2dly, It must be a mournful and heart-breaking remembrance, looking on a flain Chrift in the elements, as one pierced through and crucified by our fins; and our eye fhould affect our hearts with grief and forrow for those fins that nailed and killed the Lord of life.

3dly, We must have a fin-loathing remembrance, ab horring, with the utmost deteftation, our curfed fins, that made a ftrong and mighty Redeemer to fweat blood, and groan under their weight; yea, never parted with him till they brought him to a bitter death.

4thly, It must be an affectionate remembrance. The unparalleled love of Chrift discovered in the facrament, muft not be thought on without love. Our hearts should even burn with affection to him, when we remember the great floods of wrath that brake in upon Chrift's foul, and yet could not drown his love to us.

5thly, It must be a thankful remembrance, faying, "O what fhall I render to Chrift for undertaking my deliverance, and wading through hell to fave me from perishing there for ever! O if men and angels would help me to extol his free grace and wondrous love!

6thly, It must be a fiducial remembrance, laying the whole ftrefs of our soul's juftification and falvation upon the death of Chrift; pleading it with God, for anfwering all the accufations of Satan, the indictments of the law, and challenges of our own confciences.

Q. What is the import of these words of Christ, conserning the cup: This cup is the New Testament in my blood, shed for many for the remifions of fins?

A. It is a figurative fpeech, as I fhewed before, and the plain literal fenfe of it is, the wine in this cup, as representing the fhedding of my blood for your fins, is a fure fign and token to you, of God's making and confirming the New Teftament, or covenant of grace, with you; and of his fealing all the bleffings of it unto you; or, this cup is a vifible pledge to you of that rich covenant with its bleffings, which is brought about and ratified to you by the fhedding of my blood for fin.

Q. What are the fweet inftructions and meditations which thefe words of Chrift do afford us? M A. They

VOL. II.

A. They are many, fuch as thefe; 1. The covenant of grace is Chrift's teftament, wherein all manner of precious legacies are freely bequeathed unto his people.

2dly, That thi teftament is fure, and of undoubted force, being confirmed by the death of teftator, and fealed with his blood.

3dly, That Chrift puts a fealed copy of his teftament into every worthy communicant's hand, at the Lord's table.

4thly, That the covenant of grace, with all its blef fings, is purchafed by Jefus Chrift to believers, by the price of his blood.

5thly, That pardon of fin is one of the choiceft lega cies in Chrift's teftament, and to be highly valued.

6thly, That without the fhedding of blood (even the precious blood of Chrift, which is the blood of atonement) there is no remiffion of fin.

7thly, The blood of Chrift cannot be effectual to any unless it be received and applied by the hand of faith. 8thly, That in order to make a good title to covenant bleffings, it is abfolutely needful that every man for him felf do take hold of the covenant, as tendered in the gofpel-ordinances.

9thly, That the news of a covenant ratified, and pardon fealed by the blood of Chrift, is moft reviving and refreshing to the guilty foul; as wine that makes glad the heart.

Q. What are the legacies and blefings contained in the Teflament given, and fealed to believers in the Lord's fupper?

A. There is the holy Spirit to teach, guide, and comfort them; there is pardon of fin and peace with God; in a word, there is wisdom, righteoufness, fan&ification, redemption, grace, and glory. All which, with many more, were mentioned before, among the promifts of the covenant of grace

Q. How fball we know if we have any part in Chrift's Teftament, or if our names be in it?

4. By thete two things, t, if we do heartily take hold of it, embrace its promife, and acquiefce in the method of falvation contained in it.

2dly, If

2dly, If we can prove ourselves to be among Chrift's poor relations, or claim any fibnefs to him by faith and regeneration: All thefe being children and heirs, have an intereft in Chrift's Teftament, Ifa. vi. 4, 5. John i. 12. 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17. 18. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. Rom. viii. 17.

Q. What are the marks of those who are children of Christ's family and heirs of bis Tftament?

A. They are fuch as are begotten by the word to a lively hope, tranfplanted from nature's garden to grace, and become plants of his right hand's planting.

2dly, They know fomething of the Spirit of adop tion, and his operations in their fouls; particularly in difcovering fin, exciting to prayer, conquering luts and fanctifying the heart, Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iv. 6. Eph. iv. 23, 24

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3dly. They have childrens frames and difpofitions of heart, viz. A filial fear, and reverence of God, a filial love and affection to Chrift, and a deep hatred of every thing that is offenfive or dishonourable to him. they have a great concern for their mother the church, and a love to their brethren, the faints. They love their Father's presence, and delire to be much about his hand, Mal. i. 6. John viii. 42. Pfalm cxix. 136. Pfalm cxxxvii. 6.

4thly, They have childrens appetites for their food; They earnestly defire the ordinances, and communion with Chrift in them, Pfalm lxxxiv. 1.1 Pet it. 2.

Q. How are we affured that Chrift's teftament is firm and unalterable?

A. From thefe three things; 1. The faithfulness and immutability of the Teftator, Heb. x. 2. Heb. xiii. 8. Rev. i. 5.

2dly, It is become of unalterable force by the Teftator's death, and is confirmed by his blood, Heb. ix. 16, 17. Mat. xxvi. 28.

3dly, He hath appended the two great feals of heaven. to it, baptifm and the Lord's fupper, of purpofe to declare the validity and fulness of his teftament.

Q. But how are we certain that this teftament will be duly executed, conform to the Teftator's will?

A. Because, 1. He hath left it in a sure and faithful hand, even that of the holy Spirit, who is the executor thereof, to apply it, and beftow the legacies it bequeathes, upon those who are named in it, John xiv. 16, 26.

Yea, 2dly, The bleffed Teftator is rifen from the dead, and lives for ever, to fee the execution of his own teftament himself. Rev. i. 18. Heb. vii. 25.

Q. When will all thefe legacies be bestowed on the heirs of this teftament? Is it just now?

A. They are just now infeft, and vefted therein, by the word and facraments; whereby their right is fufficiently fecured to the great eftate which Chrift hath left them by his latter will. And, in the mean time, they have out of it a fufficient maintenance, to continue till the time appointed come, when they shall enter into the full poffeffion of the whole. Believers, while here, are but Minors, and not fit to be entrusted with the management of their eftate, fo that it is fecured for them in good hands, till they arrive at full age.

Q. What is the meaning of the words which Chrift Spoke with refped to the whole facrament, "For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do fhow forth the Lord's death till he come ?"

A. It is as if he had faid, fee that ye make conscience of coming to this holy table, and of coming frequently; for every time you do it in a right manner, you keep up the memorial of your Lord and Saviour's death, in a way that is pleasant to him; seeing he hath appointed this as a standing ordinance in the church to conti nue till his fecond coming to judgment; when he will call his whole fervants to account concerning their obferving his injunctions, and this among the reft.

Q. What obligations ly upon us to come and partake of this ordinance?

A. All the profeffors of Chrift are obliged to it on many accounts; 1. In point of duty. 2. In point of intereft. 3. In point of gratitude. 4. In point of fafety. Q. How are we obliged in point of duty?

A. Because Chrift our Lord and law giver hath peremptorily commanded it; nay, for the more fecurity,

he

he repeats the command twice, 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. "This do ye, this do ye ;" and furely all of us owe obedience to his authority, without referve.

Q. How are we obliged to partake in point of intereft! A. Because of the great advantages which are to be got by it, feeing Chrift and all the benefits of the new covenant, are here fealed and applied.

Q. How are we obliged to partake in point of gratitude? A. 1. Because the command enjoining this duty, was among the laft words of our dying friend and Saviour, who did more for us than all the world could have done.

2dly, Because the defign of the ordinance is to keep up the memorial of the love which our dying Savionr expreffed at the first inftitution of it, in fuffering death, and offering up himself a facrifice to divine juftice, in our ftead.

3dly, Because he seeks no greater return for his love, than a thankful remembrance of it.

4thly, Because he puts us to no greater charge to exprefs it, than by eating and drinking at his table.

Q. How are we obliged to partake in point of fafety? A. Because the flighting, or wilful neglecting of this ordinance, is a great fin before God, and very provoking to him, as well as dangerous to ourselves.

Q. Wherein lies the fin of neglecting this ordinance?

A. In refpect it is no lefs than contempt of the words of our dying Saviour, difobedience to his command, ingratitude to our greatest benefactor, a bafe flighting of God's love, Chrift's fufferings, and all the great preparations he hath made for us: a wronging of our own fouls, and defpiling of our choiceft mercies and privileges.

Q. What is the danger of neglecting this duty?

A. It draws on the wrath and vengeance of God, nay, of Chrift the Mediator; which must be very terrible. As God threatened to cut off those that neglected the paffover of old; fo he threatened severe wrath against those who fhould neglect the gofpelfeafts, Numb. ix. 13. Zech. xiv. 16, 17. 18. And these threatenings are renewed, Mat. xxii. 7. Luke xiv. 24.

Q.