with all his benefits Take eate drinke I see then God offers me Christ to be taken His body to be eaten His bloud to be drunke Here then must faith Actuate it selfe and set it selfe on worke striving with all it's might to take Christ to eate and drinke Christ offered Lord Christ as verily as I take and eate and drink these outward Sacramental elements so verily doe I by my faith receive thy selfe into my soule and feede upon thee for spirituall nourishment Christ is offered to us offers to come in and enter into our hearts The Act of faith now then is that Psalm 24. 7. Lift up your heads ô yee gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting doores But why must these gates and doores of their hearts be thus lift up And the King of glory shal come in Christ is come and he makes an offer to come into your hearts open therefore the gates of your hearts lift them up even from off the hookes that faire and full way may be made for his ready entrance when a great man specially a King comes to a mans house he will not only open the small wicket his little doore but he sets open his great gates throwes them wide open to make spatious way for his entrance Now Christ in the Sacrament offers Himselfe to come to us the King of glory offers to come in Here then let thy faith busily bestirre it selfe in widning the passage and opening thine heart to make Christ way now strive might and maine to stretch open thine heart to such a breadth and largenesse as a fit way may be made for the King of glory to enter Doe in receiving Christ at the Sacrament as Zacheus did in receiving him into his house Luk. 19. 5. Zacheus saies Christ Make hast and come downe for to day I must abide at thine house Here Christ offers Himselfe to Zacheus and upon the offer made instantly Zacheus made haste and came downe and received him joyfully Think upon that gratious offer of Christs how Zacheus bestirred himselfe with what haste he leaped down from the Tree with what readinesse and heartinesse he brought CHRIST home with what sweetnesse of affection he claspes about CHRIST when he entertained him into his house Christ makes thy soule the same offer at the Sacrament now let thy faith as busily bestir herselfe as Zacheus did hasten open claspe embrace welcome and receive CHRIST thus offered to thee Secondly In the Sacrament wee have Sacramentall promises This is my body This is my bloud This is my body which is given for you my blood which is shed for you Shed for the remission of sinnes Take Eate Drinke saies our Saviour Well what if we doe so what shall we get by it What shall we be the better for it A great deale the better for this is my body my bloud I promise you in the use of this Ordinance you shall receive my body and my bloud that body which was once crucified and offered for the redemption of the world that bloud which was shed for Recon 〈…〉 n and Remission of sin and you by being made partakers hereof sâ—â—ll receive efficacious vertue of my quickning death So that these are Sacramentall promises So that here is that which may abundantly set faith on worke for the promises are the most proper object for faith to worke upon Well then CHRIST saies This is my body given for you my bloud shed for you shed for the remission of sinnes Let faith now beleeve these promises Lord I beleeve that thy body was given for me thy bloud shed for me thy bloud shed for the remission of my sins Lord I cheerefully and gladly beleeve that I am now made partaker of thy body and bloud and that my sinnes are pardoned in thy bloud Faith must doe here as David doth Psal 60. 6 7. God hath spoken in his holinesse that is hee hath made me a gracious promise that he will bring all the land under mine obedience Here David hath Gods promise marke now what followes I will rejoyce saith he I will divide Sechem I will mete out the valley of Succoth Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine See how hee actuates his faith upon Gods promise so as to rejoyce so as to take possession of Sechem Succoth Gilead and Manasseh So Christ hath spoken in or by his holinesse This is my body which is given for you this is my bloud which is shed for you for the remission of your sins Here be Sacramentall promises Now upon the view of these promises should a man Actuate his faith and say I will rejoyce I will eate Christs flesh I will drinke his bloud Christ is mine His death is mine His Resurrection is mine Remission of sin is mine Pardon and Heaven are mine And thus by this Actuation of faith should a man with Iohn leane on CHRISTS bosome Iohn 13. 23. When he is at the Sacrament so participating of him as to have communion with him in all his benefits Thus leane wee on our beloved Cant. 8. 5. when at the Sacrament Againe This is my bloud shed for you for the remission of sinne Loe here is that bloud offered me to drinke and promised to me in the Sacrament by the shedding wherof remission of sin was purchased yea here is remission of sin not onely offered me and promised me but of fered and promised under seale Now then Actuate thy faith and say Lord I accept Lord I beleeve this sealed pardon of my sin And faith thus Actuated will make good unto us the Sacramentall promises for as it is true in case of prayer Mar. 11. 24. What things soever you desire when yee pray beleeve that ye receive them and yee shall have them so is it as true in case of receiving What things soever ye desire when ye receive doe but Actuate your faith and set that on worke for them beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them Thirdly In the Sacrament we have Sacramentall representations There is in the Sacrament a visible remembrance of CHRISTS death and in the breaking of the bread and powring out the wine there is a representation of Christs death and Passion When I see the wine powred out it represents unto me the shedding of Christs bloud here I see Christs bloud shed on the Crosse What is to be done now when I see this bloud in the Sacrament Do but consider that same Exod. 24. 6 8. Moses tooke of the bloud of the Sacrifices and put it in basons and he tooke the bloud that was in the basons and sprinkled it upon the people haply with a bunch of hysope as the manner was to which David alludes Psal 51. Purge me with hysope Now so must it be here The bloud of our burnt offering which was shed for us the Lord hath put in basons in the basons of the Word and Sacraments and out of these basons it must be sprinkled The Sacrament of the Supper is one bason
operative and efficacious as ever what then may the reason bee An hundred to one but the Lord hath made this breach upon thy soule because thou soughtest him not after the due order Call thy selfe to an account was there that prayer humiliation renewing of thy repentance and quickning of thy faith before hand as there should have beene If thou hast made a breach in Gods order it is not strange that God hath made a breach in thy conscience and comfort Certainely it seldome fares thus ill with any man in the use of GODS Ordinances but upon due search it will bee found that there hath beene a neglect of due order And let it teach us in the second place not to rest contented in the Vse 2 bare and formall use of any Ordinance but let it be our great care to seeke God in it after the due Order Doe not satisfie thy selfe and set up thy rest in praying hearing but have a speciall care to doe these duties after the due Order But in more speciall manner bee exhorted to thinke upon this when thou art to receive the Sacrament Men have generally an high conceit of the Sacrament what ever esteeme they have in the mean time of other Ordinances And true it is that it is a very precious Ordinance of God and highly to bee esteemed but yet strange it is to see what little regard men have to come in due Order thereunto In any case men must come and it were the greatest wrong that could be if they shold not come be they adulterers drunkards swearers bee their lives and wayes what they will yet because it is the custome to come at such a time in any case they must come No question but many have the same idle and vaine conceits that some had in Saint Chrysostomes time that if they came at such and such times what Multos video qui Christi corporis sunt participes inconsiderate temere magis ex consuetudine lege quam ex cogitatione et consideratione Si advenerit inquit tempus sanctae quadragesimae qualiscunque fuerit quispiam fit particeps mysteriorum si advenerit dies Epiphaniorū Atqui tempus ad ea accedendi neque Epiphania neque quadragesima facit dignos qui accedunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Eph. hom 3. ever their lives were yet it skill'd not the comming at such times was disposition sufficient for the service But heare how he cries downe that vaine consent I see many sayes he that are partakers of the Body of Christ inconsiderately and rashly more out of custome and law than out of consideration If the time sayes one of holy Lent be come or the day of Epiphany be come what kinde of person soever the man bee hee is made partaker of the mysteries But it is not the time of comming unto them neither Epiphany nor Lent which makes them worthy that come but the sincerity and purity of the soule Alwayes come with that never come without it So that they lookt more at the time they came than to come with sincerity and purity as if the time should impart that holinesse to them which the Sacrament requires and they neglected to bring with them And are not there too many in the world that nourish such secret conceits in their hearts who thinke that so long as they come at such times as law and custome sets all is well enough there needs no more to look after But let men know that at what time soever they come let it be ever so soleme a time or how often soever they come were it monethly or daily yet if they come not after the due Order they shall be so farre from receiving a blessing that they shall receive a breach yea a very curse upon their soules let a man come as oft as he will to the Sacrament yet if he come not after the due Order God will deale with such a communicant as with the wicked man in that case Iob 20. 23. When hee is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him whilest hee is eating So here when a man comes to the Sacrament and not after the due Order even whilest he is eating GOD may raine downe his wrath upon him and when hee thinkes to eate Christs flesh and drinke his bloud that which he eats may bee sawced and that which hee drinkes may bee spiced with the bitter wrath of God Such is the case oftentimes of many receivers who will bee comming to the Sacrament without any regard to Gods due Order as it was with the Israelites at their Quailes Psa 78. 29 30 31. So they did eate and were filled for he gave them their owne desire but whilest the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of GOD came upon them Quailes were dainty food but wrath was ill sawce flesh they must needs have no remedy and they murmure that they have it not flesh they have and wrath they have And the wrath of God came upon thē while their meat was yet in their mouthes Who would have their meate to have had their sawce So many will needs come to the Sacrament by no meanes may they be perswaded to forbeare till better fitted come they must there is no remedy and they have their desire but while the Sacramentall meate is yet in their mouths the wrath of God comes secretly and insensibly upon their soules because they come and doe not seeke God after the due Order That same is an heavie curse Psa 69. 22. Let their Table become a snare before them and that which should have beene for their wellfare let it become a trap It is very heavie when our ordinary Table becomes a snare unto us but to have the Table of the Lord become a snare and the Sacrament which is appointed for our wellfare to become a trap what judgement can be imagined heavier And yet this is the sad condition of such as come not to the Lords Table after the due Order even that holy Table becomes a snare unto them How wondrous jocund and jolly was Haman that he must go with the King to Esthers banquet Esther 5. 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyfull and with a glad heart And he brags of it Vers 12. Yea Est her the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet she had prepared but my selfe And to morrow I am invited unto her also with the King But little reason had the man to be so cranke for not only at the banquet but at the banquet of wine Esther 7. 7. which was the merriest banquet of all hee meets with the Kings wrath and thereupon with the sentence of death How happy were it it were not the case of many Communicants full brag jolly they be that though they bee most unfit yet they may come and none can keepe them back and to the Sacrament they
will goe that they will but alas at the very banquet of wine they meet with the King of Heaven his wrath upon their soules which there arrests them and sentences them to death As if God should say Loe here is a company of people come to my Table amongst them I spie a great many that are not come after the due Order and shall such as these that thus unduly and disorderly seeke me meet with my blessing Shall these have my Christ such as these shall they eate my sons flesh and drink his bloud No here is not for you God will say to them as Nabal to Davids servants 1 Sam. 15. 10 11. Who is David And who is the sonne of Iesse Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be So will the Lord say to all such Who are ye and whence are ye shall I take my Sacramentall bread and my Sonnes flesh and bloud which I have prepared for such as come after the due Order give it unto a company of persons I know not whence they are Be gone and meddle not or if you will needs be medling not only no blessing but my curse be upon your communicating Therefore in the feare of GOD looke we to it to come to this holy Ordinance in an holy Order A great conscience is to be made of comming It is a grievous sin to neglect Gods Ordinance and as great a conscience is to be made of comming after the due Order Be no lesse solicitous to come in due Order than to come to the Ordinance Chap. 2. Of preparation before the Sacrament and the necessity of it CHAP. 2 SInce then our comming to the Sacrament is not enough unlesse we come in due Order and since the danger of comming otherwise is so great it will not be amisse to make enquiry to consider what is that due Order and that holy and spirituall manner after which God is to be sought in the Sacrament This due Order therefore of seeking God in the Sacrament of the Supper it stands especially in three things or three kinds of Duties In 1 Doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament Antecedaneous Duties 2 Doing such Duties as accompany the Action of Receiving Duties concomitant 3 Doing such Duties as follow after the Action of Receiving Duties Subsequent 1 In doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament And they may all be reduced to this one duty of Preparation The Duty then before the Sacrament is Preparation This is GODS Order and this is to seeke God after the due Order to begin with Preparation and the man that desires to seek God orderly must first prepare himselfe A man comming to the Sacrament without preparation comes not after the due Order Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the House of the Lord Eccl. 5. 1. Now when we come to the Sacrament we come to the Table of the Lord and if it concerne a man to prepare himselfe before he enter into the House of the Lord then much more when he comes to approach to the Table of the Lord. See how David speakes here in this Text Sanctifie your selves and your brethren c. for we sought him not after the due Order Therefore they that will seek God in due Order in the use of his Ordinances must first sanctifie and prepare themselves It holds good in the case of the Sacrament which Samuel spake in the case of Sacrifice 1 Samuel 16. 5. Sanctifie your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice So Sanctifie your selves and come to the Sacramt. Come but first sanctifie your selves Psal 26. 6. I will wash my hands in innocency and So c. 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himselfe So c. It was not enough then to cōpasse Gods Altar but it was to be cōpassed So. It is not enough to eate of this bread to drinke of this cup but it must be eaten So drunken So. This same So it notes unto us the due Order of seeking God in his Ordinance We seek God in due Order when we seeke him So we eat and drinke in the Sacrament in due Order when we eat and drink So. That is when we do it So as S. Paul enjoynes With due preparation going before There ought to be no lesse care in us comming to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper than was required in the Iewes to the eating of the Passeover And speciall care was required of them for preparation see 2 Chron. 35. 6. So kill the Passeover and sanctifie your selves and prepare your brethren And if they were in their places to be carefull to prepare others how much more ought others to be carefull to prepare themselves And that is to be observed Exod. 12. 3. Speake unto all the Congregation of Israel saying In the tenth day of this moneth they shall take to them every man a Lambe a Lambe for an house And Vers 6. And ye shall keep it untill the fourteenth day of the same moneth So that the Lambe was taken and set apart foure dayes before it was killed What might the meaning of that ceremony be what ever other meaning it had this might be one thing aimed at therein to teach them what care they were to have of preparing themselves for eating the Passeover if the Lambe must be prepared and be set and kept apart from the rest of the flock foure whole dayes before then how much more were they in a solemne and an holy manner to prepare themselves for the eating of that Lambe What was all that foure dayes separation of the Lambe but a continuall standing-Sermon preaching preparation to them It was as if God had said unto them Be ye also prepared It questionlesse teaches that there should be a preparation and that not a sudden but a solemn serious preparation some good space of time before men come to receive the Sacrament Therefore we reade Iohn 19. 14. That the Iewes had a day of preparation and it was the preparation of the Passeover And Vers 31. Because it was the preparation And upon that ground was that Act of theirs In abstaining from comming that day into the Iudgement Hall Iohn 18. 28. And they themselves went not into the Iudgement-Hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover It shewes that upon the day of their preparation they were to take heed of doing any thing that might defile them and unfit them for the eating of the Passeover though it be true that they were not in that case so carefull to keepe themselves from morall as from ceremoniall defilement And if such preparation were required for the eating of the Passeover why then should not there be as great a care at least if not greater to come with due preparation to the Lords Supper Is our sacrament inferior to theirs in
might these things already mentioned be to make us carefull to come to the Sacrament after the due Order with preparation But because our carelesse hearts are not so easily wrought upon try we yet a little further what we may be brought unto by shame or feare of danger for to come to the Sacrament without due preparation is both a shamefull and a dangerous thing Rogo vos fratres diligenter attendite si ad mensam cujusque potâ—ntis hominis nâ—mo presumit cum vestibuâ— conscissis inquinatis accedere â—uâ—nto mâ—â—is c. Aug. De temp Ser. 251. 1 First it is a matter of shame It were a matter of soule shame for a man to come and sit downe at a great mans Table in rags and tatters in his nastinesse and filthinesse and in such a case how would we take and tucke up such an one Art thou not ashamed to come to such a mans Table in so base a fashion What an uncivill fellow art thou in such a garbe to come into such a presence And is it not then a matter of fouler shame to come rudely unpreparedly and unbeseemingly Quid vero annon vides vasa abluta adeo nitida splendida His longe mundiores oportet esse animas his sanctiores splendidiores Quare Quoniam illa propter nos fiunt talia Illa eum qui inest non participant non sentiunt Nos autem participamus sentimus Nunc autem vase quidem sordido uti nolueris sordida autem immunda accedis anima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Ephes 1. hom 3 unto the Lords Table Consider that 2 Chron. 30. 15. The Priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves And why were they ashamed because they had so long deferred their sanctification and preparation and therefore at length for very shame did sanctifie themselves It was a matter of shame then that they had so long put off their sanctification They have cause of shame that sanctifie not themselves in due time for holy duties And if it be a matter of shame to deferre it though done at the last then how much more is it a shame to neglect it altogether and not to doe it at all If a foule cloath should be laid on the Communion Table if the Napkin wherein the bread is laid were not cleane if the Cup Vessels in which the Wine is put were not made handsome and decent men wold cry shame of it and would say that it is an arrant shame that the linnen and vessels be in such a case that it is an arrant shame that these things are not provided and prepared to be in more decent and cleanly order And a shame it were indeed there ought to be an outward decency in these things Our Saviour made no choise of any room at adventure to eat the Passeover in but of a decent handsome furnisht roome Luke 22. 12. He shall shew you a large upper roome furnished there make ready Now then were it a shame that the vessels and linnen should not in their kinde be fitted and decently prepared what a foule shame then not to have our soules and hearts prepared what is a foule cloth or a sullied vessell to a foule and an unprepared soule Oh shame that men will offer to come to Gods Table with sluttish and unprepared spirits should not we much more be prepared than the vessels They containe but the outward elements for our use but we come to receive the body and bloud of Christ Will we have the vessels prepared and can we for shame come with unprepared hearts 2 Secondly it is a matter of great danger to come unprepared to the Table of the Lord that eating of the Passeover of theirs otherwise than it was written 2 Chron. 30. 18. it was a dangerous thing and Hezekiah was faine to make speciall suite for mercy for them And yet that want of theirs was but an omission of some Legall Ceremony How much more dangerous had it beene if for the inward substance of preparation they had done it otherwise than it was written To come to the Sacrament without such preparation is dangerous indeed The dangers are these 1 First that which the Apostle speakes of 1 Cor. 11. 27. Whosoever shall eate this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. The end of the Sacrament and our comming to it is to shew forth the Lords death But now if we come unpreparedly to it we make our selves guilty of the Lords death We come to the Sacrament to drink the Lords bloud but if we come unpreparedly to it wee come to shed the Lords bloud and so instead of drinkers prove shedders of Qua ratione reus fit indigne assumens perinde nimitum ac si ipse sanguinem Domini effundat Vt n. qui tum pupugerunt Christum non ut biberent effuderunt veruÌ„ ut effunderent sic indigne bibens nihilque inde commodi referens frustra ac temere profudie sangumem Theophil in 1 Cor. 10. Chrys 1 Cor. 11. hom 27. Christs bloud An unworthy receiver is guilty of Christs bloud how so because he doth so as if he shed his bloud he doth so as the shedders of Christs bloud did For looke as they that crucified pierced Christ powred not forth his blod that they might drinke it but onely that they might powre it forth and shed it So he that doth unworthily and unpreparedly drink his bloud receiving thereby no profit nor benefit he hath rashly and in vaine shed his bloud Now do but sit downe and consider how fearfull a thing it is to be guilty of Christs bloud It is a fearefull thing to be guilty of any mans bloud yea to bee guilty of a wicked mans bloud how much more then to be guilty of the bloud of the Sonne of God of the bloud of God Deliver me O Lord from bloud-guiltinesse cryes David Psal 51. It is a very heavie thing to have an hand in mans bloud That same is a sad Text 2 Sam. 3. 28 29. I and my kingdome sayes David are guiltlesse before the Lord for ever from the bloud of Abner the Son of Ner let it rest on the head of Ioab and on all his Fathers house and let there not faile from the House of Ioab one that hath an issue or that is a Leaper or that leaneth on a staffe or that falles on the sword or that lacks bread What an heavie Imprecation was this upon Ioab and that for the bloud of Abner who was none of the best neither And if so heavie a curse upon Ioab for being guilty of Abner's bloud how much more heavie will the curse be upon him that shall be guilty of the bloud of Christ God will require the bloud of a man at the hands of a beast Gen. 9. 5. The Ox that killed a man must be stoned to death and his flesh must not
Mal. 1. 10. I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Why would he not accept their offering because he had no pleasure in them He was not pleased with their persons therefore not pleased with their offerings he had no pleasure in their persons therefore no pleasure in their performances It is the acceptance of the person that makes the performance acceptable Gen. 4. 4. God had respect to Abel and his offering first to Abel and then to the offering for Abels sake If God had not had respect to Abel he would not have had respect to his offering as in Cains case Vers 5. But unto Cain and his offering he had no respect But because God likes Abel therefore he likes his offering But what is it now that will bring our persons into acceptance that God may take pleasure in us That very thing that brought Abels person into acceptance Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain so that the way to bring our persons into acceptance is to bring faith faith is it which makes the person acceptable leave that behinde and our case will be theirs 1 Cor. 10. 3 4 5. They did all eate the same spirituall meat and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke but with many of them God was not well pleased So we may eat and drink the outward elements in the Sacrament but if we do it not with faith God is not well pleased with us and being not well pleased with us neither will he be well pleased with our service It was speedy acceptance that Daniel had in his prayers Dan. 9. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth c. And what was the ground of his acceptance and that so speedy for thou art greatly beloved When a mans person is in favour and beloved of God then followes acceptance The way to get acceptance is to get our persons beloved the way to get our persons beloved is to get them into Christ the way to get them into Christ is by faith This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased God is well pleased with no man till he be in Christ no man is beloved but in his beloved Sonne And when once we are in Christ purged and purified by his bloud then our services are performed in righteousnesse and when so performed then accepted Mal. 3. 3 4. He shall purifie the Sonnes of Levi namely Christ by his bloud that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. And what is it that will bring us into Christ but the grace of faith As therefore wee would have acceptance at the Sacrament so come in due Order Come with faith 2 Secondly for what end come we to the Sacrament Is it not that we may be partakers of Christs body and bloud The Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 10. 17. Of being partakers of one bread and Vers 21. Of being partakers of the Lords Table Now will this serve our turne and satisfie us to be partakers of the Bread of the Wine of the Table or doe we not aime at an higher matter namely to be partakers of Christ himselfe Heb. 3. 14. We may partake of the bread and the wine we may be partakers of the Table though not a dram of faith in us But that which priviledges us to be partakers of Christ of his body and bloud is faith We come to the Sacrament to be made partakers of Christs body and bloud but this we cannot doe nor may do till we have faith First we cannot doe it for he that will receive Christs body and bloud must have an eye to see Christ and his worth must have a foot to come to Christ must have an hand to receive and lay hold upon him must have a mouth to feed on him without all these there is no partaking of Christ. Now faith is all these It is the eye of the soule Isay 17. 7. At that day shall a man looke to his maker and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy one of Israel Isay 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth It is the foot by which we come to Christ Iohn 6. 35. He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst Comming and beleeving are the same faith being that by which we come to Christ It is the hand by which we receive him Iohn 1. 12. To as many as received him that is to as many as beleeved in him Beleeving and receiving the same because by faith we receive Christ It is the mouth by which we feed on him Iohn 6. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud that is except ye beleeve in Christ Now can a man see without an eye come without a foot receive without a hand feed without a mouth GOD hee lookes that when he offers CHRIST men should receive him and takes it ill when it is not done Take eat this is my Body Christ therefore would have us eat him in the Sacrament God is never better pleased than when he sees men fall hungerly and hartily upon Christ nothing displeases Him more than when the Bread of Life the flesh of Christ shall be set before us and we sit and looke another way and feed not and fall not to When a man makes a feast if he sees his guests fall too and feed hard how highly well it contents him but if hee sees them sit looking about them and not to feed upon those dishes he hath bin Quomodo igitur corpus Christi edent ejus sanguinem bibent cum illud non habeant quo solo haec edi bibi possunt Gualib in 1 Cor. 11. 27. at so much cost and care to provide it troubles and frets him Therefore if a man would please God in the Sacrament he must feed and partake of Christ Now therefore a man must bring faith he cannot feed that hath no mouth he hath no mouth that hath no faith Christ is a treasury of rich commodities there is any thing to be had in him we want Apoc. 3. 18. There is gold to be had tried in the fire there is white raiment there is eye-salve to be had But now how may these be had what is the way to get them There Christ tels us I counsell thee to buy of me gold white raiment eye-salve The way to get them then is to buy them But what is that which will buy them Not money not silver Isay 55. 1. Buy Wine and Milke without money and without price no money of the worldlings no price of the merit-monger will purchase these commodities And yet there is a money wee must trade withall if we will buy them and without which they
cannot be had and that coine is faith faith is that alone which buyes those riches of gold white raiment c. faith is it that makes us partakers of Christs benefits Hee that goes to mercate and carries no money in his purse cannot buy commodities that he wants To come to the Sacrament or Christ in the Sacrament and bring no faith with us is to come without a penny in our purses and if we come without money we shall be sent back without commodity So that without faith we cannot be partakers of Christ in the Sacrament Secondly we may not doe it We may not doe it till wee have right to eat of Christs flesh and drinke his bloud and right we have none till we have faith None had right to eat of the flesh of the sin-Offering but the Priests only they might eat it Levit. 2. 26. The Priests onely had right to eat the shewbread Lev. 24. 9. It shall be Aarons and his sons and they shall eat it in the holy place Marke 2. 26. Which is not lawfull to eat but for the Priests It is so here None may eat the flesh of Christ who is our true sin-offering but they that be Priests till we be Priests we have no right to it we must be Priests before we can have this priviledge But what is the way to be made Priests To be washed in Christs bloud as the Priests were consecrated by being washt in water Levit. 8. 6. By washing also are we made Priests Rev. 1 5 6. He hath loved us and washt us in his own bloud and made us Priests But how come wee to bee washt in Christs bloud That is done by faith faith takes Christs bloud and sprinkles and washes the conscience therewith Heb. 10. 22. and being washt by faith in Christs bloud wee are made Priests And therefore wee are said to bee made Priests by faith 1 Pet. 2 4 5. To whom ye comming ye are also an holy Priesthood that is you beleeving are made Priests for to beleeve is to come and to come is to beleeve And so faith making us Priests doth give us right to eat of these holy things and priviledges us to be partakers of Christ Since therefore wee cannot eate and partake of Christ till we have a right and we have no right till Priests and no Priests but by faith therefore no right to partake of Christ till we have faith And therefore if wee would come to the Sacrament after the due Order so as to eate of Christ and be partakers of him we must come with faith It is not after the due Order for any but a Priest to eat the flesh of the sin-offering or the shew-bread It was a case extraordinary that the shew-bread was given to David and the men with him to eat We may not eat Christs flesh and drink his bloud till we have a right to it we have no right to it till we be of Gods family and houshold The Sacrament and Christs flesh and bloud therein is the bread and food which God provides for those of his owne household and not for strangers and foreiners for wee finde mention Ephes 2. 19. of the household of God and they there stand in opposition unto foreiners and strangers And Gal. 6. 10. there is mention of the household of faith When we are of the household of faith we are of the household of God and when we are of Gods household we may eat his household provisions when we are of Gods family we may eat his bread But till we be of his family we have no right to his provisions We had need therefore have faith to make us of the family of faith that so wee may bee of Gods family and may have right to his provisions They that will have right to Christ in the Sacrament they must be first Gods children It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it unto dogs Mat. 15. It is not a good Order in a family that dogs should eate the the bread that is provided for his children offall and scraps are good enough to feed dogs withall if they get upon the Table and meddle with childrens bread they shall bee set downe again with a whip or a cudgel So here the flesh of Christ is childrens bread and we have no right to it till we be children and children we are made by faith Iohn 1. 12. To as many as beleeved he gave them this priviledge to become the Sons of God Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus And so by faith being children have a right given us to partake of this bread of life So that to come without faith is not to come after the due Order which is that none eate Christ and be made partakers of him but such as by faith are made the children of God Give not holy things to dogs that is not the due Order that is a disorder Therfore till we have faith God forbids to meddle with the Sacrament and if in this undue Order we wil be medling looke for a check God will say to such in this case as he did to Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit Gen. 3. 17. Because thou hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eate of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it c. So because thou eatest the Sacrament of which God hath commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eate of it till thou bring faith therefore in sorrow shalt thou eate it is small comfort thou shalt have in thine eating 3 Thirdly consider the evils that follow upon comming without faith and in our unbeleefe And they are these 1 First such as come without faith are not welcome to God for such as come to the Lords Table with their persons and consciences defiled cannot be welcome We see Num. 9. 6. that there were certaine men who were defiled by the dead body of a man that they could not keepe the Passeover What if they had in that defilement come to the Passeover They had to themselves defiled the Passeover For holy Ordinances doe not sanctifie defiled persons but defiled persons defile holy Ordinances as appeares by the resolution of that case Hag. 2. 11 12 13. An uncleane person by a dead body touching the bread or wine makes them uncleane It is not safe to defile Gods Ordinances We know what was the voice from heaven to Peter in his vision Acts 10. 15. What God hath cleansed call thou not and so make thou not common A defiled person comming to the Sacrament makes a cleansed thing common Now an unbeleeving person is a person defiled Tit. 1. 15. Vnto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled nothing is pure no not the pure Ordinances of God Every word of God is pure Prov. 30. 6. And so his Sacraments are pure But to a defiled person
neither of these pure Well then who are they now that are defiled ones See the words of the Text to them that are defiled and unbelieving Therefore an unbelieving person is a desiled and an uncleane person Faith purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. and so fits for pure Ordinances but unbeliefe defiles the heart and a defiled heart defiles Gods Ordinance to it selfe And how can that man bee welcome to an Ordinance welcome to a Sacrament that defiles it 2 To come without faith makes our comming an abomination To come without faith is to come out of Christ and to performe the service which a man doth out of CHRIST Now all service performed out of Christ is abominable to GOD. See Lev. 17. 3 4. What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth an Oxe and a Lambe c. And brings it not to the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation to offer an offering to the LORD c. bloud shall be imputed to that man he hath shed bloud and that man shall be cut off from among his people And againe vers 6 7. And the Priest shall sprinkle the bloud upon the Altar of the Lord at the doore of the Tabernacle c. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto divels Sacrifices then not brought to God to the doore of the Tabernacle were as murder and bloudshed were as the service of the Divell And what more abominable before God The doore of the Tabernacle was a Type of Christ Iohn 10. I am the doore And the drift of that Law is to teach that they should performe all their services to GOD in CHRIST and to shew how loathsome to GOD all services are that are not done in him Now he that is in his unbeleefe that wants the grace of faith is not in Christ neither can he doe any thing in Christ And therefore such a mans comming cannot but be an abomination God abhors and abominates that man and his comming that wants faith The end of comming to the Sacrament is to seeke and see Gods face and to have fellowship and communion with him Now if we come without faith God will not let us see his face GOD will turne away and hide his face from us Deu. 32. 19. 20. And when the Lord saw it hee abhorred them because of the provoking c. And he sayd I will hide my face from them But why will God do so He gives his reason for it for they are children in whom is no faith So that when a man hath not faith he shall not see GODS face in the use of his Ordinance for how can a man see an hidden face But that is not all GOD not onely hides his face but he abhorred them He abhorred them because of their provoking him How did they provoke him Not onely by that spoken of in the verses going before but by that also in the verse following because they were children in whom was no faith Such then as have no faith have no communion with GOD and doe provoke God so as he abhors them There can bee no communion with GOD where a man is cut off from God and fellowship with him And where a man is cut off from covenant he is cut off from communion Now where there is no faith there is an excision a cutting a man off from God and covenant with him Rom. 11. 20. Through unbeleife they are cut off And besides it is a provoking sinne An unbeleever lives in a sin that continually provokes God Numb 14. 11. How long will this people provoke mee And how long will it be yer they beleeve me And Psal 78. 21 22. The Lord was wroth so a fire was kindled against Iacob and anger also came up against Israel because they beleeved not in God And what wonder then that a man comming to the Sacrament without faith is abomination to GOD when his unbeleife angers and provokes the Lord. 3 The state of unbeliefe is a state of spirituall death I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. A beleever is a living man an unbeleever a dead one spiritually dead The want of faith in the soule is the death of the Vnde mors in anima quia nō est fides undemors in corpore quia non est ibi anima ergo animae tuae anima fides est August in Ioh tract Placuit ut corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia nō detur Dictum n. est ◠Domino Accipite edite Cadavera aut◠nec accipere posiunt nec edere Concil Carthag 3. can 6. soule as the absence of the soule from the body is the death of the body It was an ancient abuse of the Sacrament to give it to dead bodyes an abuse condemned and cast out by a Councill upon this reason Because CHRIST sayes Take Eate But carcases and dead bodies can neither eate nor drinke It was a good reason to deny it to dead bodyes The very same reason excluds unbeleevers Vnbeleevers are dead unbeleevers can neither eate nor drinke for beleeving is eating drinking Ioh. 6. 53. What should a man doe at the Sacrament that can neither eate nor drinke CHRISTS flesh and bloud An unbeleever can doe neither because he is a dead man because hee wants faith the life and teeth by which Christ is to be eaten 4 Vnbeleife evacuates enervates and de-sorces the Sacrament of its efficacy and vertue or powerfull operation The Sacrament in Gods Institution is an Ordinance that hath a fulnesse of spirituall blessing in it full of efficacy and spirituall power and offers to empty it selfe with a rich and plentifull blessing upon the soule of the receiver But yet provided that hee come to receive it after the due order that hee come prepared with a beleeving heart And Christ sayes to every receiver as he sayd to the Centurion Matth. 8. 13. As thou hast beleived so be it done unto thee and as to the blinde man Matth. 9. 29. According to your faith bee it unto you So in this case as you beleive and according to your faith when you come to the Sacrament so bee it done unto you According to your preparation with faith so shall mine Ordinance worke and be effectuall and empty out it selfe unto you And as every man brings faith so hee carryes away an answerable portion of blessing and spirituall good from the Sacrament But now when a man comes to the Sacrament in unbeliefe voyde of the grace of faith the Sacrament proves but a dead Ordinance utterly ineffectuall utterly empty of any spirituall good That looke as the Apostle speakes of CHRIST to them in case of circumcision and justification by the workes of the Law Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing and verse 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you who ever of you are justified by the Law So it may be said of the Sacrament and
fulnesse and satisfaction whose teeth would not water after such curious delicates Bring longing hungry enlarged desires and fat and marrow shall be our portion For herein hath spirituall hunger an advantage above bodily Bodily hunger a man may hunger withall and yet his hunger helpes him to no meat nor satisfaction But spirituall hunger doth as having the promise of satisfaction Christ out of his compassions will liberally releeve all hungry Ecce pauper venio ad te divitem miser ad misericordem ne recedam vacâ—us vel contemptus Esuâ—iens incipio te quaereâ—e ne deserar â— te jejunus Famelicus accedo ne â—ecedam impastus Et si antequam comedam suspiro da vel post suspiria ut comedam August lib. medit c. 39. soules that with desire seek after him Excellent is that place Mat. 15. 32. Then Iesus called his Disciples unto him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three dayes and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way He that would not out of his compassions send away the multitude with fasting bodies lest they should faint how much more thinke we will he compassionately regard an hungry soule and not send it away fasting from the Sacrament lest it should faint Christs compassions will not suffer him to send away an hungry soule fasting Alas he knowes it would faint if it should come empty and goe away empty if it should come hungry and goe away hungry 3 Thirdly the more strength in our desires the more hunger in our spirits the more aboundant and the more plentifull satisfaction The more our hearts are inlarged in our desires the more Gods hand will be inlarged in his bounty Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it God hath an open hand for all that have an open mouth God hath an hand wide open for such as have their mouthes wide open A mouth wide opened shall be a mouth full filled A wide mouth shall be a full mouth God will inlarge himselfe to all that come to him with inlarged hearts Gods admeasurements of grace and spirituall good are suitable to mens inlargements and dilations of their spirits Three things fit a Vessell to receive a great measure of liquor 1. When it is of large capacity A small Vessell may be filled but yet a small Vessell cannot have so much infused into it as a Vessell that is of larger capacity The larger the bucket is that is let downe into the Well the more water it brings up 2. When it is an open Vessell Though a Vessell be of sufficient capacity yet if the Vessell bee shut and the mouth of it closed up though it be throwne into the Sea where there is water enough yet it fils not 3. When it is wide open Though the mouth of a Vessell be open yet if it be not wide open it doth not fill so readily Take a Bottle or a narrow-mouth'd Glasse and dowse it under the water and yet it may bee pulled up againe with little or no water in it though it bee of great capacity because the narrownesse of the mouth hinders the ready and quick passage of water into it A wide-mouth'd Vessell as a Paile or Bucket is no sooner under water but it is instantly filled because the mouth of the Vessell is wide and broade So when we come to Gods Ordinances to the Sacrament wee should come so as to be filled wee should come to get as liberall largesses as possibly we can The way to doe that is to have our hearts Vessels of competent capacity to have them opened to have them wide opened The way to doe these things is to have our hearts inlarged with hungring and longing desires Such enlarged desires open the mouth open it wide and when our mouthes are opened God will open his hand his filling hand As therefore we desire to have the Lord fill our mouthes when we come to the Lords Table so let us get our mouthes wide open When wee come to the Sacrament why come wee Is it not that wee may eat our fill of Christs body and drink our fill of his bloud Is it not that we may go from the Lords Table as Christ went from Iordan full of the Holy Ghost As we desire to have full mouthes so let us bring opened wide opened mouthes When men come to the Sacrament with hearts enlarged and hungring desires Christ will give such a Commandement to the Sacrament as he did to those servants concerning the water-pots and it shall doe as they did Iohn 2. 7. Iesus said unto them fill the water-pots with water And they filled them up to the brim So in this case will Christ say Loe here be men come with inlarged hearts with earnest and strong desires I see they have opened their mouthes wide fill them with my Spirit with my vertues and efficacies fill them with spirituall strength against their corruptions fill them with power to walke in obedience and upon this command of Christ the Sacrament shall empty it selfe with an aboundant blessing upon their soules yea it shall fill them up to the brim What an happy thing is it to be full brim-full of Christ A mouth wide open will be a meanes to fill the heart full brimme full of Christ That man comes happily to the Sacrament indeed that can say after his being at the Sacrament as they did in that case Psal 126. 2 3. Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Now wouldest thou be able after a Sacrament to say When I was at the Sacrament then was my mouth filled with laughter my tongue with signging and mine heart with spirituall comfort and joy The Lord hath done great things for me whereof I am glad Wouldest thou after a Sacrament be able thus to say Why then when thou goest to the Sacrament Open thy mouth and open thy mouth wide and GOD will fill thy mouth with laughter and thine heart with spirituall joy It is true that a great many goe from the Sacrament and their mouthes are not filled with laughter but with complaints with sad complaints of the little good they receive at the Sacrament Many come from the Sacrament with empty mouthes empty hearts And what may the reason of it be Is not God as bountifull as he was wont to be Yes surely he is the same God that ever his hand is not shortned but the very reason is that men come with shut mouthes or at lest with their mouthes but narrowly opened and shut mouthes and narrow mouthes must needs be empty mouthes Wee open not therfore God fils not we open not wide therefore God fils not full Is the Sea empty because a stopt Vessell is not filled when throwne into it Is there no water in the River because a narrow mouth'd
though they know no more than the post what good thing it is that is to be received This is a superstitious thirst 3. Thirdly there is a true thirst and a right hunger indeed And this is discerned and distinguished from the other by these things 1 First by the object of it for it is directly carried after Christ fellowship and communion with him and fruition of him and his benefits Psal 42. 1 2. My soule panteth after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God This neither doe ignorant nor superstitious persons doe Experience proves it for when they are questioned withall what makes them desirous to come to the Sacrament either they can give no reason why they desire to come or else never give any such reason as this Their desires at the best are but after the worke and the performance beyond which they never looke 2 Secondly by the grounds of it for the grounds of true desires 1. Either a sense of the want of Christ a selfe-emptinesse Want of drinke makes men thirst want of meat makes men hunger So true desires come from the sense of a mans owne wants and emptinesse which can only bee supplied and satisfied by Christ 2. Or else from the sense of former sweetnesse and goodnesse of Christ in the use of the Ordinance A man hath formerly received the Sacrament and in the use of it hath found aboundance of sweetnesse in communion with CHRIST hath found pardon sealed faith strengthned hath found his heart inlivened and inlarged hath gotten some power against his lusts some strength unto obedience and having formerly received some good by it this quickens and stirres up his desires and makes them the more vehement after Christ and his Ordinance But with ignorant and superstitious persons it is not so It is neither a sense of present wants nor feeling of former benefit that moves their desires to come 3 Thirdly by the qualities or properties of it They are these 1 First an holy kinde of impatience in the want of the Ordinance A man in bodily hunger and thirst growes impatient in case of delay thinkes every minute seven till hee come where he may have that which will satisfie True desires specially in case of delay thinke long till they be at the Ordinance where Christ is to be had It is not once in a yeere will serve his turne An hungry man eats oft a thirsty man drinkes oft and thinkes long till he comes to his meat and drink It is so here Psa 42. 1 2. My soule thirsteth when shall I come Not so with ignorant formall and superstitious ones Let all be but agreed to stay from the Sacrament and once in a yeere will richly suffice them 2 Secondly nothing quiets the heart nor can still the craving desires of it but injoyment of Christ in his Ordinance When a man is heartily hungry and thirsty nothing satisfies him but meat and drinke Give him what else you will yet still he craves meate and drink So give a man what you will that desires Christ in the Ordinance yet his soule is not quiet and satisfied Give him the Ordinance yet if hee have not Christ in the Ordinance his desires are not at quiet Formality and superstition let them but do the outward worke let them but receive the outward Elements though they receive nothing at all else yet they are well a-payd and their spirits highly well contented They thinke themselves as well as a Sacrament can make them 3 Thirdly great and sweet contentment in the use of the Ordinance What sweet contentment doth an hungry man finde in eating his meat in drinking his drinke Iudg. 15. 19. When hee had drunke his spirit came againe and he revived Prov. 25. 25. As cold waters to a thirsty soule so is good newes from a far Country The Proverbe implies a great deale of contentment that a thirsty man takes in drinking cold waters No such sweet findes formality or superstition in the use of the Sacrament And so much may suffice for this fourth thing 5 The fifth thing to bee done in actuall preparation is To raise up in our selves and to come with a strong expectation of the benefits to bee received in the Sacrament There be excellent and precious things to bee received in the Sacrament As in the institution we have a commandement to eat and drinke Take and eat so we have a promise from Christ of excellent things to be dispensed in this Ordinance Take and eat why what if we take and eat what shall we take and what shall we eat What is it that is to be had in the use of this Ordinance This is my body Drinke ye all of this What shall wee drinke This is my bloud So then Christ in the institution of this Sacrament hath promised that worthy receivers shall eat his body shall drinke his bloud In the Sacrament Christ tenders his body to be eaten and his bloud to be drunke and promises that he will give those things to the faithfull receiver Now then when we come to the Sacrament we should come with an expectation to have these promises made good we should come with a full account to receive these things promised When Peter and Iohn went up to the Temple the Creeple asking an almes of them Acts 3. 4. they fastning their eyes on him said unto him looke on us And the Text sayes hee gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them And his expectation was not disappointed he received something and a better thing than he expected When we come to the Sacrament we should give good heed to the Sacramentall promises and should have a fixed eye upon them expecting to receive something from them and from the Ordinance And surely such expectation of ours should not be disappointed If we come with expectation God would never send us away without satisfaction in our expectation We never finde any that came to Christ to be healed or holpen in any kinde but they came to him with a strong expectation to receive the benefit they came for If a Leper came he came with expectation of cleansing If a blind man came he came with expectation of his sight If a lame man came he came with expectation of the restitution of his limbs And we never reade in all the Gospell that ever any man that came with an expectation of any good from him that was turned away with his expectation deceived If I have caused the eyes of the widdow to faile sayes Iob Chap. 31. 16. Poore Widowes that were oppressed and wronged by others or that were in want and needed succour they came to Iob and they came to him with expectation that he would assuredly pleasure them Their eyes were to Iob and Iob seeing that they came to him with such an expectation he by no meanes would cause the expecting eyes of the Widow to faile If we would so
in which this bloud is put This bloud is held forth in this bason This is my bloud Now when this bloud is held forth to us in this bason wee should sprinkle our selves with this bloud That must be done by Actuating our faith and by the act of faith applying that bloud of Christ unto our selves We finde mention Rom. 3. 25. of faith in Christs bloud there is not onely faith in Christs Name but faith in his bloud Faith when Christs bloud is holden out to us either in the Word or Sacrament puts her hand into this bason or dippes the hyssope into the bloud in the bason and so besprinkles a mans soule therewith Faith applying CHRISTS bloud to a mans selfe doth put her hand into the bason doth dip the hyssop into the bloud in the bason ye doth with Thomas put her hands into the wounds of CHRIST and take bloud thence and besprinkles the soule withall When therfore we see CHRISTS bloud in the Sacrament we are to take it and besprinkle our selves with it that is we are to have faith in his bloud and by faith to apply the merit of Christs death unto our owne soules And this application is the Actuation of faith Nay that is not all faith seeing the wounds and the bloud of Christ not Cruci haeremus sanguinem sugimuâ— intra ipsa Redempturis nostri vulnera sigimus linguam Cyp. de Coen Dom. onely puts her hands into Christs woundss or into the bloud in the bason but faith layes her mouth to these wound and to this bloud and suckes these wounds suckes in this bloud with an holy greedinesse A faith Actuated in the Ordinance is a bloud-sucking faith Prov. 30. 15. The horse-leech hath two daughters which cry Give give Such an eager and holy greedinesse hath faith in sucking in Christs bloud It cannot be satisfied but still cries Give give Lord give me evermore of this bloud give me of this bloud to sprinkle my unrighteous soule Give me of this bloud to staunch the bloudy issues of mine heart Give me of this bloud to heale my leprose spirit Give me of this bloud to helpe subdue and mortifie my lusts Give me of this bloud of Christ crucified to crucifie old Adam and all my rebllious lusts Thus when a man suckes in earnestly the bloud of Christ whom he sees crucified and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament and suckes it in for his severall and speciall necessities then is faith Actuated in the use of the Sacrament And thus also may and must a man Actuate his faith for his comfort In this bason of the Sacrament I see Christs bloud Christs bloud is a reconciling bloud Rom. 3. 25. Col. 1. 20 21. It is justifying bloud Rom. 5. 9. We are justifyed by faith How by faith By faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. It is a pacifying bloud Col. 1. 20. Ephes 2. 13 14. A pardoning bloud Mat. 26. 28. Eph. 1. 7. It is a sanctifying bloud Heb. 13. 12. A purging bloud from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. A cleansing bloud 1 Ioh. 1. 7. It is a mortifying bloud such a bloud as fetches out the heart bloud of old Adam and delivers from the dominion of sinne The bloud of Christ crucified is crucifying bloud Rom. 6. 2 3 6. Gal. 6. 14. It is a bloud that sets prisoners free Zech. 9. 11. It is a bloud that makes men Kings and Priestes Apoc. 1. 5 6. It is a softning molifying bloud that makes the heart tender it supples a stony heart and Illa invicta vis duarum violentissimarum naturae rerum ignis ferti contemptrix hircino tamen â—sipitur sanguine faedissimo Animalium Plin. makes it a heart of flesh Zech. 12. 10. Goats bloud some say breakes the Adamant which neither Iron nor fire can doe but to bee sure the bloud of this Goat Lev. 16. the bloud of this Lambe breakes the Adamant heart of a man which nothing else can breake It is a quickning bloud that brings life and strength with it Therefore represented by wine in the Sacrament It is life-bloud bloud full of CHAP. 21 spirit that fills the soule with excellent vigour to holy performances Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus c. typified by that Exodus 24. 7 8. Now what a deale of comfort may faith draw from all this Alas my person is unrighteous but LORD thy bloud is Iustifying bloud mine heart is uncleane but thy bloud is sanctifying bloud my lusts are many and mighty but LORD thy bloud is Mortifying bloud Mine heart is wondrous hard but Lord thy bloud is softning bloud mine heart is exceeding dead but Lord thy bloud is quickning bloud In this bloud of thine I beleeve this bloud of thine I thirstily drinke downe this bloud of thine I heartily apply with a comfortable expectation of all these blessed benefits Be of good cheare oh my soule here is pardoning bloud to comfort thee against thy guilt here is sanctifying bloud to comfort thee against the pollutions of thy nature CHAP. 20 here is crucifying bloud to comfort thee against thy lusts here is following bloud to helpe thee against thy hardnesse quickning bloud to helpe thee against thy deadnesse He was wounded for our transgressions Isa 53. 5. And here in the Sacrament we may see his wounds and faith must looke upon them as healing wounds With his stripes are we healed Isa 53. 5. what sweete comfort may faith fetch hence Looke upon the wounds of Christ on the Crosse as on the Cities of refuge whither thy pursued soule by the avenger of bloud may flye for safety and Sanctuary Indeed I am a grievous sinner I have wounded my conscience Feccavi peccatuÌ„ grande turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor NeÌ„pe vulneratus est propter iniquiâ—ates nostâ—â—â— Quid tam ad mortem quod non Christi moâ—te salvâ—tur Bernard â—iâ—p Can. Serm. 61. with my transgressions but behold my Saviour here wounded for my transgressions I have â—â—â—se to be troubled in my conscience for the wounds my transgressions have made therein but yet my conscience needs not sinke in a despondency of spirit whilest I looke at these wounds of Christ Here be wounds for wounds healing wounds for stabbing wounds curing wounds for killing wounds He was wounded for our transgressions what wound so deadly that cannot or may not be healed by his death and wounds what comfort is here for faith in the wounds of Christ crucified whose death is represented in the Sacrament a FoderuÌ„t manus ejus pedes latusque lancea foraverunt per has rimas licet mihi sugere mel de petra oleum de saxo id est gustare videre quoniaÌ„ suavis est dominus At clavis reserans clavis penetrans factus est mihi ut videaÌ„ voluntatem domini Quidni videaÌ„ per foramen clamat câ—edens sit
be eaten Exod. 21. 28. Doth God take care for Oxen sayes Saint Paul in another case and doth God doe justice and require justice to be done upon Oxen doth he require mans bloud at a beasts hand Then how much more will he do justice upon men that are guilty of Christs bloud and how much more will he require his Sons bloud at the hands of reasonable creatures that by unprepared receiving the Sacrament make themselves guilty of it Iudas his great sinne for which his soule and his memory is everlastingly accursed was the betraying of innocent bloud the betraying of Christs bloud his sin was That he was guilty of the bloud of the Lord. The horrible sin of the Iewes which we professe with so much indignation to abhor and detest it was the shedding of Christs bloud and how remarkable and dreadfull a curse and vengeance hath lyen upon their heads for the space of above fifteene hundred yeeres for that very bloud according to their owne wish His bloud be upon us and upon our children And doth it not then deeply concerne men to take heed how they make themselvs guilty of that bloud Why then in the feare of GOD take heed of comming to the Sacrament unpreparedly If thou commest unpreparedly thou commest unworthily and if thou commest unworthily instead of being a drinker thou wilt be a shedder of Christs bloud Bloud is a crying sin take heed above al things of having bloud cry against thee but especially take heed of having Christs bloud cry out against thee Christs bloud indeed applied by faith speaks better things than the bloud of Abel but if wee make our selves guilty of it as we do if we come unpreparedly and unworthily to the Sacrament it speakes no better things than the bloud of Abel it then speakes Quod si ipse pellere non audes mihi dicas Non permittam ista fiâ—eri Animam prius tradam meam quam dominicum corpus alicui indigno sanguinemque meum potius effundi patiar quam sacratissimum illum sanguinem praeterquam digno concedam Chrys in Mat. hom 64. and cries as Abels bloud for justice and vengeance Woe be to him for whom Christs bloud speakes not but woe a thousand times more to him against whom Christs bloud cries All which considered were enough to make unworthy and unprepared ones to resolve with themselves in the case of receiving the Sacrament as S. Chrysostome did in the case of giving it to unworthy ones I will rather sayes he give my life than I will give the body of Christ to any unworthy one And I will rather suffer mine own bloud to be shed then I will give that most holy bloud to any but him that is worthy So should this consideration worke men to those thoughts Is it so dangerous to receive the Sacrament unpreparedly Shall I thereby make my selfe guilty of Christs bloud Then surely I will rather lose my bloud then by unprepared and unworthy receiving make my selfe guilty of such bloud 2 The second danger is That a man comming unpreparedly to the Sacrament he not onely receives no good but a great deale of hurt to his soule Good he receives none God blasts his Ordinance to such a soule so that it shall not yeeld its fruit and its efficacie unto such an one Isay 1. 13. Bring no more vaine oblations Were not those oblations of Gods owne appointment and by his owne precept Why then are they called vaine oblations because they were to them in the use of them but vain Then a thing may be said to be vaine when there is no profit in it Things are vaine things which are unprofitable things 1 Sam. 12. 21. Vaine things which cannot profit That is a vaine thing that yeelds not a man fruit answerable to his paines and endeavours Levit. 26. 20. And your strength shall be spent in vaine for your Land shall not yeeld her increase neither shall the Trees of the Land yeeld their fruits They should use their strength in tilling and planting the Land and yet all their labour should be vaine because the land should not yeeld her increase nor the trees their fruits So here when a man shall use Ordinances come to the Sacrament and they doe not nor can profit him when a man comes to the Sacrament and it doth not yeeld its increase and its fruit then is the Sacrament vaine to such a man and then the Sacrament yeelds not fruit when men come unprepared unto it for want of preparation was the thing that made their oblations vaine as appeares Isay 1. 16 17 18. For those whom he forbids comming before he bids them come upon their preparation Come now namely when you prepared your selves as is required Verse 16. 17. To come to the Sacrament and not to partake of the benefit and fruit of it is an heavie thing And it is the case of every unworthy and unprepared communicant The same curse is upon him that was upon the Prince of Samaria 2 Kings 7. 2. Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof They see the plenty that God provides but yet they eat not of that spirituall provision with which God so richly furnishes his Table They are spiritually in this case under those curses Hos 4. 10. They shall eat and not be satisfied Hag. 1. 6. Ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled There is a Law Deut. 16. 16. That three times in a yeere they must appeare before God in the three solemne Feasts And they shall not sayes the Text appeare before the Lord empty So must it be with us when we appeare before God in this solemne feast at the Sacrament we must not appeare empty before the Lord. He that is voide of that disposition of spirit which God requires he that comes unprepared he appeares empty And what will the danger be of appearing empty Surely as we come so shall we goe God will send us away empty As in another sense God sends away the rich and the full empty Luke 1. 53. so in this sense he sends the empty away empty Yea the Ordinance of the Sacrament which in Gods instituon comes to us as Paul to the Romans Rom. 15. 29. And I am sure that when I come unto you I shall come in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ shall come empty handed to us and shall prove an empty Sacrament unto us So that upon our receiving it shall be no better with us than with those in that case Isa 29. 8. It shal even be as when an hungry man dreames and behold he eats but he awakes and his soule is empty or as when a thirsty man dreames and behold he drinks but he awakes and behold he is faint and his soule hath appetite So shal it be w th every unprepared Communicant he may eat and drinke the outward elements and may thinke to eat Christs flesh and
to drink Christs bloud but he is but in a dreame he is never the fatter nor the fuller for his dreame he came empty without preparation and he goes away empty without profit his soule is empty It was a sad threat against those that refused to come to the Supper when they were invited Luke 14. 24. I say unto you that none of those that were bidden shall taste of my Supper They should not so much as taste of it There be many that come to the Supper in the Sacrament and yet though they come meet with that judgement that was threatned against them which refused to come to that Supper They come and taste not of this Supper tast not the sweetnesse fatnesse and goodnesse of this Ordinance And all because they come unprepared thereunto * Sacramenta quidem quantum in se est sine propria virtute esse non possunt nec ullo modo se absentat divina majestas mysteriis sed quamvis ab indignis se sumi vel contingi Sacramenta permittant non tamen possunt spiritus esse participes quorum infidelitas vel indignitas tantae sanctitudini contradicit Cypr. de coen Dom. Not that Gods Ordinance in it self is forcelesse ineffectual or that Gods hand is shortned that he cannot conveigh a blessing thereby but therefore the Sacrament proves a dry and an empty brest unto them because they come so unworthily and unpreparedly to it But yet this is not all It is bad enough to receive no spirituall good by receiving the Sacrament but there is a further danger in it there is a great deale of spirituall hurt received by it when received unpreparedly For that is a sure thing that when men receive not good by Ordinances they alwayes withall receive a great deale of hurt and when they are not the better they are the worse for them So much that of the Apostle implies 1 Cor. 11. 17. That you come together not for the better but for the worse And he speaketh it of their comming together to the Sacrament as appeares V. 20. So theÌ„ when men come to the Sacrament are not the better they are the worse Men should come together to the Word and to the Sacrament for the better to be the better for it to be quickned in their inner man to have communion w th Christ to receive efficacy and vertue from him but when they do not come together for the better and be not the better by these holy duties they are undoubtedly the worse They are the worse for the Sacrament disorderly received without preparation spiritually the worse and that in respect of a double spirituall danger 1 First instead of receiving Christ we receive Satan We come indeed to receive Christ more quickning and grace from him but comming unpreparedly we not onely receive not Christ but we receive Satan and hardning from him in sin and more strength and greedinesse unto sin Ioh. 13. 26. 27. And when he had dipped the sop he gave it to Iudas Iscariot the son of Simon and after the Sop Satan entred into him Indeed it is said Luke 22. 3. That Satan entred into Iudas before his going to the high Priests and compacting with them and before his receiving this Sop. He entred then that is he began to enter but now at the receiving of the Sop he fully and wholly entred His head was in before but now after the Sop he gat in his whole body Iohn 13. 2. The divell had put it into his heart to betray him but now as it is said of Ananias Nunquid Satanaâ— tamen ante cor ejus intraverat Omnino fratre ante buccellaÌ„ cor Iudae intraverat sed affectu voluntate tantum sed post buccâ—llaÌ„ intravit Satanas effectu opere tamen bona fuit buccella Aug. ad frat in erem Ser. 28. Acts 5. He had filled his heart So that Satan now was more powerfull and efficacious in him than before hurries and headlongs him more violently then before brings him to a ful setled resolution to practise that perfidious villany in betraying his master Satans entry implies a most stiffe and obdurate resolution without any further delay or deliberation to goe thorow-stitch with this mischievous purpose and therefore V. 30. He went out immediately But now marke the time of Satans entry and the time when the divell brought him to this thorow resolution of executing his treason After the Sop Satan entred into him This Sop was the close of the Sacrament of the Passeover which Sacrament Iudas had received the substance of that Sacrament the same w th our Sacrament of the Supper now Now one would have thought that Iudas not despising the ordinance but having been present at so holy and religious an exercise it should have Nam in Iudam post coÌ„municationem mensae diabolus intravit non quia contempâ—erat dominicum corpus sed quia impudentia Iudae malignitas mentis ut adversarius in eo habitaret effecit ut discas quod indigna fucata mente mysteriorum secreta celebrantibus a diabolo praeparantur insidiae magis ac magis assimilantur eis qui non aequo animo Communicate festinant haec dico non ut vos terream sed ut cautiores efficiam Nemo sit Iudas in mensa Chrys de proditione Iuda hom 30. beene a meanes to have weakned Satans power and to have holpen him with power and strength against Satan But Iudas comming unprepared he is so farre from getting strength against Satan that Satan gets strength against him and that at the very time of the Sacrament 1 Cor. 10. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord the cup of Divels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the table of Divels But yet wicked men that are unworthy and unprepared because they drinke the cup of the Divel therefore when they drink the cup of the Lord are so farre from receiving the Lord that they rather receive him whose cup they love Because such delight in the table of Divels therefore when they come to the Lords Table Christ enters not after the bread but he enters that enterd into Iudas he in whose table they doe delight And so an unworthy receiver makes the Table of the Lord to be to him a Table of divels and his cuppe the cuppe of divels because that after the unworthy and unprepared receiving of the Sacrament Sathan enters Sacraments unpreparedly received are so far from making a way for CHRIST to enter that they doe but prepare and make a way for Sathans entrance Satan enters when the Sacrament is unworthily received and brings men from the Sacrament with more hardnesse of heart with more power and strength in them to carry theÌ„ to their old and former sins Now it is a very fearefull thing to have Satan enter into us at the Sacrament it is fearefull to have him enter into us at any time in any
coinquinant sanctum porci margaritas confringunt Sic si hom inibus caninos vel porcinos mores habentibus sanctum dederis nec sanctum illos sanctificat sed contra ipsi sanctum coinquinant Chrys hom 17. oper imper and Sacraments are holy and therefore an horrible thing to polute and defile the Sacrament Now every impenitent sinner doth so An impenitent sinner is a filthy person and he befilths every thing he meddles withall He is an uncleane person Now to the uncleane all things are unclean holy things sanctifie not them but they pollute holy things under the Law an uncleane person defiled the Campe Num. 5. 2 3. Put out of the Campe whosoever is defiled that they defile not their Campes He defiled every bed he lay on and every thing hee sate on Levit. 15. 4. He defiled every man he toucht Lev. 15. 7. His very Saddle he rode upon was uncleane Lev. 15. 9. He defiled the Tabernacle of the Lord. Num. 19. 13. He defiled bread potage wine oile c. Hag. 2. 13. Thus an uncleane sinners pitch touches nothing which it defiles not He defiles Word and Sacraments the Lords Tabernacle and his Table Is it any wonder then that comming to the Sacrament he meets with a breach and a curse If any man defile the Temple of the Lord him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3. 17. Put Table in stead of Temple and it is as true if any man defile the Table of the Lord him shall God destroy He that defiles the Tabernacle of the Lord shall be cut off from Israel Num. 19. 13. And whosoever defiles the Table of the Lord as well as the Tabernacle of the Lord shall God cut off from his people Their sinne was foule and hainous Mal. 2. 12. that said the Table of the Lord was polluted what is their sin then that doe not say the Table of the Lord is polluted but doe pollute and defile it GOD sorely complaines of it that their common Tables in their houses at which they did eat and drinke and take their common repast that they were defiled with drunkennesse and gluttony Isa 28. 8. All Tables are full of vomit and filthinesse so that there is no place cleane An horrible thing to defile a mans owne Table with the vomit filthinesse of drunkennesse what an horrible thing then to pollute Gods Table with such filth And what doth that man better that when he hath defiled himselfe with drunkennesse and with the vomit and filth of it yet before hee hath humbled himselfe with sorrow for it and before he hath utterly forsaken and renounced it doth presume in that filthy case to come to Gods Table How horrible a thing were it to defile the Lords Table with the vomit of drunkennesse now let all that defile themselves with drunkennesse bethinke themselves how they can before God free themselves from it And so all that live in other foule sins let them consider how they can wash their hands from the guilt of this sin Therefore when God sees his Ordinance defiled by them his wrath is kindled and he smites them with a curse Incense from foule hands is an abomination Isa 1. 13 15. not only no sweetnesse in it but a filthy Incensi odor de immundorum manibus reputatus est profaetore iâ—am non gratiam praesumptio meruit Cyp. de caen Dom. stench in it yea such an offensive savour from it as provokes God to wrath If a beast touch the Mountaine it must be stoned or thrust through with a dart Heb. 12. 20. If such severity against a Beast how much more shall it be against a Man that by his base and brutish lusts makes himselfe a Beast and yet will dare not only to touch the Mountaine but to goe up into the Mountaine Any beast that had toucht the mountaine must have died for it though it had beene a clean beast how much more if it had beene an uncleane beast That man that by his base and brutish courses becomes a beast he is not only a beast but an uncleane beast If a sheepe had toucht the mountaine it must have been stoned or thrust through with a dart much more then should a Dog or an Hog if they had toucht the Mountaine O that they would seriously consider this who in the guilt of their sins smoaking and reeking thrust in themselves unto the Table of the Lord and that their hearts would tremble to thinke how dreadfull a thing it is to pollute Gods Ordinance Is it a small thing in your eyes to defile Gods Table Is it nothing with you to pollute holy things It was a smart and piercing speech of Ambrose to Theodosius offering to come in the guilt of that slaughter at Thessalonica Istasne adhue stillantes injustae caedis cruore manus extendes iis sanctissimum Domini corpus prehendes Vel tu pretiosum sanguinem Domini admovebis ori tuo Magdeb. Cent. 4 cap. 6. What wilt thou reach forth those hands of thine yet dropping with the bloud of unjust slaughter and with them lay hold upon the most holy body of the Lord or wilt thou offer to put that precious bloud to thy mouth So may it bee said to many comming to the Sacrament What will you reach forth those hands of yours defiled with bloud with the bloud of oppression These fingers of yours defiled with iniquity Isay 59. 3. and with these hands and fingers touch these holy mysteries with these lips of yours that have spoken lies that daily drivell forth such a deale of obscene filth that with so many foule oathes and bloudy blasphemies have dishonoured God with these mouthes with which you have so often swine-like swilled unto drunkennesse with which you have drunke of the cup of divels with these lips and mouthes will ye offer to drinke the precious bloud of Christ Is it not sin and guilt enough that with your sins you have already defiled your hands fingers lippes mouthes but that now also you will needs come and defile the Lords Table it is more than you can answer that you have thus defiled your selves why will you double your sin and your damnation in defiling also these sacred Mysteries Consider this with trembling-hearts all impenitent persons and you especially that dare impudently croud into the Sacrament when you come piping hot out of your sinnes and provocations 2 Secondly because a man comming in his impenitency hee brings his sinnes along with him and they put God in minde to doe justice upon him There is a prayer for their King Psal 20. 3. The Lord remember all thine offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice That is a speciall thing we should aime at in all our services that God would remember them that they may come up in remembrance before God Now when a man lies in his sinnes and brings them with him to any holy service they will rise up in remembrance against him at that very instant and so
when as it is the beleeving soules solemn mariage day What espoused Bride longs not for the mariage day when shee shall enjoy her Bridegroome Faith unites Christ and the beleever and contracts them together Now when once the contract is past there followes a longing for the mariage-day And this longing after the mariage-day is a signe of a contract made by faith Doth thy soule then long for those blessed nuptials with the Lord Christ when thy soule shall have the fill of his Love Doth the Spirit in thee cry Come Lord Iesus make haste my beloved Oh happy signes of true faith But now enter into thy soule O thou covetous worldling and thou voluptuous epicure c. Deale seriously and honestly and tell the plaine truth Is there any one thing in the world thou thinkest lesse upon wishest lesse or dreadest more than the comming of Christ When S. Paul disputed of Righteousnesse and the judgement to come before Foelix he trembled How many boast of righteousnesse even of the righteousnesse of faith but how troublesome are the thoughts of the judgement and Christ to come unto them How heartily could they wish oh that that day might never come Let such as cannot rejoyce in the thoughts of that day in some measure and desire it as the day of their refreshing question if not the truth yet the strength of their faith 2 Secondly The effects of faith in regard of our selves And they are these 1 First the Operation and effectuall working of the Word upon our hearts faith is that which makes all Gods Ordinances effectuall and so the word 1 Thess 2. 13. The word of God which effectually workes in you that beleeve Indeed the word workes on those that beleeve not workes their hearts to rage and rebellion workes to their hardning and damnation But it workes no good thing when faith is not to set it on worke Heb. 4. 2. The word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith The Gospell is the power of God to every one that beleeves Rom. 1. 16. Faith is as the vitall and naturall heat of the soule If the body be dead and without naturall heat give a man the most stirring and working Physick that is and yet it workes not because there wants a principle of life and heate to set it on worke Iust so is it here The word dispensed in the most powerfull manner that can bee workes not upon an unbeleeving heart because the heart is dead without faith but if any faith in the heart it makes the Word worke effectually Try thy selfe by this workes the Word upon thy soule workes it thee to a conformity to it selfe so as thou art cast into the mould of it Such efficacy of the Word argues a presence of faith in thine heart But how many discovers this to be void of faith How many have lived all their dayes and are even growne gray under the Gospell and yet what grace or goodnesse have all the Sermons that ever they have heard wrought in them more than in such as scarce in all their dayes ever heard Sermon Nay what is wrought in many but scorne rebellion resolution of disobedience wrath swelling and hellish boiling of the heart both against Minister and doctrine Are these the workes of faith or is it rather a signe that he workes in their hearts that effectually workes in the children of disobedience This is a fearfull signe that a man is in the state of unbeleefe 2 Secondly Sanctification and holinesse of heart and life Acts 15. 9. their hearts were purified by faith Pharisisme may wash thy hands but faith washes hand and Heart Pharisisme washes cleane the outside of the cup and platter but Faith makes cleane the inward part also yea there faith begins the worke Faith is not onely an holy but an hallowing grace Acts 26. 18. Amongst them which are sanctified by faith We finde a woman in the Gospell that had beene troubled twelve yeeres with a bloudy issue who was healed but how came shee to be healed She touches the garment of Christ touches but the hem and yet straightway the Fountaine of her bloud was dried up Marke 5. 29. It is true that it was Christ that healed her It was vertue that went out of Christ that healed her Vers 30. and yet Vers 34. Thy faith hath made thee whole Faith then fetches healing vertue from Christ and heales diseases The faith that is true faith fetches healing vertue from Christ Every mans heart naturally hath such a spirituall disease as shee had a bodily That disease which the woman had did typifie under the Law the naturall filthinesse of our hearts Prov. 4. 24. Observe the heart from thence are the issues of life Every action issues from the heart the Fountaine of all our actions This Fountaine is a Fountaine of bloud and all the issues from this Fountaine in our thoughts words actions all these issues are bloudy issues and very filthy and loathsome before God Mat. 15. 18 19 20. Hence hands defiled with bloud Isay 59. 3. Bloudy filth Isay 4. 4. Their way was before me as the uncleannesse of a removed woman Ezek. 36. 17. and Hos 4. 2. Bloud toucheth bloud Many bloudy issues out of the heart one issue meets with another and so bloud touches bloud Now when faith is once wrought in the heart it workes strange cures both in heart and life There were wont to be filthy issues out of the heart in vile loathsome noisome thoughts of uncleannesse wantonnesse covetousnes worldlinesse There was wont to be a filthy issue at the mouth a deale of vaine filthy rotten communication bloudy oathes and curses There was wont to bee issues in all the severall actions and passages of the life But now when faith comes into the heart that presently carries a man unto Christ touches him fetches healing vertue from him that dries up this Fountaine of bloud in some good measure and so heales all those loathsome bloudy issues It is true that where faith is there may be stil some ouzings of this Fountaine but yet the flux of it is nothing so aboundant and so continuall as formerly A mans heart naturally is like the Sea Psal 104. 25 26. This great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts There goe the Ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein In the sea there be vast Whales huge Leviathans that sport themselves and play in the deepes thereof but besides those huge Whales what a world of creeping and crawling smal creatures are there to be found therein Such is the heart of a naturall man there be therein not only some Leviathans some speciall uncleane and foule lusts some speciall Sea-monsters but there are also creeping things innumerable a world of crawling bugs and baggage vermin That looke as is said of Gods Angels Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times
to Heaven Psalm 15. That he keeps his oaths and his promises though to his owne hurt How much more then should a man be carefull of his oathes and promises which hee makes to GOD in the Sacrament and that for his owne good Therefore after the Sacrament thus thinke and reason the case with thy selfe I have beene at the Sacrament I have there vowed and taken the Sacrament upon it that I will forsake my sinnes I have beene a swearer oathes have beene frequently and familiarly in my mouth I have beene guilty of drunkennesse uncleannesse oppression covetousnesse well now according to my vow at the Sacrament I will watch over my tongue that I sweare no more I will get this bloud out of my mouth and this abomination from between my â—eetâ— I will beware how this leprosie breake out againe Zech. 9. 7. in my lips since the word is gone out of my lips by which I have vowed at the Sacrament against this sinne I will now this day begin to renounce my drunken company and courses I have neglected holy duties in publike and private by my selfe I will this day begin to reade Scripture to pray diligently by my selfe and to doe all those duties of holinesse mine oath at the Sacrament bindes me to If after thou hast beene at the Sacrament Satan or any of his instruments set upon thee in any tentation to any evill or sinne feare thy selfe with thy sacramentall vow Say to Satan I was lately at the Sacrament there thou knowest what a vow I made to GOD therefore I may not doe this evill Wouldest thou have mee be forsworne before GOD Should I that have beene at Gods Table and have eat and drunke with him should I lift up the heele against him I that have taken an oath to the contrary Avoide Satan I may not I will not in any case doe it Thus should a man fence himselfe Legitur de quadam sancta â—â—â—gine quae quoâ—ieâ— tenâ—abatur non nisi baptiâ—mo â—uo repugnabat dicens brevissime Christiana sum Intellexit enim hostis statim virtutem baptismi fidei quae in veritate promittentis pendebat fugâ—t ab ea Lutâ—â—â— against Satans temptations by his having beene at the Sacrament of the Supper as that Virgin did of whom Luther speaks by her having received the Sacrament of Baptisme when she had vowed and covenanted with God against those things to which hee tempted her Satan I am a Christian I have beene baptized there I vowed to the contrary And so she quenched the fiery darts of the Divell with the waters of her baptizme So do when Satan tempts thee after the receiving of the Supper Avoide Satan I have received the Sacrament and therein made a covenant to the contrary It is a great fault in men that they are no more watchfull over their hearts and wayes after the receiving of the Sacrament and no more carefull to expresse the power of the Ordinance in their lives It was a great fault in the Disciples that there was at all a contention amongst them for greatnesse and superiority Luk. 22. 24. But their fault was so much the greater by the circumstance of time wherein the quarrell sprang for it was presently after they had received both the Sacrament of the Passeover and the Lords Supper as appeares by the verses before going Was that a time to be contending to be striving when they were newly risen from the Sacrament contending and striving with God in prayer for a blessing upon his Ordinance freshly received had beene farre more seemely and seasonable wofull is the carriage of many and much to be lamented Many come to the Sacrament and there make their vowes of Renouncing their sins and becomming new men and yet when once the action is over and past how soone are their vowes forgotten how quickly returne they to their old courses againe It may be the same weeke returne unto the same sinnes receive the Sacrament on the Lords day and drink drunk again before the next Lords day nay it may be be drunke the next morrow nay it were to be wished that it were not to true a complaint that they be drunke the selfe same day So for other sins men have not the care nor conscience to forbeare them the same day but sweare the same day they receive and have their oathes in their mouths before the bread and wine are well out of their mouthes Iust as the strumpet Prov. 7. 14 18. I have peace offerings with me this day I have paid my vowes come let us take our fill of love so she stiles her filthy lust untill morning let us solace our selves with loves The selfe same day that she had beene at the sacrifice and the Altar the selfe same day shee playes the Whore and comes from the Altar into the adulterers bed How heynous had her adultery beene at any time but when she had beene at Gods Altar to play the strumpet and the filth in that very day how heynous was her transgression Must she needs sacrifice her selfe to the Divell in her lusts in the same day she had beene sacrificing to God It is an heynous thing that hath beene objected justly against some impure Popish votaries that they have risen from Harlots sides to consecrate the Sacrament And is it not as heynous to rise from the Sacrament to whoredome as to rise from whoredome to the Sacrament Is it not as heynous a thing to rise from the Sacrament to drunkennesse as to rise from drunkennesse to the Sacrament How happy were it that that which was laid to Israels charge might not be charged upoÌ„ too too many Communicants Exod. 32. 6. The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose up to play How many sit downe to eate and drinke the sacramentall elements and that done rise up to play To what play To play the beasts to play the swine to play the wantons to play the wretches and so make themselves by such receiving twofold more the children of the Divell then they were before That was exceeding heynous and horrible that the Lord complaines of Ezek. 23. 39. for when they had slaine their children to their Idols then they came the same day into my Sanctuary to prophane it What villany was this Play the Idolaters the mercilesse murderers of their owne Children and then come the same day into the Lords Sanctuary what had they to doe to come into Gods Sanctuary upon any day but especially upon the same day And had it not beene every whit as hainous to have come to Gods Sanctuary to the Lords Table Mal. 1. 12. and the same day to have committed Idolatry murther and so also to fall to Adultery Drunkennesse Blasphemy and oathes Is not this in an high degree to pollute Gods name and his Table and to make the fruit thereof contemptible Mal. 1. 12. What is this but to take poyson after Physicke O shame that those hands that have beene
reached forth to receive Christs body at the Sacrament shold afterwards be stretched forth to oppression and violence that those mouthes and lippes that have drunke Christs bloud at the Sacrament shold be after and specially the same day defiled with the slabbering drivell of oathes filthy obscaene speech and rotten communication The Habassines after the receiving of the Sacrament thinke it not lawfull for them to spâ—t that day till the setting of the sun Brerew enquir cap. 23. 166. It is no better then superstition in them but yet their superstition will rise up in Iudgement against the monstrous profanenesse of many amongst us They that hold it unlawfull to doe so much as spit that day would they out of excesse of drunkennesse spue that day They that will not spit that day would they endure the Divells drivell to fall from their mouthes that day in ungodly oathes and unsavory rotten communication They that will not spit that day would they in that day spit in Gods face as common profane swearers and blasphemers doe But yet some againe there are that have so much reverence to the Sacrament and so much respect to the Ordinance that upon that day they receive they will carry themselves fairly and demurely If they be tempted by their companions to any irregular carriage they can answer Oh fie by no meanes I have beene to day at the Sacrament I may not so much forget my selfe And it is a good answer But yet that day once over the next day or a few daies after let out themselves and take their former sinfull liberties Now here let men a little consider themselves Doth the sacramentall efficacie last and doth the sacramentall covenant binde but for a day If because thou hast beene at the Sacrament to day it be a good argument that thou must not sin and breake out to day why is it not as good an argument for the next day for the next weeke for the next month the next yeer Is the efficacy the bond of the Sacrament stinted to a day Nay if thou returne to thy sins seven yeeres twenty yeeres after thou hast received if in so long a time thou shouldest not or couldest not receive againe yet still the bond is as strong upon thy conscience as if thou hadst received the Sacrament but this present day There is one and the same reason in both Sacraments The Sacrament of Baptisme is but one administred and that in our infancie and yet I know our Baptismall vow and covenant binds to the day of our death though we should live an hundred yeeres yea though wee should fulfill Methusela's daies The same covenant and vow wee make in Baptisme we renew at the Supper and the bond in this as binding and as lasting as in the other Sacrament That is true or should at least be true of both the Sacraments which Paul speakes of the Rocke 1 Cor. 10. 4. They dranke of that spirituall Rocke that followed them or went with them They dranke of the materiall Rocke which is called a spirituall Rocke because it was a type of Christ The Israelites did not onely drinke of the Rocke when they were at it but after they were removed and gone from it they still dranke of it But how could that be yes the Apostle saies The Rocke followed them That is the water that issued out of the Rocke followed them as they journyed and streamed after them in their removes So the Rocke followed them virtually the vertue and benefit of the Rocke followed them and went along with them So is it so should we have a care it should be that the Sacraments should not onely be efficacious when we are present at them and in the act of receiving them but their efficacy and vertue should follow us and streame after us all the while wee are travelling in the wildernesse of this world till we come into Heaven When we come to the Sacrament and doe not shew the efficacy and power of it doe not keepe our covenants and walke the more religiously and fruitfully after it there followes upon it these two evills 1 First God accounts such receiving no service done to him The Sacrament received without following and answerable obedience he reputes and accounts as no service at all to him Looke how God contests with his people Zech. 7. 5. 6 7. Did yee at all fast unto me even to me And when yee did eate and when yee did drinke did yee not eate c Should yee not heare the words c As if hee had said yee have kept many fasts for many yeeres but yee did no service to me in all your fasts for your fasting was no more service to me then when yee did eat and drink for your selves and for your owne pleasure and delight But how so Because with your fasting yee joyned not your obedience to me and my words there followed no obedience in your lives and therefore you fasted not unto me Did yee at all fast to me to me So likewise will God contest with such communicants as doe not expresse the power of the Sacrament and keepe not their sacramentall covenants in following obedience When yee received the Sacrament in the first second third and every moneth in the yeere did ye at all performe any service unto mee unto me And when yee did eat and when yee did drinke did yee not eat for your selves and drinke for your selves Should yee not heare the words which the Lord cries by his Ministers Your eating and drinking at the Sacrament is no more service to me then when yee eat and drinke at your owne ordinary tables for your selves and your owne pleasures so long as after your receiving and eating and drinking at my Table there followes no expression of the power of mine Ordinance no conscience of keeping your covenants in yeelding obedience to my words in your lives Now what comfort can we have in our having received the Sacrament if God accept it not as a service done to him Nay it is so farre from being a service accepted of God as done to him that he accounts it treachery against him It is true here which Hoseah speakes Hos 6. 7. But they like men transgressed the Couenant There have they dealt treacherously against me There that is in the very Covenant they have plaid false with me where they thought they did God great service there they abused him where they thought to please God there they provoked him to anger there they dealt treacherously against me It is in it selfe a service to God to receive the Sacrament and to make a Covenant with him And many thinke they doe God good service herein but they are deceived because like deceitfull false hearted men they transgressed the Covenant There there in the very Covenant they deale treacherously against GOD. And so it is no service but a provocation to the Lord For what can provoke more then treachery And what is it but treachery to transgresse so solemne a Covenant 2 Secondly we horribly pollute and take Gods Name in vaine and make our selves guilty of spirituall perjury before God What thinke we of perjured and forsworne persons What think we wil become of them When we take an oath solemnely at the Lords Table to forsake our sins to walke in obedience in the performance of such holy duties and then afterwards live in those sins still and in the neglect of those duties still Are we not forsworne If we sweare Siquidem vovens non solvens quid nisi peiero Bernard de Precept Disp c. 20. to doe such a thing and doe it not doe we not forsweare And is it a light thing with us to be forsworne and that by the breach of an oath and covenant made solemnely with God Doe but consider how heavily God threatens Zedekiah for breaking his oath and covenant with the King of Babylon Ezek. 17. 12. 21. Reade and well observe the whole place Zedekiah made an oath to Nebucadnezzar and brake it And what followes upon it Vers 15. Shall hee escape that doth such things or shall he breake the Covenant and be delivered Vers 19. As I live surely mine oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that hee hath broken even it will I recompense upon his owne head But how He should die for it in the midst of Babylon Vers 16. and it first cost him the losse of his eyes so soone as he had seene his children slaine before his eyes So smart vengeance hath God for perjury God hath sworne that he will be revenged upon such as are forsworne verse 19. And though men will yet GOD will not bee forsworne Now then will the Lord be so heavily avenged for breach of oath and covenant with a man nay with an heathen man and an Idolater Woe then to that man that breakes covenant with the great God of heaven and earth who will not be mocked who will not bee baffled withall who will be a swift witnesse and a severe Iudge against all such as grossely take his glorious Name in vaine and so foulely pollute his holy Ordinance And thus a man doing the duties required before in and after the Receiving of the Sacrament comes to the Sacrament after the due order And he that walkes after this Rule peace shall be upon him and all the Israel of God FINIS