The crucified Jesus, or, A full account of the nature, end, design and benefits of the sacrament of the Lords Supper with necessary directions, prayers, praises and meditations to be used by persons who come to the Holy Communion / by Anthony Horneck ...

The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice.

I. THIS Sacarament being a Feast, prepared by the Greatest Prince for his Servants, those Servants must needs be inexcusable, that refuse to give their at∣tendance here. I do not deny, but their may be just excuses and lawful causes of our absence, such as Sickness, Weakness, Faintness and Distempers, Pains, Aches and some sudden Accidents and Disasters, which will not suffer us to fix our thoughts on so reverend an ordinance; but these hapning against our Wills, and importing no wilful neglect, God bears with us, under such circumstan∣ces; but to act, as if we did not hear our Master call, and to suffer the World to put a stop to our coming;

to be so enamoured with our Profits and sensual Satis∣factions, as not to think our selves concerned in the Du∣ty to refuse approaching, because we are loath to be at the pains of searching our Hears and trying our ways; to neglect coming, because we are loath to sequester our Thoughts from sublunary Objects and to part with our Sins; to absent our selves, because we relish the enjoy∣ments of this life, before this Celestial Food; this is to slight what God esteems, and to spurn at the great∣est Mercy; this is to thrust away Salvation, as if it were worth nothing, and to ••ndervalue the pains God takes to bring us to himself; and what God must think of such Scorners, I need not tell you, for your selves may guess, except you believe God to be a Stone or Stock, how he must resent it; and one would think, it should cause some sad thoughts within you, if you believe what he saith, 1 Sam. 2. 30 They that love me, I will Honour, but they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.

II. When the Church invites us to this Feast, we must suppose that our Lord himself makes an Address to us, as it is in Matth. 22. 4. Behold I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come ye to the Marriage. This Holy Ordinance is the Marriage Feast, which declares our being joyned to the Son of God, the King immortal, invisible, blessed for e∣vermore, Hearken therefore, O daughter, and consider, for∣get also thine own People, and thy fathers house, so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. This Feast requires suitable Garments, not Tyrian Purple, not Persian Silks, not that outward adorning with broider'd hair, or gold, or pearl, or costly array, but the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. A Garment of Sackcloath is a more glorious sight in the eyes of him, who is the Master of This Feast, then all the bravery of the tinckling Orna∣ments of the Daughters of Sion, and a Contrite Heart invites his gracious aspect; and this the Primitive belie∣vers were so sensible of, that before their coming to this Feast, they humbled their Souls with Fasting, and as

course and uncomely as this Garb appears to sensual Men, yet He that is the lofty and Holy one, who inhabits E∣ternity, hath declared his liking and approbation of it, For to that man will I look, that is of an humble a and contrite Spirit, and trembles at my word, Es. 66. 2. Es. 57. 15. We read of a Garment of Praise too Es. 61. 3. a Garment, which the Angels of Light are adorned and deckt with∣al, a Garb so pleasing, that the Eternal Father smiles on them, and it smells sweeter than that of Esau; God like old Isaac, takes notice of it, and blesses them. St. Paul understood this, and wore it constantly. Hence it is, that we find him so liberal in praising the Cross of Christ; with this he seems always transported, and he seldom talks of Christ without Raptures, an object upon which he though he could never say enough. Being rapt up into the Third Heaven, he had heard the melodious voices of the four and twenty Elders, and the new Song, they sung to the Lamb that was slain; Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the Seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, Rev. 5. 9. and he could not have a better Pattern. And now that we speak of Garments, that make us welcome Guests at this Table, we must not forget the Garment or Orna∣ment of good Works, which St. Paul takes notice of, 1 Tim. 2. 10. These are the Shining Robes our Souls must be ambitious of; these adorn our Profession, charm spe∣ctators, attract followers, and are apt to make People in love with goodness: and what is more, change us in∣to the same Image with the Author and Finisher of our Faith, whose province and imployment was, going about and doing good, as we are told Act 10. 38. and conse∣quently this cannot but be a proper Ornament, to ap∣pear in, at this Banquet: And of this nature is the white Garment, we read of Eccles. 9. 8. or the Garment of In∣nocence and Purity, whereby we hate the Garment spot∣ted by the flesh, and keep Consciences void of offence to∣ward God and toward Man. In these Garbs we may boldly shew our selves at the Table of our Lord, and

expect the same welcome, that the Spouse received in the Canticles, Cant. 4. 10, 11. How fair is thy love, my Sister, my Spouse•• how much better is thy love, than Wine, and the smell of all thine Ointments, than all Spices! Thy Lips; O my Spouse, drop as the Honey-comb, Honey and Milk are under thy Tongue, and the smell of thy Garments, is like the smell of Lebanon.