passion and sufferings the death and bloudshed of our Lord had not been sutable to him in his lowest estate and darkest eclipse if it should have shined in outward lustre It was Tertullians Observation Nihil obdurat c. nothing Lib. de baptisme so hardens the mindes of men as the simplicity of the works and yet the magnificence of the promise that great and glorious things should be found under so plain a dresse as a rich diamond in a plain case to the end that the eye of faith might be more exercised then the eye of the body and that the spiritual and inward part might be looked after and intended Is not this the Carpenters sonne was a great stumbling block and so may the simplicity of the two Sacraments be to us The Temple Utensils and Service were rich and stately Christ was prefigured in golden Types But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. But we have a better Covenant and better Promises Heb. 8. 6. And if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remains exceeds in glory 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10 11 c. but that was an outward this an inward glory that was in Moses face this in the face of Christ that the carnal Jew might see this the spiritual Christian seeth We saw his glory Joh. 1. 14. or rather there the glory was veiled But we with open face behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 13 18. The glory of their Ordinance was a stumbling block to them for they rested in the cabinet and looked not for the jewels The meannesse of our Ordinances are a stumbling block to us for we look not for the treasure in such earthen vessels God doth great things by poorest meanes Jericho's wals fall at the sound of Rams-horns the fiery sting is healed by a piece of brasse the sight restored to the blinde by the use of spittle and clay The figure in this Sacrament is poor the thing signified heavenly and rich the Seal is mean the inheritance or estate is great but why were the types so rich and our memorials so poor You know Spectacles are for divers sights they had finer Spectacles we better eyes They had lesse spirit stirring in the Ordinances then than we now if their Tree had more shadow we have more fruit §. 2. Secondly Take along with you alwayes the Analogy proportion and similitude between a Sacrament and the thing of a Sacrament between the signe and the thing signified It 's Austin his Rule If Epist 23. alibi a Sacrament should not have similitude and resemblance with that whereof it is a Sacrament it should not be a Sacrament and from this similitude or resemblance it is that the signe is called by the name of the thing signified as the bread Christs body the wine is called Christs bloud The Rock was Christ Circumcision called the Covenant The Lamb called the Passeover and in common speech When we look on a Picture we say This is Casar this is Augustus this is Hercules nothing more ordinary In the Sacrament this similitude is a similitude of proportionality saith Bonaventure consisting of four termes You are most of you Arithmeticians and you have a golden Rule called The Rule of Three because three terms being given the fourth is given and this sets forth to you the Analogy of a Sacrament in four termes As water in Baptisme washes the body so the Spirit by his grace or the bloud of Christ cleanseth the soul As the bread and wine nourish and refresh the body so the body and bloud of Christ nourisheth and refresheth the soul As by the hand we take and with our mouth we eat and drink the bread and wine so by faith we receive the body and bloud of Jesus Christ If you destroy the similitude you destroy the Sacrament as the Papists do by their Transubstantiation for they destroy the Analogy Thus the accidents of Bread and Wine or the Species doe not nourish the Body say we Nor the very Body and Bloud of Christ doth not passe into bodily nourishment say they for it was horrible to imagine it therefore there is no resemblance the similitude is destroyed and so the Sacrament §. 3. Thirdly It is a most true most firm and golden Rule That a Sacrament out of the use appointed Chamier de Luchar l. 7. e. 4. §. 11. l. 8. c. 3 Forbes Hist. Theol p. 550. by God hath not the nature of nor is any more a Sacrament It is not a Sacrament extra usum out of the actual use There must not onely be Bread and Wine but Blessing and Taking and Eating and Drinking or else to us there is no Sacrament The Bread and Wine upon the Table are no Sacrament but the eating and drinking of Bread and Wine As in Baptism the water is no Sacrament but the washing with water is The Papists confesse this of every Sacrament and of Baptism but not of the Lords Supper which for Transubstantiation-sake which troubles the whole Scaene they hold to be a perfect Sacrament by consecration whether it be received by the Communicant yea or no and this is the Doctrine of their Schoolmen and Aquin. part 3. Qu. 80. aliis Scholasticis all others of their confession We appeal to the Text Take Eat This is my body It 's so being taken and eaten and not otherwise The remains of Bread and Wine are no Sacrament it is the use which gives the reason and nature of a Sacrament and when and where the use is not the Sacrament is not It 's true in our vulgar speech we call it the Sacrament as on the Table as the beast might be called a Sacrifice before it was slain being destin'd and appointed thereunto 1 Sam. 13. 9 Whitak deâ—â— acram p 621 624 c. as Whitaker saith but it is no Sacrifice till slain and offer'd nor was the Lamb a Passeover but as it was eaten and rosted so a meer stone is a stone wheresoever it be but not a boundary but in the use and an earnest is money but not an earnest except taken upon agreement Bread and Wine are Elements but not a Sacrament till all the Rites and Actions be observed which God hath appointed viz. in the participation and use 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 18. The Cup of blessing and the bread are the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ being partaken and received not else There is some kinde of Argument urged against this Rule from the reservation of the Bread especially and of the Wine which is read of in Antiquity and that was either private reservation when the Communicant carried home the Bread and kept it in his chest for his private use to eat of privately or else it was by the Ministers to give to lapsed Christians in time of extremity or sicknesse that were debarred of publick participation The first is mentioned Cypr. de
Master of our lives that any man as Austine can say Haec Villamea est and good men have the most benefit by the Magistrate the miseries of Anarchy would fall most heavy on them and therefore they of all men have least reason to cut down the Tree that most shaddoweth them Thus far for Explication the Applicacation followes and first generally to the Magistrate and to the Subject then particularly with respect to the season To the MAGISTRATE and that in three Uses 1. THat he may lawfully take the sword which God and Man puts into his hand It is not lawfull in a Heathen hand and unlawfull in a Christians The sence of all Orthodoxe Christians descending from the Apostles to these dayes makes it plain He is the Minister of God his sword-bearer his sheild-bearer Let it not be preached out of your hand by a Jesuite in a Socinian or in what cloak soever It 's not much to be doubted that such Emissaries have left their nests to make Proselites amongst us for where the sore is there are the flies nor any wonder they should call the Pope Christs vicar when they are at home and Antichrist when they are here when the Devil appeared to Christ as a Devil he comes with if's If thou be the Son of God when he is in the possessed Then Thou art Christ the Son of God when they are at home the Magistrate is little better then the Popes Executioner or hangman when they are here they would not have the Magistrate so much being ready by their principles and the old revenge to perform that office themselves and therefore they are restless untill they accomplish that which Demosthenes observed that the Wolves and Foxes would be at agreement with the sheep but they must first deliver up their dogs the old act is to bring Magistracy first out of reputation and then where is their authority let them take what shape and pipe what tune they will let not Argus close his eies 2. Remember that Government is not for them that Govern but them that are Governed not for private but publick ends every thing that moves though it be a stone moves to the Center of the world you are eccentrick when either honour or wealth take you up the shepheard may receive the fleece and eat the milk of his flock but his office is to keep the sheep for this cause Rom. 13. ye receive tribute because you do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attend mainly and continually on Governing Nehemiah upon occasion did not take it but yet there is that 's called the bread of the Governour cap. 5. 14. 3. If our subjection be propter Dominum then use your authority propter Dominum he that keeps sheep feeds their bodies he that rules over men that have souls must consider that you may not cannot compel faith or conscience but you have a businesse in matter of Religion not as Uzziah but as Hezekiah saith Dr. Reynolds by encouraging the Ministers and pulling down the nests of Idolatry you know the fourth Commandement is directed to the Master to the father to the Magistrate The ten Tribes after they had cast off Gods Religion never had a good King and their Kingdome unsettled and tottering as a learned Knight observes from those words 1 Kings 14. 15. they were as a reed shaken in the water that moves this way and that way and never stands quiet and therefore let it be upon your hearts that you are the Ministers of God for Government to punish the evil and to praise the good and we are the Ministers of God for the reprooving of the evil and encouragement of the good Moses and Aaron both helpful to one another both Ministers of God in their way and though the Church and Common-wealth be two bodies not severally but respectively yet one and the same man may be a member of both and therefore the soundnesse or sicknesse of the Church is of great concernment to the Common-Wealth both Physitian and Surgeon are conversant about one body the one respects the inward disease the other the outward sore so Haereticus qui errat is under our haereticus qui turbat under your office we may be one without the other but not in a Christian Common-Wealth and therefore let the one uphold the other Ministry uphold Magistracy Magistracy uphold Ministry the want of the one will make too much work for the other and let the Pole that holds up the brazen Serpent stand I speak as to the office of the Ministry for their maintenance the subject of the time for discourse I have little to say nor is it needful to speak to you blessed be God but this observe that God hath seated our Argument in every other mans breast even in their breasts that maintain us as if God would have them to feel their own Arguments and acknowledge ours in their own The Magistrate for this cause receives tribute because he attends on the Common-Wealth That 's our Argument The souldier hath our Argument in his breast who goes not to warfare at his own charge The husbandman hath it also who plants a vineyard who plowes and sowes and doth not reap the fruit The shepheard hath our Argument at home who feeds the flock and eates not the milk The very labourer hath our Argument for the labourer is worthy of his hire The Oxe if he could speak as once the Asse did and reproved the madnesse of the man would use our Argument I thrash muzzle me not And are not we in these lists Yea for if we sowe spiritual things why should not we reap of your carnal things a fit Argument for a Merchant upon the Exchange for this is but a spiritual exchange carnal things for Spiritual things Haply they will allow us Almes but Scripture is not content with that word It must be honour and because that might not be interpreted by a jejune reverence it is called a double honour let any man in his calling shew a title better assured To the subject Use 2 I meddle not with that great question agitated in this land in later years which is in case when the Supremacy doth as it were fall a peeces within it self but with the duty of private Christians to the Magistrate whether supream or subordinate and to them I say pay your dutie to the Magistrate for his Protection pray for them for all that are in Authoritie and hold up Moses hands by Prayer 1 Timothy 2. and be subject to their Authoritie for it is of God and as the old Proverb is must is for the King so there is a must here You must be subject to the Magistrate the branches of it are lopt by very many the Papists make him the supream yet a servant to the Pope to beare up his train The Donatist of old and many now cry Quid Imperatori cum Eeclesia and there are in the World that are for Root and Branch but the Orthodox Christian
19. 8. Though errour be old yet truth is first All corruptions of Ordinances are deviations from their institution and therefore the false copy must be corrected by the true original The institution of Christ is the certain Rule He instituted it for a Communion therefore O Corinthians your divisions and contempt of the poor is unsuitable He instituted it as a Sacrament of his body and blood for spiritual repast therefore your intemperance and common use of it at your feasts is not agreeable to the nature and use of it as the standard discovers false weights and measures and a straight rule a crooked line so the institution of our Lord corruptions The Popish-masse would not be found in the masse if it were tried by this Rule but we must distinguish between Christs institution of this Sacrament and his celebration of it though at the same time The institution shews the nature and use of it and abides as a perpetual Rule He took bread he blest he broke he gave c. His celebration of it was by reason of the Passeover attended by very many occasional circumstances after Supper in a private room in such a gesture to such a number in unlevened bread c. It 's no corruption to vary in these occasional circumstances except we must alwayes keep Passeovers too I show'd you before out of Jewish Writers That the Passeover of after-times even that of Christ varied in such particulars from the first Passeover in Egypt without corruption and so this Supper in all ages hath varied from the first celebration in such occasionals He saith Naz anzen Naz. Nat. 40. celebrated the Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an upper room we in our houses of prayer he after we before Supper he before his death we after his Resurrection and so accordingly all Divines It is universalis notio saith Chamier an universal notion Chamier de Euchar. l. 8. c. 7. that the circumstances of an individual action be distinguisht from those that pertain to the Law thereof and these may be of good use for instruction not of necessary use for imitation I say with learned Hooker Hooker Eccles Polit. l. 5. p. 366 To do throughout every like circumstance with Christ were to erre more from the purpose he aimed at then we now do by not following them with so nice strictness What is superstition but to make that necessary which is indifferent and that a part of worship which is an accident to it So Constantine the Emperour defer'd his Baptism and almost mist it because he would have been baptized in Jordan as Christ was Hold the institution but be not superstitious without a command or hoc facite in the circumstances that fall out at the time of celebration §. 11. Obs 3 That the Apostle received from the Lord what he delivered to the Church This high and honourable Ordinance This Ordinance we receive from the Lord. the Passeover of the Christian Church we can receive from no higher hand than the Lord we may receive from no lower our faith can be resolved into no lower authority than the Lord. I believe and receive this and use it and expect the fruit not because Paul delivers it to me but because he receives it from the Lord and so the Apostle leads our faith to the original the first authority and higher we need not we cannot go It was the dignity of an Apostle to be a receiver from the Lord or else he could not have had the authority of a deliverer to the Church See the difference between Christ and Paul in this matter of delivery to the Church in Matth. 5. 21 31 33. Ye have heard it hath been said of old thus and thus But I say to you He speaks like the Lord But I say when Paul comes to speak Then I have received from the Lord he speaks as an Embassadour or a servant No other authority ought to take place in the Church but of Christ only §. 12. The Apostles were of high authority in the Church of Christ first Apostles saith the Text 1 Cor. 12. 28. yet they were but receivers there was a higher authority which they advance I have received from the Lord See the scale or ladder of faith we receive our Doctrine from the Scriptures the Scriptures from the Apostles and others that were inspired they from Christ and Christ as Mediatour sayes He hath received his mission from God and here alone our faith stands and is quietly setled so in the Commonwealth you receive a warrant from the Constable a meaner man then you he from the Justice he from the Councel they from the supream power And what need or reason was there that he should avouch his receiving the doctrine of this Sacrament from the Lord Was it for that he wrote to the Corinthians a proud and stomackfull people that had his person in some contempt in comparison of their preachers who by their tinkling eloquence led them by the ears into captivity and were partners with or patrons of them in these abuses Therefore he brings the name of the Lord to bear down their naughty stomacks and the Lords institution to whip these corruptions out of the Temple Or Rather was it for a closer reason He that believes to receive a soul-benefit from an outward Ordinance of eating and drinking bread and wine had need to see good ground for his believing for they are incommensurate and improper to the soul the body may more easily be fed with air than the soul with bread and wine Therefore he appeals to the Lord for the benefit is from the authour the vertue and fruit from the institution He that by a piece of brass heal'd a moâ—tal sting can by bread as I may say feed the hungry soul He put clay in my eyes saith the blinde man He sent me to the pool of Siloam and I washt and do see Joh. 9. 15. §. 13. Obs 3 That the Apostle delivered to the Church what he had received from the Lord also delivered unto you Et omnibus Ecc esiis meo ministerio fundatis and all Mâ—rton in loc P. Martyr Churches founded by my Ministry He did receive and deliver but not institute this Ordinance He that will institute a Sacrament makes himself a God saith Peter Martyr Had he nâ—t received he had wanted authority Had he not delivered he had wanted faithfulness and honesty as a messenger that keeps the God alwayes had officers in his Church Ring sent to a friend God hath ever had in his Church such as should be receivers and deliverers an office of men taken from among men and ordained for men in things pertaining to God as it 's defined Heb. 5. 1. but all are not receivers as Paul by immediate hand from the Lord Moses receives the Law and the pattern in the Mount he was a receiver and deliverer the Priests in their generations did receive and deliver but they were
Legacy bestowed is himself and all spiritual benefits with him My body and bloud The heirs are all believers Disciples The Executours for the outward part are those to whom he saith Hoc facite do this execute this my Will The Witnesses are the Evangelists and Saint Paul Here is a perfect sealing then of a Testament which is of force by the death of the Testatour and nothing must be added or taken away for it is a Will sealed and Gal. 3. 15. publisht 2. To leave it as his ultimum vale or last memorial Aug. Epist 118 of precious relish and esteem when men are going then they give memorial gifts unto their friends then they give their pictures Keep this for me Remember me when you see me not When men are dying then they pull their ring off their finger and leave it with their beloved Oh what impression have the verba morientis the word of a dying man As if a man saith Chrysostome should say to children These were your fathers dying words This was his last charge This he spoke and died and there is nothing that is remembred with more awe more affection than the last words the last gift of dying friends 3. To testifie his dearest love to his Church and people that when death was in sight and all the unspeakable sorrows shame and suffering were now ready to invade him when injuries from men were ready to load him and the justice of God upon sinne to be demonstrated on him all these did not make him forget his love His love to his poor people overtop'd all He loved them to the end Joh. 13. 2. and exprest it at the last and when he was in expectation of utmost sorrow he forgets not his love to his 4. To fortifie his Disciples against temptations which were now rushing in upon them when they should presently see their Lord led away as a prisoner to be arraigned and themselves scattered and discouraged Peter denying bloudy enemies insulting then to fortifie their hearts Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 1◠1. He administers this Sacrament to strengthen the Union and Communion between him and them and to tie them to him so fast that the gates of hell might not prevail against them that their faith might not fail though it fainted as was said to Peter and though they fall yet they might not utterly be cast down as the Psalmist saith They had before eaten the body which they after saw broken and drunk the bloud which they after saw shed The broken body was not theirs that broke it The bloud shed was not theirs that shed it but it was theirs that had before eaten it and drunk it so God underprops his weak servants before the winde blow and seasonably antidotes the hearts before the bitter cup that they may stand fast though for fear they runaway 5. That when we iterate this Sacrament our hearts may be prickt with remembrance of this dismal night Chrysost in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom that he might exceedingly prick us for a wounded heart is a good preparative to the receiving of a wounded Saviour He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Isa 53. 5. Let a man survey this night how his blessed Saviour was for him betray'd into the hands of bloudy men This right he was plunged into most dolefull sorrows He was amazed and loaden with grief exceeding sorrowfull in a wofull agony sweating like drops of bloud running down to the ground without any comfort from any man his chief Disciples could not pray with him all fled and ran away from him betray'd by one of his own denied by another sending forth loud cries and tears God smit the Shepherd scatter'd the flock an Angel from heaven strengthening him an Angel that had not the benefit of Redemption by him but not a man for whose Redemption this was Oh the dark eclypse that now seized on this Sunne of righteousness Who can express the anguish and dolour of this night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though he was a very stone saith Chrysostom it would melt him wound him Therefore I exhort you all when you come to this Sacrament bring this night with you bring this night with you in which he was betray'd It is a night of observation to be remembred as was said of the first Passeover in Aegypt Exod. 12. 42. so it may be said of the night of this first Supper read read again or get some body to read to you this History related by Matthew or St Luke and water your meditations with sorrowfull tears not as he that wept when he read the History of Dido in the Poet out o◠an imaginary compassion but as beholding in this glass both your sins and your redemption This do in remembrance of him CHAP. VI. Of the outwards of this Ordinance of the Supper 1 COR. 11. 23 24 25. He took bread and when he had given thanks c. §. 1. IN the Sacrament of Baptism there is but one outward element water in this of the Supper two bread and wine which though they distinctly signifie the one the body the other the bloud of Christ yet because they set forth one nourishment of the body by bread and drink of the soul by the body and bloud of Christ and make but one commemoration of Christ and his death This do in remembrance of me vers 24. Drink it in remembrance of me vers 25. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death vers 26. Therefore as several dishes are but one Supper so these several signs are the parts of one Sacrament To avoid tautology and coincidency I mean to open the parts distinctly and yet to take together element with element rule with rule action with action as fitly yoked together joyntly and so be as soon at the end of the one as of the other which course of handling that word in Luke 22. 20. whom of all the Evangelists Paul doth nearliest agree with and vers 25. of this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Likewise or After the same manner points me unto and if there be any word in the three Evangelists that write the History of the institution whereof one that is Matthew was present at the action that may serve for the beautifying or clearing of any point as we go along we shall take it also into the contexture of our Discourse The Method and order is to handle 1. The outward Ordinance of this Supper 2. The inward thing signified or represented 3. The mandate or command Do this 4. The end For remembrance of me §. 2. The outward Ordinance is properly called the Sacrament the inward kernel or thing signified is called Res Sacramenti the thing of the Sacrament for the Sacrament is the outward visible sign and therefore it is very absurdly said of Bellarmine and other Lib. ◠de Euch. cap.
stand in need of much nourishment to bring them up to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stature of a full Christ decaying Christians stand in need of nourishment to repair decaies Every life be it never so little must be nourisht so necessary is Christ to every Christian and still more of Christ for his meat is Christ his drink is Christ As nothing so necessary so neither so sweet and pleasant sights are pleasing to the eye and smels to the sense but nothing is so close and delightfull as the meat and drink to the sense of tasting Christ is sweet to faith as meat and drink to hunger There is no content comparable to the receiving of Christ He is Manna the best Bread and Wine the best drink The fruition of the joys of heaven is set forth by the pleasure of eating and drinking Luk. 22. 30. That you may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdome It was experimentally said of Galeacius that all the delights of this world are not comparable to an hours enjoyment of Christ Jesus 2. No act of ours could so well have signified the close and intimate union of Christ with a Beleever We may see at a distance and hear and smell but not taste nor eat nor drink the meat and drink is concorporated into us and is made flesh and bone with us Job 6. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwels in me and I in him Christ must be present to the faith of a Christian for we cannot eat and drink that which is absent This union with Christ is reall though mysticall and it is lively drawn forth in this Ordinance under the resemblance of eating and drinking We hardly conceive and hardly beleeve it but when we see the graft live we are sure it 's knit and we may be as sure of our union with Christ by his spirituall sap of Grace which we finde is in us 4. This command Take and eat goes before the pronouncing of the words This is my Body Aquinas saith it is a Hysteron Proteron but I shall not take his word let 's hear him speak that was present an ear witness an eye witness Matth. 26. 26 27. Take eat This is my Body Drink ye all of it For this is my Blood what stands this For for if drink ye did not go before This observation is noted by almost all Divines from Peter Martyr and Mr Hooker makes use of it thus That Christ is not present in the Elements but in the worthy receiver The order of the words shews it first eat and drink then it follows for this is my Body and this is my Blood an ingenious observation that cuts the hamstrings of the Popish or corporall presence in or under the outward signes as if it were a knife set in the Text to cut that intricate knot that makes such a garboyle in the Text when you take and eat by faith then is the Body and Blood of Christ present to you but not latent and hidden in the Bread or Cup The union of Christ is not otherwise with the Bread then as the thing signified with the sign but it is with the Communicant the Hooker Eccles Polit. p. 359. believer really though spiritually the sacramental signs do exhibit Christ but not contain him under them they contain not the grace which God bestows with or by them §. 12 §. 12. Of Spurious Rites and Gestures So have I opened to you the outward Elements the outward Rites or Actions of this Sacrament whether those of Christ or of the Communicant and these are genuine and proper by which the Sacrament is sutable to the Institution as for other Rites which time or superstition have introduced without example or command they are adulterine and spurious especially the adoration of the Eucharist upon opinion of the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ which whether it be performed at the elevation or lifting up of the host by the Priest in the Masse or at the circumgestation or carrying it up and down in procession in the streets as is usual in Popish countreys is no better then abominable Idolatry even by their own confession For Costerus saith That the bread-worship was the greatest Idolatry that ever was in the world If the bread be not turned into the true and natural body of Christ as saith a learned man Dr J. Burgesse Lawf of kneeling p. 113. upon my soul it is not and if the perswasion of Christs real presence in the Eucharist will by no means excuse their adoration from Idolatry much lesse excusable is any Protestant who is perswaded of the contrary As for other circumstances of the action as the time viz. at night in the close of the Paschal Supper the place an upper-room or chamber Mark â—4 15. The guest twelve in number Matth. 26. 20. The gesture which was discubiture or lying on couch-bâ—ds fitted to the Table which the Jews were at the Passeover by custom fixed unto as appears by the ritual In other Scaliger lib. 6. De emend pag. 534. nights we sit or lie on couches but in this we lie along These I say are moveables and not of the freehold of this Ordinance Nor shall I say any thing of the D. Burgess ubi supra p. 112. gesture which as it was used in England hath been an apple of contention and much written pro and con The Reformed Churches vary some sit at some about the Table some receive this Sacrament passing by the Table in order as in a Marah as in the Reformed Churches in France and I condemn them not and for those Divines of the Reformed Churches that disliked our gesture used here in England they did not many of them pronounce it simply unlawfull but inconvenient because it was a gesture of adoration and did not serve to pull the bread worship out of mens mindes nor was so sutable to this Ordinance which is a Table Ordinance nor to set forth that fellowship and communion which is exprest in eating and drinking with our Lord these were their reasons and I do not know that I have any occasion to debate the point but to leave it determinable by the Churches of God as may be most sutable to the Decorum and nature of this Ordinance for if I should some of you might haply say that I made a Funeral-sermon for meeting at Sacrament Having laid open the parts of this Supper let us upon the whole matter stand still a little and make Observation CHAP. VII Some Observations upon the precedent Discourses §. 1. NOte here the simplicity of this high and excellent Ordinance the feast is drest out in plainness and simplicity answerable to the simplicity of the Gospel as the Apostle cals it 2 Cor. 11. 2. Here is no outward pomp or ostentation no stateliness to take the eye for as gaudy attire becomes not mourning so this Sacrament setting forth the
not a Wedding-garment For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly Rom. 2. penult §. 6 §. 6. What is requisite to our Receiving Worthily The actual exercise of our graces is requisite to our eating and drinking worthily The instrument must be in tune before-hand as I shew'd you in the former but now the strings are stricken now they make their musick The activity and imploiment of our faith and affections is now required and our graces must be on their wheels now the sails are spread to catch the gale which sweetly breathes from this holy Ordinance for here it 's said Take Eat Take and drink and as the eye the hand the mouth are now in actual imploiment as to the Sacrament or outward part so faith which is the eye hand mouth of the soul and all the affections are to be actually imploy'd as to the inward thing the body and bloud of Christ Not the having of an eye but looking up to the brazen Serpent healed the biting It 's not enough to have faith but we must believe Now that the Sacrament is in use now must our graces be in use too Now that God actually offers and presents Christs body and bloud to my faith Now let the hand of faith go forth and take Christ in Awake my faith and see the atonement of my sins in the broken body of my Saviour Awake repentance and hear the strong cries and see the dolefull agony of him that bears our chastisement Awake my memory and call to minde that Aegypt wherein I was and the bloud of the Passeover which removed the destroying Angel from my soul Awake all that is within me to blesse and praise the Lord. Oh let this Crosse crucifie my lusts and passions Let this death stay my reigning sins as Joshua did the Kings of Canaan Now let the Altar smoak with the Sacrifice of a loving heart inflamed with holy fiâ—e of Gods love to me Now the wax is warm Oh let the Seal be stamped fair that I may see the impression alwayes after Now that God shews forth to methe death of his Sonne for me let me shew forth that death of Christ to God again as that which I stick unto and abide by for my righteousnesse and peace with God Alas if my graces be now asleep they are next a kin to dead We might have sweet we might have fruitfull Sacraments had we but lively graces Graces upon their wing not lying sullen and benum'd with cold therefore blow up your graces as the Apostle his phrase is blow the smothering fire the embers into a flame by pertinent meditation Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that this King of glory may come in And that I may speak to the comfort of a godly soul Let grace run forth at what tap it will so there be but vent whether at the uppermost of high praises or at the lower of melting humblings If the fire flame rise high thou hast more comfort If it smoak God will not quench-it and that 's some comfort Some have a finer taste and relish their meat with higher gust and more delight than others and yet others be nourisht as well as much as they So haply some receive Christ with greater delectation and yet thy soul may be nourisht as well as theirs CHAP. XXIV That a Godly man may receive the Sacrament unworthily HAving shown you the qualifications of a worthy Communicant before-hand and that the actual exercise of grace is requisite at present for receiving worthily I make this Observation §. 1. That a man who is in a state of grace and so godly may yet receive the Lords Supper unworthily and without effect not for want of habitual fitnesse or qualification but for want of the actual exercise of grace at present or because of some distempers which overtake and surprise him in the act of communicating This Point it may be at first sight looks strangely but upon consideration will be found too true For if we look back to the Passeover we finde that an Israelite circumcised and so qualified to eat the Passeover yea a true Israelite might be unclean at the present time and so uncapable of keeping it And we have at home in this Text an example and a proof of this Point These Corinthians are looked upon as and supposed to be and no doubt some of them were godly and regenerate persons who yet contracted epidemical judgements upon them Many sick weak c. and that for a sinne they little thought of their undue and unfit coming to the Lords Table they are distinguisht from the world vers 32 Of whom it s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 30. For this cause you are judged of the Lord and chastened and hence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contended to import only temporal judgement in this place I confesse this Point is controverted and disputed and more abroad than at home amongst us Vasquez seems to me to hold That it is enough that a man be in a state of grace and that every godly man receives worthily or else should sinne mortally But it is no new Doctrine with us That a regenerate man may sinne mortally as they speak or commit a sinne meritorious of condemnation We must not lessen regenerate mens sinnes which in divers respects are the greater because the person is regenerate Even they that are babes in Christ may be carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. â— And therefore Cajetan on the other side requires actual Devotion as necessary to the fruit of this Sacrament and his Argument is Because the Sacrament works according to the manner of its signification And therefore as meat and drink to the end they may nourish do require that we cooperate by some act of life to receive and digest them so there is necessary some act of inward grace to meet with and receive this spiritual food that it may nourish and refresh us and I hold the Argument good and firm Nor do I finde any priviledge of a regenerate man that he cannot commit this sinne He may be under a spiritual Apoplexy or stupidity as David for a time seems to have been He may be overgrown with a crust a coldnesse a security and so unfit by disease though not by death Chrysostome saw this truth when he speaks of some that may not eat because not initiated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others though they be members yet are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean It 's true It is proper to the godly to receive worthily but it 's proper Soli sed non semper only they do so but not they alwayes and therefore I turn my speech to you and desire that you be not render'd secure and negligent by this false principle that a regenerate man cannot receive the Sacrament unworthily for this is the ready way to fall into that sinne which you imagine your selves free from by taking you off from that self-examination that trimming
of your Lamps that purging out of the old Leaven that blowing up of your Graces into act which is so requisite unto your meeting with your Lord in this Ordinance I know that for the most part those do charge themselves with this sinne of receiving unworthily that have least cause The worthiest Communicants are to their own eye the worst They never acted their graces lively at the Sacrament They never felt the present delights and fatnesse of this Ordinance They have been alwayes incumbred with doubts with fears and distempers and have often gone away with more anguish of spirit than they came and a world of such complaints there are and I confesse it is not ordinary that gracious persons do stand in good opinion with themselves but yet Jacobs going away halting from God was not an argument that he had not prevail'd Sick people may be nourisht and strengthen'd with that meat which they cannot taste or relish in their mouth Grace is more apt to see sinne than it self for the eye doth not see it self and the more it grows in light the more tender in sense In spirituals it is true But I shall speak a Paradox Those diseases we feel and are sick of seldome prove mortal that is when the affections melt with sorrow and not the conscience amazed with horrour though I would not nourish complaints against my self yet I had rather have the sense of Paul Rom. 7. wherein he complains of himself than his confidence when he said I verily thought I ought to do c. and I think a proud confidence both a greater cause and signe of unworthy receiving than humble fear and sense of imperfection for even this is a grace to be exercised at the Lords Table CHAP. XXV Of the Graces which are to be exercised and set on work in the use of this Sacrament §. 1. THe Graces which are to be exercised and set on work in the use of this Sacrament are pointed at and taught us by the Ordinance it self For when the Apostle bids every man to examine himself he should leave us in a wildernesse and wide world for he tels us not of what but that the Ordinance it self is the Rule of this examination and doth bespeak those graces which make us fit to come unto it This is the way that Chemnitius goes whereby to finde what those graces are which inable us to receive the benefit and effect here to be expected And to me it seems an excellent way For hereby the Communicant as I have often said is made suitable to the Ordinance and the examination is kept within its bounds So that if any should quarrel and say You require such things of us as you have no warrant for You lay burdens of your own invention we appeal to the Ordinance it self and require nor more nor lesse than may be deduced from it and demonstrate We know that in all Sacraments there is Analogy or proportion and so in this the elements broken bread and wine pouned forth or the body and bloud of Christ the actions of Taking Eating and Drinking the outward elements doe denote the acts of a Communicants soul receiving and feeding upon Christ and such acts there must be to answer unto the outward actions So as if you tell me of any sensible object it 's easie to shew what sense it belongs unto for if it be light or colour it belongs to the eye if it be any sound it belongs to the ear c. So this Sacrament being survey'd and studied it is not hard to finde what graces are to be set on work accordingly And this Rule that I may not guesse at randome I shall follow in the ensuing Discourse First It 's necessary that the Communicant have knowledge of the Nature Use and End of this Sacrament and that is demonstrate thus Here are outward elements and actions which do signifie some other thing as namely the body and bloud of Christ as himself expounds it offer'd by God unto and to be received by the Communicant and therefore there must be knowledge to discern and understand this mystery that 's hidden under a visible out-side to wit the Sacrifice of Christs body which is represented and the confirmation of the Gospel-Covenant by his bloud for without this knowledge a man comes blinde-fold eats and drinks as a bruit takes the dish for the meat and is no otherwise refresht than a thirsty man would be by eating and sucking a sign-post which doth but signifie that there is wine within It was a childes Question Exod. 12. 26. What mean you by this service And I would our ignorant people would so play the childe for they do but eat the shell and gnaw the bone of the outward service because they know not the meaning of it So the carnall Jew knew not the meaning of the Rites and Types then used nor saw both Law and Gospel in their Sacrifices both which they were full of I confesse the knowledge of this Sacrament draws with it the knowledge of our lost estate as Passeover is not understood without Egypt in sinne and misery For where Christ appears bloudy there sinne must needs appear deadly and those fundamentals and grounds of Christianity which are but the A. B. C. of Religion must be knowne but it is not the knowledge of a Scholar but the knowledge of a Christian which we plead for so much as may serve to look into the entrails of this Sacrament and may lead on the affections to value prize thirst after Jesus Christ whom if we see not we cannot desire or love Visus est prima amor is linea fight is the first line of love nor can we believe in him untill we see John 6. 40. Whosoever see the Sonne and believes in him shall have everlasting life I should not charge a poor Christian with any great rate of knowledge for the quality is more to be regarded than the quantity If he know both sinne and Christ by taste as well as by sight if he have a distinguishing and favoury knowledge of the things of the Spirit and there be as it is in embers a great heat though but little light then is it good though not great I know that Questions demodo in all points of Divinity are hard to answer It 's well if we can answer a Question aere I may know what sinne is and yet not tell how it enters and comes at first into my soul The Apostles took Christ at this time for their Saviour and Lord the true Messiah but how he should execute all the paâ—ts of his Office they did not clearly understand and yet did at and drink with him at his Table §. 3. Secondly This is not all but it is first as light was at the Creation the first creature but all the world was not made when light was He is not wholly fitted that hath knowledge there must be a Christ-receiving or a Christ-taking faith and this is shown
in way of prevention of contagion as the restraint of the Leper was You pull downe another mans house and that justly when 't is on fire to prevent the burning of the whole Towne one way to put out the fire in the Oven is to shut it up Many errours and haeresies would die of themselves if they had not free vent Falsi doctores sathanae lenones saith Calvin False teachers are the Devils panders would you suffer panders to come into your houses solicit the chastity of your children would you suffer Mountebanks to sell poison upon a stage to destroy the bodies and lives of people This the b Examen censurae page 285. Remonstrants in scorne call our palmarium argumentum but it is not to be despised as if it was void of reason You that are Christian Magistrates should not forget the soules of them that live under your shadow There is a c Minus Celsus in disputatione de haereticis c. pag. 194. c. learned man who argues against the punishing of Haereticks with death and pitches upon this as the solida vera certa ratio the solid true and certain reason why other flagitious offenders are to be punisht but not Haereticks because haeresie saith he is the errour of a depraved minde an intellectuall errour but other morall vices arise from a depraved and corrupt will and the error of the understanding is not saith hee to be punisht with death but that it is to be restrained from spreading and infecting the comparisons which he brings in doe fully signify For you would not saith hee put a Physitian to death as a murderer who upon meere mistake gives his patient a potion of poyson in stead of good medicine nor a mad man that breaks out and kills and slaies such as he meets with because this proceeds from laesion of his understanding though I doe not concur with this supposition that haeresie is a a meere act of the understanding for it hath its denomination from the act of the will choosing the errour yet thus farre I goe with it that such pretended Physitians as hold that to be wholsome which is poison and minister it to their Patients are not to bee licensed to practise nor such mad men suffered to be loose to exercise their fury damnable haeresies can never be prevented if false teachers may have liberty to bring them in It s one thing to suffer Jewes Turkes Papists Haeretickes to live in the kingdome or City and another thing to give them liberty or freedome of Trade to open their shop and call in Customers to buy their destructive wares Thou hast them that hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans Revel 2. 15. Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calls her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce my servants was a sore charge laid by Christ upon those Churches Nor is it the Pulpit which can keep off the infection whiles the poison is carried up and downe in books and cryed at mens doors every day in which there are many strange doctrines going abroad open faced and some more strange which goe vailed and dropt into the Reader by insinuation there seeme to be very strange dreams about the manner of Christs being in the Saints and Gods being manifest in their flesh and about the Kingdome of the Saints and the licking of the dust of their feete by the world There are mysteries if the world was ripe for them I take notice of one thing in a late book which hath a very ill aspect brought in by way of enquiry what is meant by the word Scriptures when it is asserted that the denying of the Scriptures to be the word of God should be holden worthy of death For saith the Author either the English Scriptures or Scriptures in English are meant by the word Scriptures or the Hebrew and Greeke Copies or originalls The former cannot bee meant with reason because God did not speake to his Prophets and Apostles in the English tongue nor doth the English translation agree in all things with the originall or the true sense of it Nor the latter for the greatest part of men in the Kingdome doe not understand or know them If this dilem be good what is become of the certaine foundation of our hope or faith or comfort how can we search the Scriptures without going first to schoole to learne Hebrew and Greek It s well knowne that our Saviour himselfe and the Apostles doe usually cite the Greek translation or Septuagint when they quote the Scriptures of the old Testament and yet that translation had many variations in it from the originall and haply more then our English translation hath The Apostle citing a place out of the Septuagint where they expresse not the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is contained in Scripture 1 Pet. 2. 6. And there is no question but the Hellenists and western Jewes scattered up and down in Greece and Italy c. used the Greeke translation of the Scriptures in their Synagogues as appears by the confluence of the Greeks and Gentiles to them who understood not Hebrew and yet they of Beraea a city a Plin. lib. 4. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stephanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Macedonia are commended for searching the Scriptures of the old Testament and examining of Pauls doctrine by them and in that search there were Greeks that bare the Jews company as appears Acts 17. 11 12. And what Scriptures could they search but the Scriptures of the Greeke Translation I could easily demonstrate that the Scripture calls the originall translated scripture not without just reason for the Scripture stands not in cortice verborum but in medulla sensus it s the same wine in this vessel which was drawn out of that Translations are but vessels or taps as I may call them to set Scriptures abroach as for faults errours in that translation if that argument be able to batter and make a breach let it but have rope enough and it will make as great a breach in the Hebrew for when you come to find that ther are variae lectiones and that in the Margent truer then that in the Text as in that famous place a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in textu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in margine Vide Foord in Psalm 22. Psal 22. 17. or shall question the true pointing or printing of the originall whither will not this wild argument run away with you until you come to find the very original written by the Prophets own hand or by the hand of some amanuensis infallibly directed guided The Scriptures exprest in English are the word of God The deficiency of exact translation of this or that particular word doth not invalidate the canon or bodie of the Scriptures But I shall not further proceed in this chase I have but a word or two left and that is to exhort you to
and let us cast out the incestuous Corinthians out of our Society for he is a leven ver 6 7. and let us purge out of our selves malice wickednesse c. For they are leven ver 8. that we may be a holy Congregation and a holy people and so the argument of the Apostle stands thus from the example of the Old Passeover Those for whom Christ the Passeover is sacrificed ought as holy Congregations and holy people to be unleavened with sin and wickednesse and to walk before God in an unleavened sincerity but for us Christ the Passeover is sacrificed therefore let us keep the Feast c. I have explained the words and now we shall consider this Passeover two waies 1. As a Sacrifice or figure of a Sacrifice and so it refers to Christ our Passeover Christ is sacrificed for us 2. As a Sacrament and so it relates to us and shews us our duty upon that Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us keep the Feast The Sacrifice is given for us the Sacrament is given to us From the first Our Passeover is Christ sacrificed for us We have a Doct. Our Passeover is Christ sacrificed for us Passeover but it is Christ sacrificed And here before I shew the Analogy or resemblance between the Passeover and Christ we shall note three or four things §. 3. 1. They in the Old Church of Israel had Christ as well though not so clear as we 1 Cor. 10. 4. The Rock that followed our Fathers in the Wildernesse was Christ the Passeover was Christ the personall Types such as Isaac on the Wood the reall Types as their bloudy Sacrifices were Christ He was then in his swadling clouts swathed up in shadows and types and not naked as now Gal. 3. 1. those Types being anatomized unbowelled are full of Gospel full of Christ the death of Christ pecus prosunt quam fuit saith Bernard de coena Christ is the marrow in the bone the kernell in the shell yesterday and to day and the same for ever the summe and sweet of all Ordinances therefore those that say they were filled with temporall promises but had no spirituall derogate too much from them as that they were Swine filled with husks and speak a wondrous Paradox that those that had so much faith Heb. 11. should have no Christ we give them the right hand of fellowship and they were the elder brother yet we have the double portion §. 4. 2. Mark the form of speech Christ our Passeover that is our Paschall Lamb which is also called the Passeover Exod. â—2 â—1 Kill the Passeover Now the Passeover properly was the Angels passing over the Israelites houses and not the Lamb but we must learn to understand Sacramentall phrases the signe called the thing signified the figure called the thing figured The Rock was Christ Christ our Passeover that is paschal Lamb Circumcision called the Covenant Gen 17. 13. My Covenant shall be in your flesh this will be allowed in every place but one and that is this one This is my body For the Lutheran stands up for a corporall presence under the Signes The Papist for a change of the Bread and Wine into Christs body and bloud No conferences no disputes no condescensions will satisfie them and yet we say very fairly the very body of Christ born of the Virgin that died on the Crosse that sits in heaven is present in this Sacrament but not in the Bread or Wine but to the faithfull Receiver not in the Elements but to the Communicants but all this will not serve turn These two Prepositions Con and Trans have bred more jarres and cost more bloud since they were born and there is neither of them in this cause six hundred years old then can be well imagined §. 4. 3. The Passeover figured Christ and yet the Jews ordinarily saw not Christ in it It is plain in their celebration of the Passeover or their Rituals they take notice of and commemorate their Egyptian slavery and their deliverance and so they were commanded but of Christ not a syllable It entred not into them that a Lamb rosted should figure the Messiah as they had formed him in their thoughts and so they held the Passeover as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking backward but as a Type looking forward no knowledge except the faithfull had some glimpse of it and this is the great fault of men in all Sacraments they minde not the inwards of a Sacrament nor look for the kernell they did so and we also not discerning the Lords body is not that it which makes us guilty of his body and bloud there is in all Sacraments res terrena res coelestis as Irenaeus Earthly men see the earthly part they eat they drink It feeds not they eat shells the inwards within the bone are marrow Christ Christ set spirituall food before our bodies viz. ayery set corporall before the soul and you illude both saith Parisiensis de Euchar sub finem §. 5. â— The Passeover is Christ sacrificed not Christ a Lamb unspotted but Christ a Lamb rosted with fire and this tels you that the Passeover and our Supper represent Christ crucified Christ dying or dead It is the death of Christ not his Resurrection nor ascension that is here set forth Ye shew the Lords death till he come this is the sight which a sinful soul would see this is the comfortable spectacle to see the price paying the ransome laying down the thing in doing Hence he draws the hope and comfort of Redemption and therefore the bread was broken and the Cup was full of bloud to represent to the life this life giving Death to Christ The Papists have cheated the people of the bloud by a trick of concomitancy telling them that the bread is his body and his body hath bloud in it we have a word of Institution of both severally the life of the representation is the bloud shed the Passeover is a Lamb slain and rosted and the bloud on the doorposâ— and by providence if the Papists will allow all to eat then we have expresly for the Cup a Bibite ex hoc omnes Mat. 26. 27. Drink ye all of it So that it is the Death of Christ here represented and which is one step further it is a Sacrifice Death which works and makes atonement this was it that all the Sacrifices that the Passeover did prefigure a Sacrifice death that should deliver and make expiation This Cup saith Christ is the New Testament in my bloud which is shed for you and many for remission of sins a death and such a kinde of death as in our Sacrament set forth a Sacrifice Death therefore it 's said sacrificed for us §. 7. Now let us come to the Analogy or resemblance between the Passeover and Christ sacrificed wherein I shall The resemblance between the Passeover and Christ sacrificed endeavour to avoid the vanity and curiosity of making similitudes to
run of all four which is incident to men in handling Types Parables and similitudes which like a string over-stretched makes a jar and disharmony and shews more fondnes then soundness 1. The Paschal must be a male-Lamb without blemish the son of a year taken from the Sheep or Goats Exo. 12. 5. and this resembles Christ himself and his perfection there were many blemishes which the superstitious or curious Jews observed to the number of fifty or seventy any blemish disabled iâ— Christ was without all blemish nothing was excepted from other men or his likenesse to them but sin in all Points tempted like as weare yet without sin Heb. 4. 15. He was of masculine perfection at the perfection of his age about 33 or 34 years of Lamb-lâ—ke humility and meeknesse which are noted in him as exemplary graces He was figured out in the Lamb of the daily Sacrifice in the Lamb of the Passeover in Abrahams Ram in stead of Isaac in the Scape-goat Lev. 16. 21. and pointed out by John Baptist under this Name Behold the Lamb of God It 's implied Heb. 9. 28. he shall appear the second time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in his first coming he was not without but we must distinguish of sin ours imputed to him and so he was made sin for us so as to bear it in his body which at his second coming he shall not bear nor be loden with as he was before and therefore is said to come without sinne both his and ours 2. This Paschall-Lamb was to be separated from the flock and set apart for Sacrifice on the tenth day of the moneth but not killed till the 14. day in the Evening or according to that vexed phrase between the two Evenings that is in the afternoon when the Sun declined before Sunset and about the same time of day our Saviour the true Passeover was slain but in a further meaning it shews that Christ was set apart and fore-designed of God to be our Passover long before not in his decree but his promise and the predictions of the Prophets which have been since the world began Luk. 1. 70. but now in the end of the world hath he appear'd to put away sinne by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9. 26. He suffer'd between the two Evenings of the world which was in his declination when he came that was our Evening and the latter is to come the dayes of his appearance are called often the last daies and though that have another meaning shewing the unalterableness of the Gospel-Ordinances contrary to those of the Law yet we may affirm that it was past the noon of the world when he came and the time shall not be so long after unto Sun-set as before 3. This paschal Lamb must be killed the bloud taken into a basin sprinkled with hysop shall be on every door the flesh rosted with fire not eaten raw or boyl'd in water the head the legs the inwards Exod. 12. 7 8 9 22. and this may set forth unto us the unutterable sufferings of Christ both in his soul and body which the Scripture sets out to the life with such an emphasis of words I mean especially those of his soul scorched with the sense of Gods extream wrath which are exprest by words extraordinary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweating like drops of bloud with expression of strong cries and tears Oh man thou understandest not the sufferings of this Passeover rosted with fire forbidden to be boyl'd in scalding water for that expresses not the sufferings in extremity and what is all this for Even to make Christ more pleasant meat to thee which if thou feed upon and with a bunch of hysop sprinkle this bloud applying it by faith eating this rosted flesh and drinking this bloud poured forth it will feast thy soul and secure thee from the wrath of God which is the next 4. The destroying Angel seeing this blood on the door posts passes over the house goes and kils the Aegyptians first-born and executes Gods last plague upon them in the mean time the Israelites were safe within the protection of blood Exod. 12. 12 13. and here is the safety of those Israelites Believers that have applied by faith the blood of Jesus Christ when God shall let loose his last and final plagues upon the world they shall be safe Hell and wrath and condemnation shall not touch them When I see the blood saith he I 'le pass over you Exod. 12. 13 23. nothing else will save you God looks at nothing but the blood of Christ upon you Happy they that before God ride his circuit of destruction to make a cry in all Aegypt are gotten under the Sanctuary of blood for then the plague shall not be upon you when I smite the Land of Aegypt Exod. 12. 13. 5. After the Israelites had been secured from the stroke of that dismall night then presently they march away are hired by the Aegyptians to be gone the four hundred and thirty years were out and God being punctual in his times finishes their captivity that hour and begins to fulfill his promises that he had made to them of bringing them to their promised Land Exod. 12. 31 32 33 c. 41 42. and here we see that when a soul hath long lien in the base bondage under sinne and the devil and comes to take hold of Christ and is sprinkled with his blood and enters Covenant with God in Christ then is he set free from his bondage and then he goes out of Aegypt and then all the promises begin to open upon him and he sets upon his heavenly journey and no Pharaoh can hinder him any longer All the sweet promises of peace and comfort and hope begin to be made good to him for they are all Yea and Amen in Christ the Devil and all his power and instruments cannot hold him the blood is upon him from that hour he is a free-man to own no Lord but God and yet still he hath a Wilderness to go thorow but he is miraculously carried as Israel was thorow it but this must not be expected that they should eat the Passeover and stay in Aegypt still they must go out of their bondage that are sprinkled with this blood by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent out thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water saith he in a like case Zech. 9. 11. and haply this Type is yet to be fulfilled in the Gospel Churches whom the Lord will deliver out of the hands of their oppressing tyrants Pope or Turk not by the Sword but Ordinances of his Covenant and then if they shall pursue a people under blood as Pharaoh did there will be a red Sea to swallow them horse and man And so much for the Passeover as referring to Christ our Sacrifice for that it doth so is plain by this That which is said of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. 46. is expresly applied to and fulfilled in
1. Siding and sorting themselves into parties with their messes and dishes of good cheer each faction by themselves vers 18. which is contrary to the nature or name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feasts of Love One party went to it before another came v. 21. 33. 2. Here was a slighting and laying aside the poor Christians that could send in nothing contrary to the nature of a religious communion ver 28 22. 3. Here was intemperance and excess ver 21. contrary to Christian sobriety 4. These feasts were made in the Assembly or meeting-place as we say the Church as appears ver 22. Have ye not houses And §. 4. 5. With these juncats and feasts they joyn'd the celebration Beza in Act. 2. in illis convivis Grot. in Mat. 26. 25. Casaub Exâ—re 16. of the Lords-Supper Mensis suis pascebant saith Austin Epist 118. and therefore the Apostle tels them they defaced it vers â—1 This is not to eat the Lords-Supper for quod non ritè fit fieri non dicitur and he doth therefore set forth the Lords institution of the Supper vers 23. that they might see the bare and naked nature of it one thing is doubtfull Whether the Lords-Supper was celebrated at the beginning or end of these feasts And the doubt riseth Because in this Chapter as is conceived by learned Diodat Estius Cajetan in loc Gerard. in har p. 461. men the feast went before as in Christs last Supper the paschal Lamb was first eaten and the Cup was taken after Supper vers 25. and the unworthy coming to it mentioned v. â—9 and the punishment of this Church for their unworthiness vers â—0 argues That their feasting first had unfitted them for the participation of this Ordinance and yet Chrysostom and Donaras saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the participation of the Lords Supper the feast was and that Vbi supra is true for after-times for the reproof of the Apostle haply had removed the feast unto the last place for good reasons but the feasts were not quite removed out of the Churches of Greece and Africk where Tertul. Apol. c. 39. we finde them continuing Insomuch as the Synod of Laodicea which was about three hundred years after Christ and before the Nicene Councel made a Canon cap. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That it is not fit the Agapae should be in Churches or publick places of worship and so these ancient Feasts grew out by little and little and now no remainders of them in all Christendom I have been the longer upon this because I think otherwise you would not clearly understand the foregoing verses that touch upon the abuse nor the cause and reason of the Corinthians coming unworthily to the Lords-Table and so I have set up a light in the entry by which you may finde the way into the better understanding of all that follows in this Chapter wherein he sets the Lords Supper to rights which was drowned in a feast Then he orders the address of the Communicants which through the aforesaid misdemeanours had come to it unworthily and then exhorts them to make it a Communion and not a Division as they had done Tarry one for another vers 33. and to prevent the intemperance of publick Feasts he bids them if they must eat before they come to the Lords Supper Let them eat at home vers ult and so clearly abrogates not the Feasts but the order of them as fore-going the Lords Supper and here we shall stand a little and make observation §. 5. Obs The Apostle interdicts not all eating or drinking before the Lords Supper but this feasting and the abuses growing thence he doth forbid Those words A man may eat before he come to the Lords Table vers ult If any man hunger let him eat at home that they come not together unto condemnation teach us That this Feasting was before the Sacrament and that a man may eat at home if occasion be before he come to the publick Assembly To put a necessity upon Fasting is to put Superstition into it for our Saviour at first celebrated it after Supper by necessity of the Law of the Passeover but bindes us not by his example to eat first nor by any rule to fast before it therefore it is of free observation and use yet the custom of coming fasting had spread over the Aug. Epist 118 Per universum orbem mos isto servatur Chrys in 1 Cor. 11. 26. universal Church in Austins time Per universum orbem mosiste servatur Chrysostem speaks too highly of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mayest be worthy to receive for setting it aside as any piece of spiritual preparation and I know not why it may not stand Omnes jejuni celebramus saith that Light of France Chamier de Euch. lib. 6 cap 1. §. 13. All the French Churches celebrate the Supper fasting I hold to the Rule If any man hunger c. either of these is best which puts the body in best tune to serve as I may say the soul in a holy duty §. 6. Obs 2 How soon abuse crept into this Ordinance of the Supper It was not above twenty or thirty year from the nativity or birth of this Ordinance when this Epistle was written it was nothing so long from the birth or foundation of this Church to this time The Apostle had sown good corn in this field by his Doctrine I have delivered unto you the naked institution of Christ and now it stands in need of weeding The Devil was not asleep in the very Apostles Errour and corruption sprung up in the Church betime times He raised up Simon Magus and after him a fry of Gnosticks or knowing people so they would be called but falsly saith Irenaeus to corrupt the Doctrine and it was betimes that the Devil set his foot in this most excellent Ordinance and from first to last there have been scarce any times wherein some soil hath not cleaved to this Sacrament every Age adding or declaring somewhat till it became a monster unlike it self in the Romish Masse which is a Masse of Idolatry and abomination a very abomination of desolation to this Ordinance the stamp of Christs institution being so defaced that he that minted it cannot own his own coyn for being an outward Ordinance consisting of outward elements and actions the fancy of men thinks this and that dressing would do better and so by putting on more ornaments as they call them they quite spoil the feature of the childe and if men would be tampering while the Apostles lived what would they do after If I should say that the unhappiest and oldest weeds have grown in this Garden I should not speak far wide I may say of it as Solomon saith of man Eccles 7. 29. Loc this have I found that God hath made man right but they have sought out many inventions §. 7. Obs 3 The Apostle
resemblances of meat and drink this is a hungry feast he must have his stomack in his eye that is fed with it but the Sacraments are signacula symbola seals and pledges or instruments offering exhibiting and making present to our faith the very benefits which they signifie the very body and bloud of Christ is not only represented but presente to a believer and brought home to his soul yet they are not natural instruments Montac orig part 1. p. 67. in which the inward grace is contained as in a vessel as the Romish Praesentialists and Schoolmen dream like plaisters which have in themselves a virtue or power to heal a wound or a medicine to expell poison but they are moral and voluntary means or instruments serving to the purpose ex destinatione by appointment as the brazen Serpent to heal the sting Bernard hath writ upon it As saith he in vestitures and possessions Bernard de coena and assurances do pass by the staff and ring Annulus non valet quicquam haereditas est quam quaerebam The ring avails little I seek the inheritance that is confirmed and convey'd by it so we say the Lands Inheritance c. do passe by the great Seal for so I come to have and hold and they are mine by it Thus the Sacrament is a seal of confirmation and conveyance of the inward grace to the hand or faith of a believing soul And as really as the estate doth passe by the Seal into your right and possession not by any inward work or power of the Seal in it self but by the use it 's of in sealing and conveying so really is Christ and all his treasure passed over unto you that receive him by faith not in respect of any worthiness or vertue in the very outward Sacrament but in and by the use it 's of by Christs appointment to seal confirm and convey that excellent place speaks my minde fully 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we bless Is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The Bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the body of Christ He saith not barely representation as a signe but communion or participation as a conveying seal I declare this to you because some believe too much and think the outward Sacrament works I know not how like a plaister by some vertue contained in them that is opere operato as they barbarously speak and others believe-too little as if they were meer and empty signs and resemblances of Christs body and bloud as if a woman should receive a ring meerly because the picture of her beloved is engraven on it and not as a ring of espousals really sealing and confirming the contract and assuring himself hers sed de hoe infra §. 5. The Use which may be hence inferr'd is twofold Use 1 The Lord Jesus is authour therefore this Supper is not ours that are Ministers but it is the Lords Alexander Ales pars 4. quaest 49. memb 1. Hales hath an excellent Rule which I shall make use of hereafter it 's this Sacerdos est dispensator non Dominus Sacramentorum Ecclesiae non dat suum sed reddit alienum quod de jure negari non potest The Minister is the Dispenser or Steward not the Lord of the Sacraments of the Church He gives not that which is his but restores that which is anothers which de jure cannot be denied to him to whom it 's Homil. 83. in Mat. due and therefore Chrysostom speaks to his fellow Ministers and cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Distributers Dispensers as you are of the poors bread in the Church which some Benefactour formerly appointed to be bestowed on them by his Will and of his Gift to whom the Lord gives it We cannot deny if they be within the Sphere of our office and to whom the Lord denies we cannot give A man comes to an Executour Sir I come to you for a certain Legacy given me by my Fathers will whereof you are Executour the gift bequeathed is not yours and you are but the hand whereby the Donour was pleased to hand it unto me True saith the Executour there is such a Legacy bequeath'd but if you look the Will you shall finde it given with some limitations and proviso's See the words ver 28. of this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so there is an And so But let a man examine himself and so let him eat and so let him drink It is confest on all hands The Conditions being performed the claim is good but if it can be said You are not a Disciple and to such only this Legacy was bequeathed by Christ or the Church hath set on you the brand of a Heathen or a Publican though you was a Disciple and you have for the present by your sinne forfeited the right you had untill by your repentance you return again why then all will say that an Executour or Administratour may not act directly contrary to the Will for he is not the Testatour to do what he will but he is Administratour to observe and not to violate the Will §. 6. Use 2 The Lord Jesus is authour from him therefore let the benefit and efficacy of this Ordinance be expected for it hath veritatem virtutem both esse and operari being and working from the authour As money hath the stamp and the value from the supream power and here is the difference between natural and moral instruments we take the word instrument largely pro medio for a mean that if the Sacraments were natural means or instruments in which as the Schoolman doth the very vertue or the grace and benefit by them convey'd were contrived then were the vertue and benefit to be expected from themselves and no otherwise from the authour than as authour of the instrument as the Candle gives light whether the maker of it be present or no and the plaister heals by a quality in it self but a moral instrument not so being empty of any vertue to such an effect except the authour do work by it or ad praesentiamejus at the presence of it as the Serpent of brasse on the Pole the Clay and Spittle on the eye the Lambs bloud on door-posts had in themselves no power to their several effects but as they were appointed and used by God or Christ It is very hard to believe that there is a true and real exhibition of Christs body and bloud to my faith as there is of the bread and wine to the mouth of the receiver sottish and superstitious people that use charms or inchanted means for diseases c. never ask themselves How these things work by any natural vertue in them or by the devil the authour of them And so here there are thousands that have a reverend esteem of these mysteries yea and a superstitious conceit thinking that there is some good in them and imagining at least that they shall
both institute and celebrate this Sacrament The concurrent testimony of the Evangelists and of Paul in this Text asserts it as the first Passeover in Aegypt was eaten in the night so was this Supper and as that was kept in after-times as a memorial of the destroying Angel his passing over the houses of Israel untill the death of Christ So this is kept as a memorial of the deliverance of the Church from eternal destruction by the death of Christ untill his second coming CHAP. V. Why Christ deferr'd the instituting of this Supper untill the night in which he was betrayed THat Christ could have ordained this Supper before this time there is no doubt but why he deferr'd it to this night in which he was betrayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in loc saith Chrysostom was not without some reason and the Lord himself intimates as much Luke 22. 15. With desire I have desired to eat this Passeover with you before I suffer Which Reasons are divers and may be ordered to two heads 1. Why he instituted it at the close of the Supper for after Supper he took the Cup v. 24. 2. Why he instituted and celebrated it a few hours if hours before he was betrayed §. 1. First Being ordained at or at the end of the Passeover and Supper annexed which some call coena justa Groâ—ius or apolytica the dimissory Supper it must of necessity be at night for the Passeover was eaten at the beginning or fore-part of the night therefore Christ was necessitate legis adactus saith Peter Martyr moved by In locum necessity of the Law to do it in the night and after Supper as substituting it in the place and room of the Passeover as Paraeus which he first fulfilled and then abrogated it and he abrogated it as one that did not impugn it for it was an Ordinance of God and therefore he did not tear it down as some old hangings off the wall but he did fulfill it by observing it and decently laid it in the grave by placing in its room the memorial of an infinitely greater and more largely extending mercy than the deliverance from Aegypt was So that when he whom that rosted and slain Lamb did type out was as the true Passeover slain and sacrificed then it was time the body being present to draw a curtain over the picture and in stead of that commemoration used at the Passeover when they broke the bread and distributed it saying This is the bread of affliction which our Fathers suffered in Aegypt to put a new memorial upon it This is my body broken for you This is my bloud shed for you and as that continued in the Church till the body came which that shadow represented so shall this continue in the Church till the person come alive which is here represented dying and then an end of this too 2. At the end of the paschal Supper to shew that Jansen Harm p. 105. in this Sacrament there is no bodily repast intended for they had already supped but a spiritual refection of the soul The rosted Lamb might afford the guests a belly-full so the Religion and Ordinances and Promises in the Law were more outward and bodily but this Sacrament of the Gospel is an after Supper modicum full of spiritual signification but not so stuffie for outward matter that we may prepare not as Austin saith our months but our faith and expect to satisfie not the hunger and thirst of the body as they might but the hunger and thirst of the soul which in this little model may finde enough and over-measure The Temple-service among the Jews was an Heb. 9. 1 10. Rom. 2. penult outward Religion and as their Ordinances were outward so they generally were Jews outwardly we wonder that they so little saw and tasted the marrow and kernel of them and stuck in the rinde feeding on the crust of most Ordinances as if a man should think the cloth would heal the sore and not the plaister spread upon it but if we take estimate of them by our selves we shall finde that most of us should have been as they in that case for God having ordained for us outward Sacraments for number few for observation easie for signification excellent as Austin speaks Epist 118. we are for the general but outward in them though we be clearlier taught what is within them yet we are in the use of them but outwardly reverent as they and do not spiritually and inwardly enjoy the kernell of them which the Apostle took notice of when he said Not discerning the Lords body and so they are seals indeed but rather seals of a Letter which shut it up than seals of a Deed or Covenant conveying the Estate to us 3. Though it be not a reason why this Ordinance was appointed after the Passeover-Supper yet I may observe it to you in this place that hence it is called The Lords Supper from the Author it 's called the Lords and from the Time it 's called a Supper being celebrated in the night and at the close of Supper Some later Maldonat in Mat. 26. 26. Estius in 1 Cor. 11. 20. Jesuites do tax the novelty of the name and affirm Nullus in Scripturâ locus c. No place of Scripture cals it so for the term in this Chapter refers say they to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Feasts of Love used with it they may say as well that Lords Table 1 Cor. 10. 21. refers to them too which we believe not it is a spiritual feast that which Matthew cals a dinner Matth. 22. 4. is called by Luke a Supper Luk. 14. 16. but we call it the Lords Supper though it be received in the morning or any other time of day with reference to the time of the first institution as the Passeover in after-times was called the Passeover not because there was any destroying Angel past over their houses every year but in respect of the first Passeover in Aegypt and in memory of that wherein there was a passing over the Israelites houses and a destroying of the Aegyptians first-born I could name to you many other names that this Sacrament bears in Scripture and ancient Authours farre more ancient then their Mâ—ssa which is but once found in Ambrose and in none before him or the Sacrament of the Altar as they call it but I insist not now on names He that will may see them in Casaub Exercit 16. §. 2. Secondly Why the Lord Jesus ordained it a very little before he was betrayed 1. He now seals his will which men use to do Paraeus in loc when they are in sight of death This is the New Testament saith he in my bloud when men make their Wils they bequeath their body to the earth Christ bequeaths his body and bloud to us He bestows his body natural on his body mystical the Church The Testatour is Christ Heb. 9. 16. The
of bread and wine a monstrous Paradox holden stifly by the Transubstantiatists or Papists The middle way holden by the Churches of our Confession is That the outward Elements do represent as Signes and exhibit as Seales and morall Instruments to the faith of the receiver the very Body and Blood of Christ sacrificed as spirituall repast for our souls and spiritually given and taken but that they continue not as incorporated with them nor are converted into the very naturall Body of Christ as locally or corporally there to be received by the mouth of the receiver We hold a difference or change of bread and wine blessed but it is a change of signification not of substance a relative change not reall a change in regard of use and esteem not of their naturall substance as the wax now a Seal to a Conveyance is wax still but not a Seal not of that value till now all the Rhetoricall flowers used by the Ancients reach no further if they do we cannot keep them company We hold that the Body and Blood of Christ is really that is truly exhibited and present to the faith of the receiver and we might express the reall presence as reall is opposed to imaginary or chimericall were it not for caption and mis-understanding none of ours denies the Body of Christ to be really though spiritually eaten by a Beleever nay it is immotum axioma whatsoever is eaten in that it is Forbes p. 53◠eaten it must be present no man can eat a thing that 's absent but the presence with or under the Elements is one thing and the presence to the soul and faith of a Beleever is another We know no union of Christs Body with bread and Wine but with his members which is reall and mysticall not reall and corporall therefore Christ saith Take eat before he say This is my Body as if it were his Body to their faith not as in the outward Element §. 3 §. 3. Arguments for the Protestants sense of the words This is my Body For attestation of this sense many Arguments may be mustred up together 1. Compare one part of this Sacrament with the other This cup is the New Testament in my Blood that is by Metonymy the Seal of the New Testament but not the New Testament it self so This is my Body that is the Signe and Seal of it but not it self 2. Compare the one Sacrament of the Gospel with the other In Baptism the water is water without reall alteration so here the bread is bread the wine is wine not changed into flesh or blood 3. Compare the Sacraments of the Old Testament with the New Circumcision is the Covenant because the Sign or Seal of it the Lamb is the Passeover because the memoriall or sign of it so the bread is my Body the wine is my Blood in the same form of speech 4. The Language in which our Saviour spake had no other property of expression there being no word for signifie but is in stead thereof as Learned men say and its certain the Scripture in both Testaments Hebrew and Greek uses the same form in a hundred places giving the name of the thing signified to the sign as hath been shown as the seven ears of corn are seven years The dry bones are the house of Israel The seven Candlesticks are seven Churches c. 5. The words This is my Body are not proper in the Lutheran sense no more than to say This Cloak is Peter because Peter is in it nor in the Popish sense except the Body of Christ be there before the words be pronounced This is my Body which should rather be thus Let this be my Body as God said Let there be light not This is light for it was not light before 6. The spirituall benefit which is eating and drinking Christs Body and Blood by faith is no less in our sense than if there were his very flesh for Christ saith The flesh profits nothing Joh. 6. and the Papists hold that the eating of Christs flesh by wicked men profits nothing except besides the Sacramentall there be a spirituall feeding upon Christ which we affirm 7. The Apostles understood these words as we do and as the Hebrews had ever understood the same expression for form in the Old Testament else they would have been amazed and startled at it and have asked some question as they were inquifitive enough in lesser matters but they saw Christ fit at table and eat and drink first himself and therefore could not be ignorant of their meaning 8. The Capernaite Disciples Joh. 6. having taken offence at those frequent expressions of eating Christs flesh and drinking his blood understanding them carnally were answered by Christ himself The flesh profits nothing The words that I speak are spirit and life as if he himself would give the interpretation 9. The Apostle thrice in this Chapter following cals it still bread after consecration as also in the Chapter foregoing and surely he that never before did would not delude the senses of his Disciples in this Ordinance and himself cals it wine too Matth. 26. 26. I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the Vine which is the Periphrasis usuall among the Jews for wine 10. The remembrance of Christ the shewing forth his death till he come do import the absence of his Body which the Scripture tels us ascended into heaven and there is contained in lieu of his corporall absence he sent the Spirit to abide for ever as another Comforter Memorials and monuments are of things absent 11. For the Ancient Fathers they prove against the Marcionites that held the Body of Christ to be meerly phantasticall That it is substantiall because the Elements of bread and wine are substantiall which was no good argument if only the accidents or shadows of the Elements do remain and all along downwards they call the outward Elements symbols Forbes p. 561. types figures signes of Christs Body untill about the year 1215. when subtill and superstitious Disputes grew hot about the presence of Christ in the Sacrament which occasioned Innocent the third to introduce both name of Transubstantiation and thing not before openly heard of and so as a Decree of the Lateran Council vented it as a point of faith since which time the Councill of Trent hath confirmed Sess 13. ca. 4. the Decree and the word as most fit and proper which are the rotten yet the best props upon which Transubstantiation doth stand at this day being upon the first birth of it as I said even now opposed Forbes p. 609 col 1. by the Waldenses and afterward by Wicliff and those that followed them and shall be opposed by all Orthodox till that Dagon fall §. 4 §. 4. Why the Error of Transubstantiation is to be rejected with utmost detestation II. To reject with utmost detestation the impossible and incomprehensible Errour of Transubstantiation and corporall presence by which Doctrine a silly
reason why the Ancients so often called this Ordinance a Sacrifice which Chrysostom recalling himself saith Chrys in Heb. Homil. 17. pag. Grecat 856. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather the commemoration of a Sacrifice because they offer'd up their prayers and thanksgiving in the name of Christ the Sacrifice here commemorated for here is no real sacrificing of Christ to God that turns the Table into a crosse but here is the commemoration of a Sacrifice and a feasting and feeding thereupon by faith as men that are in covenant and fellowship with God CHAP. XIII A Lamentation for the neglect of this Ordinance NOw to the Use of this point The Lord hath left it in charge that his Church do celebrate this Ordinance in remembrance of him And §. 1. First We may bewail that great eclipse which hath befallen this Ordinance here with us of later years the like to which hath not been seen in England since it became Protestant the remembrance and memorial of Christ hath been even forgotten and the Ordinance of Communion been render'd as the apple of contention and division a matter of quarrel rather than of use the losse that is gained by this intermission or neglect or disuse or it is very great for we lose an inestimable benefit by it the solemn remembrance of Christ with the comforts thence resulting we lose a duty by it for Christ said Do this and is it not a great losse to lose so signal a note of the Church of Christ so great a benefit and the visible mischief hath been very great for hereby separation hath been mightily advanced the people like sheep wanting fodder at their own crib have scatter'd themselves to other cribs and pastures where they might finde sustenance and several communions have been taken up on the same reason that water being carn'd or stopt from this old channel findes out or makes other water-courses and leaves the other channel dry and the generality of the people by their too easie patience under so great a famine have given too sad an argument how easily they would part with all Religion that have so carelesly suffer'd the losse of so great a part thereof as this Ordinance is I know that we shall like Josephs brethren be ready to transfer the fault on others no man will own it and yet haply we are all guilty it but in this that the Apostle said to the Corinthians in another case 1 Cor. 5. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned For had not pride and envy discontent and security prevailed over us we might have mourned and lamented after or over this losse or eclypse and thereby have manifested not only a good disposition of heart in feeling the want of Ordinances but a very good sign that God would restore it and a good part of preparation in our selves to the due and orderly receiving of it the childe is either very sullen or sick that cries not for his bread §. 2 §. 2. The Occasions of the Eclypse of this Ordinance in our dayes If we look upon the reason or occasions of that great eclypse which hath befallen this Ordinance for so long a time and in so many places of this Land we might be long upon so unpleasing a subject but I shall but touch and so away 1. As I look upon God without whose hand this could not come to passe I acknowledge that when he brings a man or a Church into an incapacity of Sacraments as Israel in the wildernesse or as in that case then that a man was unclean by reason of a dead body or in a journey far off Numb 9. 10. and such like cases now There is a relaxation of this command for the time and either necessity or duty may dispence with our forbearance And I further say That God is just in punishing us with this losse or stroke for our abuse and contempt of this holy Ordinance in former times by shutting out those that were fit to be admitted meerly upon a ceremonious inconformity and compelling in upon penalty that by this test they might finde out Recusant Papists such as were contrary to their own rules sottishly ignorant notoriously wicked and therefore I conceive this storm may be upon us and this breach in this Ordinance for the Lord tels Israel that when in good intention they sought to bring up the Ark of God and laid it on a Cart which should have been carried on the shoulders of the Levites he made a breach upon them for that they sought him not after the due order 1 Chron. 15. 13. For God is severely holy in exacting of us the due order of his Ordinances as we may see in Nadab and Abâ—hu and in that great rule Numb 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me When we take hold of mis-shapen Ordinances put out of forme by us we take a knise by the edge and not the haft we cut our fingers 2. As for them of the Separation whose advantage it was and of some of them the design to have us broken that they might thrive as the people on the Sea-coast do by the wrack They I say while some were labouring and all were waiting for to have Gods order stamped by civil Authority not to give esteem or value to that which is of God but to make it more currant with us As the stamp makes not the gold more precious but more currant in common use While I say some were endeavouring this or haply some of you will say While men slept the envious man sowed his tares and took his opportunity of that long vacation as Israel did of Moses his absence in the Mount and they planted their battery here upon this Sacrament and cried down promiscuous Communions with all their might laying a good foundation That onely visible Saints are fit Communicants which is true as to the Churches Admission That real Saints only are worthy Communicants which is true too as to the inward grace or benefit but then as alwayes in such cases it is the superstructure was hay and stubble That Saints are only such as are of their making and judging And That they that are of their opinion or party though vicious in life and empty of true grace are Saints and thence come the several Communions and divisions moulded up together into several bodies for and by interests passions and worldly ends which I speak not of all for some godly souls might be carried away to enjoy this Sacrament in a Communion more pleasing to them as Aaron was in the businesse of the golden Calf and others were mightily taken with it who hardly passing for honest men at home in their own Churches were presently canonized â—or Saints All the Congregation are Saints every one of them saith Corah Numb 16. 3. 3. When I look upon the standing Ministers who should dispense the Sacrament I must plead this for them that while it is their intention and
can we be debarred If Christ say Do this who can say Do not this I have answered this already The command here is not an outward commandment as I may say but an inward not given to all the world but to Christs Disciples to certain qualified persons as the command of the Passeover was limited to the circumcised and to the clean and this also to a man that examines himself and so let him eat of this bread c. It 's a duty and a priviledge both of all outward Ordinances the inmost §. 5. Vse 3 Christ hath thought it needfull to make provision against our forgetfulness of him while he is absent from us in the flesh The forgetfulness of Christ is the loss of all Religion we are apt to forget his love and his blood Those that live in known habituall sin forget Christ and I make no doubt but the often sight and memory of his death which is here acted and personated or drawn forth to the eye might exceedingly mortifie sin and melt the heart Nothing shews sin more distastfull to God than the death of Christ every pardon cries aloud to him that is pardoned Go and sin no more but he that takes heart to sin because Christ died seems neither to see his own sinne nor death in the death of Christ §. 6 §. 6. How our mindes should be exercised in the time of the celebration of this Supper Vse 4 Here we learn how to exercise our mindes and meditations in the celebration of this Supper viz. in the remembrance of Christ the survey of whom is inriched with excellent fruit of renewing our repentance quickning our faith elevating our affections and the impression made upon us by this lively spectacle of a dying Saviour cannot but work as the bloody Robes of Caesar did upon the people when they were hanged out in sight by Marc. Anthony and therefore it is suitable to the end of this Sacrament to be exercising our memories mindes and affections in the perusall of Christ Jesus I know that some Churches use to sing a Psalm while the action is performing whom I condemn not as a means to keep the heart intent and in spirituall frame or fixedness but should rather chuse a silent meditation and imployment of the minde in the remembrance of Christ for that 's more suitable to the end of this Ordinance and to Christs example and institution who according to the custom of the Jews filled the time of action with commemoration and closed it with a Hymn and if we may give credit to the Jewish Writers and others out of them as Hugo Broughton shews in his Commentaries on Daniel the Psalms of the Hallel or Hymn sung by the Jews was the 113 114 and so onward and it 's very probable that Christ and the Apostles did not herein vary for they sung a Hymn at the close as Matth. 26. 30. which example I need not stand to improve against the Anti-psalmists of this age There are severall pertinent meditations that may fully take up the time of the action with great advantage and benefit to our souls as namely 1. The dreadfulness of Gods justice which with a terrible stroak did smite the great Shepherd for our sins the least dram of it would have sunk us to all eternity 2. The cursed nature of sinne that so exasperates the holy God and makes such a breach between God and the creature as can never be made up but by the broken body of the Lord of Glory 3. What it cost to redeem a soul a mass of gold as big as the whole earth not valuable with one drop of this blood 4. What an infinite love broke forth that God rather than let our souls be lost would send his eternall Son and make him sin for us 5. What a great work it is to reconcile a sinner to his God all names of men and Angels are nothing to it all their sufferings would not pay a penny of this debt which is not dissolved by any blood but of the Lord of Glory 6. That God would not only pardon sin by giving forth a generall pardon as a King pardons rebels but so pardon as might even melt the hardest heart and for ever humble and silence and satisfie it by the love of God and the sufficiency of that Sacrifice whose vertue extends to thousands and lasts alwaies 7. That the gratious Covenant of God made with all that beleeeve in Christ is sealed and ratified with such blood as there needs no doubt of the validity of the Covenant though one man bad as many sins on him as all the world 8. That Gods way of saving man by a Mediatour the death of a Mediatour doth oblige man to be the than krullest creature in the world Angels that sin'd not have need of no Mediatour Angels that sin'd have none man that sin'd and therefore needs one hath one given to him The man Christ Jesus 9. That as God gave Christ for you so he gives him to you that he that was your Sacrifice offered up to God might in this Sacrament be offered unto you as meat and drink as spirituall repast that as we live by Christ so we may live upon him being entertained as confederates to feast with God upon the Sacrifice offered up unto him It is a fruitfull field of Meditation through which ye may walk the time of celebration and then breathe out your Meditations in a Song of praise as the close and musick of this heavenly Feast Concerning which Hymn wherewith the Jews did usually close the coenam apolyticam or dimissory Supper calling it the Hallel from the first word of it Hallelujah you may consult not only the Jewish Writers but our Learned men Cameron Myroth in Matth. 16. 30. Drusius in Matth. 26. â—â— Hugo Broughton in Dan. pag. 46. beside Paulus Burgensis Gerard Harm Fol. 178. col 3. who do also point out to us the 113. 114. Psalms as that Hymn for though some others do rather conceive it a new Hymn composed by our Saviour Grotius in Matth. 26. and the 17 Chapter of St John to be it we finde no reason to go with them in that opinion both because our Saviour did not easily vary from the Rite or Custom received nor could the Disciples have sung with him in consort except we imagine such a praelection of it to them as is used by us now a daies which will not be proved CHAP. XIII How much it concerneth Ministers to Teach and all to Learn the true meaning of this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 26 27. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the death of the Lord untill he come Wherefore whosoever doth eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord c. VVHen this Ordinance of the Supper is suitable to the Institution and the Communicant is suitable to the Ordinance then all is right Of the former I have acquitted my self by setting
ancient and later both corrupter and purer not that I or that I wish any else to be absolutely swayed by this Authority for there may be errour in the practice of the Church yea errour universally received as in that of giving this Sacrament to infants upon that ground Jeh 6. â—3 Except ye eat the flesh c. ye have no life in you and yet it was the practice of the Church so to do both in Cyprians and Austin's time but I prove the evidence of Fact by this Argument otherwise not to be proved at all and I do not expect that any should condemn so ancient a practice nor think they do but rather do conceive that the bottom of the business is the disrellish of that Authority by which it is to be done Bucephalus will be ridden by none but Alexander and it was the saying of Cardinall Matheo Langi concerning Luther That the Church of Rome the Mass the Court the lives of Priests and Friers stood in need to be Reformed but that a poor rascall Monk meaning Luther Heilin Geog. in Bavaria should begin all that he deemed intollerable and not to be endured §. 6 §. 6. The evidence of Scripture The second evidence is that of Scripture which is first in dignity but I put it second because it justifies the Fact for the substance thereof and here it is confest that no Turk Jew Infidell is debarred by reason of his Nation for Scythian and Barbarian bond and free are all one We are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 1 Cor. 12. 13. and have been made to drink into one Spirit and therefore the word of the Gospel lies open to all Nations and people without partition wall such as between the Jews and others of old time but the barre lies in point of Religion for if they lie in their Idolatry and Infidelity though they may come to the Word yet not to the Table of the Lord. Who are to be kept from the Sacrament 1. The Jews that serve the Tabernacle and stick to the old Service under the Legall shadows are excepted We have an Altar or rather a Sacrifice Jesus Christ our sin-offering whereof they have no right to eat Heb. 13. 10. that is no right of Communion with us or Christ The place is difficult but easily cleared by Levit. 6. 30. for as the Priests that served at the Altar had no right to eat of the flesh of the sin-offering whose blood was brought into the Sanctuary but burnt it must be without the Camp so the Jews that hold to the Legall service have no right of eating the flesh of Christ whose blood was brought into the Holy place of heaven virtually and his body suffered without the gates of earthly Jerusalem thereby signifying that they were discommended that hold to the Legall service 2. Heathens and Infidels are excluded from this Table because they are extraneous and without so they are called 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge or censure them that are without they are without the gates of the Church not obnoxious to the Government nor allowed the priviledges of it and they that are without the gate cannot be admitted to the Table untill they come in and be members of the family 3. All unbaptized persons are excepted by the order of our Sacraments whereof Baptism is first for insition and implantation into the Body of Christ and the Lords Table for further coalition and growth this order is confirmed by the use or business of the Sacraments the one being of Regeneration and so first the other of Communion and so the second See 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit are we baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one spirit first baptized and then made to drink which order the Church of Christ hath held from the beginning as it 's said by Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. After the new Convert is thus washed we bring him to our meetings where the Eucharist is 4. Those that are under a present incapacity of performing such antecedaneous acts of preparation or which are to be exercised in the act of communicating provided that this incapacity be visible as I may say or manifest unto us as in infants ideots stupid ignorants bruits in the shape of men who though baptized yet are not capable of discerning the Lords Body or of examining themselves who seem to be excepted ver 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat and drink And so I know a mad man may have lucid intervals and a poor ignorant soul may be brought to know the letters and spell the first syllables of Christianity against either of which I would not shut the door but if the ignorant cannot be gotten beyond sottishness and stupidity nor got out of his obstinacy in blindness I should be very unwilling to let him runne blinofold down the precipice or leave the door open for him to fall into condemnation not that I envy him a benefit but pity his downfall which I ought to hinder or at least not to help forward and I may say of such an one as the Apostle of the Law Rom. 7. 13. Shall that which is good be made death unto him God forbid Especially considering that the Apostle having said Let a man examine himself and so let him eat doth in the next words come on again ver 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body As for infants though the Churches of ancient time admitted them after Baptism to partake of the P Martyr in Musculus de caena Lords Supper for some hundreds of years and one or two of our Reforming Divines speak somewhat favourably of it yet the ground they went upon Joh. 6. 53. that otherwise they had not salvation is disclaimed by all both because that Chapter speaks nothing of Sacramentall or Symbolicall eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood and also was delivered by Christ a year or two before this Sacrament was born into the world and because there is so much activity and exercise required in a Communicant as viz. to remember the Lords death to shew it forth to discern the Lords body to examine ones self to judge ones self therefore is that ancient practise obsolete and as by tacite consent deserted and in room thereof we admit now not by their years for a man of threescore may be a childe in understanding and a childe in years may be a man but by their discretion and knowledge in the mystery of Christ and if the Parents or Pastors care the blossoming of grace and pregnancy in the childe were answerable to my desires I should as I am for great reasons be foreâ—â—ly admissions of them as namely that the benefit and refreshing of this Ordinance might curb the over-growth of the sins and lusts of youth
that he must rise from the Table while the Paschal Supper was eating which Paschal Supper and the Lords Supper was as it were all one to them not distinguisht but by the signification put upon the bread and wine just when they were delivered being indeed the Paschal Rites and no other viz. materially and therefore I see not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may signifie as it doth Matth. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seed in stony places sprung up forthwith not so soon as sowed but by reason of shallownesse of the earth and heat of the rock sooner then ordinary seed and so Judas went out forthwith not before the end of the Paschal Supper which was also the end of the Lords Supper both being at once and concluded by one hymn but before the long speech Vasquez Tom. 3. Disp. 217. cap. 2. which was continued after Supper by Christ John 13. Joh. 14. for he left Christ and the other together in the room and before that last Sermon was gone about his intended plot and this as it is the common so also as I suppose the true opinion which is hinted as the consent of the Church of England in the Exhortation before the Communion where you finde these words If any of you be a blasphemer Confessio Belgica of God an hinderer or slanderer of his Word an adulterer or be in malice or envy or any other grievous crime bewail your sinnes and come not to this holy Table lest after the taking of that holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he enter'd into Judas and fill you full of all iniquities and bring you to destruction both of body and soul But this example pleads nothing for admission of openly notorious and scandalous sinners for though Christ knew Judas yet his sins had not yet scandalously broke forth and therefore he was present as a secret sinner of whom there could be no just accusation nor evident proof and so no object as yet of any ecclesiastical censure in an ordinary and orderly Tom. pars 3. Qu. 81. way as Aquinas saith 4. No private trespasse against a private scandal given to a Christian brother is the immediate object of this debarment from publick Communion for in such cases there is an order viz. The golden Rule of Christ is to be observed Matth. 18. 15. Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he hear thee thou hast gained thy brother if not then take one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be establisht If yet he hear not or neglect Tell it to the Church The businesse here to be done is not so much to resarciate the damage or injury done to thee or to make him pay what he owes that belongs to Westminster-Hall not the Church but to gain a brother to repent that 's the work And here we may complain of a great neglect of this duty of private reproof or admonition Men would have their private offences brought upon the publick stage at first dash they expect the Church should proceed to do their work at first instance they forget that Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him The Church would have lesse to doe if this course were held the matter would be stopt the offendour gained by this private plaister which if it do the cure what need we go to the Chyrurgion Men have their own private plaisters and untill the sore rankle they call not the Chyrurgions to counsel Men are apt to runne to the Church or Minister with private whispers and what can they do by Gods Word upon private whispers just nothing go and do your own duty Let Christs order be observed He will not have a member of the Church made a Publican or Heathen at first dash there are three neglectings to hear before that be If he hear not thee If he hear not two or three If he hear not the Church but if he do hear thee then no end of bringing two or three If he hear two or three then no telling of the Church If he hear the Church then is he no Heathen or Publican unto thee How rashly and passionately do many separate from the Church because she cannot doth not cast out her members upon their private whispers let them go and seperate also from the Commonwealth because she doth not banish or put to death upon private information Do they neglect their own duty to their brother and will they make the Church a Heathen and a Publican to them for not doing that which by Christs order they cannot do 5. The proper and adequate and immediate object of this debarment from the Communion of the Church is a scandalous person that holds either a course or hath committed the act of a scandalous sinne And what call you that It may be explained thus 1. Some atrocious or grievous sinne of first magnitude If any that is called a brother be a fornicator idolater covetous c. 1 Cor. 5. There is a list with an Et catera Gal. 5. 19. where they are called Works of the flesh and they that do such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God As also 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor fornicatours idolaters adulterers abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners and such were some of you These the Papists call mortal sins they bring scandal on the Church provoke God blot out our comfort waste the conscience c. but there are quotidian sinnes of daily incursion common to all godly men infirmities which like little flies are not to be knockt down with so great a hammer whose absolute cure can hardly be expected or performed by such as are subject to the like passions themselves divorce or banishment are too great but for such offences as are directly contrariant to the respective societies of marriage or Commonwealth 2. It must be an open and manifest sinne else it is 1 Cor. 5. 1. not scandalous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is reported commonly fornication and such fornication Chrysostom saith he speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning manifest sinnes when he charges his Ministers to admit no scandalous offendour Now to render a sinne manifest or notorious I suppose first it's requisite 1. That it manifestly be a sinne and this is quaestio juris for a thing may be commonly cried down under the name of an enormous crime and yet indeed be very doubtfull I instance usury where the Question is What it is Then Whether this in question be usury Then Whether all usury be sinfull For there are great names of learning and godlinesse who upon considerable reasons do deny it 2. That it be manifest that the sinne be committed for it
the local contact or conjunction but the moral conjunction that defiles and we are as morally separate and sever'd from them when they are at the Lords Table as if they were in place distant It 's they that joyn with us in our profession not we with them in their sins if their profession be hypocritical that infects not us for spiritually infected we are not by contagion but consent nor do we professe our selves to be of one body with them any otherwise 1. Cor. 10. 17. than all that communicate with hypocrites do viz. upon supposition that they are as they professe members of the body which if they be not our profession is not false but theirs is and yet I confesse that those are best Churches where the presumption of godlinesse in the members is most reasonable §. 9. In summe and for conclusion we defend the communion of the visible Church in Gods Ordinances but we defend not the sinne of them that professe to know God but in works deny him It was a sad complaint of Salvian long ago Praeter paucissimes De Gudern l. 3. c. Besides some few that serve the Lord in Spirit quid est omnis caetus Christianorum Free our Communion from this exception by amendment of their lives and that the godly would as the School saith Abuti alieno peccato make good use of other mens sins and their own for even they are mixt persons as I may say having flesh and Spirit as well as our Churches are mixt of good and bad and that they would stirre up their graces to be the better for other mens sinnes and perform the duties required of them at such a time and not give way to thoughts of Separation which puls a good stake out of a rotten hedge where it did more good by standing than by removal For unto the pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure Tit. 1. 15. whereby it is plain that what is impure to them that are defiled is not made impure to them that are pure and so I conclude with this recapitulation The Separation of the Church from wicked men and infidels by Gods calling and Covenant with it is as necessary as the profession of faith and holinesse The Church her Separation or casting out of obstinately wicked men from her communion is defended for the recovery of lapsed members and the avoidance of infection of and scandal to her self The secession of those good people from the Idolatry erected by Jeroboam to worship at Jerusalem is allowed 2 Chron. 11. 16. The negative Separation or the not communicating in the worship of Baal not so much as by knees or lips of those seven thousand in Israel is liked of by the Lord 1 King 19. 18. The avoidance of private familiarity with scandalous sinners is often commanded ut supra The flying of Gods people out of Babylon where Idolatry is maintain'd by force and tyranny is called for and required The Separation of heretical and vitious members from the Church is branded with a black coal Jude v. 19. These be they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit which above all men they pretend unto But the Separation of the godly from Gods Ordinances because of the corrupt lives of some in the Church is no where by any syllable of Scripture allow'd or countenanc'd being contrary to the example and not warranted by command of Christ or his Apostles and it 's a vain pretending to a holinesse above their Rule or their example All that I would is an order in the Church I should rejoyce to behold as saith he your order and the stedfastness of your faith Col. ◠5. which too many too much slight and undervalue for as one said Order in an Army kils no body yet without it the Army is but a rout neither able to offend or defend so haply order in the Church converts no body yet without it I see not how the Church should attain her end or preserve themselves in begetting or breeding up souls to God CHAP. XXI Whether the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance §. 1. Quest 3 THe third Question is Whether the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be a converting Ordinance There is a conversion of a regenerate man from some Luk. 22. 32. fall or sinne as in that saying When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren and so a man that 's godly may be often converted that is raised up from lapses and backslidings Of this the Question is not for this is but as the blowing in of the candle when the flame is gone out by exciting or wakening the fire that yet glows in the weeck of the candle which may be done by this Sacrament But the Question is Whether God doth offer or exhibit the first grace for conversion of an unbeliever or unregenerate man for as Davenant rightly saith The first faith must be given to an unbeliever as the first light is that which comes into meer darkness This Question is but an upstart among us which hath risen on occasion of seclusion of some from this Sacrament and indeed quite overthrows it if the Sacrament be a converting Ordinance for upon this ground we may invite the most wicked to the Table as well as to the Word namely for conversion and it were a great sin to prohibit any from the appointed means of their conversion §. 2. For answer to the Question I premise That it is the Doctrine of Whitaker that as the Word is the mean and instrument of grace so is the Sacrament in general the one is applied to the ear the other to the eye This is the difference The Word begins and works grace in the heart For faith comes by hearing but the Sacrament is objected to the eye and doth not begin the work of grace but nourishes and increases it for faith is not begotten by the Sacraments but only augmented Thus he The Doctrine of physical operation is exploded by all the orthodox Sacraments do not work grace as a plaister cures a sore that 's a blinde conceit of ignorant souls but God by them or in their use imparts grace as he did healing by the brazen Serpent Now God by Baptism solemnly represents and seals to his people their planting into Christ We are planted by Baptisme into the likenesse of his death Rom. 6. 3 4 5. And by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and therefore Baptism is called the Sacrament of our implanting ingraffing incorporating into Christ and so is a Sacrament of initiation Ye are all children of God by faith in Christ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 2◠God was pleased to have his Covenant sealed by Baptism as to the first grace of that Covenant as by Circumcision also under the Law and so we are solemnly listed and admitted to be his and called
thus God offers the body and bloud of his Sonne which was shed for the remission of sinne and saith Take ye Eat ye Drink ye and that inward act which answers to this outward action whereby we do receive Christ that is exhibited we call faith when Christ is tender'd to us in the Word we believe ex-promisso when offer'd in the Supper we believe ex pignore There we have a promise here a pawn or pledge This faith is the taking hand which goes forth to the offering-hand of God This taking eating drinking are but faith appropriating and applying Christ You say you believe What believe you That God offers Christ to your faith What 's a poor man the richer for believing that one offers him a shilling What 's a condemned man the better for believing that a pardon is offer'd to him This is but a faith of the truth of the offer But doe ye receive Christ offered Do you close in with Christ Do you take him into you Here is the best Covenant sealed with the best blood that ever was You believe this to be a truth but come not in to this Covenant that saith doth but serve to your just condemnation It is the Christ-receiving not the truth acknowledging saith that brings salvation to you If men did but know what saving saith is we should have either more or â—ewer believers more for they would renounce that superficial thing cahed faith and buy gold tried in the fire Fewer for they would not count themselves to believe by that faith which they have A woman may believe a man to be rich and honourable and â—eall in his suit yet that belief doth not make a marriage but actual consent to take him for a husband For saith gives as well as takes it gives a man up to Christ as well as takes Christ to be a Saviour It is not true faith that blows hot and cold out of the same mouth and cries Hosanna to Christ a Saviour but yet I will not have him reigne over me This Sacrament presents Christ to faith thus It presents Christ himself his body and bloud not the benefits of Christ apart and abstract but Christ himself It presents Christ for intimate union with us as the nourishment is to the body It presents him really as the bread and wine is really taken and received It presents him crucified and suffering as if he was now dving and bleeding in whom faith findes reconciliation remission justification and redemption so is it acted and exercised in this Ordinance §. 4. Thirdly The third grace that is freshly revived and set on work in this Sacrament is Repentance and that appears thus Here is represented Goes Justiâ—e against our sinne in bruising his own Sonne with fore and dreadfull breaches made upon him and this Justice is mixt with goodnesse in transferring and laying upon the Sacrifice the delinquencies and sinnes which had they been charged on us had sunk us into the bottome of perdition and who that sees this shall not tremble at the fearfull wrath of God which Angels and men could not stand before Who shall not mourn over Christ whom we have pierced as it 's said of them Zech. 12. 10 Who can love the knife that slew his friend I meane the sinne that our Saviour bore in his body on the Tree This consideration here presented to you if you follow Christ from the Garden to Golgotha should me thinks affect the soul of a believer 1. With tender meltings of godly sorrow for sinne 2. With fresh purpose of amendment of life 1. With godly sorrow for sinne To hear the strong cries and see the streaming bloud of Christ for can there be a greater demonstration either of Gods Justice toward sinne or of his goodnesse to a sinner They say an adamant will be broken by bloud but alas the heart of man hath lost ingenuity or else the bloud of Christ would make us love sinne as bad as the terrours of Mount Sinai yea and to love it lesse and hate it more Fear may break a man but goodnesse melts him The terrours of the Lord may amaze and leave a man as hard still but godly sorrow makes tender and changes the disposition of the soul Revive then the sense of your sinne even pardon'd sins do revive godly sorrow and the more because he tastes goodnesse and grace to him unworthy the sweet of the Passeover is lost for want of bitter herbs 2. With fresh purpose of amendment a needfull grace to be renew'd at this Sacrament we should eat this Passeover with shoes on our feat and slaves in our hand ready to march out of Aegypt We cannot eat the Passeover and stay in Aegypt still God confirmes his Covenant and we must restipulate with God to cast out and execrate the old Leaven Let 's carry wounded sinnes from this Table Bring wonded hearts and carry away wounded sinnes Let 's learne to die to sinne by seeing Christ die for sinne Mutet vitam qui vult accipere vitam saith Austine The Covenant of Grace is sealed Let us seal a Covenant of Obedience By the merit of Christs death we are purchased to be Gods not our own By the power of his Death we are slain dead to sinne But here I must break out to meet with our common purposers and resolvers which if ever in their lives do now when they come toward the Lords Table flatter God and themselves with a new beginning of a new life from this time they are resolved that the ear that hath heard them shall hear them swear no more The eye that hath seen them shall see them drunk no more c. I would these greene cords would hold but we finde this righteousnesse is but a morning dew their Sampson lusts when they awake break all these cords And why Because these purposes arise from a fit of conscience not from a principle of life or love and so they prove but Lucida intervalla they returne to their madnesse againe when the fit takes them I would such men would resolve to be ashamed of these resolutions which so often leave them in the dirt that selfe confusion may carry them out of their owne strength which selfe-resolution doth but arme them with and therefore doth not stand For he that hath the Falling-sicknesse may resolve to fall no more but in vaine untill the disease be purged These are the principall the staple graces to be exercised in this Ordinance there are others which are included in these which I but name As §. 5. Fourthly Spiritual appetite of hunger and thirst after Christ who is here offered as full nourishment for the soul under the form of bread and wine I account gracious desires to be the immediate products of regenerated graces and very comfortable testimonies of life spirituall 1 Peter 2. 2. but it is called vehement desire 2 Cor. 7. 11. in difference from the sluggards desires which are but wishes and which every man pretneds
in a state of salvation without it because it serves for confirmation of one that is already in a saving state and it 's plain that a great parâ— of Christs Office is exercised in preserving and continuing of them in him who are already members of him and therefore is the finishâ—r as well as authour of our faith for we live in him and from him and our grace is maintain'd by emanations from Christ as the light by continual emanations from the Sunne and therefore this Ordinance of Communion of Christ and the exercise of such acts of communion are of prime use and benefit as the branch that shoots from the Tree grows and lives from that root which gave to it the first being by a contrived influx of sap into it And this is the first combination of Gods act and of ours 2. The second combination is The gracious Covenant which God hath made in Christ is sealed to a believer The common nature of a Sacrament is to be a seal of Justification or Righteousnesse with God by faith in Christ Rom. 4. 11. As a seal refers to some Covenant so the Sacrament refers to Gods Covenant with man which is this That God promises to accept into favour and into his propriety all that do believe in and receive Christ and to bestow upon them all the blessings and benefits thereof God gives Christ in way of Covenant He covenants with Christ our Lord that he should give his soul an offering and a Sacrifice for sin and in so doing should see his seed Isa 53. 10. So Arminius in this point is orthodox Of this Covenant the death or bloud of Christ is the Condition which Christ accepted and performed The Covenant of God with us is That all that believe in Christ that died and receive him for their Lord and Saviour shall have remission of sins c. and of this Covenant the bloud of Christ is the ratification as the Testators death ratifies the Will or Testament for it is bloud that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicate the Testament Heb. â— 18. and so in the words of this Chapter This Cup is the New Testament or Covenant in my bloud viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicated thereby and this bloud we receive in this Sacrament as the Seal of the gracious Covenant made with us So that if doubts arise concerning the reality of God and surenesse of this Covenant that speaks so much grace and mercy we look upon and take hold of this Seale of bloud and are thereby setled and therein acquiesce Answerable to this act of God the believer accepts of and submits to this Covenant and the Conditions of it viz. to believe and to have God for our God and thereof makes a solemn profession in this Sacrament giving up himself to Christ as Lord and Saviour restipulating and striking hands with him to be his and so bindes himself and doth as it were seal a counterpart to God again and not onely so but comes into a claim of all the riches and legacies of the Will or Covenant because he hath accepted and here declares his acceptance of the Covenant The Seal is indeed properly of that which is Gods part of the Covenant to perform and give and is no more but offer'd untill we subscribe and set our hands to it and then it 's compleat and the benefits may be claimed as the benefit of any conditional promise may be when the condition is performed And least you should stumble at that word I must let you know That the Will accepting and submitting to the conditions is the performance of the conditions required and so the gracious God that might pro imperio require duty and allegiance of his creature condescends to us to enter into a Covenant of Grace with us and vouchsafes us the honour of coming into Covenant with him that so he might settle and maintain a communion and correspondence between himself and his people and there might be a mutual bond of engagement each to other which is solemnly professed as often as we meet with God in this Sacrament because we are so apt to disbelieve and waver about his promises and to halt and decline from our obligations to him And this is the second combination of action according to that which is to be remembred at every sealing day the Sacrament is a sealing day Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes c. And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee So much for the first What is here done §. 6 §. 6. What is here Received by the Worthy Communicant 2. I come to the second What is here received and I do not mean to say what every believer doth sensibly receive but what God hath appointed by this Sacrament to convey and what may be received by a believer in the right use of it not alwayes to his own sense but according to the nature of this Ordinance I will not say that which some affirm but it is Apocryphal of the Manna which the Israelites did eat that it had the taste that every man desired But this I may say that as Calvin of himself When I have Instit l. 4. c. 17. §. 7. said all I have said but little the tongue is overcome yea the minde is overwhelmed I say then in one word 1. Christ is here received the body and bloud of Christ into intimate Union as the nourishment of our souls What is more ours than the meat we eat What is more nearly joyn'd to us than that which becomes part of our selves The Scripture by the language it useth hath even overcome our apprehensions A man may eat the fruit that hath no interest in the Tree but here the believing eater grows into the Tree he that drinks drinks the fountain he comes to a closer Union with the conduit-pipe of all grace the flesh of Jesus Christ You know the best meat and drink doth you no good except it be made your own nor is Christ of worth except he be ours he is as if he were not Tolle meum tolle Deum we must be happy by a Christ within us Know you not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. â— There was a croud toucht Christ but vertue went out of him to none but one that toucht him by faith So there is a throng about the Table but none receive Chrâ—st but those that by faith take and eat his crucified body If Christ himâ—elf be hâ—re received what spiritual grace is there that is not in him It is somewhat a grosse conceit to ask How Christ in heaven and a believer on earth can be united For man and wife are one flesh though a thousand miles asunder And we know that as the Apostle saith Col. 2. 19. there are bands and joynts whereby the Head and every Member the root and
sinne and attended with fearfull effect It is of a high nature as appears by that peculiar guilt which is contracted he shall be guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord it is of fearfull consequence He eats and drinks judgement to himself Thou seest saith Chrysosâ—em 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In loc what a terrible word the Apostle speaks speaks nay thunders so as may awake the secure soul into a trembling The example of Nadab and Abihu their being made Sacrifices themselves was enough to give warning to all after them against offering of strange fire and was the occasion of that excellent Rule which God gave at that time to be observed in all our near approaches to him I will be sanctified of all that come nigh me Lev. 10. 3. There are four things to be open'd 1. The sin it self viz. Eating and drinking unworthily 2. The cause of the sinne Not discerning the Lords bâ—dy 3. The aggravation of the sinne by the object and peculiar nature of it viz. A guiltinesse of the body and bloud of Christ 4. The danger that attends or follows upon it He eats and drinks judgement to himself §. 3. 1. The sinne is Eating and drinking unworthily and it is a peculiar sinne or transgression of the Law of this Ordinance One may do what the Law requires and yet sinne grievously if the manner of doing be vicious and corrupt Men may be content if the matter by their Law required be done whether with a good will or an evil but God is not so who values the disposition of heart when the thing in command sometimes is not done so he hearkned to Hezekiah his prayer for them that prepared their heart to seek God though not legally purified 2 Chron. 31. 19. and is highly displeas'd when the command Do this is observed but it is done unworthily and therefore they say he is pleased with benè not meerly with bonum The Ordinance it self is the Index or Touchstone of unworthinesse Here is Christ offer'd and presented to thee and thou hast no faith Christ broken bleeding for sinne and thou hast no repentance Christ for spiritual nourishment and thou hast no appetite The Covenant is sealed and thou art no confederate strengthening and refreshing grace convey'd and thou art a dead man Communion of Christs body and bloud and thou art no member in Union with him How unsatiable art thou to the Ordinance and therefore eatest and drinkest unworthily §. 4. This word unworthily may he taken two wayes Privative and Contrary Taken privatively it is as much as not worthily not suitably to the Nature and Use of the Ordinance Taken contrarily it is as much as wickedly so we say a man deals unworthily that is basely unjustly injuriously In the first sense He that hath no spiritual grace and therefore cannot exercise it or he that hath some but doth not exercise it may come unworthily for the words Take ye eat ye do denote and so require the exercise and acting of our graces such as have no grace can exercise none as a dead body without life cannot exercise an act of life it cannot take and eat Hear what the Schoolman saith Statum gratiae c. that a state of holinesse and grace is necessary to the worthy receiving of this Sacrament And I believe the ancient Fathers were of this sense by the order of Baptism the Sacrament of Regeneration going before the Supper an Ordinance of corroboration and this Rule speaks plainly no man unregenerate receives this Sacrament worthily It 's a Doctrine of hard digestion but hard wedges cleave hard knots make that the point of your examination §. 5. Such as have some grace and do not exercise it but are either stupid or presumptuous they have a wedding-garment but do not put it on Pride and presumption of grace betrayes many a man to fin and to come to this Table unworthily These Corinthians were most blown up of any and they are punisht for eating and drinking unworthily Let no Christian be secure as if he could not come unworthily and so neglect the trimming of his Lamps The best swimmers are soonest drown'd I would not crush the least spark of grace I mean by having grace that spark in the flax and by exercise the very smoak of that spark Christ would not let them be drown'd whom he cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o ye of little faith he exercised his faith that Matth. 8. 26. said Lord I believe help my unbelief In the second sense taken contrary unworthily is He that comes to this Table with a conscience imbrued in guilt without remorse or lives in practice and custom of foul sins and lusts we have such as come out of the adulterous bed newly stept off the ale-bench their hands are full of bribes and extortions their mouths belch out lying swearing and revenge they come to the Sacrament in superstition to be shriven to sin again not in repentance to be forgiven to go away and sin no more their prosanenesse dreams of a cure not of a conquest they are willing to leave their sins upon Christs back only while they go and fetch more There is a wretched crew of such Communicants thaâ— make conscience of the Sacrament and make no conscience of those sins they live in Judas came impudently and in the purpose of horrible sinne Parta timeat qui paria audet saith Novarine Let them fear the like that dare do the like God was not pleased with them that did eat the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink the reason is given they were idolaters and committers of fornication and other enormous sinnes 1 Cor. 10. And who you will say can come without sinne I say there are remaining sinnes in the regenerate but not reserved sinnes If you hold the course and custom of those sinnes which your conscience cannot but tell you of you do but adde the sinne of receiving unworthily to the rest of your sinnes and blow up the fire of Gods wrath the hotter against you why then you say better stay away then come to load our selves with more guilt If you will not come because you will not repent and cast off your sinnes you proclaim your just condemnation in preferring your sinnes before Christ Jesus If ye come without true repentance you eat and drink your own damnation nothing can lead you out of this labyrinth but repentance and conversion Therefore as the Prophet said to some that desired the day of the Lord To what end is it for you It 's darkness and not light so shall I say to many that are forward to rush into the Lords Table without fear To what end is it for you The bread and wine ye eat and drink is but your own condemnation Unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to Amos 5 18. take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and art not reformed Psal 50. 16 17 CHAP. XXX
The Cause of this Sinne viz. Not discerning the Lords Body §. 1. 2. THe cause of this sinne of eating unworthily is not discerning the Lords body ver 2â— The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to make difference between one thing and another Act. 15. 9. Heb. 5. 14. and in this place to discern and put a difference between two and those two things as the common streame runs are common bread and wine and this Bread and Cup of the Lord which are imploy'd to another use and end than promiscuous and common bread at your own tables for this is called the Bread of the Lord the Body of Christ in respect of signification and use I finde no fault with this exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Justin We receive not this Bread as common bread nor this Cup as common wine which hath no other use than to refresh the body I say I finde no fault but why may not Not discerning the Lords Body signifie thus much Not minding the body of Christ signified by the Bread but looking all upon the shell or sign and not the kernel or inward thing which should be regarded with greatest intention Let me not offend in the terms of this distinction §. 2 §. 2. What it is not to discerne the Lords Body speculatively There is a speculative discerning of the Body of Christ and there is a practical The speculative discerning is the notion or knowledge of the signification of the outward elements That the Bread and Wine do represent Christs Body and Bloud That the Bread broken represents his Body broken c. This is an easie piece of knowledge as easie as to know that a picture or figure do represent such a man and there is no great measure of knowledge to construe all parts or rites of the Sacrament into a true meaning In this sense not to discern the Lords body is directly to inhere and stick in the bread and wine as bread and wine and to take the picture for the man It may be there be some such bruitish ignorants that discorn not the meat from the dish nor the marrow from the bone such as these are are fit to be excluded because where there is no Analogy holden there can be no Sacrament The Analogy I say between the outward Sacrament and inward thing must either be known or it is to us no Sacrament For a similitude resemblance or Analogy must be between two things at least and therefore those that in a blinde and bruitish ignorance know nothing but the outward part do not properly receive a Sacrament but are like the carnal Jews that knew not the meaning of their Sacrifices or of those types of Christ which they had The brazen Serpent was Christ the Rock they drank of was Christ but many of them dream'd not of him in the use of them I do not believe these Corinthians men of such knowledge were such bruits for the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 16. speaks to them as wisemen who knew this saying The Bread we break Is it not the Communion of the body of Christ c. Therefore §. 3 §. 3. What it is not to discerne the Lords Body practically The practical discerning of the Lords body is when the body and bloud of Christ are so minded and intended as to compose the inward man and the outward behaviour of the Communicant into such a posture of spirit and carriage as is suitable to Christs body and bloud there offered and exhibited unto faith and the not discerning the Lords body is when the behaviour is so loose and rude the inward man so discomposed and carnal as that interpretative they may be said not to minde or not to discern the Lords body So we would say of one whose carriage is wanton and loose in the presence of his fathers corpse lying in presence in a coffin or beer you doe not minde you consider not who lies there because if he did another countenance and carriage would beseem him and so the Corinthians are taxed here for such carriage of theirs as proclaim'd they had no serious thoughts no sad and fixed minde upon Christ bleeding and broken for that consideration would have bespoken another frame of spirit and forme of behaviour The result of this explication is The Apostle gives us a two-fold cause of eating and drinking unworthily 1. If we understand not know not the Analogy or resemblance of the bread and wine to the body and bloud of Christ but stick in the rind or shell and feed only on the husks as upon common bread and common wine and resting in that as knowing not the use or end which makes the difference which renders all bruitish ignorant people unworthy receivers And how should I make them know the danger that know not thus fâ—rre of the use of this Ordinance Willingnesse to be taught would help it if they were not more willing to runne blindefold into the pit than proudly unwilling to discover their fillinesse and ignorance and if they be unwilling It 's no cruelty but charity to keep a blinde man from running into a pit 2. If we understand the meaning of the outward elements by rote or notional knowledge but do not seriously and with a fixed intention consider and look wishly upon Christs body and bloud represented offered and to be exhibited to our faith for this will compose our outward behaviour and inward spirit this bespeaks faith repentance affections suitable this composes us unto reverence and serious behaviour Imagine the very Body of the Lord Jesus was presented to your eye broken bruised bleeding for thy sinnes under the stroke of Gods terrible justice and so offer'd unto thee for thy salvation Would not thy soul raise up all affections and muster up all it's forces to receive him to open to him to thirst after him to admire and praise him And doth not God in this Ordinance really hold him forth to thee as such and so to be received The nature of the feast to which we are invited teaches us how to dresse our selves To a funeral we come in mourning to a marriage in a wedding-garment The very minding of the body of Christ teaches men to come worthily that is suitably and the not minding of it with fixed intention is the cause that we come loosly carnally and so unworthily CHAP. XXXI The Aggravations of the Sinne of Vnworthy Receiving §. 1. 3. THe aggravation of unworthy receiving follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall be holden guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord or God will judge and repute him guilty of the body of Christ unworthily received and entreated or guilty of the unworthy handling or of the contempt and violation of Christs body and blood the memorial of whose death is prophaned by your irreverence and this appointed means of your participation of it is undervalued What a high sound is there in these words He shall be guilty of the Body and