' Ps. Ixiii. 3, 4. Also by the Holy Ghost is meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, ver. 45, 46, Acts xi. 15. Therefore, says the apostle, do not leave the substance for a shadow, the sun for a candle, and solid meat for milk ; which none would do, except they were bewitched.
' By the Holy Ghost in this text cannot be meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, and that, first, because they were no evidences of election ; secondly, because many vessels of wrath have been partakers of them ; thirdly, many of God's choice and chosen ones have been destitute of those extraordinary gifts.
EoM. VIIL 32-34).] heaven on earth. 361
rained down manna upon your souls whilst you have been hearing the word ? Yes. Hath not God come in with power upon you, and by his Spirit sealed up to you yourelection, the remission of your sins, the justi- fication of your persons, and the salvation of your souls ? Yes, without controversy, many saints have found Christ's lips, in this ordinance, to drop honey and sweetness, marrow and fatne.ss.
And as Christ in hearing times, when his people are a-hearing the word of life, does lift up the light of his countenance upon them ; so when they are a-receiving the bread of life, he makes known his love to them, and their interest in him. In this feast of fat things, the master of the feast, the Lord Jesus, comes in the midst of his guests, saying, * Peace be here.'^ Here the beams of his glory do so shine, as that they cause the hearts of children to burn within them, and as scatters all that thick darkness and cloud that are gathered about them. When saints are in this wine-cellar, Christ's banner over them is love ; when they are in this Canaan, then he feeds them with milk and honey ; when they are in this paradise, then they shall taste of angels' food ; when they are at this gate of heaven, then they shall see Christ at the right of the Father ; when they are before his mercy-seat, then they shall see the bowels of mercy rolling towards them. In this ordinance they see that, and taste that, and feel that of Christ, that they are not able to declare and manifest to others ; in this ordinance saints shall see the truth of their graces, and feel the increase of their graces, and re- joice in the clearness of their evidences ; in this ordinance Christ will seal up the promises, and seal up the covenant, and seal up his love, and seal up their pardon sensibly to their souls. Many precious souls there be that have found Christ in this ordinance, when they could not find him in other ordinances, though they have sought him sorrowingly.' Many a cold soul hath been warmed in this ordinance, and many a hungry soul hath been fed with manna in this ordinance, and many a thirsty soul hath been refreshed with wine upon the lees in this ordi- nance, and many a dull soul hath been quickened in this ordinance.' I do not say that ever a dead soul hath been enlivened in this ordinan^, this being an ordinance appointed by Christ, not to beget spiritual life where there was none, but to increase it where the Spirit hath formerly begun it.* In this ordinance, weak hands and feeble knees have been strengthened, and fainting hearts have been comforted, and questioning souls have been resolved, and staggering souls have been settled, and falling souls have been supported. Ah, Christians ! if you will but stand up and speak out, you must say, that in this ordinance, there hath been between Christ and you such mutual kisses, such mutual embraces, such mutual opening and shutting of hands, such mutual opening and closing of hearts, as hath made such a heaven in your hearts as cannot be expressed, as cannot be declared. Christ in this ordinance opens such boxes of precious ointment, as fill the saints with a spiritual savour;
* Gen. xxii. 8. This ordinance is a cabinet of jewels ; in it are abundance of spiritual springs, and rich mines, heavenly treasures.
* Every gracious soul may say, not only Credo vitam oetemam et tdo vitam cetemam, I be- lieve life eternal, but I receive, I eat life eternal.
' The Supper of the Lord. Cf. supra. — G.
* Every wicked soul that takes the cup may say, Calix vitce ealix mortia, the cup of life is made my death, I Cor. xi. 27.
S62 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
he gives them a cluster of the grapes of Canaan, that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan.* The Christians in the pri- mitive times, upon their receiving the sacrament, were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervour, with that joy and comfort, with that faith, fortitude, and assurance, that made them to appear before the tyrants with transcendent l)oldness and cheerfulness, as many writers do testify. Now there are these reasons why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people, when they are a-hearing the word of life, and a-breaking the bread of life.
(1 .) The first reason. That they may highly prize the ordinances, the choice discoveries that God makes to their souls in tJtem, ivories them. to set a very high price upon them. Oh ! says our souls, we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them, Ps. Ixxxiv. 10, 11. Many there are that are like old Barzillai, that had lost his taste and hearing, and so cared not for David's feasts and music, 2 Sam. xix. 32, seq. So many there are that can see nothing of God, nor taste nothing of God in ordinances : they care not for ordinances, they slight ordi- nances.^ Oh ! but souls that have seen, and heard, and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in ordinances, they dearly love them, and highly prize them:' ' I have esteemed thy word,' says Job, ' above my necessary food,' Job xxiii. 12. And David sings it out : ' The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver' [Ps. cxix. 72]. Luther prized the word at such a high rate that he saith he would not live in paradise, if lie might, without the word : At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere, but with the word he could live in hell itself, Ps. xxvii. 4>.