A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

3. If you consider what relation you that are believers stand in to this Jesus that left this command with you; ye are the Elect of the Father who committed you to his Son to Redeem, and effectually call you, that he might save you from sin, wrath, the grave, Hell, and to bring you to everlasting glory. Why are you called believers but from that faith whereby you acknowledge this Jesus as your Lord and your God, whereby you trust in him, and in what he hath done and suffered for you, for the making your peace, procuring your pardon, and opening a new and living way into your Father's Kingdom and glory: it is by this faith that you love him, cleave to him, and are therefore called his friends, his children, his brethren, his subjects, servants, followers, witnesses; and shall such as you be found disobedient to him? shall you carelessly forget to remember him in a supper appointed by himself for the remembrance of the greatest act of his love, that is, his dying for you? I tell you Christ will take it worse of you than of any others: how heinously did David take a contempt from his friend, Psal. 41.9. Yea mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me, ye are those that he hath chosen out of the world, brought into his Father's family, and for you to turn the heel upon him and refuse to eat at his Table, this is a contempt that cannot but grieve and anger him: when Christ had been teaching that they who did not eat his flesh and drink his blood, had no life in them, at this multitudes were offended and forsook him, but (saith he) to his Disciples, will ye go also, implying, that if they should forsake him, it would be matter of greater trouble than that of the multitudes leaving him.¹ ⟨p. 240⟩That the profane world comes not nigh his Table; that comes not so nigh his heart, but that ye believers should withdraw, this is that which he must needs take ill from you. Oh do not as you tender the good pleasure of your Lord, do not grieve him by absenting your selves from his table.

3. If you consider what relation you that are believers stand in to this Jesus that left this command with you; ye are the Elect of the Father who committed you to his Son to Redeem, and effectually call you, that he might save you from sin, wrath, the grave, Hell, and to bring you to everlasting glory. Why are you called believers but from that faith whereby you acknowledg this Jesus as your Lord and your God, whereby you trust in him, and in what he hath done and suffered for you, for the making your peace, procuring your pardon, and opening a new and living way into your Father's Kingdom and glory: it is by this faith that you love him, cleave to him, and are therefore called his friends, his children, his brethren, his subjects, servants, followers, witnesses; and shall such as you be found disobedient to him? shall you carelesly forget to remember him in a supper appointed by himself for the remembrance of the greatest act of his love, that is, his dying for you? I tell you Christ will take it worse of you than of any others: how hainously did David take a contempt from his friend,