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diff --git a/42288-0.txt b/42288-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e712fcb --- /dev/null +++ b/42288-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1045 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Communion and Communicant, by Edward Hoare + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Communion and Communicant + + +Author: Edward Hoare + + + +Release Date: March 9, 2013 [eBook #42288] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANT*** + + +Transcribed from the 1847 J. Hatchard edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org. Many thanks to Ramsgate Library for allowing their +copy to be used for this transcription. + + + + + + THE + COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANT. + + + * * * * * + + BY THE + REV. EDWARD HOARE, A.M., + INCUMBENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, RAMSGATE. + + * * * * * + + LONDON: + J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY, + MDCCCXLVII. + + * * * * * + + + + +BY THE SAME AUTHOR. + + +THE SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES of our PROTESTANT CHURCH. Second Edition. +Price 3_s._ + +THE TIME of the END; or, The World, the Visible Church, and the People of +God, at the Advent of the Lord. Third Edition. Price 1_s._ 6_d._ + +BAPTISM, as Taught in the Bible and the Prayer-Book. No. 6.—Tracts for +Churchmen. Second Edition. Price 2½_d._ + + + + +THE COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANT. + + +THERE is no institution more delightful to the Christian than the holy +sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. It is a touching remembrance of a +Redeemer’s love—a refreshing means of grace to the soul—a happy communion +of the Lord’s believing family—and a gladdening foretaste of the marriage +supper of the Lamb. With what heartfelt gratitude should believers +rejoice in such a feast! + +But it is not to all a feast of joy. Some neglect it from a total want +of inclination; some receive it in a careless, worldly spirit, and to +them it soon becomes an empty form, like a vessel in which is no water; +while others regard it as an awful mystery—as something too high for such +as they are, and, like the holy of holies in the temple, beyond the reach +of common men. + +This sense of mysterious awe may be traced, in great measure, to the +startling words of St. Paul in 1 Cor. xi.. 29, “He that eateth and +drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not +discerning the Lord’s body.” Nor can there be any question, that the +impression made by such strong and fearful language should be that of the +deepest possible solemnity. St. Paul spoke by inspiration, and that man +must indeed be a bold transgressor, who does not feel awed and solemnized +when he reads such a caution from the Holy Ghost. But yet the Christian +is not right if he lays aside the subject under the first sense of solemn +awe, or excludes himself from a delightful privilege, because he sees +solemnity in the ordinance, and apprehends some possible danger in its +misuse. He ought rather to take the Word of God, and study it carefully, +in order to ascertain the real nature of the service, and the kind of +character to which the words refer. This is the course for sensible and +right-minded men; and to assist such in this investigation, is the object +of the present tract. + +There are five passages in the Bible distinctly referring to the Lord’s +Supper, as an appointed institution in the Church, namely, Matt. xxvi. +26–29; Mark xiv. 22–25; Luke xxii. 13–20; 1 Cor. x. 16–21; and xi. 18–34. +{4} As the last of these is much the fullest, it may be well to adopt it +as the basis of our enquiry; and we shall be able to learn from it the +authority and nature of the Lord’s Supper, the danger of coming +unworthily, and the character of those who do so. + +I. The AUTHORITY. + +It is not a scheme of man’s contrivance, or the result of merely human +wisdom, but was ordained by our blessed Lord himself, and enjoined on his +people by his twice repeated words. + +The first occasion was on the night before his crucifixion, when he was +eating the Paschal Supper with his disciples. He then gave them bread +and wine, and said, “This do in remembrance of me.” Here, therefore, is +his own plain command—and one command from him is enough for the +Christian. + +But He did not leave the subject there; for after his ascension to the +right hand of God, he was still mindful of his sacrament, and repeated +his command by express revelation to St. Paul. He had already spoken +plainly, so that none could mistake him; and three evangelists had left +his words in writing, so that none could doubt as to his language: but +yet, as if to prevent the possibility either of forgetfulness or mistake, +when he called a new servant to his apostleship, he made to him a second +revelation of his will; for on turning to verse 23, we find that St. Paul +did not receive the doctrine of the sacrament from those who were +apostles before him, but from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. “_I +received of the Lord_ that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord +Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: 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 oft as ye drink it in remembrance of +me.” + +Now, to those who are anxious to know how they ought to act, these twice +repeated words of Jesus surely give a simple answer. Some persons think +it safer to abstain and wait; but is it not the safest thing simply to +obey the commands of Jesus? To follow your own judgment, and to give way +to doubts and fears, can never be so safe as to throw yourself like a +little child at the feet of your Saviour, and there say, “Speak, Lord, +for thy servant heareth.” You wish to be Christ’s disciple, so begin at +once to do what Christ commands. + +II. The NATURE. + +The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is, + +(1.) _An act of remembrance_. When our Lord gave the bread and wine to +his disciples, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me:” and when they are +given to us, we receive them in remembrance of Christ. We know in common +life what a value we put upon any token of affection, on a book, ring, or +picture, which has been given as a memorial by some dear departed friend. +It becomes sacred in proportion to our love for those who gave it, and +when that love is strong we care far more for it than for other things of +incomparably greater value. This act is a memorial or remembrance of +Christ; an outward sign to show how much we love him. He is in heaven at +the right hand of God, so that none can see him; but, while the world +rejects him, we remember him; and when we receive that bread and wine, we +set to our seal that he is our soul’s beloved, that we live on his grace, +and can never forget his mercy. + +But we do not merely show our remembrance of his person and character; +the communion is especially a remembrance of his death. It was appointed +on the very night before his crucifixion, and the broken bread represents +his body crucified, while the wine is a figure of his blood so freely +shed for our sins. “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, +ye do show the Lord’s _death_ until he come.”—Verse 26. Now, there never +was an act so full of love as that; the world’s whole history contains +nothing like it; the Son of God endured the curse of rebel man. Nor did +anything ever done so closely affect our deepest interests; our whole +hope of eternal life depends on what he then endured for us. Had he not +suffered in our stead, we had all surely perished; but now, because he +has borne that curse which we deserve, believing in him we are no less +surely safe. Never, therefore, must that death of Christ be forgotten or +disregarded by the Christian; it is our hope, our life, and only source +of peace; and that man must have known little of a Saviour’s grace who +does not desire to “bind it as a sign upon his hand,” and to let it be +“as frontlets between his eyes.” Now, when we take the bread and wine we +express before the world our thankful remembrance of his grace; we +declare before men the deep fidelity of our grateful love. We may show +our gratitude either by words or actions. This is an action to denote +the deep affection of those who live by faith, a visible utterance of +their unseen and unceasing gratitude. + +(2.) It is _a means of spiritual food and sustenance_. The soul +requires to be fed as well as the body, and without food the one will die +quite as quickly as the other, for neither soul nor body has life in +itself. And as the body lives by outward food, so the believing soul +feeds on Christ. He is the living bread which came down from heaven, the +heavenly manna provided for his people throughout the wilderness. “I am +the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this +bread he shall live for ever.” Now, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper +is a divinely appointed means whereby believers feed on Christ. We do +not mean that there is anything particular in the bread or in the wine, +anything remarkable or mysterious in the elements received which conveys +a blessing, for they are nothing more than plain simple bread and wine, +which nourish the body and that only. But when with the lips we receive +those elements in faith, the Holy Ghost within the heart is graciously +pleased to pour life into the soul. According to the language of the +28th Article, “The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the +supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean +whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is +faith.” + +That there is no actual change in the bread and wine is perfectly plain +from the single fact, that they are always called “bread” and “wine” in +Scripture _after_ their consecration in the sacrament. In this and the +preceding chapter there are no less than four passages in which the food +which communicants receive, is called by the simple name of “bread.” + + x. 17. “We are all partakers of that _bread_.” + xi. 26. “As often as ye eat this _bread_.” + 27. “Whosoever shall eat this _bread_.” + 28. “So let him eat of that _bread_.” + +And so also with the wine. Our Lord said of it, _after_ the +consecration, (Matt. xxvi. 29,) “I will not drink any more of this _fruit +of the vine_ until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s +kingdom.” The bread, therefore, is still bread, and the wine still +wine—unchanged in all respects; the same in substance, and the same in +property, as before their consecration to the Lord’s service in the +sacrament. They are set apart for a holy use, and therefore should be +treated reverently, like the house of God itself. But they are no more +changed in nature than were the stones and woodwork of the building, when +it was solemnly consecrated to be a church for the Lord. + +What, then, is the meaning of our Lord’s words, “This is my body,” and +“This is my blood?” That they did not mean that the bread and wine were +changed into body and blood is evident, for such an interpretation would +contradict the plain language of the Bible: and that they do mean, that +the bread and wine were signs, emblems, or figures of his body and blood, +is equally plain from the language of our Lord; for in ver. 25, we read, +“This cup is the New Testament in my blood.” Now these words must be +figurative, for none suppose that the cup was changed into the New +Testament; and their only possible meaning is, that the wine in the cup +was a figure or emblem of the blood of the covenant. So, also, must it +be with the bread. The words are quite as plain and positive in one case +as in the other. “This is my body,”—“This is the New Testament;” and as +they were spoken by the same person, on the same occasion, to the same +company, and with the same object, it is clear that they mean the same +thing, namely, that the bread is a figure of the body, as the wine is a +figure of the blood. + +If a person were showing a gallery of pictures, he might say, “This is +St. Paul,” “This is St. Peter,” and “This is St. John;” and he would mean +thereby, that those pictures on the canvass were representations of the +persons whose names they bore. So, again, when our Lord said, “I am the +vine,” and “I am the door,” he did not mean that he was a real vine, or a +real door, but that the vine and door were figures and emblems of his +offices. So also in the Lord’s Supper, when he said, “This is my body,” +and “This is my blood,” he did not mean that the bread and wine were +changed into real flesh or real blood, but that they were signs and +emblems of his blessed work, of his body broken, and his blood so freely +shed for man. + +It is not, therefore, from any mystical property in the bread and wine +themselves that we expect a blessing, but from the act of receiving them +in obedience and faith. In the way of his judgments, we then wait on +Christ, and trust to him to nourish our souls with grace. We do not +expect to feed in any literal, carnal, or material manner, but we do +expect, that while with the body we receive the bread in faith, our souls +will receive Christ; and when with the lips we drink the wine, the heart +will be made by the Holy Ghost partaker of his blood. Thus, to hungering +and thirsting souls, the communion becomes inestimably precious. When we +feel our weakness, we rejoice to come before him that we may be +strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; when we know, +that without Christ we must perish, we count it our highest joy to wait +on his love as he has told us, that the fainting soul may feed on him by +faith. And he does strengthen and refresh the souls of his people; he +meets and communes with them from the mercy-seat; he grants to each the +needful grace, and oftentimes sends them back rejoicing to their homes, +and saying, “It has been good for me that I have been there.” + +(3.) There is a third point of view in which the Lord’s Supper is +presented in the passage, viz., _as a foretaste of the marriage supper of +the Lamb_. “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do +shew the Lord’s death _till he come_.” The line of sacraments forms, as +it were, the long chain connecting the first and second advents, and each +celebration has a reference both to the present, past, and future; to the +present, for we cast the sins and burdens of the day before the footstool +of a present Advocate; to the past, for the heart is full with the +thankful recollection of his death; and to the future, for our present +delightful communion is a faint, but true image of the blessedness of +that glorious hour, when the whole company of God’s elect shall be +gathered in to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The sacraments are very +peaceful, but they are not to last for ever; they are to be observed for +a given time, till the Lord come. Then, + + “Faith will be sweetly lost in sight, + And hope in full supreme delight + And everlasting love.” + +We now bow down to hold communion with Christ, but then we shall behold +him as he is, in all his love and all his majesty; we now meet with God’s +people in the affectionate sympathy of a common faith, but then we shall +reign with the vast multitude of God’s chosen saints in the triumphant +fellowship of a common glory. And to those who long for the reality, +there is delightful encouragement in partaking of the figure. They then +lay hold on the chain that reaches heaven; they take to themselves God’s +emblems, and receive them in faith as pledges and tokens of the final +fulfilment of his promises. + +There is, therefore, every inducement to partake of this delightful +sacrament; and whether we regard its high authority, viz., the Lord’s +express command, or its sacred nature, as a service of remembrance, a +means of spiritual nourishment, and a foretaste of the marriage supper of +the Lamb, we may well wonder how any true believer can forego the +enjoyment of such a privilege. But yet we must not suppose that the +simple act of coming to the Lord’s Supper can secure these blessings, +for, as we read in ver. 17, we may “come together, not for the better, +but for the worse.” Nay, more, it is expressly declared, in ver. 29, “He +that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to +himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” These are solemn and most +important words; enough to startle inquirers, and to make all mere +professors tremble; nor can any man who fears God presume to read them +lightly. They suggest two most important subjects of inquiry,—What do +they mean? and, To whom do they apply? + +III. WHAT DO THEY MEAN? OR, THE DANGER OF EATING AND DRINKING +UNWORTHILY. + +In endeavouring to ascertain what the passage really means, our best +course will be to refer at once to the context; for, however valuable be +human explanations, there is no expositor of the Bible so good as the +Bible itself. The word rendered “damnation” in the text, is translated +“judgment” in the margin of our Bibles, and for the following reason. +There are two sorts of judgments mentioned in the Scripture,—the +chastisement of God’s children, and the final punishment of the wicked. +Of these, the chastisement is laid on those whom God loves; “Whom the +Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Heb. xii. 6); but the final punishment is on +the unbelieving. Chastisement is limited and proportioned to his +people’s strength, whereas the final punishment is an unmixed cup of +horror. Chastisement is for the improvement and sanctification of those +who are to reign with Christ; the final punishment is for the vindication +of God’s righteous law. And chastisement takes place here in the form of +sickness, suffering, and sorrow; whereas, the final punishment is in +eternal fire. Now, it must be allowed that the word “damnation” conveys +the idea of this most awful and final punishment, and many minds have +been thereby unduly alarmed upon the subject. But the context seems to +teach us that the leading idea in the apostle’s mind was chastisement for +he proceeds to say—“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, +and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves we should not be judged. +But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be +condemned with the world.” It is plain that he here speaks of +chastisement. He says expressly, “we are chastened;” he describes it as +temporal affliction in this present life; and he teaches that it is sent +for the express purpose of saving us from final ruin, “that we should not +be condemned with the world.” {13} + +This, then, we are bound to regard as the accurate and literal meaning of +the text; and, although there cannot be the slightest doubt that a man +may, by the repeated abuse of holy things, and by approaching the Lord’s +table in a worldly and carnal spirit, so sear and harden his conscience, +that he may be truly said to eat and drink his own damnation in the most +awful sense of the words, we venture to believe that such is not the +meaning of this present passage, but that it describes the chastening of +God’s children in this present life, not as the commencement of final +ruin, but as a correction sent in mercy to prevent their falling into the +irrecoverable condemnation of the wicked. + +But whatever be the character of the judgments, the awakened conscience +must tremble at the thought of “eating and drinking unworthily.” To be +“guilty of the body and blood of the Lord,” is a sin so grievous, that if +there were no judgment of any kind connected with it, the broken heart +must shudder at the possibility of its heinous guilt. If there be any +love of Christ in our souls, we shall not require the fear of judgment to +awaken grief and horror at the most distant thoughts of such a sin. +Converted men think more of sins than punishments. + +We must inquire, therefore, + +IV. TO WHAT CHARACTERS THE WORDS APPLY? + +For the answer to this question we must again refer to the passage +itself, and we shall find that, + +(1.) They apply to those who are living in _strife and schism_. As +members of the Church of Christ, we are children in God’s family, and at +the Lord’s communion we meet as brethren around the Father’s table. It +is plain, therefore, that love should reign there. We should be knit to +each other in holy love, as each one is knit to Christ by faith; and +whoever breaks the bond of love dishonours Christ, and comes unworthily +to the communion. Nor is this said on man’s authority, for this was one +of the very sins committed and condemned at Corinth. “For first of all,” +says St. Paul, v. 18, “when ye come together in the church, I hear that +there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.” Of these +divisions it is important to remark that they were not such as led to any +outward and visible separation, for they came together to the same +church, and knelt together at the same table; but they did not love each +other; there was strife and party temper amongst them; an inward spirit +of unkindness combined with the outward act of love; and so they came +together not for the better but for the worse. Here, therefore, we have +a simple answer for inquirers. If they are living in strife or enmity, +harbouring the spirit of revenge, unable to forgive some offending +brother, or giving way to a party spirit, they will then eat and drink +unworthily, and they had better refrain till they can obey their master’s +precept—“First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy +gift.” + +(2.) A second character to which the words apply is the man who can +receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper _without regard to the sacred +nature of the service_. Such characters are clearly described in v. 20, +21:—“When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat +the Lord’s Supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own +supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” In the present day +it is quite impossible that any person should commit the actual sin here +described. The mode in which the sacrament is administered and the laws +of society alike prevent all risk of such an outrage. But the state of +heart which led to it is perfectly possible, and, rightly to understand +the meaning of the passage, we must consider not so much the outward +acts, which were peculiar to the Corinthians, as the inward motives and +dispositions, which by nature may be common to us all. Now these are +described in ver. 29:—“Not discerning the Lord’s body.” They ate and +drank without regarding the deep solemnity of the holy sacrifice which +the communion was appointed to commemorate; nor did they come there with +any desire, as hungering and thirsting souls, to feed upon their Saviour +by faith. They lost sight of his grace and sufferings in the pursuit of +their own ends, and the gratification of their own appetites. When, +therefore, persons come to the Lord’s table in a light, frivolous, or +careless spirit; either that they may not appear less religious than +their companions; or because it is the habit of the family, the wish of +their masters, or a becoming act in their rank and station; but without +any deep feeling of the love and work of Christ Jesus; there is too much +reason to fear that the text applies in all its awful force to them. + +And this suggests the extreme caution with which individuals should be +urged to become communicants. Masters will, sometimes, show great zeal +in persuading servants to attend the sacrament, and parents will bring +their children thither as a matter of course, on their attainment of a +certain age. Yet such children or servants may be unconverted persons, +not discerning the Lord’s body; in danger, therefore, of coming +unworthily to the table. Begin, therefore, at the right end, and strive +first for their conversion to Christ. + +(3.) So, also, it applies to those what are _living in presumptuous +sin_,—drunkards, fornicators, unclean persons, dishonest men in trade, +and such like. By allowing themselves in such practices, they crucify to +themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. In +coming to his table they profess that they know him, but in the allowance +of their lust they by works deny him. In coming, therefore, to the +Lord’s table, they do but dishonour his holy name; nor can we avoid the +sad conclusion that they come there unworthily, and according to the +language of the text, “are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” We +dare not, therefore, advise such characters to become communicants, for +they cannot do so without imminent peril to their soul. According to the +language of our Church, “If any of you be a blasphemer of God, an +hinderer or slanderer of his word, an adulterer, or be in malice, or +envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else +come not to that holy table.” + +But we must not here leave the case of those unhappy men. They cannot +come worthily to the communion. For what, then, are they worthy? To +pray? to die? to appear before the Lord at his coming? How will that +angry temper, or that darling sin, appear before the heart-searching God +of Glory? Will it be less deadly then than now? If it now excludes you +from his communion, how will it then fare with you in his kingdom? If ye +be now so in love with sin that ye cannot commemorate redemption, what +interest do ye suppose ye have in Christ’s atonement? If ye know so +little of the cross of Christ, what can ye expect in his coming kingdom? +We do not say that none can be saved who do not attend the Sacrament of +the Lord’s Supper; but we do say, without the smallest hesitation, that +none will be saved who are found so wedded to their sins that they cannot +receive it worthily. + +But there are many tender consciences in the Church of Christ, and many +hopeful persons who are apt to write hard things against themselves. +Such persons will sometimes so deeply feel the solemnity of the warning, +that they tremble at the thoughts of communion, and because they see in +themselves great defects, are afraid lest possibly they should come +unworthily to that sacred feast. Such a conscientious spirit must be +respected greatly, and treated tenderly; it is much more hopeful than +when persons regard the thing without a fear. It is, important, however, +to avoid a mistaken dread, and great care is needful lest such characters +should be debarred from that which is designed for their especial +benefit. It may be well, therefore, to examine a few of those cases to +which the words are sometimes applied in practice, though not in +Scripture. + +(1.) They do not apply to persons _actively engaged in the business of +life_. It has pleased God to place us in a world in which we are +surrounded by various cares and duties. Some are in business, and have +their minds constantly occupied by its management; some are servants, and +required to work hard throughout the week; and others have so much to do +in the maintenance and management of their families, that their hands are +completely full, and their thoughts engrossed by the necessary +engagements of the day. In such cases persons often feel that they had +rather wait until they are more at leisure. They have little time for +meditation; they find that their pursuits tend to make their minds +secular, causes of irritation frequently arise, and they are led, it may +be, into conduct which they fear might be unbecoming the communicant of +the Lord. They, therefore, postpone the communion in the hope of greater +leisure; the usual result of which postponement is, that one delay +follows another till the whole desire becomes extinct within the soul. +The servant, for example, waits till she is settled; she then waits again +till she is less harassed with a small and increasing family; and then +she waits till freed from the cares of providing for their entrance into +life; till at length the infirmities of old age creep rapidly upon her, +and she goes to her grave having spent her whole life in waiting. Now +all this waiting is founded on a wrong principle,—a principle often +strengthened by a misunderstanding of the words of St. Paul. If it were +wrong to attend to life’s engagements, there would then be some force in +the objection. But the Scripture says that diligence in business as a +duty, “Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” +It is plain, therefore, that attention to a lawful calling can form no +barrier to the means of grace. Thus many of the holiest saints of God +have been engaged in active life. Enoch had his family; Moses was the +leader of Israel; and David had the charge of a nation’s government. +There, is, we know, a tendency in the cares of this world and the +deceitfulness of riches to choke the word, that it becometh unfruitful. +But this should rather draw a man to the means of grace than keep him +from them. If we are exposed to great temptation, then we need great +strength; and if harassed by the world’s influence, we need the more +peculiar help, that we may not be infected by its spirit. The question, +therefore, comes to this, Do you intend to abandon yourself to the spirit +of the world? If you do, by all means abstain from the communion. But +if it is your heart’s desire, in the midst of the world, to walk with +God; then neglect no means of seeking him, but in the way of his +judgments wait on him, that he may give you grace to overcome, and by his +own mighty Spirit set you free from its snares. + +(2.) The words of St. Paul do not apply to _young and inexperienced +believers_. There is sometimes a tendency in devoted persons to +discourage beginners, and hold them back from the communion until they +reach a certain point in spiritual attainment; until, for example, they +are able to recognise a full and experimental knowledge of the great +principles of the Gospel. So young Christians of a tender spirit are +often ready to fall in with such advice; and because they know they would +come, to a certain extent, ignorantly, they fear they might therefore +come unworthily to the sacrament. What, then, is the most scriptural +course for such persons to pursue? Our Lord’s command says plainly, +“Come;” and we must not allow his supreme authority to be checked or +impeded by any artificial standard of our own creation. Especially in +this instance, when we have his example to illustrate his command. For +consider those to whom he himself administered the first communion. +There was not in the whole company one advanced believer. Peter was then +so ignorant of the Gospel, that he had just dissuaded him from the cross, +and so weak a follower, that that same night he denied him thrice. +Thomas knew so little, that he could not believe the resurrection, even +when he saw his risen Lord; and the other apostles were still so far from +what they afterwards became, that, without one single exception, they all +forsook him and fled. Do not these facts prove clearly that he did not +intend his sacrament for advanced believers _only_? and that none must +check the first yearnings after better things? It is milk for babes as +well as strong meat for those who are of full age; and by deterring +beginners, we may rob them of the portion which God has provided for +their growth in grace. If we do not perceive a full knowledge of the +Gospel, let us at least rejoice in the desire to do the Saviour’s will; +and let us never forget that the desired knowledge is more likely to be +gained in obedience than neglect. And if there be any poor and +uninstructed person, who is no scholar, and has little knowledge even of +the things of God, who has still the desire to act as Christ appointed, +let not such an one be for a moment discouraged by his ignorance; the +feast is for him; the invitation to him; and the welcome sure when he +kneels as a guest at the Father’s table. + +(3.) Still less do the words apply to the person of _tender conscience_, +_who knows and mourns the burden of his sin_. There are those in the +Church of Christ whose earnest desire it is to be God’s servants, but who +are so conscious of deep corruption, that they can scarcely hope they +have an interest in their Saviour, and can therefore scarcely venture on +the enjoyment of his sacrament. They have felt their sin, but their +sorrow is that they have not felt it more; they hope they believe, but +are obliged to confess their unbelief; they have known something of +repentance, but yet it has been so feeble, that they can scarcely think +it real; and the longing of their soul has been fixed upon their Lord; +but still there has been such apathy and coldness, that they cannot +presume to call that longing by the holy name of love. Now, how should +such persons act? Should they wait till their repentance has become +deeper, their faith stronger, and their love more worthy of a Saviour’s +grace? or should they come at once as poor, guilty, helpless creatures, +and so cast themselves for a full and free salvation before the Lamb of +God? The question involves the whole doctrine of Christ’s Gospel. If he +had required preparatory fitness before the sinner could be pardoned +through his blood, then we must have answered, “Wait till you are +better.” But since, on the other hand, he grants a pardon first, and +then adds holiness as its consequence; since the pardon promised under +the Gospel is immediate and free, granted because Christ Jesus was the +sinner’s perfect substitute upon the cross, and because the work he then +wrought was perfect, it follows thence as the sure and certain +consequence, that the broken-hearted sinner must not wait till he is +better; but as he is, and without a moment’s delay, must throw himself +before an All-sufficient Saviour, and cry, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall +be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” + +It forms the very essence of the Gospel; that as “they that are whole +need not a physician, but they that are sick,” so Christ “came not to +call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” As sinners, therefore, +we trust his grace, and as sinners come to his communion, longing for +holiness, but yet not waiting till we gain it; striving to love him +better, and therefore not standing distant from his mercy-seat, but +rather keeping close to it, that we may gain a fuller knowledge of his +love; earnestly praying for a greater fulness and strength of faith; but +meanwhile commemorating his work with what we have, in the earnest and +humble hope that he may perfect that which is lacking, and fulfil the +work of faith with power. + +There is a great difference between coming unworthily and being unworthy +to come. The pharisee and publican were both unworthy; but the pharisee +alone went unworthily to the temple. The halt and the lame and the +blind, who were gathered out from the streets of the city, were all +unworthy of the marriage supper; but the man without the wedding garment +was the only one who sat down unworthily. So the noblest saint that ever +joined in heaven’s happy hymn, was utterly unworthy of the blessed feast +of his Redeemer’s love, and could best appreciate the heart-stirring +language of our Liturgy,—“We are not worthy so much as to gather up the +crumbs under thy table;” but the careless man, who knows nothing of the +broken heart, who is living in strife, and does not discern the Lord’s +body, he is the person that comes unworthily. If this be your character, +stay not to the communion, but go home and repent. But if, on the other +hand, you know your sin, and hate it; if you know your Saviour, and long +to love him; if you are looking to him as your only hope of life eternal; +then, as a guilty sinner redeemed by blood, remain, believe, rejoice, +obey; and may the God of all grace fill your heart with overflowing +peace! + + * * * * * + + Just as I am—without one plea, + But that thy blood was shed for me, + And that thou bid’st me come to thee, + O Lamb of God, I come! + + Just as I am—and waiting not + To rid my soul of one dark blot, + To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, + O Lamb of God, I come! + + Just as I am—though tossed about + With many a conflict—many a doubt; + “Fightings within, and fears without,” + O Lamb of God, I come! + + Just as I am—poor, wretched, blind, + Sight, riches, healing of the mind, + Yea, all I need in thee to find, + O Lamb of God, I come! + + Just as I am—thou wilt receive, + Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve, + Because thy promise I believe, + O Lamb of God, I come! + + Just as I am—thy love unknown + Has broken every barrier down; + Now to be thine, yea, thine alone, + O Lamb of God, I come! + + * * * * * + + Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London. + + + + +FOOTNOTES + + +{4} The sixth chapter of St. John is not mentioned in the list, because, +although it contains a description of the inward and spiritual grace, of +which the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a sign and mean, it cannot +refer to the sacrament itself; for that was not appointed when the words +were spoken; and the persons our Lord was addressing were unconverted and +unbaptized Jews, who were following him simply for the loaves and fishes. +It would, indeed, have been unintelligible, had he said to such +characters, at such a time, “Except ye receive the sacrament, ye have no +life in you.” The passage refers, therefore, to the spiritual grace, and +not to the outward sign—to the feeding upon our blessed Lord by faith, +and not to the act of communion in the sacrament. + +{13} This is yet more evident in the Greek than in the English. The +word for chastisement is κρῖμα, that for final judgment κατάκριμα. But +the word in ver. 29 is κρῖμα, and the only verse in which κατάκριμα, or +its equivalent verb occurs, is the latter part of the 32d. + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANT*** + + +******* This file should be named 42288-0.txt or 42288-0.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/2/2/8/42288 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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