vouchsafed to the Jews no not to the Priests themselves for in all their Sacrifices he would never give them the Blood of Expiation to assure them of their Sins being atoned by it nay nor the Flesh neither in the Great Sacrifice of Expiation which was burnt without the Camp but ordered it always to be poured out upon the Altar or the Ground Exod. 29.12 Levit. 4.25 30 34. And to this 't is like St. Paul may have respect when he tells the Hebrews We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat who serve the Tabernacle Heb. 13.10 11. They convey to us also the Assistance of Gods Spirit and Grace to aid and strengthen us This is intimated by our Saviour Christ when he calls his Flesh which all must eat i. e. not in its Natural Substance but in its Effects or those Blessings which were purchased by it by the Name of Bread which is a thing that as the Psalmist says strengthens mans heart and gives Nourishment and Support to us I am the living Bread says he which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World Joh. 6.51 In the Sacrament we are called to eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood not in their Natural Substances as I have hinted but in their Effects and he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood saith he dwelleth in me and I in him and when Christ dwells in any Man his Spirit dwells there too so that he cannot want Grace sufficient to assist him Joh. 6.56 And St. Paul alluding to the Power of Wine whose Natural Vertue is to enspirit and enliven Men says That in the Eucharist we are all made to drink into one Spirit i. e. we are all made to share in the same Holy Spirit which is the same to our Souls that a Draught of Wine is to our Bodies a Principle of New Life Strength and Vigour in us 1 Cor. 12.13 They convey to us lastly a Right and Title to Eternal Life and Happiness The Blessed Sacrament was thought anciently to have a peculiar Efficacy in preparing our Bodies for an Immortal State Thus Irenaeus says of it As the Bread that springs from the Earth after it is blessed is not Common Bread but the Eucharist consisting of an Earthly and an Heavenly Part i. e. the Sensible Sign and the Spiritual Thing signified so our Bodies receiving the Communion are not now corruptible as they were before but are put in hope of a Resurrection And St. Ignatius calls it the Medicine of Immortality which is an Antidote to preserve Men from Dying and give them a Life that is Everlasting And to this as 't is not unlike the Prayer at the giving of the Bread and Wine refers That they may preserve our Souls and Bodies to everlasting Life as it was long since in the Form of the Western Church and as it is still in use amongst us But whatever becomes of that Conceit viz. it s preparing our Bodies for it 't is plain that a Right to Life and Immortality is conferred by it Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood saith our Saviour hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.54 and again He that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever v. 58. And if he had not in express Words declared it in all Equity and Reason this might most justly have been presumed For since in this Sacrament God gives us the Body and Blood of his own Son than which nothing can be dearer to him we may justly argue as St. Paul doth and say He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up both for and to us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 Thus are all the Particular Blessings of the New Covenant which Christs Blood has purchased and which God has promised and made over in it conveyed to us in this Holy Sacrament And since they are so it must needs be a Federal Rite and a Solemn Ceremony of Covenantin◠with God because otherwise than 〈◊〉 Federal Performances and Engagements 〈◊〉 are not to be had God has suspended all these Benefits upon our Performance of certain Conditions so that we cannot have them conveyed to us on his part otherwise than by undertaking at the same time for these on our own He will not forgive any Believers their Sins unless they repent of them nor help them to any Graces unless they endeavour after them nor reward them at last with Eternal Life unless they have intirely obeyed him as we have already seen And therefore wheresoever those are bestowed these are either performed or sincerely promised too So that from this Reason also it appears that the Sacrament is a Federal Rite and a Ratification of the New Covenant and of our Baptismal Ingagement because all the Blessings of that Covenant are conveyed by it which otherwise than by Federal Performances or Engagements are not to be had And thus we see upon all these accounts that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is intended not onely for a Remembrance of the Death of Christ but also for a Renewal and Ratification of the New Covenant which was purchased by it For so much the General Nature of Sacraments which are Covenant-Rites of Baptism which goes hand in hand with it and of the Passover which preceded and answered to it do fairly intimate and so much also the Words of Institution at the Blessing both the Bread and Wine declare and its being a Feast on Sacrifice infers and its conveying all the Blessings of the Covenant proves concerning it And this is the second End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament namely to renew our Baptismal Vow and in most solemn sort to confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God So that when we come to remember our Saviour Christ in this Feast we must come also to give and receive Engagements with our Blessed Lord promising that we will believe all his Words and endeavour after all Virtues and obey all his Laws and repent of all our Faults and then hoping assuredly that his Mercy shall forgive us his Grace and Spirit assist us and his Bounty reward us with Eternal Happiness when we do But besides these Ends of its being in Remembrance of Christ and his Dying for us and in confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death procured us there is yet another 3 ly And that is in Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others Eating and Drinking together at the same Table and joyning in the same Feast was always a Note of Friendship and a Profession of Love and Kindness among Men. It is the common way of the World to compose Differences to keep up
Numerous Expensive and Laborious Jewish Precepts so that out of Natural Equity and to shew our Thankfulness for such a gainful Exchange we ought most readily to observe it The Jews were loaded with a Number of Troublesome and Expensive Rites which had no Goodness discernable in themselves nor any thing but the Revelation made by Moses to recommend them to their Consciences Such as the forbearing Swine and several sorts of Flesh the washing of their Bodies upon their touching of any Dead Persons and upon any Corporal Vncleannesses the bringing Offerings and Sacrifice of Fed Beasts at return of Thanks and for Propitiation upon any Offences and many other cumbersome and costly Rites which the Apostle calls the Law of Carnal Commandments Heb. 7.16 and 9.10 and weak and beggerly Elements Gal. 4.9 which were given them not because the things deserv'd it but only that they might be kept imploy'd as useless Exercises are to Children to hinder them from more hurtful Work and so were suited only to the Infancy and Non-age of the World Gal. 4.3 But from all this Burden of Ceremonies under which as St. Peter says they and their Fathers groaned and were oppressed Act. 15.10 by the coming of Christ we are most graciously delivered For he has abolish'd in his Flesh i. e. by his Death wherein he gave his Body for us the Law of Commandments contain'd in Ordinances Eph. 2.15 He has blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us hedging in the Church within the Jews and excluding all us Gentiles and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Col. 2.14 All this Law of Jewish Ceremonies he has abrogated and procured us a compleat liberty and exemption from it injoining us only thâ—se two cheap and easie Rites of Baptism and the Lords Supper instead of it And if any man has but Common Ingenuity and will return Equitably for what is done and much more if he has any grateful Resentments for so valuable an Exemption he must needs submit with all Thankfulness to this gainful Exchange and Imposition and run to it with as much forwardness as any man would to pay Twelve pence in full Discharge of twenty pound 3 ly It was his Dying and last Command he gave it the very Night before he suffered The same night says St. Paul in which he was betray'd he took Bread and said Take eat this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.23 24. And this had it come only in the Nature of a Request and not with the Authority of a Command must needs have made it of greatest Power with us For it is great Inhumanity and shews an hard Heart to deny the last Suit of a Dying Person though he were a Stranger to us and base Ingratitude and a Falsification of all Friendship to throw back the last Request of a Dying Friend especially if he is before hand with us and has done much more than his Request comes to for our sakes and the greatest aggravation of all Disobedience to sleight the last Will and Words of our Fathers or Masters or others that have Right over us and Power to Command us And therefore since our Blessed Lord who came upon Earth for no other end but to do us Service yea even to lay down his Life for our sakes after all the Pains and Cost he has been at for us left this as his last Will and both intreated and injoyn'd at parting that we should eat and drink in Remembrance of him if we have any shame we cannot and if we profess any Duty we dare not and if we have any Love for him we will not neglect it but come to it out of mindfulness of our gone Friend and Departed Lord as oft as we shall have opportunity so to do 4 ly It was thought by Christ a Command so material that when St. Paul received his Commission to Preach the Gospel it was by name inserted and particularly specified and this special Designation of it shews that he was more than ordinarily concerned for it I have received of the Lord says he or by his Revelation when I was call'd by him that which I also delivered unto you as from him namely that the same night he was betrayed he took Bread and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.23 24. 5 ly It is a Command which as the Scripture plainly intimates without great danger to our selves cannot either be unworthily kept or neglected Without very great and apparent danger to our selves we cannot come Vnworthily to the Sacrament For he that eats and drinks unworthily says St. Paul eats and drinks Damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 And without a like danger we cannot neglect or keep back from it Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man says our Saviour and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Joh. 6.53 This the Ancient Church as is well known understood generally of eating his Flesh in the Holy Sacrament which is the great Reason they give for that Practice so common among them namely why Infants are to be Communicated And of this there is great cause to understand it For 't is hard to think of any thing that can support such full Expressions as eating of his Body and drinking of his Blood besides eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Sacrament which he calls his Body and his Blood when he institutes it Mat. 26.26 27 28. And besides in this very place he directs us to his Body Crucified and given for the Life of the World to shew the Eating relates to it as so represented which is no where done but in the Eucharist I am the living Bread says he which whoso eats shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give i. e. to be eaten is my Body Crucified which under that Notion is represented only in the Sacrament or my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World And except ye thus eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man ye have no Life in you Joh. 6.51 52 53. This Discourse indeed of eating his Flesh in the Sacrament was before the Sacrament it self was instituted But so was his Discourse of Baptism to Nicodemus before Baptism was appointed for the standing Rite whereby all Mankind should be Christned Joh. 3.5 And so was his Discourse to the People of the Death he should dye by being lifted up before he was Crucified Joh. 12.32 33. And so was his Discourse of raising up the Temple of his Body after it should be destroyed before he was raised from the dead Joh. 2.19.21 And so in this very place was his Discourse of giving his Flesh for the Life of the World which they understood not before he suffered more than they did this Sacramental eating of it before the Sacrament was appointed Joh. 6.51 Our Saviour spake several
loc Animad v. c. 1. †v. 20. * v. 22. †v. 25. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 1 Pet. 3.21 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †1 Pet. 3.21 †1 Pet. 1.19 * Rev. 13.8 †Joh. 1.29 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the masculine to agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whâ—ch bâ—ing of a different gender cannot agree to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to the whole Action †Corpus Paschatis Corpus Agni Paschalis Vt Buxt observ è Talmud Maim †Gen. 17.1 2. †Obsecro Domine peccavi deliqui rebellavi hoc aut illud feci nunc autem poenitentiam ago sitque haec hostia expiatio mea Vi. Episcop Instit. l. 3. c. 3. ad Praecep 35. Ouir de Sacr. c. 15. †Isa. 66.3 †1 Cor. 11.25 †Mat. 26.28 * ver 27. †Lev. 16.27 Heb. 13.11 * Psal. 104.15 * Quemadmodum enim qui est à terra panis percipiens invocationem Dei jam non Communis panis est sed Eucharistia ex duabus rebus constans terrena coelesti sic corpora nostra percipientia Eucharistiam jam non sunt corruptibilia spem resurrectionis habentia Iren. l. 4. adv Haer. c. 34. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes. †Soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem Seque Sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne Adulteria committerent ne fidem sallerent ne depositum appellati abnegarent quibus peractis morem sibi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capescendum cibum promiscuum tamen innoxium Plin. ep l. 10. ep 97. * 1 Cor. 11.29 * Not meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as several MSS. partic Coll. Linc. Coll. Nov. read the place And this is followed by St. Ambrose who reads thus biberit Calicem Domini indigne Domino v. 27. and St. Chrysostom who reads thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. v. 29. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Joh. 21.17 * Isa. 11.1 2. †Isa. 9.6 Rev. 3.7 * 1 Joh. 3.5 †Rev. 3.7 * Isa. 9.7 †Heb. 1.3 * Mat. 28.18 †1 Joh. 3.16 * Phil. 2.6 7 8. †Marc. 10.45 Act. 10.38 * Joh. 6.51 Rev. 5.9 †Rev. 5.11 12 13. †Act. 2.38 Luc. 3.3 * Psal. 51.17 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Apost l. 8. c. 13. p. 484. tom prim Concil Ed. Par. Lab. * Ubique mysterii ordo servatur ut prius per remissionem Peccatorum vulneribus medicina tribuatur postea alimoniâ— mensae Coelestis exuberet S. Ambros Comment in Luc. l. 6. c. 9. †Phil. 2.9 10. * Luc. 6.46 †Jâ—m 1.12 †Eâ—h 5.20 * Mâ—t. 5.3 †â—â—ov 8.13 †1 Cor. 6.19 20. †Marc. 16.16 †Luc. 13.3 * Phil. 2.12 †Heb. 5.9 †Gal. 5.20 21. * Mat. 6.15 †Ezek. 33.14 15. * Rom. 12.18 †Col. 3.14 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon 9. Can. Apostol * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Antioch Can. 2. †Lev. 11.7 * Num. 19.13 †Lev. 15. †1 Cor. 5.7 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Palladius Dalog de vit Chrysost. p. 128. †Luc. 22.19 †Psal. 119.49.2 Chron. 6.42 * Psal. 132.1.10 †Deut. 9.27 and Exod. 32.13 †Ezra 9.5 * Psal. 141.2 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Thus 't is in the form prescribed Constit. Apostol l. 8. c. 13. 15. p. 484 485. tom prim Concil ed. Lab. And this Eusebius testifies de vita Constant. l. 4. c. 45. †Mat. 26.28 †Joh. 14.15 †Psal. 104.15 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Gal. 3.13 14. †Ideo in similitudinem quidem accipis Sacramentum sed verae Naturae gratiam virtutemque consequeris Ambros. de Sacram. l. 6. c. 1. * Sed immortalitatis alimonia datur à communibus cibis Differens Corporalis substantiae retinens speciem sed virtutis Divinae invisibili efficientia probans adesse praesentiam Cyp. de Cona Dem. sub inâ—t †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. p. 151. Ed Par. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. cont Cels. l. 8. p. Ed. Cant. 399. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes Ed. Vâ—ss p. 25. †Quos excitamus hortamur ad praelâ—um â—on inermes nudas relinquamus sed protectione Sanguinis Corporis Christi muniamus Et cum ad Loc fiat Eucharistia ut possit accipientibus esse tutela quos tutos esse contra adversarium voluimus munimento Dominicae Saturitatis armemus Cyp. alii Episc in Epist. Synod Eccles. Afrâ—c ad Eccles. Roman Ep. 57. Ed. Oxon. 54. Pamel †Act. 8.36 37 38. †Part 1. Chap. 3. †So St. Chrysost understands it Vid. Chrys. in v. 32.34 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * It reads Deliciis affluentes nâ—t Fraudibus †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sec. Hist. Eccles. l. 5. c. 22. p. Ed. Val. 287. * Ut Sacramenta Altaris nonnisi à jejunis hominibus celebrentur excepto uno Die anniversario quo coena Domini celebratur Concil Carth. 3. Can. 29. apud Bin. Vol. prim Concil p. 711. †Part 1. Chap. 3. †Joh. 4.9 †Meas of Christ. Obâ—d B. 2. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Act. 13.13 †Heb. 8.12 †Dr. Lightf Hor. Heb. in loc è Jom †Jo. 21.15 16 17. †Luc. 22.48 †Act. 2.23 and 7.52 †Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. †Luc. 6.35 †Mat. 6.13 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †So the Greek is literally to be rendered The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ye have not disputed it among your selves 〈◊〉 are ye not partial in yourselves by way of Interrogation as we translate it For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wâ—nt to ask a question only whâ—n it is 〈◊〉 first nâ—t wâ—â—n it hâ—s anothâ—r 〈…〉 it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈…〉 have made a difference or act 〈…〉 which is expâ—essâ—d by the Active 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ye have nâ—t been in doubt or dâ—spute 〈…〉 that ordinarily agrees 〈…〉 Mat. 21.21 Mar. 11.23 Rom. 4.2 Jam. 1.6 and in other places * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †1 Cor. 14.33 †Dr. Ham. Annot in loc †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †as Jer. 49.19 who will appoint me the time or as it is rendred in the Margin convent me to plead which the 70 express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so again Chap. 50.44 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Cor. 12.14 †1 Cor. 13.5 †Their way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athen. Legat. p. 12. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Mat. 22.39 †Dr. Lightâ— Hor. Heb. in Mat. 5.39 †i. e. in English â—â—in 6. l. 5◠†〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Rom. 12.15 * 1 Cor. 13.4 5. †Rom. 12.17 21. * Eph. 4.31 †Rom. 12 1◠†Gal. 6.10 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. †Mat. 5.23.24 †Rev. 3.21 †Joh. 12.6 * Joh. 17.12 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †It is hereby declared that thereby â—iz by kneeling no Adoration is intended or ought to be done either unto the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received or unto any Corporal presence of Christs Natural Flesh and Blood For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their Natural substances and therefore may not be adoâ—ed for that we eâ—dolaâ—ry to be abhor'd of all Faithful Christians And the Natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven and not here it being against the Truth of Christs Natural Body to be at one time in more places than one Rub. at the end of the Commun Service * Which Order of Kneeling is well meant for a signification of our Humble and Grateful acknowledgement of the Benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers ib. †Cum peâ—inde 〈◊〉 Nationes adoratis Siâ—illaribus suis râ—sidâ—ndo vel propteâ—ea in nobis 〈…〉 mereâ—â—r viz. sitting at Prayers quod apud â—â—ola celebratur Tertul. de Orat c. 12. †1 Sam. 9.13.22 * Hodie in Cathedralibus Ecclesiis Monasteriis Benedictinorum in Die Coenae Domini ante Parasceâ—en c. Evangelium Johannis a Diacono publice praelegitur dulcissima illa colloquia Christi quae abiturus cum Discipulis habuit recitantur interim ordine dispositis mensis convivae assident panem azymum frangentes c. Didoclaâ— Alt. Damasc. c. 10. p. 746. †Quench Coal p. 12. * Summus Pontifex ad sedem ascendens ibique confidens universis cernentibus majorem partem oblatae suscipit de Patena quam Subdiaconus apportaverat de Altari ipsamque Dentibus subdividens unam particulam ejus sumit aliam in Calicem mittit c. Durand Raâ—ion Divin Offic. l. 4. c. 54. Nu. 4. p. 203. †Imperator retrahens se ad partem dextram stat usque quo Pontifex ad sedem eminentem communicaturus revertatur quem Imperator sequltur Lib. Sacr. â—â—rem S. Rom. Eccl. l. 1. sect 5. c. 3. p. 59. * Mat. 18.24 28. * This may be used 〈◊〉 a Penitential Confession of our Sins after Self-examination †This Sentence may be omitted when this Confession is not before a Sacrament * Here mention your particular Sins †Here name such Sins as you know your selves most guilty of †Here name Particulars †Part â— Chap. 3. * Here mention Virtues particularly Vow'd at the Lords Table
a most awful one and therefore not to be perform'd with disrespect and an irreverent Carriage So that we must be careful both to partake of this Holy Feast when we are called to it and to come to it worthily when we do And this St. Paul prescribes concerning it 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himself says he and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. v. 28. Let a man examine himself i. e. let him approve himself as the word here rendered examin signifies v. 19 and Chap. 16. v. 3 let him so long try his fitness for it till he see cause to like and approve himself and think he is worthy of it for he would not call unworthy Receivers to the Sacrament but drive them from it as he doth by telling them the extream danger of it v. 27 29. But when once he is so approved and fit to come to it then says he let him not forbear the Feast but hasten to partake in it Let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Thus are both a careless Forbearance and an indecent unworthy Vsage of this Holy Feast great Indignities to our Blessed Lord and criminal Violations of it It suffers on either hand so that to secure it in its just esteem and due observance both are carefully to be removed And to do what Right I can to this Holy Ordinance and what Service I am able to all such as shall seek help from this Treatise I shall endeavour what in me lies to cure or prevent both in that which follows Now to do this with the greater clearness in Discoursing upon this Subject I shall do these five things 1 st I shall shew What is the meaning of eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament 2ly Wherein lies the worthiness of doing it 3ly How much it is every good Christians Duty to frequent it 4ly What great inducements we have to it and how great the Benefits are that come by it which should make us press to it of our selves though it were not commanded 5ly I shall consider those Excuses and take off those Pleas which are most usually made against it And when all this is done I think I shall have said enough both to invite and press men to this Feast and also to a worthy partaking of it that so they may come to it when they are invited and be welcome and worthy Guests when they do PART I. The meaning of Feasting in the Sacrament CHAP. I. Of the meaning of our eating and drinking in the Sacrament The Contents Three Ends of Feasting in the Lords Supper 1 End is in Remembrance and Commemoration of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us To remember him is not barely to call to mind that once there was such a Person but to think of his particular Quality and Relation to us which are worth remembring as of his being our most Faithful Teacher our most gracious Governour our most intire Friend and noble Benefactor These things usually commemorated by Festivals 2 End is in confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death purchased for us An account of the New Covenant Christs Death purchased it It is ratified in the Holy Sacrament which is shown from the same thing being done in Baptism Circumcision and the Passover which answered to it more particularly 1. From the Words of Institution wherein the Cup is call'd the New Covenant and we are bid to drink of it which was a Covenant-Rite and the Bread Christs Body to the same intent the Paschal Lamb was which was a Federal Conveyance of it 2. From its being a Feast or Sacrifice for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on it we partake of it 3. From its conveying the particular Blessings of the New Covenant which otherwise than by Federal Promises or Performances are not to be had 3 End is in Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others This Chapter summ'd up FIrst I shall shew what is the meaning of eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament and what we are to understand by them and think of them when we do them When we come to eat Bread and drink Wine in the Holy Sacrament we must not come only for a Bodily refreshment or for eating and drinkings sake as we do to our common Food For this is to eat as St. Paul says not discerning the Lords Body but as if it were bare ordinary Meat 1 Cor. 11.29 But we must eat and drink with special ends and particular Intentions which may render our eating and drinking not an ordinary Repast but a Religious Feasting upon the Body and Blood of our Lord. And these ends are three 1 st In Remembrance and Commemoration of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us 2 ly In Confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death procured us 3 ly In Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others First We must eat Bread and drink Wine in Remembrance and Commemoratioâ— of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us By these Actions we must be put in remembrance and call to mind our selves and commemorate or tell it out to others what a good Friend and Saviour Christ has been to us and how at last he died and gave his own Hearts Blood for our sakes And this our Blessed Lord expresly ordered at the time of Institution This do says he both of the eating Bread and drinking Wine in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 25. To Remember one is not barely to call to mind that once there was such a Person but also to think of their particular Quality and Relation what they are to us or what they have left with us or what they have done for us which is worth Remembring If we bid a Servant remember us we intend he should be mindful of the Commands which we have left with him if a Friend that he should bear in mind the Great Love and Faithfulness which we have always expressed towards him if one we have highly obliged that he should gratefully resent and think of the kindnesses which we have done him or if one lastly whose favour we desire and of whom we have requested any thing that he would be mindful of the Good turn which he promises to do or which we ask of him In desiring any of these or any others to remember us we mean not barely that they should call to mind how once there were such men as we in being but over and above that that they be particularly mindful of the Relation wherein we stand and think of what we have done what we deserve or what we desire or expect from them And this our Blessed Lord intends when in this Holy Feast he Desires and Commands us to remember him He would have
and bids them drink of it which was well known among them to be a Federal Rite he plainly shew'd his meaning was that they should ratifie and confirm the New Covenant by it 2. In the Words of Institution the Bread is called Christs Body to the same intent as the Paschal Lamb was in the Jewish Sacrament and this also shews it to be a Covenanting Rite because that was a Federal Conveyance of it The Bread I say or rather the taking and eating of it is called Christs Body to the same Intent as the Paschal Lamb was in the Jewish Sacrament Jesus took bread says St. Matthew and brake it and said Take eat this is my Body Mat. 26.26 Which Words This is my Body relate to the Paschal Lamb that in the ordinary Phrase of the Doctors was called the Body of the Passover and the Body of the Paschal Lamb to shew that the taking and eating of the Bread and Wine was to be his Body in the same sense now as the eating of the Paschal Lamb had been hitherto Which Relation to the Passover that he had then in hand and to their manner of expressing it I think is one very obvious and natural Account of his calling this New Feast his Body when he spake of it And this also shews it to be a Covenant-Rite because the eating of the Paschal Lamb among the Jews was his Body in a Federal sense as a Federal Conveyance of it For their Slain Lamb was a Figure of our Dying Lord as hath been proved and was accepted to all the purposes of his Blood and their Feasting on it as in all other Sacrifices was their Federal joyning in and partaking of it For to Feast on a Sacrifice was to joyn in the Covenant made by it and to partake of the Blessings promised to it as shall presently be shewed And since in the Words of Institution our Saviour says of the Eating of the Bread that it is his Body to the same intent as the Eating of the Paschal Lamb was in that Jewish Sacrament which was so in a Federal sense as a Federal Conveyance of it he plainly intimates his own Supper to be a Federal Feast and that we confirm the New Covenant by joyning in it And as this appears from the Words of Institution wherein the Cup is called the New Covenant and they are bid to eat and drink which is a Federal Rite and the Eating of the Bread is called Christs Body to the same intent as the Paschal Lamb was which was so in a Federal sense as it Federally conveyed it So doth it also 2 ly From its being a Feast upon Sacrifice which is a Federal Feast for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on the Sacrifice we joyn in and partake of it The Lords Supper I say is a Feast upon Sacrifice It was the way both among Jews and Gentiles that when they brought an Offering to God they who offered it were to come and Feast on some part of it Thus it was in the Worship of the Golden Calf and the Sacrifice which Aaron made to it Exod. 32 He built an Altar before it and offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings and the People sate down to Eat and to Drink i. e. upon part of what they had offered v. 5 6. And thus it was in the Sacrifice which Samuel blessed 1 Sam. 9 The People will not eat until he come because he doth bless the Sacrifice and afterwards they eat that be bidden v. 13. And to this Usage several Places of the Scripture allude as namely Psal. 106.28 they joyned themselves unto Baal-Pâ—or and ate the Sacrifices of the Dead And Exod. 34.15 lest thou do Sacrifice unto their Gods and one call thee and thou eat of his Sacrifice And several others And as it was thus in the Religious Feasts both of Jews and Gentiles so it is also in the Lords Supper Our Saviour gave his Body and Blood a Sacrifice for our Sins putting away Sin as the Apostle says by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 And having thus made the Oblation according to what was in use both in the Jewish and Gentile Sacrifices he institutes this Treat of Bread and Wine as a Feast upon it This I suppose is aim'd at when St. Paul brings in an Altar speaking of the Christian Feast which sufficiently intimates its relation to a Sacrifice as a Treat upon it We have an Altar says he whereof they have no right to eat that serve the Tabernacle i. e. wherein the strict Judaizers may not partake for Judaism excludes Men from the Communion especially and indeed from all Parts of the Christian Worship Heb. 13.10 And this he also shews concerning it when he compares it with the Jewish and Gentile Feasts on Sacrifices making them answerable and parallel to it 1 Cor. 10.16 18 20 21. And this he directly affirms of it when he says Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the Eucharistical Feast i. e. upon this Sacrificed Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 8. And Feasts upon Sacrifice are Federal Feasts i. e. Feasts that ratifie and confirm Covenants for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and Feasting upon it is the way of participating or sharing in it Sacrifice I say is one way of Covenanting with God When God would enter into Articles and bind himself in Covenants with Men he chose to do it in shedding the Blood of some Sacrifice that Typified the Blood of Christ his Son which is the onely thing that moves him to deal with us in any Concern that either implies or tends to Friendship and Reconciliation Thus he did with Abraham when he promised him the Land of Canaan if he would continue perfect and walk before him he ordered him to make a Sacrifice that therein he might covenant and engage it to him Take an Heifer says he and a she-Goat and a Ram c. And Abraham took them and divided them in the midst and when the Sun went down behold a smoaking Furnace and a burning Lamp that passed between those Pieces wherein 't is like God Consumed and Feasted on Abraham's Sacrifice and in that same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham saying Vnto thy Seed have I given this Land c Gen. 15.8 9 10 17 18. And thus he did with the Jewish Nation when he ratified that Covenant with them which Moses gave them he chose the Blood of Burnt-offerings that therein he might seal it tâ— them For when Moses told the People all the words of the Lord and they answered with one voice saying We will do them he built an Altar of twelve Pillars according to the twelâ—e Tribes and offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings and then recited the Book of the Covenant in their â—ars that they might give their Assent to it in the Solemnity of this Sacrifice the Blood whereof is therefore called the Blood of the Covenant because it was thus solemnly
entred and established by it Exod. 24.3 4 5 6 7 8. And thus he did in other Compacts but particularly in all those wherein he promised Pardon of Sin for without shedding of Blood i. e. of some Sacrifice says the Apostle there is no Remission Heb. 9.22 Thus did God in all Contracts of Pardon and Reconciliation require the Blood of some Sacrifâ—ce that therein he might ratifie and confirm them And this was the great Use whereto all Sacrifices of Expâ—ation such as our Saviour Christs is in most signal manner whereon we Feast in the Lords Supper served among the Jews they were solemn Compacts and Stipulations wherein he promised Pardon and they Amendment after any Offences He ingaged to accept the Life of the sacrificed Beast in lieu of theirs and to exempt them because it had suffered and they engaged to amend the Fault which they sought to have atoned and never more to repeat it This 't is plain they did from that Form of Penitential Confession in use among them when they brought an Expiatory Sacrifice to the Lord O Lord I have sinned and dealt wickedly and rebelled against thee in doing this or that now I am sorry for it and ashamed of it and will never more return to it and therefore beg this Sacrifice may atone for it And if they had not thus repented of it the Sacrifice would have been of no avail to the Forgiveness of it For to what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord so long as you shew no Repentance with them But wash you make you clean cease to do evil learn to do well Come now and let us reason together tho' your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa. 1.11 16 17 18. The Sacrifices of God says the Psalmist are a broken Spirit i. e. they must be offered and presented with it a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps. 51.17 Thus were Sacrifices a mutual Stipulation and Engagement consisting of a Promise of Pardon on Gods part and a Promise of Repentance and Amendment on Mans so that they were in the nature of a virtual Contract and Covenant between them And this God plainly intimates concerning them when he tells of his Saints making a Covenant with him by Sacrifice Gather my Saints saith he who have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Ps. 50.5 and calls Salt wherewith every Oblation of Meat-offering was to be seasoned the Salt of the Covenant because it was to season all those Sacrifices wherein the Covenant was confirmed Levit. 2.13 And as Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God so is Feasting upon it the way of sharing and partaking in it He who joyned in the Feast was looked upon by God himself to joyn also in the Offering to promise all the Duty which it engaged and to partake in all the Blessings which it procured for them They which eat of the Sacrifices says St. Paul are Partakers of the Altar 1 Cor. 10.18 And therefore he forbids them to joyn in the Gentile Feasts where they sacrificed to Devils because that were to partake and have Fellowship with Devils v. 20 21. And thus from this also viz. the Lords Supper being a Feast on Sacrifice it appears to be a Federal Rite because Sacrifice is the great way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on it we joyn in and partake of it In eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Lords Table agreeably to what the Jews and Gentiles did at their Religious Feasts we feed on the Sacrifice of Christ and that Sacrifice confirmed the New Covenant with Almighty God that being as he says sealed in his Blood so that by our Feasting on it we are made to share in it and give our full Consent thereto 3 ly That our Eating and Drinking at the Lord's Table is a Covenant-Rite appears from all the particular Blessings of the Covenant being conveyed by it which otherwise than by Federal Promises and Performances are not to be had The Particular Blessings promised in the Covenant I say are all conveyed by it Our Saviour tells us of the Bread we eat and of the Wine we drink that they are his Body and Blood This is my Body says he and this is my Blood of the New Testament Mat. 26.26 28. By which altho' we are not to understand that they are so in their Natures yet the least we can understand is that they are so in their Effects i. e. that they convey to us all those Blessings which the piercing of his Body and the shedding of his Blood procured for us Those Blessings are contained in the New Covenant and as I said are chiefly these three viz. the Forgiveness of Sins the Assistance of Gods Spirit to aid and strengthen us and Eternal Life and Happiness and all these the Eating of Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament are designed to convey to us They convey to us Forgiveness of Sins and assure us when we perform them as we ought that God is in Favour and at Peace with us Of this we have sufficient Assurance because we Feast upon a Sacrifice which is Gods Meat and are entertained at his own Table as his Guests whom he has invited and the least which that can mean is that he admits us into a State of Love and Friendliness since we do not invite those we will not be Friends with to our own Tables When any one calls another to a Treat it is a plain Sign he either would be or is or at least makes shew of being reconciled It is a most Natural Sign and now every where is and always was a Note of Friendship and Endearment And as such the Scriptures are wont to speak of it When those whom he had shut out should knock at the door to be let in and claim Acquaintance our Saviour tells us they will say to him We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luc. 13.25 26. And when he shews his Apostles how high Favour and what great Interest they shall have with him he tells them they shall eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom Luc. 22.29 30. And when he declares how kind he will be to those that hear his voice and open unto him he â—ays he will come in and sup with them and they wâ—th him Rev. 3.20 So that when God entertains us at his own Table and invites us to Feast with him as he doth in the Holy Communion we may be sure if we come worthily as we ought he is in Friendship with us and our Sins are forgiven And this our Saviour plainly intimates when he tells us at the giving of the Cup that it is his Blood shed for the Remission of Sins and bids us drink of it that so we may have it in our selves and be assured we have received the Atonement And this we must observe is a Privilege which God never
things by Anticipation in sundry places as from this last instance 't is plain he did in this which though his Hearers did not at that time fully understand yet they would afterwards so that when other Reasons evince him to have spoke in this place of the Sacramental eating of his Body and Blood the Sacrament's not being yet instituted is no good Proof or Argument against it Thus is this necessity of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood as ever we would hope for Eternal Life by it spoke of the Lords Supper wherein we Feast upon it And that it should be so has no wonder in it For it is no more than is expresly spoke of Baptism which is but of equal Rank with it both being alike Duties and equally required For of that 't is said He that Believes and is Baptized shall be saved Marc. 16.16 And except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.5 But besides this Proof of the danger of neglecting the Sacrament because our Lord tells us we have no Life in us without it it may also appear from the danger of neglecting the Jewish Passover which answer'd to it and was the same to them as this Feast is to us wherein Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us And as for the danger of neglecting that it was great indeed no less than of being cut off from Israel which was the punishment God had threatned to it Whosoever in the Feast of the Passover eats leaven'd Bread from the First day to the Seventh day that Soul shall be cut off from Israel Exod. 12.15 Thus necessary is it for all men who would please God to frequent this Ordinance and to come to the Holy Sacrament when they are call'd to it They have Christs express Command for it who by injoyning it has required Obedience in such an instance as best shews their particular Reverence and Love to him and to ingage them the more to it has freed them from all the load of Jewish Ceremonies and imposed no heavier burden than it and Baptism instead of them and to make it have the more effect has left it among the last words which he spake to them and to shew it was a matter of no small moment would have it expresly specified in St. Paul 's Commission and tells them That unless they come therein to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood they have no Life in them and will punish the neglect or abuse of it as he did of the Jewish Passover which answer'd to it with Excision All which shew the Greatness of the Duty and how much it is every mans Concern who would hope to have the Favour of God or go to Heaven And as this appears from the obliging Import and Expressness of the Command about it so doth it 2 ly From the obliging Nature of those things which are meant by it For therein we publickly own Christ and his Religion and solemnly remember him and confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God and a League of Friendship with our Brethren and are vouchsafed the highest Honour and receive Tokens of the greatest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glories from him all which no Ingenuous man will and no Good man ought to refuse when he is call'd to them 1 st In the Sacrament I say we publickly own Christ and profess his Religion This was always understood to be the meaning of Feasts on Sacrifices both among Jews and Gentiles they that would eat of the Sacrifice offer'd to any God or Idol were looked on to have Fellowship and Communion with him and thereby to own their joyning in that Worship and Service which was paid to him Thus St. Paul tells us it was among the Jews for they that ate of their Sacrifices were partakers of their Altars And thus he tells us it was among the Gentiles and that they who Feasted in the Idol-Temples on the Sacrifices made to Devils did thereby declare their Communion with them and had Fellowship with Devils And the same is true of the Feast of the Lords Supper which upon this account he makes parallel to and compares with them In Israel after the Flesh says he they who eat of the Sacrifice are sharers in the Worship or Partakers of the Altar And in the things which the Gentiles Sacrifice to Devils they who Feast on the Sacrifices have Fellowship with Devils And therefore you that Feast with the Lord at his Table and thereby have Fellowship with him must not mix Light and Darkness Christ and Belial together and by Feasting with Devils at theirs have Fellowship with them too You cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils you cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils since that were to unite the most opposite Interests by holding Fellowship and professing your selves to be the Servants of Christ and of the Devil also 1 Cor. 10.16 18 20 21. Our joyning in the Holy Communion is our avow'd owning of Faith in our Crucified Lord and of our adherence to him By eating at his Table of broken Bread and Wine poured out which are the Representation of his Death we tell it out to all the World that we are the Servants of that Lord and Worshippers of that Jesus who gave himself to be Crucified and to Dye for us As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup saith St. Paul ye do shew forth the Lords Death till he come Ye shew forth his Death i. e. ye tell it abroad and profess to all the World that he dyed for you and is Lord over you and that you own him so to be 1 Cor. 11.26 Thus is our eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Lords Table an open profession of his Religion and a Token whereby we give out to all the World who see what we do that we belong to him It is a most solemn sign of our Relation to Christ and a publick Badge of our being Christians And this sure no man will decline when there is a fit occasion who is not ashamed of his Lord nor Repents of his Profession But if he is really a Follower of Christ and would be thought one he will let all the World know it by joyning in this Feast which is the most Solemn Badge and Authentick Mark which Christ has appointed of it 2 ly In coming to the Holy Sacrament according to our Lords appointment we solemnly remember him and think of the Relation wherein we stand and of the benefits which we have received from him Do this says he in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 25. And when he is call'd to remember his most precious Saviour who has both lived and dyed to make God his Friend and to do him Service there is no man sure that has any thing of Shame or Ingenuity left in him who will shew backwardness and
to bestow him on you I have nothing better wherewith to present you but with him in this Holy Feast I do and what higher Tokens can I give of the unbounded Love I bear you He gives us present injoyment of many invaluable Graces For the Lords Supper is a Treasury of Blessings conveying to all those who worthily partake of it the Pardon of their Sins and Spiritual Assistances and Heavenly Improvements and growth in all Virtues and strength against all Temptations as I shall shew under the next Head And lastly He gives us the surest Pledges of future Glory For when he offers us his own Son we may be sure he will not stick at any thing else since he has nothing that is in any comparable Degree so precious and dear to him as he is This Gift is a Faithful Earnest and certain Pledge of every thing else which he can give us For he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things says St. Paul Rom. 8.32 Thus in the Blessed Sacrament are we vouchsafed the greatest Honour and receive Tokens of highest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glories from Almighty God And what man now will refuse all these when he is invited to them Who can turn his back upon that Ordinance wherein God calls him that he may give Honour to him and shew by the highest Tokens how he Loves him and confer upon him present Graces and give him Pledges of future Glories and assure him what Regard he has of him and how happy he intends to make him Common Ingenuity and Good manners nay every mans own private Interest and Self-advantage oblige him most readily to embrace and not to sleight or so much as slowly to accept of such offers So that if any Person really believes that all this Honour is shewn this Love expressed these Graces given or these Glories assured to him in the Communion he must needs think himself highly obliged to come to it and never cast about to seek shifts and make excuses or express a backward and unwilling mind when he has an Invitation and an Opportunity so to do And thus we see that not only our Lords express Command for it but also the obliging Nature of those things which are meant by and of those employments which are imply'd in it are a strong and an indispensable Obligation on all grown Christians who are capable of it to frequent the Holy Sacrament For therein they are call'd by their Saviour Christ publickly to profess his Religion and their Communion with him and thankfully to remember him and to confirm the New Covenant with God and a League of Love and Friendship with their Brethren and to receive Vouchsafements of highest Honour and Tokens of greatest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glories from him all which are things that no Christian man ought to stick at or decline but with all forwardness to close with as often as he has an Opportunity and sit occasion for them And thus it appears now much all the Disciples of Christ who are grown up to it and understand it for no Duty obliges an incapable Subject are bound to frequent this holy Sacrament It is their Duty to come to the Communion as it is to come to Church to be Chast Sober Humble Just or to perform any other Precept of their Religion For they have their Saviour Christs express Command for it who by injoining it has required Obedience in such an Instance as best shews their peculiar Reverence and Love to him and to ingage them the more to it has freed them from all the load of Jewish Ceremonies and imposed no heavier burden than it and Baptism instead of them and to make it take the more effect left it among the last words which he spake to them and to shew it was a matter of no small moment would have it expresly specified in St. Paul 's Commission and tells them That unless they come therein to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood they have no Life in them and will punish the neglect or abuse of it as he did the neglect of the Jewish Passover which answer'd to it with Excision And the Nature of those things which are meant by it and of those Employments which are to be exercised at it most straightly oblige them to it For therein they shew they have Fellowship with Christ and appertain to his Religion and thankfully remember him and Seal the New Covenant with God and a League of Love and Friendship with their Brethren and are vouchsafed the highest Honour and receive Tokens of the greatest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glories from him which are things that every Ingenuous man will and every Good man ought to do and no man when he is call'd to it can honestly decline that professes himself a Christian Thus is it a necessary Duty in every man to come to the Sacrament as it is to come to Church or to other parts of Worship And when once we are of Age for it and have a fit opportunity and occasion offer'd we are in strict Duty ingaged and by a bond of many Cords as we have seen obliged so to do 1 st I say we are bound to it when once we are of Age for it The Duty of this Holy Sacrament lies in such things as suppose a competent Understanding and due Knowledge of Religion in those who must discharge them For therein we are to remember Christ both what Commands he has left with us and what he has done and suffered for us and this we cannot do till first we have learnt them We must ingage to be at Peace to do Justice and shew kindness to all our Brethren and this supposes that we know first what Offices of Love and Acts of Justice are due to them We must consent to the Terms of the New Covenant and this implies that first we should understand them In Baptism indeed we enter'd into it before we had any knowledge of it but that was because God who deals with us after the most favourable manner of Men who allow grown Persons to bear the Parts and federally to undertake for Infants in things conducing to their Advantage admitted our Sponsors that knew it very well to stand as our Representatives and in way of Proxies to Covenant and undertake for us But the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be our own Act and an express assenting in our own Persons to what they undertook and this cannot be done till we are come to years and are able of our selves to judge of it Till we are grown up then to the Age of Competent knowledge in Spiritual Affairs we are not capable of discharging aright the Duty of this Sacrament And till we are so we are not obliged to it since no Duty obliges an incapable Subject
wherein he is to be remembred 1 Cor. 11.24 And so 't is also in St. Luke where the Words are Peremptory for the Apostles administring and so answerably for the Peoples receiving it without any intimation of the eating it self being indifferent and uncommanded which that Evangelist would not so unwarily have expressed if Christ had so intended it And our Lord shew'd us not only that he has commanded this Sacramental eating but that he has commanded it as a necessary thing when he tells his Hearers that except they thus eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man they have no Life in them Joh. 6.53 And this necessity of it is further manifested from the necessity of the Passover among the Jews which answered to it for at every Return of it they were to be cut off from Israel whosoever presumed to omit it Exod. 12.15 And if there were no express Command for it yet are the things we are call'd to in it all of that obliging Nature and such necessary Duties that without Sin they cannot be declined By all which as we have seen this Sacramental eating and drinking is evidently proved to be a plain Duty and under a peremptory Commandment When therefore in this place the Apostle says of our drinking of the Cup Do this as often as ye drink it he doth not intimate that we may do it as seldome as we please or as if it were under no Law or express Precept He uses the words as often not because 't is an Arbitrary Act and there is no Duty in it but because though it be a Duty we have not always opportunity for it and so cannot always be performing it For as has been shewn there is a Command to Communicate and that as all other Affirmative Laws binds us to it at all times when a fit occasion is offer'd When we eat and drink in the Sacrament we must remember Christ and when we have an opportunity to eat and drink in it we are obliged to it as the Jews we saw were to the Passover which answered to it who were to be cut off from Israel when at any time they omitted it So that to Communicate is no Arbitrary Act but an indispensable Duty and peremptory Command still And since it is thus necessary a Duty in every grown Christian to come to the Holy Sacrament it must needs be a great and dangerous Sin in any of us when we neglect and abstain from it We must not think it an indifferent thing but make Conscience of keeping off from the Holy Communion as we do of keeping off from Prayers of Swearing doing Wrong being Proud Incontinent or Drunken For it is expresly and straitly forbidden by God as well as they and we incur his Anger and till we repent and do so no more cannot regain his Favour when we are guilty of any of them A neglect of the Lords Table therefore is a Sin which although God may excuse in those good Souls who because of their over-high Veneration for it and Fear of their own Vnworthiness to partake in it in the honesty of their Hearts think they ought not to come to it Yet will he not excuse in them when they are better inform'd and much less in others who neglect it because they are careless of it or too Wicked and Impenitent to receive it He may excuse it I say in those Good Souls who in the honesty of their Hearts through Ignorance or Error were held back and because of their over-high Veneration for it and fear of their Vnworthiness to partake in it thought they ought not to come to it An innocent Ignorance or mistake of an honest mind may plead our excuse before God in this as well as in other Duties For in all of them Christ has such a Sense of our Infirmities as that he can have Compassion on the Ignorant and those that err or are out of the way Heb. 5.2 So that if after an upright indeavour to be rightly inform'd in it some Good Minds shall happen to mistake their Error will not be imputed It may be through the loose Discourses of some or the general Practice of the World who by being so seldom at it seem to set lightly by it they think themselves not obliged to it Or again through the extream Rigidness of the Discourses of others who require such extraordinary things to it as very few have attain'd they think themselves always unworthy and unprepared for it and that they should sin and eat their own Damnation in it But if they fall into these mistakes about it which make them abstain from it after an honest indeavour to be rightly inform'd about it their Ignorance may plead their Excuse and make their Neglect to be connived at God will not account it to them as a sin because they knew it not but were mistaken For in this as well as in all other Cases to him that knows to do Good and doth it not to him 't is Sin Jam. 4.17 But though God may bear with this neglect of the Sacrament in Good men whilst they are thus innocently misled Yet will he not excuse it in them when they are better inform'd and much less in others who neglect it because they are careless of it or too Impenitent to receive it He will not excuse it even in them when they are better informed Their only plea for their not doing of this Duty is that after the best search they could make they did not know they were bound to it or that with safety they could perform it and when once their Understanding is inlightned this plea is removed so that afterwards they can find no relief at all from it They abstain then when they know if they are truly Penitent they might and ought to come and that abstinence is wilful and unless they repent of it and amend it will end in their Condemnation For to him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him 't is Sin Jam. 5.17 And much less will he excuse it in others who are careless of it and too Impenitent to receive it If they are hindred from the Lords Table out of Slothfulness or are unworthy of it by Reason of their Impenitence those are not their Excuse but their own Damning Fault and they must expect to bear the punishment of it To tell God I did not come to the Sacrament because I would not Repent is to tell him I would not come and promise to be Good because I was resolved to continue Wicked and that is a very odd way of excusing it Impenitence is no excuse but a most damning Sin and therefore if we have no other cause to give why we did not come we must needs be liable to Condemnation If any of you therefore who shall peruse this Treatise have refused Gods invitation formerly and have kept back from this Feast by what I have here said you may see your Fault and
objective Representation of most forcible inducements to them powerfully excited in them at that time And as these Duties are all improved by the Holy Communion so are they 2ly Most Powerful in helping us to become Obedient and Good men If we were but perfect in these Virtues and they had once got the Ascendant over us and ruled in our Hearts they would have an Universal influence on all others and govern our whole Lives For if when we are tempâ—â—d to any sin our minds being familiarized to it would at that instant readily suggest to us that Christ dyed for it and that it put him to all the pain and anguish he suffered we should not endure to come near it If we have any true Love and Zeal for him we shall shew no manner of Favour or Compliance with it if we are really Thankful for what he has done for his sake we shall withstand it if we are resign'd up to his use we shall have nothing to do with it because he is against it and if we abhor it for the pains it put him to when he answer'd for it and will at last put us to also if we continue in it we shall disdainfully reject and turn away from it If we Believe and remember always as we have need that Christ died for our Sins and procured us Pardon for them upon our Repentance and Grace to get quit of them upon our best indeavours that Faith will make us Obedient and carry us on to amend them If we truly Love Christ that Love will make us do something for him and cast to please and obey him If we are Thankful for what is done we shall never despite him by any Sin which for all his Benefits were to return the greatest injuries again If we are resign'd up to his use we shall Faithfully serve him If we are heartily Penitent and abhor our Sins we shall forsake them If we have this lively Faith and Remembrance of Christs dying for us and this intense Love and hearty Thankfulness and entire Resignation of our selves to his Service and sincere Repentance and utter Abhorrence of all our Sins If we have these Virtues I say and in these prevailing measures they will carry us on to an Holy Life and make us Obedient to all Gods Commandments And therefore since this Holy Sacrament when 't is worthily received doth so much improve these Virtues in us it must needs help us on and improve us in all others and in the whole course of a good Life too Thus doth a worthy receiving by its own Natural tendency confirm and increase us in all good Living by our exercising and its exciting in us such Duties as help it on and set it forward and so doth it 2 ly By our binding our selves thereat in solemn Vows and Ingagements to go on in it One chief end of our meeting at this Feast and prime part of our Worthiness in partaking of it is to confirm the New Covenant as we have seen and to make God our Faithful promises that from that day we will amend all our Faults 〈◊〉 so we may attain that Pardon and Happiness which upon our true Repentance he comes to offer and assure to us And these solemn Vows and Promises are a fast hank upon us to make us leave our Sins and do all that he requires of us For every man ought and thinks himself concerned to be as good as his word and to perform what he has promised especially when 't is to one who is too Wise to be deluded and too Just and Powerful to suffer any abuses of him to pass unrevenged which all men that understand any thing believe of Almighty God When we Promise and Vow to him we know that he cannot be deceived and that he will not be mocked so that we must needs see it stands us in stead and is our highest concern to perform with him And therefore since in the Sacrament we do in the most solemn manner Vow to amend our ways and promise an Holy Life to Almighty God in Regard none that are honest will and none that are wise and serious dare be unmindful of such sacred and solemn Compacts it must needs be an excellent way to bind it fast upon our Souls and fix it in our minds and so help very much to establish and imprint it in us And thus we see how a worthy receiving conveys Grace and confirms and increases in us all Virtues by the Natural tendency of those Duties which it exercises and excites in us For it powerfully excites and therein we exercise several Duties which help on a Good Life and set it forward and bind our selves by solemn Vows and Ingagements to go on in it both which are most Powerful to improve and effect it And as it thus confirms and increases in us all Graces by the Natural Virtue and Tendency of those Duties which it excites in us so does it 2 ly By those inward Assistances which it ministers and conveys to us This Sacrament doth not only confer Grace by its Natural Tendency as other means but moreover by virtue of Gods Promise and especial Bounty to the Worthy Receivers of it as it is an Instrument in his hands He tells us that he will do great things at the presence of it and be liberal in Spiritual Blessings to all that duly partake in it So that besides what they do from the Virtues themselves which are exercised thereat they may promise themselves much Spiritual Grace and Strength from his Free Gift and immediate concurrence with it For in the Sacrament he offers them all that outward Grace and Spiritual strength which Christs Death procured and therefore if they come to it worthily so as their own unworthiness is no bar against it that offer will be sure to take effect and they shall undoubtedly receive it And this is plainly intimated to us when our Saviour tells us of his Flesh that it is Bread the true use and end whereof is for support and nourishment Joh. 6.51 And when St. Paul declares that the Cup of Blessing which we Bless is the Communion or Communicating to us the Blood of Christ i. e. those Benefits his Blood procured us and that the Bread which we break is the Communion or Communicating to us the Body of Christ i. e. those Graces which the offering of his Body obtain'd for us amongst which are these Spiritual Assistances 1 Cor. 10.16 And when our Lord himself tells us that the Bread he gives us is his Body and that the Câ—p he reaches out to us is his Blood Mat. 26.26 28. By which though he mean not that they are his Body and Blood in their Natures yet the least he can mean is that they are so in their Effects so that when we receive them we receive all the Blessings of his Blood-shedding and all that Grace which his Death has purchased for all Men. And thus the