good hopes of following him shortly; when we think of his being in paradise, and of our being with him; how should our affections be carried out toward that joy of our Lord ! How studious should we be to do the work of heaven, conform to the laws of heaven, and converse (as much as may be) with the glorious society there! Having received the adoption of. sons, we should improve our acquaintance with, and raise our expectations of, the inheritance of sons.

CHAPTER XIV.

sonB WORDS or COMFORT, WHICH THIS ORDINANCB 8PBAK8 TO

SERIOUS CHRISTIANS.

The Lord's supper was intended for the comfort of good people, not only while they are actually attending on God in it, but even after; not only that their joy may be full, but that this joy may remain in them, John xv. 11. It is a feast which was made for laughter; not that of a fool, which terminates in a sigh, and the end of it is heaviness, but that of the truly wise man, who has learned to rejoice evermore, yea, to rejoice in the Lord always: not that of the hypocrite, whose triumphing is short, and his joy but for a moment, (Job xx. 5.) but that of a sincere Christian, whom God eauset always to triumph in Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 14. The water that Christ here

2 E 2 gives, is designed to be a well of water, living water, sending forth streams that make glad the city of our God. The feast, if it be not our own fault, will be to us a continual feast, and a breast of consolation, from which we may daily suck and be satisfied.

1. It is the will of God that his people should be a comforted people. The most evangelical part of the prophecy of Isaiah begins with this, (ch. xl. 1.) Comfort' ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God: he takes pleasure in their prosperity, he delights to see them cheerful, and to hear them sing at their work, and sing in his ways. Religion was never designed to make people melancholy; Wisdom's adversaries do her wrong, if they paint her in mourning, and Wisdom's children do not do her right, if they give the occasion to do so; for though they are, like St. Paul, as sorrowful, yet they should be, like him, always rejoicing, because though they seem (perhaps) to lave nothing, yet really they possess all things, 2 Cor. vi. 10. So good a Master do we serve, that he has been pleased to twist interests with us, and so to compound his glory and our comfort, that in seeking the one we seek the other also. He has made that to be our duty, which is indeed our greatest privilege, and that is, to delight ourselves alway in the Lord, and to live a life of complacency in him. And it is the New-Testament character of a Christian indeed, that he rejoiceth in Christ Jesus, Phil, iii.' 3.

2. Good Christians have (of all people) most reason to rejoice, and be comforted. As for those who are at a distance from God, and out of covenant with him, they have reason to be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, Hos. ix. 1. To them who eat of the forbidden tree of knowledge, this tree of life also is forbidden; but those who devote themselves to God, have all the reason in the world to delight themselves in God. They who ask the way to Sion, with their faces thitherward, though they go weeping to seek the Lord their God, (Jer. 1. 4, 5.) yet they shall go on rejoicing, when they have found him; for they cannot but find the way pleasantness, and the paths of it peace. Have not they reason to smile, on whom God smiles? If God has put grace into the heart, has he not put gladness there, and a new song into the mouth ? Is Christ proclaimed King in the soul ? And ought it not to be done with acclamations of joy ? Is the atonement received, and the true treasure found ? And shall we not rejoice with joy unspeakable? Have we good hope (through grace) of entering shortly into the joy of our Lord ? And have not we cause now to rejoice in hope of it ?

3. Yet those who have so much reason to rejoice, are often cast down, and in sorrow, and not altogether without cause. This state of probation and preparation is a mixed state, and it is proper enough it should be so, for the trial and exercise of various

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graces, and thai God's power may have the praise of keeping the balance even. In those whose hearts are visited by the Day-spring from on high, the light is neither clear nor dark, it is neither day nor night, Zcch. xiv. 6, 7. They have their comforts, which they would not exchange for the peculiar treasure of kings and princes; but withal they have their crosses, under which they groan, being burthened. They have their hopes, which are as an anchor to the soul, both sure and stedfast, entering into that within the veil; but withal they have their fears, for their warfare is not yet accomplished, they have not yet attained, neither are already perfect. They have their joys, such as the world can neither give nor take away; joys that a stranger does not intermeddle with; but withal they have their griefs, their way to Canaan lies through a wilderness, and their way to Jerusalem through the valley of Baca: their Master was himself a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and they are to be his followers. While we are here, we must not think it strange, if for a season, when need is, we are in heaviness ; we cannot expect to reap in joy hereafter, unless we sow in tears. We must not, therefore, think that either the present happiness of the saints, which in this world they are to expect, or their present holiness, which in this world they are to endeavour after, consists in such delights and joys, as leave us room for any mourning and sense of trouble : no, there is sorrow that is a godly sorrow; a jealousy of ourselves, that is a godly jealousy: it is only a perfect love that casts out all fear and all grief, which we are not to expect in this imperfect state. All tears shall not be wiped away from our eyes, nor shall sorrows and sighing quite flee away, till we come to heaven: while wc are here, we are in a vale of tears, and must conform to the temper of the climate; we are at sea, and must expect to be tossed with tempests; we are in the camp, and must expect to be alarmed: while without are fightings, no wonder that within are fears.

4. Our Lord Jesus has, therefore, provided such comfort for the relief of his people (in their present sorrowful state) as may serve to balance their griefs, and keep them from being pressed above measure; and he has instituted holy ordinances (and especially this of the Lord's supper) for the application of those comforts to them, that they may never fear, may never be sorry, as those that have no hope, or no joy. The covenant of grace (as it is ministered in the everlasting gospel) has in it a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; so that they who have an interest in that covenant, and know it, may triumph with blessed Paul, (2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.) Though we are troubled on every side, yet we are not distressed; perplexed sometimes, but (thanks be to God) 7iot in despair ; persecuted by men, but not forsaken uf God ; cast down and drooping, but not destroyed and lost. This is that which bears them up imder all their burthens, comforts them in all their griefi, and enables them to rejoice in tribulation. God if theirs, and they are his, and he has m&tle with tkem an everlasting covenant, well ordered in mil things, aad sure ; and this is all their salvation and mU their d sire, however it be, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.

The word of God is written to them for tliif end, That their joy may be full, (1 John i. 4.) and that, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, they may have hope, Rom. xv. 4. Preciou promises are there treasured up, to be the foandt-tions of their faith and hope, and consequently the fountains of their joy. Songs of thanksgiving are there drawn up for them, to refresh themsel Tes with in their weary pilgrimage, and to have recourse to, for the silencing of their complaints. Ministers are appointed to be the helpers of their joy, (2 Cor. i. 24.) and to speak comfort to such as mourn in Zion. The sabbath is the day which the Lord has made for this very end, that they may rejoice and be glad is it Prayer is appointed for the ease of troubled spirits, that in it they may pour out their complaiots before God, and fetch in comfort from him; AA, and you shall receive, that your joy may htfutt. This sacrament was ordained for the comfort of good Christians, for the confirmation of their faith, in order to the preservation and increase of their joy; and they ought to improve it, both for the strengtheniiig of the habit of holy cheerfulness, and their actual encouragement against the several particular grievances of this present time. And there is no complaint which a good Christian has cause to make at any time, which he may not qualify, and keep from growing clamorous, by comforts dravni from what be has seen and tasted, what he has done and received at the Lord's table. Let us therefore be daily drawing water out of these wells of salvation, and when our souls are cast down and disquieted within us, let us fetch arguments from our communion with God in this ordinance, both in chiding them for their despondency, and encouraging them to hope and rejoice in God. What is it that grieves and oppresses us ? Why is our countenance sad, and why go we mourning all the day long ? Whatever the occasion of the heaviness is, let it be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and I dare say there is that comfort to be fetched from this ordinance, which is sufficient to be set in the scale against it, and outweigh it. Let us mention some of the most common causes of our trouble, and try what relief we may from hence be furnished with.

I. Are we disquieted and discouraged by the remembrance of our former sins and provocations? There is that here which will help to quiet and encourage us in reference to this. Conscience sometimes calls to mind the sins of the unconverted state, and charges them home upon the soul, especially if

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421 they were heinous and scandalous; it repeats the reproach of the youth ; reminds us of old quarrels* and aggravates them; rakes in the old wounds, and makes them bleed afresh ; and hence the disconsolate soul is ready to draw such hard conclusions as t these: '* Surely it is impossible that so great a sinner as I have been, should be pardoned and accepted ; that such a prodigal should be welcomed home, and such a publican ever And mercy! Can I expect to share in that grace which I so long slighted c and sinned against ? or to be taken into that covenant which I have so often cast away the cords of? Will the holy God take one into the embraces of his love, who has been so vile and sinful, and fitter to be made a monument of his wrath ? Can there be any hope for me? or if there be some hope, yet, can there be any joy ? If I may (through a miracle of mercy) escape hell at last, which I have deserved a thousand times, yet ought I not to weep my eyes out, and to go softly all my yean in the bitiemest of my soul? Isa. xxxviii. 15. Ought I not toro down to the grave mourning ? Gen. xxxvii. 35. Should not my soul now refuse to be comforted, which so long rel'used to be convinced ?"

These are black and sad thoughts, and enough to sink the spirit, if we had not met with that at the Lord's table, which gives a sufficient answer to all these challenges. We have been geat sinners, but there we have seen the great Redeemer, able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him; and have there called him by that name of his, which is as ointment poured forth. The Lord our Righteous-nets. Our sins have reached to the heavens, but there we have seen God's mercy in Christ reaching beyond the heavens. We have been wretchedly defiled in our own ways, but there we have seen not only a laver but a fountain opened for the house of David to wash in, and have been assured that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin, even that which (for the heinousness of its nature, and the multitude of its aggravations) has been as scarlet and crimson, Isa. i. 18. That article of the covenant, which is so expressive of a general pardon, has been sealed to me, upon gospel terms, Heb. viii. 12. For I will be merciful to tlteir unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more; and this I rely upon. Great sinners have obtained mercy ; and why may not I ?

And though an humble remembrance of sin will be of use to us all our days, yet such a disquieting remembrance of it, as hinders our faith in Christ, and our joy in God, is by no means good ; even sorrow for sin may exceed due bounds, and penitents may be swallowed up with over-much sorrow, 2 Cor. ii. 7. The covenant of grace speaks not only pardon, hot peace to all believers; and not only sets the broken bones, but makes them to rejoice, Ps. li. 8. When it says, Thy sins be forgiven thee, it says also,

Son, Daughter, be of good cheer. Matt. ix. 2. It is the duty of those who have received the atonement, to take the comfort of it, and to joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. v. 11. Acts of self-denial and mortification are means and evidences of our sanctification, and such as we ought to abound in; but they are not the ground of our justification. It is Christ's blood that makes the satisfaction, not our tears. Therefore we must not so remember former sins, as to put away present comforts. A life of repentance will very well consist with a life of holy cheerfulness.

II. Are we disquieted and discouraged by the sense of our sins of daily infirmity ? There is that here which will be a relief against this grievance also. I have not only former guilt to reflect upon, contracted in the daysof my ignorance and unbelief; but alas, I am still sinning, sinning daily ! God knows, and my own heart knows, that in many things I do offend : I come short of the rule, and short of the glory of God every day. Vain thoughts lodge with me; idle words proceed from me. If I would count either the one or the other, they are more in number than the sand. When I think of the strictness and extent of the divine law, and compare my own heart and life with it, I find that innumerable evils compass me about. Neglects of duty are many, and negligences in duty are more. Who can tell how often he offends ? If the righteous God should enter into judgment with me, and be extreme to mark what I do amiss, I were not able to answer him for one of a thousand. It might have been expected, that when the God of mercy had, upnn my repentance, forgiven the rebellions of my sinful state, taken me into his family, and made me as one of his hired servants, nay, as one of his adopted children, that I should have been a dutiful child, and a diligent servant; but, alas, I have been slothful and trifling, and in many instances undutiful; I am very defective in my duty, both to my Master, and to my fellow-servants, and in many things transgress daily. For these things I weep ; mine eye, mine eye runs down with tears.

But there is that in this ordinance which may keep us from sinking under this burthen, though we have cause enough to complain of it. It is true, I am sinning daily; and it is my sorrow and shame that I am so; but the memorial of that great sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered once for all upon the cross, is therefore continually to be celebrated on earth, because the merit of it is continually pleaded in heaven, where Christ ever lives to make intercession in the virtue of his satisfaction. Having therefore celebrated the memorial of it at the table of the Lord, here in the outer court, I ought to take the comfort of the continual efficacy of it within the veil, and its prevalency for the benefit of all believers. The water out of the rock, the rock smitten, followL

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God's Israel through this wilderness; in the precious streams, of which, they that are washed are welcome to wash their feet from the pollutions they contract in their daily walk through this defiling world ; and the best have need of this washing, John xiii. 10. That needful word of caution, That we nn not, is immediately followed with this word of comfort, but If any man tin, we have an Advocate with the Father; one to speak for us, and to plead our cause: and he has a good plea to put in on our behalf, for he is the propitiation for our tins, 1 John ii. 1, 2.

Add to this, that the covenant of gace, which is sealed to us in this ordinance, is so well ordered in all things, and so sure, that every transgression in the covenant does not presently throw us out of the covenant. We do not stand upon the same terms that Adam in innocency did, to whom the least failure was fatal: no; to us God has proclaimed his 'Aome gracious and merciful ^forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. If we mourn for our sins of daily infirmity, are ashamed of them, and humble ourselves for them; if we strive, and watch, and pray against them, we may be sure they shall not be laid unto our charge, but in Christ Jesus they shall be forgiven to us; for we are under grace, and not under the law. The God we are in covenant with, is a God of pardon, (Neh. ix. 17.) with him there is forgiveness, Ps. cxxx. 4. We are instructed to pray for daily pardon, as duly as we pray for daily bread; and encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy: so that, though there be a remembrance of sins made every day, yet, thanks be to God* there may be a remembrance made of the sacrifice for sin, by which an everlasting righteousness was brought in.

III. Are we disquieted and discouraged by the sad remainders of indwelling corruption ? We may hence derive support under this burthen. All that are enlightened from on high, lament the original sin that dwells in them, as much as the actual transgressions that are committed by them ; not only that they are defective in doing their duty, but that they labour under a natural weakness and inability for it; not only that they are often overtaken in a fault, but that they have a natural proneness and inclination to that which is evil. It was the bitter complaint of blessed Paul himself; O wretched man that I am ! who sliall deliver me from the body of this death ? Rom. vii. 24. and it is the complaint of all that are spiritually alive, while they are here in this imperfect state.

The most intelligent find themselves in the dark, and apt to mistake; the most contemplative find themselves unfixed, and apt to wander; the most active for God, find themselves dull, and apt to tiro: when the spirit through grace is willing, yet the flesh is weak ; and when we would do good, evil is present with us. Corrupt appetites and passions often get bead, and betray us into many indecencies. This makes the heart sad, and the hands feeble; and by reason of these remaining cormptions, many a good Christian loses the comfort of bis graces. licie Canaanites in the land are as thorns in the eyes, and goads in the side, of many an Israelite.

But be not cast down, my soul; the covenant which was sealed to thee at the table of the Lord, was a covenant of grace, which accepts sincerity at gospel perfection; not a covenant of innooeilcy, which accepts of nothing less than a sinless, spotless purity. Were not these complaints poured oat before the Lord ? and did he not say. My praet is sufficient for tliee? And what canst thou desire more? 2 Cor. xii. 9. Were not orders given at the banquet of wine, for the crucifying of the adversary and enemy, this wicked Haman; so that though it be not yet dead, it is a body of death, and ere long it shall be put ofi* for ever ? Was it not there said to thee, was it not sealed. That sin shall not hsnfe dommiom over thee; but the God of peace shall bruise Satan under thy feet shortly ? so that, though he may for t while disturb thy peace, and his troops nuiy foil thee; yet, like God in Jacob's blessing, thoii shalt overcome at the last, Gen. xlix. 18. The bruised reed shall not be broken, nor the smoking flax quenched; but judgment shall in due time be brought forth unto victory; grace shall get the upper hand of corruption, and be a conqueror, yea more than a conqueror, through him that loved us! Come then, come set thy feet upon the necks of these kings, and rejoice in hope of a complete vietory at last. These lusts which war against thee, make war with the Lamb too, and oppose his interests; but for certain the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings ; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, andfaiikfid. Rev. xvii. 14. Thou hast seen on how firm a rock the kingdom of God within thee is built, and mayst be sure that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Christ has given thee a banner to be displayed because of the truth, and through him thou shalt do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down thy enemies, Ps. Ix. 4, 12.

Go on, my soul, go on to flght the Lord's battles, by a vigorous resistance of sin and Satan; maintain a constant guard upon all the motions of thy spiritual enemies; hold up the shield of faith, and draw the sword of the Spirit, against all their assaults. Suppress the first risings of corruption; make no provision for it; resolve not to yield to it; waik in the Spirit, that thou mayst not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. Never make league with these Canaanites; but vex these Midianites, and smite them ; mortify this body of death, and all its members; strengthen such principles, and dwell upon such considerations, as are proper for the weakening of the powerof sinfol lusts. And then be of good comfort, this house of

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423

Saal shall grow weaker and weaker, and the house of David stronger and stronger. Thon hast seen, my

F soul, thou hast tasted the hread and wine which the

Lord Jesus, that hiessed Melchisedeck, has provided

for the support and refreshment of all the followers of faithful Abraham, when they return weary (and

' wounded perhaps) from their spiritual conflicts.

1 Make use of this provision then; feast upon it daily,

> and go on in the strength of it Thank God (as St

F Paul did in the midst of these complaints) for Jesus

Christ; who has not only prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, but is now, like Moses, interceding on the top of the hill, while thou art, like Joshua, fighting with these Amalekites in the valley. Be faithful, therefore, to the death, and thou shalt shortly have a place in that New Jerusalem, into which no unclean thing shall enter. Now thou

being burthened; but in heaven there shall be none of these complaints, nor any cause for

IV. Does the trouble arise from prevailing doubts and fears about thy spiritual state ? We may draw that from this ordinance, which will help us to silence those fears, and solve those doubts, and to clear it np to us, that God in Christ is ours, and we are his; and that all shall be well shortly. Many good Christians, though they are so far willing to hope the best concerning themselves, as not to decline coming to the Lord's table, and there perhaps they meet with some satisfaction; yet, afterwards the tide of their comforts ebbs, a sadness seizes their spirits, the peace they have had they suspect to have been a delusion, and are ready to give up all for gone. Unbelief makes hard conclusions, clouds the evidences, shakes the hopes, withers the joys ; suggests that it is as good to give off all pious pursuits, as thus to keep them up in vain; as good to make a captain, and return into Egypt, as to perish in this wilderness; for this is not the way to Canaan. And thus many are kept from entering into the present sabbatism, or rest, which is intended for the people of God in this life, by unbelief, Heb. iv. 9,11. But, O thou of little faith! wherefore dost thou doubt ? Come, call to remembrance the former days, the former sacrament days, and the sweet communion thou hadst with God in them; days never to be forgotten. Thou doubtest whether God loves tbec ; and thou art ready to say as they did, (Mai. i. 52.) Wherein hath he loved me ! But dost thou not remember the love tokens he gave thee at his table, when he embraced thee in the arms of his grace, kissed thee with the kisses of his mouth, and his banner over thee was love. Thou doubtest whether thou be a child of God, and a chosen vessel or no, and art sometimes tempted to say. Surely the Lord kmih utterly separated me from his people, and I am a dry tree, Isa. Ivi. 3. How should he set me among the children, and give me a pleasant land? Jer. iii. 19.

But, dost thou not remember the children's bread thou hast been fed with at thy Father's table, and the Spirit of adoption there sent forth into thy heart, teaching thee to cry, Abbaj Father? Thou calledst thyself a prodigal, and no more worthy to be accounted a son, because thou didst bear the reproach of thy youth, which made thee ashamed, yea, even confounded ; but, did not God at the same time call thee, as he did penitent Ephraim, a dear son, a pleasant child ? Were not his bowels troubled for thee? and did be not say, / will surely have mercy on thee? Jer. xxxi. 18—^20. Did not thy Father meet thee with tender compassions ? Did he not call for the best robe, and put it on thee ? Did he not invite thee to the fatted calf, and, which was best of all, gave thee a kiss, which sealed thy pardon ? And wilt thou now call that point in question, which was then so well settled ? Is God a man, that he should lie, or the son of man, tliat he should repent ? No, he is God, and no man. Thou doubtest whether Christ be thine or no; whether thou hast any interest in his mediation or intercession; whether he died for thee or no: but didst thou not at his table accept of him to be thine, and consent to him upon his own terms ? Didst thou not say to him, with thy finger in the print of the nails. My Lord, and my God ? And did he not answer thee with good words, and comfortable words, saying unto thee, / am thy salvation ? Hast thou revoked the bargain ? or dost thou fear that he will revoke it? Was it not an everlasting covenant, never to be forgotten ? Why art thou troubled ? And why do thoughts arise in thy heart ? Was not Christ present with thee, and did he not show himself well affected to thee, when at his table he said to thee. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself Luke xxiv. 38, 39.—Thou doubtest whether thou hast any grace or no, any love to God, any faith, any repentance; but hast thou forgotten God's workings on thy heart, and the workings of tliy heart toward God at his table ? Did not thy heart bum within thee, when thy dear Ke-deemer talked with thee there ? Didst thou not sit down under his shadow with delight, and say. It is good to be here ? Didst thou not desire a sign of the Lord, a token for good ? Didst thou not say. Do not deceive me? and was there not a token for good showed thee? Was not thy heart melted for sin? Was it not drawn out toward God ? Did it not appear that God was with thee of a truth? Wherefore, then, dost thou doubt of that which thou hadst then such comfortable evidences of ? Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speahest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Why dost thou entertain such hard thoughts of God and thy own state ? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, even tlie Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither it weary ? Isa. xl. 27, 28.

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And why art thoa fearfal and faint-hearted? Why dost thou look forward with terror and trembling, while thou hast so much reason to look forward with hope and rejoicing ? Alas, (says the troubled spirit,) God has cast me off out of his sight, and I fear will cast off for ever, and will be favourable no more; I shall no more see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living ! My comforts are removed, and all my pleasant things are laid waste! My honet are dried, my liope is lost, and I am cut off for my part, Ezek. xxxvii. 11. But hearken to this, thou who thus fearest continually every day; dost thou not remember the encouragements Christ gave thee at his table to hope in him, and to expect all good from him ? Does he not say, / will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ? and didst thou not promise that thou wouldst never leave nor forsake him ? Nay, did he not promise to put his fear into thy heart, that thou mightt not depart from him ? He did: and is not he faithful that hath called thee? faithful that hath promised, who also will do it? Thou art afraid that some time or other Satan will be too hard for thee, and thou shalt one day perish by his hand : but hast thou not had that precious promise sealed to thee, that the faithfuh God will never suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able, but will with the temptation make a way for thee to escape ? 1 Cor. X. 13. His providence shall proportion the trial to the strength ; or (which comes all to one) his grace shall proportion the strength to the trial. Thou art afraid that after all thou shalt come short; that by reason of the violence of the storm, the treachery of the sea, and, especially, thy own weakness and unskilfulness, thou shalt never be able to weather the point, and get safe into the harbour at last: but shall I ask thee, thou that followest Christ thus trembling, Dost thou not know whom thou hast believed ? Is thy salvation intrusted with thyself, and lodged in thy own hands ? No, it is not; if it were, thou wouldst have reason to fear the loss of it: but has not God committed it, and hast not thou committed it, to the Lord Jesus ? and is not he able to keep that which is committed to him against that day, that great day, when it shall be called for? Is not that a divine power, which keeps ihce, a divine promise, which secures thee ? Be not fearful, then, be not faithless, but believing.

V. Are we disquieted and discouraged by the troubles and calamities of this life ? From our communion with God in the ordinance of the Lord's supper, we may fetch comfort and support under all the afflictions of this present time, whatever they be. Our Master instituted this sacrament.in the night wherein he was betrayed; and soon after he put off the body, and pleasantly said, A'oir / am no more in the world: but when we have received this sacrament, we find ourselves still in a world which is vexation of spirit; the soul ^till in a house of clay.

liable to many shocks; and ao close is the onio Dbetween the soul and the body, that what toachcs fto bone and the flesh, cannot but affect the spirit tt second-hand. We are bom, and bom again, li troubles; besides that, we are exposed with othenli the common calamities of human life, and the persecutions which all that will live godly in Cluirt Jesus must count upon. We are under the discipline of sons, and must look for chastisement Aflio-tions are not only consistent with the love of God, but they flow from it; As many as I love, I reMe and chasten. They are not only reconcilable with fte covenant, but a branch of it:—/ mnll ekmsUn their transgressions with the rod, and their sin with stripes, is an article of the agreement with David and kis seed, with this comfortable clause added; Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take /rem him: — My covenant will I not hreeJt Ps. Ixxxix. 32,33.

There is no disputing against sense: Christianity was not designed to make men stocks and stonei, and stoics under their calamities. No aff Uetian/er the present is joyous but grievous : hence the best men, as they have their share of trouble, so they cannot but have the sense of it: that is allowed tbesi, they groan, being bnrthened. But this sense of trouble is apt to exceed due bounds : it is hard to grieve, and not to over-grieve; to lay to heart in aflliction, and not to lay it too near the heart When grief, or any outward trouble, overwhelms our spiiiti, imbitters our comforts, hinders our joy in €rod, stops the mouth of praise, takes off our chariot wheels, and makes us drive heavily in our way to heaven; then it is excessive and inordinate, tod turns into sin to us. When sorrow fills the heart, and plays the tyrant there; when it makes us fretful and impatient, and breaks forth into quarrels with God and his providence, and robs us of the enjoyment of ourselves, our friends, and our God; itii an enemy that we are concerned to take up aims against

And from our sacramental covenants and comforts we may fetch plenty of arguments against the unreasonable insinuations of inordinate gjief. Did I not see at the table of the Lord, a lively representation of the sufferings of Christ, the variety and extremity of his sufferings ? Did I not see his tears, his sweats, his agonies, his stripes, the pain and shame he underwent ? And is the servant better then his master, and the disciple than his Lord? Did Christ go by the cross to the crown, and shall a Christian expect to go any other way ? The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings, and have not we much more need of them, for the perfecting of what is lacking in us ? Is not this one part of our conformity to the image of Christ that as he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griffs, so we should, that he might be thefirst-bem

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436 mumg man brethren ? A sight of Christ's afflictions should reconcile us to our own; especially if we consider, not only what he suffered, but how he suffered, and with what an invincible patience and cheerful submission to his Father's will, leaving us 4m example, 1 Pet. ii. 21. Have we so often cele-Inraied the memorial of Christ's sufferings, and have we not yet learned of him to say, The cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drinh it ? Though it be a bitter cup. Father, not my will, hut thy will he done. Have we not yet learned of him, who was led as a lamb to the slaughter, to be dumb, and not to open our mouths against any thing that God does lo forgive our enemies, and pray for oar persecutors, and cheerfully to commit ourselves to him that jodgeth righteously? Let the same mind be in us, which here we have seen to be in Christ Jesus.

Yet this is not all: in the Lord's supper we give up ourselves, and all we have, unto the Lord, with a promise to acquiesce in all the disposals of his pro-Tidence, concerning us and ours; let us not, therefore, by our discontent and uneasiness, revoke the ■urrender which we then made, or go counter to it. We there said it, and sealed it, that we would be the Lord's, and may he not do what he will with his ewn, especially when it is so by his own consent ? God there said it, and sealed it to us, that he would be to us a Father; and can we take any thing amiss fnHn a Father, such a Father, who never chastens us but for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness ? Inviolable assurances were there given to us, that all things should work together for our present good, and for our future glory; that as af Dictions abound, consolations shall so much the more abound ; and some experience we there had of the sweetness and power of those consolations, irhich we ought to treasure up, that we may have them ready for our supports in the evil day. Can We forget how sweet God's smiles were which there We saw ? how reviving his comforts were which there we tasted ? And are not those sufficient to countervail the loss of the world's flattering smiles, and the comforts we have in the creature ? It is generally supposed, that the comfortable sermon which Christ preached to his disciples on that text. Let not your hearts he troubled, (John xiv.) immediately followed the administration of the Lord's supper; for it is the will of Christ, that those whom he has raised up to sit with him by faith in heavenly places, should not be cast down and disquieted for any cross or disappointment in earthly things.

Art thou sick, languishing, perhaps, under. some wasting distemper, which consumes thy strength and beauty like a moth ? Or chastened it may be with pain upon thy bed, and the multitude of thy bones with strong pain ? Or labouring under the infirmities and decays of old age ? Take comfort then from thy eommanion with the Lord at his table. Didst thou not see tlere how Christ himself bore our sicknesses, and carried our sorrows, when he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, and so took away the sting of them, extracted out of them the wormwood and the gall, which he himself drank in a bitter cup, and infused into them the comforts of his love, which he has given us to drink of? Didst not thou there receive a sealed pardon ? Did not God, in love to thy soul, cast all thy sins behind thy back, and tell thee so ? Thou hast then no reason to complain of bodily distempers: (Isa. xxxili. 24.) The inhabitant shall not say, I am sich: How so ? How can one that is sick, avoid saying, I am sick ? Why, it follows. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. And sickness is nothing, or next to nothing, to those who know their sins are pardoned. When thou didst present thy body to God in that ordinance a living sacrifice, and didst engage that it should be for the Lord, was it not graciously added— and the Lord for thy body, 1 Cor. vi. 13. And if the Lord be for thy body, he will strengthen thee upon the bed of languishing; and though he may not presently help thee off it, yet he will sit by thee, and (which speaks the wonderful condescension of divine goodness) he will make all thy bed in thy sichnesSf Ps. xli. 3. And that bed cannot but be made easy, which he has the making of.

Art thou poor, crossed in thy affairs, disappointed in lawful and hopeful designs, clogged with cares, and perhaps reduced to straits ? Let the spiritual riches secured to thee in that sealing ordinance, be a balance to the affliction of outward poverty. The God of truth has said, and thou mayst rely upon it, that those who fear him, and seek him, shall not want any good thing ; not any thing that infinite wisdom sees really good for them. Trust in the Lord, therefore, and do good with the little thou hast, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed, Ps. xxxvii. 3. It is not promised that thou shalt be feasted with varieties and dainties; those who are feasted at God's table need not complain, though they be not feasted at their own ; but thou shalt be fed, fed with food convenient for thee. Some good Christians, who have been in a very poor condition, have said, that they have made many a meal upon the promises, when they wanted bread: Verily thou shalt be fed; pascere fide, so the learned Junius reads it, be fed by faith; and compares it with Hab. ii. 4. The just shall live by his faith ; and good living, good feeding it is. Though the fig-tree do not blossom, and thei-e be no fruit in the vine, yet, while thou hast in the Lord's supper seen the rose of Sharon blossoming, and tasted the fruit of the true vine, thou hast reason enough, however it be, to rejoice in the Lord, and to joy in the God of thy salvation, Hab. iii. 17, 18.

Are thy relations a grief to thee ? Do those afflict thee of whom thou saidst. These same shall comfort

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me.' Suppose thy yoke-fellow unsuitable, children undatiful, parents unkind, friends ungrateful, neighbours injurious, yet the comfort of our relation to God may suffice to make up the loss of comfort in any relation on earth. If man be false, yet God is faithful: if man be harsh, yet God is gracious. Though the waters of our rivers may be muddied, or turned into blood, yet the fountain of life runs always clear, and its stream as pure as crystal, Rey. xxii. 1. It was upon the supposition of family disappointments, that David, in his last words, took comfort from the covenant of grace made with him, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.

Are those who are dear to thee removed from thee by death ? It is fit that which is so sown should be watered; but sacrament comforts will keep us from sorrowing, as those that have no hope, for them that sleep in Jesus, We have lost the satisfaction we used to have in them, but is not God better to us than ten sons, far better than ten thousand such relations could have been ? And yet they are not lost, they are only gone before, and death itself cannot wholly cut us off from communion with them, for we are eome to the spirits of just men made perfect, and hope to be with them shortly, Heb. xii. 23.

Are the calamities of the church and of the nation our affliction ? It is fit they should be so, for we have eaten and drank into the great body, and as living members must feel from its grievances ; but in the Lord's supper we have seen what provision the grace of God has made for his household, and thence may infer the protection under which the providence of God will always keep it safe. The promises that are sealed to us, are sure to all the seed, and the covenant of grace is the rock on which the church is built so firm, that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. The Lord (we see) hath founded Sion, and the poor of his people shall trust to that. Let us at this ordinance learn this new song, and sing it often. Hallelujah, The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth,

VI. Are the fears of death a trouble and terror to us ? We may fetch from the Lord's supper that which will enable us, through grace, to triumph over these fears. This is a fear which is often found to have torment, and by reason of it many weak Christians have been all their life-time subject to bondage, Heb. ii. 15. It is likewise a fear which often brings a snare, exposes us to many temptations, and gives Satan advantage against us. There are many, who (we hope) through grace are saved from the second death, and yet are afraid of the first death; being more solicitous than they need to be about a dying life, and more timorous than they need to he of a living death, a death that is their way to life.

But the arrests of death, and its harbingers, would not be at all dreadful, if we did but know how to make a due improvement of the comforts we were made partakers of at the table of the Lord We there saw Christ dying; dying so great a death, t death in pomp, armed and attended with all its ter-rors ; dying in pain, in shame, in darkness, in agonies ; and yet the Son of God, and the heir of all things. This takes off the reproach of death; io that now we need not be ashamed to die: If Chiiit humbled himself, and became obedient to death, why should not we? It likewise takes off the tenor (rf death, so that now we need not be afraid to die. When we walk through that dark and dismal Tallej, we have no reason to fear any evil; while the great Shepherd of the sheep is not only gone before w, but goes along with us, his rod and his staff ttcj comfort us, Ps. xxiii. 4. He is our leader; and we do not approve ourselves his good soldiers, if we be not willing to follow him whithersoever he goes. He went through death to the joy set before him; and we cannot expect to follow him to that joy, but u that way. Through this Jordan we most enter Canaan.

The death of Christ has broken the power of death, and taken from it all the armour wherein it trusted; so that now let it do its worst, it cannot do a good Christian any real prejudice, for it cannot separate him from the love of God. Surely the bittemesi of death is now past, by Christ's tasting it, Heb. iL Oi The sharpness of death Christ has OTercome, by submitting to it, and so has opened the kingdom of heaven to believers. The suching child may nov play upon this hole of the asp, and the weaned Mi may put his hand in this cochatrice den: for death itself shall not hurt or destroy, in all God's holy mountain.

Nay, the death of Christ has quite altered the property of death. It not only ceases to be an enemy, but it is become a friend: the covenant of grace, sealed to us in the Lord's supper, assures as of the unspeakable kindness that even death itself shall do us. All things are yours; — and deaths among the rest, 1 Cor. iii. 22. As the death of Christ was the purchase of our happiness, so our own death is the passage to our happiness; it discharges us from our prison, and conveys us to our palace. The promise of eternal life sealed to us, and the earnests of that life communicated to us in this ordinance, enable as to look with comfort on the other side death; and then we need not look with terror on this side it

Art thou afraid to give up thy soul ? Thou hast already given it up to God in Christ, to be sanctified ; and, therefore, mayst then with a holy cheerfulness give it up to God in Christ, to be saved. The dying Jesus, by committing his spirit into the hands of his Father, has imboldcned all his followers in a dying hour to do the same. Why should that soul be afraid to go out of the body, and quit thb world of sense, which is through grace allied to, and by faith acquainted with, the blessed world of

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427 spirits, and is sure of a guard of angels ready to convey it to that .world, and a faithful friend ready to leceive it into that world. Art thou afraid to put off thy body ? The covenant ' aealed to thee at the Lord's table, is a covenant vrith thy dost, and gives commandment concerning thy Kones. Fear not the return of thy earth to its earth; Jt is in order to its being refined, and in due time restored to its* soul, a glorious and incorruptible body. Spiritual blessings are, perhaps for this rea-son, in the sacraments represented and applied by outward and sensible signs, in the participation of irhich the body is concerned; that we might thereby be €X>nfirmed in our believing hope of the glory prepared and reserved for these bodies of ours, these Tile bodies; which, even while they lie in the grave, still remain united to Christ, and when they shall be raised out of the grave, shall be made like unto bis glorious body.

Let the sinners in Sion be afraid to die. Let fear-falness surprise the hypocrites, when their souls diall be required of them : let their hearts meditate terror, and their faces gather blackness, who, having lived a carnal, worldly, sensual life, have no Interest in Christ and the promises ; for they shall call in vain to rocks and mountains to shelter them from the wrath of the Lamb. But let them who have • Joined themselves to the Lord in an everlasting cove-: Bant, and have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful to that covenant, lift up their heads with joy.

for their redemption draws nigh: death will shortly rend the interposing veil of sense and time, will shortly scatter all the dark and threatening clouds which here hang over our heads, and will open to us a bright and glorious scene in that blessed world of light, life, and love; -where we shall enjoy the substance of those things, which at the Lord's table we are refreshed with the shadows of, and the full vintage of those joys, which here we have the first fruits of.

Learn then, my soul, learn thou to triumph over death and the grave : O Death ! where is thy sting t O Grave ! where is thy victory T Having laid up thy treasure vrithin the veil, and remitted thy best effects and best affections thither, and having received the earnest of the purchased possession, be still looking, still longing, for that blessed hope. Fear not death, for it cannot hurt thee, but desire it rather, for it will greatly befriend thee. When the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, thou shalt remove to the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Wish then, wish daily, for the coming of thy Lord, for he shall appear to thy joy. The vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speah, and shall not lie. Look through the windows of this house of clay, like the mother of Sisera, when she waited for her son's triumphs, and cry through the lattice. Why is his chariot so long in coming, why tarry the wheels of his chariot ? Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

DIRECTIONS

FOR

DAILY COMMUNION WITH GOD,

IN THREE DISCOURSES,

SHOWING HOW TO BEGIN, HOW TO SPEND, AND HOW TO CLOSE EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

To THE Reader.

The two first of these discourses were preached (that is, the substance of them) at the morning lecture at Bednal-Green, the former, Aug. 13, the other, Aug. 21,1712. The latter of them I was much importuned to publish by many who heard it; which I then had no thoughts at all of doing, because in divers practical treatises we have excellent directions given, of the same nature and tendency, by better hands than mine. But upon second thoughts I considered, that both those sermons of beginning and spending the day with God, put together, might perhaps be of some use to those into whose hands those larger treatises do not fall. And the truth is, the subject of them is of such a nature, that if they may be of any use, they may be of general and lasting use; whereupon I entertained the thought of writing thorn over, with very large additions throughout, as God should enable me, for the press. Communicating this thought to some of my friends, they very much encouraged me to proceed in it, but advised me to add a third discourse of closing the day with God, which I thereupon took for my subject at an evening lecture, September 3, and have likewise much enlarged and altered that. And so this came to be what it is.

I am not without hopes, that something may hereby be contributed among plain people, by the blessing of God upon the endeavour, and the working of his grace with it, to the promoting of serious godliness, which is the thing I aim at, and yet I confess that I should not have published it, had I not designed it for a present to my dearly beloved friends in the country, whom I have lately been rent from.

And to them, with the most tender affection, and most sincere respects, I dedicate it, as a testimony of my abiding concern for their spiritual welfare; hoping and praying, that their conversation may be in every thing as becomes the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see them, or else be abient, I may hear comfortably of their affairs, that they stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. I am,

Their cordial and affectionate Well-wisher, Sept, 8,1712. Matt. Henry

THE FIRST DISCOURSE,

BHOWINO BOW TO BKGIN BVBRT DAT WTIH GOD.

Psalm v. 3.

My voice shalt thou hear in the momingy O Lord in the morning tvill I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

You would think it a rude question, if I shoold ask you, and yet I must entreat you seriously to ask yourselves, what brings you hither so early this morning ? and what is your business here ? Whenever we are attending on God in holy ordinances, (nay, wherever we are,) we should be able to give a good answer to the question which God pat to the prophet. What dost thou here, Elijah ? As when we return from holy ordinances, we should be able to give a good answer to the question which Christ put to those who attended on John Baptist's ministry, What went ye out into the wildemegt to see ?

It is surprising to see so many assembled together here; surely the fields are whiteunto the harvest; and I am willing to hope, it is not merely for a walk this pleasant morning, that you are come hither; or for curiosity, because the morning-lecture was never here before ; that it is not for company, or to meet your friends here; but that you are come with a pious design to give glory to God, and to receive grace from him, and in both to keep up yar communion with him. And if you ask us, who are mi-

HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

nisters, what oar business is, we hope we can truly say, it is (as God shall enable us) to assist and further you herein. Cotnest thou peaceably ? said the elders of Bethlehem to Samuel; and so perhaps you will say to us: to which we answer, as the prophet did, Peaceably; we come to sacrifice unto the Lord, and invite you to the sacrifice.

While the lecture continues with you, you haye an opportunity of more than doubling your mominff devotions. Besides your worshipping of God in secret, and in your families, which this must not supersede, or justle out, you here call upon God's name in the solemn assembly -, and it is as much your business in all such exercises to pray a prayer together, as it is to hear a sermon; and it is said, the original of the morning exercise was a meeting for prayer, at the time when the nation was groaning, under the dreadful, desolating judgment of a civil war. You have also an opportunity of conversing with the word of God; you have precept upon precept, and line upon line: O that as the opportunity awakens you morning by morning, (so as the prophet speaks,) your ears may be wakened to hear us the learned, Isa. 1. 4.

But this is not all: we desire that such impressions may be made upon you by this cluster of opportunities, as you may always abide under the influence of; that this morning-lecture may leave you better disposed to morning-worship ever after; that these frequent acts of devotion may so confirm the habit of it, so that henceforward your daily worship may become more easy, and if I may so say, in a manner natural to you

For your help herein, I would recommend to you holy David's example in the text, who having resolved in general, (v. 2.) that he would abound in the duty of prayer, and abide by it. Unto thee will 1 , prayy here fixes one proper time for it, and that is the morning: My voice shalt thou hear in the mom-tug. Not in the morning only; David solemnly addressed himself to the duty of prayer three times a day, as Daniel did ; Morning, and evening, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, Ps. Iv. 17. nay, he does not think that enough, but Seven times a day will I praise thee, Ps. cxix.. 164. But particularly in the morning.

Doct. It is our wisdom and duty, to begin every day with God.

Let us observe in the text,

I. The good work itself that we are to do. God must hear our voice, we must direct our prayer to him, and we must look up.

II. The special time appointed and observed for the doing of this good work; and that is in the morning, and again, in the morning, that is, every morning, as duly as the morning comes.

I.. The good work which by the example of David we are here taught to do, is, in one word, to pray; a duty dictated by the light and law of nature, which plainly and loudly speaks. Should not a people seek unto their God? but which the gospel of Christ gves us much better instructions in, and encouragements to, than any that nature furnishes us with; for it tells us what we must pray for, in whose name we must pray, and by whose assistance, and invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace, and to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. This work we are to do, not in the morning only, but at other times, at all times. We read of preaching the word out of season, but we do not read of praying out of season, for that is never out of season: the throne of grace is always open, and humble supplicants are always welcome, and cannot come unseasonably.

But let us see how David here expresses his pious resolutions to abide by this duty.

1. My voice shalt thou hear. Two ways David may here be understood: either,

(1.) As promising himself a gracious acceptance with God, Thou shalt, that is, thou wilt, hear my voice, when in the morning I direct my prayer to thee; so it is the lang[uage of his faith, grounded upon God's promise, that his ear shall be always open to his people's cry. He had prayed, v. 1. Give ear to my words, O Lord; and, v, 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry; and here he receives an answer to that prayer. Thou wilt hear, I doubt not but thou wilt; and though I have not presently a grant of the thing I prayed for, yet I am sure my prayer is heard, is accepted, and comes up for a memorial, as the prayer of Cornelius did; it is put upon the file, and shall not be forgotten. If we look inward, and can say by experience, that God has prepared our heart, we may look upright, may look forward, and say with confidence, that he will cause his ear to hear.

We may be sure of this, and we must pray in the assurance of it, in a full assurance of this faith, that wherever God finds a praying heart, he will be found a prayer-hearing God: though the voice of prayer be a low voice, a weak voice, yet, if it come from an upright heart, it is a voice that God will hear, that he will hear with pleasure, it is his delight, and that he will return a gracious answer to; he has heard thy prayers, he has seen thy tears. When therefore we stand praying, this ground we must stand upon, this principle we must stand to, nothing doubting, nothing wavering, that whatever we ask of God as a Father, in the name of Jesus Christ the Mediator, according to the will of God revealed in the Scripture, it shall be granted us either in kind or kindness ; so the promise is, (John xvi. 23.) and the truth of it is sealed to by the concurring experience of the saints in all ages, ever since man began to call upon the name of the Lord, that Jacob's God never yet said to Jacob's seed. Seek ye me in vain, and he will not begin now. When we come to God by preyer, if we come aright we may be

HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

confident of this, that notwithstanding the distance between heaven and earth, and oar great anworthi-noss to have any notice taken of us, or any favour showed us, yet God does hear our voice, and will not turn away our prayer, or his mercy. Or,

(2.) It is rather to be taken, as David's promising God a constant attendance on him, in the way he has appointed. My voice shah thou hear, that is, I will speak to thee: because thou hast inclined thy ear unto me many a time, therefore I have taken up a resolution to call upon thee at all times, even to the end of my time; not a day shall pass, but thou Shalt hear from me. Not that the voice is the thing that God regards, as they seemed to think, who in prayer made their voice to be heard on high, (Isa. Iviii. 4.) Hannah prayed and prevailed, when her voice was not heard; but it is the voice of the heart that is here meant: God said to Moses, Wherefore eriett thou unto me ? when we do not find that he said one word, Exod. xiv. 15. Praying is lifting up the soul to God, and pouring out the heart before him; yet, as far as the expressing of the devout affections of the heart by words may be of use to fix the thoughts, and to excite and quicken the desires, it is good to draw near to God, not only with a pure heart, but with an humble voice: so must we render the calves of our lips.

However, God understands the language of the heart, and that is the language in which we must speak to God. David prays here, v. 1. not only ^'oe ear to my words, but consider my meditation; and Ps. xix. 14. Let the words of my mouth, proceeding from the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight.

This therefore we have to do in every prayer, we must speak to God, we must write to him; we say we hear from a friend whom we receive a letter from; we must see to it that God hears from us daily.

1. He expects and requires it. Though he has no need of us or our services, nor can be benefited by them, yet he has obliged us to ofi'er the sacrifice of prayer and praise to him continually.

(1.) Thus he will keep up his authority over us, and keep us continually in mind of our subjection to him, which we are apt to forget He requires that by prayer we solemnly pay our homage to him, and give honour to his name, that by this act and deed of our own, thus frequently repeated, we may strengen the obligations we lie under to observe his statutes, and keep his laws, and be more and more sensible of the weight of them. He is thy Lord and worship thou Atm,that by frequent humble adorations of his perfections, thou mayst make a constant humble compliance with his will the more easy to thee. By doing obeisance we are learning obedience.

(2.) Thus he will testify his love and compassion towards us. It would have been an abundant evidence of his co Dcem for us, and his goodness to us.

if he had only said, ** Let me hear from yon as oftea as there is occasion; call upon me in the time of trouble or want, and that is enough :'* but to skov his complacency in us, as a father does bis affedioa to his child when he is sending him abroad, he gifcf us this charge, *' Let me hear from yoa every dtj, by every post, though you have no particular M-ness ;" which shows, that the prayer of the aprigkt is his delight; it is music in his ears. Christ stji to his dove. Let me see thy countenance, lei nu htsr thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy commtenanetit comely. Cant. ii. 14. And it is to the spouse, tbe church, that Christ speaks in the close of that song of songs, O thou that dwellest in the gardene (in tbe original it is feminine,) the companions kearhentothf voice, cause me to hear it. What a shame is thif to us, that God is more willing to be prayed to, asd more ready to hear prayer, than we are to pray ?

2. We have something to say to Grod every daj. Many are not sensible of this, and it is their sin aid misery: they live without God in the world; they think they can live without him, are not sensible d their dependence upon him, and their obligations to him, and, therefore, for their parts they have nothing to say to him; he never hears from them, no more than the father did from his prodigal son, when he was upon the ramble, from one week's end to another. They ask scornfully. What can the Almighty disfm them ? And then no marvel if they ask next, WkA profit shall we have if we pray unto him ? And the result is, they say to the Almighty, Depart from us, and so shall their doom be. But I hope better thiogi of you, my brethren, and that you are not of thoie who cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. You are all ready to own that there is a great deal thit the Almighty can do for you, and that there is praft in praying to him; and therefore resolve to draw aigl to God, that he may draw nigh to you.

We have something to say to God daily:

(1.) As to a friend we love, and have freedom wii. Such a friend we cannot go by vnthoat calling ci, and never want something to say to, though we hsve no particular business with him; to such a friend we unbosom ourselves, we profess our love and estees and with pleasure communicate our thoughts. Aim- ^ ham is called the friend of God, and this honoir ^ have all the saints : I have not called you serve»U, (says Christ,) but friends ; his secret is with the rigitr eoui. We are invited to acquaint ourselves with hia* and to walk with him, as one friend walks with asa* ther; the fellowship of believers is said toheM the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; and bie we nothing to say to him then ?

Is it not errand enough to the throne of his gnce, to admire his infinite perfections, which we can nefcr fully comprehend, and yet never sufficiently conten-plate, and take complacency in? to please ov-selves in beholding the beauty of the LcMrd, and givi>(

HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

im the glory due to his name ? Have we not a great sal to say to him in acknowledgment of his con-^cendiug grace and favour to us, in manifesting imseif to as and not to the world ? and in profes-OQ of our affection and submission to him ? Lordy ou knowest all things, thou knowest thmt I love thee, God has something to say to us as a friend every ly, by the written word, in which we must hear his nee, by his providences, and by our own consci-ices : and he hearkens and hears whether we have ly thing to say to him by way of reply, and we are ;ry unfriendly if we have not When he says to 3, Seek ye my face, should not our hearts answer s to one we love, Thy face Lord will we seek ? When B says to us, '^ Return, ye backsliding children,*' lould not we readily reply, *' Behold, we come unto lee, for thou art the Lord our God ?" If he speak

us by way of conviction and reproof, ought not e to return an answer by way of confession and sub-lission ? If he speak to us by way of comfort, ought ot we to reply in praise ? If you love God, you etnnot be to seek for something to say to him, some-ling for your hearts to pour out before him, which is grace has already put there.

(2.) As to a master we serve, and have business ith. Think how numerous and important the con-ems are that lie between us and God, and you will sadily acknowledge that you have a great deal to ly to him. We have a constant dependence upon im, all our expectation is from him; we have con-tant dealings with him, he is the God with whom ^e have to do, Heb. iv. 13.

Do we not know that our happiness is bound up 1 his favour ; it is life, the life of our souls ; it is etter than life, than the life of our bodies: and ave we not business with God to seek his favour, » entreat it with our whole hearts, to beg as for our ves that he would lift up the light of his counte-iDce upon us, and to plead Christ's righteousness, I that only through which we can hope to obtain od's loving-kindness ?

Do we not know that wc have offended God, that f sin we have made ourselves obnoxious to his rath and curse, and that we are daily contracting ailt ? And have we not then business enough with im to confess our fault and folly, to ask for pardon I the blood of Christ, and in him who is our peace » make our peace with God, and renew our cove-ants with him, in his own streng, to go and sin o more ?

Do we not know that we have daily work to do for rod, and our own souls, the work of the day that is

be done in its day ? And have we not then busi-ess with God, to beg of him to show us what he ould have us to do, to direct us in it, and strengen s for it ? To seek to him for assistance and accept-Dce, that he will work in us both to will and to do lat which is good, and then countenance and own his own work ? Such business as this the servant has with his master.

Do we not know that we are continually in danger ? Our bodies are so, and their lives and comforts; we are continually surrounded with diseases and deaths, whose arrows fly at midnight, and at noonday ; and have we not then business with God, going out and coming in, lying down, and rising up, to put ourselves under the protection of his providence, to be the charge of his holy angels ? Our souls much more are so, and their lives and comforts ; it is those our adversary the devil, a strong and subtle adversary, wars against, and seeks to devour; and have we not then business with God to put ourselves under the protection of his grace, and clad ourselves with his armour, that we may be able to stand against the wiles and violences of Satan; so as we may neither be surprised into sin by a sadden temptation, nor overpowered by a strong one ?

Do we not know that we are dying daily, that death is working in us, and hastening towards us, and that death fetches us to judgment, and judgment fixes us in our everlasting state ? And have we not then something to say to God in preparation of what is before us ? Shall we not say. Lord, make us to know our end ? Lord, teach us to number our days ? Have we not business with God, to judge ourselves that we may not be judged, and to see that our matters be right and good ?

Do we not know that we are members of that body whereof Christ is the head ? and are we not concerned to approve ourselves living members ? Have we not then business with God upon the public account, to make intercession for his church ? Have we nothing to say for Zion ? nothing in behalf of Jerusalem's ruined walls? nothing for the peace and welfare of the land of our nativity t Are we not of the family, or but babes in it, that we concern not ourselves in the cotacems of it ?

Have we no relations, no friends, who are dear to as, whose joys and griefs we share in? and have we nothing to say to God for them ? no complaints to make, no requests to make knoMm? Are none of tiicm sick or in distress ? none of them tempted or disconsolate ? And have we not errands, at the throne of grace, to beg relief and succour for them ?

Now lay all this together, and then consider whether you have not something to say to God every day ; and particularly in days of trouble, when it is meet to be said unto God, '* 1 have borne chastisement ;'' and when, if you have any sense of things, you will say unto God,'' Do not condemn me."

3. If you have all this to say to God, What should hinder you from saying it? from saying it every day? Why should not he hear your voice, when you have so many errands to him ?

(I.) Let not distance hinder you from saying it. You have occasion to speak with a friend, but he is a

HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

confident of this, that notwithstanding the distance between heaven and earth, and oar great unworthi-ness to have any notice taken of us, or any favour showed us, yet God does hear our voice, and will not turn away our prayer, or his mercy. Or,

(2.) It is rather to be taken, as David's promising God a constant attendance on him, in the way he has appointed. My voice shah thou hear, that is, I will speak to thee: because thou hast inclined thy ear unto me many a time, therefore I have taken up a resolution to call upon thee at all times, even to the end of my time; not a day shall pass, but thou shalt hear from me. Not that the voice is the thing that God regards, as they seemed to think, who in prayer made their voice to be heard on high, (Isa. Iviii. 4.) Hannah prayed and prevailed, when her voice was not heard; but it is the voice of the heart that is here meant: God said to Moses, Wherefore eriest thou unto me f when we do not find that be said one word, Exod. xiv. 15. Praying is lifting up the soul to God, and pouring out the heart before him; yet, as far as the expressing of the devout afl*ections of the heart by words may be of use to fix the thoughts, and to excite and quicken the desires, it is good to draw near to God, not only with a pure heart, but with an humble voice: so must we render the calves of our lips.

However, God understands the language of the heart, and that is the language in which we must speak to God. David prays here, v. 1. not only ^'o« ear to my words, but consider my meditation ; and Ps. xix. 14. Let the words of my mouth, proceeding from the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight.

This therefore we have to do in every prayer, we must speak to God, we must write to him; we say we hear from a friend whom we receive a letter from; we must see to it that God hears from us daily.

1. He expects and requires it. Though he has no need of us or our services, nor can be benefited by them, yet he has obliged us to ofi'er the sacrifice of prayer and praise to him continually.

(1.) Thus he will keep up his authority over us, and keep us continually in mind of our subjection to him, which we are apt to forget He requires that by prayer we solemnly pay our homage to him, and give honour to his name, that by this act and deed of our own, thus frequently repeated, we may strengen the obligations we lie under to observe his statutes, and keep his laws, and be more and more sensible of the weight of them. He is thy Lord and worship thou Atmthat by frequent humble adorations of his perfections, thou mayst make a constant bumble compliance with his will the more easy to thee. By doing obeisance we are learning obedience.

(2.) Thus he will testify his love and compassion towards us. It would have been an abundant evidence of bis concern for us, and his goodness to us.

if he had only said, '^ Let me hear from yoa as often as there is occasion; call upon me in the time of trouble or want, and that is enough :'* but to show his complacency in us, as a father does his affection to his child when he is sending him abroad, he gives us this charge,'' Let me hear from you eveiy dij, by every post, though you have no particular business ;" which shows, that the prayer of the upright is his delight; it is music in his ears. Christ sajs to his dove. Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy eountenanet it comely. Cant. ii. 14. And it is to the spouse, tbe church, that Christ speaks in the close of thatsoog of songs, O thou that dwellest in the gardens (in the original it is feminine,) the companions kearhen to tkf voice, cause me to hear it. What a shame is this to us, that God is more willing to be prayed to, and more ready to hear prayer, than we are to pray ?

2. We have something to say to God eveiy dtj. Many are not sensible of this, and it is their sin and misery: they live without God in the world ; thej think they can live without him, are not sensible of their dependence upon him, and their obligations to him, and, therefore, for their parts they have nothing to say to him; he never hears from them, no more than the father did from his prodigal son, when he was upon the ramble, from one week's end to another. They ask scornfully. What can the Almighty do for them ? And then no marvel if they ask next. What profit shall we have if we pray unto him ? And the result is, they say to the Almighty, Depart from w, and so shall their doom be. But I hope better things of you, my brethren, and that you are not of those who cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. You are all ready to own that there is a great deal that the Almighty can do for you, and that there is profit in praying to him; and therefore resolve to draw nigh to God, that he may draw nigh to you.

We have something to say to God daily:

(1.) As to a friend we love, and have freedom with. Such a friend we cannot go by without calling on, and never want something to say to, though we have no particular business with him; to such a friend we unbosom ourselves, we profess our love and esteem, and with pleasure communicate our thoughts. Abraham is called the friend of God, and this honour have all the saints : I have not called you servantt, (says Christ,) but friends ; his secret is with the right-eoui. We are invited to acquaint ourselves with him, and to walk with him, as one friend walks with another ; the fellowship of believers is said to be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; and hafc we nothing to say to him then ?

Is it not errand enough to the throne of his grace, to admire his infinite perfections, which we can nefcr fully comprehend, and yet never sufliciently contemplate, and take complacency in? to please oar- i selves in beholdingthe beauty of the Lord, and givinf [

HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAY WITH GOD.

him the glory dae to his name ? Have we not a great deal to say to him in acknowledgment of his condescending grace and favour to us, in manifesting himself to as and not to the world ? and in profession of our affection and submission to him ? Lord thou knowest all things, thou knoweH that I love thee.

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