The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Sermon 2
A Preparation SERMON, for the Communion.
On 1 Cor. 11.29. Not diſcerning the Lords Body.
IT is a very great and grave, a very Momentous and concerning work, rightly to partake of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; it hath as many and great advantages, attending the due and worthy Participation thereof, and as many ſad conſequences following the unworthy Participation of it, as any other of all the ordinances of Chriſt hath; and therefore when the Apoſtle hath ſharpely expoſtulated with the Chriſt an Corinthians for ſeveral abuſes in reference to this Ordinance; he proceeds, after a full declaration of its inſtitution, to guard them againſt all after abuſe thereof, and to fit and prepare them for ſuitable and worthy communicating; And the firſt direction that he gives them is in reference to preceeding Preparation, Let a man examine himſelf, and ſo let him eat. The Second is, in reference to the action it ſelf, teaching them to communicat worthily, So as they may diſcern the Lords Body, by holding out the danger of unworthy Communicating; both which he knits together, telling them, that if any of theſe things be wanting, it will bring on Judgement. Whence in a word, and but in paſſing, we may Obſerve theſe two things. 1. That a man will never Communicat worthily, that doth not before hand indeavour to prepare himſelf for it; And therefore he prefixeth this, Let a man examine himſelf, and then ſubjoins, And ſo let him Eat. 2. That a man that is not diſtinct in diſcerning himſelf in ſome meaſure after the examination of himſelf, will never aright diſcern the …ords Body in this Ordinance of the Communion; He that takes not up himſelf, will never take up Chriſt rightly.
In the words more particularly we have Three great things in reference to preſent Communicating; The 1. whereof is, the great and peculiar uſe of the Communion, and that is, that it makes the Lords body diſcernible, It puts Chriſt in a capacitie (to ſpeak ſo) to be taken up and diſcerned; The Second is, the great duty of a worthy Communicant; and that is, rightly to diſcern the Lords Body, ſo holden forth. The third is, the great Sin that unworthy Communicants fall into; and that is, They do not diſcern the Lords Body; but are like ſo many Dogs and Swine, who not knowing what delicats are there, they goe about the action, not knowing what they are doing.
The Firſt is clear, That in the Sacrament, Chriſt Jeſus his broken body is made diſcernible to us; elſe he would not find fault with them who come, and do not diſcern it; The words al…o before verſ. 24. clear it; This (ſaith he) is my Body which is broken for you; So Chap. 10 verſ. 16. The cup of blesſing which we bleſſe, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Chriſt? And the bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Chriſt? And the ſharp Judgements, that come on People …o… not diſ…erning the Lords Body, and ſo for being guilty of Communicating unwo…thily, do ſhew, that not only is our Lords Body really preſent, but in a ſpecial manner diſcernible in this Ordinance.
To clear this a litle further, we ſhal Firſt Premit a two fold diſtinction, and then. Secondly anſwer a few Queſtions that ſerve for clearing the Doctrine, and for better uptaking of this Ordinance.
Firſt then, we would diſtinguish betwixt theſe two viz: Looking on the Sacrament as ſtrictly taken, and as contradiſtinguiſhed from the word; and looking on it as more complexly taken, as including the word; It is in the laſt ſenſe that we conſider the Sacrament here, viz: as taking in, 1. Chriſt ſignified and repreſented by the elements, 2 The word and Covenant to which the Sacrament as a Seal is appended; Therefore the cup is called The Cup of the New Teſtament: 3. The ſeal of the Sacrament it ſelf appended to the word and Covenant.
2. We would diſtinguish betwixt Chriſts broken Body conſidered as diſcernible to our underſtanding only; and the ſame conſidered as it is diſcernible to our very ſenſes, or as it is apprehenſible, when by feeling we may grip it as it were; and not only look to it, but take hol… of it: (how this is, ſhal be more Particularly explained and cleared afterward for preventing of miſtakes,) it is in this laſt ſenſe that we underſtand diſcernible here, not excluding the former; ſo that Chriſts broken body in the Sacrament is not only made diſcernible to the underſtanding of the right communicant, but he is made Communicable and apprehenſible, and there is an union with him attainable in that Ordinance; and what we ſaid before proves this: he holds out His Body to be received, And He is received in it.
A… for the Second, to wit, The Queſtions to be anſwered; they are theſe Four. 1. In what reſpect is Chriſt preſent and diſcernible in the Sacrament? Secondly to what is he made diſcernible and Communicable? Thirdly how the Sacrament makes him diſcernible, and what way it holds him out as diſcernible to us? Fourthly what may be the reaſons why Chriſt holds out himſelf, His broken Body, as diſcernible to us in the Sacrament?
Firſt, then, in what reſpect is Chriſt preſent and diſcernible in the Sacrament? We anſwer, firſt, not ſimply conſidered as he is the Son of God, nor in reſpect of any benefi… from him as media…or, neither ſimply as Redeemer; But he is holden out as incarnat, and ſo this Sacrament differs from the Jews Paſſover, which held him out as to come, while this holds him out as come. Secondly, it holds him out not only as become man, but as ſuffering, as having his Body broken. Thirdly He is made diſcernible in reſpect of the end for which He ſuffered, and had his Body broken and his Blood ſhed; This is (ſayeth he) my Body which is broken for you, This cup is the New Teſtament in my Blood shed for the remisſion of the ſins of many: to wit, of all the Elect; It holds out Chriſt Mediator, God-man ſuffering for us. Fourthly, It holds him out as Communicable and in capacity to be participat of, by us; Therefore its called the Communion of His body. Chap. 10.16. To tell us that we may be united to him, and made to ſhare of him; and we are bidden Take and Eat and all to drink of it: Theſe laſt two look to the Covenan… and hold out the Sacrament in reference to it, and how our Lord Jeſus, Firſt by his ſufferings was to purchaſe a People to himſelf, and Secondly that he was to be Communicable to his People; therefore the Cup is called the New Covenant in his Blood; The Cup and the Covenant go together: For though we may conſider Chriſt without the Sacrament; yet we cannot ſo well conſider the Sacrament without Chriſt and the Covenant.
Secondly, To what is Chriſt made diſcernible and Communicable? We anſwer: Firſt he is not diſcernible nor preſent after a corporal manner to the bodily eye, though he be really and truely preſent; The bread that he gives is his Body, and the Cup his Blood, and yet it was Bread and wine which was given, and not his Body and Blood corporally. Secondly, he is not preſent and Communicable by any local mutation, by taking us up to heaven to him, or by bringing his Body out of Heaven to us; But he is theſe three wayes preſent and Communicable; Firſt to our Spirituall ſenſes, to an enlightned underſtanding, which conſiders Chriſts Body broken and his Blood ſhed. Secondly, To the Faith of his people he is preſent in his own ordinance; when his ſpirit goes along and quickens their hearts, and their faith is in exerciſe. They are made to apprehend Chriſts Body, and to have an union with him ſitting in Glory as really as they partake of the elements with their hand and feed upon them with their mouth and ſtomach; an union as reall as is betwixt the head and the members, and betwixt the root and the branches: Theſe two, the Spirit on Chriſts ſide, and Faith on our ſide make up a reall union; and therefore though this preſence be real, yet it's Spirituall; Faith looking and going thorow the elements takes up Chriſt according to the end appointed; and this makes the union, even as fai…h will look and go thorow the word and crediting the word, takes up Chriſt in it, and makes an union with him; ſo by vertue of this ordinance there is a Spiritual preſence of, and union with Chriſt Jeſus. Thirdly A preſence to ſenſe, not ſo much in reſpect of inward feeling, as in reſpect of the powerful effects of his preſence, though often inward feeling goes alongſt with it; and therefore its called the Communion of his Body, and the wine of Heaven; And in reſpect of the mean and way he manifeſts himſelf therein, to the eye, to the touch, to the taſte, and to the ear, and there is a colour ſenſible: which is more then is in any other ordinance, where there is but the exerciſe of one ſenſe; for the more of the outward ſenſes he makes uſe of, he brings with him a proportionable bleſſing to the inward ſenſes of the ſoul.
Thirdly, How doth the Sacrament hold out Chriſt as diſcernible to us? For anſwer I ſhal offer theſe Four wayes. How he may be preſent to the faith of the Believer in the Sacrament; all which wayes he is made diſcernible: 1 In reſpect of the inſtitution; for Chriſt is here repreſented by the Miniſter as giving himſelf; his authority and warrand is here; therefore himſelf is here: This though it be common to all Chriſts ordinances, yet it belongs in a peculiar way to this ordinance; for in it he is preſen… in a ſpecial man…er making over himſelf and his ſufferings to us. Secondly, He is made diſcernible in the Sacrament in as far as it repreſents him: and though the word hold him out, yet the Sacrament doth ſo, more fully, clearly and ſenſibly, by ſuch and ſuch ſignes, by bread, and bread broken, repreſenting his Body broken by Suffering; by wine, and wine poured out, repreſenting his Blood ſhed: and by wine diſtinct from the bread, to ſhew a moſt true and reall death; In which reſpect it's ſaid, Do this in remembrance of me: and as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ye shew forth the Lords Death till he come again: Every Sacrament repreſents Chriſt, but this repreſents him in his ſuffering and dieing, and in the end of it: and makes it over to the worthie communicant, Thirdly he is made diſcernible by this Sacrament in this reſpect, as it's a ſeal appended and affixed to the Covenant, ſerving to ratifie and confirm the Promiſes contained in the Covenant, and ſo the Bread and wine, conſidered in reference to the inſtitution, are a real confirmation of our real partaking of the thing ſignified, and in ſome reſpect make Chriſt really preſent: as the giving of a ſealed Charter of a houſe to a man, is the giving him the houſe: or as the giving of infeofment by a bit of earth and ſtone (being a legall confirmation) is the giving of that land to the man, wherein he is infeoft: becauſe (as I ſaid) it's a legall right to it, and makes it preſent and diſcernible to him: even ſo Chriſt is ma…e diſcernible in this ordinance, becauſe we have our right to him which is in the word, in a ſpecial manner, confirmed to us in it: for not only doth this (as other Sacraments do) confirm the word and Covenant in general, but it hath this peculiar to it, that it confirms Chriſts making over his dieing …e… to us. Fourthly Chriſt is here preſent and di…cernible, and made …o by this ordinance; if we conſider the Sacramen… as a mean whereby we have Chriſt Communicat to us, he not only makes over himſelf Covenant wiſe: but ſealeth this gift: and the Sacrament is a mean of Communion with him thus made over to us: in which reſpect the believer doth and may warrantably make uſe of the Sacrament, for his quickening, elevating, and ſtrengthening to cleave cloſer, and to grip faſter to Chriſt: for which cauſe it's called the Communion of his Body: and hereby we are ſaid to be made one Body with him: Not but that without the Sacrament it may be and is often ſo: but by the Sacrament this Union and Communion is ſtrengthened and furthered to the faith, and Spiritual ſenſe of the believer.
Fourthly, what are the reaſons why Chriſt will have his broken Body made thus diſcernible and apprehenſible in this Sacrament? We anſwer, that he will have it ſo for theſe reaſons. Firſt for evidencing of and bearing Teſtimony to his great love to his People; It ſayes that a dieing Chriſt ſo loves us that he gave himſelf to us; and …o the memorie of his death is revived and kept up; He will have his dieing ſelf, in a Sacrament beſtowed on his People, to keep his love ſtill freſh to them in their remembrance. Secondly for the Publick Profeſſing and teſtifying our faith in a dieing Saviour; For in this Sacrament we profeſs our Faith in him, and dependence on him; and we ſay thereby and declare to the world, this my Saviour died, and is able to give me life; which is a piece of Honour and Glory to the Mediator, and a part of our dutie; when we give Publick teſtimonie, that we think no ſhame of a crucified Redeemer. Thirdly, The Lord hath, for the edification and benefit of his People, made himſelf …o diſcernible in this Sacrament; and there is a Fourfold edification o… benefit that redounds to them by it. Firſt inſtruction, for they that cannot ſo well take up the Lord in the word, may be ſome-what helped to take him up in the Sacrament as a ſlain Saviour, and as being as needfull as meat and drink, without which, as we cannot live, no more can we live without him: and O! how manie Spiritual leſſons may be ha… by theſe ſignificant ceremonies inſtituted by Chriſt? Secondly There is here edification unto the faith of Gods Peop…e: and thus it b…comes ſtrengthening, when not only Chriſt ſayes in his word, I have loved my Church, and given my ſelf for her, and they that believe ſhal not periſh; but we have his ordinance Sealing this: Its exceeding ſtrengthening to a poor weak doubting body which could not eaſily believe, that Chriſt would be ſo kind to a rebell; when he gets a ſacred Seal of his kindneſs, it helps to Believe what is promiſed. Thirdly It edifies as it ſerveth to promote the inward growth of Grace, for in the Sacrament Chriſt is Communicat: and as he is Communicat, life is Communicat, love to God, and to one another is Communicat: and in a word we cannot Imagine a Communication of Chriſt; but it brings with it ſtrengthening to the inward man. Fourthly there is edification in reſpect of the believers conſolation, whether as, to his Senſe, or as to his Faith; the Goſpel in its offer and Promiſes comes out and ſayes, men and women, be it known to you, that Chriſt is p…eached to you and remiſſion of ſins thorow him; But the Sacrament ſayes, Believing man and woman, there is my Body not only broken for all the Elect in generall, but for thee in particular: and this much ſilenceth the great debate whether I be elected or not, or within the Covenant, or not; for it ſayes, O Man, here is a ſlain and broken Redeemer made over unto thee upon condition that thou cloſe with him in the Covenant, as he offers himſelf: and ſo when there has been ſome wavering and fainting in reſpect of conſolation before, it proves very ſtrengthening of the Believers conſolation, conſidering the nature of the Ordinance: and in this reſpect the Sacrament is as a Love-token of a kind Husband to his Spouſe, who when he is to remove to ſome conſiderable diſtance from her for a time, ſayes, take and keep this in remembrance of me, and think that I dearly love thee and will not forget thee, till we meet again.
The ſecond Point of Doctrine is, the great duty called for from a worthy Communicant, and that in ſhort is, rightly to diſcern the Lords Body made ſo diſcernible, and as he is made diſcernible: The Text confirmes the Doctrine: for though a man had never ſo many good things, Suppoſe that he had not only gifts but Grace, yea and a Holy frame of Spirit, yet if he be ignorant of what he is called to or a doing in this Ordinance, he cannot diſcerne the Lords Body, and ſo cannot Communicat worthily: Hence it is that there is ſo much need of Knowledge, without which a man can no more then a child or a fool rightly take up Chriſt in the Sacrament.
To open this a litle we ſhal ſpeak a word to theſe three, 1. To the Object to be diſcerned. 2. To the act of diſcerning. 3. To the reaſons why this diſcerning is ſo neceſſary a duty.
Firſt, for the Object to be diſcerned, It is Chriſt Jeſus, ſuffering, dieing, and making over himſelf to his Peopl… aco…ding to his Covenant, It s Chriſt, and yet Chriſt di…ing, and Chri… dieing according to the Covenant from which he can never be ſepa a ed, and eſpecially i… this ordinance in Particular, conſidered with it's end an… inſtitution with reſpect to the Covenant; It's Chriſ… giving himſelf, and in this Sacrament, according to th… Covenant.
Secondly, For the act of diſcerning; It is taken Fo… wayes, the laſt whereof is the main. 1. To diſcern thing in Scripture is to have diſtinct thoughts and apprehenſions concerning it, Its to take up a thing ſimpl… and as it is in it ſelf; Thus to diſcern Chriſt preſent … the Sacrament, is to diſcern how and wherefore he is preſent. 2. To diſcern a thing is to difference it from othe… things, and in this reſpect a …hing is ſaid to be diſcerne… comparatively as 1 Cor. 4.7. Who maketh thee to diffe… from another? Thus to diſcerne this Sacrament an… Chriſt in it, is to difference it from other things; conſidering tha… it was once common Bread and Wine, bu… that now it is not ſo; It is to put a difference betwixt th… Sacrament and common bread and wine; and betwix… the Sacrament and the Word and Covenant, yet with reſpect to the Covenant; as the Seal differs from the Charter; and to difference this Sacrament from other Sacraments, In reſpect that it looks to a dieing Saviour and Communicats him and his benefits that way. 3. To diſcern a thing, is to have a high eſteem of it, ſuch a… was the diſcerning of Meats dayes, and Places; So to diſcern Chriſt in this Ordinance, is to have a deep impreſſion and high eſtimation of Jeſus Chriſt, of his death, and of his ma…chleſs love ſhining therein: To have much Spiritualitie, Holy fear, awe and reverence in reference to him: Such a fear and reverence as mean men will have before a King or a great man, who when they carrie not ſuitably before ſuch a great perſon, we wil ſay to them, know ye where ye are? So the right diſcerning and uptaking of Chriſt here, is to have a high eſt…mation of him. 4. There is a complex diſcerning of a thing in reference to its uſe and end: or we may call it a Relative diſcerning, which is Practicall, when a man conforms himſelf Sui…ably to his di…cerning of the thing, the want whereof ou… Lord reproves in the Jews, Hypoc…its (ſayes he) Ye can di…cern the face of the Sky, but ye cannot di…cern the ſignes of the times; and in this reſp…ct alſo wh…n a man carries unſuitably before a Magiſtrat, it's ſaid to him by diſcerning Perſons, know ye where ye are? And this being the main thi…g here implied, we ſhall ſpeak a litle more to it: wher…in theſe two things are ſuppoſed, 1. Some diſtinct up taking of our ſelves, of our need, and of our hazard. 2. The right p…taking of Chriſt in this Ordinance, as to the ſupply of thoſe neceſſities and preventing of that hazard: and this Doctrinal diſcerning go…th before that which is Practicall, which is a mans ſuitable uſe-making of Chriſt, or ſuitabl… exerciſing himſelf in reference to his need, and that ordinance appointed for ſupply of his need by Jeſus Chriſt: which is with a reflex look ſometimes on himſelf, ſometimes on Chriſt. And there are in this theſe five ſteps which follow one of them upon another. 1. It conſiſts in a ſuitable frame of heart, as becomes ſuch a poor ſinful unworthy and needy perſon in the preſence of ſo Holy a Lord, going about ſuch a Holy action: another frame then is called for at our dinner or Supper, or at ordinary hearing the word, or at Prayer: A holy, humble, cheerfull, ſerious, Heavenly and hungry frame: Holy awe and reſpect to God making humble, Faith of Gods goodneſs and rich Grace in Chriſt ſhining in this Ordinance, making cheerful: The conviction of need making Sober, and yet very ſerious and eager in what he is about: It's a frame made up, as it were, of contrarieties: ardent love and zeal, and yet a calme and compoſed Spirit to hear what God ſayes, To take what he gives, and to behold what he manifeſts. 2. It conſiſts in an exerciſe of the mind in meditation, both in reference to our ſelves and to Chriſt: Meditation in reference to our own ſinfulneſs and miſery: and meditation on Chriſts love: calling to mind all that he hath done: thinking with delight on Chriſts ſuffering and on the end of it, and again reflecting a look on our ſelves to keep life in this meditation, what was I, when he ſuffered and did all this for me? and what am I now, when he is offering this to me? To have the picture of a loving Husband hanging by a wife to what purpoſe is it, and for what uſe doth it ſerve, if ſhe never look on it to mind him whom it repreſents? 3. It conſiſts in an exerciſe of Graces, It's even (as it is laid in the Song) a making of all the Spices to caſt forth their ſmell: and the putting of all things in good order and ſtudying to have them in good caſe: It's to have love warm to the giver, and cloſing with the gift of a dieing Saviour, and to have love warm to others of his people for his ſake, and becauſe he hath taken us in with others, to partake of the benefits of his love ſhining in his Death: for love to the head and members, go together: It's to have repentance lively ſtirred up & ſin made heart-pricking and Godly ſorrow to flow: the heart made to loath it: and the mind exerciſed in forming hearty reſolutions, Purpoſes, vows, and engagements againſt it: but it's eſpecially to have faith ſtirred up and in exerciſe, and to have all the ſenſes of Faith (to ſpeak ſo) ſet a going: as when the word comes out and ſayes Take ye, Eat ye, this is my Body, which is broken for you. Faith beholds and gets as clear and ſatisfieing a view of Chriſts Suffering and dieing, as if the man ſaw him with his Bodily eyes: when the hand is ſtretched out to take. Faith acts Proportionably in ſtretching out it's hand to take Chriſt, and not only grips him, but in this Ordinance and according to the end of it, takes it as a pledge of Chriſt performing what he hath promiſed, making uſe of him for the end appointed: when the eye looks on what is done, Faith is conſidering and taking a view of Chriſt and of the covenant and of the benefits purchaſed by him, and ſees another thing then the elements, even the wakened up ſword of the Fathers juſtice purſueing the mediator, as the elects cautioner: when the eye looks on the diſtribution, Faith it ſees Chriſt made as it were believers Common-good given among them, and to every one of them: when the hand puts the bread and wine to the mouth, Faith hath a way of opening it's mouth and (as it were) chewing and feeding upon Jeſus Chriſt, and of ſtrengthening, refreſhing, and cheering it ſelf in him counting it ſelf well come to with him and ſecure in him, and faſtening it's engagements to him: all which ſtrengthen our Spirituall life, as eating and drinking doth the natural life: and then when it comes to the taſte, Chriſt reliſheth moſt ſweetly to the Believer, ſo that no Wine doth cheer the natural heart ſo much as Chriſt in the Sacrament conſidered in his love and Covenant, and in the benefits that come by him, do the Soul of the believer; Faith here conſiders Chriſt not only as communicable: but as actually communicated. The fourth thing wherein this diſcerning conſiſts, is a reflecting exerciſe, when we have received the Sacrament we are to reflect and conſider what we have done, and what we are doing, are we indeed feeding upon Chriſt? What is this in our hands? This bread in ſome reſpect is not bread, but Chriſt; This cup is not Wine, but the cup of the New Teſtament in his Blood, and by this reflex act, the Believer applies, and confirmes himſelf, having received the Sacrament, whereby his union with Chriſt is ſignified and ſealed up, he applies and ſayes within himſelf, now Chriſt is mine, and I am his: and he confirmes himſelf in Chriſts love to himſelf and in his intereſt in him: Now ſayeth he, I have gotten no deluſion, but the ſigne and Seal of his bleſſed Body broken, and of his Blood ſhed for me: If unbelief ſay, have ye gotten Chriſt indeed? Yes ſayes the Believers faith, having received this Pledge of his love, I have gotten himſelf and I ſhould Believe it; and this is to act on Chriſt not only directly, which is a thing common to the Sacrament with the word, but to act on Chriſt reflexly: and to perſwade our ſelves of our union and Communion with him, which is the end of this Ordinance: elſe we take not up Chriſt as giving a ſeal; Therefore the word is, Take, eat, This is my Body broken for you: there is more then a bare ſigne here: and faith acts not only for receiving, but for confirming it ſelf, that by receiving it hath an union and Communion with him, who is holden out in the Sacrament, For if it be a ſeal and exhibit Chriſt as a ſeal, then faith ſhould receive and act on it as ſuch for attaining the end that a ſeal ſhould have, ſuppoſing the condition to preceed. Fifthly, it conſiſts in an act of ſpiritual affecting, when there is a Holy ſmacking (to ſpeak ſo) and kiſſing of Chriſt, The ſoul digeſting him for the life of the inner man, and thereon delighting, rejoycing, and exulting in him: and ſo the faith, confidence and hope of the Believer are ſtrengthened: which makes him that he is not aſhamed; and upon the back of this ordinarily the Love of God is ſhed abroad in the heart: and though there ſhould be little ſenſible feeling, yet the believer finds himſelf oblidged to cheer himſelf in Chriſt, and in the Covenant and in the benefits that he hath thorow his purchaſe: and there is readily ſome warming of love to Chriſt, and he is confirmed in the faith of the love of Chriſt to him: and it is impoſſible, where theſe two are, but ſome Holy tickling of affections, which flow from the Word and from this Ordinance thus rightly gone about (as has been ſaid) will follow: and if this be not, That is, if Chriſt be not thus diſcerned in the Sacrament, 1. God gets not what he calls for, Chriſts death is not rightly minded, his Glory and our edification are not promoved, Nor 2. Is the end of the Sacrament attained: neither. 3. Is our comfort furthered: For its not the Ordinance barely, or Ordinary Bread and Wine ſet apart for a Holy uſe, But Jeſus Chriſt diſcerned and received in the Ordinance, that comforts; otherwiſe, the ordinance in and by it's ſelf will not promove our comfort and growth.
The Third Doctrine is, that it is, though a very common and rife, yet a very great ſin not to diſcern the Lords body as he is holden out in this Sacrament diſcernible; The greatneſs of which may be eaſily gathered from what we have diſcourſed concerning the great priviledge of the diſcernibleneſs of the Lords body therein; from the horridneſs of the guilt that it involves in, even the guilt of the body and Blood of the Lord, the greateſt and moſt horrid of all Blood guiltineſs; and from the dreadful Judgements and Plagues that follow on it, temporal or bodily, and Spiritual Plagues, yea even eternal Damna…ion, if Repentance through Grace prevent not: But we muſt, becauſe of the ſhortneſs of time, leave all that might be ſpoken in the more particular Proſecution of this Doctrine; and ſhall only give you Two or Three Caveats (wherewith I ſhall cloſe) to guard againſt miſtakes in reference to what hath been ſpoken; I know it will readily be ſaid, If this be diſcerning of the Lords body, and if none other do diſcern it, but ſuch as go about theſe things, it will be hard for any to diſcern it. For anſwer to this I would have you to conſider, 1. That there is a more explicit, diſtinct and perfect diſcerning; and a more implicit, confuſed and indiſtinct diſcerning of the Lords Body: if we ſpeak of perfection in diſcerning; who come up to that? but if we ſpeak of an honeſt ſincere way of aiming to diſcern, though it be ſomewhat indiſtinct and confuſed, that may be won at; yea I would not think them in a good condition that reſt ſatisfied with themſelves, as being diſtinct enough in all theſe things whereof we have ſpoken; yet where there is (as I juſt now ſaid) honeſt aiming at theſe things, though in a confuſed and indiſtinct way; where faith and love are in ſome meaſure acting with a ſort of fear & joy mixed together; when there is a fear to profane the ordinance, and yet the ſoul loves it ſo well that it cannot endure to want it, nor Chriſt in it, There is a diſcerning of the Lords Body that warrands to draw near. 2. Conſider, that there is a general confuſion and a particular confuſion (to ſpeak ſo) in going about this Ordinance: The general confuſion is this, when perſons are ſo very ignorant and confuſed, that they know not at all what they are doing: a Particular confuſion is only in ſome reſpect, that is when a Soul knoweth that Jeſus Chriſt is in the Ordinance, and knoweth its own condition to ſtand in need of him, that it hath many Spiritual wants to be ſupplied, and that there is much good and a Supply of all thoſe wants to be had from Chriſt in this Ordinance, but how to come at it thereby, it knows not ſo well nor ſo diſtinctly: A perſon that is confuſed in the generall cannot diſcern the Lords Body in the Sacrament, But one that is confuſed in a particular, may: and though… ſuch an one cannot, it may be, Pitch on a particular promiſe that ſuites his need, yet he may fix on Chriſt and on the covenant in general: which is one of the main things that Faith acts on: and indeed unleſs himſelf be acted on by Faith, his benefits fail: and though a ſerious Soul cannot get a particular promiſe to ſettle on, We ſay it ſhould ſtick by the Covenant in general as including all particulars. 3. Conſider, the diſcerning is not to be aſtricted to the very inſtant o… receiving, but we would look well what is our a…m a… endeavour al…ngſt the action, and if habitually we b… indeed ſeriouſly ſeeking after and purſuing t…eſe thing… we cannot have them all in our thoughts at once, tha… is ſcarce, if at all, Poſſible; but if the aime and ſtrai… of your Souls exerciſe run this way: and though the… be failing in many things, yet this is not a neglectiv… ſlighting and careleſs inconſideration: In a word, ſee … there hath been, Firſt ſome clear conviction of ſin an… of your great need of Chriſt: And, 2. See if there hath been ſome uptaking of Chriſt in the Ordinance, and He made precious and lovely therein in ſ…me meaſure: and that it was your errand in going to that ordinance …o take Chriſt to Supply your need and take away your ſin, and your aime to go about the Ordinance rightly in order to that end, If the ſtrain and Series of your way, in theſe, hath been honeſt and ſincere, ye have no reaſon to account your ſelves (at leaſt altogether) unworthy communicants: Though, when we have done all that we can do, It's God himſelf who muſt enable us rightly to diſcern the Lords Body, and who muſt graciouſly paſs by many things that will be found amiſs in us: according to good King Hezekiah his prayer 2 Chron 30.38, 19. The good Lord Pardon everie one that Prepareth his heart to ſeek God, though he be not cleanſed according to the purification of the Sanctuary; So muſt we ſay the Good Lord Pardon us, though we diſcern and take not up Chriſts Body with that Faith and love, with that diſtinctneſs, and clearneſs, with that delight, cheerfulneſs and joy that become, and are requiſite, for ſuch a Solemn action.