る fits procured to us by his death; which are, forgiveness of our offences; for he hath said, "This 66 is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for the remission of sins:"1 increase of the gra cious influences of the Holy Ghost: for the Apos tle hath said, plainly speaking of this ordinance, that 66 we are all made to drink into one spirit:" and everlasting life; for "whoso eateth his flesh, "and drinketh his blood, dwelleth in Christ, and "Christ in him, and he will raise him up at the "last day." Whence a father of the apostolic age, Ignatius, calls the Eucharist, "the medicine of immortality; a preservative that we should "not die, but live for ever in Jesus Christ." 4 But then what hath been already hinted to you must be always carefully observed; that these benefits are to be expected only by partaking worthily of it; for he that eatheth and drinketh un"worthily," St. Paul hath told us, "is guilty of "the body and blood of the Lord," that is, guilty of irreverence towards it, and "eateth and drinketh judgment to himself."6 Our translation indeed hath it, "damnation to himself." But there is so great danger of this last word being understood here in too strong a sense, that it would be much safer, and exacter, to translate it, (as it is often translated elsewhere, and once in a few verses after this passage, and from what follows ought undeniably to be translated here) judgment or condemnation; not to certain punishment to another life, but to such marks of God's displeasure as he sees fit; which will be confined to this world, or extended to the next, as the case requires. For receiving unworthily" may, according to the kind and degree of it, be either a very great sin, or comparatively a small one. But all dan (1) Matt. xxvi. 28. (2) 1 Cor. xii. 13. (3) John vi. 54, 56. (4) Ign. ad Eph. c. 20. See Waterland on the Eucharist, p. 217. (5) 1 Cor. xi. 27. (6) 1. Cor. xi. 29. gerous kinds and degrees may with ease be avoided, if we only take care to come to the Sacrament with proper dispositions, and which will follow of course, to behave at it in a proper manner. To these dispositions our Catechism proceeds. But more is needful to be known concerning them than can well be laid before you now. Therefore I shall conclude at present with desiring you to observe, that no unworthiness, but our own, can possibly endanger us, or prevent our receiving benefit. Doubtless it would both be more pleasing and more edifying to come to "the table of "the Lord" in company with such only as are qualified for a place at it: and they, who are unqualified, ought, when they properly can, to be restrained from it. But we have neither direction nor permission to stay away, because others come who should not; nor can they ever be so effectually excluded, but that tares will be mixed " among "the wheat;" and attempting to "root them up," may often be more hurtful than "letting both grow together until the harvest." Nay, should even "the stewards" and dispensers "of God's "mysteries" be unholy persons; though it be a grievous temptation to others to "abhor the offer ing of the Lord," yet that is holy still. "They "shall bear their iniquity;" but notwithstanding "all the promises" of all God's ordinances "are yea and amen," sure and certain," in Jesus "Christ," to as many as "worship him in spirit "and in truth." 3 2 (7) 1 Cor. x. 21. (1) 1 Sam. ii. 17. (8) Mat. xiii. 28-30. (9) 1 Cor. iv. 2. (3) John iv. 23. LECTURE XXXVIII. Lord's Supper. PART III. WHAT qualifications and dispositions are required of them who come to the Lord's Supper, the Scripture hath not particularly expressed; for they are easily collected from the nature of this ordinance. But our Catechism, in its fifth and last answer concerning it, hath reduced them very justly to three; repentance, faith, and charity. 1. "That we repent us truly of our former sins, "stedfastly purposing to lead a new life." For as we are by nature prone to sin; and the youngest and best amongst us have in more instances than a few been guilty of it, the less the better; so in Christianity, repentance is the foundation of every thing. Now the sorrow that we ought to feel for the least sin, must be a very serious one; and for greater offences in proportion deeper. But the vehemence and passionateness of grief will, on every occasion, and particularly on this, be extremely different in different persons. And therefore all that God expects is a sincere, though it may be a calm, concern for every past fault, of which we are conscious; and for the multitudes, which we have either not observed, or forgotten. And this concern must proceed from a sense of duty, and produce the good effects of an humble confession to him in all cases, and to our fellowcreatures, in all cases needful; of restitution for the injuries that we have done, so far as it is possible; and of a settled resolution to amend our hearts and lives, wherever it is wanting. More than this we cannot do; and less than this God cannot accept. For it would be giving us a li cence to disobey him, if he allowed us to come to his table and profess to "have fellowship with "him," while we walked in darkness." Mere infirmities indeed, and undesigned frailties, provided we strive against them with any good degree of honest care, and humble ourselves in the divine presence for them, so far as we are sensible of them, will not provoke God to reject us as unworthy receivers, though in strictness we are all unworthy. For if such failures as these made persons unfit, nobody could be fit. And therefore they will be no excuse for omitting what Christ hath commanded; nor can be any reason why we should not do it with comfort. But whoever lives in any wilful sin, cannot safely come to the holy Sacrament; nor, which I beg you to observe, can he safely stay away. For, as the hypocrisy of professing amendment falsely at God's table is a great sin; so the profaneness of turning our backs upon it, because we will not amend, is to the full as great a one; and it is the meerest folly in the world to chuse either as the safer way; for a wicked person can be safe no way. But let him resolve to quit his wickedness, and when he is thoroughly sure, so far as he can judge from a competent experience, that he hath resolved upon it effectually, then he may as safely receive as he can say his prayers. And such one should come, not with servile fear as to a hard master; but with willing duty, as to a merciful Father. Nay, should he afterwards break his resolutions, though doubtless it would be the justest cause of heavy grief, yet it would not prove that he received unworthily, but only that he hath behaved unworthily since he received. And the thing for him to do is, to lament his fault with deeper contrition, renew his good purposes more firmly, pray for help from above with (1) 1 John i. 6. more earnestness, watch over himself with more prudent care; then go again to God's altar, thankfully commemorate his pardoning love, and claim anew the benefit of his gracious covenant. Following this course honestly, he will assuredly gain ground. And therefore such as do not gain ground, do not follow it honestly; but allow themselves to go round in a circle of sinning, then repenting, as they call it, and communicating, then sinning again; as if every communion did of course wipe off the old score, and so they might begin a new one without scruple; which is the absurdest, the most irreligious, the most fatal imagination that can be. II. The next thing required of them who come to the Lord's Supper, "is a lively faith in God's "mercy through Christ, with a thankful remem"brance of his death." And the faith necessary is, a settled persuasion, that, for the sake of the meritorious obedience and sufferings of our blessed Redeemer, God will pardon true penitents'; together with a comfortable trust that we, as such, have an interest in his merits. But here again you must observe, that different persons may have very different degrees of this persuasion or trust. Some may be "weak in faith ;" 2 may have cause to say with him in the Gospel of St. Mark, "Lord "I believe, help thou mine unbelief;" and yet their prayers, like his, may be graciously heard. Others may be "strong," and "increase," till they "abound in faith." 6 And such have great reason to be thankful to God for themselves; but surely they ought not to judge hardly of their brethren, who have not advanced so far. The rule of judging, both in the Catechism and the Scripture, is not by the positiveness, but the liveliness, of your faith; that is, the fruits of a 3 5 (4) Rom. iv. 20. (6) Col. ii. 7. |