A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 238 (Question 97)
SERMON CCXXXVIII.
QUESTION XCVII.
WHAT is required to the worthy rece…ving of the Lords'-Supper.
ANSWER,
IT is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's-Supper, that they examine themſelves of their Knowledge to diſcern the Lord's Body, of their Faith to feed upon him, of their Repentance, Love and New Obedience, leaſt coming unworthily they Eat and Drink Judgment to themſelves.
WE have taken an Account of the Nature of the Lord's Supper. Under the Deſcription of which, not only was the Sacramental Uſefulneſs of it laid down, viz. Our Spiritual Nouriſhment & growth in Grace; but alſo a general Note offered of the Qualification of ſuch as may groundedly expect to receive this Benefit by their Participation in it, viz. Such as do worthily receive it; which is a matter the Apoſtle Commorates upon, 1 Cor. 26, &c. whereby he intimates that it is a thing of great moment for Chriſtians to be well acquainted withal, if they would not miſs the ſaving Good which is to be gotten by it, and incur the greateſt Damage. The Queſtion before us hath a proper reſpect to the qualification of all ſuch as have a true ſpiritual Right to this Ordinance, and are ſuitably diſpoſed to come to it profitably. And there are theſe two things in general ſuppoſed in the Queſtion;
1. THAT a bare partaking of the Elements, is not ſufficient to entitle a Man to the ſaving Efficacy of it. Men may enjoy the one, and yet go without the other; and it is to be fea…ed that a great many ſo do. A meer partaking in the Sign, is done by the exerting of natural Actions of Eating and Drinking, which may be done as eaſily by a Wicked as a Godly Man; and a Wicked Man may make as ſemblable a ſhew in the external manner as the moſt ſincere Believer; there being nothing in all this, but what a formal Hypocrite may perform in all the parts. But as to Participation in the thing ſignified, which is eſſential to the making of it a true Sacrament to a Man, it is Spiritual, and cannot be done without Grace, both in being and in exerciſe: for it is certain that ſuch as do not receive Chriſt together with the Elements, loſe the better part, and fruſtrate themſelves of the great End of the Ordinance.
2. THAT great Care is to be uſed about the meetneſs or fitneſs of all ſuch as come to the Lord's Table. For were it not for this, our Duty of Self-Examination were ſuperfluous. But the ground and weight of this will come to be Diſcourſed afterwards in our conſidering of the Anſwer here given. Here I only in general obſerve, that there are ſuch Qualifications required, the want whereof renders the Perſon unfit for coming to the Lord's Table. The thing therefore which here lies before us is, the great Duty of Self-Examination, in order to our right Partaking: And to make way for a diſtinct …aying open this matter, a few Conſiderations may be premiſed;
1. THAT the Lord's Supper in reſpect of actual Communion in it, is a barred Ordinance; and that, not only in regard of th…ſe … are ſtrangers from the G…ſpel Covenant, but ſuch alſo as do ſtand externally related to it. This was formerly obſerved, when we conſidered the Subjects of Baptiſm; where we conſidered the difference between a right in an Oridinance, and a right to it. Every viſible Chriſtian hath a right in the External Privileges of the Goſpel Covenant; but he may not thereupon …e admitted immediately to come to this Table: and there needs no more at preſent to be ſaid to make this good, but that it is evident from the Word of God, that there are ſuch things as may exclude a Perſon from this actual Communion, inaſmuch as this Excluſion is one of the Ordinances of D…ſcipline in the viſible Church And doubtleſs ſuch things as may put a Man from it, do by a parity of Rea… deſer…d…y keep him from it.
2. THAT hence there are the Qualifications of Perſons to be enquired into; … the diſcovery of their …n…ſs for ſuch a Participation: And this is a natural Conſequence from the former; for if all the belong to the viſible Church are not fit, then there muſt be a Rule whereby this fitneſs is to be diſcerned; and this muſt be found in the Perſons ſo concerned… how el…e ſhall they be known? And this can be nothing …lſe but ſomething to be in them, whereby they may be differenced from others that are not meet.
3. HENCE if follows, That all Comers ought to p…ſs under an Examination in regard … theſe Qualifications. This is the proper way by which ſuch a diſcovery is to be made of them. Now tho' our Catechiſm only ſpeaks of Self-Examination; yet becauſe we know that according to the Goſpel there is a double Examination that is to be made of ſuch, we may here make a glance at them both.
1. THERE are thoſe Qualifications that are requiſite for the Satisfaction of others, for their Adm…ſſion to this Table. …od of old appointed D…or keepers to the T…bernacle, and they were to Examine all Comers, and ſhut out ſuch as by reaſon of Ceremonial Uncleanneſs were prohibited to come; and the neglect of …his was charged as a Sin upon them, and God threatned them for that neglect, Ezek. 22.26. Her prieſts have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they ſhewed difference between the un…lean and the clean. And doubtleſs there was a Moral conſideration in this, to be carefully obſerved in Goſpel times; and the Goſpel Minſters cannot without Guilt, neglect this, and ſet open this Ordinance to all that will come whoſoever they be; provided they have firſt received Baptiſm. But as to this matter our Catechiſm waves it, and I ſhall not inſiſt upon it; only obſerve, that tho' the Orthodox are agreed in the thing it ſelf, yet there are various thoughts among them about the Qualifications themſelves, which it would be too tedious a digreſſion to enter upon the diſcuſſion of in theſe Exerciſes: I ſhall therefore here only mention two general Rules which ought to be obſerved in this Affair▪
(1.) THAT thoſe who in …riminately admit all Baptized Perſons, for that reaſon, without putting a difference, do man f…ſtly tranſgreſs the G…ſpel Institution. That ſome do ſo, and compel Men to it, is too notorious: Altho' it muſt be acknowledged that they do not admit Infants, but ſuch as are Adult, yet at ſuch an Age they are to come, however otherwiſe qualified they be; whereas upon an eaſy Examen it will be found that many of theſe are ſcandalouſly Ignorant of the firſt Principles of the Chriſtian Religion; and others have been Guilty of horrid Crimes, and lead leud Lives, to the reproach of the Goſpel Profeſſion, and never profeſſed or practiſed Repentance; but go on in a Courſe of ſuch Abominations: Now ſuch as are known to be ſo, or upon proper enquiry are found ſuch, are Subjects of a Cenſure, & ſo not to be admitted.
(2.) THAT theſe who make other Terms of Communion than the Word of God preſcribes, Uſurp upon Chriſts authority, and unwarrantably Impoſe on M…ns Conſciences. There are too many that ſo do, ſome upon one Pretence ſome on another; and whatſoever plauſible Pleas they have for it, they will not excuſe them, nor will Chriſt thank them for preſuming themſelves to …e Wiſer than he is. I ſhall here only obſerve in general, that Men can only judge according to appearance; and when we have done all there will be Tares mixt with the Wheat; and all that are of Iſrael will not be Iſrael. And if none be admitted but ſuch as are Knowing and Orthodox in Principles, make a Profeſſion of Subjection to Chriſt, and their Converſations are as becometh Chriſtians, or if they have been Scandalous, teſtify they Repentance and Reformation; there will be no blame upon the Churches of Chriſt who entertain them.
2. THERE are thoſe Qualifications which the Perſ…n himſelf muſt have in him; and for that reaſon ought to Examine himſelf, in order to his right Partaking. And this is that which our Catechiſm aims at, and gives Direction about: And this is another manner of Examination than the other; and can by no means be ſuperceded by the former. A Man may paſs under the ſevereſt Examen of the ſtricteſt Queriſts, and obtain their moſt enlarged Charity and Approbation, and yet remain an odious Hypocrite in the ſight of God: if therefore he truſts to that, he will deceive himſelf, and ly open to the Divine Diſpleſure; others may help him in it, but he alone can make the proper Application: And becauſe it is Heart-work, he muſt get inward acquaintance with that.
WE may proceed then to take a particular Account of the matter as is lies before us. And here obſerve that the Duty it ſelf is Self-Examination; and here three things will come under our Conſideration; The Thing to be examined; The Manner of the Examination; and, The great importance of the Duty: Every whereof will call for ſome thoughts.
1. THE thing it ſelf that is to be Examined: i. e. Our worthineſs to partake at this Ordinance. And doubtleſs the deſign of it is to know whether we are worthy, and that if we do, we ſhall do it worthly: and this is a thing which every ſerious and ſenſible Communicant ought to uſe endeavours to be ſatisfied in. And that we be not miſtaken in this matter, we are not to think that either Paul, in 1 Cor. 11. or the Compilers of the Catechiſm, who borrowed this word from him, did by worthineſs at all intend a Perſonal Merit, by which we may up…n our own worth challenge a Title to this favour; for when in a Legal ſ…nſe we are moſt ſenſible of, and affected with our own Unworthineſs, we are Evangelica…ly moſt Worthy; and the word itſelf properly ſignifies, meet for a thing: And a Man is then ſaid to be Worthy in a right ſenſe, when he is …it, ready, prepared for the thing. Nor in leed can any other Worthineſs be here intended becauſe in the Ordinance it ſelf, every right Communicant renounceth his own Worthineſs, and takes hold on the Worthineſs of Chriſt, and placeth his whole hope and expectation upon him. There can therefore be regard had to no other Merits but thoſe of Chriſt, in them we are only to look for our acceptance.
AND here give me leave to obſerve, That that which is nextly and chiefly, aimed at in our Catechiſm, is that Preparedneſs we are in, to receive the Sacrament profitably, to our own Advantage and Edification: and in general obſerve, that as the Ordinance is in its deſign Spiritual, ſo muſt our fitneſs or worthineſs be; and that is the thing about which our ſelf ſearch muſt be. It is true there are other things about which we are to examine our ſelves, that we have true Conſolation in our Participation: But the thing under preſent Conſideration is about our Preparation or readineſs to come, that we may not loſe the Benefit; and this is according to that Direction given us, 1 Cor. 11.28. But let a man examine himſelf. Which is nextly aimed at by our Divines.
BUT here a puzling Queſtion is ſtarted, viz. Whether if the Perſon finds himſelf unworthy, he ought not for all that to come? And the reaſon of it is becauſe Chriſtians are bound to attend on all the Ordinances; and it will be a Sin in them to omit it. But this is to be received with great caution. For though it is a truth, that ſuch Chriſtians as are capable of it, cannot voluntarily live without this Ordinance, but with their own Sin, it being the duty of all ſuch to endeavour to be fit for it, and accordingly regularly to ſeek it; and their very unfitneſs for it is their Sin: yet this Conſideration will not juſtify their coming raſhly. And their caſe may be circumſtanced ſo as not only will they Sin in coming, but their Sin would be aggravated by it. And though it is not ſufficient to fright a ſerious Soul from this Table, that he labours under ſome darkneſs and doubts, but rather humbly to come and wait upon Chriſt to clear up his doubts, and remove his fears. Nevertheleſs, a Perſon may lye under the guilt of ſuch Sins, which no other knows of, or can accuſe him for, that as long as the Guilt abides, and his Peace is not made with God, it would be dating preſumption in him thus to come, and it would be to add Tranſgreſſion to Sin, and profane the holy Ordinance. In the Moſaical Paedagogy, if a Man knew himſelf unclean, he might not dare to come to the Paſſover, till he had attended the Law for his cleanſing. A…d it was a Precept given by our Saviour, which had a regard to Goſpel times, Mat. 5.23, 24. Therefore it thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembreſt that thy brother hath ought againſt thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, firſt be … to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. And when the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 11.…. But let a man examine himſelf, and ſo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; it cannot intend, let him however he finds himſelf upon his Examination; for what uſe would there then be of it? But the meaning muſt be according as he finds himſelf, and there be no juſt let or impediment. So that, as ſometimes Men are Providentially debarred, and it is no fault if they come not, when by Sickneſs, or any other juſt avocation they are taken off; ſo when their own falls throws moral bars in their way; they ought not to leap over them, but ſeek orderly to get them out of the way. And doubtleſs this is one improvement which they are to make of their Self-Examination, if they would not trif…e in it. And it is not ſufficient for Men to abſtain, which they cannot do without Sin, as it that were ſufficient to expiate their Guilt.
BUT we may now proceed to conſider what is that Worthineſs or Preparedneſs, which they are to Examine themſelves about. Tho' this will be more particularly conſidered under the next Head; yet ſomething may be here remarked in general. We before obſerved that a Man is then worthy when he is …itted and prepared to meet with Chriſt at his Table, and to partake in the great Benefits of his Death, which are there diſpenſed to the Worthy Communicants. And here we are to obſerve, that there is a double fitneſs which is requiſite, & therefore both are to be brought under this Inquity, viz. Habitual & Actual. Each whereof may be conſidered,
(1.) THERE is an Habitual fitneſs which is beſtowed on Perſons when they are put into a ſtate of Grace by a through or ſound Converſion. Of ſuch it is therefore frequently ſaid, that they are worthy, Rev. 3.4. and elſewhere. And the reaſon is, becauſe the worthineſs of Chriſt is made their's by Imputation, and by a new Principle of Grace infuſed into them, they are made capable of receiving him and his Benefits; and this no Man while in his natural ſtate hath any right to, or preſent capacity of. And the ground o… this is evident from the Nature and Deſign of this Ordinance; of which we have formerly conſidered. This Sacrament, is not only a Sign, but alſo a Seal of the Covenant between God and us: it is alſo an Inſtrument for the conveyance of all that good to us, which is laid up in the Promiſe of this Covenant. Now this neceſſarily preſuppoſeth that the Covenant is firſt indented, for it muſt firſt be, before it can be ratified. Now whatſoever Claim Men may have to this Ordinance as to Men, by vertue of an open Profeſſion, it is certain that the Promiſe is ſetled upon them, only on their cordial cloſing in with the terms on which it is exhibited to them. And this is only upon their Converſion, in which theſe terms are wrought in them; who before were under the threatning which is denounced againſt all who are without them. No Man can exert a vital act, till he is alive; and before Converſion we are told how it is with us, Eph. 2.1 Dead in treſpaſſes and ſins. And this quickning is wrought in Converſion: by putting into him the new Principles of Spiritual Life, which before he had not. And when this Grace is once conferred upon him, he is now a Subject habitually prepared to receive the Benefits of Chriſt; and they belong to him according to the Promiſe. This therefore muſt neceſſarily be inquired after by ſuch as would worthily partake.
(2.) THERE is Actual fitneſs or worthineſs to be conſidered here. This always preſumes the former, and ſo till we are well ſatisfied in that, we in vain inquire after this, any further than by this we may gather ſome comfortable evidence of that: for it is not to be denied, that by the Effects, we may argue to the Cauſe, provided they be ſuch as cannot otherwiſe be produced. Now to this Actual worthineſs or fitneſs, it is requiſite that theſe Graces of the Spirit which are put into us, have their diſpoſtions raiſed, and he in a ready poſture to give a ſuitable Entertainment to Chriſt who is ſ…t before us in this Ordinance. And it is certain, that a Man may be Habitually prepared, and yet Actually unprepared, and be very unfit for preſent Communnion in it, and ſo loſe the benefit of it. And the reaſon of this is, becauſe of the remaining Corruption which in this Life abides in the beſt of God's People, which puts a woful impediment to their receiving of Spiritual good by any Ordinance; and as long as this indiſpoſition continues, it ſuppreſſeth the activity of their Graces. It is therefore the duty of every Communicant, in order to his coming to the Sacrament, not only to inquire into his ſtate, but alſo his preſent frame; that he may be able to ſay as the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 57.7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will ſing and give praiſe. And he ought to be the more heedful to himſelf in this, becauſe, if he hath any acquaintance at home, he cannot but know how apt he is to be out of frame. And there are many reſpects in which this may be, the principal whereof may be afterwards conſidered. And that he ought to do this every time he is to approach to the Ordinance, needs no greater conviction than his own experience, which cannot but tell him that his good frames do frequently go off, and indiſpoſitions do inſenſibly ſteal upon him; which, if he do not carefully and ſtrictly obſerve, will render him, unfit; and he ought to be afraid of the deceitfulneſs of Sin. Now the proper deſign of this inquiry, is not to drive him from coming, in caſe he finds himſelf unready, but to quicken him to take the Opportunity to get ready. … call in his wandring affection, to ſtir up his drowſy paces, to get all things into a right order; that ſo he may not run raſhly on ſuch a Duty.
2. WE are now to paſs over to conſider the Manner of this Examination; or how we are to Examine our ſelves, and what are the Things about which this Duty is to be employed: And this may be generally gathered from the former. For if it be our worthineſs which is to be inqui…ed after, then thoſe things are to be ſought for, which will ſerve to give Evidence thereunto. And for our more orderly proceedure here, we may firſt conſider the Nature of this Examination, and then the Things themſelves about which it is to be employed in the ſearch after them.
1. AS to the Nature of this Examination, a, few Words may ſuffice. And here two Things may be conſidered, viz. the Duty it ſelf, and the Subject of it.
(1.) THE Duty it ſelf is to Examine. The word uſed, 1 Cor. 11.28. foreignproperly ſignifies to make Trial of a thing to find out what it indeed is, that we may come to a certain knowledge of it, and not be miſtaken about it: It is a metaphorical word, borrowed from Goldſmiths, who leaſt they ſhould be impoſed on, and have Counterfeit M…al put upon them inſtead of that which is go…ne, and for that end they bring it to the reſt; and have their Rules by which they can diſtinguiſh one from another. So that this contains in it, not only an Examination whether ſuch things be, but a Trial of them, whether they be right or no. And the reaſon is, becauſe not only there are ſuch things as gliſter, but are not Gold; that makes an appearance as if they were right, but upon a more thorough inquiry will be found wrong: And the more importance it is of, that we be not miſtaken, the more need to be curious and critical; as alſo in regard of the deceitfulneſs of our own Hearts, which, by reaſon of carnal Concupiſcence in us, will put a cheat upon us if poſſible, Jer. 17 9.
(2.) THE Subject of it is our own ſelves. The matter about which it is to be imployed, are not other Mens concerns, but our own: Our buſineſs in this regard is not abroad but at home. We are in it to fir in Judgment upon our ſelves; it is our own ſta…e & frame that is to be brought to the Trial; and in this affair our own Conſciences are to be Witneſſes, Jurors, and Judges: and it cannot be left to any one to do it in our behalf. We may make a fair ſhew to the World, but they may be deceived in us; but our own Hearts are c…ſcious, or may be acquainted with the …th of things, if we do not ſhut our eyes againſt the light; but are willing to bring ourſelves to the light of thoſe Rules which are given us in the Word of God for our help in this matter. And becauſe it is our ſelves, we have the more need to take great care that we may judge righteous Judgment; becauſe of thoſe prejudices which are apt to ariſe in us, and good opinions that we are too apt to entertain concerning our ſelves; and the advantage which Satan the Adverſary of our Souls takes from hence to perſwade us to draw falſe Concluſions: for which reaſon we had need not only to entertain an holy fear and jealouſy of our ſelves, to make us the more critical in our Examination, but alſo, not daring to truſt our ſelves, earneſtly to call in Divine help, and beg of God that he would a …ſt us in, our Search, and give us a right judgment and determination: As Pſal. 129.2…, 24.
USE. AND from what hath been hitherto ſaid on this Caſe, we may learn, that it is not a matter of light moment, whether in our outward partaking at this Ordinance we bave Communion witb Chriſt or no. For were it ſo, it would not be ſo urged upon us to bring our ſelves under ſo ſtrict an Examination. It may therefore put us upon it to be more earneſt in this matter; the neglect whereof is none of the leaſt of the reaſons, why we go to and come from this Ordinance, and get no more true profit by it.