PREFACE. HE eternal Son of God, when taking his leave of an ungrate Tful world, inftituted the facrament of the Supper, as a lively refemblance and memorial of his bloody fufferings and death in the room of his people; and alfo to be a bright and lafting evidence of the amazing love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to perishing finners. As God once fent his Son into the world in a lowly habit, clothed with human flesh, to fave finners; fo now he fends him in a homely dress, clothed with the elements of bread and wine, to asfure us of his love, and to engage us to come to him. Kings expect that their children will be respected, though their officers be neglected. Surely (faith God) They will reverence my Son;' they will make him welcome, and hearken to him. In this moft auguft ordinance of the New Teftament the Great God approaches very near to us, and we to him; and yet it is to be deeply regretted, that many who profefs to believe this, come to it with fo little thought and preparation, and with so much indifferency and caseleffnefs of fpirit. Oh, fhall we venture fo near the Great God, who is infinitely holy, in whofe fight the heavens are not pure, and in whofe prefence the fun and fiars are dimmed, and the brighteft feraphims do gather in their wings, and account themfelves as little flies before him! and fhall we, who are creatures fo mean and fo vile, be carelefs and unconcerned, when we make the nearest approach to this great and holy Gol, that we can make on this fide heaven. Ought we not to go blushing, afhamed, and deeply humbled on many accounts, and particularly for our ingratitude for redeeming love, that love which paffeth knowledge,' and for our costempt of God's unfpeakable gift,' the greatest fin in the world; yea, we fhould go wondering that we are out of hell, for many thoufands are burning there, who have not finned fo heinously, in making light of precious Chrift, as we have done. 6 Moreover, Reader, confider if you go to this ordinance unpreparedly, or with indifference, you not only make light of the Lord Jefus Chrift, but you are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord,' 1 Cor. xi. 27. Surely that word may caufe you to quake and tremble: blood-guiltinefs of any fort is a dreadful fin, and efpecially to be guilty of the 'blood of the Lord.' Murder is a fin that cries for vengeance on the actor, and gives God no reft till he punish it, Gen. iv. 1o. The voice of thy brother's... blood crieth to me from the earth.' If it be a crying fin to murder a common perfon, what muft it be to murder a king: Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be. guiltlefs? 1 Sam. xxvi. 9. Ŏ then, what a crime must it be to I murder the eternal Son of God, who is thy exalted King, thy everlafting Father, thy dear Redeemer, and thy God who gave thee a being. Child-murder is a heinous crime, but what Chrift-murder is, no tongue can tell! If on him that flew Cain (that wicked man) vengeance should be taken fevenfold, what vengeance will be taken on him that crucifies afrefh the Lord of Glory? This confideration fhould make all of us afraid of carelefs and unworthy communicating. If we would communicate worthily, we must be earneft, not only for the life of grace, but alfo for the livelinefs of grace; not only for the truth and fincerity of grace, but likewife for the activity and vigorous exercife of grace. So that a believer himself doth not eat and drink worthily, unless the grace that is in him be excited and exercifed at this ordinance. There must be not only faith in the truth of it, but there must be faith realizing, applying, appropriating, and making ufe of Chrift's death and purchafe in this ordinance. Not only must there be a difpofition of foul to be humbled for fin, but there must be actual mourning and melting of heart for fin, and for particular fins, when we look on him we have pierced by them. Not only muft there be a principle of love to Chrift, but also an exciting of love to flame out to Chrift, who loved us and gave himfelf for us. Worthy communicating being a work of fuch importance, the following Scriptural Meditations and Advices are humbly offered to Chriftians, as an help in their preparations for it. Reading and thinking much on the subjects here proposed, may thro' God's bleffing, be useful to promote their habitual preparation for the holy fupper. Chrift's body and blood, herein exhibited, are pure and holy things, and should be received in prepared and cleanfed hearts. His body never faw corruption in the grave, nor will be mixed with it in hearts where corruption is allowed. It lay in a virgin's web, and in a virgin fepulchre, and will ftill be entertained in virgin fouls and affections; in hearts purified and confecrated to God. In thefe Chrift chufes to refide, and not in those where fin and the world, with the lufts thereof are harboured. Oh, had we grace to maintain and cherish the fear of God, and the love of Christ habitually in cur fouls, we might, without much pains, be prepared for coming to him at his table. Did we always bear in our minds, that facramental occafions are folemn appointments, and Bethel meetings with God, for renewing covenant, and entertaining fellowship and communion with him, we would guard more against formality creeping in upon us in our preparations for, and in our attendance upon this ordinance, than, alas, we do. Oh, fuch formality will provoke the mafter of our folemn feafts to withdraw from them, and then what poor, dry, melancholy, and lifeless things will they be? What are the facraments without Chrift's presence in them? O let us never be fatisfied with communion fabbaths, without communion with Chrift in them. On the other hand, if we would keep up communion with Christ in these ordinances, let us beware of relying on our previous pains or preparations, either for our right performing of our duty, or for our acceptance in it: For we are never more ready to miscarry, and to be disappointed, than when we are guilty of this refting. Sundry go to the Lord's table with great humiliation for fin, and yet come away without comfort: Why? because they make a Chrift of their forrow. O what worth can we fee in our beft preparations, confeffions, prayers, tears, humiliations, &c. if we compare them with the law of God? We have more cause to be ashamed of them, than to lay any stress on them. Could we renounce all felf-confidence, and difclaim all our provifion in point of dependence, and caft curfelves wholly on Chrift for ftrength, through-bearing, and acceptance, we would have better fuccefs at the Lord's table, than commonly we have. We are never more fit for this holy table, than when we are moft humbled, and most ashamed of ourselves, because of our un fitnefs for this folemn approach; and we are never lefs fit, than when we think ourfelves moft fit and prepared for the duty. A holy deniedness to all felf-fufficiency, and a deep fenfe of unworthiness and unfitnefs, is the beft preparation we can attain to for this folemn ordinance. Let us make holy David our pattern, when going to partake, Pfal, lxxii. 16. I will go on in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteoufnefs, even ' of thine only. And let us pray with the Spouse, Cant. iv. 16. Awake O north wind, and come thou fouth, blow upon my garden, that the fpices thereof may flow out.' Amen. . |