A Worthy Communicant, Treatise · Chapter 5
Chap. 5. Of the neceſsity of faith in him that will bee a worthy Receiver.
CHAP. 5 THe ſecond thing requiſite in Habituall preparation is the grace of faith. He that will come and receive after the due order muſt come with faith. It is in the caſe of the Sacrament as it was in the caſe of the ſacrifices. The Iewes were very carefull, and preciſe to performe the outward rites of Gods worſhip, to bring their oblations, ſacrifices and the like. And yet God was offended at them, and ſolemnly conteſts with them. Iſa. 1. 11▪ 15. To what purpoſe is the multitude of your ſacrifices? Who hath required this at your hand to treade in my courts? Bring no more oblations. I cannot away with your new Moones, Sabbaths, and the calling of aſſemblies, &c. Now theſe may ſeeme ſtrange ſpeeches. To what purpoſe is the multitude of your ſacrifices? Why? did not God Himſelfe command them, and enjoyne them? And doth God uſe to enjoyne things to no purpoſe? Who hath required this at your hand, &c? Who but God Himſelfe? Did not he require it, and charge them to doe it? Is God weary of his owne worſhip? Doth he hate his owne Ordinances, and are his owne ſervices burdens to himſelfe? It cannot be denyed but all theſe ſervices were of his owne appoyntment, he himſelfe required them of them, he commanded ſacrifices, incenſe, oblations, but he withall commanded them to be performed after the due order. He never required theſe things to be done in that order and manner they did them. It was to no purpoſe to offer multitudes of ſacrifices in that order they offered them, he hated their ſervices done in that order they did them. Why after what order did they performe them? Not after the due order, for they did theſe things without faith, and came to God in their unbeliefe, and therefore it is that God thus conteſts with them. But now conſider verſ. 16, 18. waſh you, make you clean, come now, and then we ſee that he that before forbad them, now commandes them to come, but yet withall how he commandes their comming, come now, that is, now that yee have waſhed your ſelves by faith in Chriſts bloud, now come, come after this order, and welcome. So that all that came to theſe ſacrifices, and ſervices without faith waſhing themſelves in CHRISTS bloud came not in due order. So it is in the caſe of the Sacrament. Come without faith and God will ſay unto you, To what purpoſe is your frequent receiving of the Sacrament? To what purpoſe is the multitude of your Communions? Who hath required this at your hands to ſit downe at my Table? Come no more at the Sacrament, yee trouble me, I am weary of your Communions, and your receiving, it is iniquity. But let us get faith, and waſh and ſprinkle our ſelves with Chriſts bloud, and then will God ſay, come now. This is to come after the due order: Now that you come after the due order, come, and welcome. No man ought to come till he come in due order, and no man can come in due order till hee come waſhed in CHRISTS bloud, and there is no being waſhed in CHRISTS bloud but by faith. Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neare with a true heart in full aſſurance of faith having our hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience, and our bodyes waſht with pure water.
We ſaw before that Gods Ordinance, and order muſt goe together. We muſt come to the Sacrament, that is, Gods Ordinance, but wee muſt come with faith, that is Gods order. As it is an heynous ſinne to neglect Gods Ordinance, ſo it is no leſſe heynous and dangerous to neglect, and contemne Gods order, and Gods due order is, that every Communicant come prepared with faith. So that it is no leſſe ſinne nor danger to come without faith then not to come at all. He ſinnes dangerouſly that comes not at all. He ſinnes as dangerouſly that comes, and yet comes without faith. Conſider againe that ſame paſſage, Matth. 22. 4, 5. There were ſome invited to that feaſt that came not. They made light of it, what tell you them of CHRIST, of the excellencies to be had in CHRIST, to be had in the Word, or miniſtery of the Goſpel, or in the Sacrament? They made light of it, but was this a light ſinne? They found it an heavy ſinne to them in the end, verſe 7. Well after this there is a ſecond and a freſh invitation, and the wedding was furniſhed with gueſts, ver. 9, 10. The feaſt being furniſhed the King comes in to ſee and view his gueſts, and one he ſpyes that had not a wedding garment. The man was come, he was not guilty of the contempt of the Ordinance, but yet was guilty of the neglect of Gods order. In he was come, but not after the due order. Well, but what is his entertainment? Friend, how cameſt thou in hither, not having a wedding garment, verſe 12. that is, how haps it that thou art come in, and not after the due order? That was a queſtion that ſilenced him, ſmote him ſtarke dumb. But yet that is not all. See v. 13. Take him, binde him, &c. and do but compare that with the ſeventh v. and doe but conſider which of the two verſes ſound ſadlieſt. And ſee that it is no leſſe dangerous to neglect Gods order then his Ordinance. But wherein was his neglect of the due order? Not having a wedding garment, that is, not having faith, or the righteouſneſſe of faith. He that coms to the Sacrament without his wedding garment, comes not after the due order, and he that comes to the Sacrament without faith comes without his wedding garment. Doe but conſider foure ſpecialties in that parable, that will ſerve to our purpoſe.
1 When the ghueſts were come in, the King comes in to ſee them. So doth the Lord with all that come to the Sacrament. Take notice of that, all ye that come to the Sacrament; When you are come together unto the Table of the Lord you have one that comes in to overlooke you, and to view you, that comes with an examining ſearching eye, Let a man, ſayes the Apoſtle, examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eate, &c. And there is great reaſon why a man ſhould ſo do, for when we come to the Lords Table, the Lord will come in to ſee, to ſearch, to examine his ghueſts. God is not ſatisfied that men come to his Ordinance, but God will examine, and ſee whether they bee come after the due order. If indeed God ſhould not come in to ſee his ghueſts, then might they be the more remiſſe, and careleſſe, but beleeve it hee will come in and ſee them and looke narrowly on them too, and therefore I thinke it neerely concernes men to looke to themſelves, and to ſee to it before they come, that they come after the due order.
2 The whole houſe was full of ghueſts, and there was amongeſt them all but onelyonly one man that wanted a wedding garment. In ſuch a crowd, and company one would thinke that happily one might have skulked, and have lyen hid, and not have been ſpied out, and yet that one man was not hid, but was found out. So if but one man come to the Sacrament, and come not after the due order, God wil finde him out. The crowd and multitude cannot hide him from Gods eye.
And if one could not bee hid in a multitude, how much leſſe ſhall twenty, forty, or more bee hidden from him?
3 That his fault was the want of due order in comming, and his want of due order was his want of faith. So not a man comes to the Sacrament without faith but God ſpies him, and ſingles him out with this queſtion, friend how cameſt thou in hither, not having the grace of faith?
4 That this man not comming after the due order with faith to that feaſt meets with a breach, and a blow, verſe 13. Such will the caſe be of all ſuch as come to the Sacrament without faith. Is is nothing to be examined by God? To be ſmitten dumbe? Is it nothing to bee bound hand and foot, and be caſt into utter darkeneſſe? If this bee any thing then it is ſome thing to come to Gods ſupper without a wedding garment. He that comes in without a wedding garment on his backe ſhall not go out without chaines and fetters on his feete. So that all this conſidered, we ſee how neceſſary it is that he that will come to the Sacrament in due order muſt come with faith. And that we may yet be further convinced of the neceſſity of bringing faith with us, conſider theſe things following.
1 Firſt, a mans greateſt care ſhould be ſo to come to the Sacrament, that his comming and his performance of the duty ſhould be acceptable. As good abſent as preſent without acceptance: who cares to come to his neighbours table, unleſſe he may be welcome? Who had not rather bee abſent than be lowred upon, and to be entertained with ſowre and darke cloudy lookes? now it is not poſſible to finde acceptance without faith. No mans performance of any ſervice is acceptable till his perſon be accepted, Mal. 1. 10. I have no pleaſure in you, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand: Why would he not accept their offering? becauſe he had no pleaſure in them. He was not pleaſed with their perſons, & therefore not pleaſed with their offerings; he had no pleaſure in their perſons, therefore no pleaſure in their performances. It is the acceptance of the perſon, that makes the performance acceptable, Gen. 4. 4. God had reſpect to Abel and his offering: firſt to Abel, and then to the offering for Abels ſake. If God had not had reſpect to Abel, he would not have had reſpect to his offering; as in Cains caſe, Verſ. 5. But unto Cain and his offering he had no reſpect. But becauſe God likes Abel, therefore he likes his offering. But what is it now that will bring our perſons into acceptance, that God may take pleaſure in us? That very thing that brought Abels perſon into acceptance, Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent ſacrifice than Cain: ſo that the way to bring our perſons into acceptance, is to bring faith: faith is it which makes the perſon acceptable; leave that behinde, and our caſe will be theirs, 1 Cor. 10. 3, 4, 5. They did all eate the ſame ſpirituall meat, and they did all drinke the ſame ſpirituall drinke, but with many of them God was not well pleaſed. So we may eat and drink the outward elements in the Sacrament, but if we do it not with faith, God is not well pleaſed with us; and being not well pleaſed with us, neither will he be well pleaſed with our ſervice. It was ſpeedy acceptance that Daniel had in his prayers, Dan. 9. 23. At the beginning of thy ſupplications the commandement came forth, &c. And what was the ground of his acceptance, and that ſo ſpeedy? for thou art greatly beloved. When a mans perſon is in favour and beloved of God, then followes acceptance. The way to get acceptance, is to get our perſons beloved: the way to get our perſons beloved is to get them into Chriſt, the way to get them into Chriſt, is by faith. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed. God is well pleaſed with no man till he be in Chriſt; no man is beloved but in his beloved Sonne. And when once we are in Chriſt, purged, and purified by his bloud, then our ſervices are performed in righteouſneſſe, and when ſo performed, then accepted, Mal. 3. 3, 4. He ſhall purifie the Sonnes of Levi; namely Chriſt by his bloud, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteouſneſſe, Then ſhall the offerings of Iudah and Ieruſalem be pleaſant unto the Lord. And what is it that will bring us into Chriſt, but the grace of faith? As therefore wee would have acceptance at the Sacrament, ſo come in due Order, Come with faith.
2 Secondly, for what end come we to the Sacrament? Is it not that we may be partakers of Chriſts body and bloud? The Apoſtle ſpeakes 1 Cor. 10. 17. Of being partakers of one bread, and Verſ. 21. Of being partakers of the Lords Table. Now, will this ſerve our turne, and ſatisfie us to be partakers of the Bread, of the Wine, of the Table; or doe we not aime at an higher matter, namely to be partakers of Christ himſelfe? Heb. 3. 14. We may partake of the bread and the wine, we may be partakers of the Table, though not a dram of faith in us. But that which priviledges us to be partakers of Chriſt, of his body and bloud, is faith. We come to the Sacrament to be made partakers of Chriſts body and bloud, but this we cannot doe, nor may do till we have faith.
Firſt, we cannot doe it; for he that will receive Chriſts body and bloud, muſt have an eye to ſee Chriſt and his worth, muſt have a foot to come to Chriſt, muſt have an hand to receive, and lay hold upon him, muſt have a mouth to feed on him; without all theſe there is no partaking of Christ. Now faith is all theſe. It is the eye of the ſoule, Iſay 17. 7. At that day ſhall a man looke to his maker, and his eyes ſhall have reſpect to the Holy one of Iſrael. Iſay 45. 22. Look unto me, and be ye ſaved all the ends of the earth. It is the foot by which we come to Chriſt, Iohn 6. 35. He that commeth to me ſhall never hunger, and he that beleeveth on me ſhall never thirſt. Comming and beleeving are the ſame, faith being that by which we come to Chriſt. It is the hand by which we receive him, Iohn 1. 12. To as many as received him, that is, to as many as beleeved in him. Beleeving and receiving the ſame, becauſe by faith we receive Chriſt. It is the mouth by which we feed on him, Iohn 6. 53. Except ye eat the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, that is, except ye beleeve in Chriſt. Now, can a man ſee without an eye? come without a foot? receive without a hand? feed without a mouth? GOD hee lookes that when he offers CHRIST, men ſhould receive him, and takes it ill when it is not done. Take, eat, this is my Body: Chriſt therefore would have us eat him in the Sacrament. God is never better pleaſed, than when he ſees men fall hungerly and hartily upon Chriſt: nothing diſpleaſes Him more, than when the Bread of Life, the fleſh of Chriſt ſhall be ſet before us, and we ſit and looke another way, and feed not and fall not to. When a man makes a feaſt, if he ſees his gueſts fall too, and feed hard, how highly well it contents him; but if hee ſees them ſit looking about them, and not to feed upon thoſe diſhes he hath bin Quomodo igitur corpus Chriſti edent, & ejus ſanguinem bibent, cum & illud non habeant quo ſolo haec edi & bibi poſſunt? Gualib. in 1 Cor. 11. 27.at ſo much coſt and care to provide, it troubles and frets him. Therefore if a man would pleaſe God in the Sacrament, he muſt feed and partake of Chriſt. Now therefore a man muſt bring faith: he cannot feed that hath no mouth, he hath no mouth that hath no faith. Chriſt is a treaſury of rich commodities, there is any thing to be had in him we want, Apoc. 3. 18. There is gold to be had tried in the fire, there is white raiment, there is eye-ſalve to be had. But now, how may theſe be had, what is the way to get them? There Chriſt tels us, I counſell thee to buy of me gold, white raiment, eye-ſalve. The way to get them then, is to buy them. But what is that which will buy them? Not money, not ſilver, Iſay 55. 1. Buy Wine and Milke without money, and without price: no money of the worldlings, no price of the merit-monger will purchaſe theſe commodities. And yet there is a money wee muſt trade withall if we will buy them, and without which they cannot be had; and that coine is faith: faith is that alone which buyes thoſe riches of gold, white raiment, &c. faith is it that makes us partakers of Chriſts benefits. Hee that goes to mercate and carries no money in his purſe, cannot buy commodities that he wants. To come to the Sacrament, or Chriſt in the Sacrament, and bring no faith with us; is to come without a penny in our purſes; and if we come without money, we ſhall be ſent back without commodity. So that without faith we cannot be partakers of Chriſt in the Sacrament.
Secondly, we may not doe it. We may not doe it till wee have right to eat of Chriſts fleſh, and drinke his bloud; and right we have none till we have faith. None had right to eat of the fleſh of the ſin-Offering, but the Prieſts; only they might eat it, Levit. 2. 26. The Prieſts onelyonly had right to eat the ſhewbread, Lev. 24. 9. It ſhall be Aarons and his ſons, and they ſhall eat it in the holy place, Marke 2. 26. Which is not lawfull to eat but for the Priests. It is ſo here. None may eat the fleſh of Chriſt who is our true ſin-offering but they that be Prieſts; till we be Prieſts we have no right to it, we muſt be Prieſts before we can have this priviledge. But what is the way to be made Prieſts? To be waſhed in Chriſts bloud, as the Prieſts were conſecrated by being waſht in water, Levit. 8. 6. By waſhing alſo are we made Prieſts, Rev. 1, 5, 6. He hath loved us, and waſht us in his own bloud, and made us Prieſts. But how come wee to bee waſht in Chriſts bloud? That is done by faith, faith takes Chriſts bloud, and ſprinkles and waſhes the conſcience therewith, Heb. 10. 22. and being waſht by faith in Chriſts bloud wee are made Prieſts. And therefore wee are ſaid to bee made Prieſts by faith, 1 Pet. 2, 4, 5. To whom ye comming ye are alſo an holy Prieſthood, that is, you beleeving are made Prieſts, for to beleeve is to come, and to come is to beleeve. And ſo faith making us Prieſts doth give us right to eat of theſe holy things, and priviledges us to be partakers of Chriſt. Since therefore wee cannot eate and partake of Chriſt till we have a right, and we have no right till Prieſts, and no Prieſts but by faith; therefore no right to partake of Chriſt till we have faith. And therefore if wee would come to the Sacrament after the due Order, ſo as to eate of Chriſt, and be partakers of him, we muſt come with faith. It is not after the due Order for any but a Prieſt to eat the fleſh of the ſin-offering, or the ſhew-bread. It was a caſe extraordinary that the ſhew-bread was given to David, and the men with him to eat.
We may not eat Chriſts fleſh, and drink his bloud till we have a right to it; we have no right to it, till we be of Gods family and houſhold. The Sacrament and Chriſts fleſh and bloud therein, is the bread and food which God provides for thoſe of his owne houſehold, and not for ſtrangers and foreiners: for wee finde mention, Epheſ. 2. 19. of the houſehold of God, and they there ſtand in oppoſition unto foreiners and strangers. And Gal. 6. 10. there is mention of the houſehold of faith. When we are of the houſehold of faith, we are of the houſehold of God; and when we are of Gods houſehold, we may eat his houſehold proviſions; when we are of Gods family, we may eat his bread. But till we be of his family we have no right to his proviſions. We had need therefore have faith, to make us of the family of faith, that ſo wee may bee of Gods family, and may have right to his proviſions.
They that will have right to Chriſt in the Sacrament, they muſt be firſt Gods children; It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and give it unto dogs, Mat. 15. It is not a good Order in a family that dogs ſhould eate the the bread that is provided for his children; offall and ſcraps are good enough to feed dogs withall; if they get upon the Table, and meddle with childrens bread, they ſhall bee ſet downe again with a whip or a cudgel. So here, the fleſh of Chriſt is childrens bread, and we have no right to it till we be children, and children we are made by faith, Iohn 1. 12. To as many as beleeved he gave them this priviledge to become the Sons of God. Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Chriſt Ieſus: And ſo by faith being children, have a right given us to partake of this bread of life. So that to come without faith is not to come after the due Order: which is, that none eate Chriſt, and be made partakers of him, but ſuch as by faith are made the children of God▪ Give not holy things to dogs, that is not the due Order, that is a diſorder. Therfore till we have faith God forbids to meddle with the Sacrament; and if in this undue Order we wil be medling, looke for a check. God will ſay to ſuch in this caſe, as he did to Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit, Gen. 3. 17. Becauſe thou haſt eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee, ſaying, Thou ſhalt not eate of it, curſed is the ground for thy ſake, in ſorrow ſhalt thou eat of it, &c. So becauſe thou eateſt the Sacrament of which God hath commanded thee, ſaying, Thou ſhalt not eate of it till thou bring faith, therefore in ſorrow ſhalt thou eate, it is ſmall comfort thou ſhalt have in thine eating.
3 Thirdly, conſider the evils that follow upon comming without faith, and in our unbeleefe. And they are theſe.
1 Firſt, ſuch as come without faith, are not welcome to God: for ſuch as come to the Lords Table with their perſons, and conſciences defiled cannot be welcome. We ſee Num. 9. 6. that there were certaine men who were defiled by the dead body of a man that they could not keepe the Paſſeover. What if they had in that defilement come to the Paſſeover? They had to themſelves defiled the Paſſeover. For holy Ordinances doe not ſanctifie defiled perſons, but defiled perſons defile holy Ordinances, as appeares by the reſolution of that caſe, Hag. 2. 11, 12, 13. An uncleane perſon by a dead body, touching the bread or wine, makes them uncleane. It is not ſafe to defile Gods Ordinances. We know what was the voice from heaven to Peter in his viſion, Acts 10. 15. What God hath cleanſed, call thou not, and ſo make thou not common. A defiled perſon comming to the Sacrament, makes a cleanſed thing common. Now an unbeleeving perſon is a perſon defiled, Tit. 1. 15. VntoUnto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled nothing is pure; no, not the pure Ordinances of God. Every word of God is pure, Prov. 30. 6. And ſo his Sacraments are pure. But to a defiled perſon, neither of theſe pure. Well then, who are they now that are defiled ones? See the words of the Text, to them that are defiled and unbelieving. Therefore an unbelieving perſon is a deſiled, and an uncleane perſon. Faith purifies the heart, Acts 15. 9. and ſo fits for pure Ordinances, but unbeliefe defiles the heart, and a defiled heart defiles Gods Ordinance to it ſelfe. And how can that man bee welcome to an Ordinance, welcome to a Sacrament, that defiles it?
2 To come without faith makes our comming an abomination. To come without faith is to come out of Chriſt, and to performe the ſervice which a man doth, out of CHRIST. Now all ſervice performed out of Chriſt, is abominable to GOD. See Lev. 17. 3, 4. What man ſoever there be of the houſe of Iſrael that killeth an Oxe and a Lambe, &c. And brings it not to the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation to offer an offering to the LORD, &c. bloud ſhall be imputed to that man: he hath ſhed bloud, and that man ſhall be cut off from among his people. And againe verſ. 6, 7. And the Prieſt ſhall ſprinkle the bloud upon the Altar of the Lord at the doore of the Tabernacle, &c. And they ſhall no more offer their ſacrifices unto divels. Sacrifices then not brought to God to the doore of the Tabernacle were as murder and bloudſhed, were as the ſervice of the Divell. And what more abominable before God? The doore of the Tabernacle was a Type of Chriſt. Iohn 10. I am the doore. And the drift of that Law is to teach that they ſhould performe all their ſervices to GOD in CHRIST, and to ſhew how loathſome to GOD all ſervices are that are not done in him. Now he that is in his unbeleefe, that wants the grace of faith is not in Chriſt neither can he doe any thing in Chriſt. And therefore ſuch a mans comming cannot but be an abomination. God abhors, and abominates that man, and his comming that wants faith. The end of comming to the Sacrament is to ſeeke, and ſee Gods face, and to have fellowſhip and communion with him. Now if we come without faith God will not let us ſee his face, GOD will turne away and hide his face from us, Deu. 32. 19. 20. And when the Lord ſaw it hee abhorred them, becauſe of the provoking, &c. And he ſayd, I will hide my face from them. But why will God do ſo? He gives his reaſon for it, for they are children in whom is no faith. So that when a man hath not faith he ſhall not ſee GODS face in the uſe of his Ordinance, for how can a man ſee an hidden face? But that is not all, GOD not onelyonly hides his face, but he abhorred them. He abhorred them becauſe of their provoking him. How did they provoke him? Not onelyonly by that ſpoken of in the verſes going before, but by that alſo in the verſe following, becauſe they were children in whom was no faith. Such then as have no faith have no communion with GOD, and doe provoke God ſo as he abhors them. There can bee no communion with GOD where a man is cut off from God, and fellowſhip with him. And where a man is cut off from covenant he is cut off from communion. Now where there is no faith there is an exciſion, a cutting a man off from God, and covenant with him, Rom. 11. 20. Through unbeleife they are cut off. And beſides it is a provoking ſinne. An unbeleever lives in a ſin that continually provokes God. Numb. 14. 11. How long will this people provoke mee? And how long will it be yer they beleeve me? And Pſal. 78. 21, 22. The Lord was wroth, ſo a fire was kindled againſt Iacob, and anger alſo came up againſt Iſrael, becauſe they beleeved not in God. And what wonder then that a man comming to the Sacrament without faith is abomination to GOD, when his unbeleife angers and provokes the Lord.
3 The ſtate of unbeliefe is a ſtate of ſpirituall death. I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, Gal. 2. 20. A beleever is a living man, an unbeleever a dead one, ſpiritually dead. The want of faith in the ſoule is the death of the Vnde mors in anima? quia nō eſt fides; undemors in corpore? quia non eſt ibi anima▪ ergo animae tuae anima fides eſt. August. in Ioh tract. Placuit ut corporibus defunctorum Euchariſtia nō detur. Dictum n. eſt … Domino, Accipite, & edite. Cadavera aut… nec accipere poſiunt, nec edere. Concil Carthag. 3. can. 6.ſoule, as the abſence of the ſoule from the body, is the death of the body. It was an ancient abuſe of the Sacrament to give it to dead bodyes, an abuſe condemned and caſt out by a Councill upon this reaſon: Becauſe CHRIST; ſayes Take, Eate: But carcaſes, and dead bodies can neither eate, nor drinke. It was a good reaſon to deny it to dead bodyes. The very ſame reaſon excluds unbeleevers. Vnbeleevers are dead, unbeleevers can neither eate nor drinke, for beleeving is eating & drinking, Ioh. 6. 53. What ſhould a man doe at the Sacrament that can neither eate nor drinke CHRISTS fleſh and bloud? An unbeleever can doe neither, becauſe he is a dead man, becauſe hee wants faith, the life and teeth by which Chriſt is to be eaten.
4 Vnbeleife evacuates, enervates, and de-ſorces the Sacrament of its efficacy, and vertue, or powerfull operation. The Sacrament in Gods Inſtitution, is an Ordinance that hath a fulneſſe of ſpirituall bleſſing in it, full of efficacy, and ſpirituall power, and offers to empty it ſelfe with a rich, and plentifull bleſſing upon the ſoule of the receiver. But yet provided, that hee come to receive it after the due order, that hee come prepared with a beleeving heart. And Chriſt ſayes to every receiver, as he ſayd to the Centurion, Matth. 8. 13. As thou hast beleived ſo be it done unto thee, and as to the blinde man, Matth. 9. 29. According to your faith bee it unto you. So in this caſe, as you beleive, and according to your faith when you come to the Sacrament, ſo bee it done unto you. According to your preparation with faith ſo ſhall mine Ordinance worke, and be effectuall, and empty out it ſelfe unto you. And as every man brings faith, ſo hee carryes away an anſwerable portion of bleſſing, and ſpirituall good from the Sacrament. But now when a man comes to the Sacrament in unbeliefe, voyde of the grace of faith, the Sacrament proves but a dead Ordinance, utterly ineffectuall, utterly empty of any ſpirituall good. That looke as the Apoſtle ſpeakes of CHRIST to them in caſe of circumciſion, and juſtification by the workes of the Law, Gal. 5. 2. Behold, I Paul ſay unto you that if you be circumciſed Christ ſhall profit you nothing, and verſe 4, Chriſt is become of no effect unto you who ever of you are justified by the Law. So it may be ſaid of the Sacrament, and CHRIST in the Sacrament, behold, the Lord himſelfe ſaies it unto you that if you come to the Sacrament, and to CHRIST in the Sacrament and come in your unbeliefe: Without faith that Chriſt and the Sacrament ſhall profit you nothing, CHRIST and the Sacrament becoms of no effect unto you who ever of you come in the ſtate of unbeliefe. Vnbeleife freezes up, bindes, and lockes up the vertue of the Sacrament, and CHRIST therein. It is ſtill with Christ in the Sacrament, as it was with him in that caſe, Mark 6. 5, 6. He could there doe no mighty worke, and the reaſon is rendred in the next verſe, Hee marvelled becauſe of their unbeliefe. So that their unbeliefe did in a manner binde CHRISTS hands. It is ſayd verſe 2. that the aſtoniſhed people ſayd, What wiſedom is this which is given unto him, that even ſuch mighty workes are wrought by his hands. And yet it is ſayd that he could there doe no mighty worke. CHRIST was a CHRIST that could doe mighty workes, and yet there could doe no mighty worke, becauſe of their unbeliefe. He could not doe any mighty thing; why? can any thing limit the mighty power of CHRIST? Not ſo; but he could not, becauſe this is the order according to which alone hee hath tyed himſelfe to worke, and be efficacious by, namely that he will exert, and put forth his mighty power in, and unto thoſe that beleeve, 1. Pet. 2. 7. VntoUnto you that beleeve he is pretious. Chriſt is pretious in himſelfe, but not pretious, and efficacious to us, but ſo farre forth as we beleeve, Epheſ. 1. 19. The exceeding greatneſſe of his power, and the working of the might of his power is towards them that beleeve. So that if no faith on our part, no exerting nor putting forth of his power on Chriſts part. So it is here. The Sacrament, and CHRIST in the Sacrament doth mighty workes. There is a mighty efficacy in the Sacrament. And yet it can doe no mighty worke in many, it can doe no worke at all in many for their good, becauſe of mens unbeliefe which enervates the Sacrament, and deads the force and operation of it to unbelieving hearts. The Sacrament is pretious, powerfull, and efficacious to them that beleeve, but the Sacrament received without faith is received without force, and without fruit. A faithleſſe is a fruitleſſe receiver. Looke how it is with the Word, ſo is it with the Sacrament. Great things are ſpoken in the Scriptures of the power, and efficacy of the Word. No where more then Heb. 4. 12, 13. The Word of God is quicke and powerfull, &c. And yet in the ſecond verſe of the ſame Chapter the Apoſtle tels us that it was powerleſſe to ſome, and wrought not with them. But what was the matter? For unto us was the Goſpell preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Though the Word in its owne nature were powerfull, yet their unbeliefe made it powerleſſe. Iuſt ſo in the Sacrament, though it be a powerfull Ordinance to doe great things in the ſoule, yet the Sacrament adminiſtred doth not profit many becauſe it is not received with faith, and mens owne unbeliefe makes it powerleſſe unto them. It is ſaid, Luke 5. 17. That as Christ was teaching, there were Phariſees, and Doctors of the Law ſitting by: And the power of the Lord was preſent to heale them. It is ever ſo, that when any of Gods Ordinances are on foot, that then there is a power of God preſent to heale. As in the Word, ſo alſo in the Sacrament. Now if men come to the Sacrament with faith, that faith of theirs drawes forth that power, and ſets that power on worke, and ſo makes the Sacrament powerfull. But if men come in their unbeliefe, then they dead that power to themſelves, and ſo make the Sacrament powerleſſe. Moſes hath a ſpeech, Deut. 32. 13. Hee made him to ſucke hony out of the Rocke, and oyle out of the flinty Rocke. Give mee leave to allude to this ſpeech. The Sacrament is a Rocke, and it is a Rocke in which is much ſweetneſſe, and fatneſſe, hony, and oyle. But how may a man get this hony, and this oyle, out of this Rocke. He made him ſucke hony out of the Rocke. There is neither hony, nor oyle, to bee had without ſucking, he that hath faith can ſucke, and ſo fetch out this hony and oyle. But now though this Rocke have hony and oyle, if a man ſucke not, he hath neither. Now he that comes in his unbeliefe, hee ſuckes not, nor cannot ſucke, and ſo he hath but a dry Sacrament of it, becauſe he hath neither honey, nor oyle. Vnbeleevers they onelyonly licke the Rocke, doe not ſucke it, Ve…ùm hi qui verbo tenus co…de …, & mente a…di ſacris interſunt, vel etiam participant …onis lamb…nt quidem …, ſed …de nec mel …ugunt, nec oleum. Cyprian. de Caen. Dom.and ſo fetch not the honey, and oyle out of the Rocke, for it is ſucking and not licking that muſt doe that. A childe may licke the mothers breſt and yet if it ſucke it not, gets no milke. A thirſty man may licke the outſide of the cup, but that will never ſatifie his thirſt. He that comes to the Sacrament without faith, and reſts upon the uſe of the outward ſigne, is like a man, as Mr Tyndall ſpeakes in the like caſe, that thinkes to quench his thirſt by ſucking the Alepoole. By all this then we may ſee of what neceſſity it is that every one that will come after the due order to the Sacrament come prepared with faith. Like enough there be too many in the world that thinke there is no ſuch neceſſity of faith. So long as they be in charity with their brethren, and owe no man any ill wil, they hope all will bee well enough. And this men ought to doe indeed, but muſt take heed how they neglect the other. Some Papiſts indeed have affirmed that faith is not neceſſary Cajetan at the conference at Auguſta with Luther ſaid, Fides non eſt neceſſaria acceſſaro ad Euchariſtiam. Iuel. def. Apol. 283.for a man that is to come to the Sacrament, but upon what hath beene in this Chapter premiſed, let us be adviſed in this caſe above all things, Epheſ. 6. to have a care to come with faith, if we have any care to come after the due order.