which is an endlefs ftore-houfe, if purfued, of reprefent-
ing the myfteries of Chrift. When the folly of men
goes about to invent ceremonies that they would have
lignificant \ when they have found them out, they can-
not well tell what they fignify. But though I do ac-
knowledge, that all the fignificancy of this ordinance de-
pends upon the inftitution, yet there is great wifdom in
the httting of it ; the thing was fitted and fuited to be
made ufe of to that end and purpofe.
One end of the ordinance itfelf is to reprefent the
death of Chrift unto us j and it reprefents Chrift with
reference to thefe five things.
I. It reprefents him with reference to God's Jet-
ting him forth. 2. In reference to his ov^n pajj^on. 3.
In ret'erence to his exhibition in the promife. 4. To our
participation of him by believing. And, 5. To his /«-
corporation with us in union.
1. The great end of God in reference to Chrift as to
his death, was, his fettihg of him forth. Rom. iii. 25.
" Whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation." And
in the very fetting forth of the elements in this ordi-
nance, there is a reprefentation of God's fetting forth his
Son, of giving him out for this work, of giving him up
unto it to be a propitiation.
2. There is a plain reprefentatlon of VispaJJiony of his
fuffeiing; and death, and the manner of it. This, v^it:l
all the concerns of it, I treated of the laft Lord's day.
[ 33 3
under the head of recognition, or calling over thC death of
Chriit, *' Do this in remembrance of me j" and fo I fhall
not again infill upon it.
3. There is a reprefentation of Chrirt in it, as to the
exhibition and tender of him in the promife. Many pro-
mifes are exprelTed in invitations, " Ho ! every one that
thirlls, come," take eat : there is a promife in it. And
in the tender that is made even of the facramental ele-
ments, there is the exhibition of ChriTc in the promife
reprefented to the foul. I told you before God hath
carefully provided to reprefent Clirilt unto our faith, and
not to our fancy j and therefore there is no outward 11-
militude and figure. We can fay concerning this ordi-
nance with all its reprefentations, as God faid concern-
ing his appearing to Mofes upon mount Horeb, " Thou
i'awell no hmilitude." God hath taken care there IhalV
be no natural figure, that all reprefentations made may
Hand upon inllitution. Now there is this tender with
an invitation. The very elements of the ordinance arc
a great, reprefentation of the propofal of Chiift to a be-
lieving foul. God holds out Chriit as willing to be re-
ceived, with an invitation. So we fliew forth the Lord's
death.
4. There is in this ordinance a reprefentation of Chrlft
as to our reception of him ; for hereon depends the
ivhole of the matter. God mi^ht make a feafl of
fat things, and propofe it to men •, but if they do not
come to eat, they will not be nourillied by it. If you
make a tender of payment to a man, if he doth not •re-
ceive it, the tiling remains at a dlHance as before. Chrifl
being tendered to a foul, if that foul doth not receive him,
he hith no benet.t by it. — All thefe fteps you may go.
Tlieie may be God's exhibition of Chrift, and fetting of
him t'oithj theremay be his own oblation and luffeting, lay-
ing the foundation of all that is to come y there may be
an exhibition of him in the promife, tender and invita-
tion, and yet, if not received, we have no profit by all
thefe things. What a great reprefentation of this re-
ceiving is there in the adminiltration ot this ordinance,
when every one takes the reprefentation of it to himfelf,
or doth receive it !
C 34 ]
5. Lajlly, It gives us a reprefentation of our incorpo-
ration in Chriil J the ajlulion whereof from the nature
of the elements incorporation with us, and being the
ftrength of our lives, might eafily be parfued. — This is
the firll way of Ihewing forth the Lord's death.
II. I (hall now fpeak a few words to the profeflion of
it among ourfelves, and to others.
Let me take one or two obfervations to make way for
it.
1. That vifible profeflion is a matter of more impor-
tance than moft men make of it. As the apoftle faith,
Rom. X. 10. " With the heart man believeth unto righ-
teoufnefs, and with the mouth confeflion is made unto
falvation." Look how indifpenfibly necelTary believing.
is unto righteoufnefs, to juftification j no lefs indifpenfi-
bly neceffary is confeflion or profeflion unto falvation^
There is no man that doth believe with his heart unto
righteoufnefs, but he will with his mouth (which is there
taken by a fynecdoche for the whole of our profeflion)
make confeflion unto falvation. . This is that which
brings glory to God. The apoftle tells us, 2 Cor. ix.
13. that men " by the experiment of this miniftration,
glorify God for your profefl"ed fubje6lion to the gofpel
of Chrift." Glory doth not arife out of obedience, fo
much as by your prcfeffion of it j by the giving them ex-
periment, both of your faith and the reality of it, and
that by this fruit of your profeflion.
Now profeflion confifts in thefe two things j (i.) In
an abftience from all things with reference to God and
his worfliip, which Chrift has not appointed. (2.) In
the obfervation and performance of all things that Chrift
has appointed.
Men are apt to think, that abftinence from the pollu-
tions that are in the world through luft, the keeping
therafelves from the fins and defilements of the world,
and inclining to that party that is not of the world, is
profeflion. Thefe things are good : but our profeflion
confifts In the obfervation of Ciirift's commands, what
he requires of us. " Go teach them " What to do !
" Whatfoever I have commanded them ; and lo, I am
with you always to the end of the world." There is
[ 55 1
an exprefllon, John xlv. 24. wherein our Saviour puts a
trial of our love to him upon the keeping of his fayings.
*' He that loveth me not, kcepeth not my fayings." To
keep the fayings of Chrift is to obferve the commands
of Chrill, which is the perfeft trial of our love to him.
2. There is in this ordinance a fpecisil profeflion of
Chrift. There is a profeflion of him againft the fliame
of the world ; a profeflion of him againft the curfe of
the law ; and a profeflion of him againft the power of
the devil. All our profeflion doth much centre, or is
mightily afted in this ordinance.
(i.) The death of our Lord Jefus Chrift was in the
world a ftiameful death, and that with which Chriftians
were conftantly reproached, and which hardly went
down with the world. It is a known ftory, that when
the Jefuits preached the gofpel, as they call it, in China,
they never let them know of the death of Chrift, till
the congregation de propaganda Jide commanded it ; for
the world is mightily fcandalized at the fliameful death
of the crofs.
Now in this ordinance we profefs the death of Chrift
wherein he was crucified, as a malefaftor, againft all
the contempt of the world. It was a great part of the
confeflion of the Chriftians of old, and there is fome-
thing in it ftill : here we come folemnly before God, and
all the world, and profefs that we expedl all our life and
falvation from the death of this crucified Saviour.
(2.) In our profeflion we ftiew forth the death of the
Lord, in the celebration of this ordinance, in oppofitron
to the curfe of the law : that whereas the curfe of the
law doth lay claim to us becaufe we are finncrs, here we
piofefs that God hath transferred the curfe of the law
to another who underwent it. 60 they did with the fa-
crifices of old, when they had confefled all the fins and
iniquities of the people over the head of the goat, then
they fent him away into deftruftion. So it is in this or-
dinance ; here we confefs vill our fins and iniquities over
the head of this great facrifice, and profefs to the law
and all its accufations, that there our fins are charged.
'* Who ftiall lay any thing to our charge ' and who fliall
condemn ? It is Chrift that died. We confront the claim
C 36 1
of the law, {hake off its authority as to Its curfe, and
profeis to it that its charge is fatisfied.
(3.) We make a proieflion againll the power of Sa-
tan. For the great trial of the power and intereft of the
devil in, unto, and over the fouls of men, was in the
crofs of Jeius Chrill. He put his kingdom to a trial,
flaked his all upon it, muftered up all the ftrength he
had got, all the aids that the guilt of fin and the rage of
the world could furnilh him with. Now, faith Chr ift,
is your hour and power of darknefs. He comes to try
what he can do ; and what was the iffue of the death of
Chrift ? Why, faith the apoftle, he fpoiled principalities
and poxvers, and triumphed over them in his crofs. So
that, in our celebration of the death of Chrill, we do
profefs againft Satan, that his power is broken, that he
is conquered, tied to the chariot wheels of Chrill, who
has difarmed him.
This is the profeflion we make when we (hew forth
the Lord's death, againft the Ihame of the world, againft
the curfe of the law, and the power of hell. — This is the
fecond general end of this ordinance, and another means
it is whereby we have efpecial communion with Chrift
in it J which was the thing I aimed at from the words I
had chofen. And now 1 have fi;one through all 1 intend
upon this fubje£l*
A word or two of ufe, and I have done.
1. It is a very great honour and privilege to be call-
ed of God unto this great work of ftiewing forth the
death of Chrift. I think it is as great and glorious a
work as any of the children of men can be engaged in^
in this world. I have ftiewed you formerly, how all the
afts of the glorious properties of God's nature centre
themfelves in this infinite, wife, holy produft of them,
the death of Chrift : and that God Ihould call us to re-
prefent and fiiew forth this death. The Lord forgive
us, where we have not longed to perform this work as
we ought ; for we have fuffered carnal fears and affec-
tions, and any thing elfe, to keep us off from employ-
ing ourfelves in this great and glorious work. The
grace and mercy of God in this matter is ever to be ac-
knowledged, in that he has called us to this great and
glorious work.
C 37 3
2. Then furely It is our duty to anfwer the mind of
God in this work j and not to attend to it in a cold,
carelefs, and traniient manner. But methinks we might
rejoice in our hearts when we have thpughts of it, and
fay within ourfelves, Come we ivill go and Jhew forth the
Lord s death. The world, the law, and Satan, are con-
quered by it : blelTed be God that has given us an
opportunity to profefs this. O that our hearts may long
after the feafon for it, and fay, When ihall the time
come ?
3. We may do well to remember what was fpoken
before concerning the great duty of reprefenting God to
our fouls, that we may know how to attend to it. I
w ould fpeak unto the meaneft of the flock, to guide our
hearts and thoughts, which arc too ready to wander, and
are fo unprofitable for want of fpiritual fixation. We
would fain truft; to our affeBions rather than to c\xr faith y
and would rather have them, moved, than faith gracioui-
ly to acl itfelf. And when we fail therein, we are apt
to think we fail in our end of the ordinance, becaufe our
affeftions were not moved. Set faith genuinely at work,
and we have the end of the ordinance. Let it reprefent
Chrift to our fouls, as exhibited of God and given out
unto us, as fuffering, as tendered to us, and as received
and incorporated with us.
DISCOURSE V.
January 7. i6f|.
1 CoR. xi. 33.
But let a man examine himfelf and fo Jet him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cuf>.
I HAVE been treating of that fpecial communion
which believers have with Chrift in the adminiftra-
tion of the ordinance of the fupper of the Lord ; and
thought I fhoiild have tre^^ted no more of that rubje
having gone through all the particulars of it, which were
C 38 ]
praftical, fuch as might be reduced to prefent praftice.
But I remember I faid nothing concerning preparation
for it, which yet is a needful duty : and therefore I {hall
a little fpeak to that alfo •, not what may doBrinally be
delivered upon it, but thofe things, or fome of them at
leaft, in which every foul will find a praEiical concern^
that intends to be a partaker of that ordinance to be-
nefit and advantage : and I have taken thefe words of
the apoitle for ray ground- work, But let a man ex<:vnne
himfelf. and Jo let him eat of that breciJ, and drink of
that cup.
There were many diforders fallen in this church at
Corinth ; and that various ways, in fchifms and divifions,
in negle6l of dlfcipline, in falfe opinions, and particular-
ly in a great abufe of the adminiftratlon of this great or-
dinance of tbe Tapper of the Lord. And though I do
njt, I dare not, I ought not to blefs God for their fin j
yet I blefs God for his providence. Had it not been
for their diforders, we had all of ua been in much dark-
nefs as to A\ church-way. The corre&Ion of their difor-
ders contains the princ'pal rule for church-communion,
and the adminillration of this facrament,, that we have in
the whole fcripture ; which might have been hid from
us, but that God fuffered them to fall into them on pur-
pnfe, that through their fall iu them and by them , he
miw^ht inftruft his church in all ages to the end of the
wtj-ld.
The apoftle is here reftifying abufes about the admi-
nM;ration of the Lord's fupper, which were many ; and
he applies particular direftions to all their particular
mifcarriages, not now to be infifted on \ and he gathers
up all directions into this one general rule that I have
read, het a man examine himfelf, and fo let him eat, &c.
Now this felf examination extends itfelf unto the whole
due preparation of the fouls of men for the aftual parti-
cipation of this ordinance. And I fhall endeavour, by
plain inftances out of the fcripture, (which is my way in
thefe familiar exercifes), to manifefl that there is a pre-
paration necelTary for the celebration, or obfervance
of all folemn ordinances. — And I {hall (hew you what
that preparation is, and wherein it doth confift. — And
then I (hall deduce from thence, what is that particular
preparation which is incumbent upon us, in reference
r 39 ]
unto this fpfcial ordinance, that is fuperadded unto the
general preparation that is required uiilo all ordinances.
FirJ}, 1 Ihall manifcit, that there is a preparation ne-
ceffary for the celebration of folemn worfhip. We have
an early inftance of it in Gen. xxxv. i, 2, 3, 4, 5. In
the firii verfe, " God (aid unto Jacob, Arife go up to
Bethel, and make there an altar unto God." It was 3
lolemn ordinance Jacob was called unto, to build an al-
tar unto God, and to offer facrifice. What courfe did
he take ? you may fee, ver. 2, 3. " And Jacob faid un-
to his houlehold, and to all that were with him, Put a-
way the llrange gods that are among you, and be clean^
and change your garments j and let us arife, and go up
to Bethel 5 and I will make there an altar unto God."
I will not engage, faith he, in this great duty without a
preparation for it ; and, faith he, the preparation fliall
be fuitable. Peculiar, fpecial preparation (to obferve
that by the way) for any ordinance, confiits in the re-
moval of tiiat from us which Rands in peculiar oppofi-
tion to that ordinance, "Svhatever it be. I am to build
an altar unto God j put away the llrange gods \ and
accordingly he did fo.
When God came to treat with "the people in that
great ordinance of giving the law, which was the foun-
dation of all following ordinances, Jixod. xix. 10. " The
Lord faid unto Mofes, Go unto the people and fanclify
them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wafli their
clothes, and be ready againft the third day ; for the
third day the Lord will come down upon mount Sinai."
1 will not infilt on theie typical preparations, but only
fay, it lufficiently proves the general thelis, that there
ought to be fuch a preparation for any meeting with
God in any of his ordinances. Saith he, " banftify
yourlelves, &c. and on the third day I will come."
God is a great God with whom we have to do. It is
not
proaches to him ; and therefore he teaches us, that there
is a preparation due. And what Weight God lays up-
on this, you may fee, 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19, 20. A mul-
titude of people came to the facrif;ce of the paflover j
but, faith he, they had not cleanfed themfelves, there
was not due preparation j but " Hezekiah prayed for
[ 40 ]
^liem faying, The good Lord pardon everyone that pre-
pareth his heart to feek God, the Lord God of his fa-
thers, though he be not cleanfed according to the purifica-
tion of the fanftuary. And the Lord hearkened to Heze^.
kiah, and healed the people." Perhaps the people might
have thought it enough, that they had their perfonal qua-
lification, that they were believers, that they had pre-
pared their hearts to feek the Lord God of their fathers j
a thing mofl perfons truft unto in this matter. No, faith
the king, in praying for them j they did prepare their
hearts for the Lord God of their fathers, but they were
not prepared accordingtothe preparation of the fandtuary.
There is an inftituted preparation, as well as a perfonal
difpOiition, which if not obferved, God will fmite them.
God had fmote the people ; given them fome token of his
difpleafure : they come with great willingnefs and de-
fne to be partakers of this holy ordinance j yet be-
caufe they were not prepared according to the purifica-
tion of the fanifluary, God fmites them.
It was an ordinance of God that Paul had to perform,
and we would have thought it a thing that he might ea-
sily have done, without any great fore-thought, but it
had that weight upon his fpirit, (Rom. xv. 30. 3 1.) that
with all earneflnefs he begs the prayers of others that he
might be carried through the performance of it ; " Now
I befeech you, brethren, for the Lord Jefus Chrift's fake,
and for the love of the Spirit, that ye llrive together
with me in your prayers to God for me ; that my fer-
vice which I have for j erufalem, may be accepted of the
fatnts." He had a fervice to do at Jerufalem. He was
gathering the contiibutions of the faints, (an ordinance
of God), to carry it up to the poor at Jerufalem j and
it was upon his heart, that his fervice might find accep-
tance with them ; therefore he begs with all his foul, " I
befeech you brethren," &c. So great weight did he lay
upon the performance of an ordinance, that one would
think might be eafily paffed over, without any great re-
osrd.
The caution we have, Eccl. v- i. is to the fame pur-
poi'e : Keep thy foot when thou goeft into the houfe of
God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the facri-
fice of fools ; for they confider not that they do evil. I
[ 41 ]
I (luiU not Hand upon the particular expofuion of any of
thefe expreflions, but it is a plain caution of diligent con-
fideration of ourfelves in all things we have to do in the
houfe of God. A bold venturing upon an ordinance is
but tlie facrifice of fools : keep thy foot, look to thy af-
feftions j be more ready to hear, faith he ; that is, to
attend unto the command, vvli.-t God requires from thee,
and the way and manner of it, than merely to run up-
on a facrifice, or the performance of the duty itfelf.
I will name one place more : Pful. xxvi. 6. " I will
walh my hands in innocency j fo will I compafs thine
altar, O Lord."
I have a little confirmed this general propofitron, that'
all take for granted ; and 1 fear we content ourfelves,
for the moll part, with the ftate and condition of thofe
mentioned, who prepared their hearts to meet the Lord
God of their fathers, not confidering how they may be
prepared according to the preparation of the fandtuary.
You will afk, what is that preparation ?
This quellion brings me to the
Second general head I propounded to fpeak unto. I
anfwer, that the general preparation that refpe'dls all or-
dinances, hath reference unto God, to ourfelves, to the
ordinance itfelf.
I. It hath refpefl unto God. This is the firll thing
to be confidered •, for this he lays down as the great law
of all his ordinances . " I will be fanfrified in tliemthat
draw nigh unto me," Lev. \. 3. God is, in the firll
place, to be confidered in all our drawings nigh unto
him ; as that is the general name of all oidinauces, a
drawing nigh, an accefi unto God, " I will be fanftiti-
ed," &c. Now God is to be confidered three ways,
that he may be lanfciiied in any ordina.icc •, as the au-
thor, as the objeft, as the end of it. I (hall fpeak only
to thole things that lie praftically before us, and are in-
difpenfably required of us in waiting upon God, in any
and every ordinance.
(i.) Our preparation in reference unto God, confifis
in d.ie confideration of God as the puthor of any ordi-
nance wherein we draw nigh unto him. For this is the
foundation of all ordinances j Rom. xiv. 11. " As I
live, faith the Lord, every knee fliall bow to me, and e-
e
[ 4^
. very tongue fliall confefs to in'e. A praftical fenfe of
the authority of God in every ordinance, is that which
is required in the very firft place for our preparation. I
know full well, how that tlie mind of man is to be in -
fluenced by general conviclions and particular cuftonis.
Particular ufages built upon general conviftioiis, carry
moft people through their duties : but that is no prepa-
ration of heart. There is to be an immediate fenfe of the
authority and command -of God.
(2.) VVe are to coniider God in Chrift, as the imme-
diate obje6l of that worfliip which in every ordinance
we do perform. You will afk, what fpecial apprehen-
fions concerning God are particularly nccelTary to this
duty pf preparation for com'munion^with God in an or-
dinance ? I anfwer, Two are particulaily neceffary,
that Ihould be pra£lically upon our thoughts in every
ordinance, the prefence of God, and the hoiinefs of God.
As God is the objedl of our worQiip, thefe two proper-
ties of God are principally to be confidered in all our
preparations.
(i.) The prefence of God. When Elijah (i Kings
xviii. 27). derided the worlhippers of Baal, the chief
part of his derilion was, he is on a journey j you have a
God that is abfent, faith Elijah : and the end of all ido-
latry in the world, is to feign the prefence of an abfent
deity. All images and idols are fet up for no other end,
but to feign the prefence of what really is abH^nt. Our
God is prefent and in all bi^ ordinances. I beg of God,
I may have a double fenfe ,of his pre'ence, f.) A fpe-
cial fenfe of his omniprefeuce. God requirf s, that we
ihould put in all ordinances a fptcialty of faith upon his
general attributes. Gen. xwiii. 16 Jacob when God
appeared unto him, though but in a dream, awaked out
of lieep, and faid, " Surely the I-ord is in this place,
and I knew it not.'* I would fay fo concerning every
ordinance whereunto I go ; the Lord is in that place.
I fpeak now only concerning his real prefence : for if i-
dolaters adorn all their places of worlbip v.ith pictures,
images, and idols, that they might feign the pre(ei:te of
a God j I ought to aft faith particularly upon tlie real
prefence of the immenfe and oraninreient God. He
bids us coniider it in the bufinefs of his worlhip ; Jer.
[ 43 ]
xxlii. 23. *' Am I a God at hand, faith the Lord, and
not a God afar olf r" Con(idcr my glorious prefence is e-
very where. As we ought always, wherever we are,
' and whatever we do, to carry a fenfe with us of the pre-
fence of God, to fay, God is here, that we may not be
iurprized in our journies, or in any thing that may befal
us, fuppofe a broken leg or a broken arm j then w^e may
fay, God is^ in this place, and I knew it not ; fo particu-
larly where we have to do in his ordinances, let there
be an antecedent remembrance that God is in that
place.
2.) We are to remember the gracious prefence of
God. There was a twofold prefence of God of old,
the one temporary, by an extraordinary appearance ; the
other (landing, by a continued inftitution. Whtrever
God made an extraordinary appearance, there he itquir-
ed of his people to look upon him to have a fpecial pre-
fence. It was but temporary, when God appeared to
Mofes in the bu(h : " Draw not nigh, faith God, put off
the Ihoes from off" thy feet ; for the ground whereon thou
llandeil is holy j beraufe of God's fpecial appearance."
But the next day, as far as I know, iheep fed upon that
holy ground. It was no longer holy than God's appear-