Sermons, Treatise · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Of Worthy Receiving, &c.
§. 1.
I Now proceed to handle this point, That this Bread may be eaten, and this Cup of the Lord may be drunk worthily. It is the higheſt grace that the eternal God ſhould admit ſinfull duſt and aſhes to be his conſederates, that from his Altar he ſhould furniſh a Table for them, and feed them with that fleſh and bloud which is offer'd up unto himſelf a Sacrifice Epheſ. 5. 1.for a ſweet ſmelling ſavour, that he ſhould account them to eat and drink worthily, who account not themſelves worthy to eat and drink; Merit and worthineſſe have both their due place; merit belongs to the Sacrifice, Chriſt Jeſus, worthineſſe to the Communicant who eats and drinks in ſuch manner as becomes the nature, and is anſwerable to the uſe and end of this Ordinance.
I ſhall come up to the manner of receiving worthily, by certain orderly ſteps: As
§. 2 §. 2. Of Preparation to this Sacrament.
1. There is a certain peculiar preparation due to the celebration of this Ordinance; for where the manner is ſo contrary, as worthily and unworthily, and the effect of the Ordinance much depending upon the manner of receiving it, and the benefit ſo great, as communion of Chriſts body, the danger no leſſe than of condemnation; reaſon will tell us, that there is a preparation requiſite, that the fruit may be of the Tree of Life, and not of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, Eat and die. It's either too much blindneſſe or boldneſſe to ruſh upon this Ordinance without preparation. Nature induceth not a new form without preparing the matter. Art as it helps, ſo it imitates nature, elſe that which is medicinal may be mortal; Our Saviour did not only uſe, but honour preparations, when he faſted and pray'd in order to his great work; To the Paſſeover there belong'd foreign, a ſolemn preparation; the Lamb was taken up on the tenth day, the leaven was enquired after and purged out, which if they have now no obligation, yet they have a meaning; and you uſe to have Sermons for preparation, which are but preparatives to preparation, they do but light the candle, but you muſt, as that woman, Luk. 15. 8. Sweep the houſe, and ſeek diligently, elſe Sermon-preparation may (as I fear it often doth) go without ſoul preparation: That word verſ. 28. And ſo let him eat, Gerard. d… Sac. Caena. c. 23.tels us plainly, that ſomewhat muſt go before. The Papiſts diſtinguiſh of preparation, ſufficient and probable, but that which is probable may be inſufficient, and ſo no man be certain that he comes worthily. A fit diſpute for ſuch as would have meritorious preparations, ſo much ſanctity as indeed needs no Sacrament, which therefore, they ſay, takes away onelyonly venial ſinnes. I would not bring ſo much to the Sacrament, as to look for little from it; Thoſe that came to the Paſſeover, 2 Chron. 30. 18. wanted the Sanctuary purification, yet they prepared their hearts to ſeek God, The good Lord pardon, ſaith Hezckiah; Here was a preparation, with a Dominus miſereatur, The good Lord pardon. I look for no preparation that ſhall not ſtand in need of mercy: If I ſee ſo much in my ſelf, as makes my ſelf empty, and that emptineſſe doth make me a thirſt for Chriſt, then I ſhall not diſpute my preparation, but deny my worthineſſe, and yet come.
§. 3 §. 3. Of the outward manner of Receiving.
2. Theſe words worthily and unworthily, as I have often ſaid, expreſſe the manner of our receiving this Sacrament, and that manner is either outward or inward; The outward manner is either duly to obſerve the outward Rites that are preſcribed without mutilation or addition, whereby the face of the Ordinance is defaced, and looks not like it ſelf; or (which I intend) ſuch decent outward behaviour as is ſuitable to the holineſſe and reverence of the Ordinance; and if I be not deceived, the Apoſtle in this place taxes the rudeneſſe and irreverence of the viſible carriage, or rather miſcarriage of the Corinthians in the handling or celebration thereof, and therefore expoſtulates with them, verſ. 22. Have ye not houſes to eat and drink in? Doth that freedom of behaviour become the Congregation, which you uſe at your own Tables? Is quaffing and jollity a becoming deportment? Is it not ſcandalous and offenſive to uſe that liberty here, which is rather fit for an Ordinary, or a Tavern? Let me ſpeak freely to you, we have almoſt loſt that reverence, devotion, gravity, decency which formerly and anciently ado…ned the publick Ordinances and Adminiſtrations, and our experience may teach us, that while we decline the extream of curioſity, ſuperſtition, pomp and ſtarelineſſe, we incline to the other of irreverence, profaneneſſe, looſneſſe, ſordidneſſe; While we talk of worſhipping God in Spirit and Truth, we exempt our bodies from adoration, and both forget that our bodies are part of Chriſts purchaſe, and the Rule that is infer'd thereupon, Glorifie therefore God in your body and in your ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6. 20. For doe we not prophane our eyes by wandring, our tongues by talking, our faces by laughing, and the Ordinance of God by all? I would there were not cauſe to wiſh that our publick meetings had more compoſedneſſe of outward behaviour, but when ſometimes, and in ſome places the Pulpit looks like a ſtage, and the houſe of prayer like a play-houſe; we may juſtly fear leaſt a Corinthian rudeneſſe come up to the Lords Table alſo, and think it needfull to reprove ſuch lightneſſe, as is offenſive to ſerious devotion or common gravity. The Moraliſt his Rule to remedy lightneſſe of carriage; is to ſet Socrates, or ſome grave man before your eyes for the rudeneſſe of the Scene was ſhamed and bridled by the preſence of Cato. We have a better rule, ſet God before you, with whom we have to do, who hath alſo promiſed to be in the mids of two or three that are congregated in his name; Conſider that the Angels are Spect…tours and Guardians of your Aſſemblies, for that I take to be the plaineſt ſenſe of that ſaying of the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 11. 10. and that other phraſe, verſ. 9. of diſcerning the body of the Lord, doth denote, not onelyonly a knowing that the Lords body is repreſented by the bread (as it is commonly interpreted) but ſuch a minding of the body of Chriſt here repreſented and exhibited to our faith, or may produce a difference of our behaviour and carriage in the uſe of this Ordinance from that which we uſe in eating of common bread, wherein men otherwiſe-knowing (as theſe Corinthians) might fail and be defective. In ſhort, becauſe a looſe carriage is ordinarily an argument of a looſe ſpirit, therefore I have ſaid this to compoſe the outward behaviour of Communicants to a ſutable comelineſſe and decency in the uſe of holy Ordinances, Hoc agite is the old word.
§. 4 §. 4. What is requiſite to make a man fit for the Sacrament.
3. By having thoſe graces which are to be exerciſed, and ſet on work at the Lords Table, a believer ſhall try and judge of his fitneſſe to come unto it. I ſhall ſhew you in the next, That the exerciſe of grace is requiſite unto the act of receiving worthily, but it is the having of that grace, whereby a man ſhall try and judge of his fitneſſe to come; For (I ſuppoſe) firſt, that there is ſome previous diſpoſition or qualification, which gives capacity or meetneſſe to come to this Table, as the word, Let a man examine himſelf, and ſo let him come, doth clearly prove, and then that this fitneſſe or habitual qualification is the having or exciting of thoſe graces which are to be exerciſed and ſet a work; As a ſouldier is accoutred and furniſht with ſuch weapons, as in fight are to be exerciſed and uſed, and therefore a Chriſtian that would try or know his own fitneſſe or worthineſſe, confiders firſt what graces are to be ſet on work in the act of receiving, and then examines whether he have them before-hand or no: Plain ſenſe and reaſon ſhews, that a dead man is not fit to eat and drink, becauſe he cannot exerciſe any act of life, without which he neither eats nor can be refreſht, and therefore we muſt conclude, that there is an habitual fitneſſe required to be in the perſon that communicates worthily.
§. 5 §. 5. The pitch of fitneſſe muſt not be ſet too high, nor too low.
Now there are ſome (and they godly ſouls) that ſet the pitch of this fitneſſe or worthineſſe too high, and there are others that are carnal ſet it too low, and it muſt be confeſt there is a latitude in it, it receives magis & minus, as Chriſtians themſelves are of divers elevations, ſome are ſmoaking flax, ſome are ſhining lights.
If we ſet it too high, beſides that Infants in grace, and low ſtatured Chriſtians cannot reach it, we doe but diſcomfort and diſhearten our ſelves, for we take a falſe meaſure, and becauſe we finde not that we can cut out to that meaſure, we are at a loſſe, and haply if we would follow it home, we might caſt out every one of the Apoſtles from the firſt Supper, who were certainly very raw Chriſtians, and of as low a form as we are, being after that time upbraided by Chriſt with their unbelief and hardneſſe of heart, Mark 16. 14. And if we ſhould do ſo, we ſhould cenſure our Saviour of too much indulgence, who reproved their ſinne, and yet received them to his Table, Luke 22. 19, 24. I have no warrant to ſet the mark ſo high, that the leaſt of Gods children qualified, ſhould not reach it; for I confider, that this Sacrament was ordained for the Church, during the eſtate of imperfection, and for remedy of weakneſſe and infirmity, not like the Tree of Life, which man was debarred from, for his ſinne in the forbidden fruit; and as Luther ſaid, A childe may receive a Ring as well as a Gyant, and the leaſt Candle points upwards as well as the greateſt Torch. Great Maſters of Families (as the Prodigal obſerved) allow the meaneſt of their domeſtick ſervants to come to the Tables end, and eat of their bread. Many ſinnes, many backſlidings, if there be contrition and godly ſorrow, ſerve for bitter herbs to eat the Paſſeover with; Many wants and weakneſſes may be accompanied with vehement deſires, hunger and thirſt: Low graces may occaſion low hearts, when God makes the diſeaſe a preparative, why ſhould we refuſe the medicine?
If we ſet the pitch of this fitneſſe too low in ſome empty formes of Religion, or ſome eminent works, and moral vertues, or ſome conceited perfections which feed our pride, we ſhall take in many that have nothing of Chriſt in them; Goſpel-qualifications are moſt ſutable to a Goſpel Ordinance; We are not prepared for Chriſt by oſtentation of works, but ſenſe of miſery; The ſenſe of unworthineſſe is our worthineſſe; A little veſſel that is empty, will receive more than a great one that is full; A broken Chriſt requires a broken heart: To be rich, and full, and righteous in the Goſpel-Dictionary, doe ſignifie obſtructions, and impediments of our happineſſe; where the naked are cloathed, the hungry are fed, the ungodly are juſtified, the weary are refreſht, the ſick are healed, the ſtung with fiery Serpents are recovered, the returning loſt childe is feaſted, and they that thirſt do buy wine and milk without money and without price; And hence it follows,
That no unregenerate man that lies dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, without a ſeed, a ſpark of Goſpel-grace, having no initials of true Repentance and Faith in Chriſt, can be in capacity to eat and drink the Body and Bloud of Chriſt worthily, and with effect, for ſuch a one is a ſtranger to the Covenant, and uncircumciſed, and therefore expreſly debar'd this Paſſeover, Exod. 12. 43. Where there is no life there can be no reception of nouriſhment. He that is void of the Condition of the Covenant cannot receive the benefit, nor eat the Supper that wants the Wedding-Garment. This is a ſevere point, and diſclaims the greateſt part of men from eating and drinking worthily, becauſe they have no ticket of grace renewing or regenerating, they are not Diſciples indeed, they are branches in Chriſt by externall ingraffing, John 15. 2. but have not the life of Chriſt in them; They that are not in the body of Chriſt, do not eat his body, ſaith Auſtin; They that are not members of him do not ſpiritually feed on him, Panem Domin…, they do e…t as Judas, not Panem Dominum. Ego hoc axtoma teneo, ſaith Calvin, that without the Spirit Chriſt is not received in this Sacrament. The Papiſts go no leſſe, Catholici omnes (ſaith Vaſquez) all agree in this, That it's neceſſary for a worthy Communicant to be in the ſtate of grace and ſanctification, and therefore howſoever any perſon be furniſht with endowments of nature and education, famous for eminent works and vertues, adorned with civil and fair converſation, yet without ſomething of Chriſt, ſome work of the Spirit, ſome ſeed of Regeneration, he cannot eat and drink worthily, and with effect; And this Doctrine is the rather requiſite to be taught, becauſe men may flatter themſelves in that they have paſt the teſt, are admitted with approbation to this Table, and allowed the liberty thereof, for all this may be, and yet your caſe no better than Sauls, that would needs be honoured before the people; than Judas's who was not thruſt out from the Sacrament, than his who was let in by the ſervants to the feaſt, but caſt out by the King for want of his Wedding-garment. You enjoy a priviledge to eat and drink, but what? judgement and condemnation to your ſelves, Oh conſider it, The Lord of this feaſt will come to view his gueſts, he will turn out ſome that the ſervants let in, he will ſay, Friend, How cameſt thou in hither? He anſwered not, Lord, I was called in, I was admitted in by thy ſervants, No, He was dumb, he had nothing to plead, he had not a Wedding-garment, For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, Rom. 2. penult.
§. 6 §. 6. What is requiſite to our Receiving Worthily.
The actual exerciſe of our graces is requiſite to our eating and drinking worthily. The inſtrument muſt be in tune before-hand, as I ſhew'd you in the former, but now the ſtrings are ſtricken, now they make their muſick. The activity and imploiment of our faith and affections is now required, and our graces muſt be on their wheels; now the ſails are ſpread to catch the gale which ſweetly breathes from this holy Ordinance, for here it's ſaid, Take, Eat, Take and drink; and as the eye, the hand, the mouth are now in actual imploiment, as to the Sacrament, or outward part, ſo faith which is the eye, hand, mouth of the ſoul, and all the affections are to be actually imploy'd, as to the inward thing, the body and bloud of Chriſt; Not the having of an eye, but looking up to the brazen Serpent healed the biting. It's not enough to have faith, but we muſt believe. Now that the Sacrament is in uſe, now muſt our graces be in uſe too. Now that God actually offers and preſents Chriſts body and bloud to my faith; Now let the hand of faith go forth and take Chriſt in. Awake my faith, and ſee the atonement of my ſins in the broken body of my Saviour! Awake repentance, and hear the ſtrong cries, and ſee the dolefull agony of him that bears our chaſtiſement! Awake my memory, and call to minde that Aegypt wherein I was, and the bloud of the Paſſeover which removed the deſtroying Angel from my ſoul! Awake all that is within me to bleſse and praiſe the Lord. Oh let this Croſſe crucifie my luſts and paſſions! Let this death ſtay my reigning ſins, as Joſhua did the Kings of Canaan! Now let the Altar ſmoak with the Sacrifice of a loving heart inflamed with holy fi…e of Gods love to me; Now the wax is warm, Oh let the Seal be ſtamped fair that I may ſee the impreſſion alwayes after! Now that God ſhews forth to methe death of his Sonne for me, let me ſhew forth that death of Chriſt to God again, as that which I ſtick unto, and abide by, for my righteouſneſſe and peace with God. Alas, if my graces be now aſleep, they are next a kin to dead; We might have ſweet, we might have fruitfull Sacraments had we but lively graces; Graces upon their wing, not lying ſullen, and benum'd with cold, therefore blow up your graces, as the Apoſtle his phraſe is, blow the ſmothering fire, the embers into a flame by pertinent meditation; Be ye lift up ye everlaſting doors, that this King of glory may come in; And that I may ſpeak to the comfort of a godly ſoul, Let grace run forth at what tap it will, ſo there be but vent, whether at the uppermoſt of high praiſes, or at the lower of melting humblings; If the fire flame, riſe high, thou haſt more comfort; If it ſmoak, God will not quench-it, and that's ſome comfort: Some have a finer taſte, and reliſh their meat with higher guſt and more delight than others, and yet others be nouriſht as well, as much as they; So haply ſome receive Chriſt with greater delectation, and yet thy ſoul may be nouriſht as well as theirs.