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
of it it is to receive it otherwise than we ought or not agreeably to the worth of it or the esteem we ought to bear to it This I take to be the meaning of unworthily and with this the Corinthians were charg'd as also suffer'd for when they made no difference betwixt the Lord's Body and their Common meals â—â—t came to and behaved themselves thereat disorderly as you may see Verse 21 of this Chapter And so I pass over to the next thing I proposed to treat of viz. Upon what account and by what ways men receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unworthily or are unworthy Communicants Now this they do as they either come unprepared to or behave themselves disorderly or unsuitaâ—ly thereat And first Men eat and drink unworthily at the Lord's Supper when they come unprepar'd to it and then are they said to be unprepar'd when they â—ome not with those Conditions or Qualifications which belong to him that is a Worthy Receiver and so accordingly as men are wanting thereof more or less they may be said to be more or less â—repar'd I shall therefore speak something conterning these Qualifications And first One Qualification of a Worthy Receiver or Communicant is a competent knowledge of the Nature and End of this Ordinance which if Men come to the Sacrament without they eat and drink unworthily Before People eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup they ought to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 and as of other things so of their Knowledge what is to be done at the Sacrament And if upon Enquiry they find they have â—ot any Knowledge to distinguish it from other â—ating and drinking when they do not discern â—he Lord's Body they eat and drink unworthily â—s it is in the Text And how indeed can any Man â—o a thing worthily that knows not what he doth â—or why he doth it And agreeable hereto are â—he words of the Learned Bishop Taylor That he that knows nothing of the Sacrament nor can be taught any thing must be permitted to the Mercies of God and the Prayers of the Church but he hath not to do with the Communion See Bp. Taylor 's Worthy Communicant Chap. 3. Sect. 3. But as to this Qualification of a Competent Knowledge there are but few but what do oâ— may come with it if it be not their own faults for he that hath but so mach Learning as to be able to read the Bible wherein the Institution and End of it are so clearly laid down as also any of those Books about the Sacrament which are published amongst us that either knows his Catechism or applies himself to the hearing of God's Word and withall hath but the common Reason and Understanding of a Man it is his own fault if he doth noâ— attain to some knowledge of that Ordinance It s true that all have not the like Knowledge noâ— are they equally skill'd in the Mysteries of Faith and as there is not alike Knowledge in all so neither is it requir'd it should be so there being new-born Babes as well as grown Persons in Christ So that if Men have but a competent knowledge so much as makes them sensible of the Nature and End of this Duty and what they are to do at and after as well as before it their Knowledge shall be reckon'd sufficient Nay even amongst the less knowing but sincere Christians it many times happens that tho' they cannot define the Notion of the Sacrament noâ— talk so Learnedly about it as the Learned Ones doâ— they may yet be more worthy in God's sight and more experimentally find out the sweetness of this Ordinance than the others And tho' they can't dispute so much concerning the manner of Christ's presence as the great Casuists do they may yeâ— be in a closer Communion with him and from the sense of Christ's Love display'd to them in this Ordinance have their Hearts so enlarg'd that they can even dye for him But if after all some are so ignorant in this Nation and that wilfully too in the midst of such Preaching and Printing as we enjoy That they â—now not what the receiving of the Sacrament means and why it was ordain'd I conclude they ought not to come or if they do they come unworthily because they discern not the Lords Boâ—y But Secondly Another Qualisication of a Worthy Receiver without which if men come they â—ome unprepar'd and so eat and drink unworthily is a real and hearty desire to the Ordinance â—â—d the Benefits of it for how can Men receive that worthily or suitably to the Nature and End thereof that do not desire it He therefore that would not eat and drink unworthily must also â—â—amine his desires doth he desire to have his â—ins pardoned and Christ dwell in him Is he â—illing to take on him Christ's Nature and to be â—ne with him or is he glad to be in Covenant â—ith God In short doth he desire Christ upon the â—erms that Christ is propos'd If he doth he is â—a fair way of being a good Communicant yea 〈◊〉 is one that is bidden and invited to come Isa 〈◊〉 ch 1 v. But on the other hand if a Man comes 〈◊〉 it without any desire or mind to it and had raâ—er not partake of it was he left at his liberty â—â—t only from fear to stay away or from worldly engagements to come he frequents it it is not 〈◊〉 be thought that he will be a Worthy Receiver because in such addresses a Man comes to it without â—is Heart and so for want thereof his Devotion â—â—d Behaviour is like to be but lukewarm if not â—ld or dead If indeed a Man comes to this Ordinance to enâ— crease his Desires after it if he comes not only upon the sense of his Duty to come but out oâ— hopes that by coming his Heart will be enlarg'd towards Christ and he become more fit for this Ordinance If he I say desires that he may desire Christ more and is truly sorrowful that he is no more desirous this shews the sincerity of his Heart in what he doth and consequently that he is noâ— unworthy in God's Merciful acceptance of what he doth tho he hath not those passionate heats oâ— sree Enlargements of Soul as some have But iâ— on the other hand our coming to this Ordinance be a Burden to us and we desire if it may be 〈◊〉 to be excused but because we are not excus'd therefore only yield a formal and outward respect we don't deal worthily by it when we eaâ— and drink at Christ's Supper with no Appetiteâ— and do as it were dislike tho' we feed on the Elements thereof Thirdly Another Qualification without which if Men come they are unprepar'd for the Sacrament and so eat and drink unworthily is Repentance or a sincere Resolution of amendment Anâ— truly they that come to this or to any other Oâ—dinance without Repentance or Resolutions oâ— Amendment come unworthily and accordingly God tells
a Pattern of Love and Kindness before us in his dying even to save us can we yet be Uncharitable and Cruel One Man beareth hatred against another and yet doth he seek for pardon from the Lord if he that is but flesh nourisheth hatred who will entreat for the pardon of his Sins could even the Son of Sirac tell us long ago Ecclus. 28. v. 2 3 4. But a greater than he hath told us that we must first be reconciled to our Brother in Affections at least before we come with our Gift to the Altarâ— Mat. 5.23 24 25. And again if we forgive noâ— Men their Trespasses neither will our heavenly Father forgive us ours Mat. 6.15 and many such Texts there are to the like purpose nay from the sense of Christ's dying Love we find Christ exhorting his Disciples to the love of each other yea in keeping this Ordinance St. Paul exhorts thâ— Corinthians that they should not keep this Feast with the Leven of Malice 1 Cor. 5.8 And now forgiveness and Charity being so much requir'd at our hands can we think to become Worthy Communicants without it No he who hates his Brother whatever his hopes and pretences are is but a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer till he repents is a fit Guest for the holy and merciful Jesus yea St. John by way of Interrogation implying a denyal asks How it can be that the Love of God can dwell in him who when he hath this World's goods and seeth the needs of his Brother yet shuts up his Bowels of Compassion from him 1 John 3.17 Nay if Christ declares that such as will not give Meat to the Hungry and Drink to the Thirsty Mat. 25. v. 41. shall depart from him and are not worthy of his presence but sit only for the Devil and his Angels it is hard to think how he will accept of the unmerciful and cruel Person as a fit Guest at the Heavenly Feast at this Ordinance of Forgiveness and Charity In short a very wicked Servant is he and no Friend of Christ's who tho' he comes to entreat for the forgiveness of ten thousand Talents doth at the same time keep a resolution of exacting the pence of his Brother surely if the Love and Pity that is due to his Brother will not move him the Consideration of what a Motive it is to his own Forgiveness from God that he forgives others should even make him more kind for his own as well as others sake which if he is not we must needs own he is an unwelcome Guest when he is of so contrary Behaviour to the Doctrine and Example of Christ which to be of as it is offensive to him at all times so much more in the midst of the Memorials of his Love and Good will as well as Gods Forgiveness to us through the Merits of his Son Thus necessary is Forgiveness to make us worthy Communicants as well as it is the Condition of God to us But now least Persons should mistake the Nature of Forgiveness tho' few or none there are but what will own the Duty of it before I leave this Qualification I shall endeavour to shew you what is meant by Forgiveness and what is requir'd of us thereby As 1. By Forgiveness is not meant a bare Declaration thereof or a praying to God to forgive those that have wronged us but an actual forgiving a doing what we say and a Heartiness in our desires Yea it contains the laying aside the thoughts of doing another Mischief as well as the forbearance of a revengeful Act for he that thinks and wishes ill to another shews that he hath Malice in his Heart tho he forbears to execute it Yea he that dares not do another a mischief but yet desires God to be his Revenger according to his Imaginations doth in that shew it is fear or something else that restrains his hand but his Heart is revengefull and it shews that he would revenge if he might and so cannot be said to forgive But 2. By Forgiveness is not only meant a forbearance of revenging an Injury but a Forgetfulness of the Injury too so far as to cease from revengefull thoughts or Expressions For he that remembers a wrong done him so as to heighten his Passion under a new Provocation he doth not heartily forgive in that he keeps the seed of the past Anger and Passion still lurking within him It 's true where a man hath done me wrong I may remember it so sar as to take care to avoyd the like or any other from him for the future yet tho' by way of Caution and Prevention a man may remember a past offence the better to arm and defend himself he is not so to remember it as to make it an addition to his resolutions of Revenge upon a second Offence for indeed so to do is not to put out the Fire but only to cover it in Ashes But 3. By Forgiveness is not only meant an act or state of Inoffensiveness towards others a forbearance of revenging an Injury and a forgetfulness of it so far as to cease from revengeful thoughts or Expressions but also a readiness to shew actions of Civility and Kindness so far as they are due from us even to those that trespass against us It 's true indeed I am not obliged to exercise those particular acts of Friendship with him from whom I have received Injuries and am still like to receive more from the ill will and designs he hath against me nor doth the Duty of Forgiveness exclude our Endeavours after satisfaction in a just and legal way Yet so far doth Forgiveness require our Love and Kindness to Offenders against us that they are not to be excluded our Prayers or our Acts of Kindness to them as they are men tho' we can't own them as Friends Even to our worst Enemies we must do that Good that we would do to all men as men that is we must not only forbear to deal unjustly or cruelly with them but shew them all the Kindness that God by the Gospel and common Rules of Society and Civility hath made it our Duty to shew and especially where there is no reason to the contrary but we may do the same things for them as well as others tho they have offended us we must not see them starve nor perish for want of our Relief for so the Apostle tells us If even thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink yea where we may we are to overcome his evil with our good Rom. 12.20 21. And thus I have shewn in several of the Qualifications of a worthy Receiver or Communicant viz. 1. Knowledge of the Nature and End of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 2. A real and hearty desire to this Ordinance and the Benefits of it 3. Repentance or sincere Resolution of amendment 4. Charity and Forgiveness That if men come without them they are unprepared for the Sacrament and 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
to come to the Lord's Table in whom he perceiveth Malice or Hatred to reign untill he know them to be reconciled and that he is also to advertise That none presume to come to the Lord's Table that are open ill Livers whilst they are so Yet if after all either the Minister or the Church cannot for many Reasons keep up its Discipline or what is worse to be suppos'd do neglect it yet this is not a making Worthy Communicants to receive unworthily the Sacrament still is a means of Grace to the Worthy partaker so that as a famous Nonconformist declares That tho' Wicked and Prophane Persons pollute this Ordinance to themselves yet not to others but he that believeth eateth of the Bread of Life John 6.33 which shall be made good to the Believer tho' there were but one in the World See Hussey's Plea for Christian Magistracy p. 2. And this he tells us Beza himself is inforced to confess in his Tract against Erastus Bonis manere bona Sacramenta etiamsi qui mali ad eadem accedunt absit ut inficiemur The Sacraments remain effectual to the Good tho' Evil Men come to them far be it from us to deny it so that the Sacrament saith he remaineth holy to the Believers and they are pure notwithstanding the unpreparedness of the Wicked And if it be not in the Power of the Ministers of the Sacraments to hinder the good Effect of Christ's Ordinance or to diminish the Grace of God's Gifts from such as by Faith and rightly do receive them which are effectual because of Christ's Institution and Promise although they be ministred by evil Men as our Church declares in her 26th Article Much less is it in the Power of Fellow Communicants who are no more concern'd with our receiving it than as they joyn with us in the outward performance of a common Duty And that we may be the more satisfi'd in this thing let us but take the Instance of Judas and we shall find it very hard to conclude that the other eleven Apostles were unworthy Receivers or that Christ ought not to have eaten the Passeover with or given the Sacrament to them because Judas was with them For however some Persons would seem to deny it yet as it is plain that he was at the Passeover so at the receiving of the Lord's Supper which will appear so if we consider what the Evangelists say hereof Thus in the 22d Luke we shall find it not only declar'd that when the Passeover was ready and the hour for it was come he sat down and the twelve Apostles with him V. 14. but in the 19 20 21 Verses we are told That he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it amongst them and gave unto them saying This is my Body which is given for you Do this in remembrance of me And likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you And then follows But behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table Now if Judas was the Person that betray'd Christ which is not deny'd it follows that it was his hand that was with him on the Table and if so that then he was with Christ So likewise if we look into the 26th of St. Matthew's Gospel we find that when Even was come he sat down with the twelve And as they did eat he saith Verily one of you shall betray me v. 20 21. And when Judas ask'd whether it was he that should do so he not only gives a sign who it should be but answers Judas it was he Thou sayst it V. 23.25 and in the 26th Verse follows the Institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper And as they were eating Jesus took Bread c. and in the 27th Verse He took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood c. V. 28th The like I might shew from the Account given thereof by St. Mark Ch. 14. from V. 17. to V. 25. That where Christ speaks of the Passeover or Lord's Supper to his Disciples it is not separately to the other eleven but to the twelve Thus we see that a Judas being amongst Communicants did not hinder Christ from instituting nor his Disciples from receiving the Lord's Supper much less make them unworthy Communicants And tho' some perhaps may here assert That Judas's Unworthiness was unknown and that the Disciples did not know that he was the Person that should betray Christ as appears by their question to Christ Is it I Is it I Yet I Answer That supposing it was unknown to the Disciples till Christ told them yet they must allow that Christ knew very well before-hand who it was that was to betray him and that Judas was the Person and yet notwithstanding he was known to be so by Christ yet this did not hinder Christ from Instituting it nor did it hinder the other Apostles from being Worthy Communicants tho' it is very probable that before thev receiv'd the Sacrament they knew or were satisfied that Judas was the Person that was to betray Christ Mar. 26. v. 23. that sign which Christ gave them that he who dipt his hand with him in the Dish the same should betray him Now the dipping of the hand in the Dish was at the Eating of the Passeover which was celebrated before the Lord's Supper or the Institution of the Sacrament and therefore they might have avoided him thereat but we don't find that they had any such demurrs but they might as well receive it with Judas as Christ give it to him and yet be Worthy Communicants Nay let us come to the 11th Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians wherein we have the account of the danger of unworthy Receiving and we shall not yet find that others unworthiness made the Good to become unworthy tho' some of them were so unworthy as to be drunk at the Receiving of the Lords Supper and so did eat and drink unworthily yet we don't read that St Paul declares that others that were not so as they were therefore unworthy but rather declares Let a Man examine himself and so let him â—at yea for the future they were not to separate upon past faults but to amend when they came together It s true indeed from St. Paul's words it is lawful to censure Offenders and separate them from our Communion till they reform 1 Cor. 5 ch from V. 7. to the end yea with a Brother that is a Fornicator or such like with such an one we are not to eat By which words as we are not to hold intimacy or Familiarity with scandalous Offenders further than is necessary and convenient we are â—ot to countenance them by our Friendship in their â—vil Ways so even the Church is to take Care to inhibit them a Spiritual Communion with us till they repent or make Declarations thereof and thereby
Worship we are therefore Adorers of the Host it will follow that they too are guilty of the like Crime for to Worship inwardly is Worshipping as well as using an outward Gesture of Worship But as we do not Charge our Dissenting Brethren with this fault so neither are we to be charg'd therewith it being not the Elements that are the Object of our inward or outward Worship but that which is signify'd thereby and it being our Duty in this Ordinance to be inwardly devout humble and thankful they are not therefore to find fault with Kneeling which is but an outward Declaration of our inward Respect It 's true indeed that the Sacraments are Ordinances of Remembrance the very End of their Institution is to do them in remembrance of Christ 1 Cor. 11.25 but because they are so we are not therefore forbid to kneel at them more than at Prayer which brings God into our remembrance And tho' I deny not that we Worship before the Elements yet this is no more Argument that we Worship them than that the Children of Israel could be said to Worship the Ark or the Temple when they fell down in or before it And we may as well say that the Jews when they cry'd Hosanna to Christ riding upon an Ass worship'd the Ass as say that every Circumstance in Worship is the Object of it Nor is the Gesture of Kneeling the less unsuitable to this Ordinance nor do we the more encourage the Adoration of the Host tho' we use kneeling allowing that the same Gesture is us'd by the Papists in their Adoration of the Host for if so we may as well be said to countenance them in their Worshipping of Saints because we kneel at our Prayers to God as well as they do at their Prayers to Saints What tho' the Papists kneel must not we therefore What tho' they say the Lord's Prayer may not we It is not because the Papists do such and such things that is a good Reason for our not doing them because they do ill therein Many People we see abuse themselves by Intemperate Eating or Drinking but will it follow therefore that we may not eat or drink And so the Papists we deny not are guilty of Idolatry and Superstition in the matter of the Sacrament as well as other things must we therefore By this Reason the Jews should not have sacrific'd or burnt Incense because the Heathens used the same Rites Nay by this Argument that the Papists kneeling at the Sacrament and doing ill thereby should make our kneeling at it to be sinful we should be in a continual danger of losing that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free the same being an Argument against sitting or standing as well as kneeling at the Sacrament shou'd they either stand or sit at it And indeed however we are accus'd of favouring Popery as upon other accounts so for kneeling at the Sacrament yet we don't find kneeling at the receiving of the Sacrament so much a tenet of the Church of Rome as that none other is allow'd amongst them for if you believe their Missal set out by Pope Pius the 5th we are told that the Priest tho' at the Elevation of the Host he is to kneel yet at the Receiving of it is to stand and accordingly it was so practis'd by the Popish Priests not long since in this Kingdom Nay as Learned Men have shewn The Pope himself not only us'd to sit at the receiving of the Sacrament as in Bonaventure's time but even now ordinarily he receives it leaning and extraordinarily or when he celebrates Mass himself standing See Stillingfleet's Vnreason Separation p. 15. Case of Kneeling pt 2. pag. 38 39. By which we see that notwithstanding the Clamours of some Persons the posture of Kneeling at the Sacrament is not so unsuitable to the Ordinance of the Sacrament it being a posture that may be us'd without any Countenancing of the Adoration of the Host or the Doctrine of Transubstantiation the Abettors of which positions are such as allow of other postures besides kneeling which are not therefore disallow'd by Dissenters because used by Papists nor are they used by us as a countenancing of them And now if kneeling amongst us be not used any ways to countenance the aforesaid Errors of the Papists but is declar'd by the Church not to be so design'd or used it can't make us guilty of unworthy Receiving And thus have I given an Answer to the chief Objections against Kneeling at the Sacrament which Answer tho' supported with a borrow'd strength from the Writings of several upon this Subject as well as from its own force yet is not therefore the less convincing but may be of good use to prove that by our kneeling at the Lord's Supper if we have no other failures we do not eat and drink unworthily nor are we unworthy Communicants And thus have I at large shewn Upon what Account and by what Ways Men receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper unworthily or are unworthy Communicants and upon what they do not I come now in the next place to shew in what sense the receiving of it unworthily is so dangerous as it is said to be in the Text which was the third thing that I propos'd to treat of from the words of the Text. Now the words of the Text are For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself Damnation a very terrible word but much more terrible thing as it is taken for Eternal Damnation and could not be taken in another sense But yet both in the Notion of it and the Application of it by St. Paul it admits of another acceptation The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to judge or discern signifies Judgment discerning or censuring and accordingly in the Margents of many Bibles it is put Judgment by which is not only meant Eternal but Temporal Judgment also and that it may be so taken will appear the more in that we find the word actively applyed unto Men. Thus in the 7th Mat. v. 2. it is said of Men With what judgment ye judge shall ye be judged The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now it is it plain that in this place it relates only to Temporal censuring or Judgment because it is not in the power of Men to inflict Eternal Judgment And as the word in the Original doth not carry with it universally such a dreadful signification as Eternal Damnation So neither is it taken by St. Paul in this sense for if we consider what follows these words of the Text we shall find it primarily or chiefly relating to Temporal Judgments for after he had shewn in this Chapter how the Corinthians had eaten unworthily the Lord's Supper v. 20 21. in the 27th and 29th Verses he shews them the danger of their actions and that they may not think the danger of their
Actions to consist only in words in the 30th Verse he proves it to them from their own Experience That for this Cause to wit their unworthy eating and drinking or receiving of the Lord's Supper many were weak and sickly amongst them and many were asleep He particularizes in the Judgments they had brought upon themselves thereby Now that these Judgments were not Eternal not only the Instances thereof but the words following do plainly declare That if they judg'd themselves they should not be judged if they would censure this fault in themselves they should not any more be so judged as they were in the 30th Verse But when by not judging of our selves we put God upon judging or in the Apostles words are judged why then it follows that we are chastned of the Lord v. 32. How not for ever but that we shou'd not be condemn'd with the World By which it appears that the Judgments of God are so far from signifying Eternal or everlasting damnation that he proposeth it as an end of these Judgments to avoid being judg'd or condemn'd with the World Nay so far is the word Damnation in the Text from being to be taken as signifying primarily Eternal that till Men are impenitent in their unworthy Receiving we find St. Paul to be so far from consigning the Corinthians tho' Unworthy Receivers to Eternal Damnation that he rather exhorts them and that as Brethren that when they met hereafter they should amend this Fault Wherefore my Brethren when ye come together to eat tarry one for another and if any man hunger let him eat at home that ye come not together unto Condemnation v. 33 34. It s true That if a Man by his unworthy receiving of the Lord's Supper hath brought Temporal Judgments upon himself and is not thereby wrought to Repentance or if he persists habitually in unworthy approaches to or behaviour at this Ordinance he doth not only bring himself in danger of greater Temporal Judgments but Eternal also And so indeed not only any Person that receives the Lords Supper unworthily but he that prays reads or hears unworthily doth so too In short the Damnation that a Man incurrs in this Case is but as that which he brings upon himself by other Sins for which every Man shall be damn'd unless he Repent or sincerely desires and endeavours so to do but if he doth Repent of this as well as other Sins he is not in a state of Damnation tho' he hath formerly receiv'd unworthily And tho Damnation may be the portion of an unworthy Receiver not repenting yet it may be also the portion of him that lives in a Total and Wilful Neglect of this Ordinance as well as of him that receives it unworthily which brings me to the next Head I propos'd to treat of from the words of the Text which was this 4th Head That tho' it be very dangerous to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper unworthily yet the Total and Wilful Neglect thereof is as dangerous And that the not partaking of other Ordinances worthily makes men lyable to Damnation as well as the not partaking of this Sacrament worthily And that because it is as necessary a Duty to come to the Sacrament as it is not to come unworthily to it to which tho' we can't come as we should we are yet to come as we can as I shall shew in the close of this Discourse For however there may be greater Excuse and Allowance to a Man that stays away for fear than there is to a Man that comes unworthily to the Sacrament at the first Apprehension yet if the Man that stays away out of fear doth not use his best Endeavours to remove that fear and fit himself for it he is as inexcuseable as the other For a Man to say I will not receive the Sacrament lest I should receive it unworthily and yet not to strive after preparation or fitness in a Gospel sense nor to inform himself when he is fit is but little better than for a Man to say he will not be a Christian because if he should live ill it would be worse with him than if he had not been a Christian He that knoweth his Masters Will and will not do it shall indeed be beaten with many stripes but he that will not know it when he may because he would not fall into greater Condemnation doth not therefore make his Case the better but the worse in that he Evacuates to himself one means of avoiding Condemnation viz. the Knowledge of that will which directs him to avoid it The like is it with a Man that wilfully forbears the Sacrament that so as he thinks he may escape the danger of unworthy Receiving which tho' he avoids the danger of yet he doth not avoid the danger of an Unworthy and wilful Neglect which however men don 't so much consider of as they ought is none of the least as I shall shew presently For let a Man be never so Cautious lest he receive unworthily if he makes not his fears an Argument for greater Care in his Preparations and Endeavours to fit himself his Fear tho' it is not joyn'd with something of Contempt yet at best carries with it a great deal of Superstition or undue Fear of God and shews there is many times too much Carelesness of Spirit in Matters of so great Consequence as the receiving of the Sacrament is So that whatsoever allowable Excuses there may be for our Absence from it at some particular times yet there are none for his Carelesness who lives in a total and wilful Neglect thereof where it may not only be had but Instructions also as to the Rules and Necessity of Receiving it And that because as it is our Duty and Interest not to receive it unworthily so is there a plain Command for the Receiving it which nothing can excuse the total and wilful breach of But that we may not think this Assertion purely begg'd viz. That the total and wilful Neglect of Receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is as dangerous as the Receiving of it Unworthily I proceed to prove it in these following Instances 1. In regard of the unworthy dealing with Christ 2. With the Sacrament it self First If we consider the unworthy dealing with Christ by a total and wilful Neglect of the Sacrament And well indeed may we call it so when by so doing we live in a total and wilful Neglect of his dying Command Now that Christ hath Commanded us to receive the Sacrament I think is so clear that to question it would be to question the Institution of our Saviour of which we have so full an account in several of the Evangelists and which is confirm'd to us by St. Paul in 11 Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians And now when we have so plain a Command do not we deal very unworthily by him when tho' we call him Lord Lord yet we do not the things he saith
us of the Wicked that their Sacrificâ— is an abomination to him Prov. 15.8 That his Faâ— is set against them that do evil that he will not heaâ— their Prayers Isa 1.13 15. yea all their action of Devotion and Worship are loathsome in hâ—â— sight Isa 66. ch v. 3. And if so you may imagine they are not in such Cases worthily perform'd when they are so hateful to God and now if that the living in Sin marrs the Duty as well as hinders the blessing of other Ordinances will it nâ— also render us unworthy Communicants Surely if living in Sin makes us unworthy in Prayer it will much more do so in the Sacrament so that Repentance is a necessary Qualification for the Receiving of the Lord's Supper As to Repentance what it is and how much it contains a change of Heart and practice or at least a sincere endeavour to evidence our inward Change by our outward Acts so much as we have Opportunity and Ability I think I need not stand now to shew it being so oft treated of by others and hath been so largely handled in my Parish for the good of which â—his Discourse is primarily intended but shall proceed to shew how the want thereof in any â—an makes him an unworthy Communicant for so long as he retains his Sins he retains that which is an Enemy to Christ and caus'd him to suffer â—ea that which dishonours not only him but his Ordinance too which is an Ordinance of Purity â—nd therefore to be receiv'd with Purity and consequently if he doth not drive Christ away from his Ordinance yet by his Sins he puts a stop to any Fellowship that he may expect with Christ â—hereby there being no Communion with Light â—nd Darkness nor hath Christ and Belial any Conâ—ord 2 Cor. 6.14 15. for to bring our Sins unâ—orrow'd for before him what is it else than to â—ring his Enemies before him and own our Friendâ—hip with them and consequently to affront him And now we must needs think that since they â—ere the Sins of Men which made him suffer so â—uch he can't well bear the sight of them in his â—resence and especially as allovv'd by them â—ho for his sake as well as their own have such â—ogent reasons eternally to hate and forfake them 〈◊〉 short since the very end of this Ordinance is to â—ommemorate Christ's dying for our Sins and to convey the benefit of his Blood which was shed for the remission of them it can't but be an unwoâ—â— thy return to bring our Sins before him unrepented of But why do I stand to prove that Repentance is a Qualification of a Worthy Communicant since even Wicked Men themselves own that it is soâ— and therefore make some pretences to it before they approach to the Lord's Table yea the sense oâ— their coming thereto shall put them into somâ— good Moods and faint resolutions of Amendment 〈◊〉 nay it may be cause them to set a day or two aâ— part beforehand to bethink themselves to reaâ— some good Books or with Ahab to go softly and look mournfully Yet after all here lyes the tryal of our Prepaâ— ration and Worthiness in this Point whether ouâ— Resolutions be sincere entire or constant and wâ— are become new Men in Heart and practice too aâ— far as we have made tryal of our Change wheâ— ther our Sorrow for Sin is like to last longer thaâ— the Communion day and we are like to be gooâ— after as well as before the Sacrament for if wâ— make never so good Resolutions and spend a day or two before the Sacrament never so well in Religious Exercises and yet when we have Communicated return to our old ways if we find that thâ— bent and inclination of our Soul is not alter'd and our zeal against Sin is only Temporary and formal we do not eat and drink worthily but unworthily and for all our outward Communicating Christ may say of us as he did of Judas Behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me oâ— the Table Luk. 22.21 Fourthly Another Qualification of a Worthâ— Communicant without which if Men come to thâ— Sacrament they are unprepar'd and so eat and drink unworthily is Charity Now by Charity I mean not only a Love to God but Love and forgiveness to Men. And First As Charity signifies a Love to God â—e that comes to the Sacrament without it cannot receive it worthily for how can a Man have such a due sense of Christ's Love in this Ordinance â—s he ought and yet remain without Love to him Nay if he is sensible of Christ's Love and will â—ot Love him again the more unworthy he that â—ill not do so much as the Publicans who love hose that love them Mat. 6.46 Yea very ungrateful and so unworthy is he that is going to receive the Pledges of Christ's Love and that of â—is dying and greatest Love for greater Love â—ath no Man than to lay down his Life for his friends except it be a laying of it down for his â—emies for this is Love beyond comparison and â—et such Love did Christ shew when he laid down â—s Life for Sinners For a good man peradventure â—me would even dare to dye but God comâ—â—ded his love to us in that whilst we were 〈◊〉 Sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 4. v. 7 8. And now â—hen God hath so loved us we cannot â—y we are worthy to partake of his Love if we â—ll not love him that hath endured so much for â—r sakes In short the very Sacrament it self is an Orâ—nance of Love it is a displaying of Christs inâ—mparable Love in dying for Sinners under Saâ—amental Representations If therefore we will â—â—t let our Love bear a part in the Solemnities thereof we are unworthy of it Love being not â—â—ly a preparative Duty but an Ornamental as â—ell as Active Grace therein But Secondly As Love to God is such a Qualificatiâ—â— without which if Men come to the Sacrament they come unprepar'd and so eat and drink unworthily so also is Charity and Forgiveness to Men Now by Charity to Men I mean not only a forbearance of Revenge but a doing of good to those that stand in need of it And truly unless a Man can come in Charity he comes but to his hurt not that the want of Charity is an excuse for our Absence from this Ordinance but a doubling of our guilt in that we stay away upon so sinful account but yet when we come without Charity we come unsuitably to it because this is an Ordinance of Charity It is by this Ordinance that we are made Friends with God and it is by this that we should be Friends one with another that as we are Members of the same Body so we become Members one of another and consequently should not hurt or devour one another What when we feast on the Memorials of the greatest Love when we are not only invited to be reconciled to God but have such
his Life for Sinners yea for such Sinners as our selves and that in our stead to expiate for our Transgressions and deliver us from the Wrath of God and the sad Consequ ents of it and now are we Worthy Remembrancers of his Love when we are not thankful Suppose we see a Man ready to starve yea a Man ready to be overwhelm'd with the Waves of the Sea and in each of these Cases receiving relief and Succour wou'd not he do ye think be thankful yea unworthy would he be if he would not be thankful for such Blessings And now when we are call'd to Feast at this Heavenly Banquet upon this Bread from Heaven and Food of Saints yea upon the Representatives and Seals of God's Eternal Love in Christ towards Sinners that deserve yea that are ready to perish shall not we be thankful Nay do but consider who it was that hath done all this What it was he suffered and how much and see whether we can Commemorate this his Love and not be thankful And truly if we can without being so it is a sign of a hard as well as ungrateful Heart and is very unsuitable to the Nature and Design of this Ordinance which is so much an Ordinance of Thanksgiving and Praise that from thence it takes one of its Names and is call'd the Eucharist or Thanksgiving And thus have I at large shewn upon what Account and by what ways Men receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unworthily viz. when they come unprepar'd to or behave themselves disorderly or unsuitably at it And tho' indeed we can neither perform the preparatory Duties to nor the actual Duties in this Ordinance as we could wish yet we are to labour after the attainment and performance thereof as well as we can and be sorry for our failures therein and if we do so upon the benefit of the Sacraments we need not distrust God's acceptance of us as worthy thro' the Righteousness of Christ But on the other hand if we do not come to the Sacrament in this sense if we have no Knowledge of what we do and why we come to the Sacrament if we have no hungrings and thirstings after Christ nor desires to this Ordinance if we come without Repentance or sincere Resolutions of Amendment and are without Love to God or without Charity and readiness to forgive Men when we at the same time do stand in need of and beg God's forgiveness if we do not believe in Christ and are not thankful for what we Commemorate and receive we come unworthily and to no purpose It is the want of these preparatory and Ornamental Graces that makes us unworthy but as for Receiving the Sacrament with others that are unworthy or for receiving it Kneeling it makes us not unworthy Guests at the Lord's Table which brings me to the latter part of the second Head viz. Upon what Account and by what Ways Men do not receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unworthily Now amongst these I shall only in this Discourse insist upon two and that the more largely because they have been made by too many the hindrances to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper tho' in themselves no ways the Cause of an unworthy Receiving And they are these 1. The Receiving of it with unworthy Persons in a mixt Communion 2. The Receiving of it in a Kneeling posture As to the first The Receiving of the Sacrament with unworthy Persons in a mixt Communion it is indeed much urg'd by some as a hindrance to a worthy receiving but upon what reason I see not If indeed my receiving of the Sacrament worthily depended upon others behaviour or unworthiness then it concern'd me to take Care that I did not communicate with any that were unworthy but now the terms of a worthy receiving are not so uncertain but rather such as a private Communicant is to look after as to himself but let a Man examine himself and so let him eat 1 Cor. 11.28 As for others Examination of themselves or their worthiness they are to look to it upon their peril And tho' a private Christian as well as the Church ought to admonish profane and careless Persons how they come yet if notwithstanding his Admonition nay what is further the Churches they will venture to come it doth not make him that is a worthy Communicant otherwise hereby to become an unworthy Communicant For indeed should this be so not only the Apostles would have been unworthy Partakers of the Passeover and Sacrament because a Judas was with them but it may be most good Christians besides that receive it in a publick Congregation it being hard to say of the Members of any Congregation that they are all so good that there is no unworthy Member amongst them And now is this reasonable that good Mend worthy performance of this Duty should become Evil because they receive with the unworthy when yet that they were unworthy is not the Good Mens fault It is indeed my Duty to fit my self as well as I can and behave my self reverently at it but if another will come unprepar'd be it to himself thô I deny not but I ought to be griev'd at the danger he runs himself into and the scandal that he gives to others yet as to the benefit of the Ordinance his fault doth not make void God's Ordinance to me And accordingly tho' I can't say but we have many times unworthy Communicants amongst us yet many Good Men in receiving of the Sacrament amongst us find benefit thereby to their Souls tho' it may be at the same time they are sensible that some that receive with them have not given such Evidences of their Repentance as might be wish'd Nor indeed are they the more unworthy for receiving it with them because they do not thereby joyn with them in their Sins but in this part of God's Worship which being a publick Ordinance for the Church all the Communion of the Worthy with the unworthy is only a joyning together in the performance of a Common Duty to which good People are oblig'd to come and that worthily tho' others do not which if they do not it is their fault and not Good mens And sad indeed would it be That after all our Care and Endeavours to adorn our selves to this Marriage-Feast we should be forced to withdraw from it because there should come in one that had not on the Wedding Garment but surely if he comes without it it is his Fault which tho' it renders him without excuse it doth not therefore make it no Feast to others nor is it an excuse to any to stay away upon his account and thereby to neglect their Duty It 's true indeed that the Church should purge out the leven from amongst them 1 Cor. 5.13 and put away from it notorious Offenders and accordingly not only St. Paul but our Church in her Rubrick before the Communion advertiseth That the Curate shall not suffer Persons
to prevent their being offensive to others at this Holy Ordinance Yet if after the Churches Admonitions or what is more it's Neglects wicked Men do venture upon this Ordinance and come to this Feast not having on the Wedding Garment this doth not make Good Men the more unworthy it being unreasonable to think that Judas his being with the other Diseiples made them also unworthy or that because an ill Man rushes upon this Ordinance therefore a Good Man should go or stay away because of him or else he must receive amiss or that anothers Sin should make me omit my Duty or turn it into Sin And as the Receiving of the Sacrament with Unworthy Persons in a mixt Communion doth not make Men receive unworthily where the Receiving with them is not a complying with them in their sins but a doing of our own Duty and that upon the Command of Christ so neither in the next place doth the receiving of the Sacrament in a Kneeling posture Great indeed have been the Clamours of some People against this Posture yea so unworthy hath it made Men according to their Exclamations that it renders them guilty of Idolatry and makes them little less obnoxious to reproof than the Papists are for the Adoration of the Host But yet after all the strength of their Argumenss consists most in popular Noise And as our Church hath sufficiently clear'd her self from the Charge of Idolatry and the countenancing of Transubstantiation so have its Members as sufficiently prov'd the Innocence of this posture of Kneelling And tho' indeed there needs little to be added to what they have written already it being so clear and full particularly in the Treatise call'd The Case of Kneeling at the Sacrament 1st and 2d Part Yet it still continuing an Objection in the mouths of some against holding Communion with our Church I beg leave to consider their Reasons why the Kneelling at the Sacrament makes Men to receive it unworthily amongst which I look upon these to be the chief 1. That Kneeling is not the posture in which Christ gave and his Apostles receiv'd it 2. That Kneeling being a Posture of Worship and Adoration it too much countenanceth the Adoration of the Host and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation Now if these Objections will not hold good then it will not appear from them that Kneeling at the Sacrament makes Men to receive it unworthily To consider therefore their first Reason against Kneeling at the Sacrament viz. That Kneeling is not the Posture in which Christ and his Apostles receiv'd it To which I Answer 1. That this is more than can be proved 2. That if Kneeling was not the Posture in which Christ gave and his Apostles receiv'd it yet it doth not follow therefore that Kneeling is an unsuitable Posture or makes Men receive the Sacrament unworthily As to the first That this is more than can be prov'd that Kneeling was not the Posture in which they receiv'd it appears from hence That the Posture in which they receiv'd it is no where mentioned in Scripture A plain Command we have to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in Scripture but in what posture whether standing sitting or kneeling it is not determin'd by Christ and his Apostles and therefore as they are all postures in themselves lawful so they are severally used according to the different Constitutions of Churches some taking it in one posture and some in another the Gesture at it being but a matter of Circumstance and not expresly Commanded even in the Judgment of many Nonconformists As for what is urg'd That it is probable that Christ did give and his Apostles did take the Sacrament in the same Posture as they did the Passeover and that was as they sate it will not at all appear to be a proof For tho' it be said That as they were eating Jesus took Bread and blessed it c. Mat. 26.26 and that the Custom of the Jews was in Christ's time to eat in a lying or leaning posture which was with them a Table posture as sitting is with us and therefore in the 26th Mat. v. 20. where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it when the Evening was come he sat down with the twelve yet this is not because the word primarily signisies to sit so that the Apostles sate as we do but because that this being a Table posture with them we express the word by ours But Secondly Suppose that they did sit down sometimes at the Passeover as we do at our meals yet it doth not appear by any Text that they remained in the same Posture nay Learned Men tell us See Lightfoot's Hora Hebraei in 26th Mat. v. 20. Case of Kneeling 1 part p. 19.22 That it is amongst the Jewish Records that Persons did not always keep the same posture in eating the Passeover but when they came to some particular Cups and the Dish of bitter Herbs they forbore the inclining or leaning posture However whether the Jews did keep always the same Posture or not at the Passeover it doth not appear by Scripture that Christ and his Apostles kept in the same Posture at the Sacrament as at the Passeover on that they did keep the same posture all the time of the Celebration of the Passeover it might be so or it might not be so for any thing that we read to the contrary and therefore the Nonconformists do not so far assert the necessity of sitting from our Saviours behaviour but allow the taking of the Sacrament standing And so I proceed to the next thing which I propos'd to prove in answer to the first Reason which is this That if Kneeling was not the posture in which Christ gave and the Apostles receiv'd the Sacrament yet it doth not follow therefore that Kneeling is an unsuitable posture or makes Men to receive the Sacrament unworthily And that first Because all that Christ did is not binding to us but where it is declar'd as binding or is an illustration of some Rule and consequently all the Gestures and Circumstances in our Saviours actings are not a Rule for ours for if they were then in the Receiving of the Sacrament we must take it leaning or lying down as the posture of eating amongst the Jews then was we must receive it in an upper Room and with Men only and that only after Supper and the like But this is so absurd to maintain that our Dissenting Brethren do own that it is not Obligatory and that Gesture is not of the Freehold of this Ordinance See Mr. Vines on the Sacrament and Mr. Baxter in his Christian Directory part 2. Quest 3. Sect. 40. Chap. 24. p. 60. Nay Christ's own Example supposing that he gave and his Disciples receiv'd of him the Sacrament in the same posture as he did the Passeover makes strongly for Kneeling because in taking the Passeover according to the Custom of the Jews which was sitting say our Brethren but was leaning or lying along
say the words in the Original and the Custom of the Countrey And in complying with the Gesture of the Jews then in use he allow'd thereby the Authority of the Church in altering and determining of Gestures For it is plain that however the Gesture at the Passeover was sitting or leaning yet this was not the posture at first us'd and prescrib'd by Moses Exod. 2. ch The Gesture that was at first appointed was with their Loyns girt with their Shooes on their Feet in haste with a Staff in their hands which way of eating it being but a Temporary Law after they were in Canaan they kept it in the leaning posture thereby to shew that now they were free from the fears of Egypt and therefore did not eat it in haste but in a posture of Rest and Security And now if Christ comply'd with the alteration of the posture to what it was at first it shews that in matters of Gesture undetermin'd by God we ought to submit to the Customs and Usage of the Church wherein we live Nor doth it make Men the more unworthy Receivers of the Sacrament that they Kneel at the Receiving of it because as some say the Sacrament is a Feast and is call'd the Lord's Supper and therefore ought to be receiv'd in a Table Gesture which to be sure is not Kneeling for tho' it be a Feast as it is indeed for the Souls of Men it doth not therefore follow that all things are to be done at it in a Feast way for if so then we may talk and laugh or the like But surely upon Consideration Men will be more wise than to assert That because the Sacrament is call'd a Supper or Feast therefore the Circumstances of a Natural Feast or Supper are appropriate unto it And therefore some of our Brethren urge against this Argument themselves viz. That we must fit because sitting is a Table Gesture at a Supper or Feast and is a Token of our Freedom and Fellowship with Christ That upon the same Reason say they we may as well put on our Hats when we receive the Sacrament See Reformed Dissenter p. 6. Nor indeed is Kneeling an unsuitable posture at the Sacrament if we consider That when we receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we receive it with a Prayer nay in Receiving of it we by sensible Signs do the Duties and Parts of Prayer in receiving of it for the Remission of Sins we thereby confess our selves Sinners yea we implore the pardon of them upon the Merits of Christ's Sufferings As also in receiving of Christ we do hereby shew that we beg Grace and Assistance of God it being of his fulness that we receive Grace for Grace John 1.16 The like I might shew in other parts of Prayer as we use them viz. Intercession and Thanksgiving yea further than this that the receiving of the Sacrament contains a Virtual praying to and giving Thanks to God We that are Members of the Church of England receive it with a Prayer viz. The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life And then follows Take eat c. The like I might shew is done at the giving of the Cup. And now if this be so which is not to be deny'd it follows that Kneeling is not unsuitable to the Nature and Actions of this Ordinance it being a fit and proper posture of Praise and Thanksgiving And if any Man thinks otherwise let him but consider the practice of Heathens yea of Dissenters in their Domestick Devotions but if these will not bear weight with him let him consider the practice of Christ St. Paul St. Stephen and he 'll find plain Instances of Kneeling in Prayer yea do we but consider our Saviour in his Agonies which we Commemorate at the Sacrament and we shall find that even then he did not reckon it unbecoming him to kneel at his Devotion Luke 22.41 And now since that the principal parts of the Sacramental Actions on our part are Prayer Praise and the like and that either verbally or virtually and that Kneeling is agreeable to these great and Spiritual parts of it it is so far from being unsuitable that it is highly becoming this Ordinance not only as it is a posture agreeable with the Nature and Use of Prayer and Praise but as a posture of Worship to Christ and as our Church expresseth it A signification of an humble and grateful Acknowledgment of the Benefits of Christ therein given to all Worthy Receivers which brings me to the Consideration of the second Reason that some Men urge why the Kneeling at the Sacrament makes Men to receive it unworthily viz. That Kneeling being a posture of Worship and Adoration it too much countenanceth the Adoration of the Host and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation That we use Kneeling as a posture of Worship is what we allow but that thereby we countenance the Adoration of the Host or the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is a thing unreasonably laid to our Charge considering not only what our Church declares in her Rubrick after the Communion Service but with what solidity and strength of Argument they have Confuted the Abettors of such Doctrines as they are and in a time when others that have exclaim'd against our Church for bending towards Popery either durst not or would not write against it Nor indeed are we to be blam'd for worshipping at this Ordinance when by Faith we see Christ present with us yea in as much as we pray to and praise Christ and celebrate his Goodness we do therein Worship Prayer and Thanksgiving being actions of Worship and that by the Confessions of our Dissenting Brethren who allow that Christ may be Worship'd and Ador'd by Communicants in their Hearts And now since Internal Worship belongs to Christ in this Ordinance why may not we use an External sign of what we inwardly prosess to do Nay it upon the sense of what we do and receive at the Sacrament we may lift up our eyes and hands towards Heaven and smite our Breasts why may not we as well kneel at our Worship too It being a convenient Gesture such as was practis'd by Christ and is even now by many good Men in their Worship Surely Gesture is as lawful in one Circumstance as in another and I may as well bow my Knees to the Father of the Lord Jesus as bow my Head or lift up my Eyes a humble posture of Body being not unsuitable to an humble Mind Nor indeed doth kneeling at the Sacrament countenance the Adoration of the Host or the Doctrine of Transubstantiation because tho' we Worship at the Sacrament in this posture yet we do not Worship the Sacrament or make it the Object of our Worship as the Papists do any more than the Dissenters themselves when they pray to and praise God at the receiving of the Sacrament For if by expressing our inward Worship by this posture of outward
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
Love to him can't be happy in Christ nor by him or if he is not thankful to God for his Love in Christ he is unworthy of it whether he receives the Sacrament or not Nor is it an Argument that Men are the freer from Damnation because so long as they do not come to the Sacrament they do not make a Sacramental Vow or Covenant to Live well for tho' they never come to the Sacrament they are yet oblig'd to live as well as they can there is a Natural Obligation upon them to obey God in all his Commands from which they are not discharg'd because they do not receive the Sacrament For suppose Men never make any verbal or formal Covenant it is not to be suppos'd that God loseth the least right to the utmost of their service or that he will the sooner dispense with them because they will not accept of another tye to serve him It s true indeed that he who receives the Sacrament doth thereby lay a further tye upon himself and makes the bond double but yet this doth not make Holiness the less binding to one that doth not receive the Natural Right that God hath to it being an indissoluble bond to man to practise it Nay he that will not receive the Sacrament because he will not make an actual Engagement to Live better is more inexcuseable in some Respects than one that makes and breaks it for he makes one sin a reason for another and shews an unwillingness to be oblig'd to God's Service so far as he may But the other tho' he breaks his Tye yet by tying himself declares that he owns it as his Duty to be so ty'd and that he ought to live up to it So that to neglect the Receiving of the Sacrament and that wilfully too to avoid the danger of unworthy Receiving is but at best running into one danger to avoid another But Fourthly It will appear that a total and wilful Neglect of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is as dangerous as the receiving it unworthily because those things which make us unworthy Receivers are no Excuse for a total and wilful Absence from or Neglect of the Lord's Supper Now that which makes Men unworthy Receivers I told you is not only Sin but either want of Knowledge or of Desires to Christ the want also of Charity Repentance Faith Devotion Thankfulness and the like The want then of these things being so ill as to make Men unworthy Receivers the Question is Whether the want of these is a just excuse for a total and wilful Neglect of this Duty Now the want of these being so ill I answer That it can't be an Excuse for the Neglect of our Duty for one Sin cannot be an Excuse for another as will appear if we consider some of those particular Qualifications for this Duty the want of which makes men unworthy Receivers when they come to it As first if we consider the Knowledge of Christ and this Ordinance the want of which is rather matter of shame than an Excuse for staying away in that we are ignorant in the midst of such means and helps to Knowledge Nay should Christ ask a Man Why dost not thou come to the Sacrament And he answers Because I don't know thee nor it would this Excuse be taken No rather it would incense Christ the more that he should plead his own Neglects as an Excuse for Sin and pretend the want of that to defend him when 't is his own Sin and Fault that he wants it And so in the want of Desires after Christ and his Ordinances it will be no Excuse for not coming thereto that we had no desire to them or him but rather an aggravation of our Fault not to desire him and therefore to stay away from him The like I might shew under the want of Repentance that to neglect coming to the Sacrament because we don't repent is to make that which is an Instance of our sad Estate a Reason for neglecting a Means of Salvation yea it is to urge our Folly and the danger of our Condition as a reason for not coming to the Ordinance of Pardon which tho' we don't come to yet we ought to perform the other because it is that which we must necessarily perform if we would be saved whether we receive the Sacrament or not and therefore if we don't repent the more inexcuseable are we when tho' God Commands it and we have such need of it we yet neglect it The want therefore of that which is necessary in order to save us can't be a good Excuse for neglecting the means of Salvation so that if we come without Repentance to the Sacrament we come unworthily but the more unexcuseable are we when we do not repent seeing it is so necessary whether we come to the Sacrament or not Nay even under the want of Charity it is no Excuse for not communicating to say we are not in Charity for if we are not what can we say for our selves why we are not We are commanded to be in Charity and there is reason for it whether we receive the Sacrament or not nay if we are not yet the more reason have we to be so for the future and so come to this Ordinance of Charity to have the pardon of our past Uncharitableness seal'd unto us By these and the like Instances we see That the want of the Qualifications of a Worthy Communicant is no Excuse for our not receiving the Sacrament any further than one Sin is an Excuse for another or the breaking of one Command is an Apology for the violation of another The want indeed of doing our Duty in some Instances may render us unfit for it in others but it is no Excuse for doing ill in one thing that we have not done well in another nor is one Fault a just plea for another For if it should be so it would not only exempt Men from Receiving the Sacrament but many other Duties of publick Worship and we may as well excuse our selves for not Praying at all as not Receiving at all because when we are without the Qualifications of Faith Repentance c. we are as unfit to pray as to receive the Sacrament which brings me to the latter part of the fourth Head Viz. That the not partaking of other Ordinances worthily makes men lyable to Damnation as well as the not partaking of the Sacrament worthily Thus for instance To pray is an Ordinance of the Gospel as well as a Duty by Natural Religion and yet to pray unworthily doth not only provoke God not to hear our Prayers Psal 66.18 but is an abomination to him Prov. 15.8 and what is an Abomination to God I think I need not prove that it deserves his Condemnation Nay As to come without Repentance to the Lord's Supper so to pray without it is exceeding dangerous because such Men that pray as well as receive without it give God the Lye and
pray in Hypocrisie nay without it a Man is an unworthy performer of any Duty and is always lyable to Damnation Luke 13.3 The like I might shew in the matter of Faith That if a Man prays without Faith he no more prayeth aright than he receives aright without it James 1.6 Nay even in the matter of Charity it is as unworthy dealing with God and with the Duty of Prayer to ask the Forgiveness of our Sins upon the merits of Christ's sufferings whilst we do not forgive men their Trespasses as it is to desire it under the Commemoration of his Sufferings with the same Uncharitableness for by begging of Forgiveness by vertue of them in Prayer we do Commemorate it by words as in the Sacrament we do it by Signs and visible Representations And indeed both in the Sacrament and in Prayer to ask for Forgiveness whilst we are uncharitable is but to provoke God and in both we play the Hypocrite with God whilst we plead Christs Sufferings for the removal of the punishment before we have left the Sin And as in the Instance of Prayer so under the Ordinance of Hearing I might shew you that the unworthy performance thereof renders men liable to Damnation for thus we are told that unless the Word of God be regarded and have a worthy or due respect it is but a savour of Death 2 Cor. 2.16 it will rise up in Judgment against us and by it we shall be Condemned John 12.48 And yet notwithstanding the great Danger of Praying or Hearing unworthily the very Persons that pretend the fears of Unworthiness in Receiving of the Sacrament for the Neglect thereof can by their Actions shew that they may be fit enough for Reading Hearing and Praying and they reckon that through the Mercy of God and the Merits of Christ they may have reason to hope for a favourable acceptance of their Devotion Well now we may venture upon Prayer to God and therein to implore the pardon of our Sins upon the Merits of Christ's sufferings Nay should we blame any Person for a total Neglect of Prayer See Case of Doubting Conscience p. 38. notwithstanding there is danger in Praying unworthily And may not we venture too upon the Sacrament Are not we as worthy to receive the Sacramental Blessings as we are to receive the Pardon of Sin or other Blessings desir'd in Prayer Surely if thrô Mercy we are fit to pray to God as Christians are to be fit we are fit to receive his Sacrament If indeed we do not know what is signify'd when we Commemorate Christ's Dying Love in the Sacrament if we have no Desires after Christ if we have not Charity and are without Faith and are not thankful for God's Love to us in Christ we are not fit to receive nor to pray as Christians do for as we state the Notion and Duty of Prayer to Christians it is as requisite that we know what we desire or have apprehensions thereof that we pray in Faith and in Charity that we have desires after Christ when we beg an Interest in him and Forgiveness thrô him or the like as when we beg the pardon of our Sins at the Sacrament yea when in Prayer we pray to God for pardon for Christ's sake we are suppos'd then to Commemorate his Merits in words as in the Sacrament we do by signs tho' a Commemoration in words is not enough always because he whose Merits we Commemorate hath oblig'd us so to do by signs as well as in words So that if we are sincere in our words or Prayers and we hope that we can put up Prayers in such a way as God will pardon the defects thereof and accept of them through the Vertue of Christ's Merits and Intercession I can't see but those that are worthy in God's Acceptance to pray as Christians ought to pray viz. in the Name and through the Mediation of Jesus Christ are also worthy in the same sense to perform other Religious Duties and that God is willing to accept of their sincere Endeavours to Worship him in the Sacrament as well as in Prayer and especially when he hath Commanded us to receive his Sacraments as well as to pray to him upon the Merits of his Sufferings when we are of Age and Understanding so to do In short He that is a good Christian is fit to be a Communicant and he that is not so is as unfit to pray as to Communicate If we live in Sin we can neither worthily pray nor receive but whatever Ordinance we meddle with our sins debarr us the benefit thereof as well as provoke God therein and we can no more be accepted of without Charity in Prayer than in the Sacrament But on the other hand if we are sincere Christians and would serve God in all the parts of his Worship and Service as well as we can and are sorry for our failures we are not only of the number of them whose Prayers God will be pleas'd to hear but if we receive the Sacrament may experimentally feel thereby our Growth in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Whereas on the other hand to all the forementioned Dangers of a total and wilful Neglect of the Lords Supper there is also this that by a total and wilful neglect thereof we may bring our selves to a disuse of other Ordinances also and not only bring upon our selves a Carelesness of Spirit in matters of especially instituted Religion but fall into a careless and loose way of Living too It s true indeed that neither the Neglect of Praying of Hearing and Reading God's Word nor an ill Life necessarily follow the total Neglect of the Lords Supper yet should I say that the Looseness of the present Age and the visible Decay of Piety amongst us is in some measure owing to the great Neglect and little sense that too many have of the necessity and Excellency of this Ornance I believe I should hardly be disproved For tho' it will not be allow'd that the oftner Men receive the Lord's Supper the more Holy they are and the less they sin yet since in the receiving of this Ordinance we Commemorate the Sufferings of Christ for Sin and so thereby are made sensible what an Evil and hateful thing it is in God's sight when even nothing could expiate for it but the Blood of Christ the Son of God as also are suppos'd to renew our Covenant with God that we will live better for the future we can't but own that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a great Argument if not means against Sinning And this not only those who upon the sense of their approach hereto make some formal and temporary shews of Repentance and Promises to do better do thereby declare that it is an Argument to leave off Sin but even those Persons that Wilfully neglect to receive it because they are loth to leave their Sins which they think they are oblig'd to do if they should
receive this Sacrament I say upon this their Reason of Forbearance do they even own that the receiving of it is an Argument and Obligation against Sinning If therefore the Receiving of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be so great an Argument and Obligation against Sin it follows that the more wilfully we choose to live in the neglect of one the lesser help we have against the other and so may the more easily be brought thereto I do not deny after all that Persons who live in a frequent partaking of the Communion may yet live as loosely as many that live in the Neglect of this Ordinance but then this is as true that those who receive this Sacrament have one Argument and Means more against Sinning which the other have not yea the thing being equally consider'd not to mention those Temporary Acts of Devotion as well as Forbearance from Sin which many if not most Men are apt to have before and upon a Communion day as also the real Change which God is pleas'd to work many times upon some men by their attendance upon this Ordinance I say the thing being equally considered those that come to the Communion out of a sense of Christ's Command and their Duty so to do are in a more probable way of leaving their Sins than those are who live in a total and wilful Neglect of it especially if the Love to Sin be the Foundation of their Neglect and the Reason is this because the one sort hath one means and help more against Sin if we will allow that God's Ordinances are so than the other And accordingly I do not find but that many Persons who frequent this Ordinance live as unblameably as those that abstain from it and if they do not they are the more inexcusable in their Sins and that because the more frequently they come to it the further Tye and Obligation do they lay upon themselves to abstain from Sin And now perhaps may some desire to be inform'd what they shall do in this Case We are sure say they if we come to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper that we are unworthy and if we come not or especially live in a total Neglect thereof and don 't endeavour to fit our selves we are as unworthy and in as dangerous a Condition To whom I Answer that they are neither to live in a total and wilful Neglect thereof nor yet to come unworthily but to make themselves ready and then they may yea then they ought to come If any of us remain in Ignorance or in Sin and do not endeavour to know or live better the truth is we are not worthy Communicants if we come to nor are we safe if we stay from this Ordinance there is danger both ways it being no Excuse for not receiving that we live in Ignorance or Sin when we have Means and Calls to do better and therefore ought to accept and make use thereof And indeed to live in Ignorance or Sin under Means and Calls to do better is that which is unjustifyable in all People and such a state as for their Souls good they ought so far as they have opportunity and Ability to be free from it being the Duty of all that pretend to Christianity at least to know God and his Son Jesus Christ as also to be Regenerate which if they do or are they are not to reckon themselves unworthy for such Christ invites and receives and to those that he thus deals with we are not to deny his Sacraments nor reckon them unfit for them And such indeed are all good Christians viz. Persons invited by him and these are the Persons that I am now perswading to come to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and not to stay away by reason of their doubts and fears of their own Unworthiness and so unfitness for so Sacred an Ordinance For as to Wicked Mens Doubts of their Unfitness a great deal of reason there is for them whilst they remain so to such the Sacrament is no more than it was to Judas till God is pleas'd to work a Change upon them such must believe and repent and then they may come but not till then and if they do it is upon their own peril It is therefore to the Conscientious Person that in the close of this Discourse I am going to speak to To one that fears and waiteth upon God in his other other Ordinances but only is hindred by some unhappy Doubts unhappy I call them that hinder a Christian from so necessary so comfortable an Ordinance if such an one saith he is unworthy for it I answer it is more than he knows or more than Christ hath told him and till Christ denies a Man his Fellowship he ought not to debar himself of it But why art thou unworthy Oh sincere Soul of this Ordinance more than thou art of Prayer Thou doubt'st not to make Prayers and implore the pardon of thy Sins upon the merits of Christ's Sufferings why should'st thou doubt then thankfully to Commemorate these sufferings in the great Ordinance of their Remembrance Surely if thou art permitted to offer up thy Prayers upon the Merits of Christ's Sufferings thou may'st as well be permitted to offer them up upon the Memorial thereof if thou hast but the Knowledge of the Nature and End of the Sacrament if thou desirest Christ and the Ways of Communion with him if thou art in Charity with God and the World and endeavour'st to live well if thou believest and art thankful who forbids thee the Sacrament Doth the Gospel or Christ or doth his Church No Verily For pity sake therefore don 't make thy self more unworthy than thou art Don't Complement away the blessing of this Ordinance by pretneding thy unfitness so long as thou lead'st the Life of a Christian Do but try and come with the Qualifications afore-mention'd or with a sincere endeavour so to do and then tell me whether Christ will cast thee out Nay if thou hopest to be pardoned by Christ to be saved by the Benefits of his Passion thou need'st not to fear that which he hath appointed as the great means of conveyance of such Benefits to Believers nor need'st thou dread the Ordinance of Christ when thou stedfastly believest thy Interest in him for if thou art worthy in Christ's sight to partake of the Redemption purchas'd by him thou may'st depend upon it thou art not to be debarr'd the Seals thereof Ay but may some still urge That tho' they come with the Qualifications aforesaid tho' they sincerely seek to prepare themselves yet still they find themselves or at least judge themselves unworthy of this Ordinance because when they do come to it they find that as they have many times unwilling dulnesses and distractions of Spirit in this as well as other Duties so at best they are wanting in those transports and extraordinary Acts of Joy and Complacency both at and after the Sacrament which they many times discern
or believe to be in others To whom I Answer That the want thereof doth not make Men Unworthy Communicants it being not necessary that all Christians should be so enliven'd God neither having made a Promise nor commanded it as a Duty that all Communicants should be so endowed I do not deny but God may give sometimes to some Persons these Extraordinary Impulses and Consolation and I do believe that many there are who are able to speak great things of their Faith in and Communion with Christ yea such Complacency as well as Extraordinary Acts of Love and Adoration do they shew therein that one would imagine that their Souls were carry'd up to Heaven and that with St. Stephen they were not only viewing their Saviour by Faith in Figure and Sacrament but by personal sight yea by their Gestures and by their Words which most sweetly set forth Christ's Love to them and theirs to Christ we may be apt to believe that if they had not been in Heaven yet they minded nothing else and were going up to be for ever with the Lord. But however we may admire this in others we are not to judge those as unworthy that can't reach thereto for if we should so judge we should not only condemn a great part of the Generation of God's Children but shou'd cast a stumbling-block before them and render their Case worse than it is For as the saving Influences and Operations of God's Spirit may be where there wants these Extraordinary Impulses and Consolations so a Man may receive the Sacrament to very good purposes without them there being many good Men that by Means of the blessings of the Sacrament are strengthen'd more in the Spirit that are more consirm'd in their Faith in their Love to Christ and hearty desire of Thankfulness and Obedience that yet do not arrive to those passionate heats and flights as others do I think I need not tell you that with many if not most good Christians it is in Holy Duties as it was with the Disciples of Christ in the time of his Agony tho' their Spirits may be willing to serve and adore Christ in the highest manner yet their flesh is weak Mat. 26.40 41. and tho' they don't allow themselves therein yet they find them selves apt to start aside or tyre when their Hearts are lifted up to God and they can hardly watch and pray one hour but something or other either from themselves or the presence of some Worldly Object is apt to give some diversion or distraction to them in their most solemn Acts of Devotion and Worship And yet after all these very Persons may not only have an high esteem of Christ and a real Love to him and his Service but would be glâ—d that they could serve him better And now 〈◊〉 to be suppos'd that God will judge them unworthy who serve him in Sincerity of Heart and are sorry that they can't Worship him so much as they shou'd No surely Christ that bore with the Infirmities of his Disciples that knows our Frame and Constitution that remembers we are but Men will not be extream to mark what we unwillingly do amiss but as a Father pitiâ—th his Children so doth he pity them that fear him Psal 103.13 that set their Hearts to wait upon their Saviour in Ways of his own Appointment tho' they can't Worship him in that perfect and cheerful way as some do sincerity of Heart going a great way to God's Acceptance of our Endeavours as well as to the pardon of our unwilling and repented of Infirmities And indeed herein is matter of Comfort thâ—â— God accepts of men according to the sincerity oâ— their Hearts and Endeavours rather than by the Tyde or heat of Mens Affections which is higher in some than in others even upon Natural as 〈◊〉 as Religions Agitations nay is higher in 〈◊〉 same men at one time than at another And therefore tho' we can't approach to or come 〈◊〉 from the Sacrament with those passionate Trâ—â—â—ports of Love and Consolation as some Mâ—n 〈◊〉 or as we could wish yet if what we 〈…〉 sensible Joys we make up in Truth and 〈◊〉 let us not distrust but God will have 〈…〉 on us and deal with us according to 〈…〉 would and endeavour to be and not by what 〈◊〉 are viz. Persons of Infirmities 〈…〉 were Angels Go◠〈◊〉 expect 〈…〉 Angels from us but as he knows we are but Men so he requires no more than the service of Men who do they what they can have their Infirmities and Failures sometimes and whose Flesh hath its weaknesses be their Spirits never so willing And tho' indeed where God gives it to Men to be fill'd with such Extraordinary Consolation and Efforts of Devotion they are not to hinder or restrain the flowings thereof yet where God is not pleas'd to bestow them as Men ought not to murmur against God so not to condemn themselves as unworthy because they are without them These being Arbitrarious Gifts which God giveth as he seeth good and therefore it being not for us to choose our places and parts at this Heavenly Feast we may reckon it sufficient for us that he gives us his Cup to drink and that we are qualify'd and enabled to partake thereof with the sincerity of a Christian and other necessary Qualifications If therefore I say out of a sense of our Duty to God we come to the Sacrament and endeavour to prepare our selves for and behave our selves at it according to the best of our Capacities and Opportunities and are sorry for our failures we are not to stay away from it though we cannot thereby satisfie all the Desires of our Souls to be and do as others God making it our Duty to receive and that as well as we can but not to forbear it because we attain not to those sensible Joys and Exaltations of Spirit as God for Reasons known to himself may impart to others it being enough for us to make us Communicants and that with his Blessing too when he bestows upon us the Graces of his Spirit and enables us live as Christians But yet if after all I have said in this Matter the Good the Religious Soul is yet afraid of the Sacrament I must leave him to the Grace and Mercy of God which tho' I do not deny him in his Absence from the Lord's Supper yet I must tell him that his sear hinders him the enjoyment of a very comfortable Ordinance to Pious Souls Nay his fear if it is only a snare to keep him from coming to but doth not put him upon a serious and hearty endeavour of sitting him for this Duty as well as seeking for Advice how to remove such fear doth give too shrewd a sign of his decay in Grace However let his fears be as unwilling as can be suppos'd yet they hinder him of an Ordinance which is not only a great Means and Reason for living better when to all other Helps he hath that
of the Sacrament but also of that which is a publick Memorial of Christ's Love to Sinners and is the Communion of the very Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 as also a Means of encreasing our Union and sweet Intercourses with Christ And thus have I done with the several things that I propos'd to be treated of from the words of the Text and in the close thereof shewn that the saying we are unworthy of the Sacrament doth not make us unworthy nor are we to stay away as unworthy because we do not arrive to those Transports or Extraordinary Acts of Joy and Complacency both at and after the Sacrament which we discern or believe to be be in others if so be we are sincere and conscientiously endeavour to do what is requir'd of us Yea of the whole Discourse this is the summ That tho' it be very dangerous to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper unworthily upon those Accounts or by those Ways that Men may be said to receive it unworthily in that so to do makes us lyable to Damnation both Temporal and Eternal without Repentance yet a total and wilful Neglect thereof is a dealing with it as unworthily which Christians should fear so to Neglect as well as to receive unworthily And now what remains but that I conclude with a word or two to my Parishioners for whose sake chiefly I have publish'd this Discourse You have heard of the benefits of the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper by my Mouth and have been told thereof in God's Word and therefore cannot say it is in vain to come to it You have heard that Christ commands the receiving of it as a Duty and therefore can't say it is unnecessary You have heard what are the Qualifications even no other but what are necessary to make your Prayers accepted and prove your selves to be good Christians And now since you hope you are Christians and hope for Pardon and Salvation by Christ why should you be afraid of a Christian Duty Or to partake of that which is the means or Seal of Pardon Nay why should ye be unwilling as I fear too many amongst you are not so much because ye may not receive but because ye will not prepare your selves for it And now if after all the frequent Exhortations to prepare your selves and to come to this Ordinance you yet live in a total and wilful Neglect of so Sacred and so useful an Ordinance you can't say if evil befalls you for this Neglect that your persisting therein hath been occasion'd by my Negligence in warning you For as I call Heaven and Earth to witness so I appeal to your selves whether I have not admonish'd you of the illness and danger of a total and wilful Neglect as well as of an unworthy Receiving of the Lord's Supper But Oh Blessed Jesus thou that givest us such Spiritual Food give us at length right Appetites to it Thou that hast Instituted this Ordinance fit us also for it Create in our Hearts such Holy Desires to thee that we may be glad of such opportunities of Union and Communion with thee till from enjoying thee in thy Ordinances we are made Eternally worthy by thee to enjoy thy presence and the Blessings thereof in Heaven which that we may all be God of his Infinite Mercy grant to us all through the Merits of Christ Jesus To whom c. FINIS Books lately Printed for and Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chappel SYnodicon in Gallia Reformata Or the Acts Decisions Decrees and Canons of those Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France being a most Faithful and Impartial History of the Rise Growth Perfection Decay of the Reformation in that Kingdom with its fatal Catastrophe upon the Revocation of the Edict at Nants in the Year 1685. also the Confession of Faith and Discipline of those Churches their Speeches Sacred Politicks Cases of Conscience and Controversies in Divinity c. their Government Laws c. Collected out of the Original Manuscript-Acts of those Renowned Synods In two Vol. Fol. By John Quick A Body of Practical Divinity consisting of above 176 Sermons on the lesser Catechism Composed by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster with a Supplement of some Sermons on several Texts of Scripture By Thomas Watson formerly Minister of St. Stephen's Walbrook London Recommended by several Ministers to Masters of Families and others In Folio Theological Discourses and Sermons on several Occasions In two Parts By John Wallis D. D. Professor of Geometry in Oxford Quarto A Brief Tract on the Fourth Commandment wherein is shown the Cause of all our Controversies about the Sabbath-day and the means of reconciling them Recommended by the Reverend Dr. Bates and Mr. John Howe A Sermon Preached before the King and Queen at Whitehall Nov. 5. 1692. By Richard Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells Death Improved and Immoderate Sorrow for Deceased Friends and Relations Reproved By Edward Bury formerly Minister of Great Bolas in Shropshire Octavo A Paraphrase on the Psalms of David in Metre By the the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter A Discourse of Earthquakes as they are Supernatural and premonitory signs to a Nation with a respect to what hath Occurred in this Year 1692. and some special Reflections thereupon As also on that Security and Assurance of Mind which is attainable in the light and Power of Religion under the greatest surprizals and terrors of sense with some Enquiry upon the gaounds both of our Fears and Hopes as to the Publick State of the Church of Christ in this Day The Confirming Work of Religion or its great things made plain by their primary Evidences and Demonstrations whereby the meanest in the Church may soon be made able to render a solid and rational Account of the Faith These two last by Rob. Fleming Author of The Fulfilling of the Scriptures and Minister in Rotterdam Advice to an Only Child or Excellent Counsel to all Young Persons Containing the summ and substance of Experimental and Practical Divinity Written by an Eminent and Judicious Divine for the Private Use of an Only Child now made Publick for the benefit of all The Carnality of Religious Conrention in two Sermons Preached at the Merchants Lecture in Broadstreet by the Reverend Mr. John Howe A Short Story of the Rise Reign and Ruinâ— of the Antinomians Familists and Libertines that infected the Churches in New-England The Scotch Psalms in Metre recommended by 26 famous Divines lately Rprinted in 12o. Books Printed for Obed. Smith Bookseller iâ— Daventry in Northamptonshire WOrds to give to the Young Man Knowledge and Discretion or the Law of Kindness in the Tongue of a Father to his Son A Treatise of Faith and Repentance with a Discourse of Self-denyal A Treatise of Grace and Duty Some Rules to use the World so as not to abuse either it or our selves All by Francis Fuller M. A. Holy Breathings under the sense of Sin together with a Soveraign Preparative towards a blessed Eternity By Tho. Price The 2d Edit The Life and Death of James Arminius and Simon Episcopius Professors of Divinity in the University of Leyden in Holland both of them famous Defenders of the Doctrine of Gods Universal Grace and Sufferers for it now published in the English Tongue