The Right Administration and Receiving of the Lords Supper, Treatise · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Falſe and inſufficient Qualifications for the Receiving of this Sacrament.
§. 1 A Fair carriage of outward life, or a good complexion of moral vertues is not a ſacramental diſpoſition; but rather ſhew a plethorick conſtitution, a ſelf-fulneſſe, a ſelf-righteouſneſſe, which are the greateſt Obſtructions againſt Chriſt that can be: I confeſſe grace often dwels in a worſe hoUſe, and in rougher natures and conſtitutions; but all the ſtarres do not make day. The metal of theſe vertues is very good, but they want a ſuperſcription upon them; there may be nothing of Chriſt, and he that comes worthily to this Sacrament muſt have ſomewhat of Chriſt in him; or muſt be in ſome neceſſity of him, that he may eat with ſour herbs; A man may come with leſſe ſinne unworthily, I ſay leſſe, than a worthy Communicant; For it's not the number or quality of ſinne, but the ſenſe of, and repentance for it, that is here conſiderable; A bottle ſtopt with gold receives not ſo much as an empty ſhell; it's Chriſt that muſt be in your eye and thirſt, or elſe your fire is ſtrange fire.
II. A man may be humiliatus, not humilis, humbled not humble; The Angels that ſinn'd were tumbled down into a lower place without any abatement of their God-oppoſing pride, man-oppoſing malice: If God pound thee in a mortar by croſſes, pains, miſeries, dreadfull horrours of conſcience, yet pride lives, an argument whereof is, thou wilt not adventure thy ſoul on free-grace without ſomething to recommend thee to it, and he that hath nothing elſe will have his miſery to be his worthineſſe, and the murmurings which a broken eſtate, and broken body and ſpirit do belch forth, what are they but fumes and ſmoke of pride: Cut a Bee in pieces, yet ſhe puts forth her ſting; There are many long for humbling breaches, ſmarting ſorrows, and it may be their intention is good, but the bottom is merit and pride moſt commonly, they would make their humiliations their Chriſt: Alas, if God ſhould charge but one ſin in his full weight on thee, it would break thee as a great ſtone an egge-ſhell. Did it not ſo in Angels? Who would be a Pharaoh, Cain, or Judas? Is not broken iron, broken ice hard ſtill as ever? But true humility is a Leveller, there are (2 Cor. 10. 5.) two things foreign, Every high thing, and that is taken away, and foreign, every device, and that is brought into captivity, not only to the ſalvation, but to the obedience of Chriſt; The metal muſt be melted as well as broken, and it's enough melted, when it will runne into the mold, and take the impreſſion: Is the will conquer'd and changed to receive Gods Image, Submit to Chriſt his righteouſneſſe, and to his Soveraignty, to receive the promiſes, and take up the yoke of croſſes and commandments? Art thou humbled for ſinne and hateſt it, humbled under thy own righteouſneſſe, and caſteſt it out? Art thou willing to take Chriſt a Saviour and a Lord, to have him, and be his, not on terms of thine own▪ but terms of the Covenant? Draw nigh to God, this is not ſtrange fire, for it hath melted thee, and not only tormented thee.
III. Thou findeſt in thy ſelf a faith, whereby thou aſſenteſt to the goodneſſe and veracity of God, the truth and all-ſufficiency of Chriſt, the whole tenour of the Covenant, and Doctrine of the Goſpel. I ſay with James Chap. 2. 19. Thou believeſt that God is one, foreign thou doeſt well, foreign, ſo believe the devils; They have ſo great knowledge and conviction, that they believe more than we do, becaUſe they know more, but this faith hath no ſeat in the will, or at leaſt draws it not to election of the good things believed to be; A man may be called an orthodox believer, by vertue of this faith, and it is ſides recta, not vera, a right faith not a true, ſana, but not ſalvifica, ſound faith, but not ſaving, if thou bring this faith only, thou ſhalt receive only the outward ſigne, for it is a ſeeing eye, but not a receiving hand, and many ſhallow effects it may have by vertue of the general mercies and promiſes of God, but the Sacrament ſaith, Take, Eat, and therefore there is beſides this a Chriſt-receiving or a Chriſt-accepting faith, for not to thoſe that believed by meer conviction, John 2. 23. did Chriſt impart himſelf, but to as many as received him, Joh. 1. 12. Weakneſſe of faith in our times is properly ſaid of this manner of believing. It's the receiving hand that ſhakes with the palſie; Few complain of weakneſſe of faith hiſtorical, nor of the hardneſſe of it, becaUſe it's not encountred with diſcouragements, ſins, temptations, as ſaving faith is, becaUſe the whole adventure of the ſoul lies upon it, and God knows when we come to ſhoot the gulf, and to renounce all falſe hopes, or true fears, and caſt our ſelves on Chriſt, we do it with great difficulty, for without Gods attraction it's impoſſible; and this is the faith which we muſt be exerciſed in, and which is confirmed by this Sacrament, and a rare faith it is, even in the believing world; For it gives up man to Chriſt, as well as receives Chriſt; And the diſ-intereſſing of ſelf-love, and the intereſſing of Chriſt into preheminence and government is very rare and infrequent; For I count that no receiving of Chriſt, which divides him, and takes ſo much as ſelf-love would ſerve it ſelf upon, but brings not every thought into captivity to the obedience of him.
IV. If thou finde in thy affections any appearances or ſeeming impreſſions of grace, be not over-credulous till the bottom be ſearched, for there lies abundance of ſelf-love, and ſelf-intereſt, even when there is a good countenance and fore-ſide; as in the zeal of Jehu, which carried in the fore-head of it, The Lord of hoſts, but there was a byas within that wheeled towards his own intereſt, I ſhall name but four, and that briefly.
§ 2 1. The love of God which is a reflex of his firſt love to us; As the Sun-beams which come from the wall are the reflex of the beams that firſt ſmite upon it, and there may be a love of God upon terms of his beneficence, providence, patience, general goodneſſe to mankinde without any love of Chriſt in ſincerity, which is upon ſpecial and diſtinguiſhing grounds, for that love of God which is over-topt by ſelf-love, is not accounted love of God, but rather a luſt of ſerving our ſelves upon him, which is the laſt reſort of the love of moſt men to God, but it may be diſtinguiſht thus, If it ariſe from the ſenſe of that diſtinguiſhing love of God to thy ſoul, whereby he hath drawn thee to Chriſt out of the pit of common perdition, and that without any worthineſſe in thee, or contributions of thine to that ineſtimable grace, yea notwithſtanding that contrariety and oppoſition to him, wherein thou waſt above many others ingaged, the very thought whereof doth ever inflame the heart unto a mans dying day: If it be a love to God for his holineſſe and his ſanctification of thee to bear his Image, and to be like him: If it be a love of complacency and friendſhip, to delight thy ſelf in God, and to affect Union and Communion with him: If it produce a willingneſſe to confederate with him, and to be in league, againſt all intereſts of the fleſh and world: I love my maſter, I will not go out free, or be at my own freedom.
2. The ſecond affection is deſire of grace, and of ſpiritual things. I conceive there may be a carnal deſire of things ſpiritual, and carnal prayers for ſpiritual gifts, namely to conſume them upon our luſts of pride and vain-glory, which is the deſire of Simon Magus; a deſire to die the death of the righteous, which was the wiſh of Balaam, a deſire of forgiveneſſe of ſinne to be freed from condemnation by meer ſelf love, a deſire of heaven too, to open unto us, for happineſſe not holineſſe or communion with God, a deſire comfort to anguiſh of conſcience, and that rather for eaſe, than for grace, a deſire of grace it ſelf, as a neceſſary bridge unto, or ſigne of ſalvation; Give us of your oyl (ſay they) for our lamps are out; Many fallacies may be in our deſires, and yet I account them, when they are refined from droſſe, to be moſt comfortable ſignes of ſpiritual life, for Chriſt makes thirſting after rightcouſneſſe the character of a bleſſed man, Matth. 5. and the Apoſtle makes them a fruit of repentance, 2 Cor. 7. 11. and a ſigne of regencration, 1 Pet. 2. 2. if they ariſe from a taſte of the graciouſneſſe of God, and carry on to the ſincere Word for growth in grace, and be ſpent in endeavours of obedience, and exerciſe of communion with God, equally longing to be Chriſts, as to have Chriſt: He that ſhall deny to a poor ſoul the comfort of ſuch deſires puts out the ſpark that ſmokes in the wick of the candle, when the flame is gone out before.
3. The third affection is fear, the fear of the terrours of the Lord, and thoſe puniſhments which according to his threats wait upon ſinne. Eſtius propounds the caſe, Whether a man under ſervile fear may come to the Lords Supper? And anſwers, No, but with diſtinction, the fear of wrath may be Uſed as a bridle to curb the inſolency and luxuriency of the fleſh, by ſaying hell and damnation cloſe to it, and ſo the regenerate, whoſe fleſh is impetuous, may make Uſe of this fear to reſtrain the propenſion of it, but then if this fear be meerly of puniſhment, ſo that were it not for that, he would with all his heart give himſelf over to commit iniquity with greedineſſe, then it's plain, that the willingneſſe to ſinne lives, and this horrour of conſcience nothing at all changes the inclination of the will, no more than the whip or chain doth the nature of a Fox or Wolf, and the caſe is no other than that of a childe that will colly himſelf with the cole that's black and dead, but dare not touch the fire▪ cole which burnes his fingers, and there is no comfort in ſuch reſtraints from ſinne, nor have ſuch feares any ſparke of grace in them.
4. The fourth affection is ſorrow for ſinne, which may be worldly and carnal, and no other than Pharoah his, Take away this plague; or the pangs of a whore that returns to folly; But there is a ſorrow according to God, which works repentance unto ſalvation, and brings forth thoſe ſeven fruits, 2 Cor. 7. 11. which change the frame of the heart, a happy mother of ſo many good children: Theſe are the pangs of a godly ſoul, and it is one of the firſt ſteps unto, or parts of the Reſurrection of a Chriſtian from his fals, and is caUſed not meerly by wrath, but as Peters weeping was by the looks of Chriſt; The reproofs, the frowns, the offence of a gracious God, thaws the heart into melting tears, and would do ſo, though there were no hell; As a meek childe needs no other hoUſe of correction than his fathers looks. I am loath to be of that opinion which baniſhes godly ſorrow out of Religion; For if I were ſo happy as to want new matter and occaſion for it, yet ſometimes to review old forgiven ſins, and the rather, becaUſe forgiven with freſh bleeding heart, doth excellently keep down ſwelling of pride, and gives a freſh and new reliſh to Chriſt Jeſus, ſo the overflowing ſtoods do enrich the adjacent grounds, and make them freſh and greene. And ſo much concerning theſe affections.
V. The fifth Conſideration is of purpoſes of amendment, which we named before, among the preparatives to this Sacrament, which there are few but have at one time or other, and men do exceedingly befool and flatter themſelves in them; For we have known that upon conviction of conſcience and ſhame, for many years together by fits and moods, and for the skinning over ſome gallings of conſcience, men flie to purpoſes of repentance, and put them on, and binde themſelves by vows or other bonds, to doe no more, and yet experience tels us, that Sampſon did not eaſilier break the cords that bound him than theſe men do break their purpoſes, and cancell all bonds and reſolutions, and ſo a ſick mans purpoſes are very often no other than the vows of a Mariner in a ſtorm at ſea, who for the time will be or do any thing, but when the danger is blown over, they are as they were. You ask, What ſuch are to do? And the anſwer is ready, Reſolution without mortification is to little purpoſe, the luſt muſt be mortified that carries the ſway and dominion; For as the purpoſes of a man in his lucid intervals, or of one that hath the Falling ſickneſſe to fall no more, is to little purpoſe, without ſome application to the diſeaſe that ſtill lies within, and will return and break all dams that are made by the ſtreame of it; ſo are reſolutions upon conviction of conſcience without effectual exerciſe of mortification by ſetting upon that root and luſt which between whiles doth but ſleep, and will awaken again. Let the patient ſee and ſearch his ſinne, and apply the corzy of the Law, and Uſe thoſe ſharp medicines which eat out a rotten core, and follow that ſharp work of mortification, or elſe all is to little purpoſe.
VI. The laſt thing I mention'd was thankfulneſſe, a grace proper to the Euchariſt, which ſignifies thankfulneſſe, and is the denomination of this Sacrament, wherein thankſgiving is ſo eminently required and exerciſed, and it riſes either from the general ground, or from the ſpecial; The general is Gods Philanthropy, which ſhews it ſelf in a ſic dilexit, by giving Chriſt a Saviour to us, and not to the Angels that ſinn'd, and is worthy to fill our hearts and mouths with admiration to all eternity; But the ſpecial ground is Gods incorporation of us particularly into Chriſt by giving that differencing grace, which diſtinguiſhes not from Devils, but from reprobates and hypocrites, and all that are called, but not choſen, which is a mark of ſpecial favour▪ Thankſgiving for this ſhall be the work of heaven, where we ſhall better underſtand and look upon our former miſery, as a fyle to ſet off and illuſtrate our glorious redemption, and to this tune ought our hearts to be ſet here, For in this rejoyce not, that the devils fall before you, but that your names are written in heaven; and we have caUſe while we are in this lower orb to be thankfull, for the leaſt muſtar-ſeed of faith and grace, whoſe work is to ſet a byas upon the will, to chUſe God, and ſet up his intereſt above all intereſts of ſelf or world, and he keeps this ſpark alive in worſt times by no leſſe a miracle than a ſpark of fire in the ſea, and that he inables this little grace to fight and combate (and that is in Scripture to conquer) againſt the powerfull fears and oppreſſions of the world, and the powerfull allurements of luſt, and eaſe, and pleaſures of ſinne, which is a Sunſhine that uſually puts out our fire more eaſily than cold and nipping froſts, which rather make it hotter, and this is the meaning of that phraſe, He will not quench, &c. till he ſend forth judgement unto victory; The ſmoak ends in victory.
Motive IV.
After this digreſſion, the fourth Motive or Conſideration follows, exciting endeavour to come to this Sacrament in a ſacramental diſpoſition, and that is taken from the benefit or fruit of it to a worthy receiver; for the exerciſe of grace is well rewarded, and the labour and pains beſtowed in preparation or trimming of our Lamps, is paid to us in the fruit and benefit of this Ordinance; And therefore, ſince as Bellarmine acknowledges the Queſtion about the effect is of ſo near a kin to the preparation unto this Sacrament, I ſhall briefly touch the point of the fruit and benefit thereof, and that in theſe two points,
1. That there is a great benefit and fruit of this Ordinance.
2. What that fruit and benefit is.