A Worthy Communicant, Treatise · Chapter 17
Chap. 17. Excitation of earneſt deſires after Chriſt; and a ſtrong expectation to receive him and his benefits.
CHAP. 17 THE fourth thing to bee done in actuall preparation, is the excitation and stirring up in our ſelves ſtrong and earnest deſires, that we may come with inlarged hearts and affections, with hungring and thirſting deſires after Chriſt in his Ordinance, and after the Ordinance in which Chriſt is to be had. This is the due Order that God requires; hee that comes thus, comes in due Order. So ſhould men come to the Sacrament, as Chriſt to that Paſſeover, Luke 22. 15. With deſire have I deſired to eat this Paſſeover with you: that is, I have exceedingly, earneſtly, and heartily deſired to eat it with you; not deſired it, but deſired it with deſire. Single deſires will not ſerve the turne, but a man muſt come with deſiring deſires, with double deſires, with earneſt and ſtrong deſires, that will ſeek God after the due Order. God muſt be ſought after the ſame order in the Sacrament, as in other his Ordinances. After this Order muſt GOD bee ſought in all his Ordinances, Pſa. 63. 1. O God, thou art my God, early will I ſeeke thee. There is the duty of ſeeking. He will ſeeke God in his Ordinances, in his Word, Worſhip, Sacrifices, &c. Well, but after what Order will he ſeeke him? After the due Order. How is that? with longing, thirſting, enlarged deſires of ſpirit, My ſoule thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee. Then comes a man to Gods Ordinances, and ſo to the Sacrament in due Order, when hee comes with theſe thirſting, longing deſires. So ſhould a man come to the Sacrament, as an hungry man comes to his meat, as a thirſty man to his drinke. A man that is hungry, is not only willing to eat, a man that is thirſty, is not onelyonly willing to drinke, but he ſtrongly longs after his meat, and drinke; with deſire he deſires it, and thinks it very long till he have it. In the Sacrament there is not only food, but a Feaſt, ſuch a Feaſt as that, Iſay 25. 6. If an hungry man will long after food, what will he doe after a Feaſt, after a Feaſt of choice dainties? How needfull this diſpoſition is, appeares by theſe things.
1 Firſt, onelyonly ſuch are invited to the Sacrament, as are invited to come to Chriſt: for what come they to the Sacrament for, but to come to Chriſt. Now they onelyonly are invited to come to Chriſt, and they onelyonly are fit to come to Chriſt, that doe hunger and thirſt after him with inlarged deſires, Iſa. 55. 1. Iohn 7. 37. Apoc. 22. 17. So muſt they be qualified that will receive Chriſt, and ſo muſt they bee qualified alſo that will receive him in the Sacrament. It is cheerely comming to the Sacrament, when a man knowes he ſhall be welcome. He ſhall be ſure to be welcome that is invited, and the deſiring, hungry, thirſty, enlarged ſpirit, is undoubtedly invited.
2 Secondly, to ſuch onelyonly is the end of the Sacrament made good. As ſuch are only invited, ſo ſuch are onelyonly fed and feaſted. What come we to the Sacrament for? Come we not to be made partakers of the good things there prepared for us? God, he prepares, and makes ready for us, Mat. 22. 4. And when we come, we come to eat the good things GOD hath prepared, and made ready for us. Now if wee would eat thoſe things which GOD hath prepared for us, we muſt come prepared with hunger, thirſt, and deſires after theſe things. And when we come thus qualified, wee ſhall bee ſure to meet with a bleſſing, and to feed upon that which God hath prepared. God that would have men deale their bread to the hungry, Iſay, 58. 7. will certainly himſelfe much more deale bread to an hungry ſoule, Pſa. 107. 9. For he ſatisfieth the longing ſoule, and fils the hungry with goodneſſe. Do we not come to the Sacrament to be filled, to be ſatisfied? would we not be loth to be ſent away lanke and empty? They that come with longing ſoules, ſhall be ſent away with ſatisfied ſoules. Iſay 44. 3. I will powre water upon him that is thirsty, and flouds upon the drie ground. Not drop, but powre, not a ſhowre, but a floud. So liberally God anſwers hungring and enlarged deſires. There is a phraſe, Iſa. 58. 10. If thou draw out thy ſoule to the hungry. When men come hungry to his Ordinance, God will draw out his ſoule to ſatisfie them. We ſhall ſee it made good in Davids caſe, Pſa. 63. 1. My ſoule thirſteth, my fleſh longeth. What came of it? Did hee long in vaine? Did hee loſe his longing? No: but Verſe 5. My ſoule ſhall bee ſatisfied as with morrow and fatneſſe, and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyfull lips. So aboundantly ſhould his heart be ſatisfied and cheered, with the fat and ſweet of GODS Ordinances, that hee ſhould breake out into the praiſes of GOD, What an excellent thing is it to taſte the marrow and fat of Gods Ordinances! much more to feed on it! much more to feed unto fulneſſe and ſatisfaction! whoſe teeth would not water after ſuch curious delicates? Bring longing, hungry enlarged deſires, and fat, and marrow ſhall be our portion. For herein hath ſpirituall hunger an advantage above bodily. Bodily hunger a man may hunger withall, and yet his hunger helpes him to no meat nor ſatisfaction: But ſpirituall hunger doth, as having the promiſe of ſatisfaction. Chriſt out of his compaſſions will liberally releeve all hungry Ecce, pauper venio ad te divitem, miſer ad miſericordem, ne recedam vac… us, vel contemptus. Eſu…iens incipio te quaere…e, ne deſerar … te jejunus. Famelicus accedo, ne …ecedam impaſtus. Et ſi antequam comedam ſuſpiro, da vel poſt ſuſpiria ut comedam. Auguſt. lib. medit. c. 39.ſoules that with deſire ſeek after him. Excellent is that place, Mat. 15. 32. Then Ieſus called his Diſciples unto him, and ſaid, I have compaſsion on the multitude, becauſe they continue with me now three dayes, and have nothing to eat, and I will not ſend them away faſting, leſt they faint in the way. He that would not out of his compaſſions ſend away the multitude with faſting bodies, leſt they ſhould faint; how much more, thinke we, will he compaſſionately regard an hungry ſoule, and not ſend it away faſting from the Sacrament, leſt it ſhould faint. Chriſts compaſſions will not ſuffer him to ſend away an hungry ſoule faſting. Alas, he knowes it would faint if it ſhould come empty, and goe away empty, if it ſhould come hungry, and goe away hungry.
3 Thirdly, the more ſtrength in our deſires, the more hunger in our ſpirits, the more aboundant and the more plentifull ſatisfaction. The more our hearts are inlarged in our deſires, the more Gods hand will be inlarged in his bounty, Pſal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. God hath an open hand, for all that have an open mouth. God hath an hand wide open, for ſuch as have their mouthes wide open. A mouth wide opened, ſhall be a mouth full filled. A wide mouth ſhall be a full mouth. God will inlarge himſelfe to all that come to him with inlarged hearts. Gods admeaſurements of grace and ſpirituall good, are ſuitable to mens inlargements and dilations of their ſpirits. Three things fit a Veſſell to receive a great meaſure of liquor. 1. When it is of large capacity. A ſmall Veſſell may be filled, but yet a ſmall Veſſell cannot have ſo much infuſed into it, as a Veſſell that is of larger capacity. The larger the bucket is that is let downe into the Well, the more water it brings up. 2. When it is an open Veſſell. Though a Veſſell be of ſufficient capacity, yet if the Veſſell bee ſhut, and the mouth of it cloſed up, though it be throwne into the Sea where there is water enough, yet it fils not. 3. When it is wide open. Though the mouth of a Veſſell be open, yet if it be not wide open, it doth not fill ſo readily. Take a Bottle, or a narrow-mouth'd Glaſſe, and dowſe it under the water, and yet it may bee pulled up againe with little or no water in it, though it bee of great capacity, becauſe the narrowneſſe of the mouth hinders the ready and quick paſſage of water into it. A wide-mouth'd Veſſell, as a Paile or Bucket, is no ſooner under water, but it is inſtantly filled, becauſe the mouth of the Veſſell is wide and broade. So when we come to Gods Ordinances, to the Sacrament, wee ſhould come ſo as to be filled, wee ſhould come to get as liberall largeſſes as poſſibly we can. The way to doe that, is to have our hearts Veſſels of competent capacity, to have them opened, to have them wide opened. The way to doe theſe things, is to have our hearts inlarged with hungring and longing deſires. Such enlarged deſires open the mouth, & open it wide; and when our mouthes are opened, God will open his hand, his filling hand. As therefore we deſire to have the Lord fill our mouthes when we come to the Lords Table, ſo let us get our mouthes wide open. When wee come to the Sacrament, why come wee? Is it not that wee may eat our fill of Chriſts body, and drink our fill of his bloud? Is it not that we may go from the Lords Table as Chriſt went from Iordan, full of the Holy Ghoſt? As we deſire to have full mouthes, ſo let us bring opened, wide opened mouthes. When men come to the Sacrament with hearts enlarged, and hungring deſires, Chriſt will give ſuch a Commandement to the Sacrament, as he did to thoſe ſervants concerning the water-pots, and it ſhall doe as they did, Iohn 2. 7. Ieſus ſaid unto them, fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. So in this caſe will Chriſt ſay, Loe, here be men come with inlarged hearts, with earneſt and ſtrong deſires, I ſee they have opened their mouthes wide; fill them with my Spirit, with my vertues, and efficacies, fill them with ſpirituall ſtrength againſt their corruptions, fill them with power to walke in obedience: and upon this command of Chriſt, the Sacrament ſhall empty it ſelfe with an aboundant bleſſing upon their ſoules, yea, it ſhall fill them up to the brim. What an happy thing is it to be full, brim-full of Chriſt? A mouth wide open, will be a meanes to fill the heart full, brimme full of Chriſt. That man comes happily to the Sacrament indeed, that can ſay after his being at the Sacrament, as they did in that caſe, Pſal. 126. 2, 3. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with ſinging. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Now, wouldeſt thou be able after a Sacrament to ſay, When I was at the Sacrament, then was my mouth filled with laughter, my tongue with ſignging, and mine heart with ſpirituall comfort and joy; The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad. Wouldeſt thou after a Sacrament be able thus to ſay? Why then when thou goeſt to the Sacrament, Open thy mouth, and open thy mouth wide, and GOD will fill thy mouth with laughter, and thine heart with ſpirituall joy. It is true, that a great many goe from the Sacrament, and their mouthes are not filled with laughter, but with complaints, with ſad complaints of the little good they receive at the Sacrament. Many come from the Sacrament with empty mouthes, empty hearts? And what may the reaſon of it be? Is not God as bountifull as he was wont to be? Yes ſurely: he is the ſame God that ever, his hand is not ſhortned; but the very reaſon is, that men come with ſhut mouthes, or at leſt, with their mouthes but narrowly opened; and ſhut mouthes, and narrow mouthes, muſt needs be empty mouthes. Wee open not, therfore God fils not; we open not wide, therefore God fils not full. Is the Sea empty, becauſe a ſtopt Veſſell is not filled when throwne into it? Is there no water in the River, becauſe a narrow mouth'd Veſſell brings up ſo little? Surely there is a ſufficiency of all ſpirituall good, in Chriſt a fulneſſe of bleſsing in Gods Ordinance: all the fault is in our own indiſpoſition, we come wth dead, liveleſſe, formall, narrow, ſtraight, and cloſed hearts, and that is the very bane of the buſineſſes, See how Saint Paul ſpeakes to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6. 11, 12. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is inlarged, yee are not ſtraitned in us, but yee are ſtraitned in your owne bowels. So ſayes Chriſt: O ye ſons of men, mine hand is full, mine hand, and mine heart is open unto you, mine Ordinance in the Sacrament is open unto you; that is not ſtraitned in its owne nature, but it is ready to powre out it ſelfe to you. What is the matter then that ye go away ſo empty mouthed? ye are straitned in your owne bowels, you have not opened mouthes, nor inlarged hearts. Certainly, if men could come to the Sacrament, as Hannah did to that ſervice of Thankſgiving, 1 Sam. 2. 1. it would be farre otherwiſe with us; Mine heart, ſaith ſhe, is inlarged over mine enemies. So if we could ſay, mine heart is inlarged towards my Saviour, my deſires, and hunger is inlarged after him, we ſhold then finde Gods hand ſuitably inlarged to our hearts.
Queſt. But how ſhould a man get his mouth wide opened, how ſhould he get his deſires thus inlarged after Chriſt?
Anſw. 1. Firſt, get a ſenſe and a ſight of Chriſts worth, and thine owne wants. Offer meat and drinke to a man that is full, and he will not open his mouth to receive it, The full deſpiſes the honey-combe; but let a man alone till his ſtomack be empty, and when once he feeles the pinches and twitches of emptineſſe, and when once he feeles the want of meat and drinke, and ſo begins to prize the worth of it, he will quickly open his mouth, and open it wide, readily, and greedily too, if food be preſented to him. Such a ſenſe of the want and the worth of Chriſt, would open our mouth wide indeed. There is nothing ſo ſhuts up our mouthes as our ſenſeleſſeneſſe of our wants, and the worth of Chriſt. The pincht Prodigall can thinke upon, and deſire the bread in his Fathers houſe. Labour therefore to affect thine heart with the ſenſe of thy want of Chriſt; labour to feele how miſerable thou art without him; labour to ſee his riches, excellencies, and all his allſufficiencies, theſe things would be as keyes to unlock and open our ſhut mouthes.
2 Secondly, labour in private, before you come to the Sacrament, by your owne endeavours, to ſtretch and widen your mouthes. Strive by much prayer to get thine heart inlarged. Inlargements of the heart in private prayer, will fit the heart for inlargement in the Sacrament. One duty affords contribution to another, and one duty diſpoſes to another. Labour to have thine heart inlarged by private meditations and workings upon the promiſes. This is that which is the miſchiefe of all, Men put off the worke of opening their mouthes, till in a manner they be opening their mouthes to receive the Elements, and having the work then to doe, they are ſo ſhut up in hardneſſe, and deadneſſe, that they cannot by any meanes open their mouthes at all. The heart will not on a ſudden, and at a beck, be brought into a Sacramentall frame; it is a worke that will ask time and paines. The opening of the ſpirituall mouth, and the widening of it, is not ſo ſoone, nor ſo eaſily done, as the opening of the bodily mouth. It is a worke that muſt bee done gradually, and with ſome ſtriving before hand. It will aske much prayer. The ſame God that muſt fill them, it is even he that muſt open them, and therefore hee muſt be ſought to earneſtly. It will aske much meditation and ſtrugling in private. A man that would make a bladder capacious to hold ſpices, he blowes it, and rubs it, and blowes and rubs it many times over, and all to make it the larger. If a man were promiſed, that on ſuch a day hee ſhould have as much money as his purſe would hold, how would hee every day before be ſtretching, and reaching his purſe, that by little and little hee might ſtretch it to ſuch a bigneſſe and capacity, that it might receive a great ſumme. If therefore thou wouldeſt have thy heart capacious and large at the Sacrament, bee often before the Sacrament ſtrugling with thine owne heart, and get it well inlarged by the ſerious uſe of private helpes. Our cuſtomary formality undoes us. When we ſhould be eating and drinking, then have wee our mouthes to open. How can they eat and drinke, whoſe mouthes are not opened? It is ſaid of Solomon in another caſe, 1 King. 4. 29. God gave Solomon largeneſſe of heart, as the ſand that is on the Sea ſhoare. It is ſaid of Hell, Iſai. 5. 14. that Hell hath enlarged her ſelfe, and opened her mouth without meaſure. Now if it were thus with our hearts, that we had largeneſſe of heart, as the ſand on the Sea ſhore, if our hearts were inlarged, and our mouthes opened without meaſure, yet were there aboundantly enough in Chriſt to fill our hearts, and ſatiſfie the hungring deſires of our ſoules: our deſires cannot exceed Chriſts riches, nor Gods bounty, he is able to give above all that we can aske or thinke: and therefore let us labour with all our might, for a diſtention, and a dilation of our hearts and deſires, ſtretch, and widen them to the utmoſt we poſſibly can.
Object. Men ſeeme generally to have theſe inlarged deſires, this hunger and thirſt; for how deſirous doe men ſeeme to be to come to the Sacrament, and how wondrous ill would they take it to be kept back?
Anſw. There be falſe hungers, and falſe thirſts, falſe deſires. 1. Firſt, there is a deſire that comes from cuſtome and faſhion. It is the cuſtome of the Time, or the cuſtome of the Towne, and by any meanes they will bee neighbour-like; and becauſe others go to the Sacrament, they muſt needs go too. It is not any deſire of Chriſt, nor any hungring after him in his Ordinance, that drawes them on, but only a deſire to doe as others doe. You ſhall ſee many deſire to go to a Feaſt, whither they ſee all their neighbours go, and will take it exceeding ill, if they be not invited; not becauſe they want a meales meat, or becauſe they greatly care for the cheere, but becauſe the reſt of their neighbours go, and it would be ſome diſgrace to them to bee left out; and therefore are very deſirous to goe, though they weigh not the cheere a whit, when they come there. 2. Secondly, there is a deſire that comes from ſuperſtition. Many have a ſtrong conceit, That the very deed doing, what ever they be that do it, and how ever they doe it, will work wonders with them. They are perſwaded, that if they do but receive the Sacrament, that they ſhall receive ſome good thing, though they know no more than the poſt, what good thing it is that is to be received. This is a ſuperſtitious thirst. 3. Thirdly, there is a true thirſt, and a right hunger indeed. And this is diſcerned and diſtinguiſhed from the other by theſe things.
1 Firſt, by the object of it, for it is directly carried after Chriſt, fellowſhip, and communion with him, and fruition of him and his benefits, Pſal. 42. 1, 2. My ſoule panteth after thee, O God, my ſoule thirſteth for God, for the living God, when ſhall I come and appeare before God? This neither doe ignorant nor ſuperſtitious perſons doe. Experience proves it, for when they are queſtioned withall what makes them deſirous to come to the Sacrament, either they can give no reaſon why they deſire to come, or elſe never give any ſuch reaſon as this. Their deſires, at the beſt, are but after the worke and the performance, beyond which they never looke.
2 Secondly, by the grounds of it: for the grounds of true deſires, 1. Either a ſenſe of the want of Chriſt, a ſelfe-emptineſſe. Want of drinke makes men thirſt, want of meat makes men hunger. So true deſires come from the ſenſe of a mans owne wants and emptineſſe, which can only bee ſupplied, and ſatisfied by Chriſt. 2. Or elſe from the ſenſe of former ſweetneſſe and goodneſſe of Chriſt in the uſe of the Ordinance. A man hath formerly received the Sacrament, and in the uſe of it hath found aboundance of ſweetneſſe in communion with CHRIST, hath found pardon ſealed, faith ſtrengthned, hath found his heart inlivened, and inlarged, hath gotten ſome power againſt his luſts, ſome ſtrength unto obedience: and having formerly received ſome good by it, this quickens and ſtirres up his deſires, and makes them the more vehement after Chriſt and his Ordinance. But with ignorant and ſuperſtitious perſons, it is not ſo. It is neither a ſenſe of preſent wants, nor feeling of former benefit that moves their deſires to come.
3 Thirdly, by the qualities or properties of it. They are theſe:
1 Firſt, an holy kinde of impatience in the want of the Ordinance. A man in bodily hunger and thirſt, growes impatient in caſe of delay, thinkes every minute ſeven, till hee come where he may have that which will ſatisfie. True deſires, ſpecially in caſe of delay, thinke long, till they be at the Ordinance where Chriſt is to be had. It is not once in a yeere will ſerve his turne. An hungry man eats oft, a thirſty man drinkes oft, and thinkes long till he comes to his meat, and drink. It is ſo here, Pſa. 42. 1, 2. My ſoule thirſteth, when ſhall I come? Not ſo with ignorant, formall, and ſuperſtitious ones. Let all be but agreed to ſtay from the Sacrament, and once in a yeere will richly ſuffice them.
2 Secondly, nothing quiets the heart, nor can ſtill the craving deſires of it, but injoyment of Chriſt in his Ordinance. When a man is heartily hungry, and thirſty, nothing ſatisfies him but meat and drinke. Give him what elſe you will, yet ſtill he craves meate and drink. So give a man what you will, that deſires Chriſt in the Ordinance, yet his ſoule is not quiet and ſatisfied. Give him the Ordinance, yet if hee have not Chriſt in the Ordinance, his deſires are not at quiet. Formality, and ſuperſtition, let them but do the outward worke, let them but receive the outward Elements, though they receive nothing at all elſe, yet they are well a-payd, and their ſpirits highly well contented. They thinke themſelves as well as a Sacrament can make them.
3 Thirdly, great and ſweet contentment in the uſe of the Ordinance. What ſweet contentment doth an hungry man finde in eating his meat, in drinking his drinke, Iudg. 15. 19. When hee had drunke, his ſpirit came againe and he revived, Prov. 25. 25. As cold waters to a thirsty ſoule, ſo is good newes from a far Country. The Proverbe implies a great deale of contentment, that a thirſty man takes in drinking cold waters. No ſuch ſweet findes formality, or ſuperſtition, in the uſe of the Sacrament. And ſo much may ſuffice for this fourth thing.
5 The fifth thing to bee done in actuall preparation is, To raiſe up in our ſelves, and to come with a ſtrong expectation of the benefits to bee received in the Sacrament. There be excellent and precious things to bee received in the Sacrament. As in the inſtitution we have a commandement to eat and drinke, Take and eat: ſo we have a promiſe from Chriſt of excellent things to be diſpenſed in this Ordinance. Take and eat: why, what if we take and eat? what ſhall we take, and what ſhall we eat? What is it that is to be had in the uſe of this Ordinance? This is my body. Drinke ye all of this; What ſhall wee drinke? This is my bloud. So then Chriſt in the inſtitution of this Sacrament, hath promiſed that worthy receivers ſhall eat his body, ſhall drinke his bloud. In the Sacrament Chriſt tenders his body to be eaten, and his bloud to be drunke; and promiſes that he will give thoſe things to the faithfull receiver. Now then when we come to the Sacrament, we ſhould come with an expectation to have theſe promiſes made good, we ſhould come with a full account to receive theſe things promiſed. When Peter and Iohn went up to the Temple, the Creeple asking an almes of them, Acts 3. 4. they faſtning their eyes on him, ſaid unto him, looke on us. And the Text ſayes, hee gave heed unto them, expecting to receive ſomething of them. And his expectation was not diſappointed, he received ſomething, and a better thing than he expected. When we come to the Sacrament, we ſhould give good heed to the Sacramentall promiſes, and ſhould have a fixed eye upon them, expecting to receive ſomething from them, and from the Ordinance. And ſurely ſuch expectation of ours ſhould not be diſappointed. If we come with expectation, God would never ſend us away without ſatisfaction in our expectation. We never finde any that came to Chriſt to be healed, or holpen in any kinde, but they came to him with a ſtrong expectation to receive the benefit they came for. If a Leper came, he came with expectation of cleanſing. If a blind man came, he came with expectation of his ſight. If a lame man came, he came with expectation of the reſtitution of his limbs. And we never reade in all the Goſpell, that ever any man that came with an expectation of any good from him, that was turned away with his expectation deceived. If I have cauſed the eyes of the widdow to faile, ſayes Iob, Chap. 31. 16. Poore Widowes, that were oppreſſed and wronged by others, or that were in want, and needed ſuccour, they came to Iob, and they came to him with expectation, that he would aſſuredly pleaſure them. Their eyes were to Iob, and Iob ſeeing that they came to him with ſuch an expectation, he by no meanes would cauſe the expecting eyes of the Widow to faile. If we would ſo come to the Sacrament with our eyes to Chriſt, and to his promiſes, expecting his making good his promiſes to us, hee would not cauſe our eyes to faile. Thus therefore reſolve, Chriſt hath promiſed to give in the Sacrament his body and his bloud, to give the benefits of his death, he hath promiſed to ſeale pardon, to manifeſt himſelfe, to give power againſt luſts, &c. I will therefore now go to this Ordinance, with a particular expectation of ſuch and ſuch a particular bleſſing as my ſoule ſtands in need of. And moſt ſure it is, that the want of this duty proves very prejudiciall to us. How come many from the Sacrament without any benefit, or good at all. How fals it out ſo? They have as much as they expected; as they went expecting nothing, ſo they come away receiving nothing. God will not drop downe his bleſſings upon oſcitant and negligent hearts. We our ſelves will not give unto others where wee know there is no ſuch thing expected from us.