And then as faith is the eye to make what is here real, so faith is the hand to take it; when you come to a feast, you must have something to take the meat to you; so saith Christ, he brake bread and gave it to his Disciples; saying, take eat this, take it; how shall we take it? by reaching out of the hand; if you sanctify Gods Name in this Ordinance, as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine, so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by faith, putting forth an act of faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul, to apply the Lord Jesus Christ to thy soul with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased; when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance, you should look upon God the Father giving out his Son, as if this were you condition, I am now in the presence of the eternal Father, who now doth actually give out ⟨p. 254⟩his Son to my soul, and saith, soul, here receive a new this day my Son with all that he hath purchased for thy good; now then the soul acts upon this, and by stirring up an act of faith, come, and closes with this gift of the Father, and casts its self upon Jesus Christ, and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives, Oh Lord, here I come and embrace thy Son as my life, as my Saviour, as the fountain of all my good, in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity; so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of Christ, if thou beest a believer; canst thou remember what thou didst, when first thou didst take Jesus Christ? when the Lord in the preaching of his Word did reveal Jesus Christ to thy soul, what didst thou then Oh soul? how did thy soul work in closing with Christ; as thy soul did then in closing with Christ, so it must now renew the work; there must be a renewal of the work at that time. So that when you come to the Sacrament, you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts, fears, and scruples; no, but it is a time that God calls for the exercise of faith, the casting of the soul upon Christ, and his merits for life and for salvation, or else the Name of God is not sanctified as it ought; thou doest not sanctify Gods Name, when thou art busying thy soul in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament.
And then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall, so faith is the hand to take it; when you come to a feast, you must have something to take the meat to you; so saith Christ, he brake bread and gave it to his Disciples; saying, take eat this, take it; how shall we take it? by reaching out of the hand; if you sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance, as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine, so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by faith, putting forth an act of faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul, to apply the Lord Jesus Christ to thy soule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased; when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance, you should look upon God the Father giving out his Son, as if this were you condition, I am now in the presence of the eternal Father, who now doth actually give out ⟨p. 254⟩his Sonne to my soule, and saith, soule, here receive a new this day my Sonne with all that he hath purchased for thy good; now then the soul acts upon this, and by stirring up an act of faith, come, and closes with this gift of the Father, and casts its self upon Jesus Christ, and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives, Oh Lord, here I come and imbrace thy Son as my life, as my Saviour, as the fountain of all my good, in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity; so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of Christ, if thou beest a beleever; canst thou remember what thou didst, when first thou didst take Jesus Christ? when the Lord in the preaching of his Word did reveal Jesus Christ to thy soul, what didst thou then Oh soul? how did thy soule work in closing with Christ; as thy soule did then in closing with Christ, so it must now renew the work; there must be a renewall of the worke at that time. So that when you come to the Sacrament, you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts, fears, and scruples; no, but it is a time that God cals for the exercise of faith, the casting of the soul upon Christ, and his merits for life and for salvation, or else the Name of God is not sanctified as it ought; thou doest not sanctifie Gods Name, when thou art busying thy soule in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament.
