A Worthy Communicant, Title page – Imprimatur
A VVORTHY Communicant: OR, A TREATISE, Shewing the Due Order of Receiving the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper.
By IER. DYKE, Miniſter of Epping, in Eſſex.
Levit. 10. 3. I will be ſanctified in them, that come nigh me.
Cypr. de Can. Dom. Nec ſe judicant, nec Sacramenta dijudicant.
Petr. Bleſ. Epist. 40. Vide ne Dominus dicat de te. Ecce manus tradentis me mecum in menſa, &, Dederunt in eſcam meam fel.
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for R. Dawlman, and L. Fawne, at the Brazen Serpent in S. Pauls Church-yard.
1636.
TO the Right Honourable LORD, THOMAS, Earle of Winchilſea: And to the Right Honourable, the Lady CECILL, Counteſſe of Winchilſea, his moſt Pious Conſort.
Right Honourable,
IT was a ſalt and a ſmart ſpeech which one Melancthon ſpake unto an Italian; Vos Itali vnltis Deum habere in pane, quem non creditis eſſe in coelis. Melch. Adam. in vit. Melanch.You Italians will have God to be in the bread, in the Sacrament, whom ye beleeve not to be in Heaven. It were to be wiſhed that many amongſt our ſelves were not under the guilt of ſomewhat the like incongruity. It is an high opinion that men generally have of the Sacrament, and reaſon good, it ſhould be had in pretious eſteeme; but that which is ſad to conſider, they partake of that Ordinance with ſuch irreverence, careleſneſſe, and prophaneneſſe of ſpirit, as if they beleeved not there were a God, or as if in that Ordinance, they had not to do with the God of Heaven. That which was once injoyned the Dominican Prieſts, in memory Morn. myſt. Iniq. prog. 56.and hatred of that heinous act of one of their fraternity, in poyſoning the Emperour, Henry the ſeventh, in the Hoaſt, That they ſhould communicate, only with the left hand, may bee feared to bee the caſe of too many thorow their owne negligence, that they are no better than left-handed Communicants. It matters not before God with what hand the Sacrament be received, the right-hand or the left, ſo the heart be right, and the work done in a right order. But yet in a ſpirituall ſenſe to be left-handed receivers, is a matter, not only of diſgrace, but of danger. It is all one in Scripture phraſe, to be left, and to be lame-handed. And to be ſure, to be left-handed in this worke, is to be lame-handed. The lame, and the blinde, who knowes not in what ill eſteeme they were with God? The lame and the blind had no acceptance with God. And wherein concernes it men to be more ſolicitous for acceptance, than in the ſolemne ſervice of receiving the Sacrament? No acceptance is to be had, but when it is well done. If thou do well, ſhalt thou not be accepted, ſayes the Lord to Cain? It was good which Cain did in offering Sacrifice; but if thou do well, ſhalt thou not be accepted? It muſt be a good thing, and a good thing well done, which ſhal find acceptance. That ſpeech of Aarons in his caſe, would be a very ſeaſonable thought for men before the Sacrament, Behold this day ſuch Lev. 10. 19.things have befallen me, and if I had eaten the ſin-offering to day, ſhould it have beene accepted in the ſight of the Lord? Happy were it, that before the Sacrament men would thus ſay with themſelves; Behold this day, week, this monethmonth, &c. ſuch things have befallen me, and I have fallen into ſuch ſinnes as have made my perſon guilty, mine heart hard and dead; and if I ſhould in ſuch a caſe, before I have prepared my ſelf by faith and repentance, eat the Supper, Lord, ſhould I be accepted in the ſight of the Lord? They were croſſes and afflictions which (by Gods providence) befell Aaron in the death of his Sons, and the ſorrow and mourning that followed thereupon, that indiſpoſed and unfitted him for eating the fleſh of the ſin-offering. Sanctified things were not to be eaten in a mans mourning. Deut. 26. 14.They be ſins that men thorow their owne corruption fall into, that they live, and lye in, and the want of ſorrow, and mourning for them, that unfit men for eating the Sacrament. With ſpirituall ſorrow and mourning for ſin, ſhould theſe ſanctifyed things be eaten. And for want of this and other due diſpoſitions, it is, that this holy Ordinance that men ſeeme to think ſo highly and reverently of, is ſo much abuſed and profaned.
Conceiving it therefore a worke of charity to direct people to a preparation, and a performance ſuitable to the holineſſe, and excellency of the Ordinance, I have publiſhed this ſmall treatiſe. And ſuch as it is, I preſent it to your Honours, as a publike teſtimony of that thankfulneſſe, ſervice, and due regard I owe unto you, and your Noble Family: the which deſerves ſo much the more honour from men, by how much the more it is honoured by God. They were ill Si quis ex nobilibus ad Deum cō verti caeperitſtatim honorem nobilitatis amittit—Religio ignobilem facit—Si honoratior quiſpiam religioni ſe applicue…it …llico honoratus eſſe diſiſtit. Salv. de Provid. lib. 4.times that Salvian lived, in and complained of; when religion and godlineſſe were thought ſtaines and blemiſhes of Honour, as if Religion, made Noble Perſons vile, and ignobled Greatneſſe. But that which GOD cals Glory and Honour, let no man account ſhame and baſeneſſe. It is moſt true which S. Bernard writes to Sophia a religious, Noble Woman, Thou art the more Inſignior plane, atque illuſtrior, quod de paucis facta es, quam quod orta de magnis. Illud namque Dei munere tuum eſt. Hoc tuorum. Porro quod tuum eſt, tanto carius cſt, &c. Bernard. Ep. 113.illustrious, that thou art made one of few, (aluding to that of Paul, Not many Noble) than that thou art borne of Great Ones. That by Gods gift is thine owne, this, namely, her Birth and Noble Parentage, thou art beholding to thy Parents for. That which is thine owne, is ſo much the more deere, by how much the more rare. Who ſhall finde a vertuous woman, much more a vertuous and Noble one? God indeed is no accepter of perſons, yet I know not how it comes to paſſe, yet to paſſe it comes, that vertue in a Noble perſon is more pleaſing, peradventure, becauſe it is more ſhining. As light is more glorious in the Stars of greater, than of leſſer magnitude. It is a moſt ſure thing, what ever the world may judge, that nothing ſo enobles, as Chriſt, grace, and being in the Covenant. I have bleſſed Iſhmael, ſayes the Lord, twelve Princes ſhall he beget, But my Covenant will I eſtabliſh with Iſaac. Account it your greater Honour, Gen. 17. 20. 21.to be in the Covenant, than to have Seed Royall iſſue out of your loynes, or to have Bloud Royall runne in your veynes. Then are perſons truly Honourable indeed, when pretious in Gods ſight, Since thou waſt pretious in my ſight, thou hast beene honourable. So may You, and Yours, be ever more and more Honble; and long may Your Houſe flouriſh, in ſuch and all other Honor. Experience lets us ſee, that not only Nobles, but Nobility it ſelfe is mortall; and that not only Great Men, but Great Houſes dye. Yet there is a way to make Honours and Houſes longer lived than many times they be. Davids prayer was this, Let 1 Chro. 17. 24, 27the Houſe of thy Servant be eſtabliſhed before thee; let it pleaſe thee to bleſſe the Houſe of thy Servant, that it may be before thee for ever, for thou bleſſeſt, O Lord, and it ſhall be bleſſed for ever. But that is not all that David did; as he prayed God to bleſſe his Houſe, ſo he himſelfe alſo bleſſed his Houſe, And David returned to bleſſe 1 Chron. 16. 43his Houſe. Needs muſt his houſe be eſtabliſhed, when he not onelyonly deſires God to bleſſe it, but withall he bleſſes it himſelfe, by doing what ever it might be that might bring a bleſſing upon his Houſe. Then doe Great Ones bleſſe their Houſes, when among other things they be like the Nobles of Iſrael. Thoſe Nobles had their ſtaves, which haply they bare in their hands as Enſignes of their Nobility. Now they made thoſe ſtaves which were the Enſignes of their Honour, the inſtruments alſo of common good: The Princes digged the well, the Nobles of the people digged it with Num 21. 18.their ſtaves. With their ſtaves of Honour they digged a Well for the common good, and publike benefit of the people. That is one ſpeciall way to keep the ſtaffe long in a Family; and long to continue the Honour, Nobility, Dignity, and wealth of great Families; when they improve their Honours and Power, to honour God, in being ſerviceable what they can to publike good. It lies a black blot upon the Nobles of Tekoah, that they put not their necks to the work of Neh. 3. 5.the Lord, in not being forward to promote a common good; which though a civill worke, yet becauſe it conduced to common good, is called the worke of the Lord. As that thing blurs their Names, ſo who knowes, but it might gradually moulder, bring downe, and lay their Houſes in the duſt. This is out of queſtion, that Doing worthily makes a mans name famous, and his Houſe glorious. Doe thou worthily Ruth 4. 11, 12.in Ephratah, ſay thoſe Elders bleſſing Boaz, And be famous in Bethlehem, and let thine Houſe be like the Houſe of Pharez. That which was their bleſſing upon him, is, and ſhall be my prayer for you; that the GOD of Heaven, and Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, will be pleaſed to make good that bleſſing upon your Honours Perſons and hopefull poſterity, that with Abraham he would make you bleſſed and bleſſings; that ye being heires of bleſſing here, may be heires of bleſſedneſſe hereafter in the Kingdome of Glory.
Your Honours to ſerve You, IER. DIKE.
A Table of the Heads of this Treatiſe.
The due Order of receiving the Sacrament of the Supper, and ſeeking God therein, ſtands in three kindes of Duties:
1 Duties Antecedent, in doing ſuch Duties as muſt go before the Sacrament. All which come under the generall Head of preparation. Preparation is twofold:
1 Habituall, having the ſoule furniſhed with ſuch graces as may make a man a worthy Communicant:
They are theſe,
Knowledge.
Faith.
Repentance.
Charity.
Obedience.
2 Actuall, which ſtands in theſe things:
1 Solemne ſequeſtration of a mans ſelfe.
2 Examination
1. of the Truth of
Faith.
Repentance.
Love.
Obedience.
2. of the Growth of Grace.
3. of our Wants.
3 Renewing and quickning our Habituall Graces.
4 Excitation and ſtirring up in our ſelves ſtrong deſires after Chriſt.
5 Stirring up in our ſelves a ſtrong expectation of the benefits to be had in the Sacrament.
6 Earneſt ſeeking of GOD by Prayer.
2 Duties concomitant. In doing ſuch Duties as accompany the action of Receiving, where the generall Duty is; The offering up of our ſelves to God, in an holy and ſpirituall diſpoſition in receiving the Sacrament. This ſtands in five things:
1 Solemne and ſerious meditation.
2 An exerciſe of repentance, ſtanding in
Godly ſorrow for ſin.
A ſolemne renewing of our covenants with God.
3 The actuating of faith, upon
Sacramentall offers.
Sacramentall promiſes.
Sacramentall repreſentations.
4 The Duty of Thankſgiving.
5 An Exerciſe of Love and Mercy.
3 Duties ſubſequent. In doing ſuch Duties as muſt follow after Receiving. And they are two:
1 Examining a mans ſelfe how he hath ſped at the Supper.
1 If ſped ill. Then
1. finde out the cauſe of miſcarriage, and be humbled for it.
2 Labour by after-paines to quicken, and make the Sacrament effectuall.
2 If ſped well. Then
1. bleſſe God for it.
2. labour to keepe and maintaine the holy frame of heart gotten at the Sacrament.
2 A ſpeciall care to keepe our vowes, and expreſſe the power of the Ordinance, in our holineſſe of life, and obedience.
A Table of the ſeverall Chapters of this Treatiſe.
Chapter 1. That God muſt be ſought in a right Order, as well as in a right Ordinance.
Chapter 2. The neceſsity of Preparation before the Sacrament.
Chapt. 3. The danger of comming to the Sacrament without preparation.
Chapt. 4. The neceſsity of knowledge in a Communicant.
Chapt. 5. The neceſsity of Faith in a worthy Receiver.
Chapt. 6. The neceſsity of Repentance in a prepared Communicant.
Chapt. 7. The neceſsity of charity, and love in an orderly Cammunicant.
Chapt. 8. The neceſsity of obedience in an orderly Communicant.
Chapt. 9. The ſolemne ſequeſtring, and ſetting a mans ſelfe apart before the Sacrament.
Chapt. 10. Of examination.
Chapt. 11. The examination of faith.
Chapt. 12. The examination of Repentance.
Chapt. 13. The examination of love.
Chapt. 14. The examination of obedience.
Chapt. 15. The growth of Grace, and our wants examined.
Chapt. 16. Habituall Graces to be quickned, and renued before the receiving of the Sacrament.
Chapt. 17. Excitation of earnest deſires after Chriſt, and a ſtrong expectation to receive him, and his benefits.
Chapt. 18. God to be ſought in ſpeciall manner by prayer, before the Sacrament.
Chapt. 19. Meditation, and an exerciſe of Repentance at the Sacrament.
Chapt. 20. Faith to be actuated and exerciſed in the Sacrament, and an exerciſe of thankeſgiving, love and mercy.
Chapt. 21. Subſequent duties, ſuch as muſt follow the Sacrament Received.
Errata.
Pag. 30. li. …. conſent, reade conceipt.. 84. l. 10. diſpoſing, r. deſpiſing. p. 100. l. 24. Iohn, r. Iob. p. 222. l. 8. is, r. it. p. 167. l. 5. on, r. no. p. 174. l. 1. dele, Lords Table. p. 231. l. 2. r. a duty. p. 265. l. 18. thus, r. this. p, 283. l. 9. faith. r. truth. p. 288. l. 1. care, r. eare. p. 328. l. 24. faith, r. truth. p. 371. l. 17. adde, only. p. 427. l. 1. implyed, r. imployed. p. 433. l. 14. Iohn, 1. Iſaiah. p. 443. l. 20. dele the firſt it. p. 516. l. 1. for 16. r. is. p. 529. l. 26. duely, r. duty. p. 532. l. 23. will, r. with. p. 555. l. 18. at, r. of. p. 586. l. 13. exacted, r. excited. p. 578. l. 3. following, r. ſoftning.
Perlegi hunc Librum, cui titulus, A worthy Communicant: in quo nihil reperio ſanae fidei, aut bonis moribus contrarium; quò minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur.
Tho. Weekes R. P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domeſt.
THE INTRODVCTION TO THE FOLLOWING Treatiſe, grounded upon
1 CHRON 15. 13. For becauſe ye did it not at the firſt, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that wee ſought him not after the due order.