glory that he might shew us the way to it And by his sufferings and death hath become the Author of Eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Indeed God wrought many deliverances for his people the Jews by the hands of his servants Moses and Joshuah and the Judges and Kings of Israel but all these together did not work so great a deliverance as our Blessed Saviour did when he made his soul an offering for sin when he despised the Cross and the shame of it and wrought an Eternal Redemption for us They delivered Gods People from their ill Neighbours our Saviour hath delivered us from our sins and from the evil men our selves They delivered them from Tyrants he hath delivered us from the power of the devil and from an eternal slavery They saved their bodies from slavery and bondage Our Saviour saves our souls from sin and death They fought for their people our Saviour suffered and dyed They delivered them for a time our Saviour for ever They saved the Jews but our Lord is the Saviour of mankind Jacob in his last words to his sons tells them what shall befal them in the last dayes and when he comes to Dan he tells him â—e shall be a serpent by the way an Adder in the path that biteth the horse heels so that his rider shall fall backward Gen. 49.17 This the Jews understand to be foretold of that great deliverance which Sampson of this Tribe of Dan should be an instrument of who wrought a great deliverance of his people from the Philistines V. Targ. Hierosol Jonath in locum But then Jacob presently adds in the next words I have waited for thy salvation O Lord v. 18. The meaning of which words according to the same Jews is this as if Jacob when he had foreseen the deliverances which should be wrought by Gideon and Sampson had said thus I do not expect the deliverance of Gideon and Sampson which will be but a temporal deliverance but thy salvation O Lord is that which I expect for thine is an eternal salvation They were indeed deliverers of Gods people but none of them could do that which our Saviour does who saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And blâ—sseth us in turning away every one of us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 So great a salvation hath our Saviour wrought for us so great a love hath he shewed in laying down his life for us that it ought never to be forgotten as long as the World endures And that it might never be forgotten our Saviour hath appointed the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be a standing memorial of his great love in dying for us Do this says he in remembrance of me We are indeed ready to receive mercies and also very ready to forget that they are bestowed upon us And therefore God hath taken this care that we might never forget them He did so with the Jews who were a very unthankful people and very prone to forget him that had done so many kindnesses for them Lest that people should forget their Creator God appointed the Sabbath-day to be observed in memory of the Creation of the World Exod. 20.11 When he brought the Israelites out of Egypt he ordains the Passe-over in memory of that deliverance Exod. 12. And besides that he obliges them severely to observe that feast and frequently by his servants puts them in mind of that deliverance and over and above appoints the Sabbath-day also which was at first commanded upon another score as a weekly remembrancer of that great deliverance Deut. 5.15 But he that delivered them out of Egypt did also carry them through the Wilderness and in memory of that mercy in redeeming them from the travels and pilgrimage of the desert he appoints an Anniversary feast viz. the feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23.43 Other Festivals there were and divers memorials of the mercies of God shewed to that people and to their fathers They who were so apt to forget Gods mercies were provided with such services as should put them fairly in mind of them God hath done thus mercifully with us also He hath not only given his Son to die for us than which there cannot be a greater mercy but he hath ordained this Sacrament as a perpetual memorial of so great a love And as among the Jews those services which God required were very proper remembrancers and monitors of the mercies they had received so it is in the case that is before us Their Sabbath which did succeed their six days labour put them in mind of Gods creating the World and ceasing from those works Their Pass-over brought to their mind the mercies of God in their Redemption from Egypt Their feast of Tabernacles plainly shewed them the estate of their Fathers in the Wilderness And so the Sacrament of the Lords Supper does after a lively manner represent unto us the Death of our Blessed Saviour He died indeed a great while since and at a place far remote from us there could be but few that were eye-witnesses of what was then and there done but few in proportion with those that would be concerned in his death And therefore God out of his great mercy to us hath ordained this service that what we could not see done at first we might see repeated in the Sacrament afterwards Here we have Christ crucifyed represented to us The Bread and Wine put us in mind of his Body and Blood And when we see the Bread broken and the Wine poured forth we are taught to remember the Passion of our Lord how his body was broken and bruised and his blood was shed for us God would have us lift up our hearts from these symbols and signs to that which is signified and represented by them And if we do so we may by our Faith see Christ crucified before our eyes And that which was done so long ago and so far off will be anew represented unto us The Apostle tells his Galatians that before their eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth and crucified among them Gal. 3.1 Yet certain it is that Jesus Christ was crucifyed at Jerusalem a place very far remote from the Country of the Galatians But yet he that was crucified at Jerusalem may well be said to have been evidently set forth before the eyes of the Galatians Vers Syriac and crucified among them also i. e. Jesus Christ crucified was as it were painted and most lively represented unto them They did not see him indeed hanging on the Cross at Jerusalem but yet by the preaching of the Gospel and celebration of this Sacrament they might behold Christ crucified and that which was done at so great a distance would by these means become as if it had been done before their eyes But it is not a bare historical remembrance that will serve our turn neither It is no hard thing to be able to remember the history of the passion of our
and not in their nature altered nor changed in substance from what they were And consequently it cannot be imagined that our Church should require Kneeling with an intention that we should worship the Elements of Bread and Wine when she hath always taught a Doctrine that does contradict any such practice And this might suffice in answer to this Objection But yet I add 2. That this might be put out of all doubt the Church of England hath farther declared her meaning in this matter So that hereafter whoever shall charge her as guilty of Idolatry in requiring Kneeling at the Sacrament as if thereby she intended we should adore the Bread and Wine will shew himself either profoundly ignorant or greatly malicious What our Church declares to this purpose may be found in the Book of Common-Prayer at the end of the Rubrick after the Communion-Service in these words Whereas it is ordained in this Office for the Administration of the Lords Supper that the Communicants should receive the same Kneeling which order is well meant for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the. Holy Communion as might otherwise ensue yet lest the same Kneeling should by any persons either out of ignorance and infirmity or out of malice and obstinacy be misconstrued and depraved It is here declared that thereby 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 very natural substances and therefore may not be adored for that were Idolatry to be abhorred 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 Thus plainly are we taught the Churches sense in the case before us Nor may we now imagine that by our Kneeling we are obliged to worship the Creature instead of the Creator 3. The Sacrament is delivered to us with a Prayer and certainly it is not only lawful to Kneel when we pray but it is also very agreeable to the example of our Blessed Saviour Luk. 22.41 And if we are bound to pray alwayes I am sure it well becomes us to do it then And there cannot possibly be any danger of Idolatry in bowing our Knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ If we may lawfully pray at all times and in all places we may very lawfully Kneel when we do it And sure no man in his wits can deny but I may lawfully pray to God in the very act of receiving the Sacrament and if I may do that it is very evident that I may use that gesture which our Saviour did when he prayed a little before his Agony and Death What hath been said I hope is enough to satisfie those men who desire to find the truth There are those whom nothing will quiet Some men will not be convinced though we should bring them beams of light However I shall not mention any other Objections which men are wont to bring for their excuse Not that I have named all that might be found but because I have named the more general and material Nor do I know any other that are worth the naming I pray God grant that we may not refuse the Truth where-ever we find it We are in a very miserable condition if we suffer our selves to be swayed by our prejudices rather than guided by the truth If we shall withstand the clearest evidence because it stands not with our occasions It will well become us in the fear of God who will not be mocked narrowly to search into our Hearts and Consciences If we love the truth we may find it God will search us ere it be long it will then appear whether or no we have done our utmost to be rightly informed We shall then find it had been much better to have done our Lords will than to have disputed wittily All our disguises must then be pulled off and we shall be judged then by the unerring Law of God The good God awaken us to a serious diligence about our Souls and lead us at once into the paths of Peace and Truth We shall have an heavy account to make if upon light and insufficient grounds we separate from our brother and omit so excellent a service as our dying Lord hath required of us And surely those grounds must be very light which have no more weight than the pretences above-named I shall end with the words of that pious Father upon this occasion Quod neque c. That what is enjoined Augustin Tom. 2. Ep. 118. ad Jan. ad Casulanum Ep. 86. and is neither against faith or good manners is not to be refused but according to the place where we are and do converse is to be observed CHAP. XV. FRom what hath been said before we may see how much we do amiss if we altogether neglect so excellent a service as this or if we do it not as frequently as we can For he that does it but seldom when he hath the opportunities of doing it frequently is reprovable as well as he that does omit it quite And indeed we are self-condemned if we do omit and let slip sundry of those opportunities which God hath given us and only make use of them sparingly For whereas by doing it at all we do acknowledge it to be our duty to do this in remembrance of our Lord by chusing to do it but seldom we do avoid the paying our duty to our Lord and the disposing our selves for so excellent and holy a service It is to be feared that such men are not much affected with their Lords death who decline the often remembrance of it Were our hearts enlarged we should be willing to be alwayes praising our dearest Lord. We are not stinted by the Laws of Christ to do this but so many times in a year and we know the first Christians did it very frequently all that we are obliged to in the case is that as oft as we do it we should do it in remembrance of Christ We may justly suspect our selves not much taken with the kindness of our Saviour when we do readily neglect so excellent an opportunity of keeping up the memory of it It is a sign that our hunger is not great when we can easily neglect our food that is prepared for us We are afraid sure that the interest of Religion should prevail too far upon us when we will not accept every opportunity of becoming better Certainly if we have tasted that the Lord is gracious we shall be willing to draw nigh to him and to do it frequently also It is to be feared as
Blessed Saviour But our remembrance of it must be 1. Affectionate and vigorous as we remember the death of a dear friend that died and died in our quarrel and defence who at once shed his blood for us and for the truth How passionately can we rehearse the praises and preserve the memory of such an one as this 'T was thus with our dearest Lord he fell a Sacrifice at once for the testimony of the truth and for the sake of our precious Souls He died that he might rescue us from eternal misery and death And this we must remember when we do remember the death of our Blessed Lord. 2. With all thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a mercy Let us awaken our Psaltery and Harp all our powers and faculties and all that is within us to praise his holy name Let us have our hymn of praise Matth. 26.30 'T is an heavenly feast we are going to and who goes to a feast with a sad countenance or heart Let us be filled with the spirit Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. We are Gods guests at this time and God loves we should be chearful and rejoyce He would have the Jews so in their Festivals Deut. 16.11 14. And certainly we have more reason to be so than they God having provided some better thing for us Heb. 11.40 This Sacrament is an Eucharist or service of praise and as such was observed by the first Christians Who breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 47. 3. It must be such a remembrance as works in us a detestation against our sins which put our Blessed Saviour to death Coâ—â—â—â—ve you saw him hang upon the Cross and saw the nails pierce his hands and feet that you heard him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that you saw the blood he sweat and the thorns he wore That you saw the Sun darkened the Dead arise and the rocky Earth rend in pieces certainly if your hearts were not more hard than the rocks you would relent especially when you consider that all this was for your sins and that he died that you might live 'T was thy Covetousness that betrayed him Thy Iust that made him bleed Thy unbelief and wickedness that loaded Him with the Cross that crowned Him with thorns that nailed his hands and pierced his side and filled his Soul with horror and amazement This should work in us a great indignation against our Sins as that which crucified our dearest Lord. Should a tender Mother lose a Child by a knife or some other instrument that is but the occasion of its death Surely she would not endure to see that instrument in her sight If we loved our Saviour we should hate our sins which made him bleed and bow his head Since 't is a most certain truth that he that commits sin does more displease i. e. does that which is more against the mind and will of Christ than Judas that betrayed him and those that hanged him upon his Cross And therefore as you pity your Saviour add not to his sorrows as you have any compassion to Him add not to the bitterness of his Soul Bring not with you instruments of crâ—â—lty when you pretend to remember his love â—e shewed in his death But think thâ—◠〈◊〉 that if God did not spare his Son that 〈◊〉 might not go unpunished that he will mucâ— less spare you who go on in your sins and love them III. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians might by it be united together in the strictest bond of love and charity It is indeed a feast of love and that which does not only joyn us to God but firmly cements us also to one another This indeed is the great Commandement of our Blessed Saviour that we should love one another as He hath loved us John 15.12 Nay he hath made this the mark by which his followers shall be known from the rest of the World By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13.35 And in the early days of Christianity the Heathen World took notice how the Christians loved one another Nay the Holy Scriptures tell us that in the beginning of Christianity The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Act. 4.32 And they shewed their love to one another by making all things common that there might be no lack and wants among them Acts 2.44 45. But then 't is added when it was that they loved one another thus greatly viz. While they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart verse 46. Whiles there were frequent Communions in the Church of God there did remain a fervent Charity among Christians But when they were but seldome celebrated Charity also grew cold For indeed this Sacrament was appointed for the keeping up a fervent charity among the followers of Jesus And very plain methinks are the words of the Apostle to this purpose We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 i. e. We that partake of this Heavenly feast are by that made one we are of one kind and 〈◊〉 just as Bread and Wine though they be made up of several grains and grapes yet are made up together into one similar body all whose parts are homogeneous and of the same sort or kind so we that are Christians tho as men we differ from one another and have our several affections and designs distinct from each other yet for all this by the death of our Saviour and by the participation of the Sacrament of our Lords Supper we are made one we are reconciled to the same designs and interests acted by the same Spirit and by this Sacrament united into one Spiritual body However we are other wise divided it is the intention of this Sacrament to make us One. And therefore the Ancients called the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Collection or gathering together into one those who were otherwise divided The partaking of this Feast makes the partakers of one mind and heart where they do receive it worthily What is said of Pilate and Herod when our Saviour was about to suffer That they were the same day made friends together who before had been at enmity between themselves Luke 23.12 The same is true of all true Christians that do aright partake of this Sacrament of the death of Christ they are now united and reconciled and made of one heart and mind And this seems to be the great design of the Eucharist to unite Christians together in the closest bond of unity and
his sorrowes He did not dye for sins that we might live in them but that we might dye to them His Death is a very forcible argument against the life of our lusts and a great motive to obedience We little regard our dying Lord if we at once remember his Death and break his Lawes 2. Again our Lord at his Death gave us a very great example of forgiveness of enemies and therefore when we remember his death we have very great reason to forgive our offending brother Our blessed Lord met with great enemies and such as had the greatest reason to be his friends He that eat of his bread lift up his heel against him He was betrayed by his own Disciple delivered to death by him that pronounced him innocent scourged and mocked by a rude and heady multitude He is numbred among Transgressors who had committed no sin He was hanged on the Tree who had never tasted the forbidden Fruit. He was put to death by those whom he came to seek and to save He had done them many kindnesses whilst he was among them He healed their sick fed their hungry restored their blind dispossessed their Daemoniacks and raised their dead He offended none of their Laws He paid Caesar his Tribute took care the Priest should have his Offering observed their customs went to their Festivals and was so far from profaning their Temple that he shewed a great zeal for defending it from common uses There could be nothing said against his Doctrine nothing against his Life His enemies that bare witness against him could not agree and it was infinitely plain that he was innocent And yet his Countrymen thirst after his blood and prefer a Murderer before him They want patience when our Lord wanted none They cry out Crucifie him crucifie him And what does our Lord do he cryes out too but not for Vengeance but for Mercy Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23.34 Certainly then we should be ashamed to remember these things with malice in our hearts well may we forgive our enemies when our Lord hath forgiven his We must not dare to remember the Death of Christ and to remember our Neighbours unkindness together We may not think of revenge when our Lord shewed so much mercy We cannot rightly remember Christs Death when we do not imitate his example He taught us what we should do by what he did himself We shall look very unlike our Lord if we retain our malice and ill-will 3. If we consider that Christs Death was not only for sins but also for our sins we shall still find a greater obligation upon us to forgive one another God gave his Son to dye than which there cannot be a greater miracle of Love and if God so loved us we also ought to love one another 1 Joh. 4.11 It was for us our Saviour laid down his life and who are we Had we deserved this love were we his friends that he was at this pains and cost No surely but we were sinners and enemies and yet he laid down his life for us Rom. 5.8 10. If then Christ dyed for his enemies we ought to forgive ours and then especially we are obliged to do it when we pretend to remember the Death of Christ How can we now pull our brother by the throat for a few pence when our Lord hath forgiven us so many Talents We are very ungrateful for our Lords kindness if we are unkind to one another Did we but consider Gods mercies to us we should think our selves obliged to be merciful to one another And methinks it should be easie for us to forgive our Neighbour if we did but consider how very much we need Gods forgiveness and how far we are from deserving it If our Lords eye have been so good to us why should ours be evil to one another what miserable wretches should we be if Gods mercies to us had not been greater than ours is to one another He hath forgiven us our great scores let us not retain then our grudges to our brother For shame then let us purge out this leaven of malice when we keep this Feast Let us shew our selves kind to each other when we do remember the kindness of our Blessed Saviour Besides our brothers offences against us are small in respect to ours against God We offend against an infinite Majesty we transgress the Eternal Laws of Reason How coldly do we pray to him for the greatest Blessings How insensible are we of his many mercies How very stupid and incorrigible under his severest judgments How void of the love of him who hath loved us so much If he should mark iniquities how should we be able to stand We are not able to answer for one of a thousand But yet we hope for Mercy upon our Repentance and our Faith We expect pardon from God for all these amisses And had we not this hope we should be of all men the most miserable We have then very great reason to be reconciled to our brother when we stand in so great need that God should be reconciled unto us and when we hope for the pardon of our sins from God which we do from Christs death and at this time when we do commemorate it we have a sufficient motive to forgive our brother Especially our Saviour having said If you forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will aso forgive you But if ye forgive not men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. 2. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians may be knit together in the strictest bond of Love and Charity It is as I shewed you before a Feast of Love It was designed to bring us together and to make us all of one heart And a very effectual instrument it is were it rightly understood and used to that end and purpose It would soon make us one again It would bring together those who now are separated from one another When Communions were frequent in the Church Christians loved one another and kept together But when they became more seldom selemnized then the feuds among the professors of Christianity grew also For indeed this Sacrament was intended to maintain us in Love and Charity And therefore if we do not heartily forgive our brother we do destroy also this end of its Institution It is very indecent to see men at odds that eat and drink at the same common Table But it is a great wickedness to come to this Holy Table with malice and ill-will to our brother in our hearts We must not keep this feast of love with the leaven of malice VVe cannot partake of this Sacrament but we must profess a kindness to our brother and if we mean it not we are like Judas that gave his Master good words when he was ready to betray him and shall be miserable as he was into whom the Devil and the morsel entered at
that he refused to wash and be clean according to the advice which the man of God gave him And his servants spake wisely to him when they said My father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much rather then when he saith to thee wash and be clean 2 King 5.13 If there be any thing hard and difficult which our Saviour hath commanded for he tells us that his yoke is easie and his burden is light yet sure I am this is not So far is it from being impossible that it is indeed not difficult to him that is a sincere and diligent Disciple of our Lord and Saviour What hath been said makes it evident that that worthiness which is required in the Communicant does not imply merit or desert but only such a fitness and sincere and holy disposition of Soul as God does require and will accept And we may be worthy partakers of this Table when we are very sensible of our own demerits And indeed to think meanly of our selves does very much dispose us to receive the benefits of this Sacrament And therefore when we say we are not worthy and make this excuse our meaning must be that we are not fit and prepared for this Holy Table Now if this be all we have to say that we are not fit and prepared and therefore we do not approach to this Table we shall find that this is no just excuse For if it were we might with the same case excuse our selves from the practice of the other Laws of Christ Whereas we are commanded to give to the poor we might by the same reason excuse our obedience and say that we cannot do that because we are not charitable and besides that we cannot give alms as we ought because we are proud and love to be seen of men and to receive their praise and therefore rather than do it amiss we will not do it all Thus may we excuse our selves from works of mercy from acts of piety and the services of Religion We may by this method excuse our selves from serving God and doing good to our Neighbour We are not willing our servants should do by us as we do by God We expect they should do as we bid them nor shall it serve their turns to say that they are not disposed to do what we command We justly look that they be ready to obey us and that they do not indulge themselves in their sloth and contumacy We may be ashamed to serve God at that rate which we should not accept from our servants The Jew might easily have avoided the Passover if this slender excuse would have served his turn But God commands him to keep it and he must take care to do it as he ought If he fail in either of them he is liable to be cut off from among his people There was no such excuse to be admitted Again when you say you are not fit let me ask you whether or no you have done all you possibly can to fit your selves I wish you would put this question home to your Consciences and deal sincerely in it Have you laboured greatly to fit your selves have you to that purpose set aside some time in order to the examining of your Consciences Have you earnestly prayed to God for his aid and assistance Have you done it frequently Have you advised with your spiritual guides about this weighty matter Have you used as great a care as men are wont to use in clearing their title to their Estates and worldly Possessions Do you do as much for your Souls as you do for your Bodies and Estates You are not fit to receive the Sacrament you say but have you laboured greatly that you might be fit Have you done all you can possibly do And after all this is it the grief of your heart that you are not fit and do you continue to labour that ye may Consider whether it be thus or no with you Do not dare to mock God nor think that you shall be able to deceive him Have a care how you dissemble with the God of Heaven and Earth If you are not fit nor yet striving to become so you are indeed in a very miserable condition He that commands you to partake of this Table commands you to be fit to do it also We are not only required to eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup but in order to that to examine our selves If we neglect to fit our selves that will not excuse us from neglecting the receiving of this Sacrament unless we think one fault will excuse another Again we shall do well to consider what it is that renders us unfit Have we not some secret sin which we are not willing to part with We know the danger to be great if we bring with us a love to our sins then indeed we eat and drink our own Death Let us then cast our eyes inward and see what that sin is which we are so fond of I doubt not but men may many times easily find where the true reason lies which renders them unfit Perhaps we are not willing to forgive our Enemy or else we are not ready to make restitution to our neighbour whom we have injured or we live a prophane and ungodly life and are not reconciled to the ways of piety and holiness It may be that we are not willing to part with our sensual and worldly lusts and we are afraid of being too severely and strictly bound up to a life of Religion and Mortification This is much to be suspected for certainly if we loved our Religion and hated our sins we should be very glad of any opportunity that would engage us more strictly to do well and to depart from evil Sure I am that to him that is truly good and labours sincerely to be better the tydings of this Sacrament is welcome news He does gladly embrace this blessed opportunity of becoming good For the truth of what I say I dare appeal to the Conscience of devout and religious persons And therefore it is much to be feared that the cause which makes us unfit is this because we love our sins more than we love our God And if it be thus I would wish such people to consider How unfit they are to dye For in this case that which makes them unfit to receive this Sacrament renders them unfit to dye also Now his condition is very dismally dangerous who dares to live in that state of things in which he would be afraid to dye We may indeed refuse to Communicate when we have an opportunity offered us but we shall not be able to put by the stroke of death When God calls us out of this World and how soon we may be called we cannot tell we must go not only whether we be willing but also whether we be fit to go out or not we shall not find that any of our excuses will be