and passion of Christ A. By observing carefully what is done by the Minister that doth administer it and himselfe that doth receive it Q. What doth the Minister do A. He doth consecrate and set apart the Bread and Wine whereby of common and ordinary Bread and Wine it is made the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ He doth also breake the Bread and poure out the Wine and having so done doth deliver it to each of the Communicants Q. What is he to meditate on when hee seeth the Minister to consecrate the Bread and Wine by the Word of Christs Institution and Prayer to be the Sacrament of the Blessed Body and Bloud of Christ A. Hee is then to meditate how that God the Father out of his meere love to mankinde did set apart seale and appoint his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient meanes and onely Mediatour to Redeeme us from sinne and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to glory Q. What is he to meditate on when hee seeth the Minister to breake the Bread and to poure out the Wine A. Hee is then to meditate that the Body of Christ was as truely crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of his sinnes under the sense of Gods wrath due unto them as hee doth now see the Bread in the Sacrament to be broken and the wine to be poured out by the Minister Q. Lastly what is he to meditate on when the Minister commeth unto him and delivereth him the Bread and Wine thus Consecrated broken and poured out A. He is then to meditate that as the Minister doth now offer and deliver into his hands the Bread and Wine and bids him take it eate it and drinke it So doth Christ himselfe come unto him and offer and give unto his Faith his very Body and Bloud with all the benefits of his Death and Passion Q. And thus we see what the worthy Receiver must meditate on in the time of Receiving upon his sight of what the Minister doth tell me now next what he must meditate on upon the sight and sense of what he himselfe doth at that time A. When hee hath received the Bread and Wine at the Ministers hand and is Eating of the one and Drinking of the other he must then meditate and thinke with himselfe thus as I have now taken and doe eate this bread and drinke this Wine for the nourishment of my body and life temporall so I doe believe that the Body and Bloud of Jesus Christ being apprehended of mee by the hand of Faith and applied by Faith unto my Soule shall nourish it up unto life everlasting Q. And thus wee have seene how the worthy Receiver is to meditate in the time of Receiving upon the Death and Passion of Christ and the benefits which accrue to him thereby Tell me now next what are the duties which he is to perform to God and man therefore A. To God hee is to lift up his heart by way of thanksgiving for the great worke of our Redemption by the death of Christ and unto man hee is to extend his love by cleaving to his fellow-communicants in one Spirit as unto members of the same body and by shewing mercy to the poore members of Christs body in contributing to their necessities according to his ability Q. And thus we have also seene what is to be done by the worthy Receiver at the time of Receiving Tell me now in the last place what is required of him after he hath Received A. There is required Examination and Resolution Q. Wherein stands the Examination which must be in a worthy Receiver after he hath Received A. It stands in this to trie whether he hath gotten any good by the Sacrament or not Q. What if he finde little or no good by his Receiving A. He is then first to suspect himselfe that some miscarriage hath beene in him either in his preparation to or in his performance of the Duty and having found out what was the fault in either that hindred the efficacy of the Sacrament unto him he must judge himselfe and be seriously humbled for it And secondly hee must endeavour by after-paines in prayer and humiliation to quicken and awaken the efficacy of the Sacrament unto his Soule Q. But what if hee finde any good by his Receiving what is he to do then A. He is first to blesse God with all his heart therefore and to acknowledge with all thankfullnesse Gods gracious dealing with him therein and secondly he is to be carefull and watchfull that hee keepe up and maintaine that holy and gracious frame of heart in himselfe which he hath brought with him from the Sacrament Q. And thus have wee seene wherein the examination of a worthy Receiver consisteth after hee hath Received Tell mee now wherein standeth his Resolution A. It standeth in this that he be carefull and doe resolve to keepe touch with God and to expresse the power and efficacy of the Sacrament in making good and keeping his Vowes and Covenants which hee made to and with God of new obedience and amendment of life when he came to receive Q. Is there any great danger if we do neglect to do so A. Yes for first without this care and Christian resolution wee shall incur Gods heavy displeasure Secondly we frustrate and make voide all that we have formerly done in and at the Sacrament And thirdly we shall hereby bring our selves into a far worse condition than we were before we came to receive Q. How may we come then by power to do this A. By watching carefully over our wayes and courses by examining them by the Rule and Square of Gods Word and by hearty prayer unto God for his Grace to direct and assist us in all our wayes CERTAINE Cases of Conscience About the Receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper cleared and resolved I. Case WHether a man who after examination of himselfe findeth in himselfe much weaknesse and many defects in respect of those things which should be in a worthy Receiver may yet adventure to come to Receive Solution The weakenesse and defects which are in those that come to Receive are either such as are felt and thereupon are sorrowed for and striven against or they are such as are not felt and so can neither be sorrowed for nor striven against If our weakenesse and defects be of the former kinde wee neede not much to feare or doubt of Gods mercy and favour towards us if we doe come to Receive with such weaknesse and defects in us For first we must know that the Sacrament which we come to receive is ordained by Christ to be as well physick for the Recovery and strengthening of the sick and weake in grace as food to nourish the strong and healthy Secondly we must know that Christ even calleth such unto him and hath promised in his word not onely his gracious
of Faith EXPRESSION VIII Of this That impenitent sinners are not fit Guests for the Lords Table FOr it is here as it was at the Passeover there as we reade Exod. 12. 45. 48. no stranger no hired servant no uncircumcised person might eate thereof Now an impenitent sinner is all these 1. He is a stranger to God Psal. 58. 3. Eph. 4. 18. 2. He is a servant of sinne Iohn 8. 34. hired for the vaine pleasures profits and preferments of this World to doe the Devill service 2 Pet. 2. 19. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. And 3. he is an uncircumcised person Acts 7. 51. Ierem. 6. 10. And therefore 't is no wonder that an impenitent person is so unfit a Guest for the Lords Table EXPRESSION IX Of this That impenitent persons comming to the Sacrament in their sinnes instead of doing themselves good doe themselves a great deale of harme FOr it is here as it is in an unwholesome and diseased stomach now we know that an unwholsome and diseased stomach what ever foode it receives it so alters it that it rather nourisheth the Disease than the body and turnes all the wholsome nourishment it takes to the increasing of that rather than of any health or strength to the body So an impenitent Soule comming to Gods Ordinance in its sinnes doth turne the wholesome nutriment of the Sacrament to the feeding of its diseases and the increasing of its own sorrow and mischiefe EXPRESSION X. Of this That no Man can grow thrive or be nourished by the use of the Sacrament that is not in Charity when he cometh to Receive FOr the whole Church is a body and every Christian is a Member of that body Now a member we know that will grow in the body and thrive must necessarily be united to and conjoyned with the body If a member be separated from the body it cannot be nourished nor grow an Hand or an Arme rent or cut off from the body cannot be nourished nor grow Nay though a part of the body be not separated from the rest yet if there be but a dislocation of a part so that it be onely out of joynt it cannot thrive and prosper till it be set in joynt againe So it is in the body mysticall it is a growing body every member thereof growes and increases Colos. 2. 19. as long as it is joyned to the rest of the members in love Eph. 4. 16. but being disunited from the rest or out of joynt by reason of want of Love and Charity it can be neither nourished nor thrive nor increase with the rest of the body though it receive this spirituall food of the Sacrament never so often EXPRESSION XI Of this That they that would be partakers of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament must come thereunto with Hungring and Thirsting desires after Christ and the benefits of his Death and Passion FOr it is here as it is at a Feast or Banquet let the Feast be replenished with never so many dainty Dishes and Cates and the Banquet with never so many delicates yet if the parties that be to eate of it have formerly filled themselves with other Meates they care not much for the Cates of the one nor the Delicates of the other Proverbs 27. 7. But let one that is almost hunger-starved or is almost ready to die for thirst come to such a Feast or Banquet because he feeles the paines and pinches of emptinesse in his stomach you shall not neede to perswade him to fall to it the very sense of his owne wants and the refreshing which hee hopeth to finde by that repast will be to him an Argument sufficient to make him to doe it So 't is in receiving of the Sacrament if a man come with thoughts of his own worthinesse and fulnesse of grace and goodnesse in himselfe he cannot get any good by his Receiving for he feeles no want of Christ nor his Merits but let a poore hunger-starved Soule who feeles his want of Christ and seeth in what a miserable estate hee is without him and knoweth the Riches Excellencies and All-sufficienices that are in him let such a one I say come to the Sacrament and hee shall surely be replenished and finde the benefit and comfort thereof See Esay 55. 1 2. Iohn 7. 37. Revel. 22. 17. Math. 5. 6. Luke 1. 53. EXPRESSION XII Of this How that Gods Admeasurements of grace and spirituall good in the Sacrament are suitable to the inlargements of Mens hearts and their hearty desires for grace therein THere are three things we know that fit a vessell to receive a great measure of liquor The first is when it is of large capacity A small Vessell may be filled but yet a small Vessell cannot have so much poured into it as a Vessell that is of larger capacity The larger the Bucket is that is let downe into the Well the more Water it brings up The second is when it is an open Vessell For though a Vessell be of never so great capacity yet if the Mouth of the Vessell be shut and closed up though it be throwne into the Sea where there is Water enough yet it fills not Thirdly when the Vessell is wide open For though the mouth of a Vessell be open yet if it be not wide open it doth not fill so readily Take a Bottle or narrow-mouth'd Glasse and dowse it under the Water yet it may be pulled up againe with little or no Water in it though it be of great capacity because the narrownesse of the mouth hinders the ready and quick passage of the Water into it Whereas a wide-mouth'd Vessell as a Paile or Bucket is no sooner under Water but it is instantly filled because the wouth of the Vessell is wide open and broade And just so it is in the Sacrament if we desire a liberall largenesse of Gods Mercy and Christs Merits we must come thereunto with hearts inlarged with Hungring and Thirsting desires after Christ and his Righteousnesse and the more our hearts are inlarged herewith and the more open and ready they are to receive it the more shall the Sacrament empty it selfe with abundant blessing upon our Soules EXPRESSION XIII Of this That a worthy Receiver ought to be as carefull of his behaviour and demeanour at the Sacrament as of his preparation before he commeth to it FOr as it is not enough for a Man to dresse and trim up himselfe in his handsomer apparell before he comes to a great Mans Table but there is a great care also to be had of that carriage and behaviour that beseemes such a Mans Table and person For though a Man come handsome and cleanely apparel'd to a great Mans Table yet he may there carry himselfe so rudely unmannerly and uncivilly that he may give great offence So is it with one that is to Receive the Communion 'T is not enough for him to get his heart into an holy and fitting frame before he comes to Receive but
THE COMMUNICANTS GUIDE Directing The younger Sort which have never yet Received and the Elder and ignorant sort which have hitherto Received unworthily How they may Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to their Souls comfort Together With a Treatise of DIVINE Truths Collected out of Ancient and Moderne DIVINES By R GOVE Sometime Preacher of Gods Word at Henton St. George in Sommerset 1 CORINTH. 11. 29. Hee that Eateth and Drinketh unworthily Eateth and Drinketh Damnation to himself LONDON Printed by J. G. for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1654. To all those that do desire to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to their Souls comfort ESPECIALLY To the younger sort which have never yet received and to the elder and ignorant sort which have hitherunto received unworthily R GOVE Who can do very little yet desireth to doe very much for the good of their Souls DEDICATETH These his Sacramentall instructions following A CATECHISME Short for Memory and plaine for Capacity containing the Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion in generall Which every one should know that desires to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to his Souls comfort QUESTION OF what Religion are you Ans. Of the Christian Religion Q. What Religion is that Ans. That which teacheth a Man to looke for salvation only by Jesus Christ Q. Where is this Religion taught you Ans. In the Holy Scriptures which are the written Word of God and containe all things needfull for our salvation Q What are the principall things and those most necessary to salvation which are taught us in the Scriptures A. They are two the one is what we are bound to know and the other is what we are bound to practise Q. What are we bound to know A. God and our selves Q. What must wee know concerning God A. We must know three things 1. that there is a God 2. What a one this God is and 3. What he hath done Q. How doe you assure your selfe there is a God A. 1. Gods Word reveales it 2. Gods Workes confirme it and 3. mine owne conscience doth assure me of it Q. What a one is God A. God is a Spirit most glorious in Nature three in Persons and one in Essence Q. What hath God done A. Hee hath decreed with himselfe from all eternity how all things shall be he made all things in the beginning and hee hath ever since sustained them and disposed of them Q. Thus much of that which we are to know concerning God tell me now next what we are to know concerning our selves A. We are to know three things 1. What we were 2. What we are and 3. What we shall be Q. What were we A. We were all in our first Creation perfect and happy Q. What are we A. We are all by nature sinnefull and miserable but by grace in Jesus Christ as many as God doth call are made righteous and happy Q. What shall we be A. Those amongst us that are good shall be everlastingly blessed in Heaven and those that are wicked shall be everlastingly tormented in Hell Q. And thus far touching our knowledge tell me now next what is required concerning our practise A. There is required in us all a care so to lead our lives as that thereby God and our Christian profession may have praise we comfort and others profit Q. How may we so leade our lives A. By ordering them according to the prescript rule of Gods Word set downe partly in the Law and partly in the Gosspell Q. What doth the Lord require A. Piety towards God Charity towards our Neighbours Sobriety towards our selves and Mercy towards all other living Creatures Q. What doth the Gospell require A. True faith and unfeigned Repentance as our only remedy for the breach of the Law Q. How are these Graces to be begun continued and perfected in us A. By faithfull and fervent Prayer by a due hearing and reading of the word and by worthy receiving of the Sacraments Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church thus to be received of us A. Two onely Baptisme and the Lords Supper Q. What is the use of Baptisme A. By Water washing the body to assure us that the bloud of Christ being applied to the Soule of the believer clenseth him from all his sins Q. What is the use of the Lords Supper A. To be a signe a seale and pledge unto us that Christ Jesus is given for us and to us for the nourishing and preserving of us unto eternall life JOH. 13. 17. If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them THE Communicants Guide Directing The younger sort which have never yet received and the elder and ignorant sort which have hitherunto received unworthily how they may Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to their Soules comfort Question WHat must he doe that would Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to his Soules comfort A. He must doe that which is required of a worthy Receiver before he commeth to receive whilest hee is Receiving and after he hath Received Q. What is required of a worthy Receiver before he commeth to receive A. There is required a serious and solemne preparation of himselfe Q. Wherein doth that serious and solemne preparation of a Mans selfe consist A. It consisteth in two things First in a solemne sequestring and setting apart of some convenient time wherein hee may betwixt God and his own Soule meditate on that which hee is about to doe and secondly in doing that which may prepare him for it Q. What time is fittest to be set apart for this businesse A. The whole time from the warning given of a Communion to the very time of receiving it should take up some of our thoughts touching the same but especially we should spend some part of the day immediately foregoing it in that businesse by retiring our selves from other company into some private place if it may be to performe the same and by withdrawing our minds for that time from all other businesses Q. What are the duties which in this time thus set apart a mam is to perform that he may be rightly prepared A. They are two The first is examination and the second is Prayer Q. Concerning what must a man examine himselfe A. He must examine himselfe whether he have in him those things which ought to be in a worthy Receiver Q. What are those things A. They are especially five First knowledge Secondly Faith Thirdly Repentance Fourthly Charity and Lastly an hungring and thirsting desire after Christ and the benefits of his death and passion Q. What knowledge ought there to be in a worthy Receiver A. There ought to be in him besides a competent knowledge of the grounds and principles of the Christian Religion in generall a more particular knowledge
both of himselfe who is to receive and of the true nature and use of the Sacrament which he is to receive Q. What must hee know concerning himselfe who is to receive A. He must know how miserable he is by nature and how much more miserable he hath made himself by his actuall transgressions Q. What must hee know concerning the true nature and use of the Sacrament which he is to receive A. Hee must know first who ordained it Secondly for what ends it was ordained and thirdly what are the parts whereof it consisteth Q. Who ordained this Sacrament A. The Lord Jesus Christ and that in the Night when hee was betrayed and therefore it is called the Lords Supper Q. For what ends was it ordained A. It was ordained first to keepe in us a thankfull remembrance of the Death and Passion of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Secondly to assure us of our particular part and interest in the benefits thereof and Thirdly to be a Bond and Pledge both of our Union with Christ and of our Communion one with another Q. What are the parts whereof this Sacrament consisteth A. They are three First the outward Signes signifying Secondly the Divine Word sanctifying and thirdly the inward and spirituall graces signified Q. What are the outward signes signifying A. Bread and Wine with the severall actions pertaining to them as Breaking Giving Taking Eating and Drinking Q. What is the Divine Word Sanctifying A. The Word of Christs Institution pronounced with Prayers and Blessings by a lawfull Ministâ—r Q. What are the inward and spirituall graces signified A. The Body of Christ Crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of sins exhibited by God to the faith of the worthy Receiver which receives it and feeds on it for the nourishing of his soule unto life everlasting Q. And thus farre touching the knowledge which is required in the worthy Receiver tell me now next what faith is required in him A. There is required not onely a bare knowledge and perswasion that the body of Christ was crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of sinnes for even this the very Devills in Hell doe believe and yet tremble but a particular application of the same and of all the benefits thereof unto a mans owne Soule whereby he believeth that Christs Body was Crucified and his Bloud shed for the Remission of his Sins in particular Q. And thus far also touching the faith which is required in a worthy Receiver tell me now next what Repentance is required in him A. There is required in him an hearty and unfaigned sorrow for all his Sins past and a full purpOse with Gods Grace and assistance never to offend God by the like in the time to come but to amend his life and to become a new man Q. And thus farre also touching the Repentance which is required in a worthy Receiver tell mee now next what Charity is required in him A. There is required a care to be in Love and Charity with all men striving to be reconciled to those whom hee hath injured and wronged and being ready from his heart to forgive those who have injured and wronged him Q. And thus farre also touching the Charity which is required in a worthy Receiver tell me now in the last place what hungring and thirsting desire after Christ and the benefits of his Death and passion are required in a worthy Repentance A. There is required in him a sense and feeling of his want of Christ and his righteousnesse and of Gods Wrath due unto him for his sins which shewing him his woefull and miserable estate without Christ may make him to hunger and thirst after him and the benefits of his Death and Passion the only meanes of pacifying Gods wrath as much as an hunger-starved man and one that is ready to die for thirst doth after Meate and drinke Q. And thus have you shewed me what is the former of those two things which must be performed by a worthy Receiver that would prepare himself aright before he commeth to receive to wit examination tell me now which is the other of them A. It is prayer wherein if after examination hee doth finde in himselfe the former Graces in any measure he is to bless God for it and to pray for the continuance and increase of them and if hee want them or have them not in that measure which God requireth in his Word hee is to humble himselfe before the Lord in true contrition and hearty sorrow for his failings confessing them unto him and desiring pardon of them all for Christs fake and that his gracious Spirit may helpe his infirmities in those Graces hee hath and may worke in him those which he wanteth that so hee may come as a worthy Receiver to this holy Table of the Lord Q. But what if a Man be not thus prepared when hee commeth to receive is there any great danger in it A. Yes for first he that is not thus prepared standeth guilty before God of the Body and Blood of the Lord Secondly insteed of Receiving that which might further his Salvation hee shall Eate and Drinke his own Damnation And lastly hee shall not onely be damned hereafter but shall be severely punished also in this life by sicknesse and weaknesse yea and at the end of his life by some fearefull death Q. And thus have you shewed me what is required of a worthy Receiver before hee commeth to Receive tell mee now in the next place what is required of him whilst he is Receiving A. There is required a reverent gesture of Body and a Religious disposition of minde Q. What gesture of body is fittest in the time of Receiving A. There is no certaine gesture prescribed in Gods Word to be used in the Receiving of the Lords Supper and therefore that is fittest which is most decent and orderly and most agreeing to the Discipline of the Church under which we live So that it be not contrary to piety or charity and if we be left to our owne choyce then that gesture is to be judged best which may best set forth the greatnesse of the Giver the worth of the Gift and the humility and thankfullnesse of the Receiver Q. What disposition of minde is required in a worthy Receiver at the time of his Receiving A. There is required first that his mind be taken off from all worldly and sinnefull thoughts and secondly that it be wholly taken up with heavenly Meditations and hearty prayers and thanksgivings unto God Q. Whereon should a worthy Receiver specially meditate in the time of Receiving A. Hee should especially meditate on the Death and Passion of Christ Jesus his Saviour of the benefits which accrue to him thereby and of the duties which hee oweth to God and man therefore Q. How may he come best to meditate on the death
unworthy Receiving to the person himselfe that thus Receives and not to others that Receive with him Thirdly because neither the Prophets of old nor Christ himselfe nor his Apostles in the New Testament have left us any example to forbeare comming to the Sacrament and partaking thereof or any other part of Gods publique worship and service for the known sinnes of those that were to partake with us therein but have rather taught us by their example to doe the contrary and have shewed us by their practise that in Assemblies where the word and worship of God is kept pure for substance there may be a comfortable participating of Sacraments yea though by connivence of governours some inordinate walkers be admitted VIII Case Whether the wickednesse of the Minister who administers the Sacrament may impeach the sufficiency and efficacy of the Sacrament to a believing Communicant Solution NO it cannot for the vertue and efficacy of the Sacrament depends not on the goodnesse or evilnesse of the Minister that administers it but on Gods blessing accompanying it And this Divines both Ancient and moderne have many wayes illustrated As by water that passeth through a channell of stone into a garden though the channell it selfe receive no benefit by it because of his owne indisposition yet may the Garden be made fruitfull by the water that this channell conveigheth into it Secondly by sowing of seede wherein the seede-mans hands may be foule and dirty yet as long as the seed is good the soile fertile and it have the heate of the Sun and the benefit of the raine descending on it the seede may grow and prosper notwithstanding Many other such illustrations of this point might be added but these are sufficient to shew that the Sacrament received at an evill Ministers hands may yet have its due effect in the heart of the worthy Receiver and therefore is not to be refused by us when such do administer it unto us For what man that is in his right wits if he be in danger of the Law would refuse his Princes pardon though brought unto him by him that were never so wicked a man Or who would thinke that pardon the lesse forceible and available because such a man brings it let us not then refuse Gods Ordinance for the evill lifes sake of the Minister that is to administer it unto us alwayes remembring this that if he be a sinfull and unworthy man the sin is his but if I refuse it at his hands because he is such a one the sinne is mine and I shall not answer for his sinne but for mine owne neglect IX Case How often is a man bound in Conscience to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Solution THere is no set time nor times for this prescribed in the Scriptures Neither hath the practice of the Church in all ages been one and the same For we read thâ—â— in the Primitive times of the Church they used at first to receive it every day afterwards every Lords Day afterwards it came to once a moneth afterwards to thrice a yeare and at last came the Councell of Trent and decreed that at least once a year it should be received And therefore in this variety of practise we must for our better guidance herein observe the circumstances of necessity conveniency and utility For the first t is true that we have daily neede of the remembrance of Christs Death and consequently of the Sacrament As our bodies have daily neede of nourishment by our corporall foode so have our Soules by our spirituall Yet must not this be the onely guide or ground of our Receiving but we must also have respect to conveniency For seeing there is required a due and diligent preparation for the Receiving of this Sacrament the same must moderate our necessity so that we should as well look to our fitnesse as to our neede But yet in the third place the due consideration of the inestimable benefit and comfort wee obtaine by Receiving this Sacrament must stir us up so oft as with conveniency we may to be partakers of this blessed banquet so that if it were possible wee might every day be fit to communicate or at least so often as the Sacrament is administred X. Case What quantity of Bread and Wine must be taken by him that Receiveth Solution SO much of each as may give both nourishing and cheering to the body And therefore that custome taken up by the younger sort of only kissing the Cup or taking but a drop or two of Wine into their mouths is not to be approved for Christs Ordinance is not to sip but to drinke at the Communion XI Case Whether such persons as are at contention and goe to Law one with another may with good conscience come to the Lords Table Solution QUestionlesse they may so that they go to Law lawfully for it is a true Rule in Lawes both divine and humane which the Apostle sets downe in 1 Tim. 1. 8. that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully Now to use the Law lawfully there be these conditions required 1. That it be done not for every little trifle which will bear an action but onely for such things as if they be not remedied will breed a further inconvenience and which nothing but Law can remedy 2. That it be not done out of a covetous minde to have from another more than in conscience he thinkes is his due but onely desires to preserve his owne right which by Gods Law and mans belongs unto him 3. That it be not done out of an ambitious minde more to get the victory of his adversary than to gaine the truth 4. That it be not done fraudulently by any unlawfull and unjust meanes as by bribery subordination of witnesses to support a bad cause or the like 5. That there have beene used all lawfull meanes before to compremise it by reference to Christian Neighbours and Friends and by being willing to part with some of his right for peace and quietnesse sake rather than to try extremity of Law 6. And lastly above all that it be not done uncharitably out of desire to be revenged on his adversary more than to have his wrong righted And because this last is the maine obstacle of all because where Charity is wanting there can be no fitnesse to receive this Sacrament therefore all that goe to Law should be well advised and make a narrow search into their hearts which are deceitfull above all things and in this more than in any other things because of Selfe-Love and Selfe-seeking ends whether they can hate the wrong done without hatred to the person doing it for they that cannot doe so let their pretences be otherwayes what they will they are not fit Guests for the Lords Table Certaine EXCVSES Made and pretended by Ignorant People for not Receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper so often as they should do removed Many are the Excuses
which are made and pretended by Ignorant People for not Receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper so often as they should do but the chiefest of them and those that are most common in the mouths of the ignorant are these that follow I. Excuse They have no leisure HAve they leisure to fill their bodies every day and want they leisure to feede their soules Our Saviour in Ioh. 6. 27 gives them better counsell Labour not saith he for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that endureth to eternall life II. Excuse They want Cloathes IT is not outward apparell but the inward ornaments that make us gracious in the sight of God And therefore be our outward apparell never so meane if wee have on us the wedding garment of Faith made of the fleece of that Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the World lined inwardly with humility and trimmed outwardly with Charity God will bid us welcome to his Table III. Excuse They are not in Charity WHat is this but to excuse one sinne with another Our neglect or contempt of Gods Ordinance by our uncharitable affection to our brother and that is so farre from excusing us in the sight of God that it doth much aggravate our sin For why are they not in Charity What is the cause of it Is it not their owne rankorous heart their owne malitious and revengefull will and nothing else that keepes them from it And because their neighbour hath wronged them will they rather than they will forgive their Neighbours wrong more wrong God and their own soules IV. Excuse They are not prepared ARt thou prepared to pray and art thou not prepared to receive the Communion The same things that make us unfit to receive the Communion make us as unfit to pray for except a man abandon the purpose of sinne Psal. 66. 18. and except he be in Charity Mat. 6. 14. hee is no more fit to pray than to communicate and therefore should abstaine from the one as well as from the other V. Excuse Their Wives are sick or lie in or their Husbands are from home or not well and therefore they will stay till they be returned or well againe and then they will come and receive together INdeed for matter of sicknesse of the one or other party where there is a necessity of our attendance on them there may be some excuse for I make no question but in this case God will have mercy rather than Sacrifice But where there is no such necessity I see not how we can be excused And as for the other viz. the Husbands or Wives being from home how that can excuse any from communicating when God calls them thereunto I know not For our Receiving of the Sacrament must not depend upon others Receiving of it albeit they be never so neere or deare unto us VI Excuse They use to Receive at Easter every yeare and they hope that it is sufficient THis Communicating once a yeare at Easter was hatched in Popery when ignorance prevailed in the Church and is by no meanes to be followed of us to whom God hath afforded better meanes of knowledge And indeed it were a shame that Protestants in profession should be Papists in opinion But what is it that makes them to put off their Receiving to this time If it were their respect and reverence to the Sacrament as fearing if they should receive it oftener they should not come so well prepared to it as they hope to be then that indeed were some though but a poore Excuse But that is not it it is rather either because they place more holinesse in that time above other and so thinke the better the day the better the worke which is meere popish superstition or rather because it is the custome and fashion so to doe which is prophane irreligion Whereas good Christians looke rather to Christs Command and their own necessity than to any thing else and because he commands it they doe it and their own need and necessity of it makes them to do it not once in a yeare but as often as it may be done VII Excuse They would come and Receive but their Ministers will not suffer them IF their Ministers doe hinder them without cause they shall beare their condemnation but if for want of Knowledge Repentance Charity and the like which their profession or practise doe witnesse he do stay them from it and be diligent and willing to teach and warne them and they continue still in their obstinacy and wickednesse their bloud shall be upon their own heads VIII Excuse That they are conscious to themselves of some great and crying sinnes which they have committed and of which they have not yet sufficiently repented and therefore they will stay till the next opportunity of receiving hoping by that time to have more fully repented of them and to be better prepared THis Excuse indeed might be the more tolerable if hee that hath committed such sinnes were sure of these two things First that he shall have longer time to repent in and Secondly that he shall have grace to repent having had such a time But of neither of these can any man for the present be assured of 'T is true God hath promised indeed to have mercy upon a Sinner at what time soever he shall truly repent and turne unto him but he hath no where promised to give him either time or grace to repent when he will And therefore if thou art wise or desirest to be wise for the everlasting good of thy Soule dispeede thy Repentance out of hand and take the present opportunity that God offereth thee as not knowing whether God will ever offer thee the like opportunity againe being also assured of this for thy comfort that God in all our graces and so in Repentance too looketh not so much at the measure of them as at their sincerity Plaine EXPRESSIONS OF Sacramentall Truths TO Uulgar Capacities By the helpe of which the younger and ignorant sort may easily understand and remember the most necessary things belonging to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper EXPRESSION I. Of this That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth truely and really exhibite to the worthy Receiver the Body and Bloud of Christ with all the benefits of his Death and Passion FOr it is here as it is in a Lease A Lord of a Mannor makes seales and delivers a Lease of a Farme to a Tenant containing two or three hundred Acres of Land butting and bordering thus and thus upon condition that the Tenant shall pay him such a Fine and so much yearly Rent The Tenantâ— receives the Lease and having it in his hand shewes it to his friend and tells him that he hath for two hundred pounds a yeare three hundred Acres of Land The Parchment Inke and Wax of the Lease have not the very Acres of Ground nor Trees nor other appurtenances thereunto belonging being and growing therein
and yet by vertue of that Parchment Inke and Wax made a Lease and sealed and delivered by the Land-lord the Tenant will possesse them all I demand then how it commeth to passe that this piece of Parchment and this Inke and Wax thus made a Lease and thus sealed and delivered hath power to conveigh really and actually this ground with his appurtenances to this Tenant To which the Answer is that the power it hath to performe this commeth not from the Parchment Inke and Wax but from the legall power and authority of the Law-giver who did decree and ordaine that a Deed conceived in such and such forme of words and thus sealed and delivered should be effectuall and powerfull to give a Tenant reall possession of such Lands and all the appurtenances thereof And just so is it in the Sacrament for by it Christ doth give us his very Body and Bloud his Merits and his Righteousnesse by it he passeth over unto us a Deede of all the joyes of Heaven he Seales unto us a pardon of all our sinnes and of all the Punishments belonging unto them but upon this condition still that wee doe truely pay unto him his Rent to wit true Repentance for all our sinnes true Charity towards our Neighbours true Faith in his Bloud and a new and sincere obedience to his Commandements So that when we receive this Sacrament after this manner we may say Here have I the Body and Bloud of Christ my Saviour here have I Remission of all my sinnes and the Kingdome of Heaven passed over unto mee And yet that bit of Bread which I have eaten hath not the Kingdome of Heaven lying in it nor the Body of Christ moulded up in it or converted into it neither hath the Wine which I have drunken the Bloud of Christ within it or is converted into it Whence then have they this power In their owne nature they have it not whence then can they convey all this to mee I answer the power which they have comes from the Law-giver Jesus Christ who Decreed Instituted and Ordained that those Elements of Bread and Wine received in his manner and on his conditions should be powerfull and effectuall to convey unto me and make me partaker of his blessed Body and Bloud and of all the benefits of his Death and Passion EXPRESSION II. Of this That a wicked man and an unworthy Receiver may at the Sacrament Receive the outward Elements of Bread and Wine without receiving any benefit by the Body and Bloud of Christ FOr it is here as in the usance of a conveyance Now we know that if a conveyance made to Peter lying upon a Table be given to Richard or to any other person to whom it doth not belong or which Richard or any other person fraudulently taketh away it doth them no good at all by reason the Covenant was not made with any of them but with Peter onely So the unworthy Receiver being not the party to whom the promise is made of receiving Christ with the benefis of his Death and Passion receives onely the bare outward Elements and not the things signified thereby EXPRESSION III. Of this That the consecrated Bread and Wine are not to be taken as common Bread and common Wine FOr it is with this as it is with Wax stamped with the great Seale for as that in substance differs not from other Wax but yet in value is farre more excellent and may not be abused or unreverently used without contempt or great wrong offered to the King or State whose the Seale is So the Bread and the Wine in the Sacrament though in substance it differ not from other Bread and Wine yet concerning the use to which it is now put and designed it is much more pretious than any other Bread or Wine in the World being now appointed by God to be a Signe and Seale and an exhibiting instrument of the Body and Bloud of Christ and therefore cannot be profaned or abused without contempt of Christ Jesus and his holy Ordinance EXPRESSION IV. Of this What a shamefull thing it is to come unprepared to the Lords Table IT were a matter of foule shame for a Man to come and sit downe at a great Mans Table in rags and in nasty and filthy cloathes and in such a case how apt would every one be that sees him to take him up and say Art thou not ashamed to come to such a Mans Table in so base a fashion What an uncivill fellow art in such a garbe and pickle to come into such a presence And is it not then a matter of fouler shame to come rudely unpreparedly and in so unbeseeming a manner to the Lords Table EXPRESSION V. Of this That the receiving of the Lords Supper without those graces that are to be in a worthy Receiver will do us no good FOr what is this but the having of a Seale to a blanke And what is a Man the better for that What is a Man the better for having the Broade Seale to a piece of Parchment that hath nothing written in it He hath nothing but a piece of Parchment and Wax hee hath neither Land nor Living sealed and conveyed unto him thereby And just so it is in this case EXPRESSION VI Of this That ignorant persons though they pretend never so much their good meanings and their good minds cannot be worthy Receivers IGnorant persons use to plead for themselves that they have not the knowledge and understanding that others have and cannot answer as others doe yet they hope they have as good meanings and come with as good minds as the best But alas how sillily is this spoken for 't is as if one should say though I have a blinde Eye yet I have as good an Eye as he that can see farthest For wherein lieth the goodnesse of the Eye but in the sight and the goodnesse of the minde but in the knowledge of God Prov. 19. 2. EXPRESSION VII Of this That without Faith we can be no worthy Receivers FOr he that will receive Christs Body and Bloud for his Soules Comfort must have an Eye to see Christ and his Worth must have a foote to come unto him must have an hand to receive and lay hold upon him and must have a mouth to feed on him Now Faith is all these to a worthy Receiver It is the Eye of the Soule John 8. 56. Esay 17. 7. 2 Chron. 20. 12. It is the foote by which we come unto Christ John 6. 35. It is the hand by which we receive him John 1. 12. Yea it is the mouth by which we feede on him John 6. 53. Now can a man see without an Eye Come without a foote Receive without an Hand Feede without a mouth No surely he cannot No more can we see Christ in the Sacrament without the Eye of Faith come unto him without the foote of Faith receive him without the hand of Faith or feed on him without the mouth