Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness

3. They that come to this Ordinance should bring holy affections along with them, e. g. they ought to come with godly sorrow for sin. The Children of Israel were to eat the Passover, with better herbs, Exod. 12.8. so they that partake of the Gospel Passover, should have a deep sense of the bitterness of sin, seeding upon the bitter herbs of sorrow for sin, which hath caused the blood of Christ to be shed, his body to be broken, and his Soul to be poured out. Also, the grace, the sanctified affliction of Love, is necessary in order to a profitable partaking at the Lords Table. There must be love to Christ, love to his Ordinances, love to his Saints: especially, those that are of the same particular Church, and sit down together at the same Table of the Lord, had need look well to themselves in this respect. Hence, when Christ preached his Sacrament Sermon, he insisted much on the doctrine of Christian love, by many and mighty Arguments, pressing his Disciples to love one another. When the Jews kept the Passover, they might not save any Leaven in their Houses: a dreadful curse fell upon the man, that should knowingly suffer Leaven to be in his house at such a time. So when Christians celebrate the Lords Supper, if the Leaven of sinful prejudices one against another, be not duly purged out of their ⟨p. 138⟩hearts, they expose themselves unto the holy wrath of a jealous God, 1 Cor. 5. 8. Let us keep the Feast, not with old heaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. If Christians be not careful about this matter, the Lord will not own and accept of them, when they come before him. Mat. 5. 23, 24. Nay, their partaking at this Table, will be as no partaking at all. The Apostle therefore writing to the Church at Corinth, saith, that inasmuch as there were divisions amongst them when they came together, they did not eat the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 11. 18, 20. meaning that they did not eat the Lords Supper as they should do. The Schisms and Heartburnings, which were amongst them, caused the Ordinance to become unprofitable and ineffectual for the good of their Souls. Yea more mens partaking hereof, will do them hurt and not good, if the grace of love be wanting […] not prevailing in them. Therefore in verse 17. Paul tells the Corinthians, that […] coming together, viz.