so not vouchsafing to eat together hath been also taken for an argument of estrangedness and a great difference Thus we read that the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an abomination to the Egyptians Gen. 43.32 And the Apostle when he would have the sincere Christian not so much as to countenance the debaucht and lewd Professor of Religion he will not permit him so much as to eat with him 1 Cor. 5.11 By what hath been said it does appear that eating and drinking together hath been a mark of kindness and hath been used when Covenants and Agreements have been made between men Now when we partake of the Lords Supper we have fellowship with God himself 1 Cor. 10.20 21. We eat at his Table and do become his guests But because we can have no fellowship with him when we walk in darkness 1 Joh. 1.6 therefore we cannot partake aright of this Supper of our Lord unless we put away the evil of our doings unless we put on the Wedding-Garment and renew that Covenant which we did once make with God and which we have so greatly broken 2. That this Sacrament was ordained for a renewal of our Covenant with God appears from the words of our Saviour when he did first institute and appoint it When he gave his Disciples the Cup he adds This is my blood of the New Testament or Covenant as that word signifies which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26.28 For the better understanding of which words we may remember that it was an antient custom in the World Tacit. Annal. l. 12. when men entered into Covenant with one another that they did it by shedding of Blood they did slay a beast and pour out its Blood and thus they did ferire faeduâ— strike a Covenant with one another In token I suppose that he that should fail of performing his part of the Covenant which they entered into should perish as the beast did which was slain before them Nor was this a custom among the Gentiles only but also a custom that God made use of among the Jews his own people For so we read that when God gave his Law to that people and that Law had been read in the audience of the people and the people had promised obedience to that Law that they entered into Covenant by blood For it is added that Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Exod. 24.8 This was the blood of that Covenant which God made with that people To these words our Saviour may be thought to allude when he was ready to lay down his Life and shed his Blood for our Remission he gives his Disciples the Cup and tells them This is my Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins That blood which Moses sprinkled was the blood of beasts but this is the blood of Jesus that was the blood of a Covenant but of the old but this is the blood of the new and better Covenant That was shed for the Jews only but this is shed for many for Jew and Gentile for all that believe The blood of the Law of Moses did not expiate for all sins but this blood is shed for the Remission of sins yea of those sins which could not be remitted by the Laws of Moses For by Jesus we have the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Act. 13.39 So that as the Blood which Moses sprinkled was the blood of that Covenant which the Jews entered into so is the blood of Jesus which he shed for us the blood of the New Covenant and he that drinks of this blood renews his Covenant and doth most solemnly take upon himself the observation of the Lawes of Christ When Moses had read the Law to the people and they had promised Obedience then does he sprinkle them with the blood of the Covenant and by that federal rite they are received into Covenant with God And so when our Blessed Saviour had taught his Disciples the will of his Heavenly Father and was ready to shed his blood for our remission he ordains this Sacrament of his blood which when we do partake of as we should lays a strict obligation upon us to obedience of the Laws of God which are made known to us in the Gospel When we drink of this Cup we renew our Covenant with God and do most solemnly bind our selves to a faithful and sincere Obedience we do as it were take a Sacramental Oath of Allegiance and if we be treacherous and false we are perjured persons and make our selves guilty of the blood of Jesus II. Another end of this Sacrament is that we should remember the love of our Lord Jesus Christ in laying down his life for us This do in remembrance of me Luk. 22.19 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 The Jewish Passover was appointed for a memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt Exod. 12.14 And this Christian Passover was instituted for a memorial but of a greater deliverance than from the bondage of Egypt of our Redemption from sin and death So great a mercy as the deliverance out of Egypt might not be forgotten much less may this Redemption which our Lord hath wrought And as the Passover was commanded that they might not forget their freedom from Egypt so is this Sacrament appointed that we might never forget a greater freedom which our Lord hath purchased for us from the tyranny of sin and the bitterness of death There was a mercy in that deliverance but in this a miracle of mercy God in that shewed his love to his people but in this there are all the dimensions of love here 's breadth and length and depth and height here 's a love which passeth knowledge Eph. 3.18 19. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15.13 But our Saviours love hath out-stript this and exceeded it greatly for he died for his enemies And God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 Our Books tell us many stories of the great love that one friend hath shewed another Lucian Toxarseu de Amicitia but none of them tell us of such a kindness to enemies as what our Saviour shewed in his Death Here 's a love that out-strips not only all the Laws but all the examples of friendship nay a love that surpasses the love of Women Our Saviour became poor that we might be rich he died that we might live he became a son of man that we might be made the sons of God and left his
his sorrowes He did not dye for sins that we might live in them but that we might dye to them His Death is a very forcible argument against the life of our lusts and a great motive to obedience We little regard our dying Lord if we at once remember his Death and break his Lawes 2. Again our Lord at his Death gave us a very great example of forgiveness of enemies and therefore when we remember his death we have very great reason to forgive our offending brother Our blessed Lord met with great enemies and such as had the greatest reason to be his friends He that eat of his bread lift up his heel against him He was betrayed by his own Disciple delivered to death by him that pronounced him innocent scourged and mocked by a rude and heady multitude He is numbred among Transgressors who had committed no sin He was hanged on the Tree who had never tasted the forbidden Fruit. He was put to death by those whom he came to seek and to save He had done them many kindnesses whilst he was among them He healed their sick fed their hungry restored their blind dispossessed their Daemoniacks and raised their dead He offended none of their Laws He paid Caesar his Tribute took care the Priest should have his Offering observed their customs went to their Festivals and was so far from profaning their Temple that he shewed a great zeal for defending it from common uses There could be nothing said against his Doctrine nothing against his Life His enemies that bare witness against him could not agree and it was infinitely plain that he was innocent And yet his Countrymen thirst after his blood and prefer a Murderer before him They want patience when our Lord wanted none They cry out Crucifie him crucifie him And what does our Lord do he cryes out too but not for Vengeance but for Mercy Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23.34 Certainly then we should be ashamed to remember these things with malice in our hearts well may we forgive our enemies when our Lord hath forgiven his We must not dare to remember the Death of Christ and to remember our Neighbours unkindness together We may not think of revenge when our Lord shewed so much mercy We cannot rightly remember Christs Death when we do not imitate his example He taught us what we should do by what he did himself We shall look very unlike our Lord if we retain our malice and ill-will 3. If we consider that Christs Death was not only for sins but also for our sins we shall still find a greater obligation upon us to forgive one another God gave his Son to dye than which there cannot be a greater miracle of Love and if God so loved us we also ought to love one another 1 Joh. 4.11 It was for us our Saviour laid down his life and who are we Had we deserved this love were we his friends that he was at this pains and cost No surely but we were sinners and enemies and yet he laid down his life for us Rom. 5.8 10. If then Christ dyed for his enemies we ought to forgive ours and then especially we are obliged to do it when we pretend to remember the Death of Christ How can we now pull our brother by the throat for a few pence when our Lord hath forgiven us so many Talents We are very ungrateful for our Lords kindness if we are unkind to one another Did we but consider Gods mercies to us we should think our selves obliged to be merciful to one another And methinks it should be easie for us to forgive our Neighbour if we did but consider how very much we need Gods forgiveness and how far we are from deserving it If our Lords eye have been so good to us why should ours be evil to one another what miserable wretches should we be if Gods mercies to us had not been greater than ours is to one another He hath forgiven us our great scores let us not retain then our grudges to our brother For shame then let us purge out this leaven of malice when we keep this Feast Let us shew our selves kind to each other when we do remember the kindness of our Blessed Saviour Besides our brothers offences against us are small in respect to ours against God We offend against an infinite Majesty we transgress the Eternal Laws of Reason How coldly do we pray to him for the greatest Blessings How insensible are we of his many mercies How very stupid and incorrigible under his severest judgments How void of the love of him who hath loved us so much If he should mark iniquities how should we be able to stand We are not able to answer for one of a thousand But yet we hope for Mercy upon our Repentance and our Faith We expect pardon from God for all these amisses And had we not this hope we should be of all men the most miserable We have then very great reason to be reconciled to our brother when we stand in so great need that God should be reconciled unto us and when we hope for the pardon of our sins from God which we do from Christs death and at this time when we do commemorate it we have a sufficient motive to forgive our brother Especially our Saviour having said If you forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will aso forgive you But if ye forgive not men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. 2. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians may be knit together in the strictest bond of Love and Charity It is as I shewed you before a Feast of Love It was designed to bring us together and to make us all of one heart And a very effectual instrument it is were it rightly understood and used to that end and purpose It would soon make us one again It would bring together those who now are separated from one another When Communions were frequent in the Church Christians loved one another and kept together But when they became more seldom selemnized then the feuds among the professors of Christianity grew also For indeed this Sacrament was intended to maintain us in Love and Charity And therefore if we do not heartily forgive our brother we do destroy also this end of its Institution It is very indecent to see men at odds that eat and drink at the same common Table But it is a great wickedness to come to this Holy Table with malice and ill-will to our brother in our hearts We must not keep this feast of love with the leaven of malice VVe cannot partake of this Sacrament but we must profess a kindness to our brother and if we mean it not we are like Judas that gave his Master good words when he was ready to betray him and shall be miserable as he was into whom the Devil and the morsel entered at
a reprobate sense and a seared Conscience These are indeed deaf strokes and such as make not a noise and strike not our senses but yet if we consider the effect and consequence of them they are more formidable and dismal than the raging pestilence or the loudest claps of thunder Let us then resolve as we love our Souls or fear the wrath of God to sin no more lest the worst of things come upon us But let us thus judge that Christ died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 The Body and Blood of Christ will not save us whiles we continue in our sins Nor may we think that this Sacrament will secure us if we return to our follies I shall end this particular with the words of Syracides He that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body if he touch it again what availeth his washing So is it with a man that fasteth for his sins and goeth again and doth the same who will hear his prayer or what doth his humbling profit him Ecclus. 34.25 26. CHAP. XIII HAving shewed you how you must fit your selves for this Sacrament I shall now also let you know the necessity that lies upon us after this Preparation to partake of it And that I shall do in the following severals 1. This duty stands upon the same authority which the other precepts of Christianity do He that commands us to Pray to search the Scriptures to hear Gods Word and to take heed how we hear hath as plainly commanded us to do this We are no more left at liberty here than we are in the other precepts of Christianity And certainly it is an argument of great insincerity to pick and chuse which of Christs commands we will obey Besides by breaking one command we make our selves guilty of all because we do despise the authority on which the rest stand For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all For he that said do not commit Adultery said also do not kill Now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.10 11. I am sure the command is very plain and evident Do this Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 25. and verse 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. To examine our selves is a confest duty and therefore by a just consequence so it is to eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup. That duty is relative to this If we do that we are bound to do this also And though we should neglect that yet will not that excuse our neglect of this any more than one fault is a just excuse for the committing of another I doubt not but that we do divers things and think our selves obliged to do them also from the Laws of Christ for which we have no such clear command from the Laws of Christ as we have for this And therefore certainly if we do not this it is not for want of plain Scripture that requires it but for some other cause best known to God and our own Consciences But in the mean time we may be ashamed to call Christ Lord Lord and he may justly upbraid us for it when we refuse to do whatsoever he commands us Luk. 6.46 Let us not for shame call our selves Christians when we will not obey the Laws of Christ Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Joh. 15.14 It is not a partial obedience to the Laws of Christ will be sufficient to make us the genuine Disciples of our Lord and Saviour If we would be thought to belong to him we must obey him in all his commands Unless we do so we cannot be secure For though we do some of those duties which Christ hath commanded yet if we do neglect him in others we are not such Christians as we ought to be There are those indeed who think themselves obliged by the Moral precepts of the Gospel and are in great measure careful that they transgress not those Laws which are indeed the Laws of Nature as well as the Laws of Christ but yet these men neglect this institution of Christ and are not much concerned in the mean time and that because they do not transgress the Law of Nature though they do transgress the positive Law of Christ But these men ought to consider that the Law of Nature is not the adaequate and full rule of their Conscience They must also attend to the Divine Revelation and to the institutions of Christ This precept of partaking of the Communion is peculiarly the Law of Christ And to do this is the mark and badg of Christians By doing it we shew whose followers we are And we are particularly obliged to do it as we do profess our selves Christians And the same Authority that obliges us to the observance of any other Law of Christ does oblige us to do this also And therefore if we think our selves bound to any Christian duties we judge very much amiss if we think our selves unconcerned in this 2. This duty is built upon as great a reason if we consider the end of its institution as any other of the same nature is I say as great a reason I shall not need to say a greater It was appointed in remembrance of the death of Christ that miracle of mercy and love As often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 It is to keep in mind our Lords death for which this Sacrament was appointed this methinks we should be ready to do who expect such benefits from his death and know that he died that we might live We easily fulfil the desires of a dying friend But if our friend died in our quarrel and defence we know not how to forget him and he that does forget such a friend is reputed justly a most ungrateful wretch How then can we forget the dear love of our dying Lord We keep in memory our Temporal victories and deliverances and we think we do well in it also How much greater reason have we to keep in mind this deliverance from eternal death and slavery This is never to be forgotten certainly but ought to be kept in memory as long as this world endures But then our dying Saviour who might have required of us some more burdensome service if he had pleased hath commanded us to do this to do it in remembrance of him he would have us remember his love to us and he lets us know how he would have us remember his love Do this in remembrance of me 3. 'T is a duty the practice whereof is as advantageous to our Souls if we consider our own necessities as any whatsoever We have need of such helps and viands in our
we are in misery or want we shall be glad of our Neighbours compassion and relief and when we love him as our selves we shall as readily afford him ours We shall be very ready to preserve our Neighbours credit to put a fair interpretation upon his actions to relieve his wants to bewail his misery to farther the Eternal welfare of his Soul if we do love him as our selves And indeed it will not avail us that we do pretend to love our Neighbour if we do not help him and do him good If a Brother or Sister be naked and destitute of daily Food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit Jam. 2.15 â—6 Certainly we are devoid of love to Our Neighbour if we do him not good as we have an opportunity Whose hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 Joh. 3.17 If we love our Neighbour we shall most readily do him good and we shall always stand ready to do good offices to all with whom we shall converse And Secondly we must forgive the evil which our Neighbour does to us This we must also heartily do before we can worthily partake of this Holy Sacrament And I shall shew 1. what it is to forgive and 2. what great reason we have to do it when we partake of this Sacrament First what it is to forgive or what kind of forgiveness the Gospel requires of us and of this I shall speak 1. Negatively 2. Positively Negatively 1. Forgiveness implyes more than a bare profession of kindness This is a very common thing and may well be supposed to take place amongst those that yet remain very great enemies It is common to make great protestations of an hearty reconcilement Our Saviour requires that we forgive one another from our hearts Mat. 18.35 2. Forgiveness implyes more than a bare abstaining from making spiteful returns There may be a secret malice where there is no visible injury done We are obliged to love our enemy 't is not enough that we do him no harm 3. Forgiveness implyes more than doing kindnesses to our Brother It does indeed require a readiness to do this but yet the doing kindnesses to our enemy is no certain argument that we have forgiven him We may be bountiful and liberal and yet devoid of Charity 1 Cor. 13.1 We may give and yet not forgive And perhaps we may do our enemy a kindness out of pride and vain-glory or else we triumph over his misery and rejoyce that he who was before the object of our envy is now become the object of our pity Positively 1. He that forgives a right does it universally That is he forgives every man and every Trespass and at every time We easily forgive little offenders and the smaller faults of our Neighbour But the sincere Christian does more than this he forgives not only a professed enemy but a treacherous and false friend not only him that despises him but the most curseing Shimei that reproaches him to the face His Charity beareth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 2. He is so far from taking revenge that his mind is free from all the intention of it The leaven of malice is quite purged out of his heart he is so far from watching an opportunity of mischief that he desires it not And so far from doing evil that such is his Charity he thinketh no evil 1 Cor. 13.5 3. He does heartily pity his Enemy and pray for him And in this is a follower of the Precept and of the example of his Blessed Saviour Mat. 5.44 Luke 23.34 He does not only not requite his enemies with evil but he returns him good As for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my Soul with fasting and my Prayer returned into mine own bosom I behaved my self as though he had been my Friend or Brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother Psal 35.13 14. 4. He does not only forgive but forget He is most willing to let the remembrance of the injuries he hath received pass away And as a proof of this he is most ready to do his enemy a kindness and that out of no other design at all but a sense of his duty and a real Love which he finds in himself towards him He does not do it out of ostentation nor with a purpose to upbraid him with ingratitude or enhance his guilt but meerly because he loves him and desires his welfare with no less sincerity than he does his own And still as a farther demonstration that he forgets the injury received he is most ready to restore his enemy to the same degree of Love which he had before he did the wrong He is willing to admit him to the same kindness which he enjoyed before aye and to the same trust and confidence also upon his Repentance or the probable indications of it In one word he does not retain any thing of malice or ill-will but on the other hand finds in himself a most sincere love and good will and by all his actions does shew the great sincerity of it No less than such a forgiveness does the Gospel require no less does the true Christian find in himself And certainly it cannot be any thing short of this For we must forgive as we desire God to forgive And sure I am we desire from Heaven no less than such a forgiveness and must therefore think our selves obliged to do no otherwise by our Brother than we would that God should do by us For in this matter that is the Rule we are to go by we are to imitate God to forgive our offending Brother Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us Eph. 4.32 Secondly I come to shew what great reason we have to forgive our brother when we come to this Sacrament Now that I shall shew in the following Severals 1. Because in this Sacrament we keep in remembrance the death of Christ This was one great end of its Institution and this does strongly oblige us to forgive our brother Whether we consider the death of Christ 1. In it self as obliging us to put away all our sins for which he dyed It is but reason we should put away our sins which put our Lord to death And if he dyed for sin then ought we by no means to live in it If we do we crucifie our Lord afresh and are more cruel to him than Judas or Pontius Pilate We make his pains of no effect and shew our selves void of all pity to our bleeding Saviour They were our sins that put him to his shame and to his sorrow and if we retain them we do but trample upon his precious blood we are very wretched Creatures if we maintain his enemies and add to
Blessed Saviour But our remembrance of it must be 1. Affectionate and vigorous as we remember the death of a dear friend that died and died in our quarrel and defence who at once shed his blood for us and for the truth How passionately can we rehearse the praises and preserve the memory of such an one as this 'T was thus with our dearest Lord he fell a Sacrifice at once for the testimony of the truth and for the sake of our precious Souls He died that he might rescue us from eternal misery and death And this we must remember when we do remember the death of our Blessed Lord. 2. With all thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a mercy Let us awaken our Psaltery and Harp all our powers and faculties and all that is within us to praise his holy name Let us have our hymn of praise Matth. 26.30 'T is an heavenly feast we are going to and who goes to a feast with a sad countenance or heart Let us be filled with the spirit Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. We are Gods guests at this time and God loves we should be chearful and rejoyce He would have the Jews so in their Festivals Deut. 16.11 14. And certainly we have more reason to be so than they God having provided some better thing for us Heb. 11.40 This Sacrament is an Eucharist or service of praise and as such was observed by the first Christians Who breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 47. 3. It must be such a remembrance as works in us a detestation against our sins which put our Blessed Saviour to death Coâ—â—â—â—ve you saw him hang upon the Cross and saw the nails pierce his hands and feet that you heard him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that you saw the blood he sweat and the thorns he wore That you saw the Sun darkened the Dead arise and the rocky Earth rend in pieces certainly if your hearts were not more hard than the rocks you would relent especially when you consider that all this was for your sins and that he died that you might live 'T was thy Covetousness that betrayed him Thy Iust that made him bleed Thy unbelief and wickedness that loaded Him with the Cross that crowned Him with thorns that nailed his hands and pierced his side and filled his Soul with horror and amazement This should work in us a great indignation against our Sins as that which crucified our dearest Lord. Should a tender Mother lose a Child by a knife or some other instrument that is but the occasion of its death Surely she would not endure to see that instrument in her sight If we loved our Saviour we should hate our sins which made him bleed and bow his head Since 't is a most certain truth that he that commits sin does more displease i. e. does that which is more against the mind and will of Christ than Judas that betrayed him and those that hanged him upon his Cross And therefore as you pity your Saviour add not to his sorrows as you have any compassion to Him add not to the bitterness of his Soul Bring not with you instruments of crâ—â—lty when you pretend to remember his love â—e shewed in his death But think thâ—◠〈◊〉 that if God did not spare his Son that 〈◊〉 might not go unpunished that he will mucâ— less spare you who go on in your sins and love them III. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians might by it be united together in the strictest bond of love and charity It is indeed a feast of love and that which does not only joyn us to God but firmly cements us also to one another This indeed is the great Commandement of our Blessed Saviour that we should love one another as He hath loved us John 15.12 Nay he hath made this the mark by which his followers shall be known from the rest of the World By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13.35 And in the early days of Christianity the Heathen World took notice how the Christians loved one another Nay the Holy Scriptures tell us that in the beginning of Christianity The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Act. 4.32 And they shewed their love to one another by making all things common that there might be no lack and wants among them Acts 2.44 45. But then 't is added when it was that they loved one another thus greatly viz. While they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart verse 46. Whiles there were frequent Communions in the Church of God there did remain a fervent Charity among Christians But when they were but seldome celebrated Charity also grew cold For indeed this Sacrament was appointed for the keeping up a fervent charity among the followers of Jesus And very plain methinks are the words of the Apostle to this purpose We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 i. e. We that partake of this Heavenly feast are by that made one we are of one kind and 〈◊〉 just as Bread and Wine though they be made up of several grains and grapes yet are made up together into one similar body all whose parts are homogeneous and of the same sort or kind so we that are Christians tho as men we differ from one another and have our several affections and designs distinct from each other yet for all this by the death of our Saviour and by the participation of the Sacrament of our Lords Supper we are made one we are reconciled to the same designs and interests acted by the same Spirit and by this Sacrament united into one Spiritual body However we are other wise divided it is the intention of this Sacrament to make us One. And therefore the Ancients called the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Collection or gathering together into one those who were otherwise divided The partaking of this Feast makes the partakers of one mind and heart where they do receive it worthily What is said of Pilate and Herod when our Saviour was about to suffer That they were the same day made friends together who before had been at enmity between themselves Luke 23.12 The same is true of all true Christians that do aright partake of this Sacrament of the death of Christ they are now united and reconciled and made of one heart and mind And this seems to be the great design of the Eucharist to unite Christians together in the closest bond of unity and
bestow upon all those who perform the conditions of the new Covenant God is not only pleased to make a Covenant with us and plainly to declare his readiness to perform his part but also gives us his seal and so does abundantly assure us of his own stedfastness and constancy For such is our weakness so great our unbelief that we need very great supports and an abundant assurance to buoy up our sinking and incredulous hearts And on the other hand so great is the meroy and condescension of our gracious God that he is ready to consider our frame and to give us the greater security assurance He does not only promise us the pardon of our sins in his New Covenant but he also gives us his seal to it besides That so by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 2.18 Thus gratiously does God deal with Mankind He gives them his Covenant and his Seal too He not only gives out his decree in the expresses of his will but he signes and seals it also that we may be assured that it is unalterable as it is said the Law of the Medes and Persians in that case was Dan. 6.8 God makes a Covenant with Noah and his sons that he will no more destroy the earth by a flood but to give them still a greater assurance he sets his bow in the cloud as a token of this Covenant between himself and them Gen. 9. And when God makes a Covenant with Abraham and with his seed he does command Circumcision as a token of this Covenant between himself and them Gen. 17.11 God does not only give us his Word but his Sacrament the token of his truth This God does because he is gracious and because our wretched unbelief is so great that we need the utmost assurance And this certainly is one great end of the Sacrament that we might have alwayes with us a sure pledge of the favour and grace of God that we might not miscarry through our unbelief that we might have a full assurance that God would pardon our sins if we do on our part perform the condition of the New Covenant Our Saviours words are plain to this purpose This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Matth. 28.26 This Sacrament is the instrument of conveyance the Seal that gives us right and title to this great grace and mercy of God We receive in this Sacrament the Body and Blood of Christ and the benefits of his Death The pardon of our sin is here made over to us God hath given us visible pledges of his readiness to forgive our sins And because we are very jealous and suspicious very unapt to believe that such wretches as we are should be received into Gods favour he hath given us this abundant assurance He receives us to his own Table gives us under the symbols of Bread and Wine the Body and Blood of his Son who died for our sins and entertains us with this food of heaven In that God hath given us his Son and given him up to death and this death he underwent for our sins we have a great assurance that with him he will give us all things and that he is ready to pardon those sins for which our Lord hath shed his blood But then this blessed Sacrament is greatly efficacious towards the obtaining of this pardon because it is the ministery of the Death of Christ by which our pardon was procured But then we must be careful that we do not think that our pardon is procured by any inherent vertue of the outward elements of Bread and Wine or that our partaking of these alone will procure this remission of sins For the pardon of sin is procured by the blood of our Saviour and we attain not to it without a lively faith and a performing the conditions of the Gospel But if we do this we have good assurance of pardon when we partake of this Sacrament which is the Ministery of the Death of Christ But then we must have a faith in Christ that is as we eat the outward Element of Bread and drink the Wine so must our Souls receive our Lord Jesus Christ They must entertain him with all his precepts and in all his offices Our hearts must receive him as our Prophet to instruct and teach us as our Lord to rule and govern us as well as our Priest to make a satisfaction for us to the Divine Justice And as we hunger and thirst for our bodily food so we must hunger after the Spiritual provisions that Christ hath made for our Souls We must earnestly breathe after righteousness and purity of heart There must be in our Souls an hunger and a thirst they must receive and feed and not our bodies only It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing John 6.63 As our mouth eats the outward element so faith must eat too And it is not a notion not an empty nothing that will feed a lively faith It conveys as real a supply to the Soul as the outward Elements do nourishment to the body The body receives the outward symbol the Soul the inward grace We eat and drink the Element but 't is the Soul that feeds on the thing signified and represented And therefore let not the sinner who lives in his sin and loves it think to obtain his pardon by partaking of this Sacrament This Sacrament will not avail such a man as this is for the death of Christ will profit him nothing if he lives in his sins and loves them and therefore this Sacrament can avail him nothing it being but the Annunciation of the Death of Christ and therefore it cannot save that sinner whom the death of his Lord does not avail It is a vain thing for such a sinner to take sanctuary here If there be not in our souls a principle of new Life it is not the outward Elements of Bread and Wine that will help us God is ready to forgive our sins and we may see it clearly in this Sacrament but while we love our sins we are uncapable of this grace of God 'T is the burdened and the ladened sinner that shall find this favour 'T is he that hates his sin and strives against it These are those whom Christ came to seek and save 'T is not the outward work will save us if there be not in us the grace of God There is no pardon in the Gospel for the obdurate and impenitent sinner and therefore we may not look for it in any of the exterior offices of Religion And therefore let no man deceive himself in this matter He that comes in his sins out of hopes of a pardon will be so far deceived that instead of obtaining a pardon for his former guilt he will contract
thanks to God that he is pleased to make that our duty which is so much our interest and for our advantage He obliges us to renew our Covenant with himself which it is our greatest interest to do He obliges us to that which tends to our own happiness and welfare and without which we could not but be miserable He will have us remember the death of our Saviour and his love he shewed us He will have us partake of a Sacrament that does not only bring us nearer to himself but also unites us faster in the bond of love to one another He would that we should partake of these Mysteries which are the seal of his Covenant and give us great assurance of his readiness to pardon our sins That is in one word God would have us be happy and he does oblige us to be so 'T is our advantage that he designs in all this His love is without any interest but that of ours Who would not enter into Covenant with so good a God who would not remember the love of so dear a Lord Who would not be knit fast to his brother in closest bond of love Who would not have assurance of the pardon of his sins These are the greatest blessings that we are capable of receiving the greatest that Heaven can bestow upon us What can be more desireable than to be at peace with God and at unity among our selves What more reasonable or more to be wished for than that we should remember the love of our Saviour and receive a good assurance of the pardon of our sins And this is the design as you have heard of this blessed Sacrament It is appointed for such blessed purposes as these How suspicious or shy soever we be of it this is the errand it comes about It hath a design to make us more holy and more happy than we were This is all the plot which it hath upon us God hath not only been pleased to give us his Son to die for our ransom but he gives him again in this Sacrament for our food and nourishment O the unspeakableness of Gods kindness to us Methinks every man should break forth into his praises methinks he should say Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies who satisfieth thy mouth with good things Psal 103.2 3 4 5. Methinks our mouth should be filled with praise and thanksgiving to God for these his kindnesses to our Souls 4. Hence we may learn what great reason we have to embrace so blessed an opportunity of becoming better Great are the benefits which would redound to us from â— frequent and a devout Communion And certainly this service must needs be welcome to that Soul that is weary of his sins and heartily and earnestly desires to be rid of them For it lays a most severe obligation upon us to search our hearts and amend our ways and set things straight between God and our own Souls This service obligeth us to that which every pious Soul would chuse of it self It binds us to be faithful servants of God to be hearty lovers of our brother to be grateful acknowledgers of the love of Christ and diligent seekers after the pardon of our sins Who would not welcome such a blessed opportunity that loves his God and is weary of his sins Who is it that desires to lead a new life that would not be glad of so excellent a service 'T is to be feared we are too much wedded to our sins when we refuse this service which would divorce them from us 'T is much to be feared we have no great sense of the love of our dying Saviour when we will not upon his command Do this in remembrance of him Or that our sins are no burden to us when we despise the evidence of our pardon If we did but worthily partake of this Sacrament we should be more fit to live and more prepar'd to die We should be more fervent in our services to God and more sincere in our love to our brother the love of Christ would constrain us to obedience and his Commandements would not be grievous to us This would put an end to our unnatural differences and quarrels it would restore love and charity it would deliver us from our slavish and dreadful fear of death In a word it would change this Earth into a kind of Heaven and him that is now a cold professor of Religion it would make this Sinner become a Saint and a zealous doer of the will of God Such a mighty change would a frequent and a worthy participation of these mysteries introduce into the world It would bring back the primitive spirit into the hearts of Christians when Communions were frequent and devout then did every holy and good thing obtain And were they again restored the Devils Kingdom which hath now gotten ground would not only shake but fall to the ground This would overturn his strong-holds as the barly-cake of Gideon did the Tents of the men of Midian And therefore no wonder that he labours so greatly by his instruments to prevent this which would subvert his Kingdom And this is so effectually done that now the professors of Christianity either partake amiss or not at all This is the case of many I wish I could not say of the most of Christians Nay and those that do not receive at all are grown witty too they think they can defend themselves from being guilty of a default I shall not here examine what they have to say for themselves but yet this I shall say that the command of our Saviour for our Communicating is so plain and the reason of it so great that nothing can discharge us from it but either the impossibility of doing it for want of opportunity which we cannot plead or a countermand from him that gave us the law which we must never expect Nothing else can discharge us not our common excuses not our mistaken and scrupulous Consciences which cannot evacuate the Law of God for hereafter we shall be judged not according to what we ween or are of opinion in the case but by a more sure and unerring rule the VVord of God I conclude this particular only adding that if we diminish or take from the Word of God and deny that to be our duty which the Word of God requires we have too much reason to fear that God will take away our part out of the book of life Rev. 22.19 CHAP. III. I Shall now proceed to shew how we may become worthy partakers of this Sacrament of our Lords Supper which was ordained for such great ends and conveys so great a blessing to all those that partake of it as they ought For there is something to be done by us before we can be prepared for so great a
is also very wicked that stops his ears and will give no heed to what he does command him The one rebells against the light and the other shuts it out The one will not admit the truth when the other will not obey it but detains it in unrighteousness There are no men so deplorably blind as they that will not see 'T is to be feared there is too much of this abroad in the World Men are afraid of the light and therefore they run away from it And are therefore like the old Turk we read of who being conscious that by his Law he ought not to drink any Wine was yet resolved to drink it and so he did but before he drank he gave some great shouts which he did as he said to give his Conscience warning that it might stand away Busbequii Legat. Turc Ep. 1. and not behold his wickedness nor be guilty of it Certainly too many men take this course or else they could never do what now they do They dismiss their Consciences when they would interpose And find out ways either to keep them from speaking or else from being heard But whoever hath used these arts hath contracted a great guilt 3. Another great aggravation of our guilt is that we have sinned after Vows of better obedience And there is something of this to be found in every sin we commit for it is committed against our Baptismal Vow when we did most solemnly devote our selves to the service of God in opposition to the Devil the World and the Flesh And many of us have made the same Vow again upon a bed of sickness in times of danger or when we did partake of the Supper of our Lord. And to relapse after all this does greatly increase our guilt We are very wretched sinners if we break these bands asunder and cast away these cords from us 4. But still our sins are again the greater when they are committed and continued in after the singular and eminent mercies of God towards us which lead us to Repentance Rom. 2.4 For now we add the greatest ingratitude to our other guilt and do by that fill up the measure of our iniquity And there is no man living but may easily find this aggravation in his sins For certain it is however we complain of our miseries and needs we are encompassed about with the mercies of Heaven And there is no man living so miserable or wretched but if he would but consider and reflect would easily find this to be a truth Certainly the hopes that we still have of Heaven and the means of grace are most unspeakable mercies But besides if we look back we may find many other singular mercies of God towards us which do upbraid us for our great unthankfulness He hath many times kept our Souls from death our eyes from tears and our feet from falling He hath long waited for our return who might long ago have placed us among the dead and damned which is a plain demonstration that God hath been greatly kind unto us and so far from desiring our death that he shewed himself when we did chuse the paths that lead to death desirous that we should turn and live 5. That our sins are committed under the means of grace is still a farther aggravation of our guilt The Gospel hath provided us sufficient help and assistance to do the will of God If we do amiss it is because we will not use the means which God hath offered us that we might become better There is a sufficient aid at hand if we will make use of it The Gospel does not only require our obedience but also enables us to obey If we do but humbly beg the holy Spirit of God and do it but as earnestly as the hungry child will beg bread of his Father we shall as certainly receive this heavenly aid Luk. 11.13 This Spirit will help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 And if he dwell in our hearts we shall find him that is in us greater than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 Now certainly we are very fond of our sins if we will not do our utmost to get rid of them The way is easie and plain before us we may be better if we will not make light of the aid and assistance of Heaven Our freedom from sin is purchased by our Lord and offered us in the Gospel if we accept it not upon such easie terms we deserve to be slaves for ever 'T will be but just we should be used as the servant under the Law who might have his liberty and refused it he was made a publick shame for his great folly in refusing to go free when his freedom was offered him For that is thought to be the meaning of what followed upon his refusal for his Master carried him away to the Judges and at the gate of the house or court of Justice he bored through his ear with an awl and he was at once marked and condemned to be a servant for ever Exod. 21.6 It is no little aggravation of our crime that we do amiss when we have such advantages of being and doing better 6. That we continue in our sins notwithstanding the very severe afflictions which God hath sent upon us to wean us from them is another consideration that does heighten our guilt Nay we many times commit our sin when Gods hand is striking us we little regard the discipline of Heaven when his judgements are upon us yet we will not learn Righteousness There is a mark set upon Ahaz for this In the time of his distress did he yet trespass more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 This was a most hainous impiety and that which very greatly increased his crimes 7. Again another thing which adds a weight to our guilt is this when we relapse frequently into those very sins which we have formerly confessed to God and begged his pardon for When we do confess and sin again and keep in this black circle of the Devil In this we do mock Almighty God and may well be ashamed to lift up our eyes to Heaven if we well consider it In our dealings with one another we esteem that man void of all ingenuity that begs our pardon that he hath offended us and yet holds on to do us the same despites and injuries How horribly disingenuous are we then when we daily put affronts these upon God himself when we do often confess but never forsake our sins 8. Another aggravation of our guilt is when we continue in those sins which we have no temptation to commit and might most easily avoid Such are generally the sins of the tongue there is no natural desire that is gratified by swearing or by evil speaking and slandering one another These are indeed most hainous offences against Almighty God and their guilt is the greater because there is nothing of temptation to commit them and they are most easily avoided
once VVe shall find Death here if we do not cleanse our hearts from malice and ill-will More might be said to shew what reason we have to forgive our brother before we partake of this Sacrament but I shall say no more only adding the words of our Saviour Therefore if 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 reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 5.23 24. CHAP. X. I Should now proceed to shew how we are to behave our selves when we do Communicate when we have first examined the state and condition of our Souls But yet before I do proceed to that because we may stand in need of some farther supplies before we do actually Communicate I shall not omit to add something for our assistance that way 1. Perhaps a man after the perusal of what hath been said before may not be able to determine whether he be fit to receive or not And in case he doubt of himself it may be asked what he is to do in that case If he proceed under his doubt he may involve himself in a farther perplexity and if he do not receive he may fear that he neglects his duty towards God in letting slip so excellent an opportunity of becoming better and omitting so great a precept of the Gospel In this case then it is very adviseable that he should make use of a Spiritual guide for his farther direction This will be his safest course certainly and well it would be if this course were taken more frequently than it is It might prevent many of those miscarriages which men now fall into It is of great advantage to the Souls of men not to conceal their doubts and scruples The hiding of them tends to their great trouble if not many times to their eternal ruin God hath provided us with the Ministers of his Word to conduct and guide us in the way to Heaven This is the great end for which they are sent and we ought accordingly to make use of them We do very readily consult the Physician and the Lawyer where our Lives or Estates are in any danger And certainly were our Souls as precious to us as our Bodies and our Wealth we should as readily take advice for them as we do for these Our way to Heaven would not be so perplexed would we use the means which the mercy of God hath provided for us Now certain it is that God gave Apostles Prophets Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.11 12. If we love our Souls we shall do well to shew our utmost care of them which we cannot be said to do if we suffer our doubts to remain and do not use those appointments which God hath so plentifully furnished us withal 2. We must be careful that when we examine our selves we take accounts of our selves for those amisses which are not punishable by any Laws of men We are not to absolve and acquit our selves because the severest Laws of Men cannot censure us We do greatly amiss when yet the best Laws of Men cannot punish us for doing so We ought to consider how we spend our time to examine whether we spend it either idly or unprofitably We are also to enquire how we spend our Estates whether in works of mercy and necessity or upon vain and gawdy things We are to remember that we must hereafter account for every talent which we have received of our Lord and though we may so live that the best Laws of men cannot condemn us nor yet the best men justly censure us yet however we may be liable to a greater and more impartial Judg. We are at such a time to examine and search into all the secrets of our hearts We must indeed be favourable in our judgement of others but it becomes us very severely to judge our selves And we must not only abstain from evil but from all appearance of it not only from things that are in themselves evil but that are of evil report Such things as these are frequenting of Taverns very gawdy and fantastick attire great merriments and jollities costly feasts and entertainments spending beyond our income and revenue as well as above our rank Spending great portions of our time in Drollery and mirth setting off our beauty with artifice and curiosity an extraordinary niceness in our dress and a great forwardness in following the mode and fashion Such things as these are must come under our Examination for it is very much to be feared that in them we do transgress and that our hearts may go astray from God Indeed we are by no means to condemn one another we may not too hastily judge our brother in this case but yet it will well become us to examine our own hearts and to be very jealous and suspitious of our selves 3. In making a Judgement of our selves we ought not only to consider what we are when we are drest up for the Solemnity but what we are in our ordinary conversation There are few men so profane but they will put on a demure countenance and a fair outside when they are going to the Table of the Lord But we are not to measure our selves by that but to consider what we are at other times The best way to judg of our selves is to do it by what we are in our ordinary conversation There is a Mechanical Religion and that is when our devotion is raised by the ringing of a Bell the return of a Solemnity or else the menaces of death but when these things are over we return to our old wonts and are but what we were before When a Sacrament draws nigh we look like Saints we abstain from our grosser sins we put up some cold prayers to God we are for a day or two before very reserved and sober and we fast it may be upon the vespers of the Festival and carry our selves very reverently when we do communicate But yet all this while our hearts are not changed and our lives are the same or worse than they were before And therefore we are not to judge of our selves by such fits and pangs of devotion but by the general course and tenour of our lives Were we to chuse the picture of a friend or wife that I may use a Simile of one of our Divines upon this argument if we would have a true picture we would have it drawn as she uses to look in the ordinary management of her huswifery not as she looked when she was dressed up with all the advantages and tricks of Art We must do so by our selves let us if we would take a just estimate reflect what we ordinarily are The worst of men at some times seem to be very good There are but
pilgrimage towards Heaven This repast will give us new strength and vigor And we greatly need that our strength should be renewed This is a blessed opportunity of renewing our Covenant with God and reconciling our selves to one another and dressing up our disordered Souls for another World This puts us upon exciting all our Graces and strengthening all our good purposes and intentions This awakens our repentance inflames our charity augments our hope confirms our faith and puts us into a condition that makes us more fit to live and more prepared to dye We are like Clocks and Watches that frequently stand in need of winding up and setting right Or else like trees that are apt to be pulled back by suckers and burdened with luxuriant branches This blessed Sacrament puts us upon amending all our amisses it puts us upon cutting off and paring away our excrescencies and superfluities How glad should we be then of such an excellent opportunity that does oblige us upon pain of death to become new creatures and we are offered strength and grace to be so Who need perswade the hungry man to eat or the thirsty to drink If we understand our needs they will put us forward When our Souls grow disordered we should be glad of an opportunity of setting them right When our sins grow upon us and our Charity grows cold we should be glad of an occasion to renew our Repentance and enflame our Charity Here 's a blessed occasion that puts us upon all this This calls upon us to break off our wont of sin to kindle our dying charity to forget our quarrels and contentions and to put our selves in a posture for a better life than this Here is a great grace offered and conferred to them that come prepared So that we see what great necessity lies upon us to do this We have a plain and peremptory command to do it a great reason also to enforce the Precept and after all this our own interest and advantage does loudly require it of us So plain a Precept we may not neglect without open rebellion against our Lord. Nor can we resist the reason of it without being guilty of great ingratitude And after this if we are not perswaded to it by our own interest we are false to our own souls Methinks any of these are strong enough And it will be very strange if all of them together should not draw us If the command of Christ and the sense of his dear love and our own interest besides will not draw us certainly our hearts are very hard 4. To what hath been said I add this that the Jew was most strictly obliged to keep the Passover and he that did neglect it was liable to the severest penalty And we have therefore great reason to think the neglecter of this Precept of our Lords makes himself obnoxious to the wrath of God by reason of this neglect For the Passover we know that every Israelite was obliged to keep it Exod. 12.47 And because it might happen that some of them might be by reason of their legal defilement unfit or else by reason of some journey from home unable to keep it in that place where it was commanded to be kept therefore it was provided in the Law that the second Moneth should be observed and in it the second Passover kept for the sake of such men as these that were unavoidably hindred from keeping it in the first moneth But this Passover was only substituted in the case above-named For every Israelite was obliged to keep the first Passover if he were clean and not in a journey and made himself greatly obnoxious if he did not Thus we read the man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passover even the same Soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season That man shall bear his sin Numb 9.13 And in case he were in a journey or unclean yet did not this excuse him he was however obliged to keep the Passover unto the Lord v. 10. And that he might do so the second Passover was instituted Numb 9. The Israelites were severely obliged to keep the Passover and to keep it aright He that did not keep that Feast was to be cut off from Gods people and he that eat leavened bread during that Feast was likewise liable to the same penalty Exod. 12.15 So that it was commanded to be kept and to be kept as was appointed upon pain of the greatest curse The Israelite was tyed up very strait he must keep this Feast and he must keep it without leaven and according to all its ordinances and constitutions There was danger if he did not keep it as he should and danger if he did not keep it at all If he either keep it not or kept it amiss he rendred himself liable to the curse of the Law and that none of the smaller neither but he was liable to be cut off from among his people for it And though I shall not now examine the different opinions about what is meant by that expression of being cut off from their people yet I shall tell you that it does import a very great severity And therefore we find it annexed to such sins as the Law of Moses allowed no expiation for There was no Sacrifice admitted to make atonement for that offence to which this excision did belong The sin of ignorance might be expiated by a Sacrifice but there was no atoning such a sin as hath this penalty annexed to it The Soul that sinned presumptuously was to be cut off from among his people Numb 15. 28 30. Such a man was reserved to the punishment of God though he were exempt from the sword of the Magistrate It is said of him that would not obey the Messiah that God will require it of him Deut. 18.17 But when St. Peter cites this passage he expresseth it in other words viz. that such a man shall be destroyed from among the people Act. 3.23 Or cut off from the people for he uses the same Greek word by which this cutting off is expressed by the Septuagint Numb 15.30 By which it appears to be a very hainous offence which is thus denounced against and an offence of that nature that God reserves the punishment of it to himself and which he allowed no expiation for under the Law of Moses Thus it was with the Passover Every Jew was bound to keep it or else must be liable for his neglect to the greatest curse And this curse was unavoidable too for God took upon himself the execution of it who would not let him escape that might otherwise have avoided the severity of the Magistrate Can we then imagine that we shall escape if we neglect to eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup Let us not deceive ourselves we shall not escape God will require it of us Certainly the Passover
was in remembrance of their Deliverance from Egypt but our Sacrament is in remembrance of a greater deliverance by the death of Jesus who was our Passover that was sacrificed for us If they did not escape how shall we escape We may indeed escape the Magistrates sword but not Gods anger We may avoid the censures of our Superiours but we shall not avoid the wrath of the Almighty We are greatly mistaken if we think we may safely omit this duty or that we take a secure course to avoid the danger of unworthy Communicating when we chuse not to Communicate at all We do in so doing but run out of one danger into another The Jew that kept the Passover and eat leavened bread was under the curse of the Law and so was he that did not keep the Feast at all There is a great danger on either side we run upon our ruin on which hand soever we err Indeed the Apostle tells us the danger of our unworthy partaking of this Sacrament He tells us that the unworthy Communicant eats and drinks damnation to himself and that for this cause many are weak and sickly and many sleep 1 Cor. 11.29 30. This makes us afraid and well indeed it may awaken us But then we should consider also the danger of not partaking at all This is that we are not much aware of And perhaps one reason is because we do not find the Apostle tell us of the danger of not partaking at all even when he does tell us the danger of not receiving as we ought But it is very easie to tell the reason why the Apostle does not speak of that And the reason is this because the first Christians did not only eat of this bread and drink of this cup but they did it frequently also The Corinthians did Communicate but they did it not as they ought This the Apostle had a fair occasion to reprove them for and he does it and also shews them the danger of what they did They did not as we do wholly neglect to partake of the Sacrament but they were too negligent in their Preparation for it too careless and remiss in so holy and solemn a service The first Christians Communicated frequently they did not so easily forget the Precept and the dear Love of their dying Lord as we do But then so it was that what was so frequently done was not done so devoutly as it should have been and the Lords-Table was esteemed too common and they did not eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup with that difference and discrimination which well became so great a service This is a thing too incident to our frail nature that we are too indevout in those services and offices of Religion which do frequently entertain us This was the fault of these Corinthians they were not guilty of a neglect of the duty it self but did not perform it as became them and the excellent service which they did perform CHAP. XIV By what hath been said it appears to be our duty and our interest also to partake of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper what it is that keeps us back it is not easie to say Certain it is that the Law is not repealed nor yet does the reason of it cease There is the same precept and as great a reason to enforce it and our needs are as great and the danger of its neglect as great also as ever And we are very weak if we do imagine that when he that does partake of this Sacrament amiss makes himself obnoxious to Gods wrath he shall escape that does not partake at all But yet because we are very apt to make excuses when we are invited to this Feast and please our selves too that we do it justly I shall severally consider those common and popular pretences which we make use of in this case And Object 1. First some men say when they are invited that they are not worthy And this is thought a just excuse because the Apostle tells us that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Answ In answer to this it is necessary we should know what is meant by not being worthy which is pretended here as an excuse why we do not partake of this Sacrament If by it we mean that we do not deserve to be entertained at Gods Table what we say indeed is a great truth but yet it is not pertinent nor is it such a worthiness which is required of us But if by not being worthy we mean that we are not fit and rightly prepared to partake of this holy Table of our Lord then we may not indeed partake but then this will not be a just excuse it will not clear us and absolve us from our duty Certain it is that that worthiness which we must come with does not imply our merit or desert but it only imports such a fitness and preparation of Soul as is required and God will accept For though indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy does sometimes import desert or merit Thus the labourer is worthy of his hire i. e. he deserves his wages yet it does not alwayes signifie so nor yet in this case we are speaking of The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate meet 1 Cor. 16.4.2 Thes 1.3 we are obliged to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of God i. e. becoming our profession of him and the Mercies we receive from him 1 Thes 2.12 And we must walk worthy of our vocation Eph. 4.1 Aye and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of the Gospel or as it becometh the Gospel as we well translate it Phil. 1.27 And he does receive this Sacrament worthily who does it as is required and with a clean and pure heart For otherwise this command of partaking of this Sacrament were unpracticable If none might receive it but they who deserved this Heavenly Food we might not approach who are unworthy of the common mercies which we do enjoy Now it is a very great error to affirm that our Lord hath commanded us to do what is impossible to be done And we have the least reason to affirm it of this service that it is not practicable For certainly this is one of the easier Precepts of the Gospel And though we should think our Saviour required a very hard task of us when he bids us deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him yet we cannot think so when he only bids to do this in remembrance of him This is a service of praise and thanksgiving and such services are not burdensome to those who have not forfeited their gratitude and ingenuity And did we love our dearest Lord as we should do or as he loved us we should not think much of any thing that he should require at our hands much less should we boggle at so easie and reasonable a service as this is It was great folly in Naaman