THE DANGER OF A Total and Wilful NEGLECT Equal to the DANGER of an UNWORTHY RECEIVING OF THE Lords Supper WHEREIN As is shewn the Nature and Danger of an Unworthy Receiving so the great Folly and Sin of Neglecting it From those Words of St. Paul 1 CORINTH XI xxix By C. P. A. M. LONDON Printed by J. A. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the Lower End of Cheap-side near Mercer's Chappel and are to be sold by Obed. Smith Bookseller at Daventry in Northamptonshire 1693. TO THE READER HOwever unnecessary this Ensuing Discourse may seem to be in the Judgment of some by reason of those many excellent and full Discourses that have been already published concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and which almost render it impossible to publish any thing New upon this Subject Yet I am not without some hopes of its doing Good if not to those whose Circumstances will not permit them to buy and peruse the several Treatises that are now Extant concerning the Lords Supper yet to my own Parishioners for whose sake it is chiefly published and who indeed stand in need of Line upon Line to bring them to a Practical Apprebension of the Obligation that lyeth upon Christians to the Receiving of the Lords Supper as well as to the worthy Approach thereof And if in any Instance this Discourse may procure the End for which it was design'd and do good to them or any Persons else as I shall be thankful to God for it so shall I look upon it as no mean Reward whatever Censures it meets with from others THE DANGER OF A Total and Wilful NEGLECT Equal to the Danger of an UNWORTHY RECEIVING Of the Lord's Supper 1 COR. XI ch 29. v. For he that eateth and drinketh Unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body AMongst other the Reasons that are urg'd for the Forbearance from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the sense of the greatness of the Ordinance and the sad Sentence that is declar'd against Unworthy Receivers is urg'd as a great Barr by some Men thereto Too many indeed are the Excuses that Men make for their not Coming to this Heavenly Feast but that which is most prevalent with well meaning People is the Fears of their own Unfitness for it and the Doubts that they never shall be Worthy Now for the satisfaction of such Men it is that I have made Choice of the Words of St. Paul as the Subject of the following Discourse and from them shall Treat of the following things 1. What is here meant by Eating and Drinking Unworthily 2. Upon what Account and by what Ways Men receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Unworthily or are Unworthy Communicants and by what they are not 3. In what Sense the Receiving of it Unworthily is so dangerous as it is said to be in the Text. 4. That although it be very Dangerous to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Unworthily yet the Total and Wilfull Neglect thereof is as dangerous and that the not partaking of other Ordinances Worthily makes Men liable to Damnation as well as the not partaking of the Sacrament Worthily 5. I shall Close all with an Exhortation 1. Of the First What is here Meant by Eating and Drinking Unworthily Now by Eating and Drinking Unworthily not only the Words foregoing limit the Application of them to the Receiving of the Lord's Supper Unworthily but the general Apprehension of Christians that they are to be so taken do declare the same It 's true indeed that the Words are 〈◊〉 of our common Eating and Drinking that 〈◊〉 soever Eateth or Drinketh Unworthily that 〈◊〉 ther abuseth God's good Creatures or himself 〈◊〉 an Unworthy or Intemperate Use of them Eâ—â—â—â—eth and Drinketh Damnation to himself without Repentance his Gluttony and Excess as uâ—â— thankfulness for God's good Creatures being Sinsâ— that make him lyable to the Wrath of God But yet as all eating and drinking is not a receiving of a Sacrament so not of that which is a Commemorative Ordinance of Christ's Body and Blood being given and shed for us for else we might say that Heathens or Infidels receive the Sacrament when they eat and drink But as this is inconsistent with the Notions that men have of the Sacrament so particularly with the scope of the Apostles words which is concerning eating and drinking according to the Institution of our Saviour in remembrance of his Death and Passion and agreeably hereto he tells 1 Cor. 11. ch v. 26. That as oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death till he comes and in my Text He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation But why it follows because he discerns not the Lords Body of which he then Sacramentally partakes as to the outward Symbols or Elements thereof But why do I stand to shew that by eating and drinking here is meant the receiving of the Lord's Supper and not common Eating at our ordinary Meals Since tho' some prophane Persons to excuse themselves in their absence from this Ordinance pretend that they can receive the Sacrament as oft as they eat and drink yet all sober Christians do apply the words of the Apostle to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and their Doubts are not so much what is here meant by eating and drinking as what the doing it so unworthily signifies which is the next thing to be spoke to NOW by Eating and Drinking unworthily is not meant a not deserving or not being worthy to eat and drink what we do at the Lord's Supper as Deserving or being Worthy signifies our desert or merit to partake of what we there partake for in this sense all are unworthy yea even the Apostles were so yea in that we come to this Ordinance to commemorate the Sufferings of Christ as having laid down his Life for our Sins we do hereby shew That we of our selves are not worthy to receive so great a Favour as the pardon of our Sins and other benefits of his Sufferings but only by his Merits But tho we are not worthy in this sense so as to deserve a partaking of what we there partake yet such is the Goodness of God that if we are but sincere in our preparations in our Repentance Thankfulness and the like as also in our Resolutions and Actions of Faith Love and Obedience God will accept of us as worthy in a Gospel sense and bless his Ordinance unto us Such an Unworthiness then as the not deserving the Favours we then receive is not the unworthiness spoken of in the Text since there are none that are so worthy in themselves no not even St. Paul and therefore I proceed to shew what is the unworthiness spoken of in this place Now by Eating and Drinking unworthily I presume is meant a performing the Duty of receiving the Lords Supper in ways unbecoming unsuitable or unfit to the Nature and Design
Luke 6.46 But Secondly Well may we say that a total and wilful Neglect of this Ordinance is an unworthy dealing with Christ if we consider how ungrateful dealing it is with him also I suppose none pretend to be true Christians or pretend to stay away from this Ordinance out of fear that they shall not be fit for it but what have some sence of the Nature and Design of this Ordinance that it is instituted as a Memorial of Chrst's Sufferings for us and the Benefits thereof And now how unworthily do we deal with him Tho' we hope to be sav'd by the Merits of his Sufferings yet we wilfully neglect to celebrate the Memorials of them or do so much in remembrance of him as thankfully to shew forth his Death till he comes in ways of his own appointment But perhaps here some may say That we can think of Christ's Love to Men in suffering for them without coming to this Ordinance To which I Answer I don't say but they may but yet not so acceptably with God so long as they live in the neglect of this appointed way of Remembrance because Christ hath appointed this as the great Memorial and therefore may well take it ill when Men neglect his Way and Time of Remembrance and stick only to their own which if they could remember his Love as acceptably in as in that which he hath appointed why did he appoint such an Ordinance for this end Certainly we ought not to think any thing impertinent or of little use and acceptance which he hath Commanded much less that which indeed is the great Ordinance of conveying the pardon of Sin and confirming our Interest in Christ Surely if any Man under the Law shou'd plead for his Neglect of Sacrificing tho' God commanded Sacrifices that he could pray to God well enough tho' he offer'd up no Sacrifice such an Excuse or Plea would not have been allow'd but would have been reckon'd as a Virtual despising of Sacrifices as unnecessary and consequently wou'd have been very dangerous for so it is said that he that despis'd Moses his Law dyed without mercy Heb. 10.28 And now since Christ hath not only done so much for us but hath left it in Charge at his Death that we should Take and Eat yea that we should all Drink in remembrance of him and we look upon this Charge as necessary to be observ'd by us can we think he will not take it ill at our hands and punish us for our Neglect unless we repent Yea saith the Apostle See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refus'd him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him who speaketh from Heaven Heb. 12.25 But Secondly It will appear that a total and wilful Neglect of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is as dangerous as the receiving it unworthily in regard of the unworthy dealing there is thereby with the Sacrament it self For by a total and wilful Neglect of this Ordinance we either shew that we do not reckon it a necessary Ordinance which yet is the most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Worship that is a Memorial of his great Love and a shewing forth of his Death till he comes Or else we make it to use the word a Bugbear or more dreadful than it is and so deal unworthily by it when we act as if it was such an Ordinance that was a greater occasion of Offence or Ruine than any other in that we suppose it as one that is less possible to be done worthily as to God's acceptance than any other which to suppose is not only to have ungracious Thoughts of it but is a reflecting upon the Goodness as well as Wisdom of Christ who hath order'd this as a means for our Salvation if we are but sincere as indeed we ought as well as pretend to be in other Ordinances I am apt to think that many of these Men who stay away altogether from this Ordinance for fear as they say least if they come to it they should come unworthily are yet apt to hope that notwithstanding their unfitness to receive the Sacrament if they should happen to dye they shall receive the things signify'd by the Sacrament viz. The pardon of their Sins and Reconciliation with God thro' the Merits of Christs Sufferings And now if these Persons notwithstanding their unworthiness for the Receiving of the Sacrament do yet trust in God's Mercy for the receiving of the things signify'd and exhibited in the Sacrament why may they not also trust God's Mercy for the receiving of the sign If they trust to receive the benefits of Christ's Merits why should they distrust the Institutions for that end Nay if any of these Persons should lie upon a Death-bed upon asking I suppose they would be ready to assert their hopes of Salvation through the Merits of Christ tho they were unworthy of it and now are not Men that are sincere in what they say as fit to receive the Sacrament as they are fit to Dye Yea surely if they are not fit to receive the Sacrament they are not fit to dye or receive the pardon of their Sins for indeed I cannot find where God is said to be more merciful to Men at their Death than at the Sacrament it being very easily to be believed that he who will pardon us when we come to dye will pardon us also when we prepare our selves as well as we can to receive the Sacrament it being as easie also to think that those whom God will receive as fit for Heaven he will receive also as fit for his Ordinances upon Earth and therefore Persons deal very unworthily with this when they represent it as more dreadful than it is But Thirdly It will appear that a total and wilful Neglect of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is as dangerous as the Receiving it unworthily if we consider that the being without those preparatory and Ornamental Graces which should make us receive worthily doth as well expose us to the Danger of Damnation when we do not receive the Sacrament as when we do receive it If a Man hath the Qualifications of a Worthy Communicant he is fit to receive but if he hath them not whether he receives the Sacrament or no he is in a miserable estate Thus for Instance if a Man is without Repentance whether he comes to the Sacrament or not he is like to perish Luke 13.3 or if he doth not believe he is like to be damned John 3.18 nay he is condemned already or if a Man knows not Christ he hath no Eternal Life abiding in him John 17.3 or if he is not in Charity he is a Murderer and no Murderer St. John tells us hath Eternal life abiding in him 1 John 3.15 or if he forgives not men their Trespasses neither will his Heavenly Father forgive his Ch. 6. v. 15. yea he that hath no desires after Christ nor
so eat and drink unworthily And indeed besides these Qualifications of a worthy Communicant there are others without which if we come to the Sacrament we eat and drink unworthily such as Faith and Thankfulness to our Saviour for the Pledges of his Love But these being Graces that are chiefly exercised at the Lords Supper I shall speak of them under the second way which I instanced whereby men receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unworthily viz. 2d Way When they behave themselves disorderly or unsuitably at it Now men may be said to behave themselves disorderly or unsuitably when they don't shew a due respect to what they are doing but either allow their Hearts to hanker as well as their thoughts to wander after the World or Sin or are prophane in their behaviour at it Nay I may safely say they don't deal with it very worthily that either look upon their Receiving it to be little more than a common or ordinary Eating or Drinking or else undervalue the Bread and Wine as but of little use and purpose It 's true the Bread and Wine are but Creatures as our Church terms them they are but Bread and Wine in their Nature but yet as they are instituted by Christ to be received in remembrance of hiâ— Death and Passion the taking of them according to Christ's Institution is a Symbol or Sacrament of our taking and eating the Body and Blood of Christ and therefore as they are appointed by Christ we are not to undervalue them by thinking we may as well receive Christ and the benefits of the New Covenant without them as with them when yet we have opportunity and invitations thereto which indeed to undervalue is not only to undervalue the Elements but the Wisdom and Authority of the Instituter 2. Those Men may be said to behave themselves disorderly and unsuitably at the Sacrament and so receive it unworthily that receive it without Faith This Sacrament being such an Ordinance that without Faith it cannot be received and therefore it is the Apostles Advice that we should draw nigh it with full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 for indeed Faith is not only the hand to lead us unto Christ Heb. 11.6 7. but of applying Christ unto us and making that which was done for many Mat. 26.28 to be effectually conveyed unto us for what doth it signifie for me to Commemorate the snfferings of a dying Saviour by receiving Bread and Wine according to Christ's Appointment If I have not Faith that the benefits thereof belong to me or cannot spiritually feed upon his Body and Blood by Faith it being by Faith that we feed upon him for as to the Corporeal eating of his Body and Blood it is such a thing that could the Papists quit their Avowance of and yet keep up the Authority and pretended Infallibility of their Church many Learned Men think they could easily part with their Opinion or Belief thereof However if it is the Doctrine of the Church of Rome it is not the Doctrine of Christ such being not only contrary to Sense and Reason but to Faith also for as to Faith we are told in Heb. 11. v. 1. it is the Evidence of things not seen Now if Christ be Corporeally present if the Bread that we eat be the very substantial Body of Christ it is then seen and so our Faith being an Evidence of what is seen it is not the true Faith in that it is contrary to the definition of it Nay further this Sacrament ceaseth to be a Sacrament which is to be an outward and a Visible Sign of some Inward and Spiritual thing if so be that after Consecration the Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in a Corporeal sence there then remaining no outward Sign or Sacrament But however the Papists are so quick-sighted to see such a Corporeal Presence of our Saviour it is more than we can or more than I read that the Apostles saw in the Bread and Wine of which he speaks when he saith This is my Body this is my Blood when at the same time they saw his Body separate from the Bread he gave them and they plainly discerned that when the Cup of Wine was given them his Blood was not then shed It 's true That Faith sees that in the Sacrament which Reason doth not but yet tho' Reason submits to Faith yet Faith doth not put out our Senses from being Judges where they may as they may be in discerning what is Flesh and Blood and what is Bread and Wine But if any Man will say that our Senses are not to be used in Matters of Faith I think he speaks very rash when even Christ appeal'd to the Senses of his Apostles to confirm their Belief of what he said that he was the same Christ tho risen again that was Crucified Luk. 24.39 Since therefore the eating of Christ's Body and Blood tho real is Spiritual and Sacramental it remains that what we see and taste of him at the Sacrament is by Faith which Faith considers not so much how the Elements feed the Body as how the things represented sealed and apply'd in this Ordinance feed and nourish the Soul And indeed it is by this that we not only view him hanging upon the Cross and shedding his Blood but Feast our selves of him that we may dwell in him and he in us If therefore we come withour Faith we are unworthy of this Ordinance yea we Evacuate it as to our selves But then here let us not be mistaken in our Notion of Faith or think that a bare and true belief of Christ's Presence and Blessings in this Ordinance is the right Belief for it No but the Faith of a good Communicant is a Gospel Faith such a Faith as receives Christ according to the Terms propos'd to us in the Gospel and the Sacrament also Now that which is so receives him not only as one shedding his Blood and giving his Body to save Men from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin but from Sin it self it is such as receives him as a King to rule us as well as pardon and save us yea it receives Christ's Body and Blood that our Bodies may be made clean and our Souls wash'd thereby yea in Christ Jesus the Faith that avails is a working Faith it works by Love Gal. 5.6 and it works by Thankfulness too And therefore in the third place 3. Those Men may be said to behave themselves disorderly and unsuitably at the Sacrament and so receive it unworthily that receive it without Thankfulness The very Business and Nature of it declares that it is a Thankful Memorial of the dying Love of Christ or a shewing forth of his Death 1 Cor. 11.26 So that by no means can they receive it worthily that do not receive it thankfully And how indeed can we but be thankful if we consider what we do and receive in this Ordinance we feast upon the Memorials of his laying down