Quest. 2. What if Christ were personally present, and were to administer the Sacrament to you with his own hands, what preparation would you make then? If Christ your Lord and Master were now upon the Earth, and were to ⟨p. 63⟩sit with you at the Table, what care would you have used to have got your heart into an holy frame? If Christ had been with you in your Closet, when you were upon your knees, would you not have prayed more earnestly, and wept more abundantly than you did? If Christ had been with you the night before, & seen you look more into your Shop-Book, than into the Book of God, and the Book of your Heart, and seen you turn over the leaves of your Books of Account, and not the Volume of your life; and been with you when you were more busy in cleansing of your House, than of your Heart? would you not have blushed to look him in the face at his Table? Why, Christ as God, was really with you, when you were preparing of your heart, and took special notice of your diligence, or remissness in that work. He is with you in the morning before you go, he observes what time you rise, what time you spend, what pains you take in order to this duty: And though they be poor, mortal, sinful men, that do administer this Ordinance to you in Christs Name and stead, yet he requires you should be as serious as if he himself were visibly present; for as he is God, he is really present: And will you not reverence and dread Christ as God, as much as you would Christ as Man? The Master of the Feast doth surely come and view his Guests, and if there were one Hypocrite among a thousand Receivers, he would know him by name, and fix his eye upon him, and ⟨p. 64⟩say, Friend, What make you here amongst my people, when you have not that love to me as they have, nor take that pains to prepare your self as they have done? Mark 22.11, 12, 13. He did say, this is the Judas that will betray me; and he will say, This is the man that profanes my Table; this is the woman that abuses my Blood: Think of this when you are to come unto this duty, and this dignity, to be a Guest at this Table of the Lord.
Quest. 2. What if Christ were personally present, and were to administer the Sacrament to you with his own hands, what preparation would you make then? If Christ your Lord and Master were now upon the Earth, and were to ⟨p. 63⟩sit with you at the Table, what care would you have used to have got your heart into an holy frame? If Christ had been with you in your Closet, when you were upon your knees, would you not have prayed more earnestly, and wept more abundantly than you did? If Christ had been with you the night before, & seen you look more into your Shop-Book, than into the Book of God, and the Book of your Heart, and seen you turn over the leaves of your Books of Account, and not the Volume of your life; and been with you when you were more busie in cleansing of your House, than of your Heart? would you not have blushed to look him in the face at his Table? Why, Christ as God, was really with you, when you were preparing of your heart, and took special notice of your diligence, or remisness in that work. He is with you in the morning before you go, he observes what time you rise, what time you spend, what pains you take in order to this duty: And though they be poor, mortal, sinful men, that do administer this Ordinance to you in Christs Name and stead, yet he requires you should be as serious as if he himself were visibly present; for as he is God, he is really present: And will you not reverence and dread Christ as God, as much as you would Christ as Man? The Master of the Feast doth surely come and view his Guests, and if there were one Hypocrite among a thousand Receivers, he would know him by name, and fix his eye upon him, and ⟨p. 64⟩say, Friend, What make you here amongst my people, when you have not that love to me as they have, nor take that pains to prepare your self as they have done? Mark 22.11, 12, 13. He did say, this is the Judas that will betray me; and he will say, This is the man that profanes my Table; this is the woman that abuses my Blood: Think of this when you are to come unto this duty, and this dignity, to be a Guest at this Table of the Lord.
