the Honour of the true God which the Pagans did to their false and imaginary Deities Yet see the abuse of these Feasts of Charity 1 Cor. 11. 22. especially in the Church of Corinth in the days of the Apostles For St. Paul being busie abroad partly in Planting partly in Confirming Churches the richer sort of the Christians at Corinth began to think it below them to admit the poor to that Familiarity as to eat with them in these charitable Collations and therefore either prompted by their own Pride or encouraged by some false Teachers that had Mens Persons in admiration because of advantage would indeed send the Meat and Drink they had prepared to those Oratories or places of publick worship but when they came they superciliously separated themselves from the Poorer sort and ate and drank by themselves and so freely that many of them became drunk and in that condition had the hellish impudence afterward to come to the holy Sacrament If they left any thing at these Feasts the Poor might take it and make the best of it if not they were forced to go away hungry and too often discontented So early grew this abuse and though in Process of time these Feasts were used after the Eucharist and in many places in Church-yards at the celebration of the Memories of holy Martyrs at the Dedication of Churches and at the Funerals of holy Men and Women yet nothing could keep out Intemperance and Excess and Disorders for which reason the Church at last thought herself obliged to abolish and put them down which was done accordingly by the Council of Laodicea in the Year of our Lord 364. by the Council of Carthage in the Year 419. and by the Council of Constantinople in the Year 692. II. Whence Abuses of Holy things arise is no hard matter to guess for 1. We find them spring from an Itch of Novelty Men not contented with the plain and simple Truths God hath vouchsafed to Mankind are strangely tickled with new things which are often called Refinings or Improvements of old Truths under which plausible name they are easily swallowed down Hence rose the various Idolatries in the World that it became as modish to invent new Gods as it was to invent new Fashions in Cloaths and Habits Adam no doubt deliver'd the notion of one Eternal invisible God Creator of Heaven and earth and the decent worship of him to his posterity This notion being become common and stale the succeeding Ages thought themselves obliged to invent something new and counted it more gay and glorious to worship the Creator in the Creature and seeing the Sun and Moon and Stars that they were the brightest Monuments of God's Power they easily fell into the Worship of those Luminaries till the more brutish among the People adored them as Gods indeed and this novelty once broach'd one God brought in another and as Men were still fond of Novelties so they went on and fell a Worshipping deceased Hero's and Princes in whom the Image of the Supreme Deity resided and who had been famous for some notable exploits or benefits and from hence they still went on even to the Worshipping of Trees Herbs Plants Beasts Crocodils Fishes and creeping things one Age still thinking to out-do the other in new inventions of objects of Worship till it came to pass that those were counted most Religious that Worshipt the greatest number of Gods as the Athenians who had more Gods than any one City besides of which the Apostle takes notice Acts 17. 22 23. 2. Another cause of these abuses is an Opinion That God is pleased more with the Externals than the Internals of Religion an Opinion which Men are very apt to slide into because they find the Internal Devotion is troublesome and requires intention of the Mind and mortification of the Affections and the other is more easily performed To this Original the Corruptions that did over-spread the Jewish Church owe their rise who in despight of all the Warnings of the Prophets to the contrary laid the stress of their Piety on the strict observations of their Sabbaths new Moons Sacrifices Phylacteries and legal Purifications This gave Mahomet occasion to corrupt Religion for knowing what would please the sensual inclinations of Men he craftily drew People away from the Internal Worship and Consecration of the Souls and Affections to the Supreme Being and taught them to place all Devotion in these five external Acts of Worship Saying their Prayers five times a day keeping the Mouth Ramasan giving the hundredth part of their incomes to Pious uses Washing before Prayer and making a Pilgrimage if possible to Mecca And thus the Church of Rome at this day comes to deviate from the true Religion not only by adding new Articles of Faith to the antient Creeds but by turning the whole Worship of God in a manner into Ceremonies and external Services Saying so many Ave-Maries visiting such a Saint's Shrine Processions offering Wax-Candles to the Virgin Praying by Beads undergoing Penances c. 3. A Third cause of these abuses is a mistake of Fancy and Passion for true Religion and Revelation From hence have come all the barbarous attempts of Pretenders to the true Religien against Magistrates and a well setled Church and State From hence have risen all those Enthusiastical conceits both in this and former Ages whereby the Gospel it self hath been in danger of being overthrown From hence come those rude and undigested Notions of Hildegard Bridget Catharine of Siena Teresa St. Francis and others in Popery who by their Dreams and Visions have sought to establish the erroneous Doctrines of the Roman Church From hence it was that the Messaliani of Old pretended and made People believe that upon a Man's Regeneration or being purged from Sin the Devil and his Angels came out of his Mouth in the shape of Swine To say no more in Men and Women whose notions of Religion are crude and undigested and who are made up of a strong Fancy and stronger Passions Religion must needs run into Wild-fire and pervert the simplicity of the Gospel 4. A Fourth Cause is suiting Religion to our own Humours Lusts and Interest The Tartars therefore embraced the Mahometan Religion and rejected the Christian because the former gave greater liberty to the Flesh. This made the Heathens invent to themselves Deities that were favourers of their Vices And from hence it was that in the Primitive Church Basilides Carpocrates Valentinus the Nicolaitans and Archonticks denied the necessity of a Holy Life because they loved to wallow like Swine in the Mire and in all probability upon this ground it was that Hymeneus and Philetus as the Apostle informs us 2 Tim. 17 18. affirm'd and gave out that the Resurrection was already past because they were loath to be called to an account for their evil lives 5. False Teachers and turbulent Souls are another cause Discontented Men because they cannot be Great or Rich or have their Will
despised by thee than to be made the filth and off-scouring of all things Give me a just esteem of thy favour let me prefer it before all the Contents of this present World Let me feel that thy loving kindness is better than life this life will sade away but thy Mercy endureth for ever Let Goodness and Mercy follow me all the days of my life and make me dwell in thy House for ever Amen CHAP. II. Of the Mystery of Christ's Instituting this Sacrament in that very Night in which he was betray'd The CONTENTS The Treachery of Judas His Character and how That is imitated by Nominal Christians at this day Christ betray'd to wicked Men and to Devils betray'd partly for filthy Lucre partly for his unchangeable integrity The same is still done by Hypocrites in Religion This Sacrament instituted that very Night when he was betrayed for three Reasons The different appearances of Sin when Surveyed slightly and when considered in its designs and Tendencies While we detest the Treason of Judas we are to take heed we do not become guilty of the same Crime The Prayer 1. THough in the first Chapter I have already hinted the reason why Christ made use of the Night to institute this Holy Sacrament yet the Evangelists laying an Emphasis or weight upon his instituting of it that night in which he was betray'd it 's fit we should search into the Mystery of it But before we can do this some Circumstances of that Treason must be considered which will give light to Christ's design in pitching upon that time and no other The Person that did venture on this height of Impiety was Judas Iscariot a a Man who by this Treason hath indeed left an Everlasting Name behind him but such an one as all Ages must detest and talk of with greater Indignation than the Heathens did of Herostratus who to make himself illustrious by doing mischief burnt the famous Temple of Diana By this Man the Ever-blessed JESUS was betrayed and if you will allow me to give a true Character of him some of us in this Glass may see their own treachery and deformity 1. He was betray'd by one who made profession of Religion but was a Hypocrite i.e. his Actions contradicted his Profession professing one thing he did another and seeming to be good he proved a Devil Hypocrisie at this day makes Men Traitors to Christ even their coming to the Temple of the Lord and adhering to their known Sins their frequenting the Ordinances of God and being unconcerned at his Promises and Threatnings their believing the Articles of Religion and acting contrary to the design of them their sinding fault with those sins in others which they have no aversion from in themselve their speaking honourably of God with their Lips and dispensing with affronts put upon him in their practices and what can we call this but Judas-like to betray the Son of Man with a Kiss to say Hail-Master and deliver him to be Crucified to cry Hosanna and by and by Away with him at once to embrace and to decide him to hug and to contemn him to how the knee to him and mock him and in imitation to the rude Soldiery to cloath him with Purple and to strike and buffet him 2. He was betray'd by one who by no argument of love or mercy could be wrought into a sincere reformation He had seen the Miracles of his Master himself by his Masters influence did wonders and he saw Divinity shine in him nor was Christ wanting in warning Teaching Instructing Entreating and admonishing of him yet nothing could prevail with him to purge out the Leven of Malice and wickedness and is not Christ betray'd this way by thousands at this day He that despises you saith he to his Servants and Instruments despises me and then if his calling to Men by his Ministers by signal providences by Mercies by Afflictions by their Consciences by their Infirmities and Sicknesses Weaknesses and approaching Death will not make them sensible of their Duty if in despite of his endeavours to keep them from being undone they scorne both his Yoak and his Love what greater treason can they be guilty of especially where they make his mercy a shelter for their sin are therefore evil because he is good and are tempted by his Patience to be refractory and obstinate II. He was betray'd both to wicked Men and Devils 1. To Wicked Men such as the Scribes and Elders of the Jews his sworn Enemies and this way he is still betray'd for though there be no Scribes no Pharises at this day yet there are Atheistical and sensual Men who seeing Christ's Religion made a Clock for ill Designs and bad Practices take occasion from thence to speak evil of it as David having professed much zeal to God and falling afterwards into very monstrous sins made the Enemies of the Lord Blaspheme and laugh at the advantages the Jews boasted of above the Doctrines and Principles of their Neighbour-Idolaters Indeed to see Men wicked and vain under a shew of Piety and while they profess to be followers of Jesus live directly contrary to the example and precepts of the Holy Jesus makes that pretended Devotion ridiculous and instead of converting Men of loose Principles drives them farther off and tempts them to think all Religion to be nothing but a Cheat And though this Inference is unjust and absurd yet still these dangerous Inferences will be laid at their door who either contradicted the Principles of their Religion by their actions or made it a Stalking horse to ill Designs and Purposes 2. He was betray'd to Devils too who seeing him in the hands of bloody and barbarous Men left and forsaken as it were by Heaven and that Divinity which dwelt there took the greater boldness to set upon him by temptations and as these foes watch opportunities and then molest most when Men are least able to controul their insolence so seeing the Saviour of the World thus seemingly forsaken we may suppose they assaulted him with greater fierceness partly because his design had been to destroy their Kingdom and partly because he had so often dispossessed them of their Habitations It is therefore the Opinion of the Learned Men that in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ fell into trembling fits the Devil appeared to him in a visible and most dismal shape which occasions an Angels descent from above to comfort him but whether it were so or no the Fiend seeing him betray'd and deliver'd into the hands of his own slaves without all peradventure triumph'd in his misery and insulted over him with greater scorn and in imitation of David's Enemies cry'd Aha So would he have it so doth the Hypocrite betray Christ to the Devil who hearing the painted Christian talk of Mortification and contempt of the World the two fundamental points of his Masters Religion and seeing him act point blank against them doth not only deride and despise Religion but casts
Deacon's Hand or whether they took it out of the Dish into which the sacred Bread was broken with their own Hands is not very material to determine Though whatever Passages there may be in Clemenâ— of Alexandria and St. Cyprian which seem to import that the Communicants did take the broken Bread out of the Dish yet most of the Ancients do agree that the consecrated Elements were taken from the Hands of Ecclesiastical Persons And though among the Jews the Master of the Family that broke the Bread did not always give it into the Hands of every Guest but having broken it laid it upon the Table and every one took a Piece yet the Practice of the Christian Church for Six Hundred Years at least after Christ sufficiently shews how the holy Apostles took it whom we may suppose the first Churches did imitate And as the Disciples took it from Christ's Hands so the Communicants afterward took it from the Apostles and their Successors Hands which Practice continues this Day in most Churches of the Protestants that call themselves Reformed I say in most for in some and particularly those of the United Provinces the Communicants take it out of the Dish after it is broken by the Minister It was Ignorance and Superstition that brought in a contrary Custom And from hence rose that Canon in the Council of Antisiodorum celebrated about the Year after Christ 613. That Women must not take the Eucharist with their bare Hands but in a Linen Cloth which they called Dominicale Soon after as Folly and Superstition increased some began to take the consecrated Bread in little Vessels of Gold or of some other Metal against whom the Sixth Council of Constantinople about the Year of our Lord 676. made a Canon and forbad them to do so for the future but to put their Hands cross-wise and so to receive it The Pretence in receiving the holy Bread in some Thing besides their bare Hands was that they might not defile the Body of Christ with their Hands as if touching it with baser Things than their own Hands would be more acceptable to God For as Solomon tells us a living Dog is better than a dead Lion so we may with far greater Reason say That a living Hand is infinitely better than all the dead Things which are made either of Gold or Silver or Brass or any other Mineral But though these Abuses crept in so early yet the Custom of receiving the holy Bread with their Hands continued in abundance of Churches till the latter end of the Ninth Century by which Time it began to be customary in the Western Church to put the Eucharist into the Mouths of the Communicants as it is practised this Day in the Roman Church as also among the Lutheran Protestants It is confessed that a Canon was made in a Council of Roan about the Year of our Lord 685. That the Eucharist should for the future by the Priest be put into the Mouth of the Communicant whether Woman or Lay-man Yet there are sufficient Testimonies extant that assure us that this Canon was not observ'd every where till about the latter end of the Ninth Century In a Word As Superstition grew and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation began to prevail so this ancient Rite of taking the Eucharist with the Hand was abolished and the Priests of the Church of Rome would not so much as suffer Lay-men to touch the Sacramental Bread with the Tip of their Fingers pretending that it was only given by Christ into the Hands of Priests an Absurdity so great that by the same Rule it would follow that the Laity must be totally excluded from the Sacrament because at the first Institution it was received by none but Priests Nay to that heighth of Folly did Men arise by degrees not only Papists but many also that professed the Purity of the Gospel that it was counted a great Profanation of the Eucharist if the People did any way touch the sacred Bread and therefore great Care was and is still taken even at this Day that the Bread be put exactly upon the Tongue of the Communicant that he may not touch it so much as with his Teeth So that under a pretence of Religion Men are made to forbear that which true Religion commands to be done And what an Injury is it to the People to hinder them from touching and taking the holy Bread in their Hands when Christ laid down his Life for them as well as for the Priests Did the Priests receive greater Benefit by Christ's Death than the People Or were some peculiar Advantages consigned to them by his Death over and above what is intended for the Laity If this could be proved there might be some Colour for this Pretence But when all equally share in his Mercies why should not all take the Bread in their Hands whereby they remember the Benefits of his Death Are the Priest's Hands holier or cleaner than the People's Would to God they were so not only in this Sacrament but in all Things But after all what can be more weak or silly than to imagine that the holy Bread is defiled more by the Hands and Teeth than by the Tongue or Bowels or Stomach which receive it Is not the Tongue a Member of the Body as well as the Hand Or are the Bowels into which the Bread is received purer than the Hand If it be said that by the Hands great Sins are usually committed I would fain know whether greater Sins are not daily committed with the Tongue than with the Hand So impertinent is this Plea that it deserves no Argument or Answer In the Greek Church the Custom of taking the holy Bread with the Hand was kept up for many Hundred Years till of late they have got a way of mingling the holy Wine with the Bread in a Spoon whence the Communicants do take it II. As we are commanded to take the holy Bread with our Hands which makes it no indifferent Thing so we cannot suppose that Christ would command it without intending some Mystery in that Action and if it be lawful to guess we may piously believe that by that Taking he intended these following Things 1. It puts us in mind with what Alacrity we should accept of the unspeakable Gift viz. The Mercy of Reconciliation by the Death of Christ Jesus As we readily stretch forth our Hands to receive a Present that is pleasing to us so ought we to accept of what a merciful God doth so freely and so frankly bestow upon us Accept of it You will say Who can be supposed to refuse it Will a Malefactor scruple to accept of his Prince's Pardon Or If a King put a Treasure into a poor Prisoner's Hands will he scorn it or withdraw his Hand 'T is true Men are willing enough to accept of a Saviour so they may have him upon their own Terms If he will give them leave to do what they please and
in us we shall be desirous to dye to the World and have great inclinations to suffer with him and this is not to be done but by bridling both Soul and Body through a severe Mortification IV. In inflicting Judgments upon our selves the Word of God must be our guide He that should use all the Mortifications he meets with in Ecclesiastical History especially in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries after Christ might run himself into great Errors and Inconveniencies The Scripture is ever the safest Rule which when Men have forsaken and thought to do more than is commanded or recommended by Examples in that Book they have been often lest exposed to great Temptations He that follows an Example of Penitential rigor recorded in Scripture though some imprudence may mingle with the imitation yet it is an error of the Right Hand There have been excesses of Devotion in all Ages and even good Men have sometimes run beyond the bounds prescribed them by Almighty God into superstition especially in things relating to voluntary affliction of the Body and from hence have grown those abuses in Popery where Penances have swallow'd the measures of substantial Piety and Men's inflicting of Judgment upon themselves hath been a means to make them neglect Faith Judgment and Mercy This shews the necessity of keeping close to the Rule of Scripture which besides the Precepts hath thought fit to Record such Examles as are sufficient to instruct us both in the nature of Repentance and the Rigors that in some cases are to bear it company It 's certain that in some persons strong habits of Sin will not be dissolved or broke but by Corrosives and violent Remedies and where a Man sees that the corruption which cleaves to him baffles all softer Applications he must needs save himself from being undone by lancing the wound Maimonides the learned Jew in his Rules of Ethicks gives this advice to his Disciples that would arrive to any considerable degree in virtue He saith he that hath been guilty of one extreme i. e. He that finds an habit of a certain sin in himself to become good must at first at least run into the opposite extreme of the Virtue which is its contrary till he be qualified to walk in the middle way without danger i. e. He that finds himself very cholerick and passionate to arrive to an habit of meekness must at first run into an excess of meekness and be patient and silent and contented even under injuries and actions that in some measure deserve his anger and continue thus for some time till his Soul be quieted like a weaned Child and then he may abate of that excess and use his meekness with greater discretion so he that hath been proud to mortifie that ill habit or extreme must apply himself to the other and be humble even to contempt and reproach so long till his stubborn affection be subdued and then he may use his humility with greater moderation We see by this that Jews as well as Christians are sensible that without a rigor and severe Discipline there is no arriving to any height of Goodness and Religion yet as this inflicting Judgments upon our selves is a thing of great use in the weighty Work of true Repentance and in the support of a serious Life so care must be taken that all opinion of Merit be laid aside in the practice of it for if such a Worm get into the Timber of the Sanctuary it soon rots it nor must we think that after we have exercised such Acts of Justice upon our selves for the Sins we have committed we may upon the credit of it take fresh liberty to offend God The design of it is to mortifie our Appetite to Sin an therefore must not prove fewel of that Fire To this must be added Discretion and Moderation in the management of these Acts of Justice and as by inflicting upon our selves the Discipline of Fasting and Humiliation before the Holy Sacrament not a few Christians find much Comfort if their Bodies be able to bear it so in times of Sickness or bodily Weakness this inflicting of Judgment on our selves becomes useless and unnecessary for in these cases God inflicts Judgments and therefore we need not All we have to do at such times is to kiss the Rod and to bear God's gentle Corrections as things we have both deserv'd and are intended for the renewing of our inward Man Our English Histories tell us of two Men in the time of Popery one who upon his Death-bed when the Priest came to him with the Holy Sacrament would be dragg'd like a Traitor out of his Bed to the place where the Priesthood and another who hearing the Bishop was come to Administer the Sacament to him would needs crawl out of his Bed half naked with an Halter about his Neck to receive it But as I know not what Motives or Impulses they might have for these Actions so I am loth to judge whether they did ill or not The PRAYER MY Lord and my God! my Shepherd my Master my Helper and the Lifter up of my Head my Light my Way my Wisdom my Righteousness my Sanctification my Redemption O how I could be revenged on those Madnesses Follies Vanities I have been guilty of I do not only confess them unto thee O thou searcher of all Hearts but I could even bruise and wound and tear my self for being so basely and so monstrously ungrateful to the best of Masters if that were a Sacrifice pleasing unto thee How stupid how sensless have I been How averse from that which is my greatest interest Ah! how like a blind Creature have I groped in the dark and thought my self secure and safe while I have stood upon the brink of destruction How bold and daring have I been and what pains have I taken for Pleasures and Recreations which besides the unreasonableness and transitoriness and inconstancy of them could not be expiated neither O dearest Saviour but by thy Blood and Death O how heavy how dreadful must my Sins be that require so costly a satisfaction O Eternal Father To see what thou hast done for my Salvation To see how for my sake thy Son thine only Son is in a manner left destitute without Help without Assistance without Comfort what can I think but that in some respect thou didst love me more than him That I might rejoyce he must be sorrowful to a Prodigy that I might be healed he must be wounded that I may be cleansed he must spill his precious Blood O how faithful art thou to forlorn Man Thou hast piomised to restore him and behold Thou givest the richest Treasure of Heaven to effect it Ah! how can I see my dear Redeemer weep and not weep my self He grieves not for his own Sins but for mine he bewails not his own faults but my Transgressions he never sinn'd but I am he that hath offended thee a thousand times I beseech thee accept of the
us that it was the Fruit of the Vine Christ and his Disciples drank of And this sufficiently justifies the use of pure Wine in our Churches when the Eucharist is celebrated And though the Jews are very peremptory in asserting that it was the Practice of their Fore-fathers in the Passover as well as at other Times to mingle Water with their Wine which is the only Thing that makes it likely that Christ did not vary in the Institution of this Sacrament from the Custom of using mix'd Wine yet since the Book of God whereby we are to be governed is silent as to this Mixture it follows at least that the Christian Churches are left to their liberty to use either pure or mixed Wine in this Sacrament The Roman Church at this Day makes it a piece of Religion to use Wine mingled with Water in the Cup the Priest drinks of in the Celebration of the Mass. The Eastern Churches keep up the same Custom The Armenian Christians heretofore used pure Wine but they were censured for doing so in the Sixth Council in Trullo And it is a very strange Uncharitableness in Theophilact to curse these Armenian Christians for this Omission Let them be confounded saith he because they mingle not Water with their Wine in the Mystery of the Eucharist The Greeks who are strangely superstitious do warm their Water before they mingle it with the Wine thereby to represent the warm Blood and Water that flowed from Christ's Side after his Death And indeed this was the great Reason why the Churches of old did use Wine and Water in this Sacrament thereby to put the Congregation in mind of that Blood and Water which ran out when the profane Soldier ran his Spear into Christ's Side though some think that the Mystery of it was to express the two Sacraments Christ had bequeathed to his Church and Followers There were a sort of Hereticks in the Ancient Church who made use of Water only in the Eucharist as thinking the Use of Wine unlawful and an Invention of the Powers of Darkness But the Church condemned them as profane and thought them unfit for her Communion And yet were it so that Christians lived in a Country or Place where they are in no possibility of getting Wine it is not to be doubted but that any other Liquor which Men commonly drink and refresh their fainting Spirits with may lawfully be made use of as a Symbol or outward Sign of that inward spiritual Grace which we apprehend to be in the Blood of the Ever-blessed JESUS At this Day in the Churches of Aethiopia where Wine is scarce the Priests in the Eucharist make use of a Liquor made of Water and the Stones of Raisins bruised and infused in it and yet even to this Liquor they add more Water to observe the Custom before-mentioned The same Liquor is used by the Cophites in Egypt and by the Christians of St. Thomas in the Indies And we read of others who for want of Wine have kept a Linen Cloth by them dipped in Wine and dried and when they had Occasion to celebrate the Lord's Supper have wetted that Cloth and made use of the Liquor thus expressed instead of Wine A Custom condemned indeed by Pope Julius who in case of Necessity permitted a Bunch of Grapes to be bruised and mingled with Water But how can a certain Law be prescribed to People that have neither Grapes nor Wine as it happens in many Countries far distant from the Sea II. As to the Cup out of which Christ and his Disciples drank the Sacramental Wine some have been so curious as to enquire not only into the Matter but also the Form or Shape of it The more superstitious Sort in the Church of Rome contend that this Cup was of Silver and not a few among them believe at least pretend they have the very Cup Christ used in the first Institution of this Sacrament But the Mischief is that this Cup is to be seen in divers Places at Rome at Valentia at Doway at Lions and in Helvetia So that either none of all these Pretenders have it or if one have the right the rest must be Impostures or if all have it it must since that time be miraculously multiplied which I think may as well be believed as Transubstantiation The Evangelists did not think it worth while to mention any thing about it and whether the Cup he used was of Earth or Tin or Silver or Gold or Stone or Wood tends not much to Edification St. Chrysostom saith appositely Though the Cup the Apostles received and drank of was not of Gold yet tremendous it was and full of Majesty and Splendour because it was full of the Holy Ghost 'T is very probable that in the more innocent Ages of the Church when Simplicity and Godly Sincerity flourished Christians were contented with Wooden Cups as they are at this Day in the Church of Aethiopia These were afterwards changed into Glass and as in progress of Time Plenty and the People's Liberality increased and the Church fell to imitate the Grandeur of Courts Cups of Silver and Gold and sometimes decked with Precious Stones were made use of Which occasioned that witty Saying of Boniface the Martyr when one asked him whether it was proper to make use of Wooden Vessels in the Sacrament his Reply was Heretofore the Church had Golden Ministers and Wooden Chalices but now we see Golden Chalices and Wooden Priests because the Time he lived in was very barren of vertuous and learned Men. We are told by some Historians that Pope Zephyrinus was the first that brought in Chalices of Glass about the Year of our Lord 198. whereas before they had been all of Wood. And to this purpose St. Jerome some time after tells us of Exuperius the famous Bishop of Tholouse that he used to carry the Consecrated Bread in a Wicker Basket and the Holy Wine in a Vial of Glass yet they began very early especially in the greater Cities to bring in Pomp and Grandeur about the Vessels used in the holy Communion as at Rome Constantinople Alexandria and in other wealthy and populous Places which made Julian the Apostate seeing the rich Communion-Vessels say scoffingly How splendidly is the Son of Mary served In a word 'T is like as soon as the Church began to enjoy Quiet and Ease under Constantine's Reign Prosperity being impatient of mean and plain Usages Men began to change the Primitive Simplicity into more stately ways of Administration of this Sacrament Not that there is any hurt in using Silver or Golden Cups in this Sacrament but so much I thought sit to mention to shew that as the Gospel takes notice of no such thing as the Matter the Cup was made of so there is no Stress to be laid upon it and a peaceable Christian is in this Case to follow the Usages of the Church he lives in and to look chiefly to the spiritual Frame of
Cup and drinks like a thirsty Man with a thirst after Righteousness drinks Salvation drinks everlasting Mercy drinks to the content and satisfaction of his Soul and out of his belly shall flow fountains of living waters i. e streams of Grace and Goodness shall flow from his Heart to the watering and enriching of those that are round about him John 7. 38. And this must needs make it a Cup of Consolation for what greater comfort can there be than to drink the rich draught of Pardon of Peace and Mercy and Joy in the Holy Ghost as every Soul is supposed to do that comes to this Ordinance with unfeigned Resolutions to have her conversation in Heaven 4. A Cup he took to put us in mind how necessary God's Goodness Favour and Providence is to us for this was expressed in the Law by making God the Portion of their Cup as we see Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup a phrase much used among the Jews of the devouter sort when they would declare not only their interest in God's special Providence but the necessity of having a Right and Title to it A Cup is a necessary Utensil in a Family and there is scarce any person so poor and needy as to want a Cup so hereby they expressed both the absolute necessity of having a special interest in God's Love and the possibility the poorest body was in to arrive to this Priviledge A Man may be happy without Lands and Houses and happy without an Estate without Father and Mother without Children without a Prince's Favour but he cannot be happy without an interest in God's Gracious inclinations and Complacency Even an Idolatrous Laban Gen. 31. 30. was in some measure sensible of this Truth for when Rachel had stollen her Father's Images he seem'd to be much concern'd for them If thou wouldst needs be gone wherefore hast thou stollen my gods As if he had said I could have been content with thy taking away my Daughters my Grand-children my Cattle and my Sheep but to steal my gods than which nothing is more dear or more necessary to me this I cannot brook A Cup therefore Christ made use of in this Sacrament to tell us of what concernment it is to have God for our Friend and if he be our Portion we need no more if he be the portion of our Cup we have Wealth and Bliss enough and may defie all the Powers of Hell who in this case may assault but cannot prevail against us Indeed if Christ be ours and will vouchsafe to intercede for us we are more than Conquerors O Jesu Thou art our All our Crown our Glory if thou be for us we need not fear who is against us Let thy Wounds be ours and our wounded Spirits will be at rest O tell us that thine Agonies are ours and we will triumph over death and sing O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 5. A Cup he took to bid us mind what he had so often told the Pharisees and to hint to us that whenever we see this Cup in the Sacrament we ought to ask our Hearts whether we make clean the inside of the Cup and Platter as the expression is Matth. 23. 27. i. e. Whether we purifie our inward Man our Souls and Spirits from those covetous disorderly unclean Desires Thoughts and Imaginations which are so apt to harbor there True Religion is no outside business but must be rooted in us and a Sense of the Love of God must be riveted into our Spirits that there God may become truly amiable to us and what we feel within may force as it were the outward Man into a suitable Fruitfulness Most Mens Religion like their Cloaths adorns only the ovtward Man and saying their Prayers going to Church and doing such little things as are no trouble to their Lusts or sinful Appetite are the principal Ingredients of their Divinity but this is not the Light which Christ's Religion gives for that strikes the Understanding works upon the Will and puts all that is within us into Fermentation This cleanses the Heart from filthiness the Thoughts from vanity the Mind from prejudice the Affections from love of the World from malice hatred and supercilious contempt of our Neighbors and the desires from revenge and greediness after the Shells and Husks of outward Comforts so that true Religion is a new Principle which produces a new Creature and newness of Life 2 Cor. 5 17. 6. And why may not we piously believe that his making use of a Cup was also to encourage our Charity and Hospitality expressed sometimes by giving a Cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10. 42. He that knows any thing of this Holy Sacrament knows it is a Feast of Charity a Feast at which we remember our Spiritual Poverty and lying at the Gate of Heaven fuller of Sores than the famous Beggar before the Palace of Dives and can the undeserved unexpected and inexpressible Charity of God to our Souls shine in our Faces and not warm our Hearts and Bowels into compassion and commiseration to the poor and needy such especially as are of the Houshold of Faith If we are so low in the world and Providence hath put us in so mean a condition that we can give no more than a Cup of cold water and do but run to the next Well or River and fill the Cup and bring it to a distress'd and fainting Christian a good Man and a Disciple of our Lord even that shall be interpreted favourably and God will find out a recompence for it a recompence which shall make the Giver sensible that it was for that Cup he gave that he receives that Mercy provided still that this Charity proceeds from a sense of the Love of God and tenderness to the necessities of the Humble Man This consideration one would think should be baulked by none that comes to the Lord's Table where the Lame and Blind and Maim'd are entertain'd for such abasing Thoughts of our selves we are to entertain here and if so How easie how natural is the Inference If so miserable a Creature as I am feasted here and God gives Bread of Life to my hungry Soul How can I express my Gratitude better than by casting my Bread upon the Water especially when I am promis'd to find it again after many days floating on the Rivers of Pleasure which are at the Right Hand of God for evermore VII Both the Evangelists and St. Paul taking notice that Christ took this Cup after he had done with the Cup in the celebration of the Passover we must not pass it by without making some Remarks upon it And 1. It was to teach us Order in our Duties and to avoid confusion in our Holy performances God is the God of Order and 't is fit his Servants should resemble him in this particular Greater Duties must ever be
Open still new Springs of Love when I come to this Sacrament of thy Everlasting Love that the New Springs may still give new life to my Soul new courage to do thy Will new Power to tread on Serpents new resolutions to conquer all that stops my way And thus my dearest Lord transform me by the renewing of my Mind that I may prove what is the Holy acceptable and perfect Wall of God Amen Amen CHAP. XVI Of the Perpetuity of this Ordinance and the Necessity of its Continuance to the World's End The CONTENTS St. Pauls Command to the Corinthians of shewing forth the Lord's Death till he come not to be understood of Christ's coming to them in the Spirit but coming to Judgment This proved largely by many arguments The reasons laid down why this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is to last to the end of the World Christ's coming to Judgment proved to be a very proper object of our Contemplation in the Recieving of the Holy Eucharist and a help to Patience and Faith and confidence in the Goodness of God God's Marvellous care of our everlasting welfare shewn in tying us up in Bonds of Obedience in this Ordinance Men who look for Grace and Salvation as they are bound to make use of the means of Grace so they are obliged to make use of this The wretched state of those who neglect to shew forth the Lord's Death in this Sacrament The same temper required in Recieving the Eucharist that we desire to be in when we shall be summoned to Judgment The Prayer I. THat this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a standing Ordinance and to last to the end of the World St. Paul expresly tells us 1 Cor. 11. 26. For as often as you Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup ye do shew or do ye shew the Lord's death till he come Whereby is plainly meant Christ's coming to judge the World and this hath been the unanimous belief of the universal Church since the Apostles time unto this day which makes us justly wonder at the boldness and ignorance of Quakers and other Enthusiasts who have presumed to abolish this Ordinance in their Conventicles pretending that this Sacrament was fitted only for the Infancy of the Christian Church but intended it should cease when Christ should come to them in the Spirit and having already received Christ as they fancy in their first Conversion and Regeneration they foolishly and ridiculously imagine that they have no need of receiving him again in the use of the outward Symbols tendered to Christians in this Sacrament Puffed up with this airy conceit they run into this Sinister and Childish Interpretation of the Apostle's words contrary to the sense of all Christian Churches as if Till he come were as much as Till he come to you in the Spirit to which impertinent Exposition nothing could possibly lead these silly Men but the Spirit of error and contempt of all human Learning and undervaluing the common dictates of Reason and a monstrous Spiritual Pride which not only swells them with an opinion that they are wiser than all the Christians in the World besides but tempts them to other insolencies and Prophanations of the Written Oracles of the Holy Ghost and therfore lest weak Capacities should be ensnared by such specious pretences it will be necessary to shew the unreasonableness of this interpetation 1. There is not the least Syllable not the least hint given us in all the New Testamenâ— that this Sacrament after it was once instituted was ever to be abolished which made not only the Apostles introduce it into the Christian Congregations while they lived but all the Churches planted and founded by them retained and continued it knowing nothing to the contrary but that this Ordinance was to be perpetual and Eternal and therefore as they had recieved the necessary use of it from those who laid the foundation of their Religion so they propagated the same to their posterity Nay among the Hereticks that left and separated from the Church there were very few but what preserved the use of this Sacrament in their Congregations and though they had the insolence of Blaspheming other Mysteries of Christianity yet this Ordinance they were afraid to abolish being sensible that it was one of the Corner stones of Christianity And who could imagine otherwise that considered how this Sacrament succeeded in the room of the Passover which was Item enough that it was to last for ever for as the Passover after its first Institution was to last to the end of the Jewish Oeconomy that expiring with Christ's Death so this succeeding was an argument that it was to continue while the dispensation of Christianity should last and that is to the end of the World 2. No Man will deny but that those three thousand Souls converted by St. Peter's Sermon did receive the Holy Ghost for St. Peter expresly promises them Acts 2. 38. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remissions of Sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and this was very common in those days for true Penitents to receive the Holy Ghost immediately upon their Baptism and sometimes before their Baptism as Cornelius and his Company Act. 20. 44. 48. And though by the Holy Chost in those places are meant the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost speaking with Tongues healing diseases c. Yet it must be granted that in their conversion they had the Sanctifying Spirit of God sent upon them yet these very Persons that â—nd so received the Spirit continued in breaking of Bread and in Prayer as we are told Act. 2. 42. And that by breaking of Bread there is not meant sitting down to their private and ordinary meals is evident from hence because it is mentioned as a part of their Devotion and publick Worship to which their ordinary Diet cannot be referred and therefore it must be the Encharist or this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper that 's meant by it for by that Term it was usually expressed in the Primitive Church as we see 1 Cor. 10. 16. 3. Those very Corinthians to whom the Apostle writes in the place aforementioned and gives a Command to shew forth the Lord's death in this Sacrament till he came had already received the Spirit of God as we read 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God and to this purpose he adds 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God These Men then had received the Spirit of God and therefore when the Apostle writing to them chap. 11. Saith that they should shew forth the Lords death till he come most certainly he cannot mean till he came
to you in the Spirit for they had received this Spirit already and he was already come to them in the Spirit and what sense would it have been to say Ye that have received the Spirit of Christ must shew forth his death till he come to you in the Spirit just as good sense as if a Man should say Ye that are in London must do such a thing till you come to London so that if this were the sense the Apostle must have contradicted himself or spoken that which no body knew what to make of It follows therefore that since by his coming in Scripture is frequently meant his coming to Judge the World as Rev. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Luc. 18. 8. That here it hath the same sense because without it the words will not bear a reasonable construction 4. The design of the Apostle in this 11th Chapter is to rectify several mistakes and errors and abuses that were crept in among the Corinthians in their administration and eating of the Lord's Supper and this is intimated v. 17 18. So that his intent in writing to them must be to inform them how they were to behave themselves in the use of this Ordinance what exorbitancies they were to abandon what evil customs they were to retrench what vulgar errors they were to beware of and consequently his intent could not be to abolish this Sacrament or to teach them to use it no longer than Christ should come to them in the Spirit He that gives a Man directions about a good work in what manner he is to perform it what he is to take heed of in the practice of it what Rocks and Stumbling-blocks he is to shun doth not perswade him to leave the good work undone or to neglect it but chalks out to him only the way he may walk in with safety doth still allow the work to be of Eternal Obligation only that it may be acceptable to God bids him beware of the Shelves and Sands he may run upon in the prosecution of it and though in reformation of abuses the thing it self which gave occasion to the abuse is very often cancell'd and taken away yet that Rule holds only in things indifferent In Duties and things Commanded such as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is this could not be practised for if Ten thousand abuses were committed about Prayer yet Prayer would still be a Duty and therefore the Apostle reforming the errors of the Corintâ—ians in the administration of this Sacrament cannot be supposed to abrogate the Sacrament it self for as he saith v. 20. He had received it of the Lord i. e. by way of a commanded Duty which therefore could not be abolished 5. Let us admit of this odd expression of Christ's coming to them in the Spirit if a Man have received the Spirit of Christ that 's so far from being a sufficient reason to justifie his staying away from this Sacrament that it is a powerful motive to come to it not only because he that hath the Spirit of Christ will be sure to do what Christ Commands him but because the Spirit of Christ must be cherished preserved kept warm and made much of which is not to be done but by frequent contemplation of God's Love and Charity and compassion to our immortal Souls whereof this Sacrament doth not only put us in mind but gives us a faithful representation The Spirit of God within us must be preserv'd by the use of such means God hath appointed and since this Sacrament is one of these means he that neglects it cannot promise himself a long continuance of that Spirit in his Soul and what if Men that have frequented this Ordinance have found no good by it for that must be their own fault and because they come to it like Swine no wonder if they come away from it in no better condition 6. Though it is readily granted that true Believers in their first conversion receive the Spirit of Christ yet that puts no stop to their receiving larger and greater influences of it by the use of this Sacrament As Grace is begun in their first conversion so it is increased by a conscientious use of this Ordinance The coming to it doth not abate the power of this Spirit but advances it This Ordinance being a Spiritual Ordinance the Spirit of Christ is the more likely to exert its virtue in a sincere Believer that frequents it The Cross of Christ which is Foolishness to the Greek is Wisdom to the Spiritual Man and the more he looks upon it with suitable Devotion the greater courage and strength he will receive from it to fight the Battels of the Lord. The Spirit of Christ that works in a true Believer works by rational Arguments by Arguments that are most apt to prevail with rational Men and since nothing can be a more effectual Argument than the Love of Christ manifested on the Cross and particularly in the Sacrament of the Cross it must follow that the first operations of Christ's Spirit in the Soul are no hindrance to his farther operations in this Holy Sacrament 7. It 's true in this Sacrament external Symbols and Elements are made use of but that 's not at all improper or inconsistent with a Gospel state nor do these Symbols hinder any Man from worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth but rather promote it If under the Gospel Men may make no use of external tokens to put them in mind of Spiritual things the Apostle was out in his Divinity when he tells us That the invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1. 20. Christ indeed abolished the burthensome Symbols of the Ceremonial Law but did no where tell us that he would leave no Symbols at all in his Church to remember him by And though we grant what the Apostle saith Col. 2. 20. 21. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not Yet it plainly appears from his discourse that he reprehended no other but Judaizing Christians who having embraced the Christian Religion were still observant of the Ancient Ceremonies which Moses while the Church was in its Minority had given to the Jewish People such as were distinctions of Meats and Drinks touching dead Bodies or any thing that was defiled with Leprosie touching any thing unclean whether Man or Beast c. whereof a large account is given in Levit. 7. 21. So that this Saying doth not reverse the Symbols used in the Holy Sacrament they being of another nature and instituted upon a different design and so far from evacuating a Spiritual Worship that those become most Spiritual persons that frequently exercise themselves in a devout use of it and therefore what arrogance must it be for Men to think themselves wiser than Christ himself and
Pardon this being the great Comfort of the Gospel That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in the Name of Jesus among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem saith our Saviour Luk. 24. 47. And that which will illustrate this Saying is the Story in Sophronius of two old Men of exemplary Holiness who travelling and tired with their Journey the Heat of the Weather also being great they retired into a Stable or Barn that was hard by where thinking to be private contrary to Expectation they found three Young Men caressing of an Harlot However not discouraged with that ill Company they retired into a Corner of the Barn and there read the holy Evangelists The Harlot at once surprized and charmed with their Seriousness drew near and sat down by one of them who thrust her away wondering at her Confidence to joyn her self to their Company To which she replied I beseech you thrust me not away from you for though I am laden with Sin and have made a very ill use of the Means of Grace yet I find not that Christ drove the Harlot from him that kneeled down at his Feet One of them soon answer'd her saying That Harlot whom Christ received did not continue an Harlot To which she instantly made this Return From this time forward I seriously renounce this evil Life of mine and nothing shall divert me from the greatest Severities of Religion She was as good as her word receiv'd Instructions and Comfort from the old Men follow'd their directions and retired from the World And therefore if a Man have received unworthily and truly laments and deplores his former presumption applies himself to newness of Life and is transform'd into a Christian temper he may lawfully return to that Table and there receive and expect remission of Sin where formerly he swallow'd Death and Poyson and tho' his Guilt hath been of a very deep Dye yet Repentance if unfeigned hath that Almighty Power that it can make Ethiopians white and Deformity amiable But then 2. He that hath received unworthily and comes to be sensible of it and thereupon Receives again had need watch and take heed he do not return to his former folly for fear God be tired with pardoning and speak Peace no more for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not return again unto folly saith the Psalmist Psal. 85. 8. Implying that the Peace of God is not to be had at all times especially after frequent contempt There are offences which provoke God to say as it is Judg. 10. 13. Ye have forsaken me wherefore I will deliver you no more The Peace of God is no trifle which Men may play withal and command when they please God makes another-guise account of it where it is lost it 's not a very easie matter to regain it and so much we may guess at from the examples of good Men who through strong temptations have fall'n into any great Sin It hath cost them much labour and pain to recover and God hath on purpose with-held his Peace from their Souls a long time that they might learn how to prize and preserve it with greater care after its return It 's folly to think God is such a one as we our selves or that he is as willing to part with Peace and Pardon as we to have it when ever we stand in need of it As it is one of the greatest comforts Man can expect of God so he expects it should be managed with prudence and cautionsness It doth not lie like a drug upon his hand which he is willing to be rid of whenever we are pleased to take it off If we know not how to prize it there are those that will and by those few God can be glorified while others bewail the loss of it in outward darkness 8. A Law-suit that is depending doth not necessarily make a Man an unworthy Receiver 1. If the Law-suit be begun for small things and trifles such as any wise and impartial considerate Man were he consulted with would judge to be trivial and of no great importance or if it be commenced upon the account of Revenge or against persons who are known to be insolvent only to have our Will and base humour gratified and to have the satisfaction of throwing the Indigent wretch into Prison or if it be managed in a sinful way with opprobrious Language and bitter Expressions false Accusations suborning of Witnesses against the adverse Party or with harbouring Malice Hatred or secret Grudges in our Hearts against him and we feel no Godly sorrow for it i. e. Do not resolutely upon the account of Christian Love and Charity quit and renounce these evil companions of our Souls and yet come to this Holy Table there without all peradventure we Eat and Drink unworthily because we Eat and Drink without consideration of the Love of Christ and the conditions of the Pardon we expect by his Cross and the dangerous Meat we have swallow'd is not vomited up but lies raw and undigested in our Bowels which must needs be a bar to the Grace and Mercy of God and our own Comfort But then 2. If the Law-suit be commenc'd upon the account of something that 's of great importance either to our Selves or Friends or Heirs if there be no other way to come to our Right and ordinary references will not do if it be merely to obtain reparation for the Damages we have sustain'd or are like to sustain if these Suits be carried on with Meekness with Justice with using honest and lawful Means with Candor and Ingenuity without addition of the hidden things of dishonesty without supplanting the other Party without wounding his good Name or mis-representing things of his side without catching at Bulrushes or taking advantages of his infirmities if the ground and motive of the Enterprize be only that our Neighbor and we may both be satisfied in the case that 's in dispute if the Suit be managed without Pride or Passion with Gentleness and continuation of our wonted Civility Kindness and Charity to the Party we are at Law with and do not upon that account forbear the Respect we formerly shew'd him In this case our coming cannot be prejudicial to worthy Receiving for as it is impossible but Contests and Disputes will arise and the Law of Nature requires that Justice should be done to every Man it must necessarily follow that there must be Courts of Judicature and that God not only permits but appoints them too It 's certain that God in the Jewish Theocracy ordain'd such Courts and human Societies not being able to subsist without them natural Equity requires there should be such things in all civiliz'd Nations whereby Contests may be decided Controversies ended Differences superseded and every Man come to his Right and tho' St. Paul 1 Cor. 6. 1 2. c. finds fault with the Corinthians for going to Law yet the reason why he blames
for all the World clamour'd against them they were hated by Heathens hated by the Jews reviled by Strangers reproached by their Country-men and there was greater hopes to reconcile Fire and Water Light and Darkness than of reconciling some People in the World to them Yet did not this Hatred and Surliness of others make them unworthy Communicants If my Neighbour will throw himself down from a Precipice why should that hinder me from walking in a plain Path And if others will be wicked why should that be an Impediment of my being good 'T is true Christ Matth. 5. 23 24. tells us If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remember that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Which Words seem to import that if another Man be not in Charity with us our Devotion cannot be accepted till he be reconciled to us But these Words of Christ must be explained by Vers. 22. which brings in the Discourse Vers. 23. for there our Saviour tells us I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in danger of the Judgment i. e. He that conceives Anger against his Neighbour and hopes to escape the Guilt of Sin must have a very just Cause for it viz. There must be a just Cause given him by his Neighbour and then it follows If thy Brother have ought against thee i. e. have ought against thee justly which thou hast given just Occasion for first be reconciled to thy Brother and then offer thy Gift So that it is not another Man 's bare having ought against us that makes us unworthy Receivers but if he have ought against us that we have been the just Cause of if we have kindled his Anger by something that we have injuriously said or done against him there till we seek to be reconciled unto him our Gifts and what we offer to God must needs be odious to him because they are offer'd with an Heart that is not right with him But where we have either done nothing that he can take just Exception against or have done our Duty and what became our Place and Station without any Intent of doing him harm or if in case of an Offence given we have by proper Means and Addresses sought to be at Peace with him and notwithstanding all this he will still have ought against us there his Hatred and the whole Guilt of it will fall upon his own Pate nor can his Insolence or Ill-Nature darken the Light of God's Love and Favour to us who sees we have done what became Christians and honest Men and though it will not satisfie the angry Man yet his Choler cannot deprive us of the kind Looks of our Father which sees in secret nor make us unworthy Receivers 10. A Man's having as he supposes received no Benefit by this holy Sacrament and coming to it again doth not necessarily make him an unworthy Receiver For 1. A Man may really be the better for having been at this Sacrament and yet for the present may not be sensible of it because he may measure his not being better by the want of some particular Qualifications he is desirous of and over-look those Advantages he hath in good truth received by the holy Communion Many a pious Christian is the better for this Sacrament though he is loth to believe it for his coming to this Table either strengthens him in his Hatred of Sin and in his Love to Religion or advances him in Humility Patience Readiness to forgive Injuries and in Charity and yet because he feels not just after it those lively Desires those earnest Breathings after God that Fervour of Spirit that Ardency in Prayer he expected he may think he receives no Benefit because he doth not get what at present he most desires and feels not those Excellencies and Accomplishments which are most upon his Mind yet all this while there may be an actual Growth of Goodness in him his other Graces may be established his Cautiousness of offending a merciful Redeemer increased his Obedience and Self-denial advanced his Faith of another Life augmented his Resolutions to shun the very Appearances of Evil fortified all which upon a strict Search and View of his Inward Man he may find And therefore I may justly conclude that if he receives the Benefit God thinks sit for him though he receives not the Benefit he desires that that Supposition of his of receiving none at all cannot make him an unworthy Receiver 2. 'T is possible we may receive no Benefit at all by frequenting this Ordinance and we may know we do not if we are the same in our Lives we were before If the Cross of Christ doth not draw us after him if it leaves us without Desires to be like him or doth not check the Sins we have been fond of if it does not make us stand in awe of God any more than we did before if it work no Love to God no Charity to other Men's Souls and Bodies in our Hearts if after it we rush into Sin as easily as before if it prove no Bridle to our sinful Appetite no Curb to our covetous Desires if it restrains us not in our Affections to the World if it gives us no Courage to resist no Boldness to withstand those Lusts which were dear to us but still this is clearly our own Fault and for want of considering the Arguments and Motives the Cross of Christ affords us to die to Sin for want of thinking on the Design of Christ's Death and for want of taking pains with our selves for want of reflecting on the Force of Divine Love and for want of earnest Prayers and Addresses for the powerful Assistance of God's Spirit If it be thus with us we have reason to be afraid God will not rejoyce over us when he comes to view our Souls in this Ordinance However All this need not be an Obstacle to our Reformation If we have done ill 't is our Interest to awake out of Sleep and to redeem the Time If we have received no Benefit before upon our Amendment we may If we have done the Work of the Lord negligently upon our Reformation God may may turn our Captivity as the Streams in the South It is with this Sacrament as it is with a rich Mine which yields no Profit to the Owner till he works it The Benefit Men receive here is the Effect of Labour They must be disposed and qualified for this Gift and that which qualifies them is to quit that Slothfulnes they were guilty of 11. Communicating with Persons that receive unworthily doth not necessarily make a Person an unworthy Receiver For 1. Every Man shall bear his own Burthen Gal. 6. 5. If another be wicked how can his Wickedness unsettle my Faith or disorder my Devotion except I consent to his Impiety
importunity Not the later but the former makes the Communicant an unworthy Receiver For 1. Hereby the Holy Spirit is excluded from taking possession of our Souls a Guest the Soul hath reason to make preparation for and from whose Presence it may date its fruitfulness and happiness Serious Thoughts invite him to our House and are the best attractives of that Glorious Light These are the Bed where he sows his noble Seed and on these he moves more powerfully than he did on the Waters of the first Creation by these we caress illapses and court his kinder irradiations As God's Majesty is described Psal. 104 3. That he makes the Clouds his Chariot and walks upon the Wings of the Wind so it may be said of Holy Thoughts in this Sacrament they are the Chariot and Vehicle on which the Spirit of the Holy Jesus makes his entrance into our Soul These dispose the Soul for his Gracious Communications and put her into a capacity of being Blessed and Enlightned by him where he spies these he addresses himself to the Soul in the language of the Spiritual Bridegroom Cant. 5. 1. I am come into my Garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Myrrhe with my Spice I have eaten my Hony-comb with my Hony I have drank my Wine with my Milk Eat O friends yea drink abundantly my Beloved Which are nothing but Rhetorical Expressions of the Gracious Influences the Spirit of God is willing to confer on the Soul that makes preparation for him sweeps the House of the Rubbish of vain Imaginations and by Pious Contemplation makes the Chamber ready for his Entertainment and tho' these Expressions run all in the strain of the Perfect Tense yet in Holy Writ the Perfect and the Future Tenses are used promiscuously and as the Future many times stands for the Perfect so the Perfect Tense very often stands for the Future and the future Blessings are expressed by what is past to assure us of the certainty of them and that the Soul hath no more reason to doubt of them than if it did already actually enjoy then 2. Want of serious Thoughts is a kind of prophanation of this Ordinance Profanation of Holy Things consists not only in reviling and reproaching or actual perverting them to what is ill and forbidden but also in not using of them with that decency and seriousness which ought to be the proper Concomitants of them The Jews therefore Mal. 1. 12 13. are said to profane the House of the Lord not because they turned it as their Fore-fathers into a Den of Thieves or Mansion of Idolatry but because they did not bring suitable Oblations and those they brought were brought with an unwilling Mind and they look'd upon the Service of God as tedious and wearisome and did not offer such Incense as was pure nor such Sacrifices as were whole and sound and without blemish And certainly not only he prophanes God's Name that tears it with his Oaths and Curses and Blasphemies but he also that gives it not the Honour that is due to it Profanation of the Lord's Day is not only to sit Drinking and Revelling at home or to spend it in Play and Sports and Pastimes and Rioting and Drunkenness but not to sanctifie it by publick and private Devotion and if so not to bring Holy Thoughts to this Ordinance to the Altar of God and to the Cross of Christ must be a Profanation of these Mysteries as he that puts no Oil to the Lamp extinguishes its Light as much as he that blows it out Holy Thoughts are part of that Honour and Veneration we owe to this Ordinance and as Men count it an affront not only to be beaten but not to have that respect given them which is due to their Rank and Quality so God hath for greater reason to look upon it as a profanation of this Sacrament where Men bring not with them Thoughts pertinent to the Majesty and Holiness of the wonderful Things manifested and represented here and he that profanes this Ordinance cannot be supposed to Eat and Drink worthily IV. But it is not enough to give an exact description of the Sin the danger of it is the next thing we must speak of And this St. Paul says 1 Cor. 11. 27. is making our selves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. A great guilt certainly to be counted a murtherer of the Son of God and to be reckon'd among Jews and Infidels that embru'd their hands in the Blood of the ever Blessed Jesus for so much the Apostle's words import and if the unworthy Receiver incurs this guilt he needs no other argument to discourage him from his Sin and Impiety The Charge is dreadful nor must we therefore think that it is only spoke in Terrorene to fright People as we terrifie Children with strange things not that there are such things in being but to make them desist from their unlucky Enterprize or Frowardness No God need not make use of Bugbears nor must we imagine that what he saith hath the least shadow of untruth As dreadful as this Charge is he means what he says and speaks what he thinks and unworthy Receiving is neither more nor less than making our selves guilty of the Body and Blâ—â—d of the Lord Jesus And how this is done by him that Eats and Drinks unworthily deserves consideration 1. He that Eats and Drinks unworthily makes himself guilty of denying that the Body and Blood of Christ was sacrific'd for him As they that dishonour the Christian Râ—ligion by their covetousness and unrighteousness and lewd practices are said To deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. because they live as if Christ had not bought them or had not redeem'd them from Iniquity So the unworthy Receiver being loth to mortifie his known and voluntary Sins even in the act of Receiving denies that Christ was Sacrific'd for him His unwillingness to reform is a tacit denial of the Mercy and a Sign that he doth not believe it heartily For the Holy Ghost supposes that he who believes it with any seriousness will be affected with it and stand amaz'd at this Act of God even at this infinite immense unsearchable and incomprehensible Love that he who needs not the society of Men or Angels and can be Etenally happy without them should yet have that value and respect for Mankind who were his Prisoners and had forfeited their Lives to his Justice were the objects of his Wrath and had justly deserv'd to be banish'd from his Gracious Presence for ever as to find out a remedy whereby they might be restored to his Favour freed from their slavish Condition and admitted to his Bosom and such a Remedy as might at once assert his Justice and declare his Mercy and in order thereunto freely generously and without compulsion part with the Eternal Son of his Bosom prepare a Body for him a Body which might be capable of Dying and fall a Sacrifice at once
day insomuch that if many a Man's sickness and weakness of Body and not living out halfe his days were throughly examin'd and look'd into it would be found to proceed in a great measure from this Cause even his unworthy Receiving of the Holy Symbols II. If we enquire into the Reasons why God makes use of Sickness and weakness of Body to lash the unworthy Receiver in this Life we must conclude that considering how all Afflictions and Judgments of this Life are curative and intended to work a change in the Offender for the better the Reasons why God makes use of Sickness particularly in punishing the unworthy Receiver are these following 1. Sickness weakens the Flesh abates and lessens its violent desires whereby it comes to pass that the Spiritual part gets from under the slavery it lay enthrall'd in while the Flesh prevail'd and puts the Sinner upon serious Thoughts for now it gets leave to exercise its Authority which before was over-aw'd and crush'd and oppress'd by the usurping Tyrant and thereby occasions terror and consternation in the whole Man about his unworthy Receiving While the Flesh is predominant and bears Rule Faith and Reason are mere prisoners and whatever they suggest is not hearken'd to The Flesh still baffles their Arguments and admits of nothing but what pleads in favour of its brutish Appetite Sickness coming and weakning the Flesh and rendring all the delights of the World insipid and unsavoury the Soul recovers her freedom and is now at liberty to think of her former Life to survey the Actions of her past Practices and among other Errors to reflect upon her unworthy Receiving to aggravate this particular Offence and thereby to incline the sinner's Eyes and Heaâ—t to penitential Tears for now the Man having no hurry of business no noise of vain company no external Gayeties no Musick of sensual Pleasures to call him away from minding the things that belong to the happiness of his Soul he is more at leisure to ruminate upon what he hath been doing and the dreadfulness of his Sin viz. feeding irreverently at this Table and not discerning that the Body of the Son of God was offered to his Soul and if any thing will melt or turn him this is very likely to effect it 2. Sickness puts the unworthy Receiver in mind of Death for he that falls sick knows not but his Illness may end in Death and there are few Men but are of this opinion when once they take their Bed fear that they shall or may dye makes them seek out for proper Helps and Remedies send for Physicians if they be able and sometimes for Divines too think of making their Wills set their House in order and after all leave nothing untried whereby they may prevent the stroak of Death Sickness being of that nature and having this influence on men may therefore be suppos'd to put the unworthy Receiver in mind of his Death and as it puts him in mind of Death so if he have any sense of Religion left it minds him also of an approaching Judgment and suggests to him that for ought he knows he will shortly be in another World be summon'd to give an account of his Life to God and appear before the Judge of Quick and Dead even before Christ Jesus the Son of God whose Death hath had no influence upon his Life whose Blood he hath trampled under foot whose Sufferings he hath not much thought of whose Love hath made no great impression upon him whose Charity hath wrought in him no considerable tenderness to his Neighbour whose Presence in the Sacrament he hath undervalued and whose entreaties to become Wise unto Salvation and meek and humble and serious and blameless he hath stopt his Ears against and how little Mercy he must expect of that Judge whom to please he hath not been much concern'd This Kindness Sickness may be supposed to do to the unworthy Communicant viz. to put him in mind of his Death and future account and the Judge whose Body and Blood he hath profan'd and his anger and indignation against such Profanation and what can be supposed more effectual to promote Repentance and Godly Sorrow and new Resolutions to awake from the Dead that Christ may give him Life And therefore God makes use sometimes of Bodily Sickness to afflict the unworthy Communicant But where Death seizes on the unworthy Commnicant either before he can bethink himself or before a previous lingring Sickness hath melted and wrought his Heart into a Spiritual Life there the Man's case is deplorable indeed for to think that God will accept of his Death as a Satisfaction for his Sin and save him however is to make a new Divinity and to erect Principles which the Scripture knows nothing of 'T is true in some Cases where God cuts off a young Man in 〈◊〉 Flower of his Age a young Man I mean whose Liâ—e hath been blameless attended with holy Fears and a Conscientious Behaviour at home and abroad his untimely Death may be said to be a Temporal Affliction for some accidental Miscarriages and single Inadvertencies such as never swelled into an Habit or setled Approbation by which Affliction he is saved and freed from the greater Condemnation according to the Apostle's Rule 1 Cor. 11. 32. But when we are judged i e. with Temporal Judgments such as Sickness Weakness and Untimely Death whereof he had spoken Vers. 30. we are chasten'd of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World In this Case i.e. in Accidental Miscarriages God may be said to accept of the lesser for the greater Judgment upon his Account who died and rose again for those who hear his Voice But where the Sin is habitual rooted in the Heart hath invaded the Complexion and is allowed of and thought harmless and void of Hurt there an Untimely Death is no Security against Condemnation no Shelter against the Wrath to come How far it may abate or qualifie the future Indignation I am not able to say but it is no Deletory no Fortisication no Charm against that Storm III. But here a Difficulty will arise How a Person may know that the Sickness or Weakness of Body that is upon him comes upon him for his unworthy Receiving To which I answer 1. There is not a more ready Way to know it than by ransacking our Life and particularly our publick Devotions If in our present Sickness we find upon Examination that when we came formerly to the Supper of the Lord we came without any sincere Intent Desire or Resolution to be wrought into Love and Obedience to Christ Jesus by the Sight of his Cross and Death and Charity that we came and went away unconcerned unmoved untouched at this Medicamentum Immortalitatis this Physick of Immortality as St. Dennis calls it or that we thought that the Blessings promised to the Faithful and to those who strive and fight the good Fight would fall to our share and
Father and to look upon him as his God as his Lord and as his reconciled Father and this willingness is the Plant God loves to water with Celestial Dew Indeed it is a Plant of his own planting and an effect of his writing his Law in the inward Parts and upon that it follows I will forgive their iniquity and remember their Sins no more Jer. 31. 33 34. But this doth properly belong to the fourth preparatory Duty which is Self-resignation whereof more in the following Chapter The Preceding Considerations reduced to farther Practice I. COnfession of Sins is no such trivial slight and easie thing as Men commonly make of it The Confession that a great many Men make to God in Publick especially while their Thoughts are wandring their Eyes staring upon sensual Objects their Souls feeling no compunction no remorse no grief and their minds without any lively apprehension of God's Holiness and their own Vileness such Confessions instead of obtaining God's pardon and forgiveness are preparatives and attractives of his Indignation Alas Sinner that 's no Confession where thy Lips only speak thy Sorrow and Offences and thy Heart still goes after Covetousness In this case thou dost but speak into the Air whilst thou confessest not with shame and confusion of Face and with purposes strong and Masculine strong as Mount Sion to offend thy God wilfully no more such Confessions reach not the Throne of Grace and Mercy but like Smoke are dispers'd in the ascent and cause no delight but in the powers of Darkness who are glad to see thee play with Religion and jest with Devotion II. It is a certain Rule where Men are loth to forsake their Sins they will be loth to confess them too There are divers Actions of Human Life which being very pleasing to the Flesh and suited to the humour of the Age and such as preserve our Credit and Reputation with Men which we overlook take to be no Sins indeed are loth to be depriv'd of them and therefore do not so much as mention them in our Confessions Search thy Heart Christian and take a serious view of thy Dress thy Habit thy Looks thy Behaviour thy Speeches and thy Conversation and see whether thou hast not reason to suspect many things of being contrary to the stricter Rules of the Gospel yet thou art loth to know them loth to own them loth to confess them as Sins and all because thou hast no mind to part with them Thy wanton looks and glances thy lascivious gestures and postures and dresses thy striving for places and discontent at other Men's omitting to give thee the Honour thou fanciest to be due to thee thy despising and scorning thy Neighbour in thy Heart thy touchiness at Trifles thy secret Injustice thy careless and unprofitable Talk thy gaudy Attire which feeds thy Pride thy delight in imitating the looser and more wanton sort of People thy mispending thy Time in dangerous Sights and Recreations thy neglect of reading the Word and praying with thy Family thy easie exceptions at thy Neighbour's Actions thy wilful misconstructions of Men's words thy hidden things of dishonesty thy doing evil that good may come out of it thy extenuations of Sin thy putting favourable names upon what thou art loth to leave c. What Man of sense and who reads the Word of God but must suspect that these things and such like are disagreeable to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And yet because thou wouldst fain preserve and keep all these or some of these or others that are not unlike these thou art willingly ignorant of their sinfulness or wilfully forgettest them or dost carelesly pass them by and confessest only such Sins as thou canst not well avoid acknowledging Thou thinkest if once thou confessest these things to be Sins thou must be forc'd to leave them for indeed it is perfect impudence to tell God that I sin against him in such things and yet to go on in committing of them And therefore the only advice that can be given in this case is this Look upon Heaven as worth doing any thing to gain it and thou wilt not be afraid either of knowing thy particular Sins or of confessing of them or of bending the force and powers of thy Soul against their insinuations III. We may easily guess at the reason why a carnal Man wonders at the stir a Penitent keeps to be reconciled to God He sees not he knows not what Poison there is in Sin A Person who never troubled his Head much about Religion seeing a Man or Woman take on for their Offences accuse themselves condemn themselves and inflict Judgments of Fasting of Mortification and of Self-denial upon themselves no doubt will admire what ails the Fool to keep such a whining and howling and put himself to such needless troubles to recover the favour of God which he fancies is to be had at as easie a rate as Children's Smiles and Infants Tears Indeed if the love of God may be had with a wish and a Man could no sooner send for it but have it or were it a thing we could command to attend us at a minute's warning prostrations and lyings on the Ground and Sackcloth and Alms-giving in larger proportions and all the rigorous Ceremonies of Repentance would be Phantastical and a mere distemper of the Brain but when the Men whom God favoured much vouchsafed his Inspirations to and who conversed with the fountain of Wisdom with him that is the Way and the Life did all this and much more and recommended the same Acts of Mortification to their Successors and God himself expresses the welcome Dress of Repentance as to the External part in such things as these Jer. 6. 26. Jer. 7. 29. There we must give Men leave to laugh to wonder and to think us distemper'd for doing so Stange Men should not see the necessity of denying their Bodies in that ease and latitude they are so apt to take in order to a better Life when is evident that the Flesh in the Circumstances it is under naturally is in a continual fermentation of evil desires and covets altogether sensual satisfactions without considering whether they are agreeable to Reason or no and like Salomon's Horse-leech cries still Give Give And if a Man give his Eyes or Taste the pleasure they desire to day to morrow they shall still crave more so that if a severe Mortification do not stop and cast them off especially if he intends to be saved he will continue a carnal Man to his dying day It hath been the practice of all the Primitive Saints to inflict seasonable Judgments on themselves not one but the greatest part have taken that way and the reason is clear for we must become Saints by the Spirit of the Cross which is evidently a Spirit of Mortification both of Soul and Body The design of Holiness is to make us conformable to the temper of our Saviour and if his Spirit be