Chapter IV
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our
fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, &c. 1 COR.
X. 1-13.
Concerning the danger of unworthy receiving the Lord s supper, either
in being unfruitful, or living in lusts under the participation of it, I shall
add some considerations that both aggravate the sinfulness hereof, and so
heighten the danger of it; both which will appear if we consider
nature
the^
anf intent of this ordinance in the institution thereof, either on God s part,
or what is to be done by us on ours.
1st, On God s part, it is to represent and exhibit the whole of Christ as cru
cified for us, in the most direct, immediate, adequate, and expressive manner.
2dly, On our parts it is publicly to solemnise and shew forth his death,
and erect a fresh memorial of it, with profession of our interest in his
person, his death, and all the benefits thereof. Now, to sin against so
great obligations arising from both, how much must it aggravate our sin !
312 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK IY.
1. On God s part, in the institution of it, it represents these things to us.
(1.) It represents Christ in the most immediate and expressive manner, which will appear if we compare it with the other ordinance of the word read or preached. In the word read or heard, we have directly and first to do but with some truth, and so with Christ considered but either as the author and deliverer of that truth, or at most but as that particular truth concerneth him and treats of him, or of some particular benefit of his, or some excellency of his, or some action of his for us. And these are
singled out to be treated on by piece-meal, unto which our thoughts are required immediately to be intent, according as the matter thereof is ; yea, further, often some point of duty on our part ; yea, some discovery of some sin by the law, and our sinfulness, with the threatening annexed thereto, are treated of. All which are remote from Christ, and but as a school master to drive us, and that too upon second thoughts, rising up unto him and his person ; even as the sick thinks of the physician upon a second thought, after the sad apprehension, and a long and deep consideration of his own malady. But in this ordinance of the Lord s supper we have to do with Christ himself, his person, &c. We are put upon him, let into him immediately and directly, and are to converse with him, as a spouse with her husband, in the nearest intimacies. He is the image in that
glass, and not a glimmering collateral beam of him only which casteth a shine ; but the sun of righteousness itself is the direct and adequate sub
ject of that representation, and our eyes are called to view him with open face. Thn word preached is termed the word of Christ, Col. iii. and else where, but it is nowhere termed Christ ; no, nor is prayer or any other ordinance so named, but the rock was Christ, the bread is Christ, of which
he^says, This is my body, and of the wine, This is my blood ; yea, and
it is Christ entire, whole Christ. We have to deal with the whole of his person, the whole of his death, the whole of his benefits, promises ; yea, all that was purchased or procured by him. Yea, and we have to deal with all this in the most expressive, real manner; it is whole Christ represented as to the eye ; whereas a sermon, if it did represent whole Christ, yet it would be but to the ear; and you know things by the ear strike more dully and slowly, but by sight more really, and make a lasting impression : Mine eye affects my heart, as the psalmist speaks. (2.) It represents Christ also as crucified, which is the top and eminent subject of the gospel, 1 Cor. ii. 2 ; we see Christ glorious, and sitting at God s right hand in heaven, and yet we see him too as one dying and crucified. Yea, and it is that Christ who is now in glory who is repre sented as crucified. It is his death that is shewn forth herein, 1 Cor. xi. ; his body broken and his blood shed. Whilst one eye of faith is called to look up to his person as now in heaven glorious, and we see Jesus crowned with glory, &c., Heb. ii. (which is necessary, for where else can the soul find his person as existing, and so make an address unto heaven, but where he now is alive in heaven ?), with another eye we look back upon him as formerly hanging on a tree, bearing our sins in his body, bearing, and representing, and undertaking for our persons. Now, what a
sight is this ! and what a strong mixture of affections must needs accom pany a sight so strange
! Now, to raise up your thoughts a little, let me speak unto you in that language wherein Christ spake to the people concerning their going forth in troops to see John the Baptist as a sight of novelty, Mat. xi. 7, 9, thereby at once to reprove their common slight esteem of him, as also to
CHAP. IV.] IN THE HEAET AND LIFE.
raise them up to a true value of him. When you come to a sacrament,
< What do you go forth to see ? a thing of small value, a trine,
consider,
a reed shaken with the wind ? or that which is of some more moment, as
you would go to see an ambassador or gaudy courtier making his entrance
in state and splendid apparel? No, says Christ; I tell you, you saw a
prophet ; yea, more than a prophet. But this here is a sight of more
than all prophets, than that of all angels and saints (which we shall have
of them as assembled together at the latter day), if we could suppose it
without them ; yea, than of the glory of millions of worlds, if that could
be represented in the twinkling of an eye.
Let me say further, men use to flock to other sights, either that are
real, as to an ordinary execution, or some rare invention of men s art, or
else that are in show, as the acting over of some story that hath some
deep plot in it, or of some noble and heroic person ; the sum and height whereof comes to this, that such an one passeth through the lowest debase
ment, leaving* it and despising it with an unheard-of greatness of mind,
to the end to save his country, and to rescue his contracted spouse, fallen
into the utmost gulfs of dangers and miseries, and then" after that him
self riseth up to that glory which as a king or lord was his inheritance
originally ; and then to the participation thereof he pulls up his spouse, and crowns her with glory and honour in the sight of all the world. How
are men s fancies tickled and filled with the bare show, outward and empty
appearance of such a story acted to the life ! How long do they stick
therein ! How are their thoughts and discourses taken up therewith a
long while after ! Yea, and this where all that is presented concerning such a person doth nothing concern themselves. The person had no
relation, by race or country, or any way, to them ; yea, it is but a very
fiction. But here behold the greatest act or thing that ever the great God
did, or means to do for ever, set forth but once in this world, actually
performed in a few hours space, containing in it the deepest mystery,
plot, and contrivement that ever lay in the breast of God, or that his
wisdom can bring forth, and in which all his other counsels are bottomed and centred ; wherein also you have represented the King of kings, the
Lord of glory coming disguised in the likeness of sinful flesh from heaven
to redeem his church, his spouse, from sin, death, hell, and wrath, hang
ing on a tree, sustaining her person, bearing her crimes and miseries, and
for her sake encountering with and conquering thereby all his and her
enemies, and triumphing over and making an open show of devils led
captive, because they were her enemies and great seducers ; and then
flinging off that form of frail flesh, and in an instant appearing in the form
of God, sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, in so great a glory, as only the only begotten Son of God and Lord of glory was
capable to be arrayed withal, at the sight of which, and his first taking that place in heaven, all the angels of God fall down and worship him. Is
there any such sight elsewhere to be seen on earth ? Yea, doth heaven
itself afford such another, unless it be of him ? And is this a bare sight, an outward show, made to strike thy fancy ? Yea, is it not over and
above of the greatest concernment to thee ? This person who fills this
scene, and whose story it is, is of the nearest relation unto thee that ever
any was, thy Saviour, head, and husband. Yea, and these actings of his
that are therein presented, are of the highest moment to thee. Is not thine
eternal redemption, the cancelling the fatal sentence of thy condemnation,
* Qu. braving ? ED.
314 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK IV.
the taking away thy sins by his bearing of them, acted over before thee in thine own view ? Tua res agitur. Thou committest new sins every day, and still seest anew how the book is crossed by the lines of his blood drawn over them ; but these cross lines are like to those which are drawn with the juice of onions or lemons, not appearing until they are brought to this
light of the word, and then upon this occasion they rise up either more
dimly or more conspicuously unto faith s view. Either these things are
true, and true of thy soul, or thou art undone, thou art lost for ever, for thou hast ^an heart like to Gallic,- Acts xviii. 17, and regardest none of these things, and wilt not go over the threshold to see a thousand of such
sights.
But take a farther prospect, and consider, Is all this, in the intendment and institution of it, a mere presentation to the fancy and memory, as those of other stories are ? No ; they are real, and the most real unto
faith, as much as any sight thou seest of a thing when it is first done. The Holy Ghost is the presenter of this scene, and to a believing soul makes substantial and subsisting demonstrations of all these, and a thousand more concerning him ; for faith is the subsistence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. See how the apostle speaks
* Before whose eyes Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you, as if you had indeed stood and seen it. There is such an emphasis in those words,
: Gal. iii. 1,
4 crucified among you, that some have interpreted this scripture to mean their crucifying Christ by their apostasy, answerably to what he says Heb.
vi. 5. But it is spoken of the reality of the representation which the Holy Ghost makes. And Christ tells us as much concerning this ordinance of the Lord s supper
: John vi. 55, My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed. It is not fancy only, as when a man dreams he eats ; but if ever thou hast found a reality, a solidity, a subsistence in any meat thou hast ever eaten and digested, there is (according to Christ s institu
tion) a greater reality unto faith in this sacrament. The apostle also calls
faith a discerning the Lord s body, 1 Cor. xi. 29. Tell me then now, canst thou come to, and daily live under such a sight as this (which was on purpose appointed by God to renew the impression often, and to draw all men s hearts unto him, John xii. 32, and chap,
iii. 14, 15, compared), and then go away and sin, and live in thy lusts ? Or if thou dost, is it not an infinite aggravation of thy sins, if they be
willingly indulged unto, and can the danger be other than answerably great ? I shall but urge upon you that which Paul doth, Gal. iii. 1 : Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you ? He aggravates all by this, that it was a representation (or lively picturing, as the word
signifies) of Christ, and him as crucified ; and that so to the life, as it
ought to affect them. Yea, the thing in the nature of it was such and so
great, as should have made an impression never to be impaired. Paul stands wondering and aghast at it, looking on them as men that had not their common senses : Who hath bewitched you ? says he*; your stupidity must be from the super-addition of some evil spirit more than ordinary. Suppose thou hadst been an ocular witness and spectator of Christ s being crucified at Jerusalem, as Mary and John were, and thou hadst withal then known what had been the intent and purpose of God and Christ in
his being crucified ; yea, and thou hast believed it had been to take away thy sins and to save thy soul, or it could never be saved ; and thou hadst known all this, and meditated so on it upon the place all the while it was
CHAP. IV.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 315
a-doing, and hadst seen the nails knocked in, and thoughtest withal, Such
a sin which I have so often committed, is the hammer that reiterates these
strokes till they are driven unto the head ; and suppose Christ had said unto thee then, as he did to his mother, Woman, behold thy son,
Sinner, behold thy Saviour : all this is for thy sake and sins ; I hang here
bearing thy person, and thy body of sin is with mine nailed to the cross, and is crucifying together with it. Couldst thou have gone away from this
sight, and sinned again as formerly ? Yea, would not this sight have so
stuck with thee, as whenever thou wert about to sin, the thought and im
pression of it would still have risen up, and quelled it more than all the
prohibitions and the threatenings of the law ? Let me now make an home
push upon thee. Hast thou been at a sacrament ? and hadst thou true and
real faith? That faith did or would have set thee down by the cross, as Mary was ; and thou mightest stand by and behold all, and not only go over it
in a way of fancy as over any other story, but in a way of subsistence of
things not seen, as well past as present or to come. Conclude therefore
(as Paul doth, Gal. iii. 1) that it is some extraordinary spirit of wickedness and fascination, which hurries thee to go afterwards and sin again.
2. Let us consider the sacrament of the Lord s supper, as on our part celebrated. It is a public shewing forth by us his death, one to another, that partake in it ; and it is doing it before all others, in remembrance of
him, with profession that we hope and believe we are the persons for whom he hath done all this. This you have, 1 Cor. xi. 24-26, And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat ; this is my body, which is broken for you
: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood : this do ye, as often as you drink it, in remem brance of me. For as often as ye eat of this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord s death till he come. We do therefore avowedly give ourselves up to him, as his professed followers and disciples ;
* who thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again. This is the nature of your act in
it. His giving himself to death was his own act, but this is yours, viz., to
celebrate and perpetuate the memorial of it. Compare this a little with
the passover instituted upon their coming forth out of Egypt
: Exod. xiii. 8, Thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did to me when I came forth out of Egypt (commemorating all the deliverance),
* and it shall be a sign upon thine hand, and a memorial
before thine eyes, that the law of God may be in thy mouth, &c. And when a Jew had taken a passover, and understood this to be the intent of
it, and then looked but upon his ten commandments (the preface whereto
is this, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Egypt, and so in the
force thereof sets on every command, both against sin and for duty), what a renewal of solemn obligation did that ordinance of the passover, the seal and memorial hereof, rise unto ! Now then, a Christian who
joins in celebrating the Lord s supper (and therein, in a clearer manner than the passover, shews forth the Lord s death), cannot but discern that
the action and intent of it speaks, that this is done because of that which
the Lord did to Christ for me ; and this is a sign and a memorial I am to
carry with me ever in my eye, that the love of God may be in my heart, and held forth in my life in suitable obedience. This is, and ought to be, the preface writ over every duty, or prohibition of every sin ; and thy con-
316 OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK IV.
science necessarily dictates to thee, I must carry the memorial of this in my hand, lest I put forth that to wickedness which I stretch forth to lay hold on that sacramental Christ. This is to be continually in mine eyes as a remembrancer, that look as if a dead father, who at his death had
given such and such instructions and commands to his son, should often
appear to him, or appoint a glass in which, when he looked, he presently would appear to him therein, on purpose to mind him of his commands, and oblige him to them ; this is the nature of that ordinance concerning Christ to me. What says Christ ? John xv. 14, If you be my friends, keep my commandments ; and it is edged with this,
* No man hath greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends. Oh how would we carry in our eye the apparitions Christ makes and gives at a sacrament, or offers to give unto us if we brought faith ! And if we are about to sin, the
thoughts of Christ crucified, as renewed at such a sacrament, do or should come in and haunt us. And if we should notwithstanding indulge sin, and not divert from it, how do we aggravate thereby our sins against him, and provoke and tempt him ! For if Christ crucified thus so oft appears and stands in our way, and yet we go on to sin, it is worse than what the dumb ass did at the apparition of an angel, and as bad as Balaam s course was, who was reproved. This we are too apt to do, and therefore he bids us to renew often this remembrance of him : As oft as ye do this, 1 Cor. xi. 27. As the apparitions made to the patriarchs, all the ordinances of the Old Testament, and the obligations of them, are nothing unto this in comparison, by reason of the knowledge we have of Christ that accompanies this sacra ment. And yet you read how heinously God took the sinnings of Solomon, that had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings xi. 9. And what sad punish ment for transgressings after ordinances or obligations for temporal mercies held forth thereby, did the Israelites incur ! But now all the wondrous works and deliverances out of Egypt are but trifles unto this our salvation by Christ, commemorated in this sacrament.
2. Add to this, that on our parts we take an oath of fidelity to Jesus Christ in the most solemn manner, and we do it upon these considerations and obligations specified. You know the name of sacrament was given to this ordinance by the ancients upon this account ; and (as I think) there
is some aspect from Scripture that looks that way ; for Paul having dis coursed of baptism, and the import of it as an obligation to holiness and
obedience, Rom. vi. 8-13, he then subjoins thereto as the consequent thereof, how every such Christian had, as a soldier and servant, yielded up himself and his weapons or arms (so he calls his members, ver. 13), as weapons of righteousness unto God and Christ as his captain. You know what was the law of a soldier, 2 Tim. ii. 4 ; he gave himself up, and that by oath, to please him that had chosen him to be a soldier. You know the severity and danger of martial law in the case of running away or
stepping aside. Now at every sacrament thou art drawn into an oath to
Christ, thou avouchest him to be thy Saviour, as they, Deut. xxvi. 17, 18, are said to do at the offering the first-fruits :
* Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his
statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice : and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. Thou forsvvearest all thy sins, and you know the danger of perjury, especially when it is the breach of such an oath, so oft renewed, and upon so solemn occasions.
CHAP. IV.] IN THE HEART AND LIFE. 817
8. I shall now spread the danger before you, as the apostle hath set it
forth, 1 Cor. xi. By going on in thy lusts thou becomest guilty of the
body and blood of Christ, 1 Cor. xi. 27 ; that is, thou dost in effect do
that which the Jews did in crucifying him ; and how heavy a sin that was
to that nation, the curse ever since shews. What an heavy imprecation was that ! His blood be upon us and our children. The blood of any man is valuable, the blood of a saint is much more precious to God, Ps.
cxvi. ; but the blood of Christ, by which God redeemed us all as with a
sufficient price, is much more precious. Now to have the guilt of this lie on thee, Oh think what it is ! By this thou becomest guilty of his blood, both by evacuating the shedding of it (as Paul says, then Christ died in
vain ), and also by fostering that which was the cause of his crucifying,
viz., thy sins, whereby thou makest thyself an abetter of that barbarous murder ; also by profaning that blood in undervaluing it, by preferring
thy lust before it thou puttest Christ again to open shame, Heb. vi. 6,
x. 29 ; for as by thy joining in the sacrament thou didst undertake publicly to shew forth his death as undergone for thee and thy sins, so by scandalous sins thou dost as publicly contradict thine own act, and shamest him by doing the contrary unto what that death was intended for by him, and unto what thy celebration of the ordinance tended on thy part ; thou
defilest not only the temple of God on earth, the church of Christ, and
body of saints (and such an offender will God destroy, 1 Cor. iii. 17), but
thou disgracest the person of Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead
dwells bodily, and who is the tabernacle of God in heaven, Heb. ix. 11.
This is the height of popish blasphemy, Rev. xiii. 6. The blood of the
sacrifices under the old law, which were in their signification an holy thing, were made by men s sinnings that offered them but as the cutting off a
dog s neck, and so but as dogs blood (as Isaiah says). But now in the New Testament the blood which thou dishonourest is Christ s blood,
that hath been sacrificed first for thee, and by living in thy lusts thou dost shew that thou accountest it but as dogs blood. Thou art guilty of that
blood also, by making that ordinance (appointed to so high ends) to repre sent a mere nullity, and of none effect. For in the like case says Paul,
1 Cor. xi. 20, this is not to eat the Lord s supper ; and ver. 27, it is termed but eating of bread, not the body of Christ, for it is but bare common
bread to such an one ; even as he accounted that body and blood but as a common thing, in still preferring his lusts thereto.
Yea, such a man eats and drinks damnation to himself, ver. 28 of that
chapter. Temporal judgments are often inflicted on the godly, and on the
wicked eternal. I will curse your blessings, says God in the prophet ; and it is a certain truth that what is intended as the greatest blessing, if
abused, is turned into the greatest curse. And to have the fulness of the
blessing of the gospel, which Christ by being made a curse purchased, turned into a curse, how great a curse must that be ! Thou eatest and
drinkest poison if thou comest in thy sins, or if thy participation of the
ordinance doth thee no good against thy sins ; and so thou art guilty of
thine own death and soul s blood also, as well as of Christ s death. It
will rot thy soul, as the water the woman drank did her, Num. v. 27, 28. So shall thy soul be cursed if thou returnest not. And whereas thou pro-
fessest to come to remember Christ, and his death and suffering, God is
provoked thereby to remember all thy sins : Hosea viii. 13, At their
sacrifices now will he remember their iniquity.
OF GOSPEL HOLINESS [BOOK IV.