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Would you be thinking upon that you are to be about, before you come to the table, you would find greater comfort into your own souls; and we might despatch the more quickly also. And therefore, strive to prepare your own hearts, and be thinking upon this which you are about, before you come to the table. It is not an easy matter to have commandment over our own hearts; there is no man who is able, albeit he were as perfect as Job, (and he by the testimony of the Spirit of God is called upright), who is able to command his outward senses as he pleases, and much less is he able to command his thoughts within; for it would be a shame before all the world to see what ill is within the best. And therefore, if we make not a covenant with all, both within and without, we cannot keep them. And therefore, I would have you to make a covenant with your hearts and minds, that so you may, with present hearts and united forces, at this time worship, honor, and serve God, and so get comfort to your own souls. Alas! Beloved, if we could but now remember this, “To his second coming again,” it would stir us up to take heed how we eat and drink at his table. There are two things fast rooted in many of our hearts—first, that we shall never be presented before the Judge; we do apprehend that: second, that Jesus Christ shall not come again; and yet, for all that he shall come, and we shall be presented before him. Oh, if we could think upon this! Oh, but it was divinely spoken, especially at this time, “Till I come again!” As if he said, “I tell you now, I will be absent from you for a while, but I will come again; and I leave you this in a token; therefore do it till then in remembrance of me.”
Beloved, there was more matter of meditation for Israel, and for us also, in that cloud of witnesses. I was speaking to you of Abel’s sacrifice, who was the first martyr for the truth, and of Cain’s. Abel’s sacrifice might comfort them: they might think, others may compass these walls as well as we; so they might think again, Cain offered a sacrifice as well as Abel, but it was not accepted. Wherefore? Because Cain had not a warrant, and so it was not done in faith; but Abel’s is said to be more excellent than Cain’s, because it was done in faith, and had a warrant for the doing of it. So they might think, Albeit these who are not the people of God compass these walls, yet that shall do them no good, nor hinder us. And so we may see the difference between the outward actions of the wicked and the godly is not great; but the wicked don’t do what they do in faith, and therefore it is only a sowing their bread upon the waters.