First, We do in this draw nigh to God; We worship God; For when we are coming to receive these holy Signs and Seals, we come to present our selves before God; and we have to deal with God himself in a service that he himself requires of us, in a holy, in a divine service: we come to present our selves to God for blessing, for Communication of some higher good unto us, then possibly those Creatures that we have to deal with, are able of themselves to convey to us, come for a higher good then to taste a piece of bread, or to drink a draught of wine, we come I say to present our selves to God; that we ⟨p. 227⟩might have Communion with him, and that we might have the blessing of the Covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things; now certainly this is a drawing nigh to God; for to present our selves, for the Conveyance of the blessing of the Covenant of grace through these Creatures, yea, that we might have Communion with God himself in them, this is drawing nigh to him, when we come to his Table; therefore we draw nigh to God; had not God instituted and appointed these Creatures, Bread and Wine and the actions about them to be the means of Conveyance of blessing unto us, it had been Willworship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such Creatures, then there is in the nature of them. It is true, God is present with every Creature, when we eat and drink at our Tables God is present there; but we cannot be said to draw nigh to God, and worship God there; for we there look for no further presence of God with us in them, to convey further good then the Lord hath put into the nature of those things: only when godly people take them, and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word, they take them as the blessings of God that come out of love to them. But now when we come to receive that which is called the Communion, there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these Creatures to convey that that is by an institution of God set apart for supernatural uses and ends, not to convey in any natural way such and such things but in a supernatural way, through the institution of God, and so it comes to be worship. Had we not I say a command for this, it were superstition and Idolatry for us to make use of such Creatures for such ends.
First, Wee doe in this draw nigh to God; We worship God; For when we are comming to receive these holy Signes and Seals, we come to present our selves before God; and we have to deal with God himselfe in a service that hee himselfe requires of us, in a holy, in a divine service: wee come to present our selves to God for blessing, for Communication of some higher good unto us, then possibly those Creatures that we have to deale with, are able of themselves to convey to us, come for a higher good then to tast a peece of bread, or to drink a draught of wine, we come I say to present our selves to God; that wee ⟨p. 227⟩might have Communion with him, and that we might have the blessin of the Covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things; now certainly this is a drawing nigh to God; for to present our selves, for the Conveyance of the blessing of the Covenant of grace through these Creatures, yea, that we might have Communion with God himselfe in them, this is drawing nigh to him, when we come to his Table; therefore we draw nigh to God; had not God instituted and appointed these Creatures, Bread and Wine and the actions about them to be the meanes of Conveyance of blessing unto us, it had been Willworship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such Creatures, then there is in the nature of them. It is true, God is present with every Creature, when we eat and drinke at our Tables God is present there; but we cannot be said to draw nigh to God, and worship God there; for we there looke for no further presence of God with us in them, to convey further good then the Lord hath put into the nature of those things: onely when godly people take them, and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word, they take them as the blessings of God that come out of love to them. But now when we come to receive that which is cald the Communion, there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these Creatures to convey that that is by an institution of God set apart for supernatural uses and ends, not to convey in any naturall way such and such things but in a supernaturall way, through the institution of God, and so it comes to bee worship. Had we not I say a command for this, it were superstition and Idolatry for us to make use of such Creatures for such ends.
