Meditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many years sinceMeditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many yeares since

If we look into the holy Scriptures we may find God himself a pattern of these deliberate preparations. In making the world it had been as easy for him in one simple command to have erected this glorious frame at once, as to be six days in the fashioning of it. But to exhibit unto us an example of temperate, and advised proceedings, he first provides the materials, and then superadds the accomplishment and perfection. In the dispensing of his judgments he first prepares them, before he inflicts them, He hath whet his sword, and bent his bow, and made ready his arrows, before he strikes or shoots: his eye comes before his hand;^c He comes down to see Sodom before to consume it. He examines before he expels, ^dAdam where art thou? before he drive him out of Paradise. Nay in the very sweetest of all his attributes, his mercy ⟨p. 179⟩we find him first^e consider his people Israel, before he sends Moses to deliver them. In like manner our blessed Saviour, though having in him the fullness of the God-head, the treasures of Wisdom, and Grace without measure, he was therefore perfectly able to discharge that great work unto which the Father had Sealed him, was yet pleased to prepare himself both unto his prophetical, and sacerdotal obedience by^f Baptism,^g Fasting, Temptation, and^h Prayer, That the practise of this great Work, where it was not necessary, might be a president, unto us who are not able of our selves to think, or to do any good thing,^a In the building of Solomons Temple the stones were perfected, and hewed before they were brought, there was neither Hammer, nor Axe, nor any tool of Iron heard in the house while it was in building. And so should it be in the Temple of which that was a type even in the mystical body of CHRIST, every man should be first hewed, and fitted by repentance, and other preparatory works before he should approach to incorporate himself into that spiritual, and eternal building. In the observation of Levitical ceremonies we may note that