2. Esteem the sacrifice of Christ sufficient to procure the forgiveness of your sins, seek no other, test in that, and be satisfied with it, as the mean to obtain the pardon of all your sins. It ought with Paul " to be far from you to glory, save in the cross of your Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto you, and ye unto the world," Gal. vi. 14. Ye ought not to seek pardon even in the signs of the supper, though they were instituted by the Lord, but to look through them to the Lord in heaven, and to his sacrifice, as he presents it to his Father in that true sanctuary; for bread and the wine are the seals of "his body and blood shed for many, for the remission of sins," as the Saviour speaks, Matt. xxvi. "Count therefore all things loss and dung, that ye may be found in him, not having your own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith," Phil. iii. 8, 9. 26-28. "the 3. Believers, demean yourselves as "a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," according to the admonition of Peter, 1 Peter ii. 5. The priesthood of the Popish communion is defiled, and their sacrifice is idolatrous; but ye have been made priests by Christ himself unto God his Father, Rev. i. 6. Therefore offer to the Lord incense and a pure offering," according to the prophecy, Mal. i. 11, not in a corporal, but in a spiritual manner, and indeed your "body," Rom. xii. 1, "a broken spirit," Psalm li. 17, "thanksgiving and welldoing," Heb. xiii. 15, 16, "prayer," Psalm cxli. 2. "Your life itself," if he should require it in martyrdom, for the confirmation of his truth, and for the glorification of his name. See this in Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 6. We must not only improve the abomination of the mass to a good purpose, contrary to the nature of it, but also our doctrine concerning the proper partakers of the Lord's supper. It is dangerous to partake of the blessed supper of the Lord unworthily; for we render ourselves thereby guilty of a fearful sin, and we bring a dreadful judgment upon ourselves, as we have shown before. We have indeed said that the overseers of the church have a sufficient warrant to admit a person to this seal of the covenant, when they perceive that he hath made a proper confession, and that his conduct is agreeable to his confession; but this is not enough for the communicant himself, he must be a true believer, one who is truly sorrowful for his sins, who seeks his salvation and forgiveness with confidence in Christ only, and is intent upon holiness, and an amendment of his life, that he may he qualified to partake of this holy and blessed sup per. Therefore we must attend to three things, with respect to re VOL. 11. R ceiving the Lord's supper, in order that we may receive it properly : 1. Before. 2. In, and 3. After this supper. 1. It is certain, that when we undertake great things, we ought to prepare ourselves for them. When the Lord was about to come down to the people upon Sinai, he ordered "Moses to sanctify the people, that they might be ready against the third day," Exod. xix. 10, 11. See this also Gen. xxxv. 1-4. No man might come near the tabernacle or temple under the Old Testament, until he was sanctified. If Job should "stretch out his hands toward God, he must first prepare his heart," according to the counsel of Zophar, Job. xi. 13 Will any man go to an extraordinary feast without a decent preparation for it? How much more ought a person to prepare himself for this precious feast and therefore (a) Examine yourselves whether ye have a right to the supper, and whether ye possess the qualifications which we have mentioned. "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves," saith Paul, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. This is necessary before the supper, therefore the same apostle saith, 1 Cor. xii. 28, "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." See what we have said formerly concerning the requisite qualifications of a worthy communicant; and apply your souls to those things, that ye may see whether they be in you. (b) Consider your former backslidings, since the last supper, that ye may humble yourselves for them, may be induced to flee to the sufferings and death of the Mediator for reconciliation, and may yet confide, notwithstanding your deficiencies; in this manner are we qualified and rendered capable of meeting God in the Lord's supper. "A broken and contrite heart God will not despise," Psalm li. 17. See also Isaiah lvii. 15. Matt. v. 4. (c) Renew your assent to the covenant of God, that ye may receive the seal of the covenant without scruple. Hezekiah required that the Israelites should "yield themselves to the Lord" before the passover, and so "enter into his sanctuary," 2 Chron. xxx. 8. Do thus also before the supper, which hath succeeded to the passover. (d) Stir up your desires for needful and for many graces: all that grace which was merited for you by the sufferings of Christ, is represented and sealed in the supper; the Lord himself calls to you from Psalm 1xxxi. 10, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." But before ye approach, (e) Be reconciled to your brother, if ye have injured him, or if he have injured you; this is required by the Saviour, Matt. v. 23, 24. When they were about to draw near the table in the ancient church, D 24 الم Who the deacon cried aloud, "Embrace and kiss one another." 2. But we must not only order ourselves thus before the administration of the supper, but we must also demean ourselves properly, while it is administered, and while we are receiving it: and therefore, (a) Endeavour to detach your hearts from all that is visible and sinful, and to empty them of it, that ye may employ yourselves only with the Lord, and his institution. Abraham's servants were obliged to abide with the ass at the foot of the mountain, when he and his son went up to the Lord, Gen. xxii 5. (b) Arise and draw near, as those who have a right and are called. This would enable you to approach with boldness and faith, in expectation of favour. When the Lord Jesus called Bartimeus, the multitude said to him, "Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee;" and when he came in this manner, to Jesus, he obtained his request, Mark x. 46-52. We draw near indeed seriously enough, but not believingly enough, when with Esther we only venture, and say, "I will go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish," Esther iv. 16. (c) See in the signs the painfulness, and the power of Christ's death for you, and his ardent love to you, that ye may "look at him whom ye have pierced," as was foretold, Zech xii. 10. (d) Take and receive the signs of the minister, as from the hand of the Lord, to be a pledge and seal of his truth and love manifested in his sufferings for you. See, for we hasten to conclude, Rom. iv. 11. 1 Cor. iv. 1. 3. But shall we now "return, like the dog to his vomit, and, like the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire?" no! but we must endeavour also to make a suitable improvement of the supper, after we have received it; and to this belongs, (a) That we beware of carelessness, recklessness, and sins that lightly beset us, and that we remain near the Lord, that we "may not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we are sealed," Eph. iv. 30. We should, with the spouse, " adjure all things, that they stir not up, nor awake our love," Song ii. 7. Yea, with her we ought to be " a garden inclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed," Song iv. 16. (b) Reflect much on what hath been done to you: his apostles, after washing their feet, John xiii. 12. Jesus asked "Know yo what I have done to you?" In ljke manner should we also ask our selves after the supper, that we might retain a relish of it. (c) Live and feed now upon the sealed covenant, and the benefits of it. The Lord hath engaged to give you out of the fulness of Christ grace for grace; claim it of him, and urge your request by his sealed" word, upon which he hath caused you to hope," with David, Psalm cxix. 49. (d) Live now ke persons who are sealed, and engaged to the Lord, "showing forth his death until he come," according to 1 Cor. xi. 26, and laying yourselves wholly out for him. Let "the love of Christ constrain you to judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again," 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Suffer me to say also, relative to your improvement of the supper, for your direction, (a) that ye must not think, that we ought, about the time of the supper, to pursue another kind of holiness, than at other times. Many fatigue themselves, about the time of the supper, in a legal manner, to practise another kind of holiness: yea, they will reject a good frame of assurance and delight in the Lord, in order to obtain a contrite frame, and to indulge in excessive sorrow. But we must always practise the same kind of holiness; and we ought only at certain seasons, and particularly about the time of the supper, to excite ourselves to special liveliness. (b) The soul often knows not how to examine, and to order herself, yea, sometimes, when she attempts it, she becomes darker and more confused than before; but we undertake this work " with might and with power," when we ought "with the Spirit of the Lord," Zech. iv. 6. Therefore look back with attention upon your former condition, see what ye think of yourselves, and how ye are disposed at this moment, and ye will thus become acquainted with your own minds, and attain to clearness; or read a good book, which treats of these matters; or apply to a good man, speak to him of your con⚫dition, and seek relief of him. (c) Attend not too scrupulously to the order and the number of the particulars, which we have proposed for your improvement, lest it should perplex and weary you; we give you only a clue, that ye may see what is most agreeable to your frame. (d) Do not make your good frame your ground of confidence; for although a good frame qualifies you for the supper, nevertheless the sufferings of Christ, his institution, and his invitation to you are the only grounds of confidence, upon which ye may draw nigh, (e) Do not therefore forbear to draw nigh on account of a sight of your unworthiness, or a want of preparation; a sight of this, when it humbles you, is a proper frame to draw nigh with. Pray for yourselves, as Hezekiah prayed for the people, 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19, 20. (f) When ye have sinned after the supper, do not then think that the covenant and seal of God are now become of no effect to you. No, that covenant and seal are everlasting; and therefore recover and bestir yourselves in consequence of it, to obtain new grace and pardon of your covenant God. See Isaiah liv. 9, 10. (g) Although the church should be ever so corrupt, yea, though even wicked men should be received into the house of God, and admitted to his supper do not therefore separate yourselves from it; for ye have contributed to corrupt it. Doth it offend you, that the overseers of the church admit those whom ye consider as ungodly, others have reason to be offended with you also, because ye do not first speak to those persons, and accuse them to the church, which is your duty according to Matt. xviii. 15, 16, 17. 1 Cor. i. 11. And thus the wrath of God will not be kindled against you, since ye do your duty. Do ye not advance by doing your duty, mourn then, yet do not forsake the church, which is still less profitable. Separating from a church, in which there is still truth and godliness, is also evil, and provokes God to anger. See this Prov. xxiv. 21. Jude vrs. 19. The church of Corinth was exceedingly corrupt, yet Paul condemns separating from it, 1 Cor. xi. 17-20. Though our church in the Netherlands is sufficiently corrupt, she is nevertheless not so corrupt, but that Christ walks still in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; there are those still "whom the Lord knows and seals as his own," according to 2 Tim. ii. 19. "He will himself at length take away by his angels the wicked, as the tares, and cause the righteous to shine as the sun in his kingdom." Amen, |