Worthy Communicating, Introduction · Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Worthiness of Communicating in the Sacrament.
The Contents.
To Communicate Worthily, is to do it with such Tempers and Behaviour as are worthy of it, and becoming the Things which are meant by it. The First End was to remember Christ, both, first, As our Lord and Master, which calls for Honour and Reverence in our selves, and a Care to maintain his Honour among others. For mindfulness of his Commands, and Resolutions of Obedience. 2. As our most kind Friend and Benefactor, which calls for Love and an hearty Affection for him. For Joy and Gladness in what we receive from him. For Thankfulness for all his Kindnesses, particularly in Dying for us. And as this Death was a Sacrifice for our Sins, the Remembrance of it calls for a deep sense of our own Vnworthiness. An utter Abhorrence of our Sins, which caused his Sufferings. A Resignation of our selves to his Vse, as thereby we are become his own Purchase. The Second End was to confirm the New Covenant with God which his Blood procured. This calls for Sincerity and Faithfulness. A Third End was to confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all Christians. This calls for Peace and Charity to all Persons, and particularly for Alms to the Necessitous. A Summary Repetition of these Qualifications. A Belief of these Things, which carries us on to these Tempers and Performances, is the Faith that makes us Worthy Communicants.
HAving shewn hitherto what is the meaning of Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament, I proceed now, in the next place, to shew wherein lies the Worthiness of Doing it. And this had need be clearly stated, not onelyonly because the most considerable Scruple against Communicating lies in it, but also because really 'tis a Matter of great account, and there hangs a great weight upon it. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, says the Apostle, commits a Damning Sin, which will destroy him, unless he repent of it; he eats and drinks Damnation to himself, 1 Cor. 11.29; and is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, v. 27.
Now to Do this Worthily, is to Do it with such Tempers and Dispositions as become it, and are worthy of it. For this Eating and Drinking not being to satisfie Hunger, but for Sacred Ends, 'tis fit we come to it with a suitable and a Sacred Carriage, and in that consists the Worthiness of the Usage. Were it onelyonly a Feast on Common Food, we should behave our selves worthily at it, by thanking God for it, and being Temperate. But being a Feast wherein Religion is concerned, and whereat we are to remember the Death of our Lord, and to Seal the New Covenant with God, and a League of Love with all the Christian World; to the doing this worthily, and as 'tis fit we should, there is more required. For we deal very unworthily in remembring the Death of our Lord, if we are not thankful for it; and in ratifying the New Covenant with God, if we are not sincere in it; and in promising Love to all the Christian World, if we are in enmity and hatred. These Religious Ends must be answered with a Religious Temper, and a Devout Carriage, and then they are treated as they ought, and as their Worth requires. This is signified by several Copies, which in 1 Cor. 11.27. read not barely, Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup *Not meerly foreign, but foreign, as several MSS. partic. Coll. Linc. Coll. Nov. read the place. And this is followed by St. Ambrose, who reads thus —biberit Calicem Domini indigne Domino, v. 27. and St. Chrysostom, who reads thus — foreign, &c. v. 29.OF THE LORD VNWORTHILY; but whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord VNWORTHILY OF THE LORD, i. e. in a way unworthy of him, which clearly shews the Unworthiness to consist in the want of those Tempers wherewith 'tis sit our Blessed Lord, who is commemorated in it, should be treated. And this the Apostle plainly intimates, when he places the unworthiness of Eating in not Discerning, or rather Discriminating the Lords Body, and putting a difference between it and Common Food, by a different Carriage and Behaviour at it. He that eats and drinks unworthily, says he, eats and drinks Damnation to himself for such unworthy usage, which lies in his not discerning, or rather not †foreign.discriminating the Lords Body, 1 Cor. 11.29.
Thus doth a worthy Eating of the Sacrament consist in answering its Sacred Ends with Sacred and suitable Carriage and Dispositions. And therefore that we may see what Behaviour is worthy of it, 'tis fit we run over those several Ends, and inquire what Tempers every one of them requires of us.
Those Ends are Three.
1st, To Remember Christ our Blessed Lord and Saviour, and particularly his Dying for us; which call for Love, Joy, Gratitude, Obedient Resolutions, and such like Tempers.
2ly, To Confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God; which is not worthily done by us, unless we come to it in Sincerity and Faithfulness, and with full Purpose and Performance of that Repentance and Obedience which we profess and promise.
3ly, To Confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren and Fellow-Christians; which requires that we lay aside all Envy, Hatred, and Malicious Thoughts, and come to it in Peace and Forgiveness of all that have any ways offended us.
If we Believe all these things which Christ our Great Prophet has revealed to us, and our Faith shews it self in these Tempers, and carries us on to these Performances; we are Worthy Communicants, and have that Faith which will render us welcom Guests at the Lords Table, and acceptable to him at all other times.
1st, One End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine at the Lords Supper, is to remember Christ, not onelyonly as our Prophet and Teacher (which I do not make a Distinct Head now, because the Belief required to that is exercised thro' the whole Action, and falls in at all the other) but as our Blessed Lord, Saviour, and Benefactor; and above all his Benefits, particularly to remember his Dying for us: and this, to do it worthily, calls for Love, Joy, Gratitude, Resolutions of Obedience, and other such like Tempers▪
The Remembrance of any thing absent, and long since past, brings it back into our Minds, and gives a sort of Presence to it. And therefore when things are brought to our Remembrance, they should work upon us, and affect us, as if they were before us. When we remember our Saviour Christ then, we must bear the same Mind towards him, as we should if we saw him, and were conversing with him: and that will consist in these Things that follow. We must Honour him, and resolve to Obey him, as he is our Lord and Master; and Love him, and Delight in him, and give Thanks to him, as he is our Friend and Benefactor; and be humbled under the sense of our own Vnworthiness, and abhor our own Sins, as they brought him to bleed and die for us; and resign up our selves, both Souls and Bodies, to his Vse, as we are bought with his Blood, and are thereby become his own Purchase.
1st, In Eating and Drinking in the Lords Supper, we are to remember Christ as our Lord and Master; and to do that worthily, we must remember him with Honour and Reverence, and with mindfulness of his Commands, and Resolutions of Obedience, which are Duties we owe, and should pay to him, were he present with us.
1st, We ought to remember him our Lord and Master, with Honour and Reverence.
These Tempers Lordship and Authority always call for, whensoever they are lodged in any Persons. A Son honoureth his Father, saith God, and a Servant his Master: if then I be a Father, where is mine Honour? and if I be a Master, where is my Fear? Mal. 1.6. Honour the King, says St. Peter, and Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear, 1 Pet. 2.17, 18. And Render to all their Dues, says St. Paul, as Fear or Reverence to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour is due, Rom. 13.7.
But when this Authority is in the most absolute and full Degrees, and is joyned with the highest Excellencies, and tempered with the most Endearments, and guided by the most surpassing Goodness, as it is in Christ Jesus, it calls for them most especially. For he is every way wonderfully accomplished, and has all those Endowments in their greatest Perfection, which of right can challenge, or are fit to excite them. For he is boundless in knowledge, he †Joh. 21.17.understands all things; and infinitely *Isa. 11.1, 2.wise in Counsel, able to suit Means to every End, and bring about every Purpose; and surpassing in †Isa. 9.6. & Rev. 3.7.Might, so that he may do what he pleases; and *1 Joh. 3.5.holy in all his ways; and †Rev. 3.7.faithful in all his Promises; and *Isa. 9.7.just and equitable in all his Dealings; and Glorious in his Divine Essence, being the very †Heb. 1.3.Brightness of his Fathers Glory, and the express Image of his Person; and Supereminent in Power, having all *Mat. 28.18.Authority in Heaven & Earth put into his hands: and yet in the midst of all these Excellencies, and the height of all this Greatness, which are apt to puff us up with Pride and Contempt of others, he is unspeakable in †1 Joh. 3.16.Love, and wonderful in *Phil. 2.6, 7, 8.Condescensions, vouchsafing to leave Heaven, where he was Equal to God, and be made in fashion of a mean Man, for our sakes; and unwearied in †Marc. 10.45. Act. 10.38.doing Services; and most prodigious…y free in Bounty and Kindness, giving his own *Joh. 6.51. Rev. 5.9.Hearts Blood to purchase Heaven and Eternal Life for us: for all which Height of Excellencies, and Plenitude of Power, and Depth of Love, he is most †Rev. 5.11, 12, 13.profoundly Reverenced, and dearly Prized, and highly Exalted by Glorified Saints, and the pure and immortal Angels. All these adorable Excellencies are in their utmost Perfection in our Lord and Master Christ Jesus; and their Merit calls for all the Honour and Reverence which he can possibly receive from us. And this accordingly God has expresly required of us. He hath committed all Judgment to the Son, that all should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, Joh. 5.22, 23; and highly exalting him, hath given him a Name above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and of things in Earth, Phil. 2.9, 10. He incomparably deserves our utmost Worship and Reverence, and has a most absolute Claim to them; so that we must needs treat him with the most submissive and respectful Carriage, and should deal most unworthily by him, and do what utterly misbecomes us, if we should do otherwise.
Thus must we Remember our Lord and Master Jesus Christ with Honour and Veneration, if we would do it in such sort as is worthy of him.
Nay, we must not onelyonly Honour and Reverence him our selves, but, if we would deal worthily by him, seek to make him Honourable, and promote his Honour among others. We must be ready always to plead his Cause, and to vindicate his Precepts, and to side with his Servants, and express a just Distaste against those who transgress his Commands themselves (and much more against those who set up for the Party of Disobedience, and seek to draw in others) who prophane his Ordinances, or lightly and irreverently use his Name, or any ways vilifie any Person or Thing which he ought to be Glorified and Honoured in. And this we shall be sure to do, if we have any high Esteem, and Zeal of Love, and affectionate Concern for him. For when these are strong in them, every Servant will perform this Office to his Master, and every Man to his Friend; they will not sit still, and tamely hear his Name abused, or see his Commands sleighted, his Interest opposed, his Children or Dependents injured, his Appointments disparaged, or his Person any way traduced or disgraced, without expressing a Discreet and well-tempered Zeal in his Cause, and concerning themselves in a sober and just Vindication. This, I say, they ordinarily will do, as I am sure they always ought to do, when they have an high Esteem for any Man. And if, thro' lowness of Spirit, or Cowardise of Temper, they draw back from the Trouble or Hazard they are like to run in his Vindication; they are very much wanting to their Friend or Lord, and deal unworthily by him. So that if we would deal worthily by our Friend and Master Jesus Christ, we must neither dishonour him our selves, nor, if we can help it, at least not without expressing our dislike of it, suffer it to be done by others. And therefore to make this Sacramental Remembrance worthy of him, it must not onelyonly be in shewing Honour and Reverence to him our selves, but in a readiness to maintain his Honour, and promote his Interest among others also.
2ly, We must Remember Christ our Lord and Master, with mindfulness of his Commands, and Resolutions of Obedience.
This is another Temper, which Lordship and Authority over us call… for. For the most proper Duty of Subjects towards their Sovereigns, and of Servants towards their Masters, is Obedience, or a Carefulness to perform whatsoever they injoyn and require of them. Put them in mind, says the Apostle, to be subject to Principalities and Powers, and to obey Magistrates, Tit. 3.1. And Servants obey your Masters in all things, not with eye-service, but in singleness of heart, fearing God, Col. 3.22. And Why call ye me Lord, Lord, says our Saviour, and do not the things which I say? Luc. 6.46.
Thus is Obedience the great Duty which we owe to all Masters and Governours that have Authority over us. We must neither forget the Commands they have left with us, nor knowingly transgress them, but carefully call them into our Minds, and conscientiously practise them when we do.
And this we are then especially bound to, if they are not onelyonly our Masters, but our Dearest Friends, and Noblest Benefactors also. For these are Names that add new Bonds, and higher Obligations, which will have a great force so long as there is any thing of Ingenuity left in us. And therefore since our Blessed Master Jesus is not onelyonly our Rightful Lord and Governour, but withal our most surpassing kind Friend and Benefactor, we ought in all Duty and Gratitude to be mindful of what he desires, and to do any thing that he would have us; and we deal most undutifully and unworthily by him, if we do otherwise. So that this also is another Instance of the Worthiness of this Remembrance, to be mindful of the Laws which he has given us, and to think of them with a Readiness and firm Resolution to obey.
These are the things then which must render our Remembrance worthy of him under this Relation. When we Eat and Drink in Commemoration of Christ our Lord and King, we must Honour and Reverence him our selves, and be concerned to maintain his Honour and promote his Interests among others, and be mindful of the Commands he has left with us, and ready and resolved to obey them.
2ly, In Eating Bread and Drinking Wine at the Lords Supper, we are to remember Christ as our most kind Friend and Benefactor; and to do this worthily, we must remember him with Love of him, and Delight in him, and grateful Resentments and hearty Thanks for all the Kindnesses which we have received from him.
1st, We must remember him our most kind Friend and Benefactor with Love, and an hearty Affection for him.
This is due to him as he is our Gracious Lord, and indeed in every Relation that he stands in, since in all he is most wonderfully winning and obliging. For even there he seeks our own Good in every thing he commands us, and treats us with much gentleness, and encourages every thing that is well in us, and pities our unavoidable Infirmities, and bears our many and high Provocations with invincible Patience, and sends Messengers of Peace to entreat and sue for a Reconciliation with us upon any Difference, tho 'tis not his Interest but ours, and tho' not he but we are the Offenders; and, when he is forced to punish, doth it always with the greatest reluctance; but when he can take an occasion to reward, doth that with the greatest Joy and Chearfulness; all which are strangely ingaging, and must needs constrain all ingenuous Tempers to be heartily in Love with him.
But our Love is due to him more especially, as he is our most kind Friend, that loves us as he doth his own Life; and our most noble Benefactor, who has so infinitely obliged us, and done such Kindnesses for us, as we are not able to express.
He is our true Friend, who espouses our Interests as his own, and is sensible of all our Wants, and pained in all our Afflictions, and rejoyces in all our Joys, and seeks to make us share in his own Happiness, and would part with any thing he has to please us, nay, give his own Hearts Blood in any Case which were worth the while to do us a Kindness.
He is our most noble Benefactor, who has done us such Kindnesses as are beyond all Expressions, having procured for us the Favour of God, the Help of the Spirit, and the assured Hope of Eternal Happiness, when all these seemed irrevocably lost, and no ways attainable by us; and when he could not gain them at a less Rate, than by laying down his own Life for the Purchase.
And these are Endearments which pass all Imagination; they are such Arguments to a reciprocal Love and Kindness, as cannot be withstood by any Man. So that having received all this Love from him, we musts needs return the small Tribute of Love to him again, or else we should be the unworthiest of any Persons living.
And this is one Temper which is necessary to a worthy Remembrance of so kind a Friend, and so noble a Benefactor as we have of our Blessed Saviour: We must love the Thoughts of him, and be most kindly affected towards him, or else we shall shew our selves utterly unworthy of him.
2ly, We must Remember him our most Noble Benefactor, and the Favours he has done us, with Joy and Gladness.
This is a Temper very necessary in us, when we would worthily Commemorate the Receipt of Benefits. For when we rejoyce in them, we shew what Rate we put upon them, and how much we are pleased in them, and how happy we think our selves in that Love which bestowed them on us. And this will make the Person that conferred them think them well placed, and please himself in what he has done, concluding, that we, who are so sensible of a Kindness when 'tis shewed us, are worthy to receive one. And therefore the Scripture calls all good Men, who have received most …nvaluable Benefits, to Joy and … Re…oyce in the Lord, O ye Righteous, … the Psalmist, for Praise is comely for the Vpright, Psal. 33.1.
And this we all ought to shew when we Commemorate those Blessings which our Blessed Saviour has conferred upon us. He has got all those things for us which our Hearts can wish, no less than the pure and perfect Joys of Heaven, and Eternal Happiness; and these he has taken the hardest Pains, and been at the greatest Cost to compass, laying down his own Life for them, rather than he would suffer us to go without them. And this we ought not at any time to think of, without Joy and Gladness. When we reflect upon so great Love, and such inestimable Benefits, 'tis most fit and reasonable we rejoyce over them, that thereby we may shew forth how happy we think our selves in them. And our Blessed Lord may well think he threw them away upon us, and repent that ever he bestowed, or took such pains for them, if after all he sees us insensible of what is done, and still as cold and unaffected as if we had received nothing. So that if we would worthily Commemorate the Receipt of so great Happiness, we must do it with joyful Hearts, and chearful Looks, and an open shew of Gladness; as we are told the Disciples did in the first Days, who, as St. Luke says, continued daily in the Temple, and breaking Bread, eating it with Gladness of Heart, Act. 2.46.
3ly, We must Remember him our most Noble Benefactor with grateful Resentments and hearty Thanks for all his Kindnesses, particularly for that of his Dying for us.
In Thankfulness are implied two things.
1st, A grateful Acknowledgment of the Gift, and a Praising him that gave it.
2ly, A Readiness and Endeavour according to our Power to requite it.
It implies a grateful Acknowledgment of the Gift, and a Praising of him that gave it. For when we receive an undeserved Benefit, it is very fit that we let the Donor know we are sensible of it, and understand very well both our own Happiness in receiving, and his Kindness in bestowing it. We must give him the Praise of his Beneficence, and express a Sense of our own Obligations: For if we fail in this, we shew either that we contemn his Gift, and set no value on it; or that we think it onelyonly a Tribute to our own Desert, so as that we are not beholding to him for it; or that we would be independent, and are too proud to be obliged by it; all which, had they been known to him before-hand, would have made him and all men judge us most unworthy to receive it.
It implies also a Readiness and Endeavour according to our Power to requite it. For Love should engage Love, and the Kindnesses which are done us, oblige us upon all Opportunities to do the same again. To encourage Benefits and bestowing Favours, we ought to take care that they who gave them never have any just cause to repent of them, and to let them see, that if we had the Power and Opportunity, we would do as much for them. For Kindnesses should be a sort of Loans, which, upon any fit occasion, are to be repaid back to him who shewed them, that so all Men may be encouraged to abound in them, and never be hindred by a fear lest afterwards they should be offended with themselves for having bestowed them. And if any Man is either so stupid, or so proud, that he will take no notice of them, nor endeavour afterwards to requite them, by the consent of all he is unfit to be dealt with in this generous way of Love, and is utterly unworthy to receive them.
Thus doth Thankfulness imply, both an affectionate Acknowledgment of the Gift, and Praising him that gave it; and also a Readiness and Endeavour according to our Power to requite it.
And this we owe in the highest Measure to our Saviour Christ, and must be sure always to pay him, when we Commemorate the inestimable Benefits which we have received from him. We must not remember the great Things he has done for us, in delivering us from Eternal Death, and gaining us the Favour of God, and the Joys of Heaven, when it cost him no less than his own Hearts Blood for the Purchase, without affectionate Resentments, and Mouths full of Praise, and a fixt Readiness and Resolution of Mind to make what small requital we are able in our Zeal for his Service, and our Kindness to his Brethren, whom he looks on as his own Members, resenting any Good that is done to them, as if it were done to himself, Mat. 25.40. And this Duty of Thankfulness is a most especial Requisite to our worthy Commemoration of his Benefits in this Feast. For Praising God is reckoned as one Particular of the Disciples Carriage in their Breaking Bread, Act. 2. They continued daily breaking Bread, says St. Luke, which they eat with gladness, praising God, v. 46, 47. Nay, so great a share has Thanksgiving and Praise in this Business, that the whole Action is called the Eucharist, i. e. the Giving of Thanks to God for those Benefits which are therein Commemorated.
And these are the Things which must render our Remembrance worthy of him, when we Commemorate him as our Friend and Benefactor in this Holy Supper. We must love him for his Kindnesses, and delight in his Benefits, and be thankful for all his Favours, particularly for that which is therein especially Commemorated, his Dying upon our accounts, bursting out into grateful Acknowledgments and Words of Praise, and being ready and resolved by our Zeal in his Service, our Observance of his Laws, and our Kindness to his poor Members, to make him all the small Requital we are able, so that he may never have any cause to repent of what he has done for us.
But besides this Remembrance of his Friendship to us, and Benefits in general, which require in us these forementioned Tempers; we are especially to commemorate the Benefit of his Dying for us, which more particularly calls for certain others.
In Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Lords Supper, I say, we are to remember his Dying for us, and shedding his Blood a Ransom for our Sins. And to do this worthily, we must be humbled under the sense of our own unworthiness, and abhor our Sins which brought him to bleed and die for us, and resign up our selves both Souls and Bodies to his use, as we are bought with his Blood, and thereby become his own Purchase.
1st, We must remember his Dying for us in an humble and deep sense of our own unworthiness, and in an utter abhorrence of our Sins, which brought him to these Sufferings.
We must remember it, I say, in an humble and deep sense of our own unworthiness. His Death was not for any thing that he had done, but onelyonly for our Sins; and this shews what vile Wretches we are, and how unworthy Persons. It lets us see how hateful our Sins had made us unto God, and what they had deserved at his Hands. For he would not let them pass without inflicting the highest Shame, and the most exquisite Pain and Tortures. Yea, when his own onelyonly Begotten Son would intercede for them, and b…ar the Burden of them in his own …son, so implacable was the … to them, and so indispensable …he R…sons that constrain…d him to punis… … that his most tender Love for him, whom he valued as his own Right Eye, could not hinder but that he should bleed and die for them. It lets us see also how troublesom they had made us to our best Friends, and how shamefully burdensom and expensive to the Blessed Jesus. For when he long'd and labour'd to redeem us from them, he could not be our Friend unless he would cease to be his own, nor do us any good at all, except he would give his own Life a Ransom. And what Man now can ever think of this, but he must hide his Face, and be quite buried in a shameful sense of his own Unworthiness? He may see how vile he was, when God was so highly offended with him, and thought no Punishment too heavy for him, and would not be reconciled at the Intercession of his own Son, unless he would die in stead of him; and it was so dangerous and costly a thing, no less than the laying down his own Life, for his Saviour to shew himself a serviceable Friend to him. And if this Sight doth not work shame and self-abasement in him, he will be concluded by all to be the basest Man alive, and utterly unworthy that …ver any thing of all this unparallell'd Kindness should have been done him.
We must also remember his Dying for us with an utter abhorrence of our Sins, which were the Causes of his Sufferings. For if we do not hate and abhor them, when we consider what Tortures he endured for them, we shew we are very little concerned for his Ease, nor have any feeling of his Pains, nor any Zeal at all against the Occasion of his Sorrows. And this is a very bad Requital of his undergoing all those Pains for our sakes, and a most unworthy Usage. So that if we would worthily Commemorate his Dying for us, we must be humbled and ashamed of our selves, at the sense of our own Unworthiness, seeing we had deserved such insupportable Punishments, and have put him to such exquisite and intense Pains; and particularly we must turn our abhorrence on our Sins, which caused all this Mischief, and made him, if he would befriend us, to undergo such heavy Tortures.
2ly, We must remember his Dying for us, with a Resignation of our selves, both Souls and Bodies, to his use, as we are bought with his Blood, and thereby become his own Purchase.
He died in our stead, and his Blood was given to God for a Ransom, to buy us off from it, that we might not die also. The Son of Man, saith he, is come to give his Life a Ransom for many, Mat. 20.28. And since he has bought us, and paid so dear for us, to deliver us from Hell-torments and Eternal Death, which is not his, but our own Advantage; in all Equity and Reason he ought to have the Use of us, and we should be wholly devoted to his Service. And this the Scripture requires of us. The Love of God constrains us, saith St. Paul, to live to him, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. And again, Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a Price; therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit, which are Gods, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. And since his Dying for us has made us his own Propriety, and acquired him an absolute Right over us to his own use, which we had infinite Reason to desire, but he had no need of; if we would remember it worthily, we must do it justly, by honestly devoting our Souls and Bodies, and assigning them over to him, to be wholly at his Service.
And these are the Things which must render our Remembrance worthy of him, when in the Holy Sacrament we Commemorate his Dying for us, and shedding his most precious Blood a Ransom for our Sins. We must be humbled with the sense of our own Unworthiness, and abhor our Sins, which brought him to these Sufferings, and resign up our selves, both Bodies and Souls, to be wholly at his use, and employed where and in what he pleases, as thereby they are become his own Purchase.
And thus it appears what Tempers are becoming us, and worthy of this first End of Eating and Drinking in the Holy Sacrament, viz. the Remembrance of our Lord and Saviour Christ, and his Dying for us. We must remember him with Honour and Reverence, with a careful Concern to maintain and promote his Honour among others, with mindfulness of his Commands, and Resolutions of Obedience, as he is Lord over us: with Love of him for his Kindness, and Delight in his Benefits, and thankful Acknowledgments, and Words of Praise, and grateful Returns, in any thing he can receive, or we can give, for all his Favours, particularly his Dying on our account, as he has so highly befriended, and infinitely obliged us; and with an humble sense of our own unworthiness, and an utter abhorrence of all our Sins, which were the Causes of his Sufferings, and an intire Resignation of our selves, both Souls and Bodies, to his use, to be employ'd as his own Purchase in what he pleases, as his Death was a Sacrifice for our Sins, wherewith he bought and redeemed us. All these are Duties, which, were he now before us, and conversing with us, we ought to pay him; and which therefore in our Remembrance of him, which makes him present to our Minds, we must not deny him: and in them consists the Worthiness of this Remembrance and Commemoration.
2ly, A second End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Lords Supper, is to confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God which Christs Death procured: And to do this worthily, we must come to it in Sincerity and Faithfulness, and with full purpose and performance of that Repentance and Obedience which therein we solemnly profess and promise.
We must come to it, I say, in Sincerity and Faithfulness. The great Qualification which is requisite in all Compacts, is Faithfulness. For they are the great Means of Security among Men, and the great Thing which, in their Expectations from each other, they have to depend upon: and therefore it is both pretended, and expected by all that make them, that they will not prove false and deceitful in them. Every Man that Covenants, expects those he Contracts with should mean what they profess, and perform what they promise; and makes shew also himself, that he will do so likewise. And if he doth not, he is a very dishonest unworthy Man, such as the Gospel condemns, and will sentence, unless he repent, to eternal destruction: Covenant-breakers being ranked among those who in the Judgment of God are worthy of Death, Rom. 1.31, 32.
And this Sincerity or Faithfulness consists in this, that we come in full purpose and performance of that Repentance and Obedience which we profess and make promise of. In this Covenant, to all us Believers, God offers at present a Right to Pardon, his Holy Spirit, and Eternal Happiness; and we again profess, and make offer to him of our Repentance and Obedience. And this Right he promises still to continue to us upon the same Terms; and answerably we promise to perform them upon that expectation for ever afterwards. And both in these Professions and Promises we must deal sincerely with him, and neither pretend a present offer of them, when we want them; nor make Promises of them for the time to come, when we have no fixed Design and well-weighed Resolution to perform them.
When we come therefore to renew our Baptismal Engagement, and to confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God, giving him both the Profession and the Promise of these Duties, and receiving from him the Proffer and the Promise of these Graces, we must be hearty and unfeigned with him. Our Souls must really be acted by that Repentance which we profess, and fully intend to make good that Obedience which we promise. And if we perform in both these, we are faithful and sincere in this Business; but if we fail in either, we are Dissemblers and Hypocrites, who act a Part, and go to impose upon Almighty God, which is a very unworthy part of us.
And this Sincerity God expresly calls for at this Feast, and requires us to be faithful with him when we come to confirm the New Covenant by partaking of it. Christ our Passover, says St. Paul, is sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the Feast, not with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness, by adhering still to our former wicked ways, which therefore we are to repent of, but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. And as for Repentance particularly, which is the great Condition of the Covenant renewed in it; it is the great Qualification of all worthy Receivers, and is most indispensably required in this Sacrament. It is the chief thing that is looked at in every Confirmation of the Covenant, and therefore is so peremptorily †Act. 2.38. Luc. 3.3.called for when we are Baptized: it is the only thing that can *Psal. 51.17.recommend a Sacrifice, and therefore the main point that must fit us for this Feast upon it. And this the Ancient Church always thought of it; as it plainly shew'd, when at the Celebration of it the Bishop cry'd out, †foreign. Constit. Apost. l. 8. c. 13. p. 484. tom prim. Concil. Ed. Par. Lab.These Holy Things must be taken only by Holy Persons; and as St. Ambrose clearly informs us, when he says, *Ubique mysterii ordo servatur, ut prius per remissionem Peccatorum vulneribus medicina tribuatur, postea alimoni… mensae Coelestis exuberet. S. Ambros. Comment. in Luc. l. 6. c. 9.This is the Order of dispensing this Mystery which every Church observes, that first upon their true Repentance their Sins may be forgiven them, and then this Heavenly Food shall be administer'd and reach'd out to them.
As this Eating and Drinking then is a Federal Rite, and in Confirmation of the New Covenant, it requires that we be Faithful and Sincere in doing it; and then we come worthily, and partake of it as we ought, when we truly Repent of all our Sins, as we profess; and are fully purposed, as we promise, at all times after so to do.
3ly, A third End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Lords Supper, is, to confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all Christians: and this requires that we lay aside all Envy, Hatred, and Malicious Thoughts, and come to it in Peace and Forgiveness of all that have any ways offended us.
We must not come to it in Envy, Hatred, and Malicious Thoughts; for that were to give the Lye to our selves, and to contradict our own Professions. For when we come there to partake of that one Bread, we profess our selves, as has been shewn, to be all one Body, and that we are all the Body of Christ, and Members one of another. We solemnly declare, that we will be friends from that day forwards with all persons, and fully reconciled even to our bitter Enemies, and those who have given us the highest Provocations, though not for their own sakes, yet for the sake of Christ, who has bore a thousand times more from us, and deserves infinitely beyond what this comes to at our hands. We promise mutually that we will lay aside all little Piques, not fall out into Quarrels or Contentions, nor bear Ill-will, or be vexatious among our selves, nor seek our own Pleasure, Honour, or Advantage at our Brethrens loss; but that we will all have a compassionate sense of each others Infirmities, and a tender concern and diligent care for each others welfare; that we will live as Members of the same Body, which all feel what befalls any, and are all solaced with the same Joys, and all languish in the same Sorrows, and all unite in the same Ends, and all bear the Weaknesses, and supply the Needs, and seek the Good and Pleasure of each other, as they do their own. All this Goodwill and Brotherly-kindness, Peace and Forgiveness towards all Persons, we profess in eating together at this Feast; and therefore it is most unworthy dealing if we want them, and are even then acted by Hatred, Envy, and malicious Thoughts, which are most opposite and contrary to them.
Thus is it necessary when we confirm this League of Love and Friendship to our Brethren, that we lay aside all Envy and Ill-will, and have perfect Charity towards all men. And this Charity must be shewn, as in Prayers and Good wishes at all times, and in Courteous Carriages and good Offices as oft as we have opportunity, towards all Persons; so particularly in giving Alms, and affording Relief to such as want and are necessitous. For the League of Love whereinto we are then to enter, and which Christ exacts of us, is not only to bestow fair words, or compassionate looks, or faint wishes; but, if we are able, to relieve as we have opportunity, and supply those who stand in need of our s…bstance. If a Brother or a Sister be naked, says St. James, or destitute of daily Fo…d; and one of you say unto them, Depart in Peace, be ye warmed or filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are necessary for the Body, what doth it profit? Jam. 2.15, 16. My little Children, saith St. John, let us not love in word only, neither in Tongue, but in deed and in Truth: And hereby, i. e. by this useful operative Charity, we know that we are of the Truth, and shall assure our hearts before him, 1 Joh. 3.18, 19. And thus the Ancient Christians constantly used to do in the Apostles times. For then at every Lords Supper, they had another of their own, which they call'd a Love Feast, or Feast of Charity, Jud. 12. This consisted of such Provision as every Communicant brought along with him; they that were Rich brought in much, and the Poorer sort less, but when it came, they all sate down in a Brotherly way, and shared in common. Which when the Corinthians failed to do, every one eating as they came without tarrying for their Brethren, and the Rich taking their own large Portions to themselves, and leaving the Poor to blush at the scantiness of theirs; the Apostle reproved them sharply, telling them how much they prophaned this Holy Feast by such corrupt usage. In eating, says he, at this Feast, instead of joyning all like loving Brethren at a common Supper, every one taketh before other his own Supper, or that which he brought for his own share, and one, who brought little, is Hungary through his scarceness, and another, who brought much, is Drunken with the excess of his. Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 1 Cor. 11.21, 22. And when this way of being Charitable to the Poor at this Feast, by reason of abuses crept into it, was laid aside; another was still used, which to this day is practised in many and the best of our Churches, as 'tis fit it should in all, and that is, having offerings for the poor at every Communion, which may afterwards be distributed among them. Which is a most proper way, and excellent opportunity, not only of exercising that Charity which therein we profess to them; but also of expressing our Thankfulness to our Blessed Saviour, for the invaluable benefits we have received from him. For in being thus kind to his poor Members, whom he is so tenderly concerned for, we make some sleight return and poor requital unto him, who puts their Receipts upon his own score, taking what we do to them as done to his own Person. In as much as ye have done it unto these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. Mat. 25.40.
And these are the things which must render our eating and drinking, as it is in Confirmation of a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren, worthy of that signification. We must lay aside all Envy and Malicious Thoughts, and come to it in Forgiveness of all that have offended us, and in Charity to all our Neighbours, which we must express, as in other things, so particularly in giving Alms to such whose necessities require it of us.
And all these the Scripture it self marks out as necessary Qualifications in all worthy Communicants. Let us keep the Feast, says the Apostle, not with the Leaven of Malice, 1 Cor. 5.8. When ye come together into one place, says he again, I hear there be Divisions among you: And, when there are so, this is not to eat the Lords Supper, one End whereof is to unite you, 1 Cor. 11.18, 20. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, says our Saviour, and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee, leave thy Gift before the Altar, and go and first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift, Mat. 5.23, 24. And as for the Distribution of Alms at this time; that, as we saw, was the Apostolical way in the Love-Feasts, as also in the Collections for the Poor as every Man had laid by him in store on the First day of the Week, (when they always had a Sacrament) which St. Paul mentio… ▪ 1 Cor. 16.2. And when these Feasts sail'd, yet these Collections and Offerings at the Lords Table still continued, and do in very many Places, which in this respect are sit to be Patterns to all others, unto this day.
And thus at last we see wherein consists the Worthiness of Eating and Drinking in this Holy Feast, and what Tempers and Dispositions in us are worthy of all those Ends which are signified and designed by it. We must Eat and Drink in Remembrance of Christ, and of his Dying for us, with Honour and Reverence, with a careful Concern to maintain and promote his Honour among others, with mindfulness of his Commands, and Resolutions of Obedience, as he is Lord over us: with Love of him for his Kindness, and Delight in his Benefits, and thankful Acknowledgments, and grateful Returns for all his Favours, particularly his Dying on our account, as he so highly befriended, and infinitely obliged us: and with an humble sense of our own unworthiness, and an utter abhorrence of all our Sins, which were the Causes of his Sufferings, and an intire Resignation of our selves, both Souls and Bodies, to his use, to be employed as his own Purchase in what he pleases, as his Death was a Sacrifice for our Sins, wherewith he bought and redeemed us. We must Eat and Drink in confirmation of the New Covenant, professing our hearty Consent to it, and Resolution to stand by it, in all Sincerity and Faithfulness; coming to it with that Repentance of all our Sins, and those obedient Hearts which we profess; and with a full purpose afterwards to make good all we promise. And, lastly, we must Eat and Drink in confirmation of a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren, laying aside all Envy and Malice towards them, and making Restitution where we have wronged them, and forgiving heartily where we have any Grudge against them, and giving Alms as our Ability and their Necessities require them, and so being in perfect Peace and Charity with all Men.
And if we believe all these things, and are thereby carried on to all these Tempers and Performances, we have that Faith which will render us Worthy Communicants, and acceptable to God at all other times. If we believe Christ to be our Lord and Master, and thereupon Reverence, Honour, and Obey him; if we believe him to be our best Friend and Benefactor, and thereupon love him, and delight in him, and are thankful to him; if we believe he shed his own Hearts Blood for our Sins, and for the Redemption of our Souls, and thereupon are humbled with the sense of our own unworthiness, and abhor our Sins which were so mischievous, and resign up both our Souls and Bodies wholly to his use, as they are his own Purchase; if we believe his Death procured us the Grace and Blessings of the New Covenant, which promises all Believers Pardon upon Repentance, and the Spirits Help upon their own Endeavours, and Eternal Life on their intire Obedience; and thereupon heartily consent to it, and perform that Repentance and Obedience which are the Condition of it, and are faithful and sincere in our Promises and Resolutions to stand by it: and lastly, if we believe he requires us to love, and live in peace with all the World, and thereupon in this Sacrament confirm a League of Friendship with all our Brethren, laying aside all Enmity and Hatred, and being in perfect Charity with all Men: If we have all this Faith, I say, which, as appears, is thorowly exercised in this Sacrament; and can shew all these Fruits of it, in these Tempers and Performances being effected by it; we have that true, saving, justifying Faith the Scripture speaks of, which purifies the Heart, Act. 15.9, and works by Love, Gal. 5.6, and is lively in Good Works, Jam. 2.20, 26; and this will make us Worthy Communicants at this Feast, and welcom to God at all other times.