Directions Concerning the Frame of Our Spirits When We Come Away from This Ordinance

TiiEY that have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, at the table of the Lord, whose hearts are enlarged to send forth the workings of pious and devout affections towards God, and to take in the communication of divine light, life, and love from him, cannot but say, as Peter did upon the holy mount, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; here let us make tabernacles.” They sit down under the refreshing shadow of this ordinance with delight, and its fruit is sweet unto their taste. Here they could dwell all the days of their life, beholding the beauty of the Lord, and inquiring in his temple. But it is not a continual feast, we must come down from this mountain; these sweet and precious minutes are soon numbered and finished; supper is ended, thanks are returned, the guests are dismissed with a blessing, the hymn is sung, and we go out to the Mount of Olives; even in this Jerusalem, the city of our solemnities, we have not a continuing city; Jacob hath an opportunity of wrestling with the angel a while, bat he must “let him go, for the day breaks,” and he hath a family to look after, a journey to y)rosecute, and the affairs thereof call for his attendance. We must not be always at the Lord’s table; the high-priest himself must not be always within the vail, he must go out again to the people when his service is performed. Now, it ought to be as much our care to return in a right manner fl-om the ordinance, as to approach in a right manner to it. That caution is here needful: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, which we have gained,” — so some read it. Have we in this ordinance wrought any thing, or gained any thing that is good? We are concerned to see to it, that we do not undo what we have wrought, and let slip what we have gained.

When the solemnity is done, our work is not done; still we mast be pressing forwards in our duty. This perhaps is the mystery oi’ that law in Ezekiel’s temple service, that they should not return from worshipping before the Lord, in the solemn feasts, “through the same gate by which they entered in, but by that over against it.” Forgetting those things which are behind, still we must reach forth to those things which are before.

Let us inquire, then, What is to be done, at our coming away from the ordinance, for the preserving and improving of the impressions of it?

L We should come from this ordinance admiring the condescensions of the divine grace to us. — Great are the honours which have here been done us, and the favours to which here we have been admitted; that God that made us hath taken us into covenant and communion with himself; the King of kings hath entertained us at his table, and there we have been feasted with the daintiesof heaven, abundantly satisfied with the goodness of his house; exceeding great and precious promises hath been here sealed to us, and earnests given us of the eternal inheritance; now, if we know, ourselves, this cannot but be the matter of our wonder, our joyiul, and yet awful wonder.

Considering our meanness by nature, we have reason to wonder that the great God should thus advance us. Higher than heaven is above the earth, is God above us, between heaven and earth there is, though a vast, yet only a finite distance; but, between God and man, there is an infinite disproportion. “What is man then (man that is a worm, and the son of man that is a worm,) that he should be thus visited and regarded; thus dignified and preferred?” That favour done to Israel sounds great: “Man did eat angels’ food;” but here man is feasted with that which was never angels’ food, the “llesh and blood of the Son of man,” which gives life to the world. Solomon himself stood amazed at God’s condescending to take possession of that magnificent temple he had built; “but will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?” And, which is more, shall men on the earth dwell in God, and make the Most ‘Ijgh their habitation? If great men look with respect upon those that are much their inferior, it is because they expect to receive honour and advantage by them; “but, can a man be profitable unto God?” No, he cannot; “our goodness extendeth not unto him.” He was from eternity happy without us, and would have been so to eternity, if we had never been, or had been miserable; but we are undone, undone for ever, if his goodness extends not to us: he needs not our services, but we need his favours; men adopt because they are childless, but God adopts us purely because we are fatherless. It was no excellency in us that recommended us to his love, but poverty and misery made us proper objects of his pity.

Come then, my soul, and compose thyself as king David did, when, having received a gracious message from heaven, assuring him of God’s kind intentions to him and his family, he went in, and, with a great fixedness of mind, sat before the Lord; and say, as he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and n’hat is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto V That I should be so kindly invited to the table of the Lord, and so splendidly treated there? That one so mean and worthless as I am, the poorest dunghill worm that ever called God father, should be placed among the children, and fed with the children’s bread? And yet, as if this were a” small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, thou hast spoken also concerning thy servant for a great while to come,” even as far as eternity itself reaches, and thus ‘’ thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree,” though I am nothing, yea less than nothing, and vanity. “And is this the manner of men, i Lord God?” Could men expect thus to be favoured? No; but thou givcst to men, not according to their poverty, but according to thy riches in giory. Do gre’st men use to condescend thus? No, it is usual with them to tuke state uy)on them and to oblige their inferiors to keep their distance; but we have to do with one that is God, and not man; whose thoughts of love are as much above ours, as his thoughts of wisdom are; and therefore, as it follows there, “What can David say more unto thee?” What account can I give of this unaccountable favour? “It is for thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart,” for the performance of thy purposes and promises, that ‘• thou hast done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.”

Considering our vileness of sin, v;e have yet more reason to wonder that the hoJy God should thus favour us. We are not only worms of the earth, below his cognizance, ))ut a generation of v ipers, obnoxious to his curse; not only unworthy of his love and favour, but worthy of his wrath and displeasure. How is it then, that we are lu-ought so near unto him, who deserved to have been sentenced to an eternal separation from him? He hath said, “The foolish shall not stand in his sight.” Foolish we know we are, and yet we are called to sit at his table, being through Christ reconciled to him, and brought into covenant with him. Justice might have set us as criminals at his bar; but, behold mercy sets us as children at his board; and it is a miracle of mercy, mercy that is the wonder of angels, and will be the eternal transport of glorilied saints. Sec how much we owe to the Redeemer, by whom we have access into this grace.

Let me therefore set myself, and stir up myself, to admire it; I have more reason to say than Mephibosheth had, w;ien David took him to eat bread, at his table continually, “What is thy servant, that thou shouldst k upon such a dead dog as I am V I am less than the least of God’s mercies, and yet he hath not withheld the greatest irom me; I have (brfeited the comforts of my own table and yet I am feasted with the comforts of the Lord’s table! 1 deserve to have had the cup of the Lord’s indignation y3ut into my hand, and to have drunk the dregs of it, but behold I have been treated with the cup of salvation. Were ever traitors jtnade 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?” 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, but my Lord himself should come to me? That he should thus prevent me, thus distinix’sh me with his favours? “Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to me and not unto the world?”

2. We should come from this ordinance lamenting our own manifold defects and infnmities in our attendance upon God in it. When we look back upon the solemnity, we find, tjiat as we cannot speak well enough of God and of 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 thine office, and to accomplish a diligent search, review the workings of the soul in this ordinance distinctly and impartially.

And if upon search thou findest cause to suspect that all hath 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 lot nor part in the matter, but am in the gaul of bitterness,’ and bond of inicpiity? I must then take the advice which Peter gave to Simon Magus, when he perceived that to be his condition, after he had received the sacrament of baptism: “Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” Let that be done with a double care after the ordinance which should have been done before.

But if upon search thou findest that there hath been, through grace, truth in the inward part; yet set thy soul a blushing, for it hath 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 “doth 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 also among them, and stands at their right hand to resist them; and that wherever we go, we carry about with us the remainders of corruption, a body of death, which inclines 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 we cannot do the things that we would.

O what reason have I to be ashamed of myself, and blush to lift up my face before God, when 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 end 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 upwards, 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 dulness, deadness, and inadvertency, I lost a deal of time out of a little, and slept 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 ail 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 obligeth 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 things, which the children of Israel hallow in their holy gifts, that, notwithstanding that iniquity which it is repented of, the gifts may be accepted before the Lord.” “Of his righteousness therefore we must make mention, even of his only; for the most spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through him.”

3. We should come from this ordinance rejoicing in Jesus Christ, and in that great love wherewith he hath loved us. From this feast we should go to our tents, as the people vent from Solomon’s feast of dedication, “joyful and glad in heart, for all the goodness that the Lord hath done by David his servant, for Israel his people.” They that went forth weeping, must come back rejoicing, as they have cause, if they “bring their sheaves with them.” Hath God here lifted up the light of his countenance upon us; that should “put gladness into our heart.” 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.” The day of our espousals should be the day “of the gladness of our hearts.” 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 drunk 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 thing 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 worketh 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 comibrts, 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 encouragement to ourselves.

Let it express itself in the thankful acknowledgment of the favours we have received from God. As spiritual joy must be the hea.rt 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 and pleasant, and greatly refreshed with the goodness of God’s house? Let the high praises of God then be in our months, and in o«! hearts. This is a proper time for us to be engaged with great fixedness, and enlarged with great fluency in this 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 wo 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, f)r the good land which he hath given thee.” Bless him for a Canaan on earth, a land of light, and a valley of vision, in 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 Emmanuel’s land; bless him for a Canaan in heaven which he hath given thee the promise and prospect of, that land flowing with milk and honey. Rejoice in hope of that, and sing in hope.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within thee,” all thy thoughts, and all thy powers be employed in blessing his holy name; and all little enough. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, good to all, good to Israel, orood to me. “I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us.” Give glory to the exalted Redeemer, and mention to his praise the great things he hath 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; 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 I can do to his name; for he was slain, and hath “redeemed us to God by his blood; and hath made us to our God kings and priests. He hath loved us, and washed ns from our sins in his own blood;” a note of praise, which the angels themselves cannot sing, though they have many a song to which we are strangers. “He loved me, aild ^r;C hinielf 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 every blessing and praise.”

And whenever we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord let it always be done to the glory of God the Father. His kindness and love to men was the original spring, and first wheel in the work of our redemption. It was he that “gave his only begotten Son, delivered hi»r. 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 eternal peace and good will towards men. God hath 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 burden of all our songs, blessed be God for Jesus Christ; thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift, the foundation of all other gifts.

Let this holy joy speak encouragement to ourselves, cheerfully to proceed in our Christian course. The comfort we have had in our covenant ‘relation to God, and interest in Christ, should put a sweetness into all our enjoyments, and sanctify them to us. We must see the love of God in them, and taste that he is gracious, and this must make them comforts indeed to us; see the curse removed from them, see a blessing going along with them, and then “go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works.” Have we good ground to hope, that through grace our works are accepted of God? If we sincerely aim at God’s acceptance, make that our end, and labour for it, with an eye to Christ as Mediator, we may hope that our persons and performances are accepted; if we accept of 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. And if so, we have reason to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. “Eat thy bread with joy,” for it is thy Father’s gift, the bread wherewith the Lord thy God feeds thee in this wilderness, through which he is leading thee to the land of promise; “drink thy wine with a merry heart,” remembering Christ’s love 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 than the riches of many wicked.”

Rejoice in the Lord now, O my soul, rejoice in him always; having kept his feast with gladness, as Ilezekiah and his people did, carry with thee some of the comforts of God’s table to thine own, and there eat thy meat with gladness, as the primitive Christians did. Live a life of holy cheerfulness, and the joy of the Lord will be thy strength.

4. We should come from this ordinance much 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 the sin that most easily besets us,” whatever it is, especially the evil heart of unbelief, which is our great hinderance and “let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.” Let the covenant we have renewed, and the comforts we have received, make us moVe ready to every good duty, and more lively in it; more active and zealous for the glory of God, the service of our generation, and the welfare and prosperity of our owm aouls. From what we have seen and done here me may letch powerfid considerations to shame us out of our slothfuhiess, and our 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 gracious visit from God, and had made a solemn vow to him, it follows, “Then Jacob went on his way.” The original phrase is observable. ‘’ Then Jacob lift up his feet.” After that comfortable night he had at Bethel, knowing himself to be in the way of his duty, he proceeded with a great deal of cheerfulness, that strengtriened the weak hands, and confirmed the feeble knees. Thus should our communion with God in the Lord’ 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 Jelioshaphet, we should lift up our hearts in those ways, abiding and abounding in the work 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 mayest 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. Mediate more fixediy, pray more earnestly, resist sin more resolutely, keep Sabbaths more cheerfully, do good more readily. Thou hast heard the sound of a going in the tops of the umlberry trees, plain indications of the presence of God with thee, therefore now thou shalt bestir thyself. Let the comforts of this ordinance employ thy wings, that thou mayest soar upwards, upwards towards God, let them oil thy wheels, that thou mayest press forwards, forwards towards heaven; let G mI’s ififts to thee stir up his gifts in thee.

5. 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 tins ordinance, still we must remember, that we are but girding on the harness, and therefore we have no reason to boast, or be secure, as though we have it put oft’. 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.

1st, Let us therefore fear. He that travels with a rich treasure about him, is in most danger 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 his 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.” The Holy Ghost thus signifying that believers in this world are in a military state, and the followers of Christ must be his soldiers. They that work the good work of faith, must light the good fight of faith.

V7e must always stand upon our guard, for the goodman 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 fronj heaven, “he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” And immediately after he had administered th’^ liOrd’s Supper to his disciples, he told them plainly, “Saiun hath desired to have you,” he hath challenged you “that he may sift you as wheat;” and what he said to them, he saith to all — “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” W-e 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 tempted 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.” Peace being spoken, peace made, let us be afraid of every thing that may give disturbance to it. We should also watch against the inroads of worldly cares and fears, lest they make a descent upon us after a sacrament, 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. 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.” We therefore have oause 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 condemnation of the devil.” 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?”

2d, Let us therefore fix; 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 immoveably for Christ and holiness, against sin and Satan. The matter is settled, never to be called in question again, “I will serve the Lord.” The bargain is struck, the knot is tied, the debate is come up to a final resolve; and here 1 fix, as one steadfastly resolved, with purpose of heart to cleave unto 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 tlserefore, “get thee behind me Satan, thou art an otfence unto 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; I am now at a point, “I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I oannot go back;” 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. “I have chosen the way of truth, and therefore in thy strength, Lord, I will stick to thy testimonies.” 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 fly from me, and never yield to him.

6. We should come from this ordinance praying; lifting up our hearts to God in ejaculatory petitions; and retiring, as soon as may be, for solemn prayer. — Not only before, and in the duty, but after it we have occasion to offer up our desire to God, and bring 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 these words in addressing to God.

1st, 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, “Now, Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, 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. Having 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 caused me to hope.” 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 fill 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 common to men, and the faithful God will never suffor 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 all things shall work for good to them that love thee; that thou wilt be to them a God all-sufficient, their shield, and their exceeding •?reat reward: that thou wilt give them grace and glory, and withhold no good thing from them; that thou wilt never tail them, nor forsake them.” 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 upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

2d, We must pray, that he enable us to fulfil these promises which we have made to him in this ordinance. David’s prayer for this is, “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people, and prepare’, or confirm their hearts unto thee.” Have there been some good affections, 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 but be sensible how apt we are to lose the good wft 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 ilirnish us for every good word and work, and thoroughly to fortify us against every evil word and work. W”e made our 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 thine 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 ,e come away from this ordinance, we return to a cooling, tempting, distracting world; as when Moses came down from the mount, Vvhere he had been with God, he found the camp of Israel dancing before the golden calf to his great disturbance. In the midst of such sorrows, and such snares as we are composed about with here, we shall find it no easy matter to preserve the peace and grace which we hoped 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, “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 fbr them? “Holy Father, keep through thine own name them which thou hast given me.” That prayer of his was both the great example, and 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 oif this body; I am not yet clear of this world; yet I am a traveller exposed to thieves, yet I am a soldier exposed to enemies. Holy Father, keep through thine own name the graces and comforts thou hast given me; for they are thine. Mine own hands are not sufficient for me; O let thy grace be so, 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, “I have ]irayed for thee, that thy faith fail not;” and that is it which 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 that would have the benefit of the Son’s intercession, must pray for themselves.

7. We should come from this ordinance with a charitable disposition. — Anciently the Christians had their love-feasts, or feasts of charity, annexed to the Eucharist; but what needed that, while the Eucharist itself is 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 sweetning powers of this ordinance in an uncharitable frame. v

The fervent charity which we now should have among ourselves, must be a loving, giving, and forgiving charity. Thus it must have its perfect work.

We must come from this 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 from thence we may infer how dear they ought to be, and how near they should lie to our hearts. Shall I look strangely upon them that have acquaintance with Christ? or be indifferent towards them that he has so much concern 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 quiekened and acted by that one Spirit. I have here beheld the beauty of the Lord, and therefoie must 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 contmue.

Those from whom we differ in the less weighty matters of the law, thor.gh we agree in the great things of God, we should now tl:ink of with particular thoughts of love and kindness, because from them our minds are most in temptation 10 be alienated; and of those to whom we have given the right hand of fellowship in this and in other ordinances, we should likewise be mindful whh 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 steadfast, and more victorious over the difficulties and oppositions it meets with; and, as the apostle speaks, we should “increase and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men;” and in all the fruits and instances of that love.

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, 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,” that, when our souls are blessing God, the loins of the poor may bless us. If our hearts have here been opened to Christ, we must evidence they are so by being open-handed to poor Christians; for, since our goodness cannot extend to him, it is his will that it should extend to them. 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, especially 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 ahns, like his, must accom])any them. We have seen here how much we owe to God’s pity and bounty towards 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 sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.”

We must come from this ordinance with a disposition to forgive those that 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 for us to forgive; and our experience there is of God’s mercy, and grace to us, should conquer all the difficulty and reluctancy 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 have had a (juarrel 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

Iheret’ore with the will of God (that God who bids Shiinci 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 towards those that have been the instruments of that damage, knowing that ynen are in God’s hand, 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 pardons God hath 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 foi bid revenge, but remove strangeness; and let all our feuds and quarrels be buried in his grave. Hath our Master forgiven us that great debt, and a very great debt it was, and ought we not then to have compassion ‘* on our fellow-servants V 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; Immbleness of mind 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 hath forgiven us.

8. We should come from this ordinance longing for heaven. Every good CJiristian lives in the belief of the life everlasting, which God, that cannot lie, hath promised, lookins: for the blessed hope; and doubtless much of the power of godliness consists in the joyful expectation of the glory to be revealed. But though we should look upon ourselves as heathens if we did not believe it, and as desperate if we had not some hopes of it. Yet we have all reason to lament it, as not only our infelicity, but our iniquity, that our desires towards it are so weak and feeble. We are too apt to take up our rest here, and wish we might live always on this earth; and we need something to make us hunger and thirst after that perfect righteonsoess, that crown of righteousness, with which only we shall be filled. For this good end the Lord’s Supper is very improvable, to hasten us towards the land of promise, and carry out rmr souls in earnest breathings after the felicity of our future state.

The complaints we find cause to exhibit at this 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. When here we set ourselves to contemplate the beauty of God and the love of Christ, we find ourselves in a cloud, we sec but through a glass darkly; let us therefore long to be there where the veil shall be rent, the glasses we now make use of laid aside, and we shall not only see face to face, but, which will yield us more satisfaction, we shall see how we are seen, and know how we are known. When here we would soar upwards upon the wings of love, we find ourselves clogged and pinioned; this immortal spirit is caged in a house of clay, and doth 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 would 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 everlasting rest. Here we complain, that, through the infirmity of the flesh, we are soon weary of well doing, and, if the spirit be willing, yet the flesh is weak, and cannot keep pace with it; buf 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 nor night from praising God. O when shall I come to that world where is neither sin, nor sorrow, nor snare; and to the spirits of just men made perfect there, who are as the angels of God in heaven!

The comforts which through grace we experience in this ordinance, should make us long for heaven. The foretastes of those divine joys should whet our appetites after the full fruition of them. The bunch of grapes that meets us in this wilderness should make us long to be in Canaan, that land of overflowing plenty, where we shail wash our garments in this wine, and our clothes in the blood of the grape. If communion with God and grace here afford us such a satisfaction, as surpasseth all the delights of the sons of men, what will the fulness of joy be in God’s presence, and those pleasures for ever more? 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? Ifadayat his courts, an hour at his table, be so pleasant, what then will an eternity within the vail be? If I find myself so enriched with the earnest of the purchased possession, 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 alloy 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 these 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 delight 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 we 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 be with Christ. Whilst thou art groaning under the burdens of this present 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 the shadows flee away, “make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.”