Let us apply this to the Lord's supper. Look to the right ends of all duties. Thus we should do in the supper ; partly because we are apt to rest in the work wrought, and partly because the work wrought is nothing without a due aim. Signs are either natural, as smoke of fire, or by institution. The sacraments are signs by institution. Now in every instituted sign, unless we look to the author and the end, we do nothing ; for every instituted means, as it hath authority from the author, so it hath a tendency and respect to the end, without which it loseth its nature, and is but a common action. If bread and wine were natural signs of Christ, I could not use bread and wine but I must think of Christ. Now I use these as instituted signs ; therefore, unless I look to the end, the action is a nullity. I look to the author as able to perform what is signified by it, and as obliged to give it ; and the end, to help our infirmities, and as a seal and pledge to assure us, and to revive affections towards Christ and all his benefits. Partly because in the Lord's supper God hath joined so many good ends, that when one ceaseth to move us and afi'ect us, the other may take place which is more suitable to our condition. Now I shall show you what are the ends of the Lord's supper, I have often spoken of them severally ; I shall now speak of them conjunctly.
The ends of supper are — 1. To be a badge of profession, and to put a visible difterence between us and infidels and idolaters, or the worshij^pers of false gods. The church is said to be ' terrible as an army with banners,' Cant. vi. 4, for order, comeliness, and strength. The banners of Christ, under which the army of the church marcheth, are the sacraments. The Jews were distinguished from all other nations by circumcision and the passover, so a christian is by baptism and the Lord's supper. As for this last, see 1 Cor. x. 21, ' Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and the table of devils.' So that every time we come to the Lord's table, we profess ourselves to be a peculiar people unto him, or a part of that distinct society who are to hold out his honour to the world, and so difterence ourselves from Turks, Jews, and infidels, and in effect to withdraw from all false religions in the world. As Christ will not be confounded with idols and devils, so neither will he have his people confounded with idolaters and the children of the devil ; they are visibly distinguished by these rites, as a people set apart to worship and serve the true God, and promote his honour and glory in the world ; as Balaam prophesied of the church, Num. xxiii. 9, 'They shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.' They shall have their religion and laws apart from other nations ; be a distinct community to the world, as Goshen to Egypt ; as those in the ark to those that perished in the waters ; as Gideon's fleece to all the rest of the ground ; as the house of Eahab to the rest of Jericho ; they are in a society who own God, and God will own them. Well^ then, this end of the sacrament
A SERMON ON THE ENDS OF THE SACRAMENT. 491
must not be neglected, for hereby we profess to own the true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, and to abhor idols, and all false religions in the world. But you will say, Do not the rabble of nominal christians the same ? AVhat great matter is it ? I answer —
[1.] This is not all which Christ intended by this mysterious ordinance, but yet this must not be neglected. Visible godliness is not enough, but visible godliness must not be omitted. Eom. x. 8, 9, ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, and believe with thy heart, the Lord Jesus, thou shalt be saved ; for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salva- tion.' The one is necessary to our own safety, the other to the glory of God. Therefore Christianity is sometimes described by the inward part, which is faith in Christ ; sometimes by the outward part, which is confession. Therefore Christ is called, ' The high priest of our profession,' Heb. iii. 1. It is a thing not to be smothered in the heart, but outwardly owned and acknowledged. Now confession is more made by sacraments than any other thing. This is proper to the society of christians. We may preach to heathens, but this is our military oath to bind us to stand to our profession.
[2.] Profession rightly understood is a great matter, for two reasons —
(1.) Cases may happen when our profession is like to cost us dear, as in the primitive times, when owning of Christ exposed them to great danger ; the bleak winds that blow in our backs blew in their faces, and it was as dangerous then to be a christian as now to be no christian, or a professed Turk and infidel; yea, more, because Christianity maketh us more mild to enemies and opposers than a false religion ; which usually maketh men bloody, and inspireth them with destructive furies against the welfare of others ; and men need to be obliged to profession then, because of the trouble to the flesh which accompanied it. The ancient libertines, when their profession was costly, thought it enough to be christians in heart, though they outwardly complied with idolaters and false worshippers. The apostle urgeth promises of communion with God : ' I will dwell with them, and walk with them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people,' 2 Cor. vi. 16, and concludeth, 2 Cor. vii. 1, ' Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of both flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God ; ' and Phil. ii. 10, ' Every knee shall bow to Christ, and every mouth con- fess him.' To prostitute my body and keep my mind, it is as if a wife that yieldeth her body to another man should say, I keep my heart loyal to my husband. Now, when we have to do with pseudo- christians, od aras Jovis aut Veneris adorare et suh anticJiristo fidem occultare idem est. — Zwinglius : Eev. xiv. 13, ' Blessed are the dead which die in (or for) the Lord from henceforth,' ctTrdpn. We must separate from them, only we must distinguish of corruptions ; if not such as are an apparent revolt from the institutions of Christ, if im- perfect, inexpedient, as far as we are convinced of the evil, we must separate from the evil.