making a distinction between this bread and common bread; betwixt the Lord's body, and the body of a mere man; not prizing and esteeming the body of a crucified Jesus as the meritorious ground of our justification.

Verse 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep.

Some were punished with sickness and weakness, and some with death, for their irreverence in app.oaching to the Lord's table.

Observe 1. That careless and irreverent partaking brings on temporal judgments, as well as spiritual and eternal.

1

Observe 2. That God may punish his own people with temporal judgments, for several of those so punished were in a state of favour with God, as appears from the word sleep, the death of the wicked being hardly called sleep in any place of Scripture; and from verse 32, they were chastened of the Lord, that they might not be condemned with the world. Now, divine chastening is a sign of divine love.

Observe 3. That the holiness of an ordinance, or the habitual holiness of a person, will not exempt him from God's displeasure and the infliction of temporal judgments here in this life, if he do not by actual preparation sanctify the name of God in the duty and ordinances of his worship.

Observe 4. That God punishes his people now to prevent their eternal woe.

Verse 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

If we would examine, try, censure, and sentence ourselves, and so come to the Lord's table, we would escape the castigatory punishment, and condemnatory sentence of God. Observe 1. That as it is our duty often to examine and judge ourselves, so self-judging will preserve us from the condemnation and judgment of God. 2. I hat those who through weakness of understanding are not capable to examine themselves, are by no means fit to partake of this ordinance.

Verse 32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

The nature of these judgments, or afflictive evils, which befal the children of God in this life; they are chastenings, we are chastened of the Lord. To be chastened has a double aspect, first upon our privilege, it denotes our relation, as children to God our Father. Chastenings are a part of his children's portion; yet in that we are chastened, it taxes us with weakness; we are foolish and unruly, and therefore, so long as we are here, must always go with a rod at our back. Christ, who was also a son, was chastened, The chastisement of our peace was upon him; but his were judicatory chastisements, not as a child, but as an enemy, a male factor, in our stead. Observe, The merciful design of God in chastening his children, is to prevent their condemnation. When therefore at any time we are under chastisement, let us justify God, and condemn ourselves, seeing his chastisements are designed to prevent our condemnation.

Verses-33, 34, 35. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

The apostle closes all with a cantion, to beware of the irregularities they had been guilty of, and to rectify them, that they come not together unto condemnation. Observe 1. That our holy duties through our own abuse may prove matter of condemnation. Christians may keep sabbaths, hear sermons, perform prayers, attend sacra. ments, and only aggravate their guilt, and bring on a heavier doom on themselves. Observe 2. We have great need to see that we come to God in due order.

Lastly, he tells them, that as to the other points of church order, he would determine them, when he came among them: The rest will I set in order when I come. Such unchristian disorders may arise in the church, as will require the presence and coming of an apostle to correct and reform them.

PREPARATION SERMON,

BEFORE THE SACRAMENT.

JOSHUA . 5. Sanelify yourselves, for to-morrow the Lord will do wondert among you.

IN this chapter we have the history of Israel's passing

through Jordan to Canaan; and a very memorable history it is, for long after they are bid to remember what God did for them between Shittim and Gilgal, Micah vi. 5. That they may know the righteousness of the Lord. Shittim was the place where they decamped, and Gilgal where they next pitched. See Joshua iii. 1. compared with Joshua iv. 19. He orders them to march up to the river side, where they came and lodged, though they were unprovided of means to pass it in the ordinary way. Though they had neither boats nor bridges, yet they go forward in faith, trusting God's power and promise. It was told them, Joshua i. 11. that ey should pass it. We must go on in the way of our duty, though we foresee difficulties, trusting God to help us through them when we come to them. The people are directed to follow the Ark, v. 3. when borne by the Friests and Levites, to teach us closely to attend ordinances, if we would have the marks of God's favour and special presence.

In the text we have two things, 1. A Command. 2. Reasons given for it.

As to the first, Sanctify yourselves. The word sanctify has divers acceptations in scripture. Sometimes it is applied to God; we are commanded to sanctify the Lord, that is, to think and speak reverently of him, or humbly to worship him. At other times we are commanded to sanctify ourselves, and then it imports several things: 1. Our separating or setting ourselves apart to some holy

use. 2. Our cleansing ourselves from all ceremoniał pollution. 3. Our preparing ourselves for some solemn or sacred action, by the use of some sacred rites or ceremonies, such as legal washing, &c. 4. Our putting ourselves in a suitable frame for attending on God's worship. 5. Our purifying ourselves inwardly from sin, and adorning ourselves with holiness. I might cite scripture for all the significations of the word, as Exod. xix. 22. Josh. vii. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 12. 2 Chron. v. 11. xxix. 5. xxx. 3. &c. I shall take it here as comprehending something of all these senses, especially the people preparing themselves to attend the ark, and the discovering of God's power, glory, and goodness, with a suitable sorrow and awful frame of spirit, befitting such a great oc

casion.

2. We have the reasons for it, For to-morrow the Lord will do wonders amongst you. See how magnificently he speaks of God's works, he calls them wonders; and indeed these were so, the dividing of the waters of Jordan, and making them to stand up as a heap, and then to run back, turning fluids into solids, and causing the Israelites to walk through the rapid river upon solid dry ground. All these were great wonders of God's power and goodness towards Israel. Now, says Joshua, since God is about to give you such uncommon instances of his power and favour, Sanctify yourselves, compose your minds by meditation, prayer, and abstractedness from the world, that ye may be in case for a careful and religious observation of his wonderful works, and to receive the discovery of his glory, and the communications of his goodness, that so ye may give God all the glory, and take to yourselves the comfort of his wondrous works and gracious appearances.

Doctrine. When God is about to make wonderful discoveries of his glory and goodness to his people, then. they should make solemn preparation for observing and receiving of the same. For confirmation whereof, see Exod. xix. 10, 11. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day; for the third day the Lord will come Jown in the sight of all the people, upon mount Sinai. Or, 2dly, When God sets tryst with a people, they should

prepare themselves to attend him. 1 Sam. xvi. 4. 5. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem; and the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? and he said, Peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.

Method. I. When it is that the Lord makes such wonderful discoveries of himself to his people.

II. Wherein the preparation for waiting on the won der-working God doth lie.

III. The properties of this preparation.
IV. The necessity of it.

V. And lastly, I shall make application.

I. As to the first head, When it is that the Lord makes glorious and wonderful discoveries of himself to a people. 1. When, notwithstanding of grievous sins and provocations, he averts threatening and impending judgments, and comes to them in a way of mercy; as when he threatens famine and scarcity, he sends fruitful seasons and plenty of bread; when he threatens the noisome pestilence, he removes it and sends health; when he threatens a bloody sword, he sheaths it up, and sends peace and safety.

2. When he is pleased to quell the church's enemies and persecutors, to deliver his people from their oppres sions, and give them the freedom of their assemblies, and ef observing God's institutions in purity.

3. When he pours out a spirit of reformation on all ranks and degrees, so that people generally turn to the Lord, prize ordinances, prayer, family worship, and appear against vice.

4. When God pours out his Spirit on the assemblies of his people, so that the preaching of the gospel is attended with life, power and success, to the melting of hearts, and converting of souls.

5. When he discovers a Redeemer to a lost sinking soul; when a poor self-condemned sinner, that was at his wit's end, gets a sight of the possibility of salvation through the satisfaction of Christ.

6. When he sets forth Christ crucified before our eyes in the sacrament; when he displays therein the wisdom, justice, love, and goodness of God to sinners in a most lively manner.