of Destruction. For as to a believing Soul it feals his Salvation, fo to an unbelieving Partaker it only feals his eternal Damnation. This great Ordinance is never empty nor infignificant: It hath its Signifying, it hath its Sealing Office to the unbelieving Receiver, as well as to the Believing. So that I may fay, to all those who join themfelves in this Communion, what Chrift said to the Jews, What come you hither for to fee, or what come you hither to receive? A little Bread and Wine? Nay, I fay unto you, more than Bread and Wine, for this is He of whom it is prophefied, That if ye eat his Flesh, and drink bis Blood, ye shall have eternal Life. If ye be Believers, here ye may fee, as in a Type, the whole Load of that Wrath, which Chrift underwent for your Sins. any of you be Unbelievers, here you may fee, as in a Type, the whole Load of that Wrath, which you in your own Perfons, muft eternally undergo for your own Sins. If you are Believers, here you may receive a firm Pledge and Security for your Salvation. If Unbelievers,

If

here

you will receive your Damnation too furely confirmed to your Souls under the Hand and Seal of God himself. 'Twill be in vain to think to plead with God at the Laft Day, like those who pleaded in

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vain:

vain: Luke 13. 26. Lord, Lord, open unto us, for we have eaten and drank in thy Prefence. True; but did not God even then feal unto you, that unless you would believe, and bring forth the Fruits of a true Faith in an Holy Life, you should as certainly perish, as you did then eat and drink? You had his Seal indeed 5 but it was only fet to ratify your Condemnation, as long as you should continue in your Impenitence and Infidelity. Had you performed the Condition of the Covenant, this Seal had been fet to the Promife, and confirmed your Pardon and Juftification; but for want of it, you will at laft with Horror fee it affixed to the Writ and Warrant for your Execution. Now how fad and deplorable a Thing is this, that when this Holy Ordinance is fo full of Confolation and ravishing Der lights to the worthy Partakers, fealing unto them the Remiffion of their Sins, and their Acceptation to eternal Life, it fhould, for want of a true and faving Faith, feal up any Soul under Wrath and Condemnation. This twofold Sealing Office, the Sacrament hath towards all that partake of it; it will feal to them the Certainty of Eternal Life and Salvation, if they believe; or eternal Wrath and Condemnation, if they remain impeni

tent

tent and unbelieving. Without Faith, the Sacrament can feal nothing to you that is beneficial and profitable. When God holds forth to you in this Ordinance Chrift Jefus, and through him Pardon, Peace and Reconciliation, Juftification, Adoption, yea, even Heaven it felf, and its everlafting Glories; the believing Partaker may boldly and fweetly fay, that all these are his; for Faith indeed is the Conveyance of thefe Things to the Soul; and therefore wherefoever it is acted, it must needs make the Sacrament Seal effectually. It is Faith that justifies ; and therefore this Sacrament that feals unto you your Juftification, if you believe, feals effectually. It is Faith that makes you accepted in the Beloved; for without Faith it is impoffible to please God: And therefore this Sacrament which feals your Acception upon your Believing, feals effectually. It is Faith that faves you; and therefore this Sacrament that feals unto you your Salvation, if you believe, feals effectually: For it feals to you, that That shall be done, if you believe, which your Believing will certainly do.

But yet all this it doth, by leading the Soul to the Confideration of, and Recumbence upon the Sufferings of Jefus Christ,

by

.

by which these Benefits are procured. For it would be utterly in vain for Faith to apprehend, or for the Sacraments to feal to us, that which was never purchafed for us. And therefore the Apostle calls it, the Cup of the New Testament in Chrift's Blood, in the fore cited Place, i. e. it is the Seal of the New Testament or Covenant in the Blood of Chrift. This Seal must be dip'd in Blood before it can ratify or confirm any Privilege and Benefit unto us. They are all purchased with Blood; and they all come flowing down to us in a Stream of Blood.

Well then, whenfoever you come to this great Seal Office of the Gospel, be fure that you fet Faith on Work; else your frequent Communication in this Ordinance, to fay nothing worse, will be but the fastening, and annexing of many Seals to a large Grant and Charter,which you have no Title unto. What a fad and wretched Mistake will it be, if after you have had the Covenant so often fealed and confirmed, all those Seals should prove of no more Use nor Value, than if they were fet to a Blank: For the Promise is no better than a Blank, if the Condition on your Part be not performed. Will it not be fad and dreadful, when Men at the Last Day, when

they

they were arraigned by the Juftice of God, fhall ftand forth and plead, Lord, here is the Covenant wherein thou haft promis'd me Life and Salvation; here are fo many Seals hanging at it, whereby thou haft confirmed that promife to me; and then it fhall be faid, True, here is the Covenant, and here are the Seals, but where is the Performance of the Condition? What a grofs Miftake, what Shame and Confufion of Face will this be, to look no better after the Condition of that Bond, and the Nature of those Seals that were to convey to us no less than an eternal Inheritance!

Well then, when you have the Elements, the Bread and the Wine, delivered into your Hands, do but seriously think with your felves, now God is delivering a broken a bleeding Saviour unto me. If I will by Faith receive him, he teftifies and feals by his Bread and Wine, that I fhall certainly receive Remillion of my Sins and everlafting Life through him. Let us therefore fay, Lord Jefus, I now accept of thee upon thine own Terms, or the very Conditions on which thou art pleased to tender thy felf unto me: I take a Broken Chrift for my intire Saviour, a Chrift crown'd with Thorns for my alone King: He shall be my Prophet whom the Blafphemous Jews buffetted and derided with a Prophecy, Who 5 fmote

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