The Right Administration and Receiving of the Lords Supper, Treatise · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of Worthy and Ʋnworthy Receiving; With ſome Cautions to prevent miſ-judging our ſelves in the Caſe.
§. 1 THe Point formerly propounded is, That this Sacrament may be received worthily, and it may alſo be received unworthily, I mean de facto, worthily and unworthily referre to the manner of communicating; The Apoſtle expreſſes but the one of them, being led thereunto by the occaſion at preſent, but having preciſely laid down the inſtitution of the Supper, which regulates the manner of receiving, he ſaid enough to make us know what it is to receive unworthily, and conſequently (for the right line is judge of the crooked) what to receive unworthily; and therefore after he had laid forth the inſtitution, he brings in this 27th verſe with foreign, Wherefore, or ſo that, as concluding the manner of receiving from the very nature, Uſe and end of the Ordinance.
I know worthily and unworthily are oppoſites, and ſometimes competent to the ſame perſon at the ſame time, or in the Uſe of the ſame element, either the bread or the Cup. Upon which laſt words you may ask me, May a man receive the bread worthily, and the Cup unworthily? And I anſwer, That the reading of this Text diſ-junctively, Whoſoever ſhall Eſtius in loc.eat this bread, and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily, which ſome of the Papiſts contend for in favour of their dry Maſſe, hath occaſioned the ſtarting of that Queſtion, which yet I will not contend about in this place, but leave it to ſuch reſolution as may be given by the ſequell of our diſcourſe, for I naturally abhorre the crumbling of Scripture into crums, when it is delivered to us, as the bread in this Ordinance is, not by crums, when it is delivered to us, as the bread in this Ordinance is, not by crums, but by the piece. Three things I would have you bear in minde.
1. That theſe words referre to the manner of communicating, and conſequently to the act, or actual receiving of the Sacrament; and therefore the Text ſaith, He that eats and drinks unworthily, theſe adverbial expreſſions denote the mode or manner of the act, and cannot be applied to any man out of the very act.
2. That yet they connote ſome aptitude, or inaptitude, ſome fitneſſe or unfitneſſe of the perſon from whence this manner of the action doth proceed, as acts referre to ſome habit or diſpoſition, whence they ariſe, and ſo we call a worthy or unworthy Communicant, one that hath or wants ſuch qualifications, or ſuch frame of ſpirit as is apt to bring forth ſutable actions, and theſe qualifications denominate the perſon antecedaneous to the act, as we call a valiant man, before we fight; a worthy Communicant, though not in the act; we need no place of Scripture to name a Communicant worthy or unworthy, for if it denominate the act worthily, unworthily, then Logick and Reaſon will ſuppoſe an aptitude or diſpoſition of the perſon whence this act comes.
3. That howſoever in our Engliſh Uſe, and ſo in the Latine, we mean by worthineſſe and unworthineſſe of ſome perſon or action, an extraordinary perfection or excellency, or an extraordinary poorneſſe and baſeneſſe, yet here the words muſt be interpreted relatively, that is, in relation to the Ordinance, and ſo they import no more then fitly, condecently, anſwerably, becomingly, or contrarily. If the manner of eating or drinking be anſwerable to, and becoming of the Ordinance, being ſuch as the exigence and nature thereof doth demand or beſpeak of us, then we receive it worthily; for as you cannot tell, whether a man act a part well, unleſſe you know what part it is, the foreign or decorum whereof muſt be obſerved; and as a picture may be very curious and lively, and yet very falſe, if it anſwer not the prototype; ſo that eating or drinking, which is according to the Ordinance or demands thereof is worthily, and that which is not anſwerable is unworthily; and thus the word is to be interpreted, when we reade of walking-worthy of God, worthy of the Goſpel, or as it becometh Saints, &c. So that to receive this Sacrament in that holy manner, and to that end with ſuch ſpirit and affection, as the inſtitution or nature of the Ordinance, is to receive worthily, Certa norma eſt ipſa inſtitutio, Exam de praepa. ad Euchar.ſaith Chemnitius.
I have recommended to you the ſenſe and meaning of the words, and before I go further will infer from them two or three Corollaries, or Cautions requiſite to ſtand in the front of my following Diſcourſe for prevention of miſtake of my words.
I would not meaſure or judge of my eating and Caution 1.drinking worthily or unworthily, by the ſucceſſe I finde afterwards, but by the manner of my receiving; for theſe words referre not to the ſucceſſe or after fruit, but the manner of the preſent act, as I have ſhown you. This Rule prevents a great deal of perplexity and trouble, which Chriſtians create in themſelves to their diſcouragement, falſly concluding that they have not, haply never have received worthily, becaUſe they finde not the after-fruit anſwerable to their expectations, they finde not ſuch elevations of ſpirit, ſenſible joyes, powerfull conQueſt over their particular luſts and corruptions, not that vigour and incReaſe of ſome particular graces, which they in their expectation, have (as it were) limited God to beſtow upon them by the Uſe of this Ordinance: I do not take off a Chriſtian from waiting on God in the Uſe of this Ordinance, for thoſe benefits and graces which it's properly ordained to impart: but I deny the concluſion thence inferr'd, therefore I have not received worthily, for it is the ſpiritual manner of the performance of the act, muſt be Judge of that, and not the ſenſible fruit and benefit actually enjoyed, for thou mayeſt, as I may ſay, wreſtle with God, as Jacob did, and yet go away halting, that was no ſign of prevailing, yet the Text tels us, by his ſtrength he had power with God, he prevailed; Oh but he went lame away, True, but he wept and made ſupplication to him, Hoſ. 12. …, …. The Apoſtle Paul doth not finde fault with his prayer, becaUſe it prevail'd not at firſt for removal of the thorn, nor with God neither, but he had his eye open'd to ſee the Uſe of that thorn, like a corroſive to eat away the proud fleſh growing, and that contented him, the ſtay of the thorn was anſwer to his prayer, when he ſaw the Uſe of it, and was ſupported under it, 2 Cor. 12. 8. We look for Gods anſwer to us in our prayer, or in his Ordinance, as that man that lookt for the Sunne riſing towards the Eaſt, whereas he that looked Weſt-ward for it on the top of the high Tower or Steeple, ſaw it firſt: To ſee and to have the Uſe of a ſinne or corruption, is a better anſwer of an Ordinance many times, than to be quit of it; For (as Auſtin ſaies) Proud hearts have need of ſinnes as proud ſores of eating plaiſters; And therefore to anſwer this point nearer home, and nearer the caſe it ſelf. The Apoſtles that were near Chriſt at this firſt Sacrament, within few hours after it betray'd their weakneſſe, they fled from him, they hid themſelves, and the ſtrongeſt of them took the greateſt fall; Shall we ſay they communicated unworthily, becaUſe the ſucceſſe was ſo bad? No, for we muſt not meaſure altogether by that Rule, but by the manner of receiving; if ſuch graces and affections be then ſet on work, as the Ordinance doth beſpeak; It's well obſerved, that the recording of the ſinnes of holy men in Scripture, is as profitable and Uſefull to the Church, as the record of their graces or heroical acts; For as we look upon their graces, we are aſhamed of our ſelves, and inſtructed to imitation, as we look on their ſinnes and failings, we are not diſcouraged unto deſperation, and the Scripture it ſelf directs us to ſome ſuch like Uſe, Jam. 5. 17. Elias was a man ſubject to like paſsions as we are, viz. to like afflictions, and to like fruit trees. It's Gods part of the Covenant to finiſh our faith and ſupport our graces, to revive our ſpirits, and ſubdue our corruptions. It's our part to believe and walk humbly with God, not only in our converſation, but the Uſe of his ordinances; Let us minde our own part, and take comfort in the acting of grace at leaſt, if we have not the deſired benefit and fruit of Ordinances to comfort us; For were I to chUſe, I had rather exerciſe grace in my communion with God, than enjoy a ſenſible rapture; I ſpeak it to improve a Chriſtian in his gracious actings, though I know withall that at laſt the fruit will fall into his boſom; for he that goes out weeping, and bears precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſſe come again with joy, and bring his ſheaves, Pſalm 126. 6. And again, Hoſea 6. 2. After two dayes he will revive us, in the third (as Chriſt was raiſed) he will raiſe us up, then ſhall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; in the mean time before this fruit be ripe, the very running of the ſap is a certain ſigne the Tree lives. And ſo I have given you a meaſure or rule of judging, whether you receive worthily.
Secondly, Think not that the Sacrament conveyes or contributes any thing to you as a medicinal potion or plaiſter; Doth the Phyſick work, and ſo the plaiſter, by an inherent or inward vertue in it ſelf, not by any vertue in the Phyfician or Chyrurgeon? So ignorant and ſuperſtitious people look on the Sacrament, they think it ſaves them, and does them good, they know not how, and ſo regard the matter more than the manner of receiving, they miſtake Gods manner of working by Sacraments, and therefore regard not their own manner of receiving them, and are ſo fond, as if they could eat and drink away their ſinnes, and had by very receiving this bread and wine quit all old ſcores, and were freſh to begin upon a new account, as the Papiſt thinks of his auricular confeſſion.
§. 2 It is a very excellent and profitable knowledge to underſtand how God conveys grace by the Sacrament; I ſpeak not of underſtanding ſubtilties, but the plain and open Uſe of the Ordinance. Now I cannot poſſibly conceive, how the elementals of bread and wine, can or do any otherwiſe convey to or afford me any ſpiritual grace, but as inſtruments and means by Gods meer poſitive appointment and ordination, repreſenting, teſtifying, ſealing to me not only Gods reality of promiſe or Covenant in offering Chriſt, but my intereſt and propriety in Chriſt, and the benefits that flow from Union and Communion with Chriſt; and therefore that reviving, refreſhing incReaſe of grace, power of mortification of luſts, Come no otherwiſe to me by the Uſe of this Ordinance, than as it ſeals Chriſt to me, and by ſealing Chriſt or the Covenant to me doth confirm faith, revive the heart, elevate the affections, ſtrengthen reſolutions, fortifie againſt luſts and temptations; for it is a ſure Rule, The nearer applications of Chriſt to the ſoul and his benefits in way of taſte or aſſurance, the more quickning grace of all ſorts, follows thereupon; As the nearer approach of the Sunne in the Spring, cheers up and revives all things that live, but things ſtark dead are as dead then, as in deep of winter. Let me convey this to you by a familiar ſimilitude; A man hath an Eſtate, the Wool, the Wine, the Corn that grows out of that Eſtate clothes him, refreſhes him, feeds him, but the Seal that confirms and aſſures this Eſtate to him, doth no otherwiſe cloath, or refreſh, or feed him, than as it confirms that eſtate to him, out of which all theſe do riſe: And by this you may plainly underſtand how grace is conveyed by this Sacrament, which doth ſeal up to you, and aſſure you of Chriſt, and the Covenant of promiſes in Chriſt, out of which all theſe graces grow and flow: Do ye underſtand this? Then it follows,
1. That for any man to imagine that the very eating and drinking this bread and this Cup ſhould cure and heal his ſoul, is as fond as to think the very ſeal or wax of a Deed ſhould either ſeed or clothe him, for in that caſe it's not a ſeal, but a piece of wax, how infinitely do our common people undervalue this Sacrament, that make but a piece of holy bread of it, which is an exhibition of the body of Chriſt, as they that value a ſeal by the worth of the wax, and not by the Eſtate thereby confirmed.
2. That it's abſolutely neceſſary to bring to this Sacrament, that grace which is neceſſary to the receiving of Chriſt himſelf, Quid paras dentem? What does the providing of teeth to eat (ſaith Auſtin) What avail is all outward preparation? The thing that is exhibited to us is Chriſt his body broken, his bloud ſhed, Chriſt dying, Chriſt a Sacrifice offer'd up to God is here commemorated, and is here offer'd, and that inward grace which is neceſſary to receive and cloſe with Chriſt, muſt be brought with you; That grace is found by and from the word, and that grace muſt be Uſed here, and exerciſed. The Covenant requires it, and the Seal is the Seal of the Covenant; You cannot take the Seal and leave the Covenant, you cannot enter Covenant without faith and Repentance, you do but expect that the Seal ſhould ſeal a lie to you, if you expect remiſſion of ſinnes to be ſealed without your faith in Chriſt. It's impoſſible that the Word and Sacrament ſhould be oppoſite, as that the Covenant and Seal thereof ſhould diſagree. As therefore if one would know what a Seal conveys or confirms, let him reade the Deed, and the Conditions of it, and there it is learn'd, So if you would know what the Sacrament ſeals to you, hear what the Word ſaith, Mercy and Grace to a believer in Chriſt, and to no other, which he that will receive from this fountain, muſt bring his veſſel with him, for qui fide vacuus, foras manducat non intus Chem. Exam. &c.dente non mente, Auguſt.
Thirdly, Be not frighted with the ſound of this Corollary 3.Word worthily, or worthy Communicant, but labour to underſtand the leaſt and loweſt manner of receiving worthily; for we wrong our comforts, when we make that which is the meaſure of growth to be the meaſure of truth of grace, and judge of the life of the tree, not by the bud, but by ripe fruit, and here conſider,
§. 3 1. That words of high ſound, in vulgar and common acceptation, when they come to be undertaken in a Goſpel-ſenſe and notion, do ſhrink into a meer contemptibleneſſe with worldly wiſe men; For as the Goſpel Uſeth ſome Greek words in a ſenſe unknown to eloquent profane Authours, ſo it hath a notion of Bleſſedneſſe, Perfection, Glory, Worthineſſe, which reliſhes not the palate, nor bears any ſhow in the world. If Ariſtotle deſcribe bleſſedneſſe, what a deal of humane perfection and accompliſhments of fortune doth he croud into it, for which he is derided by other Sects? But if Chriſt deſcribe bleſſedneſſe in the Goſpel, what do you hear of, but poverty of Spirit, purity of heart, meekneſſe, mourning, ſuffering for righteouſneſſe ſake, wherein there is no more ſhew of bleſſedneſſe to a worldly man, than there was in Chriſt of Majeſty to Herod and his men of warre? So perfection in Goſpel-phraſe is a diſclaiming thereof, and ſence of our imperfection, Phil. 3. 12. And the Spirit of glory reſts upon you that ſuffer, 1 Pet. 4. 14. And your worthineſſe is rather the ſenſe of your unworthineſſe: Thus the Goſpel conſtrues theſe high ſounding words, and the Reaſon is, becaUſe the Goſpel placing our righteouſneſſe and our happineſſe in the having of Chriſt, and taking every man utterly off his own bottom, doth thereby come to a new reckoning, that is not Uſed in the whole world, and accounts them full that are moſt empty, rich that are poor, bleſſed, that are in their own ſenſe, or outward condition, miſerable, poſſeſſing all things, that have nothing; and ſo in this point in hand, according to Luther's paradoxal expreſſion, which our Whitaker approves, is Eſt optime diſpoſitus, qui eſt peſsime diſpoſitus, He is moſt worthy that is moſt unworthy, viz. that is ſenſible of his unworthineſſe.
2. If this worthineſſe of a Communicant ſhould Whitak. de Sacram. p. 658.be imagin'd to ſignifie any meritorious or proud congruities of our vertues, works, righteouſneſſe, it would be the greateſt unworthineſſe that could be; What ſhould ſuch proud creatures come to a Sacrament or memorial of Chriſts death, for that being no ſinne with them to be expiated by that death? Thou ſayeſt, I am rich, I ſtand in need of nothing; go anoint thy eyes that thou mayeſt ſee, Revel. 5. This Pool of Siloam is for ſuch as have infirmities. Nor doth the Goſpel require perfect faith, or perfect repentance or grace, for that's againſt the nature of this Sacrament, which is to laſt no longer than our imperfections and infirmities laſt, that is, untill Chriſt come. So as there is no better Argument of our imperfection, than the command of growing in grace, ſo neither is any a fit patient for this medicine, but the weak and impotent, the doubting and complaining ſoul. The Goſpel knows not the name of attainers, nor the thing. Not that I have attained, or were already perfect, Phil. 3. 12. This meat and drink is for growing children, which as the old Phyſician (Hippocrates ſaith) muſt be often-nouriſht. How long might a man examine himſelf before he finde this temper in himſelf, that he wants nothing? there can be no wonder that ſuch a one is above Ordinances, eſpecially this, which though it be one of the higheſt Ordinances of the Church, yet is accommodated to the Uſe of the loweſt believer; The Apoſtles communicated in it before the Spirit was ſent down ſolemnly upon them, they were but ignorant and raw, when Chriſt ſaid, Take, Eat, Drink ye all of it.
3. If thou haſt the ſeminals of grace mixt with a maſſe of corruptions (as gold at firſt is mixed with much earth) there may be worthineſſe, deſpiſe not ſmall things; Natural generation, begins in a ſmall thing, a little drop, and ſo Regeneration. If there be ſenſe of ſin, if thirſt after Chriſt, there is ſomething, Thou art diſcouraged with thy daily lapſes, why drink of this wine for thy often infirmities; Thou art overborn with ſtrong luſts, come, and eat, and drink to nouriſh thy weak graces, keep them alive to fight, though they do not conquer and triumph. Thou canſt not ſay, thou haſt faith, but canſt thou feel thy want of it, and mourn for it? This ſmoak comes from ſome inviſible ſpark: Thou art not (thou ſayeſt) in Covenant, and the Seal belongs not to thee; But art thou willing to be in it, and come into the bond of the Lord? Is it the longing of thy ſoul to be ingaged into the ways of God, and diſenthrall'd from the ſweet bondage of ſin? In a word, Let thy ſins and corruptions be ſtrong and violent, thy wants many, thy weakneſſe great: Let them be as thou ſayeſt, as thou feareſt, yet if there be a groaning ſenſe, a longing deſire of remedy, affections piercing of, and breathing after Chriſt; If there be a ſeed of God in thy heart, which is kept alive in the midſt of ſo much corruption, by no leſſe a miracle than if a ſpark be kept alive in the ſea, then ſurely there is a Goſpel-meetneſſe in thee to be partaker of this Supper; Here is Chriſt cook'd ready to thy weakeſt and loweſt faith in obvious materials of meat and drink: Let not the pride of any worthineſſe bring thee, nor the ſenſe of unworthineſſe keep thee back.