1. In general, on receiving this earnest of the covenant of grace, in which Christ joins himself to us in a marriage covenant, we, by that very thing, promise, and openly declare, and avow, by an oath, that we shall fulfil every duty of a chaste, faithful, and loving spouse towards him. Every one of the communicants, by this public and solemn feast, which is appointed for confirming this mystical marriage, makes an open profession of that before God, angels, and the whole church. Whoever partakes of the bread broken, and wine poured out, says to Christ, if not in plain words, and an explicit meditation on the thing, yet in the implicit meaning of his act; " As I desire, Lord, to be a partaker of thy body broken, and blood shed for my salvation; so I declare, that I deserve to have my body, no less than this bread, broken or torn in pieces, to have my blood, no less than this wine, poured out, if, in the renewal of this covenant, I shall, with an evil and perfidious heart, break my word to thee." 2. Besides, as in the communion of the holy supper, the greatest, and an almost incredible instance of the love of the Lord Jesus towards us, is held forth not only before our eyes, but exhibited to our taste; in like manner it is proper, that the flames of our love towards him, be, in the participation of that feast, kindled up, and the love of him beyond all other love kept inviolate, and become the object of our admiring thoughts. In the same breath, that the spouse was setting forth the love of her beloved to be better than wine; and infinitely preferring the kisses of his mouth to all other things, the most desirable in other respects; she also adds, Cant. i. 2, 3. Therefore do the virgins love him. 3. As the holy supper is especially instituted in remembrance of our Lord, and in commemoration of his death, believers, in the use of it, are bound to have always fresh in their memory the Lord Christ, and the dreadful sufVOL. III. 3 I ferings he underwent, which are the most solid foundation of our hope, and the only matter of our consolation; and to esteem Christ crucified, as a bundle of myrrh, lying all night betwixt our breasts, Cant. i. 13. 4. and lastly, As a greater mark of familiarity, our Lord desires a mutual supper, I will sup with him, and he with me, Rev. iii. 20. It is therefore proper, that they who are entertained by our Lord with so magnificent a feast, should be careful to give him a becoming entertainment in return: invite him to come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits, Cant. iv. 16. and give him to drink of spiced wine, and of the juice of their pomegranate, Cant. viii. 2. That is, they should give him delight by the sincere practice of internal Christianity; than which neither spices, nor the honeycomb, nor milk, nor wine, can be sweeter to him. XLIII. To conclude, by the use of the supper we are also bound to the practice of brotherly concord, and the sincerest love towards our brethren and sisters, partakers with us of the same table that in the hearing, and with the applaud of angels, may be sung in the church of God, with one mouth and one heart, Behold! how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, Psal. cxxxiii. 1. Thus the apostolic church hath set us an example for imitation; And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Acts ii. 46. To this purpose was the holy kiss, by which they, on all occasions, kept up a mutual peace; of which frequent mention is made in scripture, and of which, especially in these rites of the supper, the innocent use was for some time continued among Christians. God grant we may in such a manner solemnize this mystical supper on earth, that we may eternally feast with Christ in heaven. AMEN. INDE X O F THE PRINCIPAL MATTERS. A. AARON a type of Christ, iii. 64. See Priesthood Abba, Father, ii. 204 Abel a type of Christ's humiliation, fii. 51 Abib, whence so called, iii. 147 Abraham, God's covenant with, ii. 424. Whether the Trinity appeared, 420. His faith, 428. His seed, 428. Why mentioned in the singular number, 429. His bosom, 353 Abrogation of the covenant of works, i. 206, &c. Unhappily explained by some, 208. See Ark, Covenant, New Testament, Sacrifices Adam, how considered, i 59, 64. Not at first the adopted Son of God, nor had a right to the inheritance, 87, 88. Without paradise when created, 140, 63. Not ignorant of the Trinity, 60. Nor fell on the day of his creation, 169. Was himself seduced, 184. Not obliged to what was simply impossible, 198. Was free, 198 Add drunkenness to thirst, what, iii. 315 Adoption, ii. 175. The privilege of both Testaments common to believers in all, but different as to degrees, 182, 3. Not to be denied to Old Testament believers, iii. 276 Adoption, Spirit of, ii. 195. Ages 196. iii. 274. His operations, ii. 197. More rare under the Old Testament, 199. More plentiful in the beginning of the New Testament, 201. Sanctifies as well as comforts, 213. See Abba, Testimony Affections corrupted, ii. 228. Sanc tified, 234 Agony of Christ in the garden, i. 303 Angel strengthening Christ, no reason why his sufferings in the garden were not satisfactory, i. 325 Angels ministry at the giving of the law, iii. 6. About the manna, 198, 9. Their special dominion in the Old Testament church rejected, 279, 80 Aphesis and paresis, iii. 267, 8 Apostasy neither total nor final, can befal believers, ii. 294, 5 Appearances, divine, give sufficient evidences of their divinity, ii. 419 Ark of the covenant described, iii. 67. Mystical signification, 69. Centre of the ceremonies, 338. Removal of it promised as a sign of the most happy period, 339. and imports the abrogation of all the ceremonies, 347. None in the second temple, and why John saw one in heaven, 75 Ark of Noah a type both of Christ and the church, iii. 54, 55 Articles of justification various, ii. 138 Assent of faith, ii. 80. Sometimes staggered, 84 Assurance of election attainable, ii. 26. Manner of it, 27. Importance of it to promote godliness, 28, 29. The interest of the elect to strive for it, 28 Assurance of faith, ii. 84. Of salvation, 324 Assured believer, meditation of, ii. 29 BALAAM B. ALAAM not Elihu, ii. 445. His Baptized into Moses, what, iii. 178, 9 Baptism, Christ submitted to it, i. cal use, 414 Beginning from the, what, ii. 18 Bodies of believers raised the same in Body, the fortress of sin, ii. 229. Bohemians, their custom in baptizing Bondage, Spirit of, what, and why Bone of the passover not to be broken, Book of life, to be blotted out of it, Book of scripture and of conscience, Bread, common, to be used in the rites, 439. How a resemblance of Not to be kept in Call external and internal, ii. 33. See Consis- Calling effectual, ii. 30. Internal ef- Canaan a type of the heavenly inheri- Ceremonies a privilege to Israel, iii. 304. A hand-writing, 305 Children of God, marks of, ii. 207. Christ, why man, i. 266. Holy, 270. Church built on a rock, ii. 309 Cloud in the wilderness, iii. 188 Death of Christ satisfactory, i. 301. Coats of skins, iii. 105 Concurrence divine, i. 194, 5 Decalogue, iii. 2. Given by God, es- Conflict between the flesh and the spi-pecially the Son of God, 3. Time, man- rit, ii. 280 Conscience good, what, iii. 397. Conservation of believers, ii. 294. Covenant of grace described, i. 226. ner, and place of its publication, 8, 9. Declaration of God relates either to Dove of Noah, the mystical significa- EAT E. AT the dust, what, ii. 375 Election both of Christ, and of those Enjoyment, gracious, of God, ii. 337 Epirus, whence its name, ii. 248 Ethiopia not subject to the queen of Ethiopians, their circumcision, iii. 125. |