remitteth Sins and Trespasses unto another as concerning the Pardoning of the Private Offence Q. Whether is Remission of Sins freely given A. Albeit God remitteth not our Sins unto us except a most sufficient Price or Punishment be first paid for them yet he remitteth them freely unto us for Christ's sake Q. But Christ did Merit Remission therefore Remission is not Free A. It was God's Free Grace to give Christ unto us and therefore whatsoever cometh by Christ cometh freely Q. For what is Remission of Sins given A. Besides the Free Mercy of God Remission of Sins is granted by the Vertue Passion and Intercession of Christ Behold the Lamb of God that taketh Joh. 1. 29. away the sins of the world Christ hath once suffered for our sins 1 Pet. 3. 18. the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God The blood of Christ cleanseth us from 1 Joh. 1. 7. all sin It pleased the Father that in Christ Col. 1. 19 20. should all fulness dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself and to set at peace through the blood of his cross both the things in earth and things in heaven Ye are come to Jesus the Mediator of Heb. 12. 24. the New-Testament and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel By Christ we have redemption through Eph. 1. 7. his â—â—ood even the forgiveness of sins Q. How could it stand with the Iustice of God to punish Christ for us A. Christ was willing to be punished for our Sins yea he offered himself freely for us Walk in love as Christ hath loved us Eph. 5. 2. and hath given himself for us to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to God Christ loved the Church and gave himself Chap. 5. 25. for it that he might sanctifie it He gave himself for us that he might Tit. 2. 14. redeem us from all iniquity Q. Doth not Christ as well deliver us from the Punishment as the Guilt of Sin A. Yes as plainly appeareth And therefore what Judgments are executed upon the Elect after Justification are not properly Punishments but Fatherly Corrections and of Love Being justified by faith we have peace Rom. 5. 1. with God Even Jesus which delivered us from â— Thes 1. 10. wrath to come The END of the Catechism A Preparatory SERMON For the Worthy Receiving of the Holy Sacrament OF THE Lord's Supper As it was Preach'd in SERJEANTS-INN-CHAPPEL IN Fleet-street London By JAMES CLIFFORD M. A. Chaplain to the Honourable SOCIETY Psal xxvi 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and compass thine Altar LONDON Printed for J. Deacon at the Angel in Gilt-spur-street without Newgate 1694. And are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster A PRAYER PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us pray for the whole State of Christ's Catholick Church dispers'd over the face of the whole Earth That it may please God to govern it universally in the right way Let us pray for the Lord 's Anointed King WILLIAM and Queen MARY of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. For Catherine the Queen Dowager Princess Anne of Denmark and all the Royal Family Let us pray for all the Lords of Their Majesties most Honourable Privy Council all the Nobility Judges Gentry and Commons of this Land * If Sitting more-especially for the Honourable High Court of Parliament now assembled Les us pray for the whole Body of the Clergy whether Archbishops Bishops or other inferiour Priests and Deacons And for a Supply of their Mortality water with the Dew of thy Blessing the Two Famous Universities Oxford and Cambridge and especially for this Honourable Society of Law and Equity Lastly O Lord we return unto thee for a Blessing upon our selves here met together O Lord be present both with Speaker and Hearer bless me O Lord that am to speak bless these thy People that are to hear open unto me the Door of Utterance that I may deliver thy Word plainly powerfully and profitably open we pray thee not only the Ears but the Hearts of these thy People that they may receive the Word not as the Word of sinful Men but as the Word of thee the ever Living God which is able to save their Souls Grant good God that they may hear it attentively conceive it readily apply it wisely lay it up in their Memories faithfully meditate and practice it in their Lives and Conversations conscionably so that it may prove to none of us the savour of Death unto Death but unto every Soul here present the savour of Life unto Life that hereby our Understandings may be enlightned our Hearts purified our Consciences pacified our sinful Lives reformed and our precious Souls eternally saved at the Day of the Lord Jesus These and all other needful Mercies we beg at thy hands for the sake and worthiness of Jesus Christ the Righteous the Son of thy Love in whom thou art well pleased in whose Name and Words we call upon thee Our Father c. 1 COR. xi 27 28 29. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body THE Apostle having declared the true Institution of the Sacrament and the right End to be observed in the Celebration of it viz. The perpetual Commemoration of Christ's Death in the fore-going Words In the next place he shew the great Danger Men run into by an undue and unworthy Participation of this Ordinance They commit a great Sin which draws upon them great Judgments both Temporal and Eternal unless by a diligent Examination of themselves the Sin be prevented and the Punishment warded off In these Words we have I. The Sin of Unworthy Receiving Ver. 27. II. The Means to avoid this Sin Ver. 28. which is careful Examination of one's self before the Sacrament III. The Punishment which they Ver. 29. incurr who Commit the Sin and Neglect the Means and that is Judgment or Damnation First Here 's the Sin of Unworthy Ver. 27. Receiving laid down Whoso shall eat this bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1. In which Words we may take notice 1. Of the Sin it self 2. Of the Quality of this Sin First Here 's the Sin it self Unworthy Receiving There 's a Twofold Unworthiness 1. Of
Christ For as the body is one and hath many 1 Cor. 12. 12. members and all the members of the body which is one though they be many yet are but one body even so is Christ For by one Spirit we are baptized into Ver. 13 one body whether we be Jews or Grecians bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit For the body also is not one member but 14. many For we that are many are one bread 1 Cor. 10. 17. and one body because we are partakers of one bread We being many are one body in Christ Rom. 12. 5. and every one one anothers members But let us follow the truth in love and Eph. 4. 15. in all things grow up into him which is the head that is Christ For we are members of his body of his Chap. 5. 30. flesh and of his bones Whereby we are ready to communicate all God's Benefits both Spiritual and Temporal to the mutual Health and Comfort of one another according to the measure which we have received of God in this Life Besides the things that are outward I 2 Cor 11. 28. am cumbred daily and have the care of all the churches Bear ye one anothers burthen and so Gal. 6. 2. fulfil the law of Christ If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercy Fulfil my joy that ye be like-minded having the like love being of one accord and of one judgment That nothing be done through contention or vain-glory but that in meekness of mind every man esteem other better than himself Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of other men Q. Wherein have the Saints Communion one with another A. 1st In that they are made Partakers 1 Cor. 12. 13. of the same Privileges in Christ and of the same Saving Graces in his Life And though not in the same Phil. 1. 7. Measure yet of the same Glory in the Life to come For henceforth is laid up for me 2 Tim. 4. 8. the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing 2dly In that they are made Partakers of the Prayers of one another I exhort therefore that prayers and supplications 1 Tim. 2. 1. be made for all men c. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Psal 122. And therefore our Saviour Christ taught us to pray Our Father and not My Father To signifie That we ought to pray for all the Militant Churches as well as our selves 3dly In that they do employ those Talents that God hath given them not altogether to their own private Good but to the Good of God's Church The manifestation of the Spirit is given 1 Cor. 12. 7. to every man to profit withal So that ye labour together in prayer for 2 Cor. 1. 11. us that for the gift bestowed upon us for many thanks may be given by many persons for us For the gathering together of the Saints Eph. 4. 12. and for the work of the Ministry and for the edification of the body of Christ 4thly In that God's Saints are ready to relieve the Necessities of their Brethren And the multitude of them that believed Act. 4. 32. were of one heart and of one soul neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his own but they had all things common He is ever merciful and lendeth Psal 37. 26. A devout man one that feared God Act. 10. 2. with all his houshold which gave much alms to the people He that hath two coats let him part to Luk 3. 11. him that hath none and him that hath meat do likewise 5thly The Communion of Saints consists in respect of Society and Fellowship one with another And all that believed were in one Act. 2. 24 place and had all things common And they continued daily in the temple 26. with one accord and breaking bread at home did eat their meat together with gladness and singleness of heart Thou art my Lord my well-doing extendeth Psal 16. 3 4. not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent all my delight is in them And not only in Private Meeting together of the Saints but also in the diligent and chearful Meeting together at God's House at his Publick Ordinances as at Publick Prayer Hearing the Word Preached Receiving the Holy Sacrament c. I thank my God having you in perfect Phil. 1. 3. memory Because of the fellowship which ye have 5. in the Gospel from the first day till now When I remembred these things I Psal 42. 4. poured out my very heart because I had gone with the multitude and led them into the house of God with the voice of singing and praise as a multitude that keepeth a feast Q. What is to be understood by Saints in this Article A. Not only dead Men much less such as are Canoniz'd by the Pope but also such Servants of God that live upon the Earth being Sanctified by the Blood of Christ and by the Spirit of God being also set a-part and separated out of the World I mean from the Estate of an Unregenerate Person and such as are called Saints in divers places of Scripture Unto the church of God which is at 1 Cor. 1. 2. Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus Saints by calling To the Saints that are at Ephesus Eph. 1. To the Saints in Christ that are at Philippi Phil. To them which are at Coloss Saints Col. and faithful brethren in Christ Q. Which is the Tenth Article of the Creep A. The Tenth Article to be believed is Remission of Sins Q. What is the Remission of Sins A. Remission of Sins is the free Gift of God whereby the Elect are freed both from the Guiltiness and Punishment of Sin by the means of the Passion and Intercession of Christ and that in this World Q. Who is it that giveth Remission of Sins A. Remission of Sins is given of God only I even I am he that putteth away Isa 43. 25. thine iniquities for my own sake and will not remember your sins Why doth this man speak blasphemy Mark 2. 7. Who can forgive sins but God only And it must needs be so because Sin is only committed against God and therefore God only hath Power to forgive it Q. But Remission is ascribed to the Apostles and the Ministers as is manifest Mat. 18. Joh. 20. 23. A. The Apostles remit Sins in that they are Signifiers and Declarers of God's Remission The Church remitteth Sins when according to the Commandment of God she denounceth Remission of Sins to the Repentant One Neighbour
the Person When the Person coming is Unworthy that 's not here meant for so none is Worthy can merit or deserve this honourable Privilege 2. Of the Action When we come in an undue unworthy and unprepared Manner when Men care not with what Minds nor in what Manner they come to the Lord's Supper but rush hand-over-head upon the Ordinance There are Three sorts who Receive Unworthily 1. The Ignorant 2. The Superstitious 3. The Profane and Ungodly Ones 1st Such as are Ignorant That come out of Custom rather than Conscience for Shame of the World because 't is counted a Disparagement not to be admitted to that Ordinance rather than out of any Sense Apprehension or Desire of the Benefit accruing by this Ordinance Such as discern not the Lord's Body are not able to look farther than that which they see with their Eyes They indeed behold Bread broken and Wine poured forth but what the Meaning and Signification of those things are they know not They behold the Ceremony but understand not the Mystery They talk of the Sacrament but know not what it is who instituted it why it was ordained to what End and Use it serves and therefore their Receiving cannot be 〈◊〉 a Rational and Intelligible Rom. 12. 1. Service and so is not acceptable to God 2dly The Superstitiously Conceited that attribute more to the Outward Elements and External Administration than is meet The Papists lead the Van in this Brigade who pervert the simplicity of this Ordinance turning the whole business into a Tragedy or Stage-Play by their abominable ridiculous and absurd Gestures and Actions to the high Dishonour of God and grand Abuse of this Sacred and Holy Institution And next unto these follow many Ignorant and Superstitious Protestants who have many fond Conceits and fantastical Opinions of this Ordinance resting in the Opus operatum or Work done thinking that the bare Outward Actions and Elements are able to sanctifie them That if they go Fasting they have the more if having Eaten somewhat the less Benefit by coming That even the very Receiving of the Elements is of great virtue to a sick Man Or That whosoever Receives upon his Death-bed must needs be saved and go to Heaven 3dly Such as are Ungodly and Profane Proud Covetous Voluptuous Drunkards Swearers Neglecters and Despisers of God's Service Scoffers and Jeerers at the Profession of Religion Envious Malicious False-hearted Deceitful Dissembling Wretches that so they may carry it fair toward the World regard not Inward Sanctity Holiness and Integrity at all such as come in the guilt of these Sins unrepented of unbewailed unresolved against these are Spots in our holy Feasts as St. Jude Ver. 12. speaks Bloaches Stains and Reproaches to our Christian Assemblies and such as give great Occasion of such Multitudes separating and withdrawing themselves from our Congregations many profaneâ— ungodly Persons there are in these days who will be railing and inveighing against Separatists and Independents when they themselves give occasion to the being of such Secondly Here 's the Quality of this Sin It 's very heinous and they that commit it are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ One would think this were a very hard â—ensure of a Fault that seems not to be very great That coming unworthily to the Sacrament should be Murther and Blood-guiltiness nay Guiltiness of the Blood of the only begotten Son of God and so as heinous a Sin as that which Judas and Pilate and the Jews were guilty of in Crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Glory But the Quality of Sin is not to be measured by ours but by God's Judgment of it God calls it such here and we must believe it to be such But how are they guilty Not as principal Actors and Doers in the business for so the Jews were only guilty but as Accessaries and Abettors For 1. 'T is a slighting of Christ's Death a not laying of it to heart in a due manner It implies that we in the secret of our Souls conceive the putting of Christ to Death was no such heinous Offence whenas we can behold the visible Representation of it in the Sacrament without being at all affected with it as if Christ had been a guilty Person deserving to be used as he was and the Jews had done an Act of Justice in Crucifying him 2. 'T is an Injury and Abuse that reflects upon the Person of Christ as he that shall violate the Picture Seal or Arms of a King offers an Indignity to the King himself and shall be punish'd accordingly so he that unworthily useth this Sacrament or Memorial of Christ's Death doth offer Contempt unto the Death it self 3. 'T is a sign we do not lay to heart the Sin of our Nature which was the occasion of Christ's Dying If Man had not sinned Christ had not died And therefore the Prophet Isaiah tells us That he was wounded for our Chap. 53. 5 transgressions and bruised for our iniquities All we like sheep have gone astray 6. and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Hence it is that in the Sacrament we should exercise Repentance we should look upon him whom Zech. 12. 10. we have pierced and mourn for him as one mourns for his only son 'T is a Tradition That if the guilty Murtherer be brought to the sight of the Party murthered or touch his Body he 'll presently fall a bleedingâ— The Sight of Christ crucified whom we have murthered by our Sins and Transgressions should cause our Hearts within us to mourn and bleed We should undo that by Repentance which we have done by Sin But thus do not such as Receive unworthily and so remain guilty of the Body and Blood i. e. of the Death of Christ 4. 'T is a frustrating of the End of Christ's Death and as to their particular a shedding of the Blood of Christ in vain Christ gave his Body to be crucified and suffered his Blood to be shed that he might nourish and preserve the Souls of the Faithful unto Everlasting Life Hence it is that he says that his Flesh is Meat indeed and his Joh. 6. 55. Blood is Drink indeed But to whom is it such To those that feed on him by Faith This was the End why Christ gave himself that he might become the Bread of Life But so cannot unworthy Receivers and therefore the End of Christ's giving himself as to them is utterly frustrated and disappointed and so they become guilty of the Body and Blood i. e. of the Death of Christ are interpretatively and in effect Christ's Murtherers and Destroyers Now 't is a fearful thing to be guilty of any Man's Blood yea of a wicked Man's Blood how much more to be guilty of the Blood of the Son of God! of the Blood of God! Deliver me O God from bloodguiltiness says David It was a Sin the guilt whereof Psal 51. lay exceeding heavy yea like a
Meditation upon Christ's Death and the Benefits thereof The Bread and Wine separated by Consecration to this holy Use should re-mind us of Christ's being fore-ordained and set a-part by God from all Eternity to the work of Man's Redemption The Breaking of the Bread and the Pouring forth of the Wine should bring to our remembrance how Christ was torn in his Body with Wounds and Stripes and toâ—tur'd in his Soul with the sense of his Father's Wrath and Indignation and that for our Sins and Transgressions When the Minister offers to thee the Bread and Wine think of Christ given to thee of God freely and freely giving himself to thee if thou wilt receive him When thou receivest and eatest those Elements think on Christ the living Bread that gives Life to thy Soul and by his Merits preserve it from Eternal Death Let thy Heart cleave unto him by Faith throw thy self into his Arms wash thy Soul in his Blood hide thy self in the Holes and Clefts of this Rock from the stormy Tempest of God's Wrath. This is the Life of this holy Sacrament without which Spiritual Applications all is but a dead and empty Ceremony Now of the Affections that must be excited and stirred up in thiâ— Ordinance 1. Our Hearts must be drawn to a firm relying and dependance upon Christ as an All-sufficient Saviour having paid the utmost Farthing and trod the Wine-press defeated all the Powers of Darkness and purchased for us a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Let not greatness and difficulty of the Work of Redemption terrifie us Christ hath finished 2. The sight of Christ Crucified should beget in us a godly Sorrow for our Sins that were the Judasses Pilates Zech. 12. 10. Jews Mourn over him 3. Thankfulness Because by Christ's Death is purchased for us the greatest Blessing that ever was Pardon Reconciliation Grace Glory 2. On our part the greatest Undesert that might be 3. Infinite Disproportion betwixt Christ and us the Just for the Unjust the Prince of Glory for Vassals of Baseness 4. Love unto Christ How should we love Christ that loved us and gave himself for us 1. A Man must Examine himself after he is come from the Sacrament to consider what Comfort and Encrease of Grace he hath received what quickning Vertue and Refreshment he hath found to flow out of Christ into his Soul Now upon such Examination a Man shall find that it hath â—een well with him at the Sacrament oâ— that it hath not and so accordingly he is to proceed First then If a Man hath found no Joy Comfort or Enlargement but upon Examination finds that he hath been unfruitful dead and dull then two things are to be done 1. Suspect thy self that thou hast been â—ailing either in thy Preparation to or Performance of the Duty Labour therefore to find out what it was that hinder'd the Efficacy of the Sacrament and be seriously humbled for it Yea if we can but be sensible of our Senselessness of Heart that holy Duty and truly mourn for it we need noâ—â—e much disheaâ—tned because this is one Fruit of the â—ife of Christ which was undoubtedly received in the Sacrament 2. Endeavour by after Pains and Humiliation to quicken and awaken tâ—e Efficacy of the Sacrament For we must know Sacraments do not always work for the present but the Efficacy may come afterwards The first Sacrament of the Supper the Disciples receiv'd it 's like they found not the Efficacy of it for the present for then they understood nothing of Christ's Death neither could it sink into their Heads that He should die but yet afterwards when they came more clearly to understand the Mysteries of Redemption and the whole â—octrine of Christ â—o question but they reaped the Benefit of that Ordinance which then they fully understood not 'T is with the Sacrament as with the Word Many a Man hears the Word and in some measure minds it but for the present it hath no Effect at all It 's possible it may work many Years after A Sermon preach'd seven Years before may prove the Means of a Man's Conversion seven Years after We have an Example in that kind All thingâ— that John spake Joh. 10. 41 42. of this man were true And many believed on him there This is written of some of John's Hearers John had preach'd Christ before They did not thereupon believe in Christ when he preach'd John was dead and gone but now when Christ comes among them they upon John's former Sermons preach'd a great while before do now believe John was dead but not his Word that works while he lies in his Grave Thus also may it be with the Sacrament it doth not always presently work it may and doth work with some a long time afterwards when a Communicant humbled for his Unprofitableness in the Duty endeavours by after-Diligence and Humility to quicken and put Life into it Though we have miscarried in our Preparations to the Sacrament and Disposition in the Sacrament yet may the Vertue Efficacy and Comfort of it be recovered by after-Diligence and after-Humiliation But if when the business is once over Men shall never look back nor reflect upon it more so as to be humbled for their Deadness Hardness and Indisposition in the Duty and have no care to make up that by after-Diligence which was wanting in the present Performance no marvel though they receive no Benefit or Advantage by it But Secondly If upon after-Examination and a Review of the Business we find that we were refreshed our Hearts comforted and enlarged that we had Vertue from and Communion with Christ 1. Let us bless God with our whole Soul for his Mercy and Goodness to us and with all thankfulness acknowledge his gracious dealing with us 2. Let us be careful to keep up and maintain that graciouâ— and holy frame of Spirit which we brought from the Sacrament Pray we as David did for the People when he saw them in a good frame of Spirit and that they offered willingly and freely towards the Building of God an House O Lord 1 Chron. 29. 18. keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people So when we find a good frame of Heart wrought in us at the Sacrament we should pray and endeavour that this frame of Heart might be still upheld and continued in us We should endeavour to keep alive as long as may be that holy fire that was kindled in our Hearts in the Use of the Sacrament It 's a great fault in us when we come from the Sacrament that we have no care to keep our Hearts in good frame by Prayer Meditation or good Conference but presently fall a discoursing about secular Business or foolish idle and unprofitable Matters This is a dangerous quenching of the Spirit and tends to the hardening of the Heart as thrusting red-hot Iron into Water makes it harder Such sudden coolings and dampings of spiritual heats got in