to you in the Spirit for they had received this Spirit already and he was already come to them in the Spirit and what sense would it have been to say Ye that have received the Spirit of Christ must shew forth his death till he come to you in the Spirit just as good sense as if a Man should say Ye that are in London must do such a thing till you come to London so that if this were the sense the Apostle must have contradicted himself or spoken that which no body knew what to make of It follows therefore that since by his coming in Scripture is frequently meant his coming to Judge the World as Rev. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Luc. 18. 8. That here it hath the same sense because without it the words will not bear a reasonable construction 4. The design of the Apostle in this 11th Chapter is to rectify several mistakes and errors and abuses that were crept in among the Corinthians in their administration and eating of the Lord's Supper and this is intimated v. 17 18. So that his intent in writing to them must be to inform them how they were to behave themselves in the use of this Ordinance what exorbitancies they were to abandon what evil customs they were to retrench what vulgar errors they were to beware of and consequently his intent could not be to abolish this Sacrament or to teach them to use it no longer than Christ should come to them in the Spirit He that gives a Man directions about a good work in what manner he is to perform it what he is to take heed of in the practice of it what Rocks and Stumbling-blocks he is to shun doth not perswade him to leave the good work undone or to neglect it but chalks out to him only the way he may walk in with safety doth still allow the work to be of Eternal Obligation only that it may be acceptable to God bids him beware of the Shelves and Sands he may run upon in the prosecution of it and though in reformation of abuses the thing it self which gave occasion to the abuse is very often cancell'd and taken away yet that Rule holds only in things indifferent In Duties and things Commanded such as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is this could not be practised for if Ten thousand abuses were committed about Prayer yet Prayer would still be a Duty and therefore the Apostle reforming the errors of the Corintâ—ians in the administration of this Sacrament cannot be supposed to abrogate the Sacrament it self for as he saith v. 20. He had received it of the Lord i. e. by way of a commanded Duty which therefore could not be abolished 5. Let us admit of this odd expression of Christ's coming to them in the Spirit if a Man have received the Spirit of Christ that 's so far from being a sufficient reason to justifie his staying away from this Sacrament that it is a powerful motive to come to it not only because he that hath the Spirit of Christ will be sure to do what Christ Commands him but because the Spirit of Christ must be cherished preserved kept warm and made much of which is not to be done but by frequent contemplation of God's Love and Charity and compassion to our immortal Souls whereof this Sacrament doth not only put us in mind but gives us a faithful representation The Spirit of God within us must be preserv'd by the use of such means God hath appointed and since this Sacrament is one of these means he that neglects it cannot promise himself a long continuance of that Spirit in his Soul and what if Men that have frequented this Ordinance have found no good by it for that must be their own fault and because they come to it like Swine no wonder if they come away from it in no better condition 6. Though it is readily granted that true Believers in their first conversion receive the Spirit of Christ yet that puts no stop to their receiving larger and greater influences of it by the use of this Sacrament As Grace is begun in their first conversion so it is increased by a conscientious use of this Ordinance The coming to it doth not abate the power of this Spirit but advances it This Ordinance being a Spiritual Ordinance the Spirit of Christ is the more likely to exert its virtue in a sincere Believer that frequents it The Cross of Christ which is Foolishness to the Greek is Wisdom to the Spiritual Man and the more he looks upon it with suitable Devotion the greater courage and strength he will receive from it to fight the Battels of the Lord. The Spirit of Christ that works in a true Believer works by rational Arguments by Arguments that are most apt to prevail with rational Men and since nothing can be a more effectual Argument than the Love of Christ manifested on the Cross and particularly in the Sacrament of the Cross it must follow that the first operations of Christ's Spirit in the Soul are no hindrance to his farther operations in this Holy Sacrament 7. It 's true in this Sacrament external Symbols and Elements are made use of but that 's not at all improper or inconsistent with a Gospel state nor do these Symbols hinder any Man from worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth but rather promote it If under the Gospel Men may make no use of external tokens to put them in mind of Spiritual things the Apostle was out in his Divinity when he tells us That the invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1. 20. Christ indeed abolished the burthensome Symbols of the Ceremonial Law but did no where tell us that he would leave no Symbols at all in his Church to remember him by And though we grant what the Apostle saith Col. 2. 20. 21. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not Yet it plainly appears from his discourse that he reprehended no other but Judaizing Christians who having embraced the Christian Religion were still observant of the Ancient Ceremonies which Moses while the Church was in its Minority had given to the Jewish People such as were distinctions of Meats and Drinks touching dead Bodies or any thing that was defiled with Leprosie touching any thing unclean whether Man or Beast c. whereof a large account is given in Levit. 7. 21. So that this Saying doth not reverse the Symbols used in the Holy Sacrament they being of another nature and instituted upon a different design and so far from evacuating a Spiritual Worship that those become most Spiritual persons that frequently exercise themselves in a devout use of it and therefore what arrogance must it be for Men to think themselves wiser than Christ himself and
obtained and did obtain that Prerogative that in the Lords Supper only and at no time else it had the priviledge to be in many places at once About 150 years after him one James Faber of Stapula enlarged this Privilege of Christ's Human Nature and what Gerson had restrain'd only to the Sacrament he extended to the whole World and made Christ's Human Nature as extensive as his Divinity Luther afterward exceeding fond of this Opinion establish'd it in the Churches of Saxony insomuch that he averâ—'d Christ's Body was as much in a Baker's Shop as in the Eucharist only in the Shop he did not desire to be taken and worshipp'd because he had not tyed himself to a Shop by any word of Promise Nay that his Body was in the very Rope wherewith Judas hang'd himself and went through doors that were lock'd and through the very Stone that was laid upon his Sepulchre A strange fancy For certainly Christ's Body was Crucified at Jerusalem and not in all places of the World and when he fate at Table with his Disciples he did not sit at the same time at Rome or in the East-Indies How near this Doctrine approaches to the errors of the Marcionites and Manichaeans of old who taught that Christ had no real or substantial Body but only a Bodily Shape and that when he was felt and found to have Flesh and Bones it was only by special Dispensation how near this Doctrine I say approaches these Errors condemn'd by the Antient Church I will not determine It cannot be denied that Luther was not always the same and sometimes he seem'd to deny what he asserted before But still those among the Lutherans that are for this Ubiquity make him the Great Patron of their Doctrine And though some of them give out that they do not assert the Ubiquity of Christ's Body so much as his Omnipresence yet it will be a hard matter to shew how Ubiquity and Omnipresence differ Some pretend that the fore-mention'd expressions were not Luther's expressions but foisted in by some that would fain take Sanctuary at his Books for the defence of their Opinions But the composers of the History of the Augsburg Confession are ashamed of this Conceit and the Elector of Saxony when in the Year 1574. he came to examine the thing found that it was only an idle report and that in the Edition of Luther's Works there was no variation used from his own words and expressions And if Luther writes in some places against this Ubiquity of Christ's Body it 's an argument that he ought not to be believ'd in other Books where he asserts it Thus came in Consubstantiation and this Opinion the Lutheran Churches do at this time follow and maintain very eagerly And though in all other Points they differ very little from the Protestants of the Reformation for with us they protest against Popish Invocation of Saints Religious Worship of Images Human Satisfactions Indulgences Purgatory Worship of Relicks Prayers in an unknown Tongue Merit of Works Transubstantiation Adoration of the Sacrament Sacrifice of the Mass Monarchy of the Pope pretences of Infallibility and blind Obedience to the decisions of Councils c. Yet this Point they do so stifly and so uncharitably maintain that the greatest part of them refuse communion with us upon this account which as it is an error so we believe it is no fundamental one especially since all this while they are against Transubstantiation and Adoration of the Sacrament and though in the point of their Consubstantiation they ground themselves much upon that saying of Christ Matth. 28. 20. Lo I am with you always even into the end of the World Yet this is easily answer'd For 1. From hence it doth not follow that he will always vouchsafe them his Bodily Presence for he was after this receiv'd into Heaven and therefore could not be present with his Body at that time 2. What he promises here he made good when he sent the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of Truth upon them Which Spirit though not as to his miraculous Gifts yet as to his saving Graces is with all true Believers to the end of the World So that 3. His being always with them must be understood of his Power and Virtue and Influence which would be with them and with the Churches they should Plant unto the end of the World as the Sun is in Heaven and with his Virtue and Influence cherishes this lower World And thus far we agree with them that Christ is present in the Holy Sacrament by his Power and Influence and Gracious Assistances which sincere Believers feel in their worthy Receiving But from hence it can never be made out that his Body therefore is hid under the Bread in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist III. In what sense the Bread in this Sacrament is the Body of Christ we may easily guess if we explain Scripture by Scripture and compare this expression with others not unlike it 1. This is my Body i.e. This is a significant Emblem or Sign or Figure of my Body Or this Bread thus broken represents my Body that shall be Crucified for the Sins of the World Thus not only Rabanus Maurus Erigena Bruno Berengarius and other wise Men understood it in the Ninth and Eleventh Centuries but most of the Fathers that lived before Pasâ—â—sius or before 800 Years after Christ. So that This is my Body is as much as this Bread is representative of my Body As Bread is proper Food for your Bodies so my Crucified Body is proper Food for your precious and immortal Souls As Bread strengthens your Bodies so shall the Comforts and Benefits of my Crucified Body support and fortifie your inward Man As Bread nourishes your mortal Bodies so shall the Love and Charity express'd in my giving my Body to be Crucified for your Sins nourish your better part and a sense of that Love cause a reciprocal Love and Charity in your Souls As Bread unites with your Bodies and turns into the substance of your Bodies So my Crucified Body or Faith in me who give my self for you shall be a means of my being one with you and of your being one with me And this interpretation is conformable to the sense of parallel places I am the door of the sheep saith our Saviour Joh. 10. 9. i.e. As the Door opens and being open'd the Sheep are let into the Fold so I am he by whose Light and Influence Men are admitted into the number of God's Children or by my Gospel they get admittance to God's marvellous Light by this they are let into the knowledge of the greatest Mysteries and by believing in me Men have access to the greatest Felicity So Joh. 15. 1. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman i. e. As the Vine hath Branches so I have Disciples As the Branches are nourish'd by the Vine so are my Disciples by me As the Vine yields an excellent Juice so my
love thee feel XI O Saviour Gentle as the Spirit that in the shape of a Dove lighted on thy Sacred Head Teach me that Meekness which look'd so amiable in thy Life Expel the evil Spirits of Wrath Anger and Pride and Envy out of my Soul Speak the word and these Winds and Waves will obey thee Let thy gentleness make me great When I shall have overcome my wrathful and proud Inclinations and O! let the Sacrament I am going to help me in the Conquest then shall I be great and glorious in thy sight XII Great Shepherd of my Soul whose Wounds are full of Sweetness full of Mercy full of Charity Let thy Wounds prove the most powerful Remedies to rid me of my Corruptions When any impure Thoughts rise in me let thinking of thy Wounds crush them when sluggishness in Religion assaults me let thy Wounds and the remembrance of them make me vigilant in thy service and when in the Holy Sacrament I think of thy Wounds let all my vain imaginations expire XIII Great Friend of my immortal Soul Such a friend is not to be found in all the World as thou hast been to me for thou hast laid down thy Life for me O let me make much of thy friendship and cherish it by being meek and humble and merciful and patient as thou wert that thou mayest be my Friend when I dye and after Death receive me to thy self O confirm and seal thy Friendship to my Soul in the Blessed Sacrament and let the same Spirit move in me which raised thee from the dead XIV O Thou who hast wash'd me from my Sins with thine own Blood chuse I beseech thee my Heart for thy Dwelling place adorn and replenish it with thy Gifts and Graces make me to loath all transitory things make me poor in Spirit cure in me the itch of Self-love throw down all pride and eagerness after the Riches of this World and make the Holy Sacrament I am going to a mean to adore thee in Spirit and in Truth and to persevere in Goodness to the end XV. Great Comforter of all weary and laden Souls Circumcise my Heart from all evil Thoughts and Words and Actions and Comunicate thy self unto me that I may never be separated from thee or ever be deprived of thy Comfort Draw my Soul after thee in the Holy Sacrament and let that Blessed Ordinance powerfully stir up my Heart to love thee XVI O Thou who art the door of thy Sheepfold By thee let me have access to thy Father's Love And as in the Holy Sacrament thou openest thy Bosom to me so let me run and seek shelter there Chain me to thy self by Bands of Love and let no Temptation defile me O keep me that I may never cowardly faint at any adversity XVII Thou who hast endured contradictions of Sinners against thy self Be thou ever in my mind and teach me to bear Calumnies and Reproaches with great tranquility of Mind Let me refer all difficulties to thee and with silence expect thy Grace and Comfort and let the Blessed Sacrament so influence my Soul that I may fear none but thee XVIII Great Captain of my Salvation I am going to learn to fight the good fight in the Blessed Sacrament of thy Love Let thy great example there encourage me to fight against all Ambition and Ostentation against Censoriousness and Uncharitableness against all Intemperance and Gluttony against all proud and covetous Thoughts against Guile and Hypocrisie against discontentedness and misitrinst of thy Providence Against such Enemies give me grace to fight over these let me triumph that having striven lawfully I may at last be admitted to the Glorious sight of thy Sweet Self and be charm'd with thy Love for ever CHAP. XXVII Of the proper Acts of Devotion when we come to the Holy Table The CONTENTS Private Acts of Devotion must be forborn while the Congregation joyns in common Addresses to Almighty God General Acts of Devotion relating to the wonderful Love of Christ and our Love to him Particular Acts of Devotion at the Consecration and Receiving of the holy Symbols I. THE following Acts are fittest to be used before the Prayers of the Church usual at the Communion do begin or before the Minister of the Ordinance comes to us with the sacred Symbols and while others are Communicating II. While the Minister of the Ordinance is engaged in the Prayers of the Church these Ejaculations must be forborn our Duty during the publick Devotions being to joyn with the Congregation in their common Addresses to God These Acts of Devotion are either General or Particular The General I call those which respect the Love of the Lord Jesus The Particular those which are to be exercised at the Consecration and Receiving of the Consecrated Bread and Wine General Acts of Devotion at the Lord's Table I. GReat Saviour of the World Thou art infinitely amiable worthy to be loved by all to whose Ears the joyful Message of thy Love doth come I rejoyce in the Knowledge of thy Love I count my self happy that I am born under the Shadow of thy Gospel in which thy wonderful Love to the Children of Men is manifested I desire no other Knowledge 'T is enough that I know thou hast loved me beyond Example I desire to count all things Dross and Dung for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ. II. O my Jesus I am not worthy to love thee Yet because thou biddest me love thee and hast told me that my Soul was created on purpose to love thee I chearfully resign my Love and Affection to thee I desire to love thee I wish for nothing more than that I may passionately love thee Whom have I in Heaven to love but thee And there is none on Earth that I desire to love more than thy self For thou art altogether lovely and thy Love surpasses all the Love of Friends and the dearest Relations I have III. O my blessed Redeemer I desire to love thee with all my Heart and with all my Strength Thou gavest me this Heart and this Strength And on whom can I bestow it better than on thee the Author of it Oh that all that is within me might be turned into Desires and Inclinations and Sighs and Languishings and Breathings after thee For I cannot express what thou hast done for me What thou hast done for me is beyond all the Kindness that the greatest Men ever did or can do for the meanest and poorest Creatures IV. Great Advocate of my Soul Thou seest my Desire to love thee Make it strong and powerful Take a Coal from the Altar and give it Fire that nothing may hinder the Flame from mounting up that nothing may weaken this Desire nothing may break it nothing may tire it nothing may mingle with it that is unclean or contrary to thy Love V. Great Object of my Desires Make me a Martyr of thy Love Make me willing even to die for love of thee Raise a
the Honour of the true God which the Pagans did to their false and imaginary Deities Yet see the abuse of these Feasts of Charity 1 Cor. 11. 22. especially in the Church of Corinth in the days of the Apostles For St. Paul being busie abroad partly in Planting partly in Confirming Churches the richer sort of the Christians at Corinth began to think it below them to admit the poor to that Familiarity as to eat with them in these charitable Collations and therefore either prompted by their own Pride or encouraged by some false Teachers that had Mens Persons in admiration because of advantage would indeed send the Meat and Drink they had prepared to those Oratories or places of publick worship but when they came they superciliously separated themselves from the Poorer sort and ate and drank by themselves and so freely that many of them became drunk and in that condition had the hellish impudence afterward to come to the holy Sacrament If they left any thing at these Feasts the Poor might take it and make the best of it if not they were forced to go away hungry and too often discontented So early grew this abuse and though in Process of time these Feasts were used after the Eucharist and in many places in Church-yards at the celebration of the Memories of holy Martyrs at the Dedication of Churches and at the Funerals of holy Men and Women yet nothing could keep out Intemperance and Excess and Disorders for which reason the Church at last thought herself obliged to abolish and put them down which was done accordingly by the Council of Laodicea in the Year of our Lord 364. by the Council of Carthage in the Year 419. and by the Council of Constantinople in the Year 692. II. Whence Abuses of Holy things arise is no hard matter to guess for 1. We find them spring from an Itch of Novelty Men not contented with the plain and simple Truths God hath vouchsafed to Mankind are strangely tickled with new things which are often called Refinings or Improvements of old Truths under which plausible name they are easily swallowed down Hence rose the various Idolatries in the World that it became as modish to invent new Gods as it was to invent new Fashions in Cloaths and Habits Adam no doubt deliver'd the notion of one Eternal invisible God Creator of Heaven and earth and the decent worship of him to his posterity This notion being become common and stale the succeeding Ages thought themselves obliged to invent something new and counted it more gay and glorious to worship the Creator in the Creature and seeing the Sun and Moon and Stars that they were the brightest Monuments of God's Power they easily fell into the Worship of those Luminaries till the more brutish among the People adored them as Gods indeed and this novelty once broach'd one God brought in another and as Men were still fond of Novelties so they went on and fell a Worshipping deceased Hero's and Princes in whom the Image of the Supreme Deity resided and who had been famous for some notable exploits or benefits and from hence they still went on even to the Worshipping of Trees Herbs Plants Beasts Crocodils Fishes and creeping things one Age still thinking to out-do the other in new inventions of objects of Worship till it came to pass that those were counted most Religious that Worshipt the greatest number of Gods as the Athenians who had more Gods than any one City besides of which the Apostle takes notice Acts 17. 22 23. 2. Another cause of these abuses is an Opinion That God is pleased more with the Externals than the Internals of Religion an Opinion which Men are very apt to slide into because they find the Internal Devotion is troublesome and requires intention of the Mind and mortification of the Affections and the other is more easily performed To this Original the Corruptions that did over-spread the Jewish Church owe their rise who in despight of all the Warnings of the Prophets to the contrary laid the stress of their Piety on the strict observations of their Sabbaths new Moons Sacrifices Phylacteries and legal Purifications This gave Mahomet occasion to corrupt Religion for knowing what would please the sensual inclinations of Men he craftily drew People away from the Internal Worship and Consecration of the Souls and Affections to the Supreme Being and taught them to place all Devotion in these five external Acts of Worship Saying their Prayers five times a day keeping the Mouth Ramasan giving the hundredth part of their incomes to Pious uses Washing before Prayer and making a Pilgrimage if possible to Mecca And thus the Church of Rome at this day comes to deviate from the true Religion not only by adding new Articles of Faith to the antient Creeds but by turning the whole Worship of God in a manner into Ceremonies and external Services Saying so many Ave-Maries visiting such a Saint's Shrine Processions offering Wax-Candles to the Virgin Praying by Beads undergoing Penances c. 3. A Third cause of these abuses is a mistake of Fancy and Passion for true Religion and Revelation From hence have come all the barbarous attempts of Pretenders to the true Religien against Magistrates and a well setled Church and State From hence have risen all those Enthusiastical conceits both in this and former Ages whereby the Gospel it self hath been in danger of being overthrown From hence come those rude and undigested Notions of Hildegard Bridget Catharine of Siena Teresa St. Francis and others in Popery who by their Dreams and Visions have sought to establish the erroneous Doctrines of the Roman Church From hence it was that the Messaliani of Old pretended and made People believe that upon a Man's Regeneration or being purged from Sin the Devil and his Angels came out of his Mouth in the shape of Swine To say no more in Men and Women whose notions of Religion are crude and undigested and who are made up of a strong Fancy and stronger Passions Religion must needs run into Wild-fire and pervert the simplicity of the Gospel 4. A Fourth Cause is suiting Religion to our own Humours Lusts and Interest The Tartars therefore embraced the Mahometan Religion and rejected the Christian because the former gave greater liberty to the Flesh. This made the Heathens invent to themselves Deities that were favourers of their Vices And from hence it was that in the Primitive Church Basilides Carpocrates Valentinus the Nicolaitans and Archonticks denied the necessity of a Holy Life because they loved to wallow like Swine in the Mire and in all probability upon this ground it was that Hymeneus and Philetus as the Apostle informs us 2 Tim. 17 18. affirm'd and gave out that the Resurrection was already past because they were loath to be called to an account for their evil lives 5. False Teachers and turbulent Souls are another cause Discontented Men because they cannot be Great or Rich or have their Will
can judge so well of the Convenience and Inconvenience of Things as Christ himself If Christ thought it convenient to give it him who shall say it was not so Nor could the Disciples be much surprized at it when they had so often heard their Master say that the Tâ—râ—s and Wheat must grow together until the Harvest and that the Kingdom of Heaven or the Church-Militant was like a Net containing good Fish and bad And though the Words Christ used in this Sacrament This is my Body which is given for you and This is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you for the Remission of Sins cannot be directly applied to Judas yet since these Blessings are promised conditionally in other places of Scripture they might belong to Judas conditionally in case he repented or brought forth Fruits meet for Repentance as they belong'd to the other Disciples absolutely because their Hearts were sincere and without Hypocrisie Nor is it strange that Christ should say in the presence of Judas I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of the Vine until the Day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom For there is nothing more common in the Writings of the Apostles when they address themselves to a whole Church than to apply to them in general the Promises of the Gospel though true Believers only have a Right in them We remember without ceasing your Work of Faith and Labour of Love and Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God and ye became Followers of us and of the Lord c. saith St. Paul to the whole Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 1. 3 4 6. in which we may suppose there were divers Hypocrites to whom these Elogies could not properly belong And therefore when Christ spake these Words to the Disciples Judas being present it was enough that they belonged to the major part of them and those that were qualified for that Mercy might appropriate it to themselves It is confessed that Christ Matth. 7. 6. saith Give not that which is holy unto Dogs But it is evident from the Connexion of the Words that that Saying is to be understood of Reproof or Fraternal Correction which is to be superseded where Men are incorrigible and Mockers of Religion and after several Admonitions instead of being better become worse and scorn the Truth of the Gospel a Precept of the same Import with that of Solomon Prov. 9. 8. Reprove not a Scorner lest he hate thee If it were to be understood of publick Ordinances it might be applied to the Preaching of the Word as well as to the Sacrament and it would follow that wicked Men were to be banished from the one as well as the other which is absurd and contrary to the practice of the holy Apostles And what if Christ calls Judas a Devil Joh. 6. 70. Devils 't is true are incapable of Receiving this Sacrament yet we must not think that he calls him so upon any other Account but his Hellish Qualities For which Reason he says of all other wicked Men that they are of their Father the Devil Joh. 8. 44. Nay in his Reproof to Peter who was against his Suffering he calls him Satan or Devil because to be against his Suffering was to joyn with the Devil who of all things dreaded that Death as the Ruine of his Empire So that Judas was still a Man though a wicked Man yet not so wicked but that he was still capable of Repentance and in giving him this Sacrament he declared him so And though he received nothing but the external Elements yet in being admitted to the external Symbols he had an Item given him that if he had come with unfeigned Faith and Repentance he should have received the Promise too And that Christ offered him these Symbols was to tell his Followers how it would be with their Congregations in time to come and how Wolves as well as Sheep would present themselves at this Table But it is usually pleaded that if it be granted that Judas was present at this Sacrament yet still he had a good Out-side he was far from being a scandalous Sinner so that the Congregation could not be offended But this Argument is of no weight at all for whether he were a scandalous Sinner or no as long as Christ had declared him a Devil and a Traytor it was as much as if he had been a scandalous Sinner and the Disciples might be as confident of it as if they had seen him run into Excess of Riot So that Judas being present at the Sacrament and his Presence not interfering with the worthy Receiving of the other Disciples it follows that another Man receiving unworthily cannot make us that come with suitable Vertues unworthy Receivers And yet after all this I would not be understood as if scandalous Sinners were not to be separated from this holy Table by those whose Office it is to forbid and hinder them For tho' Christ suffered Judas to be present thereby prophetically to fore-tell how in future Ages notwithstanding all the Care that should be taken Hypocrites and Sinners would mingle with the Good and Sincere in this Sacrament yet this contradicts not the Commission he gave to the Apostles to do all things decently and in order of which orderly part this is one great Rule 1 Cor. 5. 11. If any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an one no not to eat 'T is confessed that this is to be understood of common Meals However the Consequence is very easie if we are not to eat with such at common Tables we are to forbear eating with them at the Lord's Table But then 't is fit withal that the Church should excommunicate such Persons first that there may be a Mark set upon them whereby we may know them to be so and avoid their Company If the Church either by reason of the Multitude of such Sinners or for want of sufficient Information cannot or through Neglect doth not a private Christian is not therefore to be scandalized at such Persons when they come to the Sacrament nor think himself therefore an unworthy Communicant because such are present there being no publick Mark set upon them whereby he is authorized not to eat with them The Church indeed doth as good as formally excommunicate all such when in her Admonition or Exhortation before the Sacrament She declares Therefore if any of you be a Blasphemer of God an Hinderer or Slanderer of his Word an Adulterer or be in Malice or Envy or any other grievous Crime repent you of your Sins or else come not to this holy Table lest after the Taking of this holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he enter'd into Judas and fill you full of all Iniquities and bring
the Lord Jesus will answer and though he may knock often yet at last the Gates will be opened to him The Everlasting Door the Gate of Grace and Mercy shall be unlocked to him and he shall get more Grace greater Strength larger Influences his Incomes shall be greater his Revenues more plentiful He will open the Windows of Heaven to him and refresh his Ground with kindly Showers They shall drop on the Pastures of the Wilderness and the little Hills shall rejoyce on every side Such a Receiver is like to abide in Christ and his Word like to abide in him He may be sure of his Love sure of his Friendship sure of his favourable Looks For him Christ laid down his Life indeed and he may be confident that he is one of his little Flock for he hears his Voice and is willing to be guided by him For him the Saviour of the World hath prepared a sure Refuge a Munition of Rocks where he shall dwell securely free from the stormy Wind and Tempest Such a Receiver believes in him and he shall not die Nay Though he were dead yet shall he live Because Christ lives he shall live too And though his Life be hid with Chrst in God yet when Christ who is his Life shall appear then shall he also appear with him in Glory His Faith shall at last be turned into Fruition his Hope into Vision his Expectations into Enjoyment He shall see Christ at last in his Majesty He shall see him in his Wedding-Robes He shall sit down with him at last at the Supper of the Lamb and lean on his Bosom and the Angels will say Behold the Disciple whom Jesus loved He shall walk with him in shining Garments and the King's Daughter which was all glorious within here shall be all glorious without too Her Glory shall be the Joy of Saints and the Envy of all wicked Men. Such a Person rejoyced in his ligâ—t here and he shall be decked with Eternal Light He that is the Light of both Worlds shall be his Everlasting Companion and Darkness shall not annoy him In a Word Christ will lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him and he shall be safe The PRAYER O Great and admirable Saviour who hast said I will give unto him that is a thirst the Fountain of the water of Life freely my Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee in a a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy Power and thy Glory I am unworthy to receive so Glorious a Guest into my Soul I am unworthy to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord Unworthy of the least Crum that falls from thy Table The Angels purer than the Sun think themselves unworthy to Praise and Glorifie thee How unworthy then must I think my self to receive thee the sweetest and the brightest Being into my House yet thou offerest to come and make thy abode with me What Bounty is this Whence is it that the Sovereign King of Heaven and Earth will come and dwell in me who am a sink of Misery a stye of uncleanness a den of filthiness How unworthy am I of this astonishing Saviour I freely confess that I have deserved to be plunged into the depth of Hell rather than to receive thee the Glory of Heaven and Earth into a Heart so defiled so polluted so corrupted with Sin and Misery Yet since thou dost freely offer me this unspeakable Mercy Come Lord and make thy Residence in my Soul I desire to receive thee with all Love and Purity and Devotion To this end destroy in me all that is contrary to thee and enrich my Soul with all suitable dispositions to receive thee I hate my Sins I renounce them I desire to think of them with horror because they were the cause of thy Torments and of that death thou sufferedst on the Cross I would hate them as the Angels and the Saints of Heaven do I am sensible thou art worthy of all Honour and Glory and from my Heart wish that I never had offended and dishonoured thee O that I had something of that Sorrow I see in thy Soul when thou madest thy Soul an offering for Sin Thy Soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death It was my Sin that caused that Sorrow O let me participate of that Sorrow O Jesu my Light my Righteousness my Sanctification my Redemption Open mine Eyes that I may see the vast Mercy offered me in this Blessed Sacrament Give me that Repentance that Faith that Love which may make me a worthy Receiver of thy Benefits I humble my self before thee I throw my self down at thy feet I give my self to thee I dedicate my Thoughts my Words my Actions my Understanding my Will my Affections to thy Service Set up thy Kingdom in my Soul Destroy my inordinate Self-Love my Anger my Pride and all my disorderly Inclinations Let thy Humility thy Charity thy Patience and all thy Graces reign in me Where thou art there is Heaven If thou art in me I shall not fear what Man or Devils can do against me for thou wilt hide me in the secret of thy Presence from the Pride of Man thou wilt keep me secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of Tongues Blessed be the Lord who hath shewed us his marvellous Kindness I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever with my Mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all Generations Amen Amen CHAP. XVIII Of the sad Effects and Consequences of Unworthy Eating and Drinking in this Holy Sacrament and First of Temporal Judgments The CONTENTS The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred Damnation explained and its various significations discussed Of Temporal Judgments in general which are or may be procured by Eating and Drinking unworthily at the Lord's Table Several Instances of Persons who have felt signal Judgments for prophaning Holy Things This applied to the Holy Sacrament How Men Eat and Drink Temporal Judgment to themselves explained There being many unworthy Receivers at this day who meet with no Signal Judgment in this Life what we are to think of it and how we are to reconcile this Impunity to the Truth of the Apostle's threatning A Question resolved whether such Judgments if they befall an unworthy Receiver do expiate his Sins God proved to be a consuming fire and in what sense Though it be dangerous to Eat and Drink unworthily yet this ought to be no discouragement from coming to the Lord's Table The Prayer I. THE Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 29. in general tells us He that Eats and Drinks unworthily Eats and Drinks Damnation to himself A fearful word The Writer of the Life of Ida de Nivella tells us that whenever she pass'd by the Altar where the Eucharist used to be celebrated a trembling seiz'd upon all her Joynts a kind of Ague fit came upon her and a Sacred horror invaded her Soul imitating the Earth in that particular which trembled at