A Preparation to the Receiving of the Lords Supper, Chapter 2 – Chapter 5
CHAP. II. Of the Author and Inſtitutor of this Sacrament
THe Doctrine of this Sacrament (as it is propounded by the Apoſtle) is Generall, or Speciall.
In the generall he teacheth vsus
1.
The Inſtitutor, and
The firſt Adminiſter thereof.
2.
The time when it was firſt inſtituted.
And the religious manner of inſtituting thereof.
This Sacrament was inſtituted and ordained by Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe. I hauehave (ſaith the Apoſtle) receiued of the Lord, that which I hauehave deliuered vntounto you, v. 23.
As if hee ſhould hauehave ſaid, if this Sacrament had beene a deuice of mans brain, or a humane tradition, hauing no other ground, but the will & pleaſure of man, your abuſe and profanation thereof had beene the leſſe. But I would hauehave you to conſider, that this Sacrament was ordained and inſtituted by Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe, and that I deliuered this ordinance vntounto you, by expreſſe warrant and commiſſion from him: And therefore great and damnable, muſt your ſinne needs be, if you ſhal profane and abuſe the ſame.
They cannot bee free from blame, who ſhall contemptuouſly abuſe the ordinances of men, though they require but things indifferent, and meerly vnprofitable; yea, ſuch things, as vntounto the fleſh, are burthenſome and hurtful: Much more blameworthy then, muſt they needs be, who ſhall contemne and baſely vſe an immediate ordinance of Chriſt, who neuer inſtituted any thing (which being rightly vſed) is not exceeding profitable & good; yea, whoſe very ordaining of it (though before it was vnprofitable, or hurtfull) makes it good and profitable, to the worthy vſer thereof, It muſt needes therefore argue, a baſe and light eſtimation of Chriſt and his wiſdome and authority, by rude and vnreuerent behauiour, to abuſe any Order, or Conſtitution of his: And yet, what is more ordinary, amongſt profeſſed chriſtians, then to make a kinde of May-game, of the principall Ordinances of Chriſt? What palpable contempt is generally offered to the Word, read, & preached, to praier, to the Sacraments, Sabbaths, & the Offices of the Miniſtery? How rudely and profanely do many behaue themſelues in the very ſolemne worſhip of God, ſhewing apparant contempt and ſcorne of the ſame? As though theſe ordinances of Chriſt, were but baſe and ridiculous matters, ſuch as are not to be deemed fit for wiſe men to performe, but in ieſt and ſcorne; or (at the beſt) but as if they were acting and counterfaiting fome part vponupon a ſtage.
But hence wee are to learne; That a ſpeciall meanes to make vsus (if wee bee true and ſound hearted Chriſtians,) to ſee what a foule ſin this is, is to conſider throghly, and to meditate ſeriouſly of this; That in the receiuing of this Sacrament, wee doe not conforme to the humors, conceits, and pleaſures of men, of Magiſtrates, or Miniſters of Churches, or Fathers; no nor to the meere ordinances of Prophets and Apoſtles, but to the expreſſe will and Cōmandement of Chriſt. This is in the nature of man, that if they bee inioyned, or commanded any thing, by an inferiour that hath no authoritie, though the thing required bee honeſt and lawfull, yea good & profitable; yet, they will either ſcorne to doe it, or doe it in ſcorne. But if one in authority (whom in that reſpect, they reuerence) ſhall require the ſame thing, or that which is worſe: they will (if they be not very careleſſe and deſperate) yeeld obedience thereunto, in feare and reuerence.
Except therefore, wee ſhould be ſo impious, as to hold that our Sauiour hath no power to require this duty at our hand, or ſo ſhameleſſe & impudent, as to defend, that hee doth no where require it of vsus; or ſo blaſphemous, as to ſay, he hath ſhewed no wiſedome therein; wee muſt needs yeeld, that it muſt needs be a ſhamefull ſin to profane this ſacramēt, which is enioyned to bee receiued by ſo awfull and ſoueraigne Authoritie.
When therefore men come ſo rudely and vnprepared, to the receiuing of theſe holy Rites, as ordinarily they do; it is a ſigne they neuer thinke of that high and ſacred Authoritie, that hath ordained them; but onelyonly conceit and eſteem of them, as of certaine Formalities, which cuſtome and long continuance, hath made a faſhion: and which, men are to conforme vntounto, more to auoid ſingularity, then for any neceſſitie or profit, or out of any dutie that they owe to the Inſtitutor of them.
This then is, and ought to be the maine foundation of all true reuerence, not onelyonly in the vſe of this, but of al other parts of Gods worſhip. That Chriſt Ieſus requires this ſeruice at our hands. And would the Miniſters of Chriſt) who are by their Office to diſpence theſe, and other the like Ordinances of Chriſt) hauehave their miniſtery not contemned, but truely reuerenced, they ſhold make it appeare, (as Paul doth heere) that they miniſter no other word, or Sacraments, preſcribe no other worſhip, preach no other doctrine, binde mens conſciences with no other lawes, allure them with no other promiſes, feare them with no other threatnings; then ſuch as they can both ſay, and ſhew, that they hauehave receiued from Chriſt himſelfe.
CHAP. III. Of the firſt Adminiſter of this Sacrament.
OVr Sauiour Chriſt did not onelyonly himſelfe inſtitute this Sacrament, but did in his own perſon, and with his own hand, firſt of all adminiſter the ſame.
The Lord Ieſus (ſaith the Apoſtle) the night that he was betrayed, took bread, &c. As though he ſhold ſay: Jf but my ſelf, or any other Apoſtle, or any perſon inferiour to an Apoſtle, had inſtituted this Sacrament, by Commiſſion from Chriſt, men ſhold (notwithſtanding) hauehave feared, to lay impure hands, vponupon a thing ſo holy. Much more, whē Chriſt Ieſus hath not only immediately inſtituted, but was himſelfe in his owne perſon, a Miniſter thereof, and the firſt that did adminiſter the ſame.
That ſeruice and worſhip, required by mans law, framed but by conſequence from the word, or according to the generall rules thereof, is in a holy & religious manner to bee performed: Much more ſuch a ſeruice, as Chriſt ſo immediately and expreſly inſtituted, not truſting to the diſcourſe and wit of man to appoint the ſame, & which himſelfe did ſo religiouſly, in his owne perſon performe: So that it canot but argue, great impiety in them, who ſhall contemptuouſly, or but careleſly behaue themſelues in or about the ſame.
Hence we are to learn,
1. That albeit this Sacrament is adminiſtred vntounto vsus now, by the hands of weake and ſinfull men; yet they being the lawfull Miniſters, & Subſtitutes of Chriſt we are to receiue it frō their hands, as from the hands of Chriſt himſelfe, who though he be not bodily, yet is ſpiritually, and will bee as effectuall preſent now, as at the firſt inſtitution, and adminiſtration thereof. And therfore great ſhal their ſhame be, & fearefull there danger, who ſhal preſume to put forth profane hands, to receiue ſuch high myſteries, from the holy and pure hands of Chriſt himſelfe.
2 It being a great honour to this Sacrament, that Chriſt himſelf ſhold in his owne perſon adminiſter it. All good Chriſtians ſhould thinke, and eſteeme it as an honour vntounto themſelues to bee admitted therevnto, and as a great indignitie and diſgrace, to bee excluded therefrom: Much more to exclude themſelues from the ſame, when they may be admitted therevnto.
3 The Miniſters of the Word and Sacraments alſo, ſhould hence learn, to take heed how they preſume to adminiſter this Sacrament, to ſuch perſons as they hauehave cauſe to bee perſwaded, that chriſt himſelf would deny this Sacrament vntounto; or how they deny it to ſuch, as Chriſt himſelf (if he were in their place) would adminiſter it vntounto. The one is a great indignity to the Sacrament it ſelfe, the other a more then barbarous wrong to their brethren.
CHAP. IIII. Of the time, when this Sacrament was inſtituted.
THe time that Chriſt, in his ſpeciall wiſedome, made choice of to inſtitute and adminiſter this Sacrament, was, In the night in which hee was betrayed, v. 23.
This Circumſtance argueth:
That this ſpeciall ordinance, which at this time he inſtituted for his Church, when hee was preparing himſelf to the greateſt worke of louelove, that euer was ſhewed, euen to lay downe his life for it muſt needs proceed from his infinite louelove & mercy. Gifts bequeathed by friends vponupon their death-beds, vſe much to be eſteemed; and where they are cōtemned, there the louelove of the giuer is thought to bee deſpiſed. If then the louelove of Chriſt, ſhewed vntounto vsus when he was dying; yea, euen ready to be put to death for our ſake, be deare and precious vntounto vsus: This Sacrament, which at that very time was inſtituted by him, and as a ſpeciall Legacy bequeathed to his Church (for whom he thought not his owne precious bloud too dear) it muſt needes deſerue to be deare and precious to vsus, & therfore a horrible indignity offered by vsus, to abuſe and profane the ſame.
2 This was no time for Chriſt who was infinite in wiſdome, to ſpend in inſtituting needles & vnprofitable ceremonies: The vaineſt men that are (if not deſperatly wicked or diſtempered in their braine) doe not vſe at ſuch a time, to abuſe themſelues about vanities; but their thoughts then vſe to bee taken vp, with thoſe maters which moſt neceſſarily concern themſelues, and their friends. Farre then be it from vsus, that wee ſhould thinke, that our bleſſed Sauiour, ſhould at this time, finde nothing elſe to doe, but to buſie himſelfe, in laying vponupon his Church idle & friuilous obſeruances. If men, how miſerable ſoeuer in their liues paſt, at ſuch times as this, vſe to beſtow the beſt things they hauehave vponupon them they moſt louelove; we muſt needs conceiue, (or exceedingly diſhonour our Sauiour Chriſt) That this Sacrament, which at this time he bequeathed vntounto all his Churches, as a ſpeciall Legacy, is of ſome ineſtimable price & value: And therefore, that it muſt needs be intollerable inhumanitie, and ingratitude, to diſpiſe and abuſe the ſame.
3 Seeing that our Sauiour, at this time was vndergoing the greateſt, moſt painefull, and difficult work that euer was, or ſhall bee performed; euen to offer vp himſelfe a ſacrifice for his church, the zeale of which work had now, more then euer eaten him vp, and captiuated all the thoughts & affections of his ſoule: ſo as it was not poſſible for him at this time to think of any thing elſe, but what might further this worke of our Redemption, and the ſaluation of our ſoules. Wee muſt needs conclude, that this Sacrament, being at this time, ſo deliberately both inſtituted and adminiſtred, muſt needes tend (after a ſpecial manner) to the furtherance of our ſaluation, and to make the worke of our Redemption effectuall vntounto vsus. So that, to ſet light by this Sacrament, is to diſpiſe the great worke of our Redemption, and the ſaluation of our ſoules, purchaſed by the bloud of Chriſt.
CHAP. V. Of the religious manner, of inſtituting and adminiſtring this Sacramēt.
OVr Sauiour Chriſt, in the inſtituting & adminiſtring of this Sacrament, is ſaid by the Apoſtle, To giuegive thankes. By the Euangeliſt Matthew, To bleſſe, that which he inſtituted and adminiſtred.
By this Bleſſing and Thankſgiuing, hee dedicated & conſecrated the outward elements in this Sacrament, vntounto that holy and myſtical vſe, vntounto which they are applied.
This Bleſſing, was an earneſt and effectuall calling vponupon God his Father, That he would bee pleaſed to make this Sacrament, (being duly adminiſtred and receiued) fruitfull and effectuall to thoſe holy & ſauing ends and vſes, for which they were ordained.
His Thankſgiuing was (no doubt) a rendring of ſpeciall glory and praiſe vntounto God, for hearing his prayer, and therein for the great fruit & benefit, that (through the bleſſing of God) ſhall certainely redound vntounto all thoſe who are worthy receiuers of this Sacrament.
1 In that our Sauiour doth in ſo ſpecial a manner, bleſſe this ſacrament: we may be aſſured, that by this meanes, hee hath obtained from God, a ſpeciall bleſſing vponupon it. For in him the Father is ſo well pleaſed, that that may truely and vndoubtedly be verified of him, which Balac ſaid of Balam, That which he bleſſeth, is bleſſed, and that which hee curſeth, is curſed. Chriſt Ieſus therfore hauing, at his firſt inſtitution and adminiſtration thereof, bleſſed this Sacrament; that is, by Prayer, drawne downe from heauen, a ſpeciall Bleſſing vponupon it; we muſt not ſo vnderſtand the ſame, as though this bleſſing touched onelyonly that particular Supper, which then was celebrated at that preſent: but we are (out of all doubt) to bee perſwaded, that the very ſame Bleſſing, cleaues vnſeperably to this Sacrament, (as oft as it ſhall be adminiſtred and receiued, as it ought to be) to the end of the world. So that it ſhall be a bleſſed Sacrament, to eueryevery worthy receiuer thereof: That is, it ſhall be an inſtrument of ſome great and ſpecial bleſſing vntounto them: and the greater inſtrument of bleſſing it is to them, the greater curſe it will be, to thoſe who ſhall profane, and vnreuerently abuſe the ſame.
The ſpeciall Thankes that our Sauiour giues, ſhewes; that we cannot too thankefully receiue this Sacrament. And that if wee receiue it in that manner, that we ought to doe, that in the ſame we ſhall receiue that, for which we ſhal hauehave cauſe to giuegive thanks, & praiſe, and glory vntounto God as long as we breath. And the more thankſ-worthy gift, is preſented vntounto vsus, in this Sacrament, the more vngrarefull, and graceleſſe we, that ſhall careleſly, and vndutifully receiue the ſame.