The Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of dueties to be performed in this holy Action.
OVr behauiour, during the time of the celebration of this holy Action, muſt be decent, with all reuerence to the high Maieſtie and preſence of God, and to his diuine Ordinance. Now, whereas the benefits and grace we receiue in this Sacrament, are conuayed vntounto vsus, as on Gods part, by His Spirit, ſo on our part, by a kind of reaſoning in the mind, and an inference and vſe-making from the collation, or comparing & conferring the outward ſignes with the things ſignified thereby: Wee are therefore, when wee come to the Table of the Lord, not to ſuffer our minds to wander after impertinent matters, but to apply our hearts to diligent attention and conſideration, reaſoning with our ſelues, and making vſe of eueryevery thing in this Sacrament which we behold: as thus:
When we behold and ſée bread and wine to be ſet apart, to ſignifie vntounto vsus the body and bloud of Chriſt, then muſt we further meditate and conſider:
That this Sacrament is ordained for our ſpirituall nouriſhment, and increaſe in grace, thus differing from Baptiſme, which is the Sacrament of our firſt birth or regeneration: as bread therefore is for the ſuſtenance of man, and preſeruation of naturall life in him, ſo is Chriſts body and bloud ſpiritually, for the encreaſe and nouriſhing of our faith, and of Gods graces in vsus. For thus in decay of grace, we come to get aſſurance and féeling of it againe. Chriſt is therefore called the bread of life, Iohn 6.35.51. herein differing from common bread, that it onelyonly preſerues life where life is once begun; but Chriſt begins life in vsus, being ſet before vsus in the preaching of the Goſpel, & called the childrēs bread, Mat. 15.26. And he is eaten by faith ſpiritually, Ioh. 6.56. He alſo continues and preſerues life in vsus, as bread, eaten by the ſame faith, ſacramentally.
Conſider, bread and wine are alſo for our comfort, and to make glad the heart of man, Pſalm. 104.14, 15. ſo alſo this Sacrament, and therefore in our faintings, and in our afflictions, we are to hauehave recourſe hither: this bread being like that meale which Eliſha caſt into the pot to make the pottage wholeſome, whereof it was ſaid before, death is in the pot, 2. Kings 4.40. and 41.
When we ſée both bread and wine, conſider that Chriſt is our perfect Sauiour and Redéemer, both bread and water of life vntounto vsus, ſo that we néed not ſaluation in whole or in part of any other.
4 Conſider hence alſo the neceſsitie of this Sacrament, eſpecially of the thing ſignified by this bread and wine: for as without bread and wine (or other moyſture) we could not poſſibly liue (whereas we may well ſpare many vnneceſſary dainties) ſo, without this body and blood of Chriſt, and the merits thereon depending, it is impoſſible for any either to liue the life of grace here, or of glory hereafter.
When we ſée the Miniſter ſet apart by prayer and conſecration, theſe Elements from a common to an holy vſe, which ſignifies Gods eternall decrée in ſealing Chriſt to the worke of our redemption and ſaluation, Iohn 6.27. Then further conſider and meditate on God the Fathers excéeding great louelove, Who ſo loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne Chriſt, to redeeme it, Ioh. 3.16. Which louelove God ſetteth forth, ſéeing that (firſt) of himſelfe vnſought to, (Secondly) he the partie offended ſhould prouide a Sauiour, and giuegive (thirdly) his onelyonly beloued Sonne for vsus (Fourthly) before we were, (Fifthly) whom he foreſaw to be vnable to helpe our ſelues, yea (Sixtly) to be enemies vntounto him, Rom. 5.8. Oh wonderfull louelove of God! how did Abraham louelove God, when for his ſake he was ready to offer in ſacrifice his onelyonly ſonne Iſaak? yet that was his duty, God ſo requiring it. How much more doth God louelove vsus, that fréely, yea contrary to our deſeruings, giues to death his onelyonly Sonne Chriſt, one, ten thouſand times better then Iſaack? And thinke, if God ſo loued me, how ought I to louelove him againe? how ought I for his ſake to part with my deareſt and darling ſinnes? &c.
When we ſée the bread broken, and the wine powred out, then thinke on the death and paſſion of Chriſt, and on thoſe intolerable paines which he ſuffered both in body, and alſo much more in ſoule, not for himſelfe but for vsus: and here alſo more ſpecially meditate: Firſt, on Chriſts ſpeciall LoueLove to vsus, who would ſo willingly become our ſuretie, and pay our debt to God, which is death, which we were neuer able to hauehave endured: For greater louelove then this hath no man, when any man beſtowes his life on his friends, Ioh. 15.13. But Chriſt is that good ſhepheard, who giueth his life for (vsus) his ſheepe, Ioh. 10.11. How then (muſt I meditate) ſhould this inflame my heart with the louelove of this my Sauiour? &c. And how may I now reſt aſſured, that I ſhall be vndoubtedly ſaued? for if when I was a ſinner Chriſt died for me, much more then being now iuſtified by his blood, ſhal I be ſaued from wrath throgh him, &c. Rom. 5.8.9.10.
Secondly, conſidering his grieuous ſuffering and pangs for vsus, his hands and his féet boared, his ſide pearced with a ſpeare, himſelfe mocked, and now ſuſtaining in ſoule the wrath of his Father due to our ſinnes; meditate, Didſt thou, ſwéet Sauiour, ſuffer ſuch torments for me, and ſhall not I endure an euill word for thée, and for the profeſſion of thy Name? Diddeſt thou on the Croſſe taſte Vineger and Gall for me; and ſhall I liue in pleaſure and delicacies, faring deliciouſly eueryevery day, and ſo pleaſe my palate with exceſſe in delicious meates and wines? Diddeſt thou die for me; and ſhall not I die to ſinne, and thus ſhew forth in my ſelfe thy death? Yea, diddeſt thou die for me, and ſhall not I be ready to lay downe my life for thy Names ſake? &c.
Thirdly, conſider alſo the cauſe of all this his ſuffering, which was not any ſinne of his, but our ſinne, 2. Cor. 5.21. and thinke and ſay, Lord when I looke vponupon thée whom my ſinnes hauehave pierced, how ſhould I lament for thée? as one that mourneth for his onelyonly Sonne, and bee ſorry for thée, as one is ſorry for his firſt borne, Zach. 12.10. Nay how ſhould I rather mourne for mine owne ſinnes, and hate them with a deadly hatred, whereby I crucifie thée againe, ſo louing a Sauiour: my ſinnes being the ſpeare that pierced thee, and the nailes that laſtened thée to the Croſſe? How weighty are my ſinnes, and how great the deſert thereof, which could not be borne by me, nor ſatisfied for by any thing I am able either to doe or ſuffer? but onelyonly by thy precious death and bloud-ſhed of thée my deare Sauiour and my God bleſſed for euer. Shall I now henceforth account any ſinne light or little, which deſerued ſuch infinite puniſhment? Oh my Sauiour, poſſeſſe my heart with thy louelove, teach mee to louelove thee perfectly, and to hate all ſinne which coſt thee ſo deare, &c.
When the Miniſter (repreſenting the perſon of God the Father) comes towards thée to offer and giuegive to each the ſignes, this Bread and Wine; then firſt meditate, and pray and ſay with the Centurion, Lord I am not worthy thou ſhouldeſt come vnderunder my roofe, and as Elizabeth ſaid to Mary, whence commeth this to me, that (not the mother of the Lord, but) the Lord himſelfe ſhould come to me? Luk. 1.14. And with the bleſſed Virgin, Luk. 1.38. Behold the ſeruant of the Lord, be it vntounto thee according to thy word; and here ſecondly, aſſure thy ſelfe of Gods eſpeciall louelove to thée in particular, and take theſe ſignes as ſpeciall ſeales, and pledges of Gods ſpeciall louelove towards thee; and here raiſe vp thy thoughts with this or the like meditation: Lord, whereas in thy Word thou offereſt Chriſt to all beleeuers, though thou nameſt none, now I ſee thou meaneſt euen me, poore ſinner, as well as any: thou applieſt and aſſureſt vntounto me thy generall promiſe, as if my name were recorded in thy Word, and written in that deede of gift, whereby thou giueſt and ſealeſt vntounto all beleeuers eternall life; O Lord, now I may ſee, (and that without doubting) that indeed my name is written in the Lambs booke of life.
When wee take and apply the Bread and Wine to our ſelues, then muſt wee ſtir vp our ſelues to take hold on Chriſt, (Eſa. 64.7.) and be put in minde of the ſpeciall act of faith, which is, to apply and bring Chriſt home, to the inmoſt cloſet of our hearts, relying our ſelues, and putting our whole affiance, wholly and onelyonly on him for ſaluation, ſtirring vp our faith, and by it féeding on our Sauiour more and more; crying alſo, Lord, I beleeue, helpe my vnbeleefe.
When we eat and drinke, then alſo muſt we meditate, firſt, on our ſtrait vnion with Chriſt, whereby we become one with him, and he with vsus, euen as the Bread and Wine turne to our nouriſhment, and become one ſubſtance with vsus, one fleſh and one bone; and what ſtraighter vnion can there bee then this? Then rouze vp thy ſpirit & ſay; O my bleſſed Sauiour, be thou vntounto mee Bread and water of life for euermore: let this vnion once made by thy Spirit & my faith, neuer again be diſſolued, but faſten me vntounto thée by the bond of my faith, and faſten and vnite thy ſelfe vntounto me by the bond of thy Spirit, and that for euermore. Let nothing diſſolue this knot, let not my ſinnes euer hereafter ſeparate betweene thee and me Eſa. 59.2. But O Lord, let thy moſt precious, and pure, and holy body and blood, clenſe and ſanctifie my body and my ſoule, and either keepe them that they ſinne not againſt thee at any time preſumptuouſly, or if they ſinne, that by thy precious bloud they may be forthwith purged from ſin, 1. Ioh. 1.7. Yea O Lord, let me walke on in the ſtrength of this ſpirituall foode, this liuing Bread and Water of life, euen to eternall life, according to thy gracious promiſe and Word, whereby thou haſt ſaid; Whoſoeuer eateth my Fleſh and drinketh my Bloud hath eternall life, and if any man eat of this Bread, he ſhall liue for euer, Ioh. 6.51, 54. Let mee therefore hence be aſſured, that neither death nor life nor any thing elſe ſhall bee able to ſeperate me from this louelove of thy Father, which is in thee his ſonne, my Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 8.38, 39. Heere alſo muſt we thinke of our participation of all the benefits of Chriſt, both by imputation concerning our iuſtification, and alſo by infuſion concerning our ſanctification, ſeeing Chriſt neuer comes alone: but as the married wiſe, though ſhe marry with the man himſelfe, and not with his lands or goods, yet being partaker of him, ſhe partakes of them too. Why then, O Lord, need I diſtruſt thy goodneſſe for any bleſſing, ſpirituall or temporall, ſeeing thou haſt giuen me thy Sonne Chriſt, and in him intereſt in all things, 1. Cor. 3.22, 23. If thou ſparedſt not thy Sonne, but gaueſt him for me to death, and now giueſt and applieſt him ſpiritually vntounto me, how ſhalt thou not with him giuegive mee all things alſo? Rom. 8.32. I will henceforth therefore neuer diſtruſt thy goodneſſe.
Laſtly, when thou ſeeſt in this holy action, others alſo rich and poore, of all ſorts without difference eat of the ſame Bread, and drinke of the fame Cup, bee put in minde of louelove and charity to all: wee ſee where men familiarly conuerſe one with another, and liue together in one houſe, ſitting and feeding at the ſame table, there is mutuall louelove, knowledge, and familiarity: elſe, it is very vnuſuall and vnnaturall: yea very beaſts by drawing together in the ſame Yoke, grow familiar one with another, and ſhew louelove in their kinde; what louing reſpect therefore owe I, euen to the meaneſt of my fellowes and brethren, and to the leaſt of the Saints of God, ſeeing wee all that are many, are one bread and one body, becauſe we all are partakers of one Bread? 1. Cor. 10.17. and wee all hauehave beene made to drinke into one Spirit, 1. Cor. 12.13. Surely then becauſe I ſee there is one body (and but one) one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſme (yea one onelyonly communion of Saints) one God and Father of all, I will therefore endeuour to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and with all humbleneſſe of minde, and meekneſſe with long ſuffering, ſupport others through louelove, as the Apoſtle exhorts me, Epheſians 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And becauſe I here ſee, my Sauiour makes no difference, and hath no reſpect of perſons, ſo they feare God, Act. 10.34, 35. but alike admits all to his Table, of all ſorts, rich and poore, noble and ignoble, &c. and communicates himſelfe to all, I will henceforth deſpiſe none of GODS Saints, not the leaſt member of Gods Church, whom God and Chriſt ſo loues, and hath done ſo much for, 1. Cor. 11.22. Mat. 18.10. With theſe or ſuch like meditations ſhould our thoughts be taken vp, during the time of the celebration of the bleſſed Sacrament, at which time eſpecially wee are to make conſcience of our thoughts.