MEDITATION I
[ 229 ]
SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS
Upon divers ſelect Places of
SCRIPTURE:
WHEREIN BELIEVERS are aſſiſted in preparing their HEARTS, and exciting their AFFECTIONS and GRACES, when they draw nigh to GOD in that moſt awful and folemn
ORDINANCE of the LORD's SUPPER.
TO THE READER.
Christian Reader, CHRIST may be ſaid tobe crucified threeways ; by the Jews actually,inthe ſacrament declaratively, andby unbelievers at his table interpretatively.
Among fins, bloodguiltineſs is reckonedone ofthe moſthenious; andofallbloodguiltineſs, to be guilty of the blood of Chriſt, is a fin of the deepest guilt, and will be avenged with the moſt dreadful puniſhment, I Cor. xi. 27, 29. If vengeance be taken ſevenfoldonhim that flew Cain, what vengeance ſhall be taken on him that crucifies afresh the Lord ofglory ?
The heaviest blow of divine justice is ſtill ready to avenge the abuſe of the beſt mercy: what can theheart ofman conceive more folemn, more facred, or more deeply affective, than therepreſentation ofthe moſt gracious love ofthe Father, and the moſtgrievous paſſion ofthe Son? What ſin can be more provoking to God, than the flight and contempt ofthoſe moſt awful myſteries ? Andwhat punishment can be more terrible, than for fuch a wretched foul to eat and drink damnation to itſelf ? ' Melanthon records a very dreadful example of God's righteous judgment upon a company of profane wretches, who, in a tragedy, intended to act the death ofChrift uponthe croſs. Hethat actedthe foldier's part, instead ofpiercing with his ſpear abladder full ofblood hid under his garment, woundedhim todeath thatwas upon the croſs, who falling dow
To the Reader. killedhim,who (in a diſguiſe) actedthe part ofthewoman that ſtoodwailing under the croſs.
His brother, who was firſt flain flew the murderer, who acted the foldier's part, and for flayinghim was hangedbyorderof justice.
Thus did the vengeance ofGod ſpeedily overtakethem, andhangedthem upin chains, for a warning, to all that ſhould ever dare todallywith the great andjealousGod.
Theſe are terrible ſtrokes, and yet not ſo terrible as thoſe which are more ordinarily, but leſs ſenſibly, inflicted on the inner man for the abuſe of this ordinance.
Topreventtheſejudgments,andobtain thoſe bleſſings which come through this ordinance, great regard must be had to two things ; viz . 1. The in-being.
2. The activity oftrue grace.
First, Examine thyſelf, reader, whether there be any gracious principle plantedin thy foul, whereby thou art alive indeeduntoGod. It was an ancient abuſe of the facrament (condemned andcast out by the * Carthaginian council) to give it unto dead men .
Dead fouls can have no communion with the livingGod, no more benefit from this table than the Emperor's gueſts had from his table,where loaves of gold were ſet before them to eat.
There is more than a ſhew of grace in theſacrament; it hath not only the viſible ſign, but the ſpiri-
tual grace alſo, which it repreſents.
See that there be more than a ſhew and a viſible fign of grace alſo inthy foul, when thou comeſt nigh to the Lord inthat ordinance: fee to the exerciſe and activity, as well as to the truth and fincerity of thy grace.
Evena believer himself doth not eat and drink worthily, unleſs the grace that is in him be excited and exerciſed at this ordinance.
Itis not faith inhering, but faith realizing, applying and powerfullyworking.
It is not a diſpoſition tohumiliation for fin, but the actual thawing and melting of the heart for fin ;
**whilst thou lookeſt onhim whom thou hast pierced, and "mourneft for him as onethat mourneth forhis only fon, for " his firft-born :" nor is it a difpofition or principle oflove to Chriſt that is only required, but the Kirring up of that fire of love, the exciting ofit into avehement flame.
Iknow the excitations and exerciſes of grace are attended withgreat difficulties : theyare notthings within ourcommand, and at ourbeck.
Oh ! it is hard, it is hard indeed, reader, e- *Concil. Carthag. Can. 6. Placuit ut defunctorumcoporibus non detur euchariftis, &c.
To the Reader.
ven afterGod hath taken the heart ofstone out of thee, and given thee an heart of flesh, to mourn actually for fin, even when ſo great an occafion and call is given thee to that work at theLord's table; for thefame poweris requifite to excite the act thatwas required to plant the habit.
Gratiagratiam poStulat.
However, theduty is thine, though the power be God's ; why elſe are his people blamed, becauſe they ftirred not up themſelves to take hold ofhim ? Ifa. lxiv. 7.
To afſſiſt thee in this work,ſome help is offered in the following meditations : it is true, it is not the reading ofthe beft meditations another can prepare for thee, that will alter the temper ofthy heart, except the Spirit ofGod concur with theſe truths, andbleſs them to thy foul: butyet theſehelps mustnot be flighted, becauſe they are not felf-fufficient. " Man lives
" not bybread alone ; but by every word that proceedeth out " ofthe mouthofGod ;" yet it were a fond vanity, and fin, for any man, upon that ground, to caſt away bread, and expect to liveby a miracle without it. We must lift up ourhearts to Godfor ableſſing,andtheneat. Dothe ſamehere: firſt pray; then read ; and the Lord quickenthee by i for duty.
There are two things of ſpecial concernmentto thee, reader, when thou art to addreſs thyſelfto any folemnduty, eſpecially fuch as this.
1. Prepare for thyduty diligently.
2. Rely not upon thy preparations.
1. Prepare with alldiligence for thy duty.
Takepainswith thydullheart; cleanſe thypolluted heart; compoſe thy vain heart ; remember howgreat a prefence thou art approaching.
If *Auguſtus thus reproved one, that entertained him without ſuitable preparation, faying, ' I did not think we hadbeen fo familiar ;' much more may thy God reprove thee, for thy careless neglect ofdue preparation for him.
2. But yet take heed, on the other fide, that thou rely not upon thy beſt preparation.
It is an ingenious, and true note ofLuther, † (ſpeaking to this very point of preparation for the facrament) 'Never are men more unfit, thanwhen
• they think themselves most fit, and beſt prepared for their duty; never more fit, thanwhen mosthumbled and aſhamed, ina ſenſe oftheir own unfitneſs.'
* Non putabam me tibi tamfamiliarem.
Tunepaffime diſpoſitus, quando aptiſſime.