The Communicants Guide, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. What Affections of Soul are suitable to this Sacrament.
HE eateth and drinketh unworthily who discerneth not the Lord's Body. 1 Cor. 11. 29.To discern the Lord's Body, is to put a sufficient Difference between this Divine Feast and other common Feasts, both in our Iudgment, Affection, and Behaviour. How we are to judge of it, hath been already shewn. We are next to see what Affections it calls for.
We come not here to feast with Men only, but with God; nor to feed our Bodies with a little Bread and Wine, but our Souls on the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us then enquire,
1. Are we deeply sensible of our spiritual Wants, and our great need of this divine Food? Except we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man, we have no Life in us, John 6. 53.
2. Are we highly sensible of God's wonderful Goodness in providing so graciously for our Wants? God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever bel…eveth on him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. All things (saith he) are now ready, come ye to the Marriage. John 3. 16. Mat. 22. 4.
3. Do we verily believe, that whosoever cometh preparedly shall be kindly welcome? Him that cometh to me (saith Christ) I will in no wise cast out, John 6. 37.
4. Have we longing Appetites and ardent Desires to this food of our Souls? Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled, Matt. 5. 6.
5. Do we empty our Souls of carnal and worldly Thoughts and Cares and Desires? Labour not for the Meat which perisheth, but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6. 27.
6. Are we not ready to lay hold on vain Excuses borrow'd from our worldly Businesses of Pleasures? None of those Men (saith God) shall taste of my Supper, Luke 14. 24.
7. Do we labour to put our selves into a fit habit and posture of Soul for so divine a Feast? He that came without his Wedding-garment was bound hand and foot, and cast into outer Darkness, Matt. 22. 13.
Now therefore we are as it were to new trim up all our Graces, and appear with them before God in their greatest Brightness, having our Souls adorned, and adorning the Gospel of Christ.
1. Let the Consideration of the Odiousness of Sin to God, which he would not pardon without the Death of his only begotten Son, and of the astonishing Love of God to Sinners Souls, so that he would send his Son to die rather than they should perish, give Life to our Repentance.
2. Let this Consideration, that Christ hath not only left us the History of his Life, Death, and Resurrection, in his Gospel, confirmed by many Miracles; but hath also instituted a solemn festival Commemoration of himself, which hath been constantly celebrated in his Church in all Ages, wherein what by the Word is preached to our Ears is lively represented to our Eyes, even Iesus Christ evidently set forth crucified among us; Gal. 3. 1.set our Faith on work.
3. Let the wonderful Love of the Father in giving his only Son, of the Son in shedding his precious Blood for us ungodly Sinners, rebellious Enemies, hopeless Wretches, demonstrated in this Feast of Love, enflame our Hearts with the Love of God in Iesus Christ.
4. Let the Promises of God that cannot lie, first sealed in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant, now renewed and confirmed in this Sacrament, feed and nourish our Hope.
5. Let the numerous Benefits of Christ's Death, thus signally exhibited and assured unto us, fill our Hearts with Thankfulness, remembring that this Sacrament is the Eucharist, a thankful Commemoration of Christ, and this Cup the Cup of Blessing, Praise, or Thanksgiving.
6. Let our Deliverance from the Vassalage of Sin and Torments of Hell, and our new Title to the Kingdom of Heaven,Ps. 116. 3. fill our Hearts with spiritual Joy. Let us take the Cup of S…lvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord, in joyful Songs and Hymns of Praise.
7. As God, whom we have so often provoked to Wrath and Indignation, doth graciously condescend in Christ Iesus to renew his Covenant of Mercy to us; so let us most heartily come to renew through the same blessed Iesus our Engagements to him, and do that which may correspond with what Christ hath done for us.
Did he deny himself, Phil. 2. 5. ad 8.veiled his God-head in mortal Flesh, taking on him the form of a Servant, Lu. 14. 26.humbling himself to the Death of the Cross? Let us deny our selves, take up the Cross, forsake all, and follow, him.
Was he Crucified for us?Rom. 6. 6. Let the Old-man be cruci…ed in us with the Affections and Lusts,Galat. 5. 24. 6. 14. let the World be crucified to us, and we unto the World, let us make no more Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof.
Did he give himself a Sacrifice for our Sins?Psal. 51. 17. 107. 22. Let us offer to God the Sacrifices of broken and contrite Hearts,Heb. 13. 16. the Sacrifice of Prayer and Supplication, of Praise and Thansgiving,Rom. 12. 1. of Almsgiving and Mercy; and in a word, our Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
8. Let this Feast of Love and holy Communion oblige us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace,1 Cor. 5. 8. to purge out the old leaven of Malice andEphes. 4. 32. Envy,Gal. 6. 10. to forgive as God for Christ his sake hathMat 5. 44. forgiven us,Romans 12. 20. 21. to do good to all men as we have opportunity,Mat. 5. 24. especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith; to love our Enemies, bless our Persecutors, pray for our Haters, render good for evil, overcome evil with good; and if going to the Altar, we remember that our Brother hath ought against us, go first and be reconciled unto him.
When we are thus disposed we may with an holy Boldness come to the Lord's Table, and need not fear but we shall have the Benefits thereof conferred upon us.