A VVORTHY Communicant OR A TREATISE Shewing the Due Order of Receiving the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex Levit. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Cypr. de Can. Dom. Nec se judicant nec Sacramenta dijudicant Petr. Bles Epist. 40. Vide ne Dominus dicat de te Ecce manus tradentis me mecum in mensa Dederunt in escam meam fel. LONDON Printed by R. B. for R. Dawlman and L. Fawne at the Brazen Serpent in S. Pauls Church-yard 1636. TO the Right Honourable LORD THOMAS Earle of Winchilsea And to the Right Honourable the Lady CECILL Countesse of Winchilsea his most Pious Consort Right Honourable IT was a salt and a smart speech which one Melancthon spake unto an Italian Vos Itali vnltis Deum habere in pane quem non creditis esse in coelis Melch. Adam in vit Melanch You Italians will have God to be in the bread in the Sacrament whom ye beleeve not to be in Heaven It were to be wished that many amongst our selves were not under the guilt of somewhat the like incongruity It is an high opinion that men generally have of the Sacrament and reason good it should be had in pretious esteeme but that which is sad to consider they partake of that Ordinance with such irreverence carelesnesse and prophanenesse of spirit as if they beleeved not there were a God or as if in that Ordinance they had not to do with the God of Heaven That which was once injoyned the Dominican Priests in memory Morn myst Iniq. prog 56. and hatred of that heinous act of one of their fraternity in poysoning the Emperour Henry the seventh in the Hoast That they should communicate only with the left hand may bee feared to bee the case of too many thorow their owne negligence that they are no better than left-handed Communicants It matters not before God with what hand the Sacrament be received the right-hand or the left so the heart be right and the work done in a right order But yet in a spirituall sense to be left-handed receivers is a matter not only of disgrace but of danger It is all one in Scripture phrase to be left and to be lame-handed And to be sure to be left-handed in this worke is to be lame-handed The lame and the blinde who knowes not in what ill esteeme they were with God The lame and the blind had no acceptance with God And wherein concernes it men to be more solicitous for acceptance than in the solemne service of receiving the Sacrament No acceptance is to be had but when it is well done If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted sayes the Lord to Cain It was good which Cain did in offering Sacrifice but if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted It must be a good thing and a good thing well done which shal find acceptance That speech of Aarons in his case would be a very seasonable thought for men before the Sacrament Behold this day such Lev. 10. 19. things have befallen me and if I had eaten the sin-offering to day should it have beene accepted in the sight of the Lord Happy were it that before the Sacrament men would thus say with themselves Behold this day week this moneth c. such things have befallen me and I have fallen into such sinnes as have made my person guilty mine heart hard and dead and if I should in such a case before I have prepared my self by faith and repentance eat the Supper Lord should I be accepted in the sight of the Lord They were crosses and afflictions which by Gods providence befell Aaron in the death of his Sons and the sorrow and mourning that followed thereupon that indisposed and unfitted him for eating the flesh of the sin-offering Sanctified things were not to be eaten in a mans mourning Deut. 26. 14. They be sins that men thorow their owne corruption fall into that they live and lye in and the want of sorrow and mourning for them that unfit men for eating the Sacrament With spirituall sorrow and mourning for sin should these sanctifyed things be eaten And for want of this and other due dispositions it is that this holy Ordinance that men seeme to think so highly and reverently of is so much abused and profaned Conceiving it therefore a worke of charity to direct people to a preparation and a performance suitable to the holinesse and excellency of the Ordinance I have published this small treatise And such as it is I present it to your Honours as a publike testimony of that thankfulnesse service and due regard I owe unto you and your Noble Family the which deserves so much the more honour from men by how much the more it is honoured by God They were ill Si quis ex nobilibus ad Deum coÌ„verti caeperitstatim honorem nobilitatis amittit Religio ignobilem facit Si honoratior quispiam religioni se applicueâ—it â—llico honoratus esse disistit Salv. de Provid lib. 4. times that Salvian lived in and complained of when religion and godlinesse were thought staines and blemishes of Honour as if Religion made Noble Persons vile and ignobled Greatnesse But that which GOD cals Glory and Honour let no man account shame and basenesse It is most true which S. Bernard writes to Sophia a religious Noble Woman Thou art the more Insignior plane atque illustrior quod de paucis facta es quam quod orta de magnis Illud namque Dei munere tuum est Hoc tuorum Porro quod tuum est tanto carius cst c. Bernard Ep. 113. illustrious that thou art made one of few aluding to that of Paul Not many Noble than that thou art borne of Great Ones That by Gods gift is thine owne this namely her Birth and Noble Parentage thou art beholding to thy Parents for That which is thine owne is so much the more deere by how much the more rare Who shall finde a vertuous woman much more a vertuous and Noble one God indeed is no accepter of persons yet I know not how it comes to passe yet to passe it comes that vertue in a Noble person is more pleasing peradventure because it is more shining As light is more glorious in the Stars of greater than of lesser magnitude It is a most sure thing what ever the world may judge that nothing so enobles as Christ grace and being in the Covenant I have blessed Ishmael sayes the Lord twelve Princes shall he beget But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Account it your greater Honour Gen. 17. 20. 21. to be in the Covenant than to have Seed Royall issue out of your loynes or to have Bloud Royall runne in your veynes Then are persons truly Honourable indeed when pretious in Gods sight Since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast beene honourable So may You
because ye did it not at first V. 13. The Lord our God made a breach upon us for that we sought him not after the due order As if hee had said It was not onely Vzzahs errour in touching the Ark contrary to that Num. 4. 15. but it was all your errors to carry it in a Cart when it should have beene borne upon your shoulders Indeed unto the Sons of Gershon and to the Sons of Merari Moses gave Wagons and Oxen according to their service but unto the Sons of Kohatb who were to beare the Ark Num. 4. 5 15. he gave none Because the service of the Sanctuary belonging to them was that they should be are upon their shoulders Num. 7. 6 7 8 9. A Gershonites or a Merarites burthen might be carted but not a Kohatbites they must put their shoulders to the burthen And for this irregularity was the breach made Indeed the Philistins sent home the Ark in a Cart but God brookes not the carting of the Arke in Israel God will beare with that in Heathens and Strangers which he will not brooke nor winck at in his owne people who must live by rule Hee will be sanctified in all those that draw neere unto him So precisely strict is God for the observation of his Ordinances and so jealous and so quick a Iudge in cases of the smallest prevarication The thirteenth Verse then is a reason of that counsell given V. 12. You must sanctifie your selves and you must bring home the Ark. We went another way to worke before and Gods displeasure brake out against us because we sought him not after the due order The Point then wee may learne is this That it is not enough to seeke God but we must seeke him after the due order that he hath appointed and prescribed And That where God is not sought after the due order there men not onely meet not with a blessing but with a blow and with a breach To goe and fetch the Arke and to enquire of God at it it was an Ordinance of God but to neglect the sanctification of themselves that they might bring up the Arke of the Lord and to carry it in a Cart this was not according to Gods Order His order was that they themselves should beare it and that they should sanctifie themselves before-hand for the service David and his people made full account of it when they went about that dayes worke to have had a good and a comfortable day of it but Gods order being neglected instead of a blessing they meet with a blow and a breach It proved a sad day they were sent home with sad and sorrowfull hearts It is true indeed that the carrying of the Arke upon a Cart was a faile but in point of outward order the due outward order was not observed And if God be so severe in making a breach upon them for the breach of an outward order How much more severe may it bee thought will he be in denying a blessing and in making a breach for the neglect and breach of that spirituall and inward order with which he requires holy services to be performed God hath prescribed not onely holy Ordinances and wayes in which he will be sought and found but he hath also prescribed an holy Order and a spirituall manner after which and in which he will be sought in the use of those his Ordinances Gods Ordinance and Gods Order must ever goe together Let us suppose that which cannot be Suppose that a man could seeke God in the right Order in regard of inward disposition of spirit in a wrong Ordinance yet God being sought in a wrong Ordinance though in a right Order no blessing but a breach were to be expected So contrarily Though a man seek God in a right Ordinance yet if he seeke him in a wrong Order for inward frame of heart not a blessing but a breach would follow As no blessing to be expected from a right Order in a wrong Ordinance so no blessing from a right Ordinance in a wrong Order The blessing is derived from God through a right Ordinance used after a due Order We shall see both going therefore together See Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyces and workes righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes Here is first Gods blessing communion and fellowship with God Thou meetest him When God meets a man seeking him there is a blessing but marke in the next place how the blessing is met withall And that by doing two things First there is a seeking in Gods Ordinance That remember thee in thy wayes They that will meet GOD must seeke him in his owne wayes His Ordinances are his wayes and his walkes If wee make walkes and wayes of our owne there can bee no meeting of GOD in them because Hee will walke in no wayes but His owne Secondly there is a seeking in Gods Order that rejoyces that workes righteousnesse There must bee a seeking Him in that Spirituall manner with the heart set in due order in all those gracious dispositions that GOD requires and then GOD meetes a man But now as a man that seekes GOD out of His Ordinance meetes not with Him because he seekes Him not in His wayes so though a man doe seeke Him in His wayes yet if he rejoyce not and worke not righteousnesse but seekes God with an unholy a dead and a dull heart though he bee in Gods wayes and seeke God in a right Ordinance yet he seekes not in a right order and therefore neither GOD nor His blessing met withall GOD meetes with a man that seekes him in both joyntly Right Ordinance and right order The like we have Ier. 29. 12 13. Then shall ye call upon me ye shall goe and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seeke me find me when you shall search for me with all your heart Here is a promise of a blessing to them that seeke God But first they must seeke God in His Ordinance Yee shall call upon mee and yee shall go and pray unto mee not goe to Saints Angels Images Idols that 's none of Gods Ordinance Secondly they must seeke God after His Order when yee shall search for mee with all your heart Thus Gods blessing attends seeking in His Ordinance and Order joyntly If they prayed with all their heart that were His Order but if they prayed to an Image that were not His ordinance therefore in such a case would he not be found So againe if they prayed to Him that were His Ordinance but if they prayed with dead and dull hearts that were not His Order therefore neither in such a case would He be found But this is not all There is not only no blessing but there is a breach where God is not sought after the Due Order Wee shall see it true in the severall Ordinances wherin God is sought 1 In the Word God is sought in the Ministery of the Word
operative and efficacious as ever what then may the reason bee An hundred to one but the Lord hath made this breach upon thy soule because thou soughtest him not after the due order Call thy selfe to an account was there that prayer humiliation renewing of thy repentance and quickning of thy faith before hand as there should have beene If thou hast made a breach in Gods order it is not strange that God hath made a breach in thy conscience and comfort Certainely it seldome fares thus ill with any man in the use of GODS Ordinances but upon due search it will bee found that there hath beene a neglect of due order And let it teach us in the second place not to rest contented in the Vse 2 bare and formall use of any Ordinance but let it be our great care to seeke God in it after the due Order Doe not satisfie thy selfe and set up thy rest in praying hearing but have a speciall care to doe these duties after the due Order But in more speciall manner bee exhorted to thinke upon this when thou art to receive the Sacrament Men have generally an high conceit of the Sacrament what ever esteeme they have in the mean time of other Ordinances And true it is that it is a very precious Ordinance of God and highly to bee esteemed but yet strange it is to see what little regard men have to come in due Order thereunto In any case men must come and it were the greatest wrong that could be if they shold not come be they adulterers drunkards swearers bee their lives and wayes what they will yet because it is the custome to come at such a time in any case they must come No question but many have the same idle and vaine conceits that some had in Saint Chrysostomes time that if they came at such and such times what Multos video qui Christi corporis sunt participes inconsiderate temere magis ex consuetudine lege quam ex cogitatione et consideratione Si advenerit inquit tempus sanctae quadragesimae qualiscunque fuerit quispiam fit particeps mysteriorum si advenerit dies Epiphaniorū Atqui tempus ad ea accedendi neque Epiphania neque quadragesima facit dignos qui accedunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Eph. hom 3. ever their lives were yet it skill'd not the comming at such times was disposition sufficient for the service But heare how he cries downe that vaine consent I see many sayes he that are partakers of the Body of Christ inconsiderately and rashly more out of custome and law than out of consideration If the time sayes one of holy Lent be come or the day of Epiphany be come what kinde of person soever the man bee hee is made partaker of the mysteries But it is not the time of comming unto them neither Epiphany nor Lent which makes them worthy that come but the sincerity and purity of the soule Alwayes come with that never come without it So that they lookt more at the time they came than to come with sincerity and purity as if the time should impart that holinesse to them which the Sacrament requires and they neglected to bring with them And are not there too many in the world that nourish such secret conceits in their hearts who thinke that so long as they come at such times as law and custome sets all is well enough there needs no more to look after But let men know that at what time soever they come let it be ever so soleme a time or how often soever they come were it monethly or daily yet if they come not after the due Order they shall be so farre from receiving a blessing that they shall receive a breach yea a very curse upon their soules let a man come as oft as he will to the Sacrament yet if he come not after the due Order God will deale with such a communicant as with the wicked man in that case Iob 20. 23. When hee is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him whilest hee is eating So here when a man comes to the Sacrament and not after the due Order even whilest he is eating GOD may raine downe his wrath upon him and when hee thinkes to eate Christs flesh and drinke his bloud that which he eats may bee sawced and that which hee drinkes may bee spiced with the bitter wrath of God Such is the case oftentimes of many receivers who will bee comming to the Sacrament without any regard to Gods due Order as it was with the Israelites at their Quailes Psa 78. 29 30 31. So they did eate and were filled for he gave them their owne desire but whilest the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of GOD came upon them Quailes were dainty food but wrath was ill sawce flesh they must needs have no remedy and they murmure that they have it not flesh they have and wrath they have And the wrath of God came upon thē while their meat was yet in their mouthes Who would have their meate to have had their sawce So many will needs come to the Sacrament by no meanes may they be perswaded to forbeare till better fitted come they must there is no remedy and they have their desire but while the Sacramentall meate is yet in their mouths the wrath of God comes secretly and insensibly upon their soules because they come and doe not seeke God after the due Order That same is an heavie curse Psa 69. 22. Let their Table become a snare before them and that which should have beene for their wellfare let it become a trap It is very heavie when our ordinary Table becomes a snare unto us but to have the Table of the Lord become a snare and the Sacrament which is appointed for our wellfare to become a trap what judgement can be imagined heavier And yet this is the sad condition of such as come not to the Lords Table after the due Order even that holy Table becomes a snare unto them How wondrous jocund and jolly was Haman that he must go with the King to Esthers banquet Esther 5. 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyfull and with a glad heart And he brags of it Vers 12. Yea Est her the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet she had prepared but my selfe And to morrow I am invited unto her also with the King But little reason had the man to be so cranke for not only at the banquet but at the banquet of wine Esther 7. 7. which was the merriest banquet of all hee meets with the Kings wrath and thereupon with the sentence of death How happy were it it were not the case of many Communicants full brag jolly they be that though they bee most unfit yet they may come and none can keepe them back and to the Sacrament they
institution excellency efficacy benefit and comfort Nay is it not in many regards above and beyond it and shal our preparation be lesse than theirs When we are invited to our neighbours Tables to feast with them how doe we spruce up our selves in our comelier and cleanlier apparrell and how much rather will we choose to be absent then to come in undecent and homely attire When we come to the Sacrament we come to the Lords Table to a Feast of his preparing and therefore should be no lesse carefull to dresse trim and spruce up our soules then we are to trim our bodies when we goe to the Tables of men It is a sad thing to consider what little care and conscience men generally have of this duty and how rudely and rashly men thrust themselves into Gods presence and unto his Table Many have the civility and the manners not to offer to sit downe at a Noblemans Table because they doe not judge themselves persons of that rank and quality who are fit to sit downe at such a mans board But who is it that doth not thinke himselfe as fit and as worthy to sit downe at Gods Table as the holiest and the best prepared person that is Our Saviour put a question to those Disciples Mat. 20. 22. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of And we know how roundly but yet withall how rashly they answer We are able So put the like question to most men Are yee able and ready fitted and worthy to drink of the Cup of the Lords Table and you shall have as round and as rash answer Wee are able wee are fit and worthy and yet the Lord he knowes they never have bestowed one poore houre in preparation they are so far from foure dayes they have not foure houres preparation so farre from a preparation-day that there is not so much as aâ— preparation-houre with theÌ„ The preparation specially of the younger sort is to put on their best dresse their finer apparell and to be a little braver when they come to the Sacrament than at other times But for a spirituall preparation of the heart to fit it for so holy and solemne a service it is a thing that is never once lookt after nor thought upon To quicken men then to this Duty consider these things 1 First According to a mans preparation such is his profit and benefit God proportions every mans profit by the Sacrament according to his preparation to the Sacrament The more diligent and serious preparation before we come the greater benefit and profit when we come Preparation is the seed time receiving is the harvest every man reapes proportionably to what he sowes He that sowes nothing reapes nothing No preparation no profit Hee that sowes little reapes not much reapes but little 2 Cor. 9. 6. Hee that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly He that is sparing and slight in his preparation shall reape but slightly and sparingly in matter of benefit little preparation little profit But the more we prepare our selves and the more time paines and diligence we spend therin the greater benefit and comfort we shall meet with in receiving for he which sowes bountifully shall reape bountifully It is in the duty of receiving as in the duty of praying The more prepared the heart is to pray the greater is a mans returne from heaven Psal 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare To have our heart prepared is the due order of seeking God in prayer And the more God gives a man an heart to prepare himselfe to pray the more God prepares his owne eare to heare So in the case of receiving thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine hand to give God so enlarges his hand as we enlarge our hearts and nothing furthers the enlargement of the heart more than solemne preparation Then may a man expect a liberall and plentifull blessing in the use of the Ordinance when he comes with a sufficient preparation and sanctification of himselfe Hezekiah his passeover which he appointed to be kept could not bee kept at the appointed time but was put off to the second moneth and the reason is given of it 2 Chron. 30. 3. For they could not keepe it at that time because the Priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently which implyes that when the Passeover was to be celebrated the Priests were not only to sanctifie themselves but to sanctifie themselves sufficiently And so it holds good for people also that when they come to the Sacrament they must have a care not only to sanctifie themselves but to sanctifie themselves sufficiently There may be an insufficient preparation and where the preparation is insufficient there cannot be expected such a sufficient measure of spirituall good and blessings as we desire The more sufficient our preparation is the more effectuall the Sacrament shall be The efficiency of the Sacrament is ever sutable to the sufficiency of our preparation Fill the mens sacks with food as much as they can carry sayes Ioseph to his Steward Gen. 44. 1. Look how they came prepared with sacks Beasts so they were sent back with corne the greater and the more sacks they had prepared the more Corne they carry away if they had prepared but small sacks and a few they had carried away the lesse A prepared heart is a vessell that shall be filled at the Sacrament Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. Now the more or lesse the heart is prepared the greater or lesser is the Vessell According to the size and capacity of the Vessell shall it be filled Fill such mens hearts with spirituall blessings with vertue from Christ with the comforts of the Holy Ghost says the Lord at the Sacrament fill them with spirituall food as ful as they can hold as much as they can carry What a sweet comfort is that Who desires not to carry away froÌ„ the Sacrament as much as may be Then be carefull to prepare our hearts and prepare Sacramenta sunt fodinae gratiae Dispositio est vasculum gratiae pro majore dispositione affectu tuo majorem reportabis Euseb Neâ—eml then to the purpose The larger is our preparation the larger is our Vessell the larger our Vessell the larger is our largesse and doale at the Sacrament If we carry not away as much as we would it is our owne fault that by preparation we did not furnish our selves with a more capacious vessell The poore pittances that many goe from the Sacrament withall make them droope when they are gone They may thank themselves for if Iosephs brethren had brought small sacks they could not have carried away much corne out of Egypt Let men come with hearts so prepared as they should and they shall be laden and filled with as much as they can carry 2 Secondly when we come to the Sacrament We come to meet God and to serve God We
and candle of the Word Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a light a Lampe And by the light of this candle search and ranscke the blinde corners and secret crannies of our hearts and out with all the very crums of leaven So that as the Apostle speakes in that case 1 Cor. 5. 7 8. Purge out therefore the old leaven Therefore let us keepe the feast not with old leaven c. So let us doe in this case of comming to the Sacrament This is to keepe our Passeover after the due Order If we will eat of the Lambe we must have no leaven if Lambe no leaven if leaven no Lambe if Christ in the Sacrament no sins and lusts favoured if sins and lusts favoured no Christ There bee that expound that Text Cant. 7. 2. of the two Sacraments Thy navell is like a round goblet which wants not liquor thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with Lilies By the navell they understand the Sacrament of Baptisme the navell serves for the nourishment of the babe in the wombe and baptisme nourishes infants and new borne babes in the Churches wombe By the belly like an heape of wheat they understand the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the aboundance and store of excellent spirituall nourishment therin and marke with what this heape of wheat is set about set about with Lilies signifying Christians of holy and godly life To be sure such they should bee by repentance that come to this Sacrament they should be Lilies pure and white Lilie-white that are set about this heape of wheat It is not after the due Order when stincking weeds hemlock nettles and such trash are set about this heape of wheat when scandalous and profane persons common swearers customary drunkards c. thrust in and set themselves downe at the Lords Table It is a case much to be lamented to see the desperate boldnesse of many in comming to the Sacrament swearers habituall drunkards uncleane persons make no more bones of comming to the Table of the Lord than of sitting downe at their owne ordinary Tables sweare this day receive the next be drunke on the eve and receive the Sacrament on the morrow Herein dealing as the Harlot in that case Prov. 30. 20. She eats and wipes her mouth and saith I have done no wickednesse I am as honest a woman as the best of my neighbours So these eate and drinke at the Sacrament and wipe their mouthes and who hath any thing to say to them they hope they are as orderly faire Communicants as the best That therefore men may bee awakened to bee more considerate and may bee provoked to come prepared with repentance let them a little thinke seriously on these following particulars First hee that comes to the Sacrament and not after this order prepared with Repentance shall be sure to meet w th no blessing benefit or comfort There is a great deale of comfort and joy to bee had in the use of the Sacrament provided a man so come to it as he ought provided that a man come prepared with repentance Marke that passage Ezra 6 22. They kept the Feast of unleavened bread seven dayes with joy What are civill Feasts without joy and what are holy Feasts without joy A Feast is made for laughter and wine makes merry Eccl. 10. 19. Little comfort in this Feast and Wine in the Sacrament unlesse it make a mans heart merry and joyfull Ioy is that which GOD promises to the right users of his Ordinances Isay 56. 7. I will make them joyfull in mine house of prayer So God makes men joyfull in the house of preaching and joyfull at the Table of his house They kept the Feast with joy How so For sayes the Text the Lord had made them joyfull But observe who they were whom God made joyfull at that Feast and Passeover namely those who had separated themselves from the filthinesse of the heathen of the land Such as come with true Repentance God makes joyfull in the use of his Ordinance A man may be bold to challenge impenitent persons that come in their sinnes and to charge them with it that they have no joy in their receiving God joyes them not makes them not welcome As in the Gospell so at the Sacrament God makes a Feast such a Feast as the Feast of the Gospell is Isay 25. 6. A Feast of fat and sweet things a Feast of Wine a Feast of things full of marrow But who must eate of that Feast who must be feasted with that wine and marrow How must they bee prepared that eat of this Feast They must come in due Order that come to that Feast and that due Order is to come with repentance for marke what God subjoynes there Vers 7. And I will destroy the face of the covering the veile that is spread c. So that they that will be partakers of that Feast must first have the veile the covering taken away they that come veiled and covered come not after the due Order and therfore shall not taste of the sweetes of this Feast But what is that veile then that must be taken away before they shall eat of that Feast We may see what it is by that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. The veile is the hardnesse of mens hearts and that veile is taken away when men turne to the Lord. Repentance takes away that veile when men are humbled for their sinnes and doe truly repent then is the veile taken away And when the veile is taken away then are men prepared to come to that Feast of fat things The Sacrament is a Feast of fat things also and they that will come to this Feast in the Sacrament must come with their hearts unveiled It is a Feast of fat things but they that will eat of this Feast of fat things must not come with fat hearts They that come with fat hearts will finde it a Feast of leane things will finde neither sweet nor comfort in the use of the Sacrament Goe make the heart of this people fat Isay 6. that is Goe make their hearts hard and impenitent Psal 119. 70. Their heart is fat as greasse fat hearts shall not be feasted with these sweet things A leane heart that mournes that pines that grieves for sin that heart shall eate of these fat things Psal 22. 26. The poore shall eate and shall bee satisfied The man that is humbled and abased he shall eat unto satisfaction so that they onely have benefit taste the sweet and the marrow in this Feast that come prepared with repentance But let a man come without repentance and humiliation and he receives no benefit at all at the Sacrament but findes a leane and a drie Feast of it It is in this case with a man as it was with the Prodigall when once he came to himselfe and was soundly humbled for his folly and fals to confession Father I have sinned against thee and against
action to bee against credit profit his sensuality headstrongly headlonging him upon its satisfaction but yet not between wil and will affection and affection minde and minde no strife in the same faculty as in a beleever And there may bee a victory that an unbeleevers minde and his judgement may have over his sensuality pleading to him his losse of credit profit friends c. which is but a bare restraining of corruption in some one particular but this is far from a victory subduing and mortifying the power and body of sin to bring it into a languishing consumption which is the worke of faith Sin may live yea and rebell in a beleeving heart for it is with lusts in a beleevers heart as with those beasts Dan. 7. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time They had their lives for a time prolonged but their dominion was taken away So in a beleever his lusts have their lives prolonged for a time but yet their dominion is taken away they live but they live slaves and they dye gradually both they and their rebellions 4 Fourthly True faith growes and increases 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ yea it growes exceedingly 2 Thess 1. 3. Your faith growes exceedingly and Rom. 1. 17. The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith Graines of mustard-seed grow to the procerity and spred of trees in which the fowles of heaven may nestle Men may try themselves by this So much growth so much truth of faith But how would it puzzle the most to find any such growth They have beleeved ever since they can remember and yet what beleeve they more now than at the first The faith that grows not lives not the faith that lives not is dead Most mens faith therefore is fit for the grave Lord saies Martha of Lazarus Hee by this time stinketh for he hath beene dead foure dayes And what is theirs then but a carrion faith that hath beene dead more than so many yeeres for what more spirituall strength have they then at first what more experience of Gods dealing what neerer acquaintance with Christ or what sweeter communion with him Not a jot therefore not a jot of true faith 3 Thirdly Effects respecting our brethren and they are these 1 First Mercy Love Compassion and beneficence to the members of Christ in necessity Gal. 5. 6. Faith workes by love as by love to God so also to our brethren Therfore so often joyned together as an individuall paire 2 Thess 1. 3. Psal 5. 1 Tim. 1. 5. And therefore when Tyrus should be converted to the faith she should leave hoarding and heaping up her wealth and should find another manner of imployment for it namely to feed and cloath Gods Saints Isay 23. 18. Her merchandise shall not be treasured nor layed up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable cloathing When Tyrus should once beleeve she should trade in a new kind of merchandise she should trade in workes of mercy and bounty in releeving and refreshing the necessities of Gods Saints Faith is full of bowels tender-hearted and open-handed to Christs members in want She is a right Dorcas Acts 9. 39. that makes coates and garments to cloath and keepe warme the backs and loynes of Christs servants in want If we finde such compassionate bowels in us hands ready to the good workes of mercy to do poore Christians good for Christs sake in those bowels there lyes faith If we do love a Saint because a Saint that love is of faiths working How doth this one thing damne the common faith of the world They beleeve in Christ that they do but how love they a godly man Is there any whom they more disaffect distast or against whom they shew more imbittered malice This malicious spitefull faith is not the faith of Christians Thus divels beleeve they beleeve and are malicious This is a divelish faith the divels so beleeve as that they tremble and yet tremble not to be malicious against those that doe beleeve And what is their bounty and mercy Alas they are not only close fisted but with the man in the Gospell they have a withered hand not able to stretch out their hand in any worke of compassion Such a creeple and same-handed faith is not the faith that will passe with God 2 Secondly a desire and an endeavour to bring others to the faith It having once tasted and found the sweetnesse and goodnesse that is in Christ and in the wayes of God it cannot rest but it must seeke others to bring them to participate of the same goodnesse with it selfe Phil. 6. That the communication of thy faith Faith is a communicative grace and a generative grace S. Paul once come to the faith hath Timothy his own son in the faith 1 Tim. 1. 2. When Andrew hath found Christ he cals Peter when Philip hath met with he must bring Nathaniel Faith indeed in one sense doth impropriat Christ and speakes as Thomas My Lord and my God but yet though in its application it make Christ her own yet not so as it would exclude others but knowing the all-sufficiency of Christ doth desire to make him common to as many as it can and in that regard sayes Our Lord and our God So far forth then as thou endeavourest to bring on others to faith in Christ so much evidence hast thou of faith in thy self But if others specially such as neere unto thee may be what they will for any care or endeavour of thine it is an evill signe that thou thy selfe wantest that to which thou hast no care to bring others Many other trials might be added for the discerning of our faith but these shall suffice referring the Reader to the larger treatises of such as have bestowed their profitable paines in this argument Chap. 12. The examination of Repentance CHAP. 12 HOw faith is to be examined we have seene let us now see how we may try and examine the truth of repentance How true repentance may be discerned we may know by that speech of Iohn Baptist Mat. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance fruits meet for repentance such as become and evidence repentance where true repentance is there bee ever such fruits And those fruits are these 1 First shame for sin True repentance is ever accompanied with shame Ier. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded c. Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed yea it so individually goes with repentance that it is put for repentance it selfe 2 Thess 3. 14. That they may be ashamed that is that they may repent and reforme their evill course The Heathens said That blushing was the colour of Vertue meaning that it was a good signe to see a
for the mourning women and send for cunning women that they may come saith the Prophet Ier. 9. 17 18. that they may come And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us that our eyes may runne down with teares and our eylids gush out with waters So when ye be come to the Lord's Table consider ye consider ye O lacrymae ubi yos subtaxistis O lacrimae ubi estis Vbi estis fontes lachrymarum Movemini obsecro ad fletum meum fontes lachrymarum fluite super faciem meä Rigate maxillas meas Date mihi planctū amarum Ber. de mod ben viv serm 27. Miserum me quomodo sic insensata facta est anima mea Miserum me quomodo sic induruit cor meum ut oculi mei uon indesinenter producant flumina lachry marum Aug. med c. 34. Percute Domine percute obsecro hanc durissimam mentem meam sic de capite meo educ aquam immensam de oculis meis verū fontem lachrymarum Aug. med c. 37. what is before you Call for mourning hearts call for mourning affections call for sad and sighing spirits call for teares that your eyes may run downe with teares and your eylids gush out with waters Say with the same Prophet Ier. 9. 1. Oh that mine head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe c. Ah our rocky hearts harder then the neither milstone that cannot dissolve into rivers of teares upon the view of so sad a spectacle as the sight of CHRIST hanging crucified on the Crosse for our sins Smite LORD thou that canst bring water out of the rockes and canst turne the flint into a standing poole LORD smite thou this rocky heart breake thou this heart of flint and make the waters gush out abundantly And this is the first exercise of repentance at the Sacrament 2 The second exercise of repentance at the Sacrament is in a solemne renewing of our vowes and covenants Plinius sub Trajano scripsit solitos stato die convenire Christianos ante lucem carmenq Christo quasi Deo cōmuni voce dicere Postea se Sacramento obstringere non in scelus aliquod sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati ab negarent Centur. Magdeb. Cent. 2. c. 6. with GOD to hate forsake and renounce all our former sins lusts vanities unprofitablenesse and to walke more closely and watchfull then ever before The word Sacrament is a latine word that signifies an Oath to receive the Sacrament is to take and receive an Oath And when we receive the Sacrament we should binde our selves in a solemne Covenant with God to forsake all our sins and to walk in new and better obedience before GOD. And that practice of repentance rises thus In the Sacrament I see CHRIST crucified for my sins And was CHRIST crucified for my sins Surely then I resolve and vow too and covenant with God that I will use my sins as I see they have used CHRIST They pierced him I will pierce them they killed and put him to death LORD I will doe by them as they have done by thee I will kill crucifie and put them to death LORD CHRIST thou gavest thy selfe for me Behold here I am and here I give my selfe to thee That same is to be done in the Sacrament which we finde Deut. 26. 16 17 18. This day the Lord hath commanded thee to doe these Statutes c. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and c. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day c. So may it bee said of a Sacrament day This day the LORD thy GOD hath commanded thee to keepe his Statutes c. And this day thou hast avouched the LORD to be thy GOD and to walke is his wayes c. And this day the LORD hath avouched thee to be one of his There should be in a Sacrament a mutuall avouchment between GOD and his people When wee come to the Sacrament as wee come that GOD may avouch us for his people so we should come to avouch him for our GOD and that we will keepe his Commandements We can have no comfort in the use of the Sacrament unlesse in it God avouch us for his people And wee have no reason to thinke that God will avouch us for his people unlesse wee will avouch him to be our GOD and covenant with him the renoucing of our lusts and yeelding him obedience This therefore is to be done in the Sacrament Lord avouch me for thine as I avouch and covenant my selfe to be thine in all obedience to thy Commandements It must be with us at a Sacrament as it was with the Iewes of ancient in a Sacrifice In Sacrifices the people did not onely offer their oblation and performe that service but withall they did in Sacrificing renew and make their covenants afresh the covenants of offering up themselves a living and acceptable Sacrifice of mortification of their brutish lusts of an holy and obedient life So much implyes as that Rom. 12. 1. So that place Psal 50. 5. Gather my Saints together those that have made a covenant with me by Sacrifice Therefore in Sacrifices there was a making of covenant with GOD. The same must be done in the Sacrament of the Supper wee must there renew our Baptismall covenant For in the Sacrament there is and must be a mutuall stipulation and sponsion betweene GOD and the soule of a Communicant that as we expect GOD should binde himselfe to us so hee expects that wee should binde our selves to him As David joynes the cup of salvation and the paying of his vowes together Psal 116. 13 14. I will take the cup of my salvation I will pay my vowes unto the Lord so should wee joyne the cup of blessing and the making of our vowes together I will take the cup of blessing I will make my vowes unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people And thus in these two things must there be a practice of repentance at the receiving of the Sacrament Chap. 20. Faith to bee Actuated and exercised in the Sacrament An exercise of Thankesgiving Love and Mercy CHAP. 20 3 THe third thing in which the spirituall and holy disposition in receiving the Sacrament stands is an exercise of faith Now must a Communicant speake to his faith as Deborah doth to her selfe Iudg. 5. 12. Awake Awake Deborah Awake Awake utter a Song So Awake Awake oh my faith Awake Awake and now bestirre and rouse up to do the speciall and maine worke of the Sacrament in the receiving of Christ now offered and tendered in his Ordinance The great and chiefe work of the Sacrament comes now to be done in the Actuating of faith so as to fetch forth the fat and marrow of the Ordinance For the better conceiving and practising of this point we must know these foure things
sense of our unworthinesse and thereupon awaken our selves to quicken the Ordinance to our selves the Sacrament shall be ready afterwards to empty it selfe with blessings upon our soules and shall prove effectuall and comfortable unto thee The first Sacrament of the Supper the Disciples received it is not like they found the efficacy of it for the present for they then knew nor understood nothing of CHRISTS death neither could it sinke into their heads that he should dye but yet afterwards when they came more cleerely to understand the mysteries of Redemption and the whole doctrine of Christ no question but they reaped the benefit of that Ordinance which then they fully understood not Physicke doth not alwayes worke when it is taken but many times a good while some dayes after It is with the Sacrament as it is with the word Many a man heares the word and minds it but for the present it hath no work at all It is possible that seven yeares twenty yeares after it may worke a Sermon preached seven yeares before may prove the meanes of a mans conversion seaven yeares after wee have an example in that kinde Iohn 10. 41 42. And many resorted unto him and said Iohn did no miracle but all things that spake of this man were true and many beleeved on him there Iohn had preacht of Christ before they did not there upon beleeve in Christ when hee preacht Iohn was dead and gone but now when Christ comes amongst them they upon Iohns former Sermons preacht a great while before doe now beleeve Iohn was dead but his word was not dead that now workes when he lyes in his grave Thus also may it be with the Sacrament it doth not alwayes presently worke it may and doth work some longer time afterwards when a Communicant humbled for his unprofitablenesse in the duely endeavours by after-diligence and Humiliation to quicken and put life into it And if such a course may quicken a Sacrament some time after then why not much more on the same day What hinders but it may bee in the case of the Sacrament of the Supper as in the Sacrament of Baptisme The efficacy and force of Baptisme doth not presently appeare no not presently upon the yeeres of discretion Many an one lives vitiously in sinfull course a swearer adulterer c. but yet afterwards if God give once a man the heart to bee toucht with the sense of his owne unworthinesse and hee beginnes to bestirre himselfe to secke GOD by faith and Repentance the Lord quickens a mans Baptisme and makes it as powerfull and efficacious as if that very day administred So in this case possibly a man that hath beene at the Lords Table and hath more then once beene an unworthy receiver but yet if a man shall come once to bee humbled of that unworthinesse God will make sacraments so oft unprofitably received to become efficacious unto him For though hee were unprepared to receive yet God was not unprepared to dispense the benefit of them Therefore if wee have miscarried in our preparations and dispositions so as we have found no benefit no comfort yet here is a remedy and an help take this course by after-diligence and after-Humiliation to fetch life into that Ordinance in which thou wert dead and which was dead unto thee in the Administration It is a frequent and foule fault amongst many that so soone as the Sacrament is done and the duty ended in publike they never once looke after it more They leave the Sacramentall disposition and devotion in the Church there they shake hands with it and bring not a whit of it home with them When the Sacrament is done all is done with them and as they come to it so they goe from it without any examination at all It is never once more thought upon And thereupon no Humiliation for deadnesse hardnesse and indisposition in the duty and no care to make up that by after diligence wherein they were wanting in the present performance 2 Secondly If upon this examination we finde that we were refreshed had our hearts enlarged had vertue from and communion with Christ and that GOD was very good to us then doe these two things 1 First Blesse God with all thy soule for his mercy shewed unto thee acknowledge with all thankefulnesse Gods gracious dealing with thee in the communication and manifestation of himselfe to thee in his Ordinance 2 Secondly Be carefull and watchfull to keepe up and maintaine that holy and gracious frame of heart in thee which thou acquirest in and bringest from the Sacrament with thee A man when he findes enlargement and a gracious disposition of spirit in the Ordinance should be of Peters mind when in the Mount with our Saviour in his transfiguration Master It is good being here It is good to be here as long as may bee when therefore in the Sacrament wee have gotten holy affections by degrees wound up to some spirituall height have gotten them up to more than an ordinary and common pitch our care should be to keep and maintaine so long as we can what we have gotten at the Sacrament to keepe the sweete meates wee bring from this banquet It is true indeed that wee cannot hold them up in that height and pitch to which we have wrought our hearts in holy duties and in the heate of holy exercises but yet wee should endeavour it what we can and so long as is possible by after private duties of prayer meditation good conference and the like That as David prayes for the people in that case 1 Chron. 29. 18. when he saw them in a floate of good affections their hearts sweetely and graciously enlarged O Lord saies he keepe this for ever in the Imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare or stablish their heart unto thee As if he had said Lord thou seest what a good frame of heart is in them at this present oh that thou wouldest keepe and maintaine this frame of heart in them ever So when we finde a good frame of heart wrought in us at the Sacrament wee should pray and endeavour that this frame of heart might bee still upheld and continued in us See an excellent example of this after a Sacrament 2 Chron. 30. 21 22. They finde their hearts comfortably and sweetly enlarged in the use of Gods Ordinance and loath they are to let this frame of heart sinke in them faine would they keepe it up still and therefore see ver 23. what they doe And the whole assembly tooke counsell to keep other seaven dayes and they kept other seaven dayes with gladnesse This was done to keep up still this gladnesse of heart which they had in keeping the first seven daies And this by way of proportion serves to teach us what a speciall care we should have after the receiving of the Sacrament to looke wisely to our selves to keepe alive as long as may be that holy fire that
to Heaven Psalm 15. That he keeps his oaths and his promises though to his owne hurt How much more then should a man be carefull of his oathes and promises which hee makes to GOD in the Sacrament and that for his owne good Therefore after the Sacrament thus thinke and reason the case with thy selfe I have beene at the Sacrament I have there vowed and taken the Sacrament upon it that I will forsake my sinnes I have beene a swearer oathes have beene frequently and familiarly in my mouth I have beene guilty of drunkennesse uncleannesse oppression covetousnesse well now according to my vow at the Sacrament I will watch over my tongue that I sweare no more I will get this bloud out of my mouth and this abomination from between my â—eetâ— I will beware how this leprosie breake out againe Zech. 9. 7. in my lips since the word is gone out of my lips by which I have vowed at the Sacrament against this sinne I will now this day begin to renounce my drunken company and courses I have neglected holy duties in publike and private by my selfe I will this day begin to reade Scripture to pray diligently by my selfe and to doe all those duties of holinesse mine oath at the Sacrament bindes me to If after thou hast beene at the Sacrament Satan or any of his instruments set upon thee in any tentation to any evill or sinne feare thy selfe with thy sacramentall vow Say to Satan I was lately at the Sacrament there thou knowest what a vow I made to GOD therefore I may not doe this evill Wouldest thou have mee be forsworne before GOD Should I that have beene at Gods Table and have eat and drunke with him should I lift up the heele against him I that have taken an oath to the contrary Avoide Satan I may not I will not in any case doe it Thus should a man fence himselfe Legitur de quadam sancta â—â—â—gine quae quoâ—ieâ— tenâ—abatur non nisi baptiâ—mo â—uo repugnabat dicens brevissime Christiana sum Intellexit enim hostis statim virtutem baptismi fidei quae in veritate promittentis pendebat fugâ—t ab ea Lutâ—â—â— against Satans temptations by his having beene at the Sacrament of the Supper as that Virgin did of whom Luther speaks by her having received the Sacrament of Baptisme when she had vowed and covenanted with God against those things to which hee tempted her Satan I am a Christian I have beene baptized there I vowed to the contrary And so she quenched the fiery darts of the Divell with the waters of her baptizme So do when Satan tempts thee after the receiving of the Supper Avoide Satan I have received the Sacrament and therein made a covenant to the contrary It is a great fault in men that they are no more watchfull over their hearts and wayes after the receiving of the Sacrament and no more carefull to expresse the power of the Ordinance in their lives It was a great fault in the Disciples that there was at all a contention amongst them for greatnesse and superiority Luk. 22. 24. But their fault was so much the greater by the circumstance of time wherein the quarrell sprang for it was presently after they had received both the Sacrament of the Passeover and the Lords Supper as appeares by the verses before going Was that a time to be contending to be striving when they were newly risen from the Sacrament contending and striving with God in prayer for a blessing upon his Ordinance freshly received had beene farre more seemely and seasonable wofull is the carriage of many and much to be lamented Many come to the Sacrament and there make their vowes of Renouncing their sins and becomming new men and yet when once the action is over and past how soone are their vowes forgotten how quickly returne they to their old courses againe It may be the same weeke returne unto the same sinnes receive the Sacrament on the Lords day and drink drunk again before the next Lords day nay it may be be drunke the next morrow nay it were to be wished that it were not to true a complaint that they be drunke the selfe same day So for other sins men have not the care nor conscience to forbeare them the same day but sweare the same day they receive and have their oathes in their mouths before the bread and wine are well out of their mouthes Iust as the strumpet Prov. 7. 14 18. I have peace offerings with me this day I have paid my vowes come let us take our fill of love so she stiles her filthy lust untill morning let us solace our selves with loves The selfe same day that she had beene at the sacrifice and the Altar the selfe same day shee playes the Whore and comes from the Altar into the adulterers bed How heynous had her adultery beene at any time but when she had beene at Gods Altar to play the strumpet and the filth in that very day how heynous was her transgression Must she needs sacrifice her selfe to the Divell in her lusts in the same day she had beene sacrificing to God It is an heynous thing that hath beene objected justly against some impure Popish votaries that they have risen from Harlots sides to consecrate the Sacrament And is it not as heynous to rise from the Sacrament to whoredome as to rise from whoredome to the Sacrament Is it not as heynous a thing to rise from the Sacrament to drunkennesse as to rise from drunkennesse to the Sacrament How happy were it that that which was laid to Israels charge might not be charged upoÌ„ too too many Communicants Exod. 32. 6. The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose up to play How many sit downe to eate and drinke the sacramentall elements and that done rise up to play To what play To play the beasts to play the swine to play the wantons to play the wretches and so make themselves by such receiving twofold more the children of the Divell then they were before That was exceeding heynous and horrible that the Lord complaines of Ezek. 23. 39. for when they had slaine their children to their Idols then they came the same day into my Sanctuary to prophane it What villany was this Play the Idolaters the mercilesse murderers of their owne Children and then come the same day into the Lords Sanctuary what had they to doe to come into Gods Sanctuary upon any day but especially upon the same day And had it not beene every whit as hainous to have come to Gods Sanctuary to the Lords Table Mal. 1. 12. and the same day to have committed Idolatry murther and so also to fall to Adultery Drunkennesse Blasphemy and oathes Is not this in an high degree to pollute Gods name and his Table and to make the fruit thereof contemptible Mal. 1. 12. What is this but to take poyson after Physicke O shame that those hands that have beene