Sermons, Treatise · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Of the Graces which are to be exerciſed and ſet on work in the uſe of this Sacrament.
§. 1.
THe Graces which are to be exerciſed and ſet on work in the uſe of this Sacrament, are pointed at, and taught us by the Ordinance it ſelf: For when the Apoſtle bids every man to examine himſelf, he ſhould leave us in a wilderneſſe and wide world, for he tels us not of what, but that the Ordinance it ſelf is the Rule of this examination, and doth beſpeak thoſe graces which make us fit to come unto it. This is the way that Chemnitius goes, whereby to finde what thoſe graces are which inable us to receive the benefit and effect here to be expected: And to me it ſeems an excellent way, For hereby the Communicant (as I have often ſaid) is made ſuitable to the Ordinance, and the examination is kept within its bounds: So that if any ſhould quarrel, and ſay, You require ſuch things of us, as you have no warrant for; You lay burdens of your own invention, we appeal to the Ordinance it ſelf, and require nor more, nor leſſe than may be deduced from it, and demonſtrate; We know that in all Sacraments there is Analogy or proportion, and ſo in this, the elements broken bread, and wine pouned forth, or the body and bloud of Chriſt, the actions of Taking, Eating and Drinking the outward elements, doe denote the acts of a Communicants ſoul, receiving and feeding upon Chriſt, and ſuch acts there muſt be to anſwer unto the outward actions. So as if you tell me of any ſenſible object, it's eaſie to ſhew what ſenſe it belongs unto, for if it be light or colour, it belongs to the eye, if it be any ſound, it belongs to the ear, &c. So this Sacrament being ſurvey'd and ſtudied, it is not hard to finde what graces are to be ſet on work accordingly: And this Rule, that I may not gueſſe at randome, I ſhall follow in the enſuing Diſcourſe.
Firſt, It's neceſſary that the Communicant have knowledge of the Nature, Uſe, and End of this Sacrament, and that is demonſtrate thus: Here are outward elements and actions, which do ſignifie ſome other thing, as namely, the body and bloud of Chriſt, as himſelf expounds it, offer'd by God unto, and to be received by the Communicant, and therefore there muſt be knowledge to diſcern and underſtand this myſtery that's hidden under a viſible out-ſide, to wit, the Sacrifice of Chriſts body, which is repreſented, and the confirmation of the Goſpel-Covenant by his bloud; for without this knowledge a man comes blinde-fold, eats and drinks as a bruit, takes the diſh for the meat, and is no otherwiſe refreſht than a thirſty man would be by eating and ſucking a ſign-poſt, which doth but ſignifie that there is wine within. It was a childes Queſtion, Exod. 12. 26. What mean you by this ſervice? And I would our ignorant people would ſo play the childe, for they do but eat the ſhell, and gnaw the bone of the outward ſervice, becauſe they know not the meaning of it; So the carnall Jew knew not the meaning of the Rites and Types then uſed, nor ſaw both Law and Goſpel in their Sacrifices, both which they were full of; I confeſſe the knowledge of this Sacrament draws with it the knowledge of our loſt eſtate, (as Paſſeover is not underſtood without Egypt) in ſinne and miſery; For where Chriſt appears bloudy, there ſinne muſt needs appear deadly, and thoſe fundamentals and grounds of Chriſtianity, which are but the A. B. C. of Religion, muſt be knowne, but it is not the knowledge of a Scholar, but the knowledge of a Chriſtian, which we plead for, ſo much as may ſerve to look into the entrails of this Sacrament, and may lead on the affections to value, prize, thirſt after Jeſus Chriſt, whom if we ſee not, we cannot deſire or love, Viſus eſt prima amor is linea, fight is the firſt line of love, nor can we believe in him, untill we ſee, John 6. 40. Whoſoever ſee the Sonne, and believes in him, ſhall have everlaſting life. I ſhould not charge a poor Chriſtian with any great rate of knowledge, for the quality is more to be regarded than the quantity; If he know both ſinne and Chriſt by taſte, as well as by ſight, if he have a diſtinguiſhing and favoury knowledge of the things of the Spirit, and there be, as it is in embers, a great heat, though but little light, then is it good, though not great. I know that Queſtions demodo in all points of Divinity are hard to anſwer. It's well if we can anſwer a Queſtion aere. I may know what ſinne is, and yet not tell how it enters, and comes at firſt into my ſoul. The Apoſtles took Chriſt at this time for their Saviour and Lord, the true Meſsiah, but how he ſhould execute all the pa…ts of his Office, they did not clearly underſtand, and yet did at and drink with him at his Table.
§. 3.
Secondly, This is not all, but it is firſt, as light was at the Creation, the firſt creature, but all the world was not made when light was; He is not wholly fitted that hath knowledge, there muſt be a Chriſt-receiving, or a Chriſt-taking faith, and this is ſhown thus, God offers the body and bloud of his Sonne, which was ſhed for the remiſſion of ſinne, and ſaith, Take ye, Eat ye, Drink ye, and that inward act, which anſwers to this outward action, whereby we do receive Chriſt that is exhibited we call faith; when Chriſt is tender'd to us in the Word, we believe ex-promiſſo; when offer'd in the Supper, we believe ex pignore; There we have a promiſe, here a pawn or pledge: This faith is the taking hand, which goes forth to the offering-hand of God. This taking, eating, drinking, are but faith appropriating and applying Chriſt: You ſay, you believe, What believe you? That God offers Chriſt to your faith; What's a poor man the richer for believing that one offers him a ſhilling? What's a condemned man the better for believing that a pardon is offer'd to him? This is but a faith of the truth of the offer; But doe ye receive Chriſt offered? Do you cloſe in with Chriſt? Do you take him into you? Here is the beſt Covenant, ſealed with the beſt blood that ever was; You believe this to be a truth, but come not in to this Covenant, that ſaith doth but ſerve to your juſt condemnation; It is the Chriſt-receiving, not the truth acknowledging ſaith that brings ſalvation to you. If men did but know what ſaving ſaith is, we ſhould have either more or …ewer believers, more, for they would renounce that ſuperficial thing cahed faith, and buy gold tried in the fire; Fewer, for they would not count themſelves to believe by that faith which they have; A woman may believe a man to be rich and honourable, and …eall in his ſuit, yet that belief doth not make a marriage, but actual conſent to take him for a husband; For ſaith gives as well as takes, it gives a man up to Chriſt, as well as takes Chriſt to be a Saviour. It is not true faith that blows hot and cold out of the ſame mouth, and cries Hoſanna to Chriſt a Saviour, but yet I will not have him reigne over me: This Sacrament preſents Chriſt to faith thus, It preſents Chriſt himſelf, his body and bloud, not the benefits of Chriſt apart and abſtract, but Chriſt himſelf. It preſents Chriſt for intimate union with us, as the nouriſhment is to the body: It preſents him really, as the bread and wine is really taken and received: It preſents him crucified and ſuffering, as if he was now dving and bleeding, in whom faith findes reconciliation, remiſſion, juſtification and redemption, ſo is it acted and exerciſed in this Ordinance.
§. 4.
Thirdly, The third grace that is freſhly revived, and ſet on work in this Sacrament is Repentance, and that appears thus, Here is repreſented, Goes Juſti…e againſt our ſinne, in bruiſing his own Sonne, with fore and dreadfull breaches made upon him, and this Juſtice is mixt with goodneſſe in transferring and laying upon the Sacrifice the delinquencies and ſinnes, which had they been charged on us, had ſunk us into the bottome of perdition, and who that ſees this ſhall not tremble at the fearfull wrath of God, which Angels and men could not ſtand before? Who ſhall not mourn over Chriſt, whom we have pierced, as it's ſaid of them, Zech. 12. 10? Who can love the knife that ſlew his friend? I meane the ſinne that our Saviour bore in his body on the Tree: This conſideration here preſented to you, if you follow Chriſt from the Garden to Golgotha, ſhould me thinks affect the ſoul of a believer.
1. With tender meltings of godly ſorrow for ſinne.
2. With freſh purpoſe of amendment of life.
1. With godly ſorrow for ſinne; To hear the ſtrong cries, and ſee the ſtreaming bloud of Chriſt; for can there be a greater demonſtration, either of Gods Juſtice toward ſinne, or of his goodneſſe to a ſinner? They ſay an adamant will be broken by bloud, but alas the heart of man hath loſt ingenuity, or elſe the bloud of Chriſt would make us love ſinne as bad as the terrours of Mount Sinai, yea and to love it leſſe, and hate it more; Fear may break a man, but goodneſſe melts him; The terrours of the Lord may amaze and leave a man as hard ſtill, but godly ſorrow makes tender, and changes the diſpoſition of the ſoul, Revive then the ſenſe of your ſinne, even pardon'd ſins do revive godly ſorrow, and the more, becauſe he taſtes goodneſſe and grace to him unworthy; the ſweet of the Paſſeover is loſt for want of bitter herbs.
2. With freſh purpoſe of amendment, a needfull grace to be renew'd at this Sacrament; we ſhould eat this Paſſeover with ſhoes on our feat, and ſlaves in our hand, ready to march out of Aegypt; We cannot eat the Paſſeover and ſtay in Aegypt ſtill; God confirmes his Covenant, and we muſt reſtipulate with God to caſt out and execrate the old Leaven: Let's carry wounded ſinnes from this Table; Bring wonded hearts, and carry away wounded ſinnes: Let's learne to die to ſinne, by ſeeing Chriſt die for ſinne, Mutet vitam qui vult accipere vitam, ſaith Auſtine, The Covenant of Grace is ſealed. Let us ſeal a Covenant of Obedience; By the merit of Chriſts death we are purchaſed to be Gods, not our own; By the power of his Death we are ſlain, dead to ſinne: But here I muſt break out to meet with our common purpoſers and reſolvers, which (if ever in their lives) do now, when they come toward the Lords Table, flatter God and themſelves with a new beginning of a new life, from this time they are reſolved, that the ear that hath heard them, ſhall hear them ſwear no more; The eye that hath ſeen them, ſhall ſee them drunk no more, &c. I would theſe greene cords would hold, but we finde this righteouſneſſe is but a morning dew, their Sampſon luſts, when they awake break all theſe cords, And why? Becauſe theſe purpoſes ariſe from a fit of conſcience, not from a principle of life or love, and ſo they prove but Lucida intervalla, they returne to their madneſſe againe, when the fit takes them. I would ſuch men would reſolve to be aſhamed of theſe reſolutions, which ſo often leave them in the dirt, that ſelfe confuſion may carry them out of their owne ſtrength, which ſelfe-reſolution doth but arme them with, and therefore doth not ſtand; For he that hath the Falling-ſickneſſe may reſolve to fall no more; but in vaine, untill the diſeaſe be purged.
Theſe are the principall, the ſtaple graces to be exerciſed in this Ordinance, there are others which are included in theſe, which I but name: As
§. 5.
Fourthly, Spiritual appetite of hunger and thirſt after Chriſt, who is here offered, as full nouriſhment for the ſoul, under the form of bread and wine. I account gracious deſires to be the immediate products of regenerated graces, and very comfortable teſtimonies of life ſpirituall, 1 Peter 2. 2. but it is called vehement deſire, 2 Cor. 7. 11. in difference from the ſluggards deſires, which are but wiſhes, and which every man pretneds unto, though it be plaine they are but of Balaam's temper, who deſired to die the death of the righteous, but loved the wages of unrighteouſneſſe; God helps his people much by giving them good deſires, both for that they make prayer warme, and give great comfort in the midſt of ſad complaints, yea they bring us to the Word, and to the Sacrament, where the want which occaſions the deſire may be ſupplied; Keep them alive, and they will keep you alive; Sharpen and whet them as men doe indifferent ſtomacks with vinegar; Senſe of ſinne, and deſire of grace are excellent preparatives to this Supper.
§. 6.
Fifthly, Love to fellow-members of the body of Chriſt, For we are all partakers of that one bread, 1 Cor. 10. 17. If we eat together all of one loaf, let us love them with whom we have this fellowſhip and Communion. The Love-feaſts of the Primitive Church are read of, but alas they are loſt; I mean not the feaſts, but the Love, and in ſtead thereof, In…oelix lolium, unhappy feuds, quarrels, diviſions, rents abound, as if we were not children of one Table. Corinth is come into England, I hear that when you come together in the Church, there are diviſions among you, 1 Cor. 11. 18. Ours are wider diviſions, we doe not come together in the Church, one Table is prophane to another, and yet the Apoſtle faith, If I have all Faith, If I ſuffer death, without Charity, I am nothing, it profits me nothing, 1 Cor. 13. 2, 3. It's almoſt Popery to ſpeake of Charity; By this ſhall all men know that ye are my Diſciples, if ye love one another, ſaith Chriſt: And this was the old marke, but truely it's almoſt worne out; Oh let us revive it at this Sacrament; where God ſeales the pardon of our Talents, Let's learne to forgive the pence of our brethren. Of all ſinnes, the Apoſtle interprets the Leaven to be purged out, of malice, 1 Cor. 5. 8. Purge out malice; For Love is the cement of this Fellowſhip and Communion of members, which are ſuppoſed to have one life, becauſe nouriſht with the ſame nouriſhment, that is Chriſt.
§. 7.
Sixthly, The laſt grace I will ſpeak of, which is here to be exerciſed, or call it rather a duty, if you pleaſe, It's Thankfulneſſe, without which the memorial or remembrance of Chriſts death is but a dry and fruitleſſe commemoration. Humility makes thankfull; The Samaritane Leper return'd to give thanks; He was more remote from expectation of cure, and therefore the more thankfull; The ſenſe of our own unworthineſſe, and of the great diſproportion between Chriſt and us, may raiſe up our thankſgiving to a higher flame. The loweſt hearts riſe higheſt in gratitude, pride and merit are unthankfull.
And ſo I have ſhowne you thoſe graces, which being exerciſed, doe fit us to receive worthily, and ſet the heart in tune to this Ordinance. The Lord ſatisfie you with the fatneſſe of his houſe, and make you drink of the river of his pleaſures, Pſal. 36. 8.