A Worthy Communicant, Treatise · Chapter 19
Chap. 19. Meditation, and exerciſe of Repentance at the Sacrament.
CHAP. 19 A Communicant being thus fitted and prepared, and being now come to the Lords Table, it followes to conſider, what behaviour is there required of him. It is not enough for a man to dreſſe, and trime up himſelfe in his handſomer apparell before he comes to a great mans table, but there is a great care alſo to be had of that carriage, and behaviour that beſeemes ſuch a mans table, and perſon. Though a man come handſome, and cleanely apparel'd to a great mans Table, yet hee may there carry himſelfe ſo rudely, unmannerly, and uncivilly that hee may give great offence. As therefore wee muſt have a care to get our hearts into an holy, and fitting frame before we come, ſo no leſſe muſt our care bee to have them in a convenient frame during the time of the whole action. Though a man have beſtowed much paines with his heart before his comming, yet, if there bee not a care of due behaviour in the action, all his former paines may bee loſt. Though the Prieſts had been carefull to have waſhed themſelves, and to put on their Prieſtly garments, yet might they be guilty of irregularities at the Altar in not placing the wood, or the parts of the ſacrifice in due order, Leviticus 1. Therefore as the Apoſtle ſpeakes in the generall, ſo it may be ſaid in this particular, 2 Iohn 8. Looke to your ſelves that wee looſe not thoſe things which wee have wrought, &c. So looke to your ſelves when yee have beſtowed a great deale of time, and paines in preparation, that by a looſe, and careleſſe carriage in the duely doing, you looſe not the things you have done. There muſt bee a care therefore of the duties to be done in the Action, Duties convenient. There bee ſome duties in which the whole congregation joyne together, in which we muſt take heed of all looſeneſſe, and evagation of ſpirit, eſpecially expreſt in idle gazing about, have a care to hold the heart cloſe to all thoſe duties in which all joyne together. But I meane not to inſiſt in theſe. There are therefore ſome ſpeciall; and perſonall duties that every one is particularly by himſelfe to performe, and thoſe have a ſpeciall care of. The duty in generall to be done at the Sacrament. 16. The offering up of our ſelves to God in an holy, and ſpirituall diſpoſition in receiving of the Supper. This generall branches it ſelfe into diverſe particulars. And they are theſe.
1. Firſt, ſolemne, ſerious and deepe meditation. A leading duty to others that follow, and that which onelyonly furthers them. There muſt bee an heart enlarged with godly ſorrow for ſinne, there muſt be compunction, and contrition of ſpirit. It is meditation that muſt fit for it, and bring that, and lay that to the h… which muſt bruiſe it. Meditation gives a man Meditatio ſiquidem paſcit ſcientiam, ſcientia compunctionem, compunctio devotionem. Inter opera Auguſt. l. 3. de Spir. & anima.a ſight, and knowledge of himſelfe, of his ſinnes, of the riches of Gods mercies in Chriſt, and ſuch knowledge is it which workes compunction of ſpirit. We are to be taken up in duties of Thankeſgiving, and to bee more than ordinarily enlarged therein. There is no ſuch way to enlarge the heart in that duty, as by meditation to heate and warme our hearts. So Pſalme 104. 33. 34. I will ſing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will ſing praiſe unto my God whileſt I have my being, my meditation of him ſhall bee ſweete, I will be glad in the Lord. There is nothing ſo feeds ſpirituall joy, and ſo maintaines and holds up that holy flame that ſhould be in a mans heart in the duty of thankeſgiving, as doth meditation. That is the Oyle and the Fuell that keepes ſuch fire burning. The ſweeter our meditation is, the more is the heart prepared, and enlarged to prayſes, thankeſgiving, and joy in the Lord. Therefore a ſpeciall duty to bee done at the Sacrament is, to take up our hearts with ſerious meditation. And for the better raiſing and feeding meditation, it is good when we are come to the Lords Table, to doe as Solomon wiſhes us to doe in that caſe, Proverbs 23. 1. When thou ſitteſt to eate with a Ruler, conſider diligently what is before thee. He adviſes it for a mans better caution, if hee be a man given to his appetite, that hee may not be deſirous of ſuch dainties as are ſet before him. But in this caſe it is good to conſider what is ſet before us to provoke our appetite, and to ſtirre up in us a longing after thoſe dainties. Conſider therefore what is ſet before thee, what is done before thee. Conſider the Sacramentall elements, the ſacramentall promiſes, and ſacramentall actions. Here then wee ſee Bread, and Wine ſet before us, and not bare bread and wine, but the ſacramentall Body, and Blood of Chriſt: This is my Body, This is my Blood. Behold then what a Feaſt God hath prepared for us; ſuch a feaſt as that: Iſa. 25. 6. A feaſt of fat things, a feaſt of wines on the lees, of fat things, full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. Alas! how leane are our ſoules? What hunger-ſtarved ſpirits have wee? But here be fat things, full of marrow to feed, and fat our leane ſoules. How dead and dull are our hearts; but here is wine upon the lees, here is wine that goes downe ſweetly, that will cauſe the lips of thoſe that are aſleepe, to ſpeake, that will refreſh & ſweetly quicken our ſpirits. Here wee ſee this Bread broken, this Wine powred out. Here we ſee Chriſt crucified before our eyes; now we ſee him hanging, and bleeding upon the croſſe, wee now ſee him preſſed, and cruſhed under the heavie preſſure of his Fathers infinite wrath: Now we ſee him in the Garden in his bloody ſweate. Now may wee behold him under the bitter conflict, with his Fathers Celebrantes cō monemur quaſi ungulam findens, & …minan… pecus …voca…e ad fance… ▪ & minu…atim commolere Dominicae inſtitutionis exemplum, ut ſemper paſſio ſiſt in memo…ia, &c. Cypr. de caena Dom. M…d…t…io …uminat …vores vulne … ▪ fixu…as …la vorum, lanceam ut acetum, perſecuto…ū faevi…iam, Apoſtolo…um fugam, & mo…em …urpiſſimam, corporis ſepulturum. Bernard. Hom de d…ob. Diſcip. e…nt. ad E….wrath upon the croſſe. Behold the man, ſaies Pilate, That is our duty to doe now by meditation, to repreſent unto our ſelves the bitterneſſe of Chriſt's paſſion: Exod. 24. 8. And Moſes tooke the blood, and ſprinkled it on the people, and ſaid: Behold the blood of the Covenant. So here: Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the ſins of the world: Ioh. 1. and behold the blood of that innocent, and ſpotleſſe Lambe; yea, behold him now ſhedding his precious blood to take away the ſinnes of the world, and looke upon him as the Scape-goat, bearing, and carrying our ſinnes upon him. Repreſent we unto our ſelves in our meditations, as lively as wee are able, all the ſorrowes of Chriſt's paſſion. Pſ. 26. 6.How prodigious a darkeneſſe was there at Chriſt's paſſion for three houres together? Surely a ſpeciall end of this darkneſſe, was to ſhew the dreadfull and horrible wrath of God againſt his owne Sonne, now hanging on the croſſe, a ſacrifice for the worlds ſinnes, was it nothing, or was it but a ſmall matter that God did manifeſt his wrath againſt him, by letting looſe the tongues, and hands of all his carnall enemies againſt him, but that the Lord himſelfe from heaven would reveale his wrath againſt the unrighteouſneſſe of the world, which now lay upon him. Now ſtood Chriſt in our ſtead, we ſhould have ſuffered the horrour of darkeneſſe for ever, even that blackneſſe of darkneſſe, as Iude calls it. Now Chriſt undertaking for us he ſuffers darkneſſe. And God by this, as by a viſible ſigne, would teſtifie, that the blackneſſe of darkeneſſe, cauſed by Gods wrath for ſin, was upon him. Thereby conceive wee in ſome ſort the ſad plight, and wofull agony in which Chriſt then was. God cauſes the Sun to ſhine upon the Iuſt, and the unjuſt, Mat. 5. 45. But now, that Chriſt is a ſacrifice for our ſinnes, and to ſuffer his Fathers wrath for them, he muſt not have ſo much as the common comfort of the light of the Sunne, but as if hee were of all vnjuſt ones the moſt unjuſt; the very light of the Sunne ſhall be taken from him, and hee be left in horrid darkneſſe. Do but looke upon Chriſt on the croſſe, under all our ſins lying upon him, and how heavie a preſſe, how ponderous a waight was that? But conſider beſides this, how many were the paines of his body by their inhumane, and barbarous uſages? what was the bitter exacerbation of his Spirit, by ſo many baſe and ignominious reproches of all his malignant oppoſites, what, was it nothing to be ſcourged? to give his cheekes to the ſmiters? to be ſpitefully intreated, to be ſpitted on, and indure all thoſe outragious inſolencies of his enemies before, and at his crucifying? Oh! how bitter were theſe things? But conſider beſides all this, to have all the power of Hell againſt him, and all thoſe Lyons, Bulls, Vnicornes, and Dogs, to be taken up, and imployed in aſſaulting and afflicting him. Oh! how paſt all conception of the underſtanding of man was the ſmart of this miſery? Heere was Earth againſt him; here was Hell againſt him. And yet Earth and Hell not enough, but Heaven it ſelfe againſt him. After all this, to have God his Father from Heaven by this prodigious, dreadfull, and long darkeneſſe, to teſtifie his wrath againſt him: here was that which added waight and perfection to all the reſt. To be three whole houres together under a viſible ſigne of the darkeneſſe of Gods countenance, under the darkeneſſe of the ſenſe of his wrath, witneſſed from Heaven, by the darkeneſſe of the Sun: how bitter, and ſharp a conflict was this above all the reſt? Thus repreſent we to our ſelves Chriſt hanging on the croſſe; thus, Behold the Lambe of God roſting in the fire of wrath; yea, further, After that we have ſeene Chriſt thus for three houres ſpace in deepe ſilence, conflicting in this time of darkneſſe with all theſe ſorrowes, Now as not able any longer to hold his peace, thinke wee that we heare him by that formidable cry, manifeſting the bitterneſſe, and unutterable extremity of his paſſion: My God, my God, Why hast thou forſaken me? All theſe three darke houres was Chriſt drinking this bitter cup, and now at the third houres end was he come to the dregs and lees of it. This was the ſharpeſt paroxiſme and fit of his paſſion. Now were the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty ſhot up to the heads in his ſoule. And how can we ſee, and heare Chriſt ſuffering all this for us, and not withall in our meditations ſtand aſtoniſhed at the heynouſneſſe and hideouſneſſe of our ſinnes, for which no other way of expiation could be made, but by this bitter paſſion of Chriſt. Behold in the paſſion of Chriſt as in a glaſſe, the greatneſſe of ſinne. Thinke we ſadly with our ſelves, Surely ſinne againſt God muſt needs be more than men commonly eſteeme it. It could be no ſmall matter for which the deare Sonne of God did ſuffer ſuch horrible and dreadfull torments on the croſſe. Let we out our hearts therefore here in the meditation of the greatneſſe of our ſinnes. And withall, Ad victimam illam pendentem in cruce nos conferemus. Ibi vere contemplabimur Deum, ibi in ipſum cor Dei introſpiciemus, quod fit miſericors, quod nobis mortem peccatoris, &c. Luther. in Gen. 19.let we out our hearts eſpecially in the meditation and admiration of ſuch unmatchable love and goodneſſe as God hath ſhewen in the worke of our Redemption. Labour to comprehend, what is the bredth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know, and ſee the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge. What heart is able ſufficiently to admire the depth of the riches, the bottomeleſſe depth, the unfadomable depth of the riches of Gods love, and mercy in Chriſt. How may wee with David cry out: Lord, what is man that thou art mindefull of him? Pſalm. 8. 4. and upon a better ground with Iob, Iob 7. 17. What is man, that thou ſhouldeſt magnifie him? and that thou ſhouldeſt ſet thine heart upon him? eſpecially that thou ſhouldeſt ſo be mindefull of him, that thou ſhouldeſt ſet thine heart upon him, as to give the Sonne of thy love to ſuffer the curſed death of the croſſe, to make us curſed children, firebrands of hell, damned hellhounds, heires of bleſſings and eternall life: Is not here matter of meditation and admiration to take up all the thoughts and hearts of men and Angels. And how ſhould ſuch love fire and inflame our hearts with holy love to God, and Chriſt? How ſhould our hearts grow warme, and hot within Tribue ut concaleat cor meum intra me, & in meditatione mea exardeſcat ignis. Aug. medit c. 17.us? That as David ſpeakes in another caſe, Pſalme 39. 3. Mine heart was hot within me, whileſt I was muſing, the fire burned. So whileſt we are thus muſing, and meditating of the love of Chriſt in his paſſion, the fire ſhould burne, and our hearts ſhould waxe hot within us, the fire, and flame of our love to Chriſt ſhould kindle, and grow hot in our hearts. The view of his paſſion ſhould worke in us an holy Rogo te per illa ſalutifera vulnera tua quae paſſus es in cruce pro ſalute noſtra, e quibus emanavit pretioſus ille ſanguis quo ſumus redempti… vulnera hanc animam meam peccatricem, pro qua etiam mori dignatus es: vulnera eam igneo & potentiſſimo tel… tuae nimiae Charitatis—Configcor meum jaculo tui amoris, ut di cat tibi anima mea, Charitate tua vulnerata ſum, &c. Aug. lib. medit. c. 37.paſſion of love. The view of his wounds ſhould wound our hearts with holy, and enlarged affection to him. Follow, and goe along with CHRIST in all his ſufferings in thy meditations. Begin where his paſſion begun, Iohn 12. 27. follow him thence into the Garden, from thence into the High Prieſts Hall, from thence into the Iudgement Hall, from thence to the Croſſe. There is not a paſſage in all the ſtory that affordes not matter of meditation; and not a meditation that may not ſet forth his love to thee, and kindle thine to him. Thus therefore at the Sacrament ſhould our hearts be imployed in the meditation of CHRISTS death, and paſſion, and thus ſhould we make that good, Cant. 1. 12. Whileſt the King Sit… at his Table, my ſpikenard ſends forth the ſmell thereof: that is, whileſt CHRIST had communion with me, my graces were exerciſed, and manifeſted themſelves, even then whileſt I had fellowſhip with him. As CHRIST ſate at Table Mary tooke a pound of oyntment, of Spikenard very coſtly, and annoynted the feete of Ieſus, and the houſe was filled with the odour of the oyntment. So the King ſits at his table, and when wee ſit at his table in the Sacramēt, we ſhold cauſe our ſpikenards to ſend forth, the ſmell thereof. That we do, when in the ordinance we take up our hearts with the holy meditations of the love of Chriſt, in his bitter paſſion. Such holy meditations are the ſmell of the ſpikenards, and are as pleaſing to Chriſt as Maries ſpikneard was, that filled the whole houſe with the odour therof. This Chriſt commandes, and makes it one maine end of the Inſtitution of the Sacrament. Doe this in remembrance of me, therefore appointed he the Sacrament, that therein we might in ſpeciall manner meditate upon his paſſion, and his love to us therein. David had a Pſalme of Remembrance, Pſalme 38. in the title. But for the death of Chriſt, his love in it, and the benefits by it, we have not onelyonly ſome Pſalmes of Remembrance, as Pſalme 16. 22, and 69. and others, but beſides, the Lord Chriſt hath to the worlds end appointed a Sacrament of Remembrance, that this great worke of CHRISTS death, and his infinite love, and mercy therin might above all other workes bee meditated upon, and had in remembrance. One ſpecially in the Evangeliſts is worth our notice. Some of Chriſts workes are ſpecified only by one Evangeliſt, at his turning of Water to wine, as his healing the ſick man at the poole of Betheſda, his healing that blind man, Ioh. 9. Some of them are ſpecified by two Evangeliſts, as the hiſtory of Chriſts birth by Matthew, and Luke. Some things are recorded by three of them as the Inſtitution of the Sacrament of the Supper. But as for Chriſts death, and Paſſion it is recorded by them all foure. OnelyOnly two write the Hiſtory of his birth, but all foure the Hiſtory of his death, without doubt to teach us, that though all Chriſts workes, and actions are to be ſeriouſly minded, meditated upon, and remembred, yet none ſo ſpeciall as his death, and ſufferings. And therefore ſpecially ſhould his death be meditated upon at the Sacrament, whoſe inſtitution was purpoſely for the remembrance of it. Therefore ought men to make ſpeciall conſcience of this duely. How cold, and dead a remembrance of Chriſts death is the receiving of the Sacrament without this ſerious meditation of the bitterneſſe of his death, and the ſweetneſſe of his love therein? Wee make not good the end of the Sacrament without it, yea wee as much as in us lyes make the Sacrament but a dumbe ſhew. What remembrance is there of Chriſts death in ſuch receiving the Sacrament? Makes it bee in a freſh crucifying him againe by our unworthy receiving.
2 Secondly, An exerciſe of Repentance. And this exerciſe of Repentance muſt be in two things.
1. Firſt, in godly ſorrow for ſinne.
2. Secondly, in a ſolemne renewing of our Covenants with God.
1. First, in godly ſorrow for ſinne, for our owne ſinnes in particular for which Chriſt did undergoe all that ſorrow, and ſmart in his ſufferings. Wee have in the Sacrament a repreſentation of the ſufferings of Chriſt, wee have him crucified before our eyes. Behold, ſaies Iohn, the Lambe of God, that takes away the ſinnes of the world. In the Sacrament ſhould we behold him taking away the ſinnes of the world. In it we ſee, and behold Chriſt crucified, wee ſee his hands, feete, and ſide pierced, now this ſight ſhould ſo affect us, as it ſhould pierce the very hearts of us. What? The bleſſed Sonne of GOD to ſtrip himſelfe of his glory, to humble and abaſe himſelfe to the ignominious, and accurſed death of the Croſſe? The glorious Sonne of GOD thus abuſed, and abaſed, Why? How comes this about? The only begotten Sonne of the Father to make ſuch bitter lamentation, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? What may the cauſe of all this be? Alas, all this was for our ſinnes. It was not Iudas, not the Iewes, not Pilate, not the Souldiers, but they were our ſinnes, thy ſinnes, my ſinnes that put the Sonne of God to all his ſorrow. We, we, and none but we were the evill beaſts that devour'd this Ioſeph. Our ſinnes were ſo heinous, and had ſo provoked the Iuſtice of God, that there was no way to ſatisfie Gods Iuſtice, to appeaſe his wrath, and to make our atonement, but by the pretious bloud of the Sonne of God crucified on the Croſſe. And ſhall I now ſee my ſins lye ſo heavy upon him, as to make him ſweate bloud; ſhall I ſee him even ſqueezed under the huge weight of my ſinnes; ſhall I ſee my ſinnes crowne him with thornes, nayle his hands, and feete to the Croſſe, Gore his ſide with the ſpeare, with an unpierced heart? Oh the deepe ſorrow that our hearts ſhould bee leavened withall when wee ſee Chriſts body bruſing, and bleeding in the Sacrament. Chriſt our Paſſeover is ſanctified for us. The Paſſeover was to be eaten with bitter herbes, or will bitterneſſes Exod. 12. 5. And how happy is that ſoule, that in this reſpect can ſay at the Sacrament as, Lamen. 3. 15. Hee hath filled me with bitterneſſe, hee hath made me drunken with wormewood? It ſhould bee with us at the Sacrament as with them, Zech. 12. 10. They ſhall looke upon him whom they have pierced. And how ſhall that ſight affect them? And they ſhall mourne and bee in bitterneſſe for him, as one that mournes for his only ſonne, as one that is in bitterneſſe for his firſt borne. How bitterly will ſuch a man mourne? So bitterly ſhall they mourne when they looke upon Chriſt whom they have pierced. And great reaſon, for is it not a matter of greater ſorrow to pierce the only Son of God, the firſt borne, the firſt begotten from the dead, then to looſe one onelyonly, or firſt begotten ſonne? So here in the Sacrament we looke upon Chriſt whom wee have pierced, this ſight ſhould fill our hearts with bitterneſſe, ſhould make our hearts full of ſorrow. Not only with an Hiſtoricall ſorrow, or a ſorrow of naturall compaſsion when wee heare or ſee, ſome ſad, or ſorrowfull event, this is nothing, but Homini non eſt neceſſarium ut Chriſtū in ipſius paſſione deploret ſed magis ſeipſū in Chriſto. Luther.with a practicall ſorrow, with an unfained ſorrow of heart, that wee by our perſonall ſinnes have had our hands imbrued in the bloud of the Sonne of GOD, that our ſinnes envenomed thoſe thornes, thoſe nayles that pierced him, and by their venome made them put him to ſuch bitter anguiſh. Have we hearts conformeable Si vis ipſum cognoſcere, ſicut ſe fregit, ita te frange: quia qui dicit ſe in Chriſto manere, debe… ſicut ille ambularit, & ipſe ambulare. Bern. hom. de duob. diſ…euntib▪ ad. Em.to the Chriſt wee ſee in the Sacrament. Thou beholdeſt a broken Chriſt, thou beholdeſt a bleeding Chriſt, thou beholdeſt a bleeding Chriſt, behold him therefore with a broken heart, with a bleeding heart, with a pierced ſpirit. So behold Chriſt in the Sacrament, as the Virgin Mary his Mother beheld him on the Croſſe. And how was that? Woman, ſayes Chriſt, behold thy Son. How did ſhee behold him? Simeon tells her, Luk. 2. 35. That a ſword ſhall paſſe thorow her ſoule. Then did a ſword pierce thorow her ſoule when ſhe beheld him pierced on the Croſſe, that ſight was a ſword through the heart of her. So when wee ſee him pierced in the Sacrament, it ſhould be as a dagger in our hearts. Oh wretch that I am, that my ſinnes have beene thornes on his head, nayles in his hands, and feete, a ſpeare in his ſide: LORD, ſaies David, when he ſaw the people ſlaughtred by the Angels ſword, loe I have ſinned, and I have done wickedly, but theſe ſheepe, what have they done? 2 Sam. 24. 17. So ſay Electe puer Dei mei. quid tanta amaritudine, quid tanta confuſione dignum commiſeras? Prorſus nihil. Ego perditus homo totius proditionis tuae cauſa extiti. Ego domine unam acce…bam comedi, & dentes tui obſtupuerunt: quia quae non rapuiſti tunc exvolveb…s Bernard. Serm. de paſſ. Dom.here, lo I have ſinned, I have done wickedly, but this Innocent, and Immaculate Lambe, what hath he done? It is I that have ſinned, and it is thou Oh LORD that haſt ſmarted. It is I that have ſinned, and it is thou Oh Lord that haſt ſuffered. It is I that have put thee to all theſe ſorrowes, my oathes, my uncleanneſſes, my luſts, my covetouſneſſe, my drunkenneſſe, &c. Theſe were the Iudaſſes that betrayed thee, theſe were the Iewes that crucified thee. Lord I have eaten the ſowre grapes, and thy teeth were ſet on edge, LORD I plaid the thiefe, and thou reſtoredſt the things thou tookeſt not.
Doe this, ſayes Chriſt, in Remembrance of me. Hee would have the Sacrament appointed to renew, and refreſh the remembrance of his ſufferings, that in the remembrance of his ſufferings wee might remember our owne ſinnes the cauſes of them, and bee deepely humbled for them. That as the Prophet ſpeakes in that caſe, Lamen. 3. 19, 20. Remembring mine affliction, and my miſery, the worme-wood, and the gall, my ſoule hath them ſtill in remembrance, and is humbled in mee. So in …is caſe, remembring Chriſts affliction and his miſery, the gall and the worm-wood, our ſoule ſhould ſtill have them in remembrance, and be deepely humbled in us: what a ſweete temper were it to bee at the Sacrament with a melting heart? Mine eye, ſaith the Prophet, affecteth mine heart, Lam. 3. 51. how happy that our eye could effect our heart? we have Chriſt crucified for our ſinnes, in our eye at the Sacrament, ô that that which our eye ſees could affect our heart with ſuch ſorrow for ſinne as becomes. That our vide quomodo his qui Chriſti commemorant paſſionem, inter ſacra officia quaſi per quoſdam canales de interioribus fontibus egrediantur torrentes, & ſuper omnes delicias lachrymis nectarijs anima delectetur—Ros matutinus eſt de caeleſtibus ſtillans, & quaſi unctio ſpiritus mentem deliniens. Gemitus illos pietas excitat—& ſe ſanatam & ſanctificatam agnoſcens fletibus ſe abluit, & lachrymis ſe baptizat. Cypr. de caen. Dom.eye could affect our heart, and our heart could affect our eye, that whileſt wee behold Chriſt ſhedding his bloud for our ſinnes, we could be affected with ſuch ſorrow upon the ſight of our eye, that our heart could melt out at our eyes, and ſhed teares for thoſe ſinnes for which wee ſee Chriſt ſhed his bloud. That we could turne the Sacrament of the Supper, into a baptiſme of teares, and could waſh, and baptiſe our ſelves with the teares of Repentance, as Saint Cyprian ſpeakes. It was layde to the charge of thoſe unkinde husbands, Malach. 2. 13. that by their unkindneſſes they cauſed their wives, when they ſhould have been cheerefull in Gods ſervice, to cover the Altar of the Lord with teares with weeping, and with crying out inſomuch that he regarded not the offering any more, nor received it with good will at their hands. But how happy were it with us that wee could ſo bee affected with our unkindneſſe to CHRIST our Husband, that we could cover the Lord's Table with our teares, with weeping, and with crying out, how then would the Lord regarde our ſervice the more, and receive our receiving with good will at our hands?Vere poteſt conſcindere cor meū miſerum, & ſanguineis lachrimis madefacere: quia ecce creator meus pro me ſanguineo rore prefunditur, nec levi quidem ſed decurrente in terram. Vae miſero cordi, quod ta…, & tanto …udore non madeſcit perfuſum. Bern. de paſſ. Dō. tract. c. 37.
Alas, alas, for the hardneſſe of our hearts, that we can ſee our Lord all in his gore bloud for our ſins, his bloud ſhedding upon the earth, and that our hearts cannot be rent, and bleed teares of bloud, that this bloud moyſtens not, and ſoftens not our hard hearts! Conſider yee and call for the mourning women, and ſend for cunning women that they may come, ſaith the Prophet, Ier. 9. 17, 18. that they may come. And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may runne down with teares, and our eylids guſh out with waters. So when ye be come to the Lord's Table, conſider ye, conſider ye, O lacrymae, ubi yos ſubtaxiſtis? O lacrimae ubi eſtis? Vbi eſtis fontes lachrymarum? Movemini obſecro ad fletum meum, fontes lachrymarum fluite ſuper faciem meä, Rigate maxillas meas Date mihi planctū amarum. Ber. de mod. ben. viv. ſerm. 27. Miſerum me, quomodo ſic inſenſata facta eſt anima mea.—Miſerum me, quomodo ſic induruit cor meum, ut oculi mei uon indeſinenter producant flumina lachry. marum. Aug. med. c. 34. Percute Domine, percute obſecro hanc durisſimam mentem meam,—& ſic de capite meo educ aquam immenſam, & de oculis meis verū fontem lachrymarum. Aug. med c. 37.what is before you. Call for mourning hearts, call for mourning affections, call for ſad, and ſighing ſpirits, call for teares, that your eyes may run downe with teares, and your eylids guſh out with waters. Say with the ſame Prophet, Ier. 9. 1. Oh that mine head were waters, and mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe, &c. Ah our rocky hearts, harder then the neither milſtone, that cannot diſſolve into rivers of teares upon the view of ſo ſad a ſpectacle as the ſight of CHRIST hanging crucified on the Croſſe for our ſins. Smite LORD, thou that canſt bring water out of the rockes, and canſt turne the flint into a ſtanding poole, LORD ſmite thou this rocky heart, breake thou this heart of flint, and make the waters guſh out abundantly. And this is the firſt exerciſe of repentance at the Sacrament.
2 The ſecond exerciſe of repentance at the Sacrament is in a ſolemne renewing of our vowes, and covenants Plinius ſub Trajano ſcripſit ſolitos ſtato die convenire Chriſtianos ante lucem, carmenq, Chriſto quaſi Deo cō muni voce dicere: Poſtea ſe Sacramento obſtringere, non in ſcelus aliquod, ſed ne furta, ne latrocinia, ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depoſitum appellati ab negarent. Centur. Magdeb. Cent. 2. c. 6.with GOD to hate, forſake, and renounce all our former ſins, luſts, vanities, unprofitableneſſe, and to walke more cloſely, and watchfull then ever before. The word Sacrament is a latine word that ſignifies an Oath, to receive the Sacrament is to take, and receive an Oath, And when we receive the Sacrament we ſhould binde our ſelves in a ſolemne Covenant with God to forſake all our ſins, and to walk in new and better obedience before GOD. And that practice of repentance riſes thus. In the Sacrament I ſee CHRIST crucified for my ſins. And was CHRIST crucified for my ſins? Surely then I reſolve, and vow too, and covenant with God that I will uſe my ſins as I ſee they have uſed CHRIST. They pierced him, I will pierce them, they killed, and put him to death, LORD I will doe by them, as they have done by thee, I will kill, crucifie, and put them to death. LORD CHRIST thou gaveſt thy ſelfe for me. Behold here I am, and here I give my ſelfe to thee. That ſame is to be done in the Sacrament which we finde, Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18. This day the Lord hath commanded thee to doe theſe Statutes, &c. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and &c. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day, &c. So may it bee ſaid of a Sacrament day; This day the LORD thy GOD hath commanded thee to keepe his Statutes, &c. And this day thou haſt avouched the LORD to be thy GOD, and to walke is his wayes, &c. And this day the LORD hath avouched thee to be one of his. There ſhould be in a Sacrament a mutuall avouchment between GOD, and his people. When wee come to the Sacrament, as wee come that GOD may avouch us for his people, ſo we ſhould come to avouch him for our GOD, and that we will keepe his Commandements. We can have no comfort in the uſe of the Sacrament, unleſſe in it God avouch us for his people. And wee have no reaſon to thinke that God will avouch us for his people, unleſſe wee will avouch him to be our GOD, and covenant with him the renoucing of our luſts, and yeelding him obedience. This therefore is to be done in the Sacrament, Lord avouch me for thine, as I avouch, and covenant my ſelfe to be thine in all obedience to thy Commandements.
It muſt be with us at a Sacrament, as it was with the Iewes of ancient in a Sacrifice. In Sacrifices the people did not onelyonly offer their oblation, and performe that ſervice, but withall they did in Sacrificing renew, and make their covenants afreſh, the covenants of offering up themſelves a living, and acceptable Sacrifice, of mortification of their brutiſh luſts, of an holy, and obedient life. So much implyes, as that Rom. 12. 1. So that place, Pſal. 50. 5. Gather my Saints together, thoſe that have made a covenant with me by Sacrifice. Therefore in Sacrifices there was a making of covenant with GOD. The ſame muſt be done in the Sacrament of the Supper, wee muſt there renew our Baptiſmall covenant. For in the Sacrament there is, and muſt be a mutuall ſtipulation, and ſponſion betweene GOD, and the ſoule of a Communicant, that as we expect GOD ſhould binde himſelfe to us, ſo hee expects that wee ſhould binde our ſelves to him. As David joynes the cup of ſalvation, and the paying of his vowes together, Pſal. 116. 13, 14. I will take the cup of my ſalvation, I will pay my vowes unto the Lord, ſo ſhould wee joyne the cup of bleſsing and the making of our vowes together, I will take the cup of bleſsing, I will make my vowes unto the Lord now in the preſence of all his people. And thus in theſe two things muſt there be a practice of repentance at the receiving of the Sacrament.