Sermons, Treatise · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Motives to quicken Endeavours to a fit or worthy Participation of this Ordinance.
§. 1.
Uſe. THat which remains of this Point, is, that I excite and awaken all endeavours to a fit or worthy participation of this Ordinance. The modus orandi, or manner how the Sacrament works, or contributes to ſpiritual grace, is not of vulgar diſquiſition. I ſignified to you laſt day, that Queſtions de modo in all parts of Divinity, are uſually difficult to unty. All confeſſe that Sacraments work by inſtitution of God, as the brazen Serpent healed the fiery ſting, but that is yet too ſhort; For doth Gods inſtitution elevate the nature of the Sacrament to produce the effect? Then is that effect plainly miraculous, and the faith of miracles ſhould be required; Or doth the inſtitution of God appoint the ſignification and obſignation of the Sacrament in ſuch and ſuch an uſe of it? This indeed is according to rule of Schools and of our Divines, Modus operandi ſequitur modum ſignificandi, and then it's plain, that there muſt be ſomewhat in the Communicant, both to underſtand their ſignification, and to receive the obſignation and ſealing by the uſe of them, for otherwiſe they are but foreign, empty names, as an Hebrew word to an Engliſh …ar, and hence it is that, I ſay, the capacity muſt be excited and awakened for the fit participation of this Sacrament, or elſe it's nothing to us but bread and wine, and the ſpiritual benefit is loſt.
That you may have alwayes at hand (as a fyle to ſharpen your endeavours.) ſome brief Motives and Reaſons to awaken you; I ſhall briefly recite and offer to you theſe few.
Motive I.
1. That as your coming worthily may yeeld a great improvement of your ſpiritual ſtate, ſo your coming unworthily may adde much to your guilt and condemnation; The ſame paſſage through the red ſea was ſafe to the Iſraelites by faith, the Egyptians aſſaying to do the like were all drowned, Heb. 11. 29. Let no man ſay, Why may not I receive good by the Sacrament, as well as any other, for the Egyptians foreign, trying concluſions were drowned; The ſame Sacrament, like the Cloud, is to one the refreſhing ſhadow, to another the conſuming fire; The bread as broken, is the Communion of the body of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10. 16. and yet, he that eats unworthily, eats condemnation to himſelf, 1 Cor. 11. That which is Manna to a believer, is to a Judas poiſon, as the Ancients ſpeak, and all this is vitio ſumentis, through the ſin of the receiver who eats Quails under wrath, Pſal. 78. 31. and ſits down to Haman's feaſt, Eſth. 7.
Motive II.
2. Though a Chriſtian is not altogether to judge of his receiving worthily by the fruitfull ſucceſſe and benefit which he findes, but by the exerciſe of his grace, and by his ſacramental diſpoſition, yet the fruit doth not follow, except there be a right uſe, and worthy participation of the Ordinance. Some are ſo childiſh, and ſuch ſpiritual ſenſualiſts, that if they have not ſenſible and ſweet joy or comfort, or a preſent removal of their thorn, they conclude they come unworthily. It's our fault, that as Iſrael in the wilderneſſe, we limit God to give that we deſire, or elſe murmur and think we have nothing: So it is in this Sacrament, and ſo in our prayers we are paſſionately deſirous of ſerving even our own luſts, Jam. 4. 3. The after-fruit cannot be the meaſure of our worthy receiving, but the preſent gracious frame of ſpirit, and exerciſe of our graces: As by fair and beautifull children we cannot judge of lawfull marriage, but by conſent declared, and ritely given at the preſent time, and yet the fruit and benefit comes not, but in and by the way of receiving worthily, we judge of our ſelves to be fit gueſts by the wedding garment, not the ſweet taſte of the Supper, and yet we cannot ſit down and eat, except we have the wedding garment. We love a ſweet willing diſpoſition in a childe, ready to do what it can, than alwayes to be crying for plums. God highly prizes thoſe that ſet on work their obediential graces, to obſerve the Law of any Ordinance, and perform it▪ for if we can luſt for quails, and yet murmur at the way of the wilderneſſe, we are too like the carnal Iſraelites; There is in all ſpirituall joyes, comforts and raptures, two parts, the one is the fruition of the ſweet of them, the other is the ſerviceable uſe of them to oil the wheels, and with more freedome to perform hardeſt duties of obedience. Now if in this latter reſpect we improve or ſeek them, it's farre the better to like in any Chriſtian, for it's Gods part or ſhare, The joy of the Lord is your ſtrength, yet duty is the door by which reward enters, as reaping comes by ſowing, They that ſow to the Spirit, ſhall of the Spirit reap life everlaſting, Gal. 6. 8.
Motive III.
3. There is a ſacramental diſpoſition requiſite to a Sacramental Communion, and it is a very ſpiritual diſpoſition, as the Communion is ſpiritual: This diſpoſition is not one ſingle grace, but a complexion or temperament made up of divers ingredients, which are not all diſtinctly and eminently acted by every man at this preſent, but ſome of them, as occaſion and neceſſity may require. I have already ſhown you them in general, and told you, that they are beſpoken by the Sacrament it ſelf, and as it were deduced from it. This Sacrament affords us the communion of Chriſts death, where his body broken, and bloud ſhed are ſet before us; Here we communicate of a dying Chriſt, in heaven we ſhall have him as a Tree of life. This is that epulum foederale, or Covenant-feaſt made for confederates, God is one party, and the faithfull are the other, and both parties of confederates do (ſic dicam) partake of the ſame foederal Sacrifice, Chriſt Jeſus, the bloud of the Sacrifice is offer'd up to God. The ſame bloud in the Sacrament is offer'd and given to us, as it's ſaid, Exod. 24. 6. Moſes took half the blood and ſprinkled it on the Altar, and he ſprinkled the other on the people, and ſaid, Behold the bloud of the Covenant. If we underſtood the Ordinance, we ſhould eaſily agree, that a ſacramental diſpoſition is a very ſpiritual diſpoſition, and requires the very pureſt addreſſes that we can make to it, where God himſelf entertains his people with no other cheer than which ſatisfies himſelf, and will have them taſte of that which he himſelf is pleaſed and delighted with, that is (I ſay again) Chriſt Jeſus. Now in this ſo near approach to God, ye have an excellent Rule, as in all other approaches, Levit. 10. 3. I will be ſanctified in them that come nigh me, the caſe was, that two Prieſts had taken ſtrange or other fire, not Gods fire from his Altar, but other fire, common fire, and ſo themſelves became the Sacrifice, for God will not be ſlighted. If we bring fire, and it be not his own but ours, we may be conſumed by it, but he not pleaſed. To which end and purpoſe, that we be not found in this caſe, and under this wrath, I ſhall endeavour to ſhew you that ſtrange fire, or thoſe falſe and inſufficient qualifications which men draw nigh to God in this Sacrament withall, to their own hurt and prejudice.