The Communicants Guide, Chapter 1
THE WAY TO THE Lord's Table.
CHAP. I. The necessity of receiving this Sacrament.
REverently and Devoutly to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is so indispensable a Christian Duty, that whosoever refuseth to do it, doth no less, in effect, than refuse Salvation, and renounce his Saviour.
There is no Salvation in any other but IESVS CHRIST: Acts 4. 12.No man cometh to the Father but by him.Iohn 14. 6. There is no Salvation by Christ for those that keep not his Commandments;Heb. 5. 9. but as he is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him: So will he come to take Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel.2 Thes. 1. 8. And his express Command he hath left us in these plain Words, This do in Remembrance of me, Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24.
He that hath given us this Command is GODRom. 9. 5. over all,Col. 1. 16. blessed for ever.1 Cor. 6. 19. The great God that made us;1 Pet. 1. 19. the good Lord thatMatt. 28. 18. bought and redeemed usMatt. 17. 15. with his own most preciousAct 3. 22. Blood;Iohn 15. 9. 10. 13. he to whom God the Father hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth,Rom. 5. 6. 8. and hath commanded us to hear him in all things whatsoever he saith unto us. It is the Command of a dear Friend, who loved us as his Father loved him, who hath called us Friends, and laid down his Life for us in pure Love; and hath assured us, that if we keep his Commandments we shall abide in his Love. The Command of this dying Friend, when he was going to reconcile us wicked Rebels by his own bloody Death unto God, was this, This do in Remembrance of me.
When dying for us, he bequeathed unto us Pardon, and his Spirit and eternal Life, this he required of us, that by doing this we would preserve alive a loving and thankful Remembrance of him, and shew his Death,1 Cor. 11. 26. and his Kindness therein to our Souls, till he come again to receive us to himself, and put us into full Possession of eternal Glory. And how shall we then look him in the Face if we have refused to do this?
In this Sacrament he offereth us himself Crucified for1 Cor. 10. 16. us, his Body and Blood; the most choice Token of his wonderful Love. Can we refuse it, and not renounce his Love and Friendship thereby?
Thus would He have us declare our Fellowship with the Father and the Son, 1 Iohn 1. 3.and with the Holy Apostles and all Saints, as joynt Members of his one Body the Church, 1 Cor. 11. 17.by feasting together at his Table on this one Bread. Can we refuse to do this, and not renounce all Fellowship with the Father and the Son, and the Communion of Saints?
Two solemn Rites he hath instituted as peculiar to his Religion, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord; whereby we are to own him openly before the World, and profess our selves in Covenant with him. As he then that refuseth to be Baptized, refuseth to be a Christian; so he that having been baptized refuseth this other Sacrament, doth in effect renounce his Baptism, disown the Covenant, apostatize from Christ, and cast off the Profession of Christianity.
He hath not commanded us many chargeable and troublesome Sacrifices, such as the Iews offered; nor the Blood of our Sons and Daughters, which the Gentiles grudged not to offer unto Devils. The Cost we are put to is of a little Bread and Wine; the Pains we are put to, is, with holy and thankful Hearts to take, eat, and drink, in Remembrance of our Saviour. Can we now disobey so easie a Command of the God of Heaven and Earth, the King of the World, the Redeemer of Sinners, the only Saviour of Souls, and not renounce God, our Saviour, the Christian Religion, and all our claim to Salvation? No, 'tis very plain, that tho' the want of this Sacrament, when it is desired but cannot be had, is no Sin, if not occasioned by our Sin; yet the wilfull neglect of it is no less than a damning Sin, unless there be no such thing as Damnation, and the Gospel be a Fable; from which blasphemous thought Good God preserve us all.