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Beloved, there have been various preparations and examinations for this action; therefore lose not all these for not taking heed to yourselves now. Therefore return your spirits from all external things, and only meditate on the death of Christ. I know there are different degrees of knowledge; yet let these who have the meanest measure of knowledge come here with honest hearts, and they shall not go empty away at this time. And because, as it is in Joshua 6:10 when the people went about the walls of Jericho, they were commanded to be silent, for this end, first, that whatever obloquies the enemies spake of them, they should not take heed to them; for before the seventh day were at an end, they should repent all their speeches, and therefore he would not have their minds withdrawn by answering them.1 Secondly, he would have them to be silent, because by conference they might be interrupted from going on, or their order broken. And specially he would have them to be silent, because their faith was to be exercised now; and faith works best when the tongue is silent. Even so I shall permit you to silence, that your faith may work the better. I shall only speak some few things to you, to meditate upon, as the Lord shall think fittest to dispose.
Beloved, we do not pray “that Almighty God would sanctify this bread and wine, by his word and Spirit, that it may be the body and blood of Christ;” but we say only that when it is sanctified by the word and prayer, then it is the sacrament representing the body and blood of Christ to them who believe: and to those who have faith we may say so. So after the bread and wine is sanctified we have warrant to say, “This is my body, broken for you.” “This is the cup of the new testament in my blood, shed for the remission of the sins of many;” but we have no warrant to pray that God by his almighty power would sanctify the elements to be the body and blood of Christ.2
Meditate upon the death of Christ now, and think seriously upon it. There is not a better thought for you than the last words of the sacrament. “So often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you shew forth the Lord’s death till his second coming again.” Even the death of the Lord of glory is called to remembrance by us now. This is a wonder of wonders; it is the mystery of all mysteries; the mystery of godliness, Christ manifested in the flesh. That indeed is a great mystery, that Christ should come into our flesh, and then, when he is come, that he should die for us. And when you think upon it, I would have you to do it with bitter hearts, for your sins; secondly, with believing hearts also, that though your sins were as scarlet, even twice listed, double dyed, yet his mercy in his death and suffering, you thinking aright upon it, can make them white as snow. You cannot think sufficiently of his mercy, but your fault is that you think over little of his justice. Who can think enough of that which is infinite and boundless? Presumption comes not through thinking over much of the mercy of God, but because men thinks him to be all mercy, and to have no justice. But if we will come with sorrowful hearts for sin, and with believing hearts to get mercy in Christ, then we shall not miss to get pardon.
Remember of the death of Christ with thankful hearts also, and remember it with a purpose to obey his will hereafter; for if you have not this purpose, you but deceive yourself, your humiliation is but hypocrisy, and your faith is but presumption.