in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me.' Here are two things, in one of which, if not both, the knowledge of the most refined hypocrite fails. (2.) When it is influential on the life for sanctification, Matth. xi. 29. While notional knowledge leaves always the heart unhumbled, and the life unhallowed, saving knowledge humbles the heart, as it did in the case of Job, chap. xlii. 5, 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Where fore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes;' and it sanctifies the conversation, Jer. xxii. 15, 16. Did not thy Father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy: then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord.' Thirdly, Let us consider the necessity of this knowledge. 1. Ignorant persons are utterly unfit to come to this or dinance, and have no right either before God or before the church. They are unconverted, unbelieving sinners, Acts xxvi. 18; ever under the power of some lusts, 1 Pet. i. 14. They are incapable of self-examination, and cannot discern the Lord's body in the ordinance, being ignorant of the mystery of Christ. Therefore a competency of knowledge is necessary. 2. Those destitute of saving knowledge are unfit for this ordinance; and however they may have a right to it before the church, they have none before God. For they are without faith, Isa. liii. 11; without repentance, Luke xv. 17. And they cannot rightly discern the Lord's body neither in that ordinance, for it must be spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. ii. 14. To discern the Lord's body in this ordinance is, in the looking-glass of the elements, to behold with a spiritual eye the body of the Son of God, by death making atonement for sin, and peace with God; which draws the heart to a resting in and on him, as overcome with his glory discerned. They who are void of saving knowledge may imagine it, but cannot spiritually discern it, 1 Cor. ii. 8. SECONDLY, Our faith must be examined. And here let us consider, 1. The necessity of faith in this ordinance. 2. The marks of true faith. First, Let us consider the necessity of faith in this ordi nance. 1. Without true faith one has no right to this ordinance. For unbelievers are not within the covenant of grace, faith being that by which one enters into it, and therefore they have no right to the seal; they are not of the family of heaven, and therefore have no right to the children's bread, John i. 12, 13. Nay, they can please God in nothing they do, Heb. xi. 6. 2. Without faith there can be no feeding on Christ. Take, eat, implies a spiritual action, a spiritual feeding. Faith is the hand and mouth of the soul. An unbeliever may feed on the bread of the Lord, as the beasts drank of the water of the rock in the wilderness; but they cannot feed on that bread which is the Lord. Secondly, Let us consider the marks of true faith. 1. A superlative desire of Christ and his grace, i. e. above all persons and things, Isa. xxvi. 9; Matth. v. 6; for himself as well as his benefits, and not for his benefits only, Psal. lxxiii. 25. A desire of a whole Christ, not only for justification, but sanctification too, and that not only as sanctification is the way to make the soul happy, but to conform it to the image of God. It is absolute, without any reserve, condition or exception, Acts ix. 6. 2. A receiving and use-making of Jesus Christ in all his offices, John i. 12. Col. ii. 6. If sensible of thy absolute need of Christ, and thy own inability to help thyself, thou fleest out of thyself unto the Lord Jesus, renouncing thy own wisdom, righteousness, and will, to be guided by his Spirit, saved by his righteousness alone, and ruled by his law; and if in the course of thy life thou lookest to him for direction, acceptance with God, and strength in the battle against corruption, then undoubtedly thou believest. Thirdly, Our repentance must be examined. Here let us consider, 1. The necessity of repentance in this ordinance. 2. The marks of it. First, Let us consider the necessity of repentance in this ordinance. 1. Without it there can be no suitable remembrance of a crucified Christ. He is represented there as broken and dying for our sins: and communicating impenitently with a hard heart, looks liker a triumph over Christ's death, than an affectionate remembrance of it. And so it brings on the person the guilt of the body and blood of the Lord. 2. Without it one cannot expect a sealed pardon, which is the end of the sacrament. God will not seal a pardon to an impenitent soul, nor give Heaven's comforts to insensible sinners, Acts ii. 38. As the sun refreshes the earth, when softened by rain, but otherwise parches and scorches it; so God revives the spirit of the contrite at a sacrament, while he is full of wrath against impenitent sinners there. For this cause it is necessary to examine your sins, search them out, and search them through. Secondly, Let us view the marks of true repentance. Ye may know it by this, that the heart is thereby turned from all sin unto God, Psal. cxix. 59. I thought on my former ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.' Ask, 1. Have I turned from sin unto God, or am I yet living in my sins? Acts xxvi. 18. 2. Have I turned from all sin, Ezek. xiv. 6. from all gross sins in my practice, and from all sin simply, in my heart and affections? Is my heart loosed from sin? and do I hate all sin? Psal. cxix. 104. 3. If so, why have I done it? Is it only for the wrath annexed to it, or is it not because of the contrariety in it to God's nature and will? Ezek. xxxvi. 31. Lastly, And are the remains of corruption a burden to my spirit, as they are to God's Spirit? FOURTHLY, Our love must be examined. 1. The necessity of it in this ordinance. First, Let us consider the necessity of love to God in this ordinance. 1. Love to God is necessary in it, because therein is held forth the greatest display of God's love in giving his own Son to the death for us. Here is that which of all things may warm the heart most, and make it burn with love to God and Christ. 2. Love to our neighbour is necessary, because God's love, herein represented to us, doth require it, Eph. iv. ult. And if any man love not his neighbour, he does not, he cannot love God. And they that love God, will love his image wherever it is: they will love the brethren,' 1 John iii. 14. not only the rich, but the poor, even though they may have several faults, and possibly esteem them not so highly; and this not for their being of the same opinion, but precisely because of the grace of God appearing in them, and not because they are like themselves. And they that truly love Christ will love their brethren of mankind, by using proper endeavours to convince them of sin: to persuade them to believe in Christ, if they are yet strangers to him, or to walk worthy of the gospel, if they have been made partakers of the grace thereof; by associating with the saints, and avoiding all unnecessary commerce with the wicked; and by forgiving personal injuries, and doing good to all men, especially those of the household of faith. Secondly, Let us view the marks of love to God, 1. True love to God is supreme love. As Moses' rod, when turned into a serpent, swallowed up the rods of the Egyptian magicians; so the love of God will swallow up all affections to the creature, whether lawful or unlawful enjoyments, Luke xiv. 27; and ever sit exalted above them all. 2. Love to our neighbour will make us wish well to all men, 1 Cor. v. 8; forgive those that have done us wrong, as we desire to be forgiven of God, Matth. v. 23, 24; and love the people of God of whatever denomination, because of the image of Christ appearing in them, 1 John iii. 14. FIFTHLY, Our new obedience must be examined. Without new obedience we cannot pretend to be Christ's disciples, Matth. xi. 29. I shall give a few marks of it. (1.) It is new in respect of the principle it proceeds from, the love of God, Heb. vi. 10. (2.) In respect of the end of it, which is God's glory, 1 Cor. x. 31. (3.) It is universal, Psal. cxix. 6. I have a respect unto all thy commandments.' (4.) It is constant, Matth. xxiv. 13. And wherein the believer fails, it is his burden, and it sends him always to the blood of Christ, because of the sinfulness that attends it. III. I proceed to shew, the necessity of self-examination. It is necessary in two respects. 1. To prevent the sin of coming unworthily to the Lord's table. If we rush on this ordinance without previous examining of ourselves, how can we miss of communicating unworthily? 2. To prevent the danger of coming so, which is eating and drinking damnation to one's self. The danger is great, (1.) To the soul, 1 Cor. xi. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him. self, not discerning the Lord's body.' (2.) To the body, ver. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.' Inf. Examine yourselves, then, as to the state and case of yourselves, in order to prepare for this ordinance. And let none venture upon it without this antecedent exercise, for the danger is very great. And, 1. Be resolute in your self-examination. Resolve to set about this important duty, and resolute to follow it out: be cause ye will find no small difficulty in it, arising from seve ral causes. 1st, From yourselves, even your own corrupt hearts; and that on several heads. (1.) The ignorance of many makes it difficult. They have not the knowledge necessary to discern the nature or marks of grace. Ye must, then, endeavour the rather to discern these, or any one of them that is given. (2.). A secret respect to some bosomidol which they would fain keep quiet, John iii. 20. There are stolen goods, which they have no will to restore, and therefore have no inclination to search them out. But, O consider that one thing thou lackest.' (3.) A secret fear that all is wrong with them. Perhaps it is not sơ. But if it be really so, ye have the more need to get matters set to rights. 2dly, From Satan. He has a singular pique at this duty, and therefore will be ready to muster up all his forces to keep men from venturing on it, or to desist from it; and that [1.] By suggesting unto men the inVOL. III. Tt |
