the Apostles did not herein vary for they sung a Hymn at the close as Matth. 26. 30. which example I need not stand to improve against the Anti-psalmists of this age There are severall pertinent meditations that may fully take up the time of the action with great advantage and benefit to our souls as namely 1. The dreadfulness of Gods justice which with a terrible stroak did smite the great Shepherd for our sins the least dram of it would have sunk us to all eternity 2. The cursed nature of sinne that so exasperates the holy God and makes such a breach between God and the creature as can never be made up but by the broken body of the Lord of Glory 3. What it cost to redeem a soul a mass of gold as big as the whole earth not valuable with one drop of this blood 4. What an infinite love broke forth that God rather than let our souls be lost would send his eternall Son and make him sin for us 5. What a great work it is to reconcile a sinner to his God all names of men and Angels are nothing to it all their sufferings would not pay a penny of this debt which is not dissolved by any blood but of the Lord of Glory 6. That God would not only pardon sin by giving forth a generall pardon as a King pardons rebels but so pardon as might even melt the hardest heart and for ever humble and silence and satisfie it by the love of God and the sufficiency of that Sacrifice whose vertue extends to thousands and lasts alwaies 7. That the gratious Covenant of God made with all that beleeeve in Christ is sealed and ratified with such blood as there needs no doubt of the validity of the Covenant though one man bad as many sins on him as all the world 8. That Gods way of saving man by a Mediatour the death of a Mediatour doth oblige man to be the thankfullest creature in the world Angels that sin'd not have need of no Mediatour Angels that sin'd have none man that sin'd and therefore needs one hath one given to him The man Christ Jesus 9. That as God gave Christ for you so he gives him to you that he that was your Sacrifice offered up to God might in this Sacrament be offered unto you as meat and drink as spirituall repast that as we live by Christ so we may live upon him being entertained as confederates to feast with God upon the Sacrifice offered up unto him It is a fruitfull field of Meditation through which ye may walk the time of celebration and then breathe out your Meditations in a Song of praise as the close and musick of this heavenly Feast Concerning which Hymn wherewith the Jews did usually close the coenam apolyticam or dimissory Supper calling it the Hallel from the first word of it Hallelujah you may consult not only the Jewish Writers but our Learned men Cameron Myroth in Matth. 16. 30. Drusius in Matth. 26. 30. Hugo Broughton in Dan. pag. 46. beside Paulus Burgensis Gerard Harm Fol. 178. col 3. who do also point out to us the 113. 114. Psalms as that Hymn for though some others do rather conceive it a new Hymn composed by our Saviour Grotius in Matth. 26. and the 17 Chapter of St John to be it we finde no Reason to go with them in that opinion both becaUse our Saviour did not easily vary from the Rite or Custom received nor could the Disciples have sung with him in consort except we imagine such a praelection of it to them as is Used by us now a daies which will not be proved CHAP. XIII How much it concerneth Ministers to Teach and all to Learn the true meaning of this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 26 27. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the death of the Lord untill he come Wherefore whosoever doth eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord c. VVHen this Ordinance of the Supper is suitable to the Institution and the Communicant is suitable to the Ordinance then all is right Of the former I have acquitted my self by setting forth the nature Use end of this Sacrament according to our Lords Institution recited by the Evangelists and by St Paul in this place § 1 Now I am to proceed unto the later which is to render the Communicant suitable to the Ordinance of which our Saviour did not in the Institution directly speak but the Apostle in this place speaks more fully and directly unto than in any other place is found the abUses and distempers of the Corinthians leading him most properly to it and though in Popish Churches the grand errour and abUse lies in the unsutableness of their Mass to the Institution yet in Reformed Churches who endeavour to imitate the pattern in the Mount the common sin lies in the unsutableness of the Communicant to the Ordinance and so the point of worship stands between us and the Papists much alike as it stood between the Samaritans and the Jews of old The Samaritans Used a false worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4. 22. The Jews had a true worship but were carnall and for the most part formall worshippers The Feast is prepared drest and ordered according to the Institution of Christ Now the guests are to be surveyed and tried whether they come worthily or unworthily by the test or ticket of the Apostles Doctrine following to the end of the Chapter of which I shall say this in generall 1. That the Apostles Doctrine in this place is properly calculated for the rectifying the abUses and unworthiness of the Corinthians as ye may see at the 33 34 verses but so also most other Scriptures occasionally written are of generall Use their latitude is greater than their particular direction 2. That the Apostle spends the most of his Doctrine upon eating and drinking unworthily setting home the sin and danger of it for the occasion viz. the sinne of the Corinthians required it and yet doubtless the point of worthiness should in order of nature be first stated before unworthiness can be understood for how should I know sinne except first I knew a law of duty how a crooked line except I know what is straight and therefore to attent consideration the Apostle will be found to begin there as I shall shew you afterwards 3. That the Apostle in setting home the sinne and danger of eating and drinking unworthily speaks thunder and lightning in very pertinent but yet new and unusuall phrases which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have no brother in any other part of Scripture as guilty of the body and blood of the Lord eating and drinking judgement or damnation c. full of terrour and fit for compunction These of the 26 verse are the words of St Paul who having recited what Christ did and said at the first celebration and institution of this Sacrament goes about to set
childe may receive a Ring as well as a Gyant and the least Candle points upwards as well as the greatest Torch Great Masters of Families as the Prodigal Observed allow the meanest of their domestick servants to come to the Tables end and eat of their bread Many sinnes many backslidings if there be contrition and godly sorrow serve for bitter herbs to eat the Passeover with Many wants and weaknesses may be accompanied with vehement desires hunger and thirst Low graces may occasion low hearts when God makes the disease a preparative why should we refUse the medicine If we set the pitch of this fitnesse too low in some empty formes of Religion or some eminent works and moral vertues or some conceited perfections which feed our pride we shall take in many that have nothing of Christ in them Gospel-qualifications are most sutable to a Gospel Ordinance We are not prepared for Christ by ostentation of works but sense of misery The sense of unworthinesse is our worthinesse A little vessel that is empty will receive more than a great one that is full A broken Christ requires a broken heart To be rich and full and righteous in the Gospel-Dictionary doe signifie Obstructions and impediments of our happinesse where the naked are cloathed the hungry are fed the ungodly are justified the weary are refresht the sick are healed the stung with fiery Serpents are recovered the returning lost childe is feasted and they that thirst do buy wine and milk without money and without price And hence it follows That no unregenerate man that lies dead in trespasses and sinnes without a seed a spark of Gospel-grace having no initials of true Repentance and Faith in Christ can be in capacity to eat and drink the Body and Bloud of Christ worthily and with effect for such a one is a stranger to the Covenant and uncircumcised and therefore expresly debar'd this Passeover Exod. 12. 43. Where there is no life there can be no reception of nourishment He that is void of the Condition of the Covenant cannot receive the benefit nor eat the Supper that wants the Wedding-Garment This is a severe point and disclaims the greatest part of men from eating and drinking worthily becaUse they have no ticket of grace renewing or regenerating they are not Disciples indeed they are branches in Christ by externall ingraffing John 15. 2. but have not the life of Christ in them They that are not in the body of Christ do not eat his body saith Austin They that are not members of him do not spiritually feed on him Panem Domin they do eat as Judas not Panem Dominum Ego hoc axtoma teneo saith Calvin that without the Spirit Christ is not received in this Sacrament The Papists go no lesse Catholici omnes saith Vasquez all agree in this That it 's necessary for a worthy Communicant to be in the state of grace and sanctification and therefore howsoever any person be furnisht with endowments of nature and education famous for eminent works and vertues adorned with civil and fair conversation yet without something of Christ some work of the Spirit some seed of Regeneration he cannot eat and drink worthily and with effect And this Doctrine is the rather requisite to be taught becaUse men may flatter themselves in that they have past the test are admitted with approbation to this Table and allowed the liberty thereof for all this may be and yet your case no better than Sauls that would needs be honoured before the people than Judas's who was not thrust out from the Sacrament than his who was let in by the servants to the feast but cast out by the King for want of his Wedding-garment You enjoy a priviledge to eat and drink but what judgement and condemnation to your selves Oh consider it The Lord of this feast will come to view his guests he will turn out some that the servants let in he will say Friend How camest thou in hither He answered not Lord I was called in I was admitted in by thy servants No He was dumb he had nothing to plead he had not a Wedding-garment For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly Rom. 2. penult §. 6. What is requisite to our Receiving Worthily § 6 The actual exercise of our graces is requisite to our eating and drinking worthily The instrument must be in tune before-hand as I shew'd you in the former but now the strings are stricken now they make their musick The activity and imploiment of our faith and affections is now required and our graces must be on their wheels now the sails are spread to catch the gale which sweetly breathes from this holy Ordinance for here it 's said Take Eat Take and drink and as the eye the hand the mouth are now in actual imploiment as to the Sacrament or outward part so faith which is the eye hand mouth of the soul and all the affections are to be actually imploy'd as to the inward thing the body and bloud of Christ Not the having of an eye but looking up to the brazen Serpent healed the biting It 's not enough to have faith but we must believe Now that the Sacrament is in Use now must our graces be in Use too Now that God actually offers and presents Christs body and bloud to my faith Now let the hand of faith go forth and take Christ in Awake my faith and see the atonement of my sins in the broken body of my Saviour Awake repentance and hear the strong cries and see the dolefull agony of him that bears our chastisement Awake my memory and call to minde that Aegypt wherein I was and the bloud of the Passeover which removed the destroying Angel from my soul Awake all that is within me to blesse and praise the Lord. Oh let this Crosse crucifie my lusts and passions Let this death stay my reigning sins as Joshua did the Kings of Canaan Now let the Altar smoak with the Sacrifice of a loving heart inflamed with holy fire of Gods love to me Now the wax is warm Oh let the Seal be stamped fair that I may see the impression alwayes after Now that God shews forth to methe death of his Sonne for me let me shew forth that death of Christ to God again as that which I stick unto and abide by for my righteousnesse and peace with God Alas if my graces be now asleep they are next a kin to dead We might have sweet we might have fruitfull Sacraments had we but lively graces Graces upon their wing not lying sullen and benum'd with cold therefore blow up your graces as the Apostle his phrase is blow the smothering fire the embers into a flame by pertinent meditation Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that this King of glory may come in And that I may speak to the comfort of a godly soul Let grace run forth at what tap it will so there be but vent whether at the uppermost of
accounted love of God but rather a lust of serving our selves upon him which is the last resort of the love of most men to God but it may be distinguisht thus If it arise from the sense of that distinguishing love of God to thy soul whereby he hath drawn thee to Christ out of the pit of common perdition and that without any worthinesse in thee or contributions of thine to that inestimable grace yea notwithstanding that contrariety and opposition to him wherein thou wast above many others ingaged the very thought whereof doth ever inflame the heart unto a mans dying day If it be a love to God for his holinesse and his sanctification of thee to bear his Image and to be like him If it be a love of complacency and friendship to delight thy self in God and to affect Union and Communion with him If it produce a willingnesse to confederate with him and to be in league against all interests of the flesh and world I love my master I will not go out free or be at my own freedom 2. The second affection is desire of grace and of spiritual things I conceive there may be a carnal desire of things spiritual and carnal prayers for spiritual gifts namely to consume them upon our lusts of pride and vain-glory which is the desire of Simon Magus a desire to die the death of the righteous which was the wish of Balaam a desire of forgivenesse of sinne to be freed from condemnation by meer self love a desire of heaven too to open unto us for happinesse not holinesse or communion with God a desire comfort to anguish of conscience and that rather for ease than for grace a desire of grace it self as a necessary bridge unto or signe of salvation Give us of your oyl say they for our lamps are out Many fallacies may be in our desires and yet I account them when they are refined from drosse to be most comfortable signes of spiritual life for Christ makes thirsting after rightcousnesse the character of a blessed man Matth. 5. and the Apostle makes them a fruit of repentance 2 Cor. 7. 11. and a signe of regencration 1 Pet. 2. 2. if they arise from a taste of the graciousnesse of God and carry on to the sincere Word for growth in grace and be spent in endeavours of obedience and exercise of communion with God equally longing to be Christs as to have Christ He that shall deny to a poor soul the comfort of such desires puts out the spark that smokes in the wick of the candle when the flame is gone out before 3. The third affection is fear the fear of the terrours of the Lord and those punishments which according to his threats wait upon sinne Estius propounds the case Whether a man under servile fear may come to the Lords Supper And answers No but with distinction the fear of wrath may be Used as a bridle to curb the insolency and luxuriency of the flesh by saying hell and damnation close to it and so the regenerate whose flesh is impetuous may make Use of this fear to restrain the propension of it but then if this fear be meerly of punishment so that were it not for that he would with all his heart give himself over to commit iniquity with greedinesse then it 's plain that the willingnesse to sinne lives and this horrour of conscience nothing at all changes the inclination of the will no more than the whip or chain doth the nature of a Fox or Wolf and the case is no other than that of a childe that will colly himself with the cole that 's black and dead but dare not touch the fire cole which burnes his fingers and there is no comfort in such restraints from sinne nor have such feares any sparke of grace in them 4. The fourth affection is sorrow for sinne which may be worldly and carnal and no other than Pharoah his Take away this plague or the pangs of a whore that returns to folly But there is a sorrow according to God which works repentance unto salvation and brings forth those seven fruits 2 Cor. 7. 11. which change the frame of the heart a happy mother of so many good children These are the pangs of a godly soul and it is one of the first steps unto or parts of the Resurrection of a Christian from his fals and is caUsed not meerly by wrath but as Peters weeping was by the looks of Christ The reproofs the frowns the offence of a gracious God thaws the heart into melting tears and would do so though there were no hell As a meek childe needs no other hoUse of correction than his fathers looks I am loath to be of that opinion which banishes godly sorrow out of Religion For if I were so happy as to want new matter and occasion for it yet sometimes to review old forgiven sins and the rather becaUse forgiven with fresh bleeding heart doth excellently keep down swelling of pride and gives a fresh and new relish to Christ Jesus so the overflowing stoods do enrich the adjacent grounds and make them fresh and greene And so much concerning these affections V. The fifth Consideration is of purposes of amendment which we named before among the preparatives to this Sacrament which there are few but have at one time or other and men do exceedingly befool and flatter themselves in them For we have known that upon conviction of conscience and shame for many years together by fits and moods and for the skinning over some gallings of conscience men flie to purposes of repentance and put them on and binde themselves by vows or other bonds to doe no more and yet experience tels us that Sampson did not easilier break the cords that bound him than these men do break their purposes and cancell all bonds and resolutions and so a sick mans purposes are very often no other than the vows of a Mariner in a storm at sea who for the time will be or do any thing but when the danger is blown over they are as they were You ask What such are to do And the answer is ready Resolution without mortification is to little purpose the lust must be mortified that carries the sway and dominion For as the purposes of a man in his lucid intervals or of one that hath the Falling sicknesse to fall no more is to little purpose without some application to the disease that still lies within and will return and break all dams that are made by the streame of it so are resolutions upon conviction of conscience without effectual exercise of mortification by setting upon that root and lust which between whiles doth but sleep and will awaken again Let the patient see and search his sinne and apply the corzy of the Law and Use those sharp medicines which eat out a rotten core and follow that sharp work of mortification or else all is to little purpose VI. The last thing I
A TREATISE OF THE Institution Right Administration and Receiving of the SACRAMENT OF THE Lords-Supper Delivered in XX. SERMONS at St Laurence-Jury London By the late Reverend and Learned Minister of the Gospel Mr Richard Vines sometime Master of Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge LONDON Printed by A. M. for Thomas Vnderhill at the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Church-yard near the little North-door 1657. Upon the Sight of Mr VINES His Posthumous TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENT October 18. 1656. WHile thou grew'st here thy fruit made glad The hearts that sin and death made sad Lest we should surset of thy fruit Thy life retired to the Root Desiring with us first to keep A Passeover before thy sleep Weary of Earth thou took'st thine ease Passing into the Land of Peace The threatned evil we fore-see But hope to hide our selves with thee Though thou art gone while we must fight Wee 'le call it Victory not Flight When God had taken up this VINE We thought to taste no more its Wine Till in the Land of Salem s King We drink it new even from the Spring But unexpectedly we finde Some Clufters which are left behinde This Mantle from thy Chariot fell We know it by the pleasant smell Who know's but from this little seed Some more such fruitfull Vines may breed The Tree of Death beau's precious fruit Though in the Earth it have no root Dear Brother thou art gone before And I a wretch wait at the doore Sin doth not only keep me thence But makes me loth to go from hence When Christ hath heal'd me of this sin And made me fit hee 'le let me in Till then may I but in a Glass See what you see with open face Sure it will raise my heavy Soul And these distrustfull fears controll And make me willing to be gone As knowing whither and to Whom If Time be Nothing as some say You that were with us yesterday Are with us still or we with you Which is the better of the two The Soul imbodied in those lines Doth make us say that This is VINES And if our hearts with you could be Our Lord would say that there are we But as according to desert The Heavens have got thy better part And left us but some of the Wine Whil'st they have taken up the Vine So we look up and wait and pray And yet still feel we live in Clay Here we are keeping sin's account While some small sparks do upward mount Crying How long Holy and True Till we are taken up to you Thus also we must follow Love To finde our HEAD and LIFE above He that is made by the New-Birth A BURGESS of the Church on Earth And then by Faith can rise so high In Divine LOVE to Live and Die Shall be translated to your soil Remov'd from sin and fear and toil And from this HoUse of Worms and Moles Unto that Element of Souls Where every Branch becomes a Vine And where these Clods like Stars will shine God is not there known by the Book You need not there the Pruning Hook There you have Wine without the Press And God his Praise without Distress There we shall finde our Eyes and Sight When we come to our Head and Light The Kernel is where you now dwell And we here strive about the Shell You have the Reconciling Light Who are past Faith and live by sight No wonder then if you are One When Peace from Earth is almost gone We crowd about a little spark Learnedly striving in the Dark Never so bold as when most Blinde Run fastest when the Truth 's behinde No Heresies with you are sown There 's not a Truth but all will own A mixture we get here by rote And Errour keep 's the major Vote There Pride and Faction cannot enter There 's no Division in the Center The Saints there play not Satans part They Use not any Carnal Art Their Righteous Brethren to defame And by untruths to blot their Name There you are Comely and not Black Each One hath All yet None do lack What sin or smart can you befall Where SELF 's put off and God is All Look up and see now VINES is gone Are not the Stars the more by One No but One fewer in our sight For we have forfeited his Light And such a One as all do miss Save those whose pleasure darkness is And who can Number Stars above When Saints so fast to Heav'n remove If but three such in all our times As USHER GATAKER and VINES Were taken hence by fatal sleep Three Nations should consent to weep And if an Age this loss repair The Church will think it very fair They shine in Glory now to God Who shin'd and burn'd here to a Clod. May such a sinfull Worm as I Aspire and ascend so high That Kingdom 's mine in Hope and Right Which you possess by Love and sight That God that Christ hath loved me Whose Glory blessed VINES doth see We were both washed in one stream And both enlightened by one beam One Garment also did us cloath At once One Pulpit held us both Much more One Church for we agreed Both in One Method and One Creed One Evil we did both condole As animated by One Soul Me think's where thou art I should be Although the lowest in degree Though thou art gone and I am here Yet is my Passing-Hour neer Time is at work both Night and Day Even when it seemeth to delay My Grave and Coffin are at hand My Glass hath but a little Sand Now I am writing and anon They'se also say of me He 's gone Then I shall see the shining face Which is the Glory of your place But lest in vain I hope and run Lord perfect what thou hast begun Richard Baxter TO THE READER THe Posthumous Works of Learned Writers like fatherless Children are exposed to many wrongs and injuries Yea such hath been the fraud of some Impostors in the Church that they have taken away the live children of famous men and put their dead ones in the room Hence are those spurious and supposititious Books which have wandered up and down with their counterfeit Passes That therefore no suspicious thoughts may possess thee concerning this Treatise which is here published under the Name of that Learned and Eminent man Mr Vines I do upon sure and unQuestionable Evidences give my publick Testimony that it is his proper and genuine Work printed by the Copy that was written with his own hand Thy Well-wisher ANTHONY BURGESSE Sutton-Coldfield Sep. 20. 1656. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. OF the Passeover or Paschal Lamb It 's signification and the Analogy or Resemblance between it and Christ our Passeover CHAP. II. Of Errours and Corruptions in the Church How soon they spring up When they are a ground of Separation and when not That this Ordinance must be sutable to Gods Institutions And the Communicants must be sutable to this Ordinance CHAP. III. That the Lord Jesus is the Author
is not guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord which was never offer'd to him in this Sacrament No aggravations of sinne are like to the aggravations of the sins of wicked Christians their guilt is not of so high complexion that never knew of Christ either we must be saved or we cannot be so easily damned the weight of sins against Christ is heavier than of those that are meerly against the Law of God We are the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon us If we bear briars and thorns we are nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. 2. How many do that they think least of and are guilty of that they once imagine not themselves to be guilty of but few of a thousand will own this guiltinesse of the Body and Bloud of Christ and yet as often as they do or have eaten and drunk at this Table unworthily so often they have incurred and renew'd this guilt Do not they say at the last day When saw we thee an hungry or in prison Did the Jews think they pierced their true Messiah There are not many Christians in name and profession such that can be convinced that they hate and despise Christ as much as the very Jews that crucified him which yet may be demonstrate by clear arguments The Jew honour'd the name of the Messiah and expected great things of him and yet hated and rejected him blindfold and so we call Christ Saviour and Lord and besprinkle him with sweet water but his reign and government over us we utterly despise and hate and prefer a sordid lust far before him CHAP. XXXII The Danger of this Sinne. § 1 4. THe fourth thing expounded was the danger of this sinne He eats and drinks judgement to himself if he be a godly man that eats and drinks unworthily or haply also damnation if he be an hypocrite for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may respectively extend to both A strange phrase it is to eat and drink judgement but it is allusive and per mimesin as sure as he eats of the Bread and drinks of the Cup unworthily so sure is judgement to follow thereupon or to accompany it for he eats judgement but it is to himself not to others except they be partakers in his sinne which may be divers ways So as we have reason to insert in all our prayers Lord forgive our nostra aliena our other mens sins but without partnership in the sinne we need not fear share in the judgement He eats it to himself and therefore that argument of the Donatist which is rise now a dayes Si corruptis sociaris c. If you be joyned with wicked men how can you be clean If you pray with them hear with them receive the Sacrament with them was answer'd by Austin True saith he if we be joyned but that is not in bodily presence locally but by consent or allowance and so we are no more joyn'd then Christ and the Apostles were joyn'd with Judas at the Passeover or Supper who I believe was not defiled by his presence as neither were those guests that came in to the marriage by the presence of him that had no wedding garment It 's true example may defile by contagion and infection but allowance and consent defiles by accessarinesse unto the sin §. 2. The Application § 2 How precious an Ordinance is this Supper and yet how dangerous There is life and death set before you It 's on one side a refreshing cloud on the other a flaming fire so by the same water and way were the Israelites saved and the Aegypians attempting the like were drown'd Thus Christ also is a precious stone to believers a stumbling and a crushing stone to unbelievers and the Word is a savour of life and a savour of death Some mens eyes are open'd by it and some are shut The same Ark is to Israel a glory to the Philistims a scourge Here is honey in the same rose to the Bee and poyson to the Spider and it is according as you eat and drink worthily or unworthily We reade in Scripture that when people cried to Christ for cure usually he put it upon their faith According to your faith and If thou canst believe and we never reade of any one that cried that he was put by for want of faith for if they gave never so little account Lord I believe help my unbelief it was accepted The benefit of this Ordinance is according to your Faith Repentance and if you can give but any account of them to God you may drink Christ out of this Rock but if you be in sinnes of love and delight and come in your wickednesse you take the Sword by the point not by the haft and you shall smart for your presumption Secondly The horrible thunder of the Apostle in this place is not to deterre but to prepare Communicants An humble soul is affrighted with the terrour and dare not draw nigh this fiery Mount but it is not spoken to affright from the Sacrament but to enforce a due preparation When the destroying Angel rode his circuit the Israelites lay secure within the line of bloud This bloud here offer'd will protect thee from this condemnation threatned if thou flie to it But Thirdly The ignorant that are without knowledge and the scandalous without repentance who are by the common vote of men excepted against as unfit Communicants they may know that this is a dreadfull eating and drinking which is accompanied with such a guiltinesse and wiâ—h such judgement and yet this fiery Sword will not keep them off they will be rushing in to this Tree of Life It is not envy malice or partiality but it is charity to entreat you not to lust so eagerly after those Quails which while they are in your mouths the wrath of God is like to fall upon you both of you have marks enough of condemnation upon you Desire not to adde more be sure the King will survey and view his guests you cannot scape in the croud What if you be taken from the Table and cast into utter darknesse It concernes me to give you warning If you take the Allarme and first labour for knowledge and seeke repentance by the means appointed to beget them and to beget you unto God Well If not then it concernes the Church to shew you mercy in making stay of you from falling into the fire For Fourthly The eating and drinking of the Lords Bread and the Lords Cup unworthily is a sinne dangerous to Common-wealths and Churches for it brings judgement Epidemick judgement so it did upon this Church of Corinth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this caUse many among you are sick and die Haply they had some common and mortall sicknesse or mortality and knew not the caUse of it Happy we if we knew the particular caUse of Gods angry visitations sinne in the generall we acknowledge but we owne not our particular
not Gods fire from his Altar but other fire common fire and so themselves became the Sacrifice for God will not be slighted If we bring fire and it be not his own but ours we may be consumed by it but he not pleased To which end and purpose that we be not found in this case and under this wrath I shall endeavour to shew you that strange fire or those false and insufficient qualifications which men draw nigh to God in this Sacrament withall to their own hurt and prejudice CHAP. XXVII False and insufficient Qualifications for the Receiving of this Sacrament § 1 A Fair carriage of outward life or a good complexion of moral vertues is not a sacramental disposition but rather shew a plethorick constitution a self-fulnesse a self-righteousnesse which are the greatest Obstructions against Christ that can be I confesse grace often dwels in a worse hoUse and in rougher natures and constitutions but all the starres do not make day The metal of these vertues is very good but they want a superscription upon them there may be nothing of Christ and he that comes worthily to this Sacrament must have somewhat of Christ in him or must be in some necessity of him that he may eat with sour herbs A man may come with lesse sinne unworthily I say lesse than a worthy Communicant For it 's not the number or quality of sinne but the sense of and repentance for it that is here considerable A bottle stopt with gold receives not so much as an empty shell it 's Christ that must be in your eye and thirst or else your fire is strange fire II. A man may be humiliatus not humilis humbled not humble The Angels that sinn'd were tumbled down into a lower place without any abatement of their God-opposing pride man-opposing malice If God pound thee in a mortar by crosses pains miseries dreadfull horrours of conscience yet pride lives an argument whereof is thou wilt not adventure thy soul on free-grace without something to recommend thee to it and he that hath nothing else will have his misery to be his worthinesse and the murmurings which a broken estate and broken body and spirit do belch forth what are they but fumes and smoke of pride Cut a Bee in pieces yet she puts forth her sting There are many long for humbling breaches smarting sorrows and it may be their intention is good but the bottom is merit and pride most commonly they would make their humiliations their Christ Alas if God should charge but one sin in his full weight on thee it would break thee as a great stone an egge-shell Did it not so in Angels Who would be a Pharaoh Cain or Judas Is not broken iron broken ice hard still as ever But true humility is a Leveller there are 2 Cor. 10. 5. two things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every high thing and that is taken away and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every device and that is brought into captivity not only to the salvation but to the obedience of Christ The metal must be melted as well as broken and it 's enough melted when it will runne into the mold and take the impression Is the will conquer'd and changed to receive Gods Image Submit to Christ his righteousnesse and to his Soveraignty to receive the promises and take up the yoke of crosses and commandments Art thou humbled for sinne and hatest it humbled under thy own righteousnesse and castest it out Art thou willing to take Christ a Saviour and a Lord to have him and be his not on terms of thine own but terms of the Covenant Draw nigh to God this is not strange fire for it hath melted thee and not only tormented thee III. Thou findest in thy self a faith whereby thou assentest to the goodnesse and veracity of God the truth and all-sufficiency of Christ the whole tenour of the Covenant and Doctrine of the Gospel I say with James Chap. 2. 19. Thou believest that God is one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou doest well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so believe the devils They have so great knowledge and conviction that they believe more than we do becaUse they know more but this faith hath no seat in the will or at least draws it not to election of the good things believed to be A man may be called an orthodox believer by vertue of this faith and it is sides recta not vera a right faith not a true sana but not salvifica sound faith but not saving if thou bring this faith only thou shalt receive only the outward signe for it is a seeing eye but not a receiving hand and many shallow effects it may have by vertue of the general mercies and promises of God but the Sacrament saith Take Eat and therefore there is besides this a Christ-receiving or a Christ-accepting faith for not to those that believed by meer conviction John 2. 23. did Christ impart himself but to as many as received him Joh. 1. 12. Weaknesse of faith in our times is properly said of this manner of believing It 's the receiving hand that shakes with the palsie Few complain of weaknesse of faith historical nor of the hardnesse of it becaUse it 's not encountred with discouragements sins temptations as saving faith is becaUse the whole adventure of the soul lies upon it and God knows when we come to shoot the gulf and to renounce all false hopes or true fears and cast our selves on Christ we do it with great difficulty for without Gods attraction it 's impossible and this is the faith which we must be exercised in and which is confirmed by this Sacrament and a rare faith it is even in the believing world For it gives up man to Christ as well as receives Christ And the dis-interessing of self-love and the interessing of Christ into preheminence and government is very rare and infrequent For I count that no receiving of Christ which divides him and takes so much as self-love would serve it self upon but brings not every thought into captivity to the obedience of him IV. If thou finde in thy affections any appearances or seeming impressions of grace be not over-credulous till the bottom be searched for there lies abundance of self-love and self-interest even when there is a good countenance and fore-side as in the zeal of Jehu which carried in the fore-head of it The Lord of hosts but there was a byas within that wheeled towards his own interest I shall name but four and that briefly § 2 1. The love of God which is a reflex of his first love to us As the Sun-beams which come from the wall are the reflex of the beams that first smite upon it and there may be a love of God upon terms of his beneficence providence patience general goodnesse to mankinde without any love of Christ in sincerity which is upon special and distinguishing grounds for that love of God which is over-topt by self-self-love is not