4. Again, Christ may more sensibly manifest himself in one duty than another, for he is not tied to means, or to time and season ; and it is his presence that maketh an ordinance comfortable, and doth revive the exercise of grace. As upon tlie approach of the sun in the spring
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all is lively and fresb, so the heart is quickened by his drawing nigh unto us. Now sometimes he hideth himself in a more solemn duty, and manifests himself in a more common one, where we least expect him ; as the spouse that fell asleep at a feast, Cant. v. 1, 2, was roused and awakened in meditation.
5. One duty must not be set against another. They are all instituted by Gocl, and accompanied with his blessing, and are means of our communion with him, yet they all have their special use and tendency, and one is to be preferred in this respect, another in that, as the ends are for which they are appointed ; as in the word we come to Christ as our teacher, in prayer as our advocate, in baptism as our head and lord, into whose mystical body we are planted , in the Lord's supper as the master of the feast, or our royal entertainer.
6. Though the Lord's supper be a special means, yet it is the spirit of grace which doth stir up faith, hope, and love in us. There are three things which must not be forgotten —
[1.] The duty is a means accommodated and fitted to this end, or God would never have instituted it.
[2-1 The Spirit is the author both of grace and the exercise of grace ; he -first infuseth, and then quickeneth and stirreth up grace in us by this means : John vi. 63, ' It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.'
[3.] You must stir up your own hearts : Isa. Ixiv. 7, ' There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee;' 2 Tim. i. 6, ' That thou stir up the gift of God that is in thee.' Well, then, allow- ing all this, yet it is a truth that at the Lord's table graces should be exercised in a special lively manner ; which will appear if we con- sider—
(1.) The general use which sacraments have besides and beyond other duties.
(2.) What is the special use and intent of this. duty.
(3.) What graces are to be exercised.
First, What a sacrament hath beyond other duties. It is the most mysterious instrument of our sanctification and preservation in a state of grace, and therefore requireth a special exercise of grace.
1. In a sacrament there is a more sensible assurance. In other duties we see God's goodness or readiness to do us good, in this his solicitousness and anxious care for our good : Heb. vi. 17, 18, ' Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of salvation the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation.' He is cautious to make all sure. Nudum 'pactum, a naked promise, is not so great an argu- ment of God's love to us as a covenant signed and sealed.
2. A closer application. A general invitation is not so much as an express injunction. We have the universal proposal in the word, the particular application in the sacraments : Acts ii. 38, ' Kepent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'
3. A solemn investiture, or taking possession by certain instituted
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rites. As we are put in possession by certain formalities of law. as of a house by the delivery of a key, or of a field by the delivery of a turf, This is my house, this is my field ; so we take possession of Christ and all his benefits, ' This is my body.'
4. A visible representation of the mysteries of godliness ; and so it doth excite us to the more serious consideration of theni when they are transmitted to the soul not by the ears only, but by the eyes : Gal. iii. 1, ' Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you.'
5. An espress means of union and communion with Christ. We draw nigh to God in prayer, and God draweth nigh to us in the word ; but here is not only an approximation, but a communion : 1 Cor. x. 16, ' The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ? ' There is no union like that of food, which becometh a part of our substance ; we eat his flesh, we drink his blood, that which is mystically so.
6. It is God's feast, where we come to eat and drink at his table as those that are in friendship with him. Some duties are our work, others our ordinary meal, but this is our feast : Ps. xxii. 26, ' The meek shall eat and be satisfied ; they shall praise the Lord that seek him ; your hearts shall live for ever.' Therefore we should specially rejoice in God our Saviour when we are admitted into his banqueting-house.