First, the Lord engageth himself to you, I will be your Master, I will be your General, I will be your Husband, And again, you engage your selves to him, that he shall be your Lord, and you his people, that he shall be your Master, your General, and you will be his servants and his followers. This is done every time you receive the Sacrament; the Lord renews his Covenant with you, it is done at your first coming in, at your first ingrafting into the Church by Baptism: but the Lords Covenant is renewed in this Sacrament: therefore that you may not forget it, he saith, Take this is my body; that is, take this as a sign of it, that I have given my self for you: and when you take it, it is a sign that you give your selves up unto the Lord. So that think with your selves therefore, when you come to the Sacrament, you profess your selves to be Christians, godly men, that is, men that will serve God, and serve Christ altogether. This Sacrament I say, it is but a renewing of the Covenant, for that is the end of it, it is but the celebrating of the nuptials anew. As sometimes you know men will keep their marriage-day a Festival yearly. So we do in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; as Jonathan and David, they had made an oath together before, but they renewed it again and again, that they might be strengthened and confirmed in one another's love. So this is your worthy receiving of this Sacrament, to strengthen your former Covenant with God. Therefore it is good when you are to receive, to think how much since the last time, your hearts are estranged from God; how much you have forgotten God. He is your Lord, ⟨p. 248⟩your Master, you must be his servants: therefore renew it now, and bring your hearts back again. This is indeed the very renewing of the Covenant, and a drawing near to God; and it giveth strength unto you, and makes the union more firm; that is, the more that we are persuaded that he is our Husband, and that we have married our selves to him, the greater is the strength of affection. And you shall find it by experience, every grace is strengthened and enlarged by this, and every sin is abated, and mortified, and subdued; This is done in the eating of his flesh, and the drinking of his blood. So that every Sacrament day a man renews his assurance, he reneweth his union with God in Christ:
First, the Lord engageth himself to you, I will be your Master, I will be your General, I will be your Husband, And again, you engage your selves to him, that he shall be your Lord, and you his people, that he shall be your Master, your General, and you will be his servants and his followers. This is done every time you receive the Sacrament; the Lord renews his Covenant with you, it is done at your first coming in, at your first ingrafting into the Church by Baptism: but the Lords Covenant is renewed in this Sacrament: therefore that you may not forget it, he saith, Take this is my body; that is, take this as a sign of it, that I have given my self for you: and when you take it, it is a sign that you give your selves up unto the Lord. So that think with your selves therefore, when you come to the Sacrament, you profess your selves to be Christians, godly men, that is, men that will serve God, and serve Christ altogether. This Sacrament I say, it is but a renewing of the Covenant, for that is the end of it, it is but the celebrating of the nuptials anew. As sometimes you know men will keep their marriage-day a Festival yearly. So we do in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; as Ionathan and David, they had made an oath together before, but they renewed it again and again, that they might be strengthened and confirmed in one anothers love. So this is your worthy receiving of this Sacrament, to strengthen your former Covenant with God. Therefore it is good when you are to receive, to think how much since the last time, your hearts are estranged from God; how much you have forgotten God. He is your Lord, ⟨p. 248⟩your Master, you must be his servants: therefore renew it now, and bring your hearts back again. This is indeed the very renewing of the Covenant, and a drawing near to God; and it giveth strength unto you, and makes the union more firm; that is, the more that we are perswaded that he is our Husband, and that we have married our selves to him, the greater is the strength of affection. And you shall find it by experience, every grace is strengthened and enlarged by this, and every sin is abated, and mortified, and subdued; This is done in the eating of his flesh, and the drinking of his blood. So that every Sacrament day a man renews his assurance, he reneweth his union with God in Christ:
