in the power and sanctification of holinesse then men would say of themselves of a truth God is in these men Christ dwels in them and the Spirit of God leads and governs them indeed If thou wouldest judge the world take heed how the world judgeth thee lest thou with the world be condemned eternally It was said that Herod feared John because he was a just man Mark 6. 23. So if all thy neighbours did know that thou were a just man a holy and conscionable man in all thy wayes and in all thy actions and that cannot endure swearing lying and deceit but did see that thou wast just and one that feared God truly they would all fear thee THE PUNISHMENT Of Unworthy COMMUNICANTS AT THE TABLE of the LORD DELIVERED In a SERMON preached By that Reverend and Faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A SERMON OF M. WILLIAM FENNERS Upon this ensuing Text. 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep THE Apostle in this Chapter taxeth two abuses which were then amongst the Corinthians First the unseemly habit of women in the congregation from the 1 verse to the 17. Secondly the prophane usage of the holy Communion both by men and women from the 17 verse to the end of the Chapter and herein from the 23. verse to the end of the 25 he sets down the Institution of the Lords Supper and thence raiseth a point of Doctrine That whosoever would come to this holy communion they must examine themselves that so they may come worthily else it were better that they never came So we may read in the 28 verse But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup As if the Apostle had said Unlesse a man examine himself and search his own heart and find out his sins and dive into the secrets of his soul to bring out his hidden corruptions confessing them and judging himselfe for them before the Lord let them never presume to come to the holy Sacrament And then he proves it by three Reasons The first is taken from the end of the Sacrament for it is the remembrance of the death and passion of Christ so it is in 26. verse So oft as you Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come It is a reason that the men of this world are not acquainted withall and therefore it was a good wish of a Reverend Father that the Sacrament should never be ministred but there should be a Sermon to teach men the nature of it and to instruct them in the Mystery thereof We approach unto the Sacrament hand over head living in our sinnes not shewing by our coming that Christ is dead we say we profess that Christ dyed for our sins and yet not withstanding our sins live in us as if Christ had not died for us or as if we would proclaim that his death had no effect in us For were we dead with Christ then sin and the living occasions of sin would be dead in us also My beloved we should never come to this Sacrament but we should shew forth the Lords death thereby that is that Christ is dead or rather dyed for sin and that sin is also dead in us The second reason is taken from the damned wrong we offer unto Christ if we come in our sins for we are guilty of the body and bloud of Christ as it is in the 27 verse nay thou sinnest against the Lord Jesus Christ not a jot lesse than Pilate that condemned him than Judas that betrayed him and the Jews that cryed out Crucifie him crucifie him yea thou art as much guilty as if thy own hand in thy own person had been imbrued in his bloud Now we know it is a horrible sin to be guilty of the blood and murther of an ordinary man yea of a very rogue how much more is it a great and fearfull sin to be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ the onely and eternall Sonne of God Yet comest thou to this holy Communion and bringest no lesse than the guilt of the Body and bloud of Christ upon thy soul The third Reason is taken from the wofull wrong and injury that man brings upon his own soul that comes unpreparedly without examination of himselfe in the 20. verse he eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he maketh himselfe guilty of and lyable to the same vengeance that the crucifiers of Christ had inflicted on them Good had it been for that man saith Christ of Judas if that he had never been born So may I say Good had it been for that man and that woman if they had never been borne who come unworthily unto the Table of the Lord for when they eat of that Bread they eat their own bane and when they drinke of that Cup they drinke their own damnation Then commeth he to make some uses of this point and first he condemns those that as they come so they goe away from the Sacrament no more holy no more gracious than before but as they come in their sins so they go away in their sins they came drunkards and they go away drunkards they came worldlings and they go away worldlings they came mockers and they go away mockers they came in their wrath anger malice deadnesse hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse and so they goe away still never the better but living in them as they did before As in the â—â— verse You come together saith the Apostle not for the better but for the worse Whereas â—f they would have come worthily they should have gone away the better they should have received more grace and holinesse to walk with God more power and strength against sin and corruption yea the Lord would have ratified and confirmed his Covenant with them whereas living in contention and not coming with preparation they grow the worse by the Sacrament The Corinthians thought that the Apostle would have praised them for their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament Shall I praise you saith the Apostle in this I praise you not Secondly He makes an use of terror against all those that dare come in their sins unto this holy Sacrament of the Lord for that man that cometh in his sins unto the Table of the Lord 1. Though he may think he receives the Communion yet he doth not for this is not the Table of the Lord but the Table of devils It is true thou receivest the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but yet coming in thy sins thou receivest not his body and blood as of a Saviour to save thee from thy sins Indeed thou receivest the body and blood of Christ sacramentally but it is
of the seventh SERMON on 2 Cor. 11. 28. The words of the Text explained Doct. 1. WE must not rush upon the Sacrament 102. There are none of the Ordinances of God that a man may rush upon without examination ibid. Three Reasons hereof 1. Naturally we are not invited guests to the Sacrament ibid. 2. Though we are invited yet it may be we are not disposed for naturally we are strangers to God and the covenant of God all this indisposition must be wrought off before we can come comfortably to the Sacrament 103. 3. This is a solemn Ordinance and therefore an Ordinary disposition will will not serve the turn ibid. Many a reprobate may eat and drink in Christs presence ibid. Use To forewarne men lest they unpreparedly rush upon any of Gods Ordinances especially upon the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. 104. The text divided into four parts The matter of the duty ibid. The manner how to be performed ibid. The rule of direction concerning it ibid. The benefit of following that rule ibid. Doct. 2. There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords Supper and receive it often 105. Doct. 3. The manner of performance of duties is to be regarded ibid. Five Reasons hereof 1. The Lord commands the manner as well as the matter 106. 2. Circumstances overthrow actions if they be not rightly and duly observed ibid. Its instanced 1. In grayer ibid. 2. In preaching ibid. 3. In receiving the Sacrament 107. 4. In brotherly reproof ibid. 5. In eating drinking and marrying ibid. 3. Because only the manner of doing duties gets the blessing 108. 4. Because Christ himself is an example unto us in this he did not only obey his Father in the matter of his commands but in the manner of them ibid. 5. Because otherwise we cannot glorifie God ibid. Use 1. First to condemn that natural Popery that is in the hearts of men c. 109. Use 2. For discovering why people are so willing to doe duties for the matter and not for the manner 110. The Reasons of it are these 1. Because the matter of duties is easie but the manner is difficult ibid. 2. Dutres for the matter of them may be done with a proud heart 111. 3. They may be done with an unholy life 112. 4. The matter of duty bringeth not the crosse and may zealous for the matter and persecutors of goodnesâ—e ibid. Use 3. To exhort men to labour and perform duties aright 113. Three Motives to perswade people to perform duties after a right manner 1. Because no Ordinance at all else can be effectuall unto us ibid. 2. All is but hypocrisie if the manner be not regarded ibid. 3. It is only the right manner of duing duties that pleaseth God 114. Doctrine 4. Every man mast prepare himself before he come to the Lords Table 115. Four Reasons hereof 1. Because the Sacrament is Gods ordinance ibid. 2. Because the Lord Christ hath made great preparation in providing it 116. 3. Because Christ in this ordinance offers to come into the soule and he looks for good entertainment ibid. 4. Because the Sacrament is a part of Christs last will and Testament therefore when we know our Lords will we must prepare for the doing of it 117. The Contents of the eighth SERMON upon Proverbs 29. 1. 1. A double exposition of the Text. Doctrine FRom the first exposition viz He that reproveth another and is guilty himself in the same kind or in any other kind and hardeneth his own heart in it that man shall be destroyed without remedy 122. Seven Reasons hereof 1. Because the office of a reprover bindeth him to be blamelesse ibid. 2. Because such a reprover as is guilty himself can never reprove to a right end ibid. 3. Neither can he doe it in a right manner 123. 4. Such a reprover is an hypocrite ibid. 5. Such a reproving of another mans sin makes him inexcusable in his own 124. 6. It is an absurd thing for a person to reprove another for that whereof he is guilty himself ibid. 7. Such a reproving is a sign of impudency ibid. Objection Shall not a wicked Magistrate or Minister reprove others c 125 Answ He is bound to reprove in regard of his office but it bound in conscience to amend himself first ibid. Use 1. For instruction first Let every reprover take heed lest he make himself inexcusable ibid. 2. Let him endeavour to walk unblameable and inoffensive ibid. Two Doctrines from the second Exposition of the Words viz. Doctrine 1. The Lord doth not not destroy man willingly but for sinne 127. Doctrine 2. It is a great mercy for man to be reproved for his sinne 128. Three Reasons of second Doctrine 1. Because reproofs primarily come from love ibid. 2. They tend to the good of a mans soule 129. 3. It s brutish not to take reproofs in good part 130. Use 1. First for information that God is bringing destruction upon a Kingdome when he takes away reprovers from them ibid. Use 2. For the reproof of those that despise the reproof of the wise they despise not men but God 131 The grievousnesse of their sin who stand out against reproof is aggravated under severall heads 132. Doctrine 3. The Lord proportions punishments to mens sins ibid. Three Reasons of the third Doctrine 1. Because hereby a mans punishment appears to be so much more equal and worthy ibid. 2. This stops mens mouths and convinceth their consciences ibid. 3. All the standers by may see the equity of it when the punishment is according to the sin 133. Use 3. For instruction 1. To teach men notto complaine of Gods dealing with them if their punishment be for the the kind of it according to their sin but rather let them learn to see Gods immediate hand in it 134. 2. To teach men to consider how God many times proportions punishments to sin 1. For Kind ibid. 2. For Quantity ibid. 3. For Quality 135. 4. For Time ibid. 5. For Place ibid. The Contents of the ninth SERMON Isaiah 55. 7 Doct. 1. THose whose minds or thoughts run habitually on earthly things are yet in the state of misery 139. Four Reasons 1. Because a man is in the state of misery till he hath repented and untill a man hath forsaken his vaine thoughts he hath not repented ibid. 2. Because a man is in a state of misery untill he is in Christ and a man is not in Christ till his thoughts be sanctified ibid. 3. Because a man is in the state of misery that doth not love God and a man can never love God untill he forsake his vaine thoughts 140. 4. Because that man is in a state of misery that doth not forsake sin and a man can never forsake sin till he leave his vaine thoughts ibid. 1. Because vaine thoughts are great sins ibid. 2. They are sins of the highest part of man ibid. 3. They are the breach of every Commandement ibid. 4.
as the Judge to condemn thee unto the pit of destruction for thy damned impudency in coming so unworthily unto this holy Sacrament For that man cannot eat the body of Christ that is not a member of Christ therefore thou must be a limb of Christ if ever thou wilt receive worthily 2. If a man come unto the Sacrament and come in his sins he cometh to his own destruction for though it be a sweet banquet to refresh an humble and weary soul and to make it walk more cheerfully in the wayes of God all the dayes of his life yet he that cometh unto it in his sins and receiveth it in his uncleannesse speedeth thereby his own damnation and receiveth it as his vâ—aticum to hell The Apostle compares Baptisme to the Red Sea 1. Cor. 10. from which place Crysostome saith that as the Red Sea was a way for the Israelites to passe through to Canaan so it was as a grave to swallow up the Egypptians to their destruction So the Lords Supper is as a grave an open pit whereby many plunge themselves into eternall destruction but as a chariot to the godly to carry them to heaven Thirdly by coming in thy sinnes thou makest thy selfe lyable to Gods temporary plagues and judgements as appears in my Text For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many are fallen asleep For this cause which is not only a note of conclusion but of the cause For this cause namely because they examine not themselves but come in their sins and receive it unworthily One man hath a disease in his body that he liveth not out halfe his dayes another is sick and weak neer unto death a third is fallen asleep Wherefore why saith the Apostle for this cause of receiving unworthily the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Fourthly for instruction that because the people of God as well as wicked men are guilty of unworthy coming to the Lords Table therefore he exhorts them that if they would not have the Lord judge them that they would judge themselves as in the 31. verse For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. If we would sit down and search our own hearts and try our own spirits and pry into our owne bosomes and out with our old corruptions and unclean lusts and enter into a new covenant with God of holy walking before him for after-time if we would thus judge and condemn our selves and mortifie our sinnes comming with grace unto this holy banquet that we might come with comfort unto this blessed Sacrament assuring our selves that we shall escape the judgement of the Lord. For those of the Corinthians whom God struck with sicknesse weaknesse and death it was to instruct others that are well and in health that they venture not to enter upon these holy mysteryes with unholy hearts and unclean hands Fifthly he concludeth with an use of exhortation in the 33 and 34. verses Wherefore brethren when ye come together to partake of the holy Communion tarry one for another As if he should have said Away with all your disorders and come not with a temporall but with a spirituall appetite provide not thy teeth but thy heart for these dainties for this is not a feast for the body but for the soul therefore away with all your disorders and unseemly coming unto this blessed Sacrament take heed and repent of this sin among you and of all other sins which you know your own conscience to be guilty of and so come unto this holy communion Now the verse that I have read to you is a part of that use of terror which the Apostle makes against the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament and it contains Gods severe hand and punishment against those that come unworthily wherein note three things First the cause of their punishment which is the unworthy eating of the Communion For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many are fallen asleep Secondly the punishment inflicted for this sin weaknesse sicknesse and mortality For it seems saith Peter Martyr that the Lord sent a sore plague and pestilence among them to revenge himself of them for their abuse of the Sacrament for this cause Thirdly there is the Delinquents which are you Corinthians Many are sick and weak among you and in them all others that come unpreparedly to the Sacrament Chrysostom notes here that our Apostle doth not fetch here an Argument or example of judgement from others as he had done in the former chapter but he brings it from themselves who sensibly felt the wrath of God upon them for this very sin As if the Apostle should have said How is it O Corinthians that you dare venture to come unto the Communion so unpreparedly and that you have no more regard of so weighty a businesse as is the receiving of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ See you not the wrath of God upon your dwellings and the curse of heaven to take hold of your town you see it this very time that some are weak and very sick amongst you near unto death and others have been struck with death before your eyes and the wrath of God is not removed but lies yet upon you What will you alwayes goe on and never cease to provoke the Lord to indignation and wrath against you for your sins until his jealousie hath utterly consumed you and clean cut you off and howsoever many of you may think that this sicknesse weaknesse and mortality comes upon you by chance as from the infection of the ayr or other secundary causes I tell you nay but it is for this cause onely even your unworthy coming to the Supper of the Lord. Whence we may observe this point of instruction That God doth most severely punish the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper He punished the Corinthians here with sicknesse weaknesse feavers pestilence death temporall and God knows how many with death eternall Theodoret observes that the Apostle told them of a thing that was acted amongst them for if he had told them of such judgements as had been hid from them and not manifest before their eyes as if they had not felt the sicknesse in their bodies and heard the bels tolling dayly in their ears they might have thought that the Apostle had but lyed unto them So the people of Israel as we may read in 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. verses they were baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea and they did all eat the same spirituall meat and drink the same spirituall drink yet as it is in the fifth verse with many of them God was not well pleased Nay God was so wroth with them that within the space of forty years many thousands of them were destroyed by death here and God knoweth how many thousands of them in hell For God speaketh of hell as well as of death and their sin was so great that it made God
confirm it with an oath that they should never enter into his rest And Saint Cyprian saith that the Lord hath shewed many miracles and declared many fearfull judgements upon the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament Judas who Ambrose thought received the Sacrament though Hilary and others that he did not but only that he did eat the Passeover and was coming to the Sacrament also but see his doom John 13. as soon as ever he received the sop the Devil entred into him and so it is with all such as come to the Communion in their sins without repentance and unfeigned resolution of walking ever after worthy the Sacrament I say unto all and every one of them that as soon as ever thou receivest the Bread and Wine into thy mouth thou receivest the devil together with it as soon as ever it goeth down into thy bodie the Devill goeth after it and taketh more full possession of thy heart and soul Now the reason why the Lord doth so severely punish both with temporall judgements and with spirituall curses the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament is in regard of the author of the Sacrament who is Christ and that not only as he was man as the Papists would make us beleeve but Christ as he was God did institute the same So saith the Apostle in the 23. verse The Lord Jesus Christ in the same night that he was betray'd took bread and brake it when he had given thanks and said Take ye and eat ye for this is my body which is broken for you Now if the Lord Jesus did institute it what an accursed thing is it for any to defile it and so sin against Christ it is a damnable thing to sin against God but to sin against God as he is God in Christ is damnably damnable The holy Ghost in the second Psalm exhorts to kisse the Son lest he be angry and so thou perish as if he should say Adore the Son Adore the Loâ—d Jesus Christ and so come and eat of this bread and drink of this Cup for if he be angry thou wilt surely perish If thou sin against God and so go out of the way Christ upon thy repentance will set thee in again but if thou sinnest against God in Christ who is the Way the Life and the Truth thou shalt surely perish from the right way for there is no other way to bring thee in again Acts 4. 12. Therefore wofull is thy case and miserable is thy condition if thou sinnest against Christ prophaning his holy Ordinances which he himselfe hath instituted and abusest and despisest that blessed Spirit of his that comes to seal unto thee the redemption that he hath purchased by his bloud Better had it been for thee that thou hadst never been born for if he be wroth blessed only are all they that put their trust in him and come preparedly unto his holy Ordinance and that by faith imbrace the Lord Jesus Christ but woe unto all prophane persons that live in their sins if his wrath be but a little kindled then woe to all drunkards swearers and unclean persons but blessed is that man that is come out of his sins For if his wrath be so terrible when it is but a little kindled O how much more fearfull will it be when it is deeply incensed Therefore if thou comest unto this holy Sacrament in thy sins without due preparation and examination what doest thou but even set the wrath of God burning upon thy soul and body from the very bottom of hell When the Lord delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai he commanded the people to sanctifie themselves yea if a beast did but touch the mountain he must dye for the same even be stoned to death or thrust through with a dart Heb. 12. Much more then now when the Lord doth deliver the Gospel especially the ground-work and master-peece thereof the Lord Jesus Christ and that in the most blessed manner that ever God exhibited himselfe unto man how much more doth God require purity and holinesse that all such as come to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in the blessed Sacrament should be sanctified purging their hearts and cleansing their souls from all their sin and uncleannesse Should not a beast touch the mountain where God did appear and darest thou touch the body of Christ and drink his blessed bloud in thy sinnes The very angels of heaven will curse thee and the clouds of heaven will pour down showers of vengeance upon thee for God hath more severe punishments to inflict upon sinners under the Gospell than he used under the Law though then he struck them with more visible and sensible plagues and judgements than ordinarily he bringeth upon men now as Gehazi for his covetousnesse was strucken with leprosie Corah Dathan and Abiram the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up quick for their rebellion against the Lord Er and Onan were strucken dead for their wickednesse Jeroboam had his hand withered for stretching of it forth to strike the Lords Prophet And though the Lord bring not such sensible punishments now as he did then yet he knows how to punish the world a thousand times more than he did then at this time As a father hath other kinds of punishments for his son when he is growâ— up than he had when he was in coats and but a child then a twig or two would serve the turn but if he come to mans estate and then rebell against his father it may be that he will disinherit him and cast him out of his family So in former time God did scourge and whip his people when they sinned against him but now he hath drawn out his Church to this age even to the age of the Gospel he hath severer strokes of plagues and curses wherewith to confound all prophane and impenitent sinners that dare to abuse that blessed Sacrament of the Lord Jesus Christ The second Reason is in regard of the matter of the Sacrament which is Christ also who as he was the efficient cause so in regard of Sacramental relation he is the matter of the Cummunion 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is it not thâ— Communion of the body of Christ Now the better matter any thing is of the more heynous is the defilement of it A master will not be so angry for casting his earthen vessels into the mire as he will be for casting his rich jewels The Bread and Wine in the Sacrament are the blessed Communion of the precious body and bloud of Christ and darest thou defile them knowest thou not that thou dost greatly encrease the wrath of the Lord against thy soul thereby That soul whatever it was from Dan to Beersheba that came in his uncleannesse to partake of any of those holy things which the children of Israel hallowed to the Lord whether he were
man or woman rich or poor that person was to be cut off from the presence of the Lord Levit. 12. whereto the Lord sets his Seal for the confirmation thereof I am the Lord and as sure as I am the Lord so will I see it accomplished So my beloved let me say unto you of England from Dover to Newcastle or from the one end of the town unto the other that soul who toucheth any one of these holy things with an impure heart and cometh to partake of them with his uncleannesse upon him living in his sinnes and wallowing in his lusts casting off the fear of the Lord and making no conscience to walk in Gods wayes that soul shall surely be cut off that cometh so unworthily unto the Table of the Lord not only the hand that taketh it and the mouth that eateth it but even the very soul of him that cometh shall perish from the presence of the Lord. So Levit. 7. 20. That soul that eateth of the flesh of the Sacrifices of peace offerings that pertain unto the Lord having his uncleannesse upon him even that soul shall be cut off from his people Now you know that all those sacrifices had relation unto Christ but yet under the Law they were but shadows and typicall relations and were not so lievly and effectuall means for the exhibiting of Christ as the Lords Supper is And therefore if such as came in their uncleannesse unto them were punished with no lesse punishment than a cutting off from fellowship with the Lords people what wrath and vengeance will the Lord bring upon thee that comest with thy uncleannesse upon thee unto this holy Communion Augustine saith that man that receiveth the Sacrament unworthily receiveth a great plague to his own soul and a great torment to his own conscience yea and heapeth up a store of wrath unto himself against the day of wrath Me thinks thou that livest in thy sinnes and wilt not come out of them when thou hearest these words This is my body and seest the bread broken before thy face it should even make thee tremble and quake to look upon it more to touch it and most of all to tast it for it is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ and how darest thou come in thy sins to defile it A third Reason is in regard of the form of the Sacrament which is Christ too for as he is the efficient cause that instituted it and as he is also the matter of the Sacrament so in the third place Christ is the form of the Sacrament also wherein the confirming grace of God is sealed up unto thee Now as it is treason for a man to offer contempt unto the Kings broad Seal so certainly is it high treason against this King of Kings to contemn this blessed Sacrament which is the Seal of the righteousnesse of faith If thou shouldest clip the Kings Coyn I will say that thou art a Traitor Oh what a traytor art thou then yea accursed traytor in the account of God and Christ if thou clippest his holy Communion if thou clip it of thy examination and due preparation and so come hand over head not regarding so holy an Ordinance Thou sinnest against the Court of heaven That which Saint James speaks in general of the whole worship of God Draw near unto God let me apply it in particular unto this drawing near unto God in his holy Communion James 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Draw near unto God in the hearing reading and meditating on Gods Word draw near unto God in Prayer and in his holy Sacrament and receive it for your amendment of life Draw near unto God I that I wil saith the wicked man I wil come to Church and draw near unto the holy Communion Will you so saith the Apostle No first Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double-minded As if he should say never think of drawing near unto God or setting foot on this holy ground and handling those holy mysteries of Christ unlesse thou first purge thy heart and cleanse thy soul from all thy filthy lusts and cursed corruptions lest otherwise thou coming in thy sins with thy uncleannesse on thee and so receiving unworthily thou eatest and drinkest thine own damnation as our English translation hath it damnation to thy self and not to another No God forbid that thou shouldest by thy unworthy coming eat and drink condemnation to another for thou that art a child of God and comest unto the Table of the Lord with repentance and a sound measure of preparation though others that sit in the same pew with with thee for their prophanenesse eat and drink their own damnation yet thou shalt be sure to receive the seal and assurance of thy reconciliation and salvation with free acceptance of God through the Lord Jesus Christ for every man shall bear his own burden The last Reason is in regard of the end of the Sacrament which is Christ also For as he is the efficient material and formal cause so Christ is also the final cause of the Sacrament So it is in the 26 verse As oft as you eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death until he come Not that Christ may be eaten with the teeth or corporally received in the Sacrament or as if he were there productively or transubstantially as the Papists say no the Apostle shews that the end of the celebration of this Sacrament is to shew forth the death of Christ untill he come I but say the Romists unlesse we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ really and not the consecrated bread and wine how can any man by this unworthy communicating eat and drink his own damnation and make himself guilty of the body and blood of Christ I answer a man cannot bring this guilt upon himselfe by eating a peece of bread or drinking a cup of wine but the Apostle hath an answer so fitted for this as that all the Papists in the world shall never be able to gain say and therefore I pray you to mark it for he hath joyned these two verses together as oft as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever eateth this bread or drinketh this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord even for this cause because it is the shewing forth of Christs death till he come Therefore if thou eatest and drinkest unworthily coming in thy sins and resolvest to go on in them that as thou wert proud before thou camest to the Sacrament so thou art still as thou wert cholerick angry and impatient before so thou art still as thou wert luke-warm and dead-hearted in Gods service before so thou remainest still remember I pray thee that as oft as thou hast come unto the
shalt be found out and the Lord will keep thee out by his spirituall plagues and thy sin shall never be done away but be required at thy hands and stand in everlasting record against thee O my brethren that you would but seriously consider it and look about you it being so weighty a thing that so nearly concerns every one of you But I would not have any poor broken heart and humble Soul to mistake me and so thereby be discouraged but give me leave I pray you to use the words of the Prophet though spoken in another sense Psal 115. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the glory So let me apply this doctrine unto the comfort of all poor broken-hearted sinners and beate off all carnal prophane wretches that live in their sins not unto you O drunkards swaggerers not unto you whoremasters and unclean persons that wallow in ungodlinesse I say not unto you but unto the poor afflicted soul and contrite spirit that lieth bleeding and gasping under the weight of his sin and that trembles and fears being opprest with the sense of its own unworthiness panting and breathing after Christ Jesus and suing earnestly unto the Throne of grace for mercy and forgivenesse unto thee only belongs this comfort and therefore take it home to thee and know it for thy self Art thou troubled with a hard heart and an unbeleeving soul and art even wearyed and tyred out with thy many sins and infirmities Come thou with comfort unto this holy Communion for thou shalt be sure to find saving good by it to thee it shall be a spirituall medicine to heal all thy diseases and to cure all thy strong and prevailing corruptions and if thou come unto this holy Table of the Lord it shall make thee as it is recorded of Saint Laurence able to suffer Martyrdom and to get victory over all thy unruly affections yea at last thou shalt tread Satan thy arch-enemy under thy feet Thefore be not dismayed for the Lord Jesus invites thee to come What if thy infirmities be many yet the mercies of God which he tenders to thee in this Communion are many more Samson who was the strongest Souldier and Companion in his time that was in Israel to overcome the Philistims he yet began his strength in weaknesse being at the first overcome by a woman So though the Lord intend to make thee a strong Christian he will make thee to begin in weaknesse to perfect thy power to begin in sin and misery that he may make thee to end in glory I know Gods children here may receive temporal punishments and bring temporal scourges upon themselves as we may see amongst the Corinthians here but it shall be for their good and amendment namely for their correction and not for their ruine and destruction that so being chastened by the Lord they might not be condemned with the world Therefore if thou comest carelesly and unprofitably God will chastise thee with the rods of men as he did Peter who receiving the Sacrament with his Master over night yet the next day thrice denyed him but God whipt his soul and scourged his conscience for it and beat him black and blew so that he went out and wept bitterly Nay he could scarce with off that sin and recover himself again whilst he lived Wherefore let us take heed of unprepared coming to the Sacrament for God will not hold such guiltlesse Yea if his own sonnes or daughters transgresse thereby he will make them to feel the smart of it But now to come to all such as come moneth by moneth hand over head without any examination and repentance in their uncleannesse and abomination making no conscience of their reformation let me tell them that it shall be one of Christs demands of them in the day of judgement How oft hast thou been at my Table How oft hast thou been partaker of that holy Communion which I gave unto thee Hast thou come preparedly or received worthily or no Hast thou eat bread at my Table with me and lift up thy heel against me Did I command and thou wouldest not obey Did I send my Ministers to thee to reform but thou wouldest not be reformed Did I check and reprove thee for thy pride blasphemies drunkennesse covetousnesse anger wrath malice fornication hypocrisie and prophanenesse in the matter of my worship and yet wouldest thou still live in these sins Where are all the Sacraments that thou hast received How hast behaved thy self Where are the sins that thou hast forsaken and pleasing corruptions that thou hast abhorred What grace and holinesse hast thou received by the means thou hast enjoyed and how hast thou manifested the same through thy whole conversation Oh! woe woe unto thee yea and a world of woes unto thee and unto all such as shall be silent and speechlesse to those or the like demands of Christ for they cannot say they have come out of their sins and have been reformed by the means of grace and have received spirituall nourishment and refreshing from the heavenly banquet of the Communion of the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ A man will especially regard the last words of a dear friend who is as a mans Soul when he is to speak upon his death-bed and will be carefull to remember them and dost thou not more regard the last Will and Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ we count it a horrible sin to alter the last Will of a man that is dead Beloved the Lord Jesus before he left this world instituted this blessed Sacrament as his last Will and Testament and hath given us a charge that as we would not eat and drink our own damnation by bringing the guilt of his body and bloud upon our Souls so that we should discern the Lords body and not come unpreparedly in our sins and abominations without reverence and respect of such holy and high mysteries as if there were nothing more to be received and looked for after then the bare and naked element of bread and wine or as if we did come to communicate with unclean Devils O my brethren if you had but faith you would be able to discern Christ in the Sacrament and therefore when thou comest unto it thou must prepare and sanctifie thy selfe to communicate with him in those holy Ordinances and heavenly mysteries of his most pretious body and bloud for if so be that thou retainest thy sins and so come unworthily unto this holy Table of the Lord thou art a great Covenant-breaker with God For thou never comest unto the Communion but thou makest and renewest thy covenant with God wherein thou promisest thus much or the like in effect Lord I have been formerly a drunkard but now I promise to give it over and never to be a drunkard more I have been a scoffer at Religion and a mocker and derider of thy children but now I faithfully promise Lord that I
hearken unto instruction and give ear unto councel now whiles that the Lord offers it unto you that so you may not harden your hearts any more but may hear and obey that your souls may live and so coming together to this holy and blessed Communion for the better and not for the worse you may return home with the blessing of children THE DUTIE OF COMMUNICANTS OR Examination required of every COMMUNICANT In a SERMON preached By that Vigilant and Painfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford EXAMINATION Required in every COMMUNICANT A SERMON preached by Master WILLIAM FENNER Minister of GODS Word 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. IN the later part of this Chapter the Apostle treats of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and first he reproves the Corinthians for their unworthy coming to it as we see in verse 18. There were Errors and Schismes contempt of the poor drunkennesse excesse disorder and unprofitablenesse in the duties of God they waxed worse and worse by the Sacrament All these and sundry other abuses were among them so that they did not eat the Lords Supper aright as they ought Secondly he reduceth them back to the first prime institution of it by Jesus Christ as we see in verse 23. that hereby they might both see how grievously they had abused the Sacrament and likewise see how they might sanctifiedly use it Thirdly he shews the danger of unworthy receivers and this he sets out two wayes First by the grievousnesse of the sinne such a person makes himself guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord as we see verse 27. Secondly by the doleful consequence that follows upon it He eats and drinks damnation to himself as we see verse 29. Now in this verse that I may not trouble you with speaking of any more matter than what is necessary for the present Theme he shews how we may prevent escape and avoyd this danger how we may take an order that we do not fal into this grievous sin that we do not plunge our selves into this grievous misery Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. A man must examine himself sift his own soul and labour to prepare himself before he dare to venture on this sacred businesse In these words before we set upon the particular handling of them we may observe that We must not rush upon the Sacrament There must somewhat be done before we can receive it Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. There are none of the Ordinances of God that a man may safely rush upon Wouldest thou offer any sacrifice to God but thou must stay first and examine thy self whether there be not something yet undone It may be thou hast offended God in something or other It may be thou art out with thy brother thou must first go and be reconciled to thy brother and then offer thy guift Matth. 5. So wouldst thou reprove thy neighbour It may be there be somewhat out of order some indisposednesse in thee thou art not yet in case to set on this duty it may be thou art faulty and guilty thy self it may be thou hast a beam in thine own eye First saith the Text pull the beam out of thine own eye and then thou mayest see clearly to pull the moat out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7. 5. So would'st thou reform thy outward man But it may be thy inward man is not reformed there is some lust in thy heart some pride in thy will some stubbornnesse in thy spirit some Idoll in thy bosome First cleanse the inside of the platter Matth. 23. 26. There is never an ordinance of God that can be done but there must be somewhat done first a man must do something before As in the choice of officers as Ministers as Deacons other Officers in the Church first they must be proved before they be chosen so in all the Ordinances of God Would we come to the Sacrament There is somewhat must be done first we must examine our selves and root out all unsanctifiednesse and indisposition that cannot stand with the right communicating in the Lords supper And so in every other good duty The reasons of this are First because naturally we are not invited guests we are not such as are invited to the Lords Supper we are children of wrath and as long as we are in such an estate we cannot come aright to the Communion This is childrens bread and it cannot be given to dogges Christ whensoever he sets his dainties before his people he tels us for whom they are Take eat this is my body that is broken for you This is the supper that is made for you as it is in this Chapter verse 24. First we must prove our selves invited guests It is true the Lord Christ invites every man to the Lords Supper but he invites him methodically he must be in such an estate but every man is not so fitted a man must be a member of Christ that means to partake of Christs death he must be one that is in Christ he must be able to prove that he is ingrafted into Christ he must be able to shew the mark of the Lord Christ on him As it is with the some of your great dinners and feasts in this City you have tickets and all that are admitted to the feast must shew their ticket before they are admitted So thou must be able to shew thy ticket that thou hast an invitation from Christ thou must have a mark and token from Christ that thou comest and comest with his warrant A second reason is though thou be invited it may be thou art not disposed If a man will do a thing that he is naturally indisposed to there must be somewhat done before of necessity So the Lords supper it is a thing that naturally we are indisposed unto therefore somewhat must of necessity be done first Naturally we are unholy we are unthankfull and carnall we are in our sinnes strangers from God and the Covenant of God and from the seal of the Covenant all this indisposition must be wrought out before we can comfortablely come hither If Christ would have the very Chamber first trimmed before he instituted the Passeover and the Sacrament much more will he have the soul disposed for him and the heart cleansed from all filthinesse If he that was of the Peace-offering being indisposed having his uncleannesse upon him was to be cut off from his people Levit. 7. 20. what will God doe to such people as come hither in their uncleanness and indisposition unsanctified and unqualified Thirdly suppose we were both invited and disposed yet
Communion in those thy sins thou hast made thy selfe guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Therefore I beseech you to look to it and in time to repent and pray with the Prophet David Ps 51. Deliver me from blood-guiltinesse O Lord even from the blood of thy Son lest one day it be laid unto thy charge and required straitly at thy hands For for this cause many are sick among you and many weak Is it so then that the Lord doth so severely punish the unworthy receiver of the Sacrament Take notice I pray you then from whence cometh all sicknesse weaknesse and mortality and the reason why the Lord doth send so many kinde of sorrowes crosses and miseries upon men namely because of the unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper So saith Master Calvin why do you wonder to see such wars and rumours of wars that there is so many blood-sheds so many Towns and Cities ruinated and so many Countries sacked and depopulated so many calamities come upon the Churches abroad and so many plagues and scourges to over-run Christendome at this day is not the cause plain enough men come unto the Table of the Lord carelesly and unworthily And beloved we shall never see the Lord take away his judgements here from the earth until we betake our selves to a more diligent and holy receiving of the Sacrament For this very cause there are so many strange diseases amongst us never formerly known or heard of untill these dayes as the French-Pox the English sweat as they call it that even the Physitians themselves are blunted at them and as Peter Martyr well observs hence are all diseases as plagues pestilences which were late amongst us dropsies bloody-Flux Agues Apoplexies Convulsions burning-Feavers and Impostumes c. and all for this cause One man hath fallen into a Feaver and we wonder at the cause whence he took it but in truth the communion hath cast him into his Feaver and the Lord will avenge himself on him for the same Another is sick and he thinks that a cold hath brought it upon him but it is the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament that is truly the cause of it A third man dyeth before his time even in his full strength before in the course of nature he hath ended half his daies but the cause is unworthy coming to the Communion which hath taken hold on him and cut off the thread of his life Many there be that expound these words in a spirituall sense Many are sick and weak and many are fallen asleep that is to say many have their consciences seared and their hearts hardened c. and this is true also that because men come unpreparedly they have their hearts hardened and their consciences seared and their soul plagued with many spirituall plagues But it is as true also in temporall judgements thou hast had many afflictions and much sickness laid unto thee but thank thy selfe for it namely because thou hast come unworthily unto the communion thou hast had much weaknesse in thy body which hath cost thee much money and weakned thy estate but thy unholy coming unto the Sacrament is that which thou maiest thank for it Thou hast been reproched and contemned and endured much shame but take notice of it that it proceeds from the fore-going cause and that is a speciall reason why the Lord hath brought these and many other evils upon thee Thou canst say the Commandements for the most part by rote but thou didst never know the mysterie of this one Commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Behold the Communion is one of Gods own names and how many thousands are there in the world that take this name of God in vain Is there never a drunkard here in this congregation that hath been at the Sacrament Is there never a whoremonger never a covetous worldling Where is the man whosoever he be among you all that is such a one He is in the state of damnation Is there never a luke-warm and carnal Christian that contents himselfe with a formall worship and a dead performance of holy duties that hath no zeal for God nor courage for his truth but is carelesse of all Gods commandements whosoever amongst you are guilty of these sins or any other and hath come unto this holy Communion in them they are the persons that how oft soever they have received so oft they have taken this name of the Lord in vain And if I should examine this Congregation from the one end of it unto the other I fear that every pew would yeild some one if not many that have taken a Communion which is one of Gods names in vain Should I but examine thee that comest unto the Communion this day how by the last Sacrament thou receivedst and the last Sermon thou hast heard thy faith is strengthened thy repentance renewed and thy obedience is increased and thy care doubled for to walk with God whether thou art made by them more zealous for God more forward in his worship and service and every day more holy and heavenly-minded if not then tâ—oâ— hast taken this Name of the Lord thy God in vain and the Lord will not hold thee guiltless that is the Lord will not take away the guilt from thy conscience but he wil let thy sin lye open and thou shalt not be cleansed from it nor justified by the very blood of Jesus Christ but it shall rest upon thee to thy utter ruine and destruction unlesse thou forsake thy sins and so come preparedly unto this holy Table and banquet I know there is a convenant of grace a sweet refreshing for every humbled soul that is hungry and broken for his sins and for every poor distressed conscience let all such come and lay their sin upon Christs crosse and welcome But if there be any that come in their sins and will not reform their lives but be as they came sinners and so they mean to continue the Lord himself will lay this mans sins upon his own head and they shall never be taken away from him but Christ shall at the day of judgement pronounce him a guilty person to his eternal condemnation King Belshazzar that abused but the holy Vessels of the Temple and the Cups thereof what a small plague befel him for it Dan. 5. 27 28. God hath numbred thy Kingdome and finished it thou art weighed in the ballance and art found too light thy kingdom is departed from thee and is given to the Medes and Persians So beloved brethren if any of you shall abuse this Cup of the Lord coming to it with a filthy unclean heart and polluted conscience and earthly affections there is a hand-writing against every soul that thus cometh this day unto the Table of the Lord thou art numbred and weighed and found too light Thou O man and woman whosoever thou art that prophanest and contemnest these holy things of God thou
will never do so any more I have been wicked and sinfull disobeying and rebelling against all thy holy commandements and respected not thy judgements and thy promises and have been carelesse of thy glory But now Lord as I eat this bread and drink this wine so I covenant unto thee and promise to thee that I wil amend all my sinfull ways and become a reformed Christian And as I ever look that the body and the bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ represented in the elements should nourish my soul unto eternall life so I promise to be disobedient unto the Devill but faithfull and obedient unto thee I will stop my ears against the alluring inchantments of the world and wicked suggestions of the Devil but I wil open them wide to hearken to thy voice that I may obey thy commands But now as thou hast made it so if thou hast broken this thy covenant with God returning to thy former courses of sin and disobedience against him know thou that this covenant of thine which thou hast broken shal stand in full force against thee for God will assuredly require it at thy hands and all the Sacraments which thou hast received thou hast received them but as so many seals and pledges of thy just deserved condemnation But some man may object and say Do all that come unworthily unto the Sacrament eat and drink their own damnation Then many hundreds yea thousands are damned Are all damned that have eat and drunk unworthily Ans No but a man may eat and drink his own damnation three ways First in regard of guilt and liablenesse unto Gods wrath and so he that eateth and drinketh his naturall food his dinner supper or breakfast in his sinnes eateth and drinketh his own damnation yea whosoever thou art that comest unto this holy banquet in thy sins in thy pride choler malice wrath or revenge covetousuesse hypocrisie and deadnesse in Gods service thou never eatest a bit of bread but thou eatest and drinkest thine own damnation that is thou eatest and drinkest that which will witnesse against thee another day Deut. 28. 16 17 18 19. ver c. If thou â—ilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and do all his commandements then all these curses come upon thee and shall overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed in the field cursed shall be thy basket and store Now if thy bread be cursed then thou art cursed also that eatest it Secondly in regard of the seal and obligation in the conscience so he that eateth and drinketh the Sacrament in his sins eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he eats and drinks that which seals up his damnation against the great day of account And thus many amongst us and I fear the most part of this congregation have eat and drunk their own damnation But this seal may be broken off and God grant it may Thirdly in regard of sigillation in heaven and so he that eats and drinks unworthily and will not be reformed he that receives the Sacrament time after time yet still retains his sins and will not be humbled for them nor forsake them he setteth a seal in heaven upon his own damnation that all the whole world can never break off but such an one most certainly is a damned creature And now my brethren God forbid there should be any such here but that this seal may be broken off And O that God would put some strength into this word that it may be broken off by your godly sorrow for your sin and forsaking of them all for if this seal be set on your damnation why do I yet speak unto you and intreat and beseech you in the name of Christ to come home and be reconciled to him and I desire to stand here as Jehoiadah set Porters at the gates of the City and of the house of the Lord to keep off all those that come in their uncleannesse 2 Chron. 23. 19. So I stand this day as the Porter of the Lord to keep the Lords watch that no prophane wretch no proud hearted sinner that means not to enter into a new course of life that no such one come unto this holy communion I charge you as you will answer the guilt of Christs bloud before Gods Throne that you meddle not with it But now if there be any that would absent himself because he will the more freely go on in his sins let him know that such an one excludes himself from the benefits and merits of Christs death and shall never have the benefit of a Redeemer at the day of judgement but shall perish in his sins for his carelesse neglect and fearful contempt of so effectual and powerful means of salvation and purging as is the bloud of Christ truly and really offered in the Sacrament Wherefore if thou comest or comest not woe is thee if so be thou livest and continuest in thy sins and goest on in thy unholy courses And now to conclude as the Cherubin stood before Paradise with a naked sword to keep Adam out that he might not enter and so eat of the tree of life so I bring with me the sword of God to run it up to the hilt in the heart and bowels of every ungodly man every rebellious and impenitent sinner this day that dares presume to rush upon this holy Ordinance of God with a polluted and an unclean heart Therefore let me exhort thee that as thou tendrest the eternall good of thy soul so thou be careful not to eat the body of Christ nor drink his blood in thy sins lest thou eat thine own bane and drink thine own curse Nay so doing thy misery wil be so great as a good man wel weighing and considering of it said I professe I had rather have all my veins cut open and my bloud spilt on the ground than deliver the body and blood of Christ unto a prophane sinner for why should I deliver his own bane and destruction unto him But now my brethren and beloved come out of your sins come and welcome if you part with your lusts and so come you shall be sure to have his bloud to wash your heart and cleanse you his righteousnesse to clear you and cloath you his graces to strengthen you his spirit to heal and to sanctifie your hearts and natures the Lord Jesus Christ to supply all good that is wanting in you But if yet notwithstanding all this that hath been said you will go on in your sins and live as you did in your swearing whoring lying and drinking and all manner of filthinesse and as you came to it unclean so you depart away from it more unclean and never make any conscience of any reformation I pronounce this day before God and his elect Angels that thou shalt surely perish and thy soul and body be damned and tormented in the scorching flames of hell for evermore Therefore
this it not enough This is a solemne Ordinance of God and an ordinary disposition will not serve the turn Though every child of God be ordinarily disposed to every good word and work to pray and to hear the word of God he is prepared and furnished to every well-doing ordinarily and habitually but a man must be disposed farther There is a solemne preparation required to the Communion as in Deut. 16. 15. there were solemn feasts in the Law so there is this solemn feast in the Gospel and there are solemn preparations required thereto When we come to the Communion to eat the Lords Supper it is not eating and drinking in Christs presence for so may any reprobate do and yet Christ may say to him Depart from me thou worker of iniquity It is not to come and sit in your Pewes and wait till the Bread comes and take it and till the Cup comes and drink it so many a Reprobate may doe as the Corinthians did that did eat and drink their own damnation But there must be a solemn preparation to it to be sealed with the Spirit of Promise to be righteous by faith in the body and bloâ—d of Christ For a man to be humble and empty of his sin to be â—â—â—â—sâ—y aâ—â—â—â— the precious bloud of Christ to be fed and built up in the promises It is a weighty thing to come to the Communion a man must be a worthy man or else he hath nothing to do here As Solomon said of Adonijah if he be a worthy man not a hair shall fall from his head but if wickednesse be found in him he shall dye 1 Kings 1. 52. So if we be worthy men and women not a hair of our heads shall fall to the ground none of the curses shall light on us that light on unprepared persons but if wickednesse be found in us if we be guilty of any sin if we live in any lust not mortified if there be any prophanenesse in our lives in our families in our courses and callings though we catch hold of the horns of the Altar though we partake of these holy mysteries yet we shall be so far from having any mercy as that we shall hasten our own ruine we set a seal on our own judgement and make our case worse than it was before Let us take notice of it and never dare to rush on any of Gods Ordinances You know what became of the foolish man in the Gospel that when they were invited to come to the marriage supper he thought it was nothing but to come with them that came to crowd in with them and sit down among the rest he considered not what he went about that he might be prepared accordingly the event was this he was cast out into utter darknesse Matth. 22. 13. It is dangerous rushing on any of Gods ordinances To rush upon prayer for a man to fall down upon his knees and to utter any thing before the Lord hastily with his mouth not considering that God is in heaven and he on the earth A mans word may damn his own soul and pull vengeance on his own pate his prayers may prove a curse his prayer for mercy may be turned into vengeance So the higher the service the greater the danger As the servants of Abigail said to her Consider what you do when evill was determined against them so consider what you do when you come to the Sacrament you come to a weighty thing to that that will either set you neerer to the Kindome of God or hell and condemnation But I let this passe and come to the words themselves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. In these words observe First the matter of the duty commanded that is to eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Secondly the manner of doing the duty not only to eat of that bread but so to eat and not only to drink of that cup but so to drink Thirdly the rule of direction how to come in a right manner to partake of it that is by examining of our selves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Fourthly and lastly the benefit following that direction and that is in this word But let a man examine himself He had said before He that eats and drinks unworthily is made guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he discerneth not the Lords body verse 27. But saith he as if he should say if a man would prevent this if a man would take order that he be not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that he do not come undiscerningly to these heavenly mysteries but with comfort and title to the promises with hope and confidence and speeding there of the benefits of Christ exhibited then let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Now I will passe over some of these points namely that we are to eat that bread and drink that cup. There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords supper I need not stand on this you know it sufficiently proved by the Sacrament of the Law which was the fore-runner of this Sacrament that soul that did not partake of that was to dye the death he was to be cut off from Gods people Num. 9. 13. If the Lord was so carefull of those Sacraments that were inferior to these and yet they were of the same substance as these that the man that neglected to come to them to partake of them was to be cut off to be excommunicated from the people of God and to be rent off from the congregation of the Saints then how much more for these heavenly and weighty and glorious Ordinances of the Gospel which are farr more glorious than them of the Law But I will not stand upon that I might here take notice too of the frequency of the duty for so it hath dependence on those words formerly As oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death and so that is as oft as ye eat do it in this manner This is the command of God that we oft receive the Lords Supper In the Primitive times St. Basil observes that they eat it three or four times in a week on Wednesdays Frydays and on the Lords day but that was a time of persecution I will not stand upon that I think it not neeedfull But it should be often we should not thurst it only upon Easter and Whitsuntide and Christ-tide three or four times in the year Again I might observe here from this mystery received in that he calls it Bread I might observe against the Papists Transubstantiation that the bread received is not transubstantiated but is bread still and against that of receiving in one kind So let him eat of that bread and drink of that
have they besought you to be zealous and meek and holy and you will not thou art techie and revengefull in speeches how often hast thou been sought to leave it thou art proude and stout-hearted how oft hast thou been fought for to be humble thou art carnall and worldly how often hast thou been besought to be spirituall and heavenly Thou hast no assurance of Christ in thy soule how oft hast thou been besought for to get him Ministers beseech thee every Sabbath Ministers intreate thee every week They breake their braines and breake their sleepe and spend their lung and all to invent and speake acceptable words to prevaile with your â—oules with heart-cutting intreaties they beseech you if not withstanding all this you will not be intreated to part with your sinnes then it is evident you hate reformation If we did not hate a thing we would doe it though we were never besought to doe it if thou didst not hate a reformation of thy sinnes thou wouldest have been reformed without these beseeches but if beseeches and intreaties cannot wooe thee thou hatest it indeed which beseeches cannot reconcile The Lord Jesus sent his Ministers in his Name we are Gods Embassadours in Christ his stead we pray you to be reconciled to God We have besought you by the bloud of Christ we have intreated you by the Bowel of Gods mercies to become new men we beseech you in the Bowels of the Lord Jesus Christ to give over your sins We beseech you as you love your soules give over your sins we beseech you as you are men as you know what is what give over your sinnes we beseech you let the drunkard give over his drunkennesse the swearer his oathes and blasphemies the Idolater his Idolatry and wilworship let the idle talker give over his fruitlesse communication the covetous person give over his covetousnesse the secure Christian and luke warme professor and deadharted server of God come out of his security and dead-heartednesse c. I beseech you by the mercies of God saith Saint Paul present your bodies a living sacrifice holy c. Rom. 12. 1. Sacrifice your tongues unto God we beseech you and speake holy conference sacrifice your hearts we beseech you and use holy meditations sacrifice your eares unto God and suffer not idle language to be spoken in your hearing we beseech you doe this yea by all the mercies of Christ we beseech as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ his stead and will you not yet Certainly you hate the light if all these beseeches cannot reconcile you we have besought you that there be no disorders in any of your families and yet there are we have besought you that there be no losse of time in your meetings that there be no root of bitternesse in your hearts and yet there is we have besought you to mend your repentance and to better your obedience and to repent of your rotten formality and to come out of your sandy and quagmire bottoms and not to consent your selves with this beggerly form of religion onely but as ever you love your soules and would be loved to get the power of grace and a thousand more things have we besought you Is it done no God knows all the beseeches and intreaties under heaven have not yet done it Now therefore you must needs stand convinced in your consciences that you hate the light if all these beseeches cannot bring you to it They must needs be saide to hate one another when neither money nor price nor any thing can make friends That is inveterate cankerous hatred which can never be out-bought which can never be hired to â—ease I make no question but that the Dâ—mosels Master at the first did hate that his Maide should be possessed with a divell but when he saw that it brought him in great gaine he took off his hatred he could then be content that the divell might have stayed in his house so he might have gained by it and therefore we read that he was angry at the Apostle for dispossessing the devill out of her Act. 16. 19. It must be a grievous haâ—red that profit cannot mollifie Brethren you know that God offereth you pardon of your sins he offers you mercy he offers you a Kingdom if you wil come out of your sins If thou wouldst rather lose father mother wife and children houses and lands goods and livings rather then shake hands with such a one as thou art fallen out with I am sure thou hatest him with a witnesse and if thou wouldest rather hazard thy owne mercy hazard the love and favour of God hazard the Kingdom of heaven let Christ goe and mercy goe and heaven go rather then let thy sinnes goe surely thou hatest to be reformed I will give you a kingdome saith God if you will be new men I will give thee a Kingdome if thou wilt take up Christ his Cross and be pure I will give thee a kingdome If thou wilt walk precisely and circumspectly But you will not though you might have a kingdome for it Repent saith Christ for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Matth. 3. 2. Repent and here is a Kingdome at hand for thee Down with thine old lust thou knowest what I mean and here is a Kingdome at hand for thee Repent of your formall repentance repent of your fashionary prayers repent of your overly performances of holy duties and behold here is a Kingdome for you Wilt thou hazard the very Kingdome of grace and of glory rather then thou wilt steppe out of thy old wont thou hatest repentance if a Kingdome cannot hire thee to love it They must be said to hate one another whom all the dearest love in the world can never unite and soder together Love is able to burst all the hatred in the world if the divell be not in it love is more forcible then hatred and therefore that hatred is most cankerous that love cannot overcome What is so pleasing or delightfull to the flesh of a man but love may command it the love of God hath given thee the bloud of his own Sonne if thou wilt part with thy corrpptions thou mayest have it That is hatred indeed which the bloud of thy owne Sauiour cannot disswade thee from The Apostle Peter thought he had used an excellent argument to perswade men to holinesse when he setteth forth the love of God to us 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. For asmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb undefiled and without spotte What doth Christ give his bloud to thee to redeem thee from thy vain conversation hath he given his bloud for thee that thou shouldest part with thy sinnes with thy drunkkennesse with thy oathes thy pride security luke warmnesse earthlinese prophanenesse from thy vain
Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs now if Christ be in you the body is dead if you consider the body as it hath relation unto sinne Again if you live after the flesh you shall dye verse 13. as if he should have said if your flesh be alive in you if your pride live in you and if your infidelity live in you if your hardnesse of heart live in you if your wrath c live in you and if you walke after these you shall surely die he meaneth not a temporall death for so they must doe howsoever they live but his meaning is they shall die eternally but if you mortify the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live so then it is plaine there is no life of Christ to bee had so long as you retain your sinnes and therefore sinne must bee mortified First because Christ is a Saviour and hence he is called Jesus Matth. 1. 21. for he shall save his people from their sinnes if therefore Christ doe not save thee from thy sins and if by the power of Christ thou mortifie not thy sinnes and give them a deadly blow assure thy selfe he will never be a Jesus unto thee It is true indeed Christ dyed for sinners but it was not to let them goe on in sinne and therefore if thou goe on in sinne it is for thy damnation and not for thy salvation for he will first save thee from thy sinnes or else he will never save thee from hell so then consider if thy sinnes bear sway in thee if they doe then know thou art delivered up unto the power of thy sinnes and to everlasting darknesse For Christ is the true Physitian of the soule and you know that the Physitian doth not bring a potion to put it unto deaths mouth to kill death and so to save the sicke person alive no but hee putteth it into the sicke mans mouth to kill the ill humours that are in his body that so hee might not fall into the hands of death so Christ came not to quench the flames of hell by his spirituall Physicke but to let his Physicke fall upon the heart and soule of man to save him from hell Therefore unlesse the bloud of Christ doe mortifie thy sinnes and crucifie thy lusts there is no hope ever to get Christ to save thee from hell and everlasting damnation This is a true saying saith the Apostle and worthy to be received that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and wicked men like it well indeede For saith the drunkard I am a wicked man yet Christ came to save me The whoremonger saith I am an uncleane person yet Christ came to save me The swearer will say Christ came to save sinners and therefore I hope he will save me too No no Christ came to save sinners that is such as were sinners but now are none they have and doe repent Jesus Christ came to save sinners saith the Apostle whereof I am chiefe I was a blasphemer and a persecuter but now I am not Hence then is the faithfull saying Christ came to save sinners not still sinning No before Paul was injurious a persecuter and lived in ignorance and unbeleefe but now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was wonderfully abundant through Faith and love towards him so that the grace of God hath appeared to draw men out of blindnesse and ignorance therefore to say that Christ came to save such as live in their sins and will live in them as in sins of drunkeness prophaness or uncleaness is a rotten saying and this onely is the faithfull saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners in whom the power of sinne is broken therefore if ever we looke to have benefit or interest by Christ we must mortify our earthly members Secondly because it is impossible for sinne and grace to live and subsist in one subject it is impossible that they should ever stand together and be in a man at one and the same time it cannot be that one and the same creature can have the life of a swine and the life of a man for if he have the soule of a swine he cannot have the soul of a man for they are two contrary distinct lives and where the one is the other cannot be It is like hot water and cold if it be cold it cannot be hot if it be hot it cannot be cold Even so the life of sinne and the life of grace are two contraries and therefore they that walke in their sinnes walke contrary to God Now the Lord saith if you walke contrary to me I will walke contrary unto you Levit. 26. and two contraries we know cannot goe together He that walks in sinne walkes contrary unto God but he that goes on in the waies of grace he walks towards God Now it is impossible to walk towards Dover and towards London at one and the same time for every steppe he goeth forward to the one it carries him backward from the other so then if ever we will have the life of grace we must forsake our sinnes as it was with the house of Saul and David Sauls house grew weaker and Davids stronger so must it be with sin and grace as grace growes stronger so sinne must grow weaker as grace goes up so sinne must go down And as Saul told David he would not give him Michal his daughter to wife unlesse he brought unto him an hundred fore-skinnes of the Philistines Even so the Lord saith that he will not marry the Lord Jesus Christ unto any soule unlesse he bring the fore-skinne of every lust hee must circumcise the foreskinne of his pride of his covetousnesse of his prophanenesse this must bee the offering and condition of marriage unto Christ even the circumcision of the heart and the mortification of all the corruptions Thirdly because else it is impossible to enter into heaven if we mortify not our sinnes a man can never be capable of glory hereafter that doth not mortifie his sinnes here in this life Suppose a wicked man should enter into heaven it is impossible that he should delight in heaven if he were there You will thinke this a strange point but give me leave to explain it a little I say that a wicked man if he were in heaven he could finde no delight there As for example take a beast for so is every man by his own knowledge in regard of the life of grace as saith the Prophet Jeremy though a man take an Oxe or an Asse and bring him unto the Kings table and set before him all the delicates which appertain unto Kings let him have a dinner before him that cost an hundred pounds yet he had rather be in the fields among his fellowes eating grasse or set a Crowne of gold upon a beasts head he will not regard it but cast it off into the mire for