Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n
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A20154
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The heauenly banquet: or The doctrine of the Lords Supper set forth in seuen sermons. With two prayers before and after the receiuing. And a iustification of kneeling in the act of receiuing. By Iohn Denison, Doctor of Diuinity.
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Denison, John, d. 1629.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 6589; ESTC S109561
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131,917
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382
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see and not perceiue When they see things oculis corporis non cordis when the eyes and eares of the body shall be open to the outward elements but be shut to â—he inward grace As when Phyâ—â—â—e workes not through obstructiâ—ns it is hurtfull to the body so whâ—n these ordinances of God preuaile not it is dangerous to the soule This made our Sauiour forth of his compassion not onely to sigh but also to entertaine an extraordinary passion euen to be angry Mark 3.5 To rest in contemplation of the outward elements onely were to be like the Anthropomorphites who resting in the letter of the Word ascribed vnto God the corporall parts of a man It were with the Capernaites to conceiue a corporall carnall eating of Christ and with little children Ioh. 6.52 to gaze vpon the guilded couer and neglect the learning in the booke This were grossely to peruert the ordinance of Almighty God who hath giuen vs these elements as a Candle to light vs not as a clowd to hinder vs from seeing receiuing Christ Though the ignorant Persian by beholding the Sunne and Moone bee brought to Idolatry yet the vnderstanding Christian must with Dauid thereby be stirred vp to adore the diuine Maiesty Ps l. 8. â— 4 and to magnifie him for his goodnesse to mankind Whâ—n Christ stoopes to our capacities for our instruction then must we send vp our faith and lift our meditations to heauen for our comfort Fâ—dem mitte mâ—â—â—â—um Aâ—g ep 3. Col. 3.1 Math. 2. as the Apostle exhorts in the third to the Colossians If you be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue Thus as the wise men were ledde to Christ by the starre in the East sâ— should we be guided to him by these outward signes in the Sacrament be stirred vp spiritually to feedâ— vpon his precious body and bloud represented to vs by these outward â—lements But it is not enough to obseruâ— the signes in generall we must descend to the particular consideration of them the reasons why this Sacrament should be instituted in these â—lements of bread and wine rather then in any other the consideratioâ— whereof will yeeld much matter oâ— instruction There are many of the workes of God so full of mystery that though we feare high yet we caâ—not comprehend the reason of them Wee can say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are so that it is plain and euident but why and how they are so it is not so apparant Yet are the râ—asons of this matter very obuioâ—s and euident to euâ—ry vnderstanding man Now the reasons of vsing these elements are either generall as they concerne them both or particular as they concerne them seuerally There are two especiall reasons in generall First these elements of bread and wine are most vsuall and common thorowout the Christian world and so doe fit â—he Church of Christ dispersed ouer the face of the earth Secondly Cypr. epi. 76. they are most significant to set forth our vnion both with Christ betweene our selues For as many graines are vnited in one loafe 1. Cor. 10.17 and many grapes in one cup so all the faithfull are by the Sacrament vnited each to other as members of one body all of them to Christ as to their head And herein the signes of the Sacrament haue a notable correspondence with the phrase of Scripture Iohn 6.35 Ioh. 15.1 which compares Christ to bread and to a vine And the like we see in Baptisme for the Element is very common all places generally hauing water very significant to set forth by the cleansing of our bodies by water the cleansing of our soules by the bloud of Christ Againe there are diuers reasons proper and peculiar to them seuerally First the bread is fit to set forth the strength we haue by Christ for vita panis Augâ—st and vita Christus as bread is a principall supporter of our naturall life so is Christ of our spirituall In regard of the strength of his creature Lâ—uâ—t 26 2â— it is called in Leuiticus the staffe of bread because that as the weake weary man is stayed vp by a staffe so is the fraile and feeble body by bread Yea because that bread is of especiall vse force in the nourishment and strengthening of our bodyes Mat. 6.11 we comprehend in the Lords prayer vnder the name therof whatsoeuer is necessary for the preseruation of this present life And the Psalmist likewise saith plainely Psal 104.15 He bringeth out of the earth bread that strengtheneth mans heart Vpon which words Saint Austin after his allegoricall manner of exposition applyes it to Christ saying quem panem what bread is it that he brings foorth of the earth to strengthen mans heart and then answeres Christum euen Christ Thus the bread being in especiall manner the instrument of our corporall strength was fit to set forth our spirituall strengthning by Christ And as the bread is very significant so is the wine in sundry respects One vse of wine is to quench the thirst and so it sets forth the quenching of our spirituall thirst by the bloud of Christ for his bloud â— drinke indeede Ioh. 6.55 Indâ—ed it is in â—â—â—encâ—â—ing the thirst of the soulâ— as â—â—â—nâ— is in quenching the thirst of â—hâ— bodie And thâ—râ—forâ— thâ— Prâ—pâ—â—t Isaiah proclaimâ—th to the wâ—rld tâ—â—â— comfâ—râ— Iâ—â— 55.1 Hoe euery one that thirstâ—th come you to thâ— wâ—ters and you thâ—t hâ—ue no money came aâ—â— buy wine and mâ—ke wiâ—hout â—â—â—e anâ— wâ—â—hâ—ut 〈◊〉 So that he whoâ—â— souâ—â— paâ—eâ—◠〈◊〉 thirstâ—th after Christ 〈◊〉 the Hart after the riuers of waâ—ers â—â—ceâ—ueth from him that water of 〈◊〉 which neuer suffers h m to thirst againe Ioh. 4.14 A second property of wine is to refresh and râ—uiuâ— a weary man by expelling cold and crude humors in regard whereof S. Paul exhoâ—ts Timothy who in respect of his age and calling vtterly abstaining from â—iâ—â— 1. Tim. 5. â—â— â—ad hurt his stomackâ— by crudities and other infirmitieâ— to drinke a little wine And what more fit to set forth the refreshing and reuiuing of â—â—r â—enummed soules by the bloud of Christ â—phes 2.5 Through whom being dead in our trespasses we are quickened Thus whilest Christ â—esus the Sun of righteousnesse stâ—nâ—s vpon our cold and frozen hearts he expels the cold vapors of sinne and quickens vs to the actiâ—ns of sanctification A third property of wine which followeth by way of consequence vpon the former is to cheare and comfort the heauy hâ—art by reuiuing and releeuing the â—ulled and decayed spirits â—o saith the Psalmist Psal 104.15 that wine maketh â—lâ—d the heart of man therefore the Wiseman exhorts Pro. 31 6. Giue wine to them that haue griefe of heart And it hath beene obserued forth of the ancient Rabbins Beza de pass D. â—it â—o 28. that it
spake to Elias Vp and eate come with cheerfulnesse to this holy table I doubt not but some of you haue found much heauenly comfort by receiuing the Sacrament So that you are able to say with the Psalmist Psa 66.16 Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done to my soule Yet for your further comfort I must wish you to remember that the banquet is onely begunne in this life which shall bâ— perfected in the life to come When Christ shalâ— say in heauen as it is in the fift of the Canticles Cant. 5.1 Come my friends eate and be merry Now the Spouse hath Christ in sacramento but then she shall haue him sine velamento Bern. de Coena Domini now she recâ—iues him in mystery then she shall enioy him apparantly Hic dulce praeludium illic nuptiale conuiuium Here is but the first course like the preludium to a song but there shall be the banket kept with all ioy and heauenly harmony Lastly for as much as Christ is offred to vs in the SacrameÌ„t it shall be very necessary that we examin whether hâ—uing receiued the Sacrament we haue receiued Christ Because as Saint Augustine saith Aug. cant Faust Mani lib. 13. c. 16. Et tract 59. in John there are many which eate panem Domine but not panem Dominum They receiue the outward signes but not the inward grace I will therefore deliuer a few but infaillible markes wherby wee may know whether wee haue receiued Christ First where Christ is receiued he workes mortification in the soule of the Receiuer abates the strength of those corruptions which otherwise would be potent and violent So saith St. Paul in the eight to the Romans Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake As a good corrosiue eates away the dead flesh so the body and bloud of Christ doe eate away the fleshly corruptious of dead workes Therefore Chrysostome Chrysost in Gen. hom 1. calls Christ curatorem animarum the Curer of soules And indeede where Christ comes he makes a threefold cure he cures the heart the hand the tongue He banisheth euill motions out of the heart Bern. de Aduent serm 5. bindeth the hand from euill actions and bridleth the tongue from euill speeches A second note of our receiuing Christ is our viuification quickning of our soules to liue the life of God For as the body of the dead man 2. Reg. 13.21 by touching the bones of Eâ—zeus receiued life So by touching and tasting of the body of Christ our soules that were dead in trespasses doe liue the life of grace and our selues are quickned to the performance of all Christian duties Ber in Cant. serm 17. For vnxit Deus vt vngeret therefore was he anointed with the oyle of grace that of his fulnesse we might receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 both the grace of remission and the grace of sanctification so that we are able to lay with Saint Paul Gal. 2.20 Now I liue no more but Christ liueth in me A third note of our receiuing Christ is our alienation and estranging from the world according to that of St. Paul in the third to the Colossians Col. 3.2 If you be risen with Christ set your affections on things that are aboue The young man that onely came to Christ would not part with his wealth bring commanded Mark 10.22 but Zaccheus hauing receiued him into hiâ— house makes a voluntary offer of dispersing to the poore and making restitution Thus if we haue receiued Christ in our hearts the World will be crucified to vs and wee to the World The greatest pleasures and profits of the world will bee dung and drosse euen vile in our estimation in respect of him and the heauenly comforts wee receiue from him 4 Whosoeuer receiues Christ in the Sacrament receiues him into his heart as Zacheus did into his house ioyfully O blessed Iesus saith Bernard Luk. 19.6 Ber. in Cant. serm 32. how oft when thou camst vnto me didst thou comfort my wounded conscience by powring vnto it the oyle of gladnesse As the Sunne arising vpon our Horizon makes it cheerefull glorious so the Sun of Righteousnesse when it ariseth vpon the Horizon of a sanctified heart causeth it to reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable glorious Yea all the blessings of God are made comfortable to vs 1. Pet. 1.8 as it was with those happy conuerts who did eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart Acts. 2.46 For vbi Christus ibi Angeli ibi lux ibi coelum Chrysost in Mat. ho. 49. Where Christ is there are the Angels there is the light of Heauen there is Heauen it selfe Yea the priuiledges are excellent we obtaine by receiuing Christ For as it is a meanes of our adoption so it is a pledge of our eternall saluation As many as receiued him Ioh. 1.12 to them he gaue this prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God Rom. 8.17 And if we be sonnes we are also heyres yea coheyres annexed with Christ And as the Israelites had a taste in the wildernesse of the fruits of Canaan Nu 13.24 which afterwards they did enioy more plentifully in that promised Land So haue we in the wildernes of this present world the first fruits of that glory which hereafter we shall enioy in the celestiall Canaan more aboundantly for euer A fift note of receiuing Christ is our thankefulnesse of heart stirring vs vp to cheerefull obedience Dauid hauing receiueâ— râ—â—â—efe from Barzâ—llai giues this charge to his sonne Salomon Shew kindnesse to the Sonnes of Barzillai 1. Reg. 2.7 So Christ Iesus furnishing vs with this heauenly foode may iustly chalâ—enge at our hands all that wee can doe to manifest our thankefull hearts for such a singular benefit As the Kingâ—y Prophet saith VVhat shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me Ps 116.12 So must we consult all the faculties of our soules and enquire with what we may present our Sauiour Christ for this great mercy and our conclusion must be his resolution I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thankâ—sgiuing Vers 17. and call vpon the Name of the Lord. Thus if vpon the receiuing of the Sacrament we finde in some measure the strength of sinne abated grace augmented our affections estranged from the world our soules filled with heauenly ioy and our hearts stirred vp to vnfained thankfulnesse then may we with maruellous comfort assurance conclude that we haue truely receiued Christ And to such a Communicant I may say as our Sauiour said to Zacheus Luk 19.9 This day is saluation come into this house THE FOVRTH Sermon The Forme of the Sacrament 1. COR. 11.26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup c. HAuing spoken of the Author