A Worthy Communicant, Treatise · Chapter 8
Chap. 8. The Neceſsity of obedience in an Orderly Communicant.
CHAP. 8 THe laſt thing remaines requiſite in Habituall preparation to the Sacrament, and that is obedience to GOD, and his Commandements. Hee that will come after the due order muſt bee ſuch an one as Pſal. 50. 23. That orders his converſation aright. That he doth, that walkes orderly according to the rule of Gods Word, and in obedience thereto. Such an orderly man muſt he be that will be an orderly Communicant. It is impoſſible for him to be an orderly Communicant who is a diſorderly man. He walkes diſorderly that walkes diſobediently, 2 Theſ. 3. 7. That walkes diſorderly. Who is he that doth ſo? verſe 14. If any man obey not our word. And if it were poſſible to have all the former things without this, yet the want of this would marre all. For CHAP. 7 what though a man had all knowledge, and all underſtanding that can fall within a mortall capacity, yet what is it all if obedience were wanting. All ſuch knowledge is as ignorance, 1 Iohn 2. 3, 4. Hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements, He that ſaith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. There be that ſee many things, and yet are blinde, Iſa. 42. 19, 20. and that becauſe obedience is wanting. And how welcome ignorant, and blinde perſons be to the Sacrament we ſaw before. And what evidence is there of the truth of faith where obedience is wanting? Thou ſayeſt thou haſt faith when thou commeſt to the Sacrament, ſhew me thy faith by thy works, by thine obedience. As faith is the principall of all true obedience, ſo obedience is the evidence of true faith. He that is wanting in obedience muſt needs be wanting in faith, and he that coms to the Sacrament without faith CHAP. 8 comes to no purpoſe. And how will it appeare that that man hath repented, and truly turned from his ſin, who is not yet in the wayes of obedience. There is no man repents but he brings forth fruits worthy of repentance. The fruits of obedience are the fruits beſeeming repentance. And how is there love without obedience, when love is the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13. 8. How can the Law bee fulfilled without obedience. So needfull is obedience to qualify a man for the Sacrament. A mans care muſt be to eate, and drinke worthily. He that will doe ſo, muſt have a care to doe that, Col. 1. 10. To walke worthy of the Lord. He that is an unworthy walker can never be a worthy receiver. But how may a man walke worthily, or what is it to walke worthy of GOD? The Apoſtle teaches us what it is in the ſame place, That yee might walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing being fruitfull in every good worke. So that to walke obediently is to walke worthily. And ſuch a worthy walking fits for a worthy receiving.
It is that which GOD regards more then all outward performances, then the ſervices of his worſhip. It is a common error in many men to thinke that if they performe the outward duties of worſhip they doe enough, and that theſe alone are highly well pleaſing to God though no more be done. They thinke, ſo long as they pray, heare the Word, receive the Sacrament all is wondrous well, though they make no conſcience of obedience to Gods will otherwiſe; Though they obey not yet becauſe they doe duties of worſhip that they doe God very acceptable ſervice, whereas the truth is that when we give not God obedience, all ſervices have poore acceptance. Profeſſion of Religion, and godlineſſe a good thing it is, but yet a vaine thing without obedience. Excellent ſpeech becomes not a foole, Pro. 17. 7. And what though Iſrael cry, my God wee knowe thee, what is this to the purpoſe ſo long as Iſrael hath caſt off the thing that is good, Hoſ. 8. 2, 3. Diſobedient profeſſion is abominable and a kinde of Athiſme denying GOD, Tit. 1. 16. And as profeſſion, ſo performances vaine. Their ſacrifices without obedience as acceptable as a Dogges head, or as Swines bloud, Iſa. 66. 3. Hearing without obedience as good as nothing, Ezek. 33. 31, 32. no more then hearing a ſong, or a Muſician. GOD is highly well pleaſed with prayer, and yet he that prayes to God and yeelds him not obedience will finde poore ſpeede, Prov. 28. 9. He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law, even his prayer ſhall be abomination. Yea the receiving of Sacraments is to as little purpoſe as all the reſt, Rom. 2. 25, 26. Circumciſion profits with obedience. Circumciſion is made uncircumciſion without obedience, and uncircumciſion with obedience preferred before circumciſion without. Circumciſion profits if thou keepe the Law, ſo receiving the Communion profits, and thou ſhalt finde benefit and good by it, if thou be one that walkeſt in obedience to GOD. But if thou be a breaker of the Law thy circumciſion is made uncircumciſion. So if thou be not obedient to GOD and his Law thy receiving is no better then not receiving. It is a good thing to come to the Sacrament, but it is a better thing to give God obedience, and it is the beſt of all, when firſt giving GOD obedience wee then come to receive the Sacrament. That which Samuel ſpeakes to Saul is true in this caſe, 1 Sam. 15. 22. Behold, to obey is better then ſacrifice. Sacrifice was a ſolemne ſervice. Saul thought ſacrifice was a goodly thing, and ſo it was when performed with obedience, but he thought if God had ſacrifice, it was no matter for obedience. Therefore Samuel teaches him another leſſon, that his obedience without a ſacrifice had beene better then a ſacrifice without obedience. And ſo behold, to obey is better then to receive Sacraments. There were diverſe reaſons why obedience was better then ſacrifice. 1. Becauſe obedience was more ſpiritual then ſacrifice. 2. Sacrifice was only at ſet, and ſolemne times, obedience was to be daily, hourly. 3. Sacrifice wicked men might and did offer, Cain ſacrificed as well as Abel; obedience onelyonly could a good man performe, a wicked man obeyed not God. 4. Sacrifice was nothing if ſeparated from obedience, obedience ſeparated from, and performed without ſacrifice might be acceptable. 5. Obedience qualified, and fitted a man for ſacrifice, and prepared him to be an acceptable ſacrificer. But ſacrifice fitted not a diſobedient perſon unto obedience. Therefore to obey was better then to ſacrifice. VponUpon the ſame grounds to obey is alſo better then to receive Sacraments. It is a more ſpirituall ſervice then bare receiving, it is a continuall and a more daily duty; it is duty which many doe not, cannot do, that yet receive the Sacraments: it may be accepted when the Sacrament is not received, not the receiving of the Sacrament accepted without it; and it is that which qualifies and prepares a receiver for the Sacrament. And how needfull it is for a Communicant to bee prepared thus, will appeare by theſe things:
1 Firſt, when we come to the Sacrament, we come to eat the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt, wee come to eate Chriſt. It is but a folly to hope to eat Chriſt, when we yeeld not God obedience, My fleſh is meat indeed, and my bloud is drinke indeed, Iohn 6. But for whom is it meat and drink? For ſuch as when they come to the Sacrament are found ſuch as our Saviour was, Iohn 4. 34. My meat is to doe the will of him that ſent me; Take, eat, this is my body: hee therefore offers his body to be eaten. But may any one eate it? Is it meate for all ſorts to eat? No, ſee who they are that eat and drinke, Cant. 5. 1. Eat, O friends, yea, drinke abundantly, O beloved: He cals upon his friends, and his beloved, and cheeres them up to eat and drink; we muſt then be his friends and his beloved if we will eat and drinke. And who then are his friends? who are his beloved? Such as yeeld him obedience, ſuch are his friends; Iohn 15. 14. Ye are my friends if ye doe whatſoever I command you. Such are his beloved, Iohn 14. 21. Hee that hath my Commandements, and keepes them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me ſhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him; he ſhal be my beloved. Such are his beſt beloved friends, his brother, ſiſter, and mother, Mat. 12. 49, 50. Such friends ſhall be ſure to eat and drinke, and to drinke abundantly; & obedience making us ſuch friends, makes us fit to eat and drinke at his Table. Looke how the Prophet ſpeakes of eating the good things of the Land; ſo it is in eating the good things of the Sacrament, Iſay 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good things of the Land. There were good things in the Land of Canaan, it was a Land flowing with milke and honey; they were good things. There were precious fruits brought forth by the Sun, and precious things thruſt forth by the Moone, Deut. 33. 14. Now God promiſes them to make them partakers of theſe good things, that they ſhould eat of theſe precious fruits of the Land; but marke upon what condition, If ye be obedient yee ſhall eate the good things of the Land. The caſe is the ſame here. In the Sacrament there be good things, there be precious things put forth by the Sonne of Righteouſneſſe, thruſt forth by the Spirit of God. Now theſe things are there to be eaten; take, eat, this is my body, but yet they are to be eaten with the ſame condition, If yee bee obedient, ye ſhall eat the good things of the Sacrament. If then wee come without obedience wee miſſe eating the good things of the Sacrament; and as good not eat the Sacrament, as not eate the good things of it. Any man may eat the Sacrament, but only ſuch as be obedient, eat the good things of it: judge then how much it concernes to come to the Sacrament prepared with obedience.
2 Secondly, when we come to the Sacrament, we come thither to have communion with Chriſt. They muſt firſt be obedient to Chriſt that will have communion with Chriſt, Revel. 3. 20. There is a promiſe of communion that Chriſt will have with us, and that we ſhall have with him, I will come in to him and will ſup with him, and he with me; we will have mutuall communion together. But yet marke upon what termes that communion is promiſed, Behold, I ſtand at the doore and knock, if any man will open unto mee, I will come in, &c. Chriſt Hee knocks at the doore of mens hearts, by the gratious motions of his Spirit; by the miniſtery of his word he cals for this and for that duty: now when wee yeeld obedience to his voice and cals, then we open the doore, and when the doore is opened he enters, and there followes mutuall fellowſhip betweene him and us: if the doore be kept barred and bolted, then neither entrance, nor ſupper; but when the doore is unlockt and ſet open, then he enters, and the mutuall Supper followes. To teach us, that then Chriſt will have communion with us when we are obedient to his voice; but no obedience to him, no communion with him; even from the Lords Supper wil he ſend them away ſupperleſſe, that have not opened to him and yeelded obedience before their comming to the Table. There is a promiſe Ioh. 14. 21, 23. that Chriſt will come unto us, that he will manifeſt himſelfe unto us: now Chriſt never makes good this promiſe more than in the uſe of the Sacrament; there he comes to a man, and there he manifeſts and makes knowne himſelfe to a man, that looke as it is ſaid in that caſe, Luke 24. 30, 31. That as he ſate at meat with them, and took bread and bleſſed it, and brake, and gave them, their eyes were opened and they knew him, and Verſ. 35. He was knowne of them in breaking of bread; ſo it is in this caſe in the breaking and giving the Sacramentall bread, the faithfull have their eyes opened, and they know him, he is made knowne to them in breaking of Sacramentall bread; in the uſe of the Supper he ſpecially manifeſts himſelfe to them. But now obſerve the condition on which Chriſt makes this promiſe, Verſe 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepes them, he it is that loves mee, and hee that loveth mee ſhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifeſt my ſelfe to him: and ſo Verſ. 23. If any man love me, hee will keepe my words, and my Father will love him, and wee will come unto him and make our abode with him: ſo that both theſe promiſes run with the condition of obedience; upon a mans obedience will Chriſt come, upon a mans obedience will he manifeſt himſelfe to him. As good not come to the Sacrament, unleſſe Chriſt alſo come in it to a man: as good never come, unleſſe Chriſt manifeſt himſelfe to him. If then we would have Chriſt come and manifeſt himſelfe to us in the Sacrament, ſo muſt it be our care to come with, and to manifeſt our obedience. A man may aske that queſtion that Iudas doth, Iohn 14. 22. Lord how is it that thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelfe unto us, and not unto the world? So, how is it that Chriſts manifeſts himſelfe to ſome in the Sacrament, and not to other ſome? To which the ſame anſwer in effect may be given that there Chriſt gives; becauſe ſome are obedient to God, they love him and keepe his Commandements; therefore hee ſhewes himſelfe to them in the Sacrament, and they therein have communion with him, but others live not, walke not in obedience: therefore he neither comes to them when they come to the Sacrament, nor ſhewes or manifeſts himſelfe to them, they goe as they come.
The Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 13, 14. ſpeakes of the communion of the Holy Ghoſt, The communion of the Holy Ghoſt bee with you all. That which he wiſhes them ſhould be the thing we ſhould eſpecially aime at in comming to the Communion, namely, that the communion of the Holy Ghost ſhould be with us. And it is a cleere caſe that the Holy Ghoſt is to be received in the Sacraments, Act… 2. 38. Be baptiſed and ye ſhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoſt, and he is no leſſe to be received in the Supper, than in Baptiſme. And when we receive him his communion will be with us. Now how may he be received? Doe all that receive the Sacrament, receive him? No, The world cannot receive him, Iohn 14. 17. But who are they then to whom God gives the Holy Ghoſt? See Acts 5. 32. The Holy Ghoſt whom God hath given to them that obey him. So that upon obedience we have the Holy Ghoſt, and upon it his communion is with us, as otherwiſe, ſo alſo in the Sacrament. What is it that a man ſhould deſire in comming to the Sacrament, but that; Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiſſe we with the kiſſes of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine. Communion with Chriſt, and the expreſſions of his favour and love, theſe are the things ſhould be deſired and looked after. What is the receiving of bread and wine, if a man meet not with expreſſions of Chriſts love; if Chriſt kiſſe him not with the kiſſes of his mouth? What may be the meanes to get Chriſt to kiſſe a man in the Sacrament? That ſame Pſal. 2. Kiſſe the Son, namely, with a kiſſe of obedience and ſubjection, for ſo kiſſing ſometime betokned, Gen. 41. 40. let us give him the kiſſe of obedience and ſubjection, and he will give us the kiſſe of his love, … other times, ſo eſpecially in the uſe of the Sacrament. By both theſe things then we ſee, how needfull it is for a Communicant to be prepared with obedience. And by this alſo we ſee how many deceive themſelves in their comming to the Sacrament, who minde nothing leſſe than an obedient walking in a godly courſe to fit them for the Sacrament. How many that give no regard at all to Gods word, that indeed ſlight it, and obedience to it, and yet would ſeeme to make an high account of the Sacrament? Make men what account they will of the Sacrament, yet if they ſlight the Word and obedience to it, they ſhall finde as little comfort or benefit in the Sacrament, as they give reſpect and obedience to the Word. See how the Lord ſpeakes, Pſal. 50. 16, 17. What haſt thou to doe, that thou ſhouldeſt take my covenant in thy mouth ſeeing thou caſteſt my words behind thee. So God will alſo ſay, what haſt thou to doe to take the Seale of the covenant into thy mouth, the Sacrament into thy mouth, ſeeing thou caſteſt my words behinde thee, and refuſeſt to CHAP. 9 yeeld obedience thereunto. What Quid eſt autem dementius quàm Sacramentis Domini communicare, & verbis Domini non communicare? Aug. de Bapt. cont. Donat. lib. 2. cap. 55.likelihood that God will vouchſafe communion with that man in the Sacrament, that regards not to have any communion with him in his word? It is a madneſſe to pretend a deſire of communion with God in the Sacrament, and to refuſe communion with him in his Word: for ſo they do that yeeld not obedience to Gods Word. There is communion with God in obedience, Ier. 7. 23. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you ſhall bee my people. And therefore a refuſall of communion with God, in refuſing obedience and reſpect to his Word. And certainly he can have no communion with God in one Ordinance, that refuſes to have communion with him in another.