The worthy communicant, or, A discourse of the nature, effects, and blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper and of all the duties required in order to a worthy preparation : together with the cases of conscience occurring in the duty of him that ministers, and of him that communicates : to which are added, devotions fitted to every part of the ministration / by Jeremy Taylor ...

SECT. I.

WHen Isaac and Abimelech had made a covenant of peace and mutual a∣greement, they would not confirm it by a Sacramental Oath till the next morning, that they might swear fasting, for the reverence and religious regard of the solemn Oath (saith Lyra.) But Philo says they did it Symbolically, to repre∣sent that purity and cleanness of soul which he that swears to God, or comes to pay his vows, ought to preserve with great Religion. He that in a religi∣ous and solemn addresse comes to God, ought to consider whether his body be free from unclean∣nesse, and his soul from vile affections. He that is righteous,* 1.1 let him be righteous still; and he that is justified, let him be justified, yet more, saith the Spirit of God; and then it follows, He that thirsts, let him come and drink of the living waters freely and without money:* 1.2 meaning, that when our affe∣ctions to sin are gone, when our hearts are clean,

then we may freely partake of the feast of the sup∣per of the Lamb.

For as in natural forms, the more noble they are, the more noble dispositions are required to their production; so it is in the spiritual: for when Christ is to be efformed in us, when we are to be∣come the Sons of God, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, we must be washed in water, and pu∣rified by faith, and sanctified by the spirit, and cleansed by an excellent repentance; we must be confirmed by a holy hope, and softned by charity. So God hath ordered in the excellent fabrick of hu∣mane bodies: First our meat is prepared by fire, then macerated by the teeth, then digested in the stomach, where the first separation is made of the good from the bad, the wholesom juyces from the more earthy parts: these being sent down to earth, the other are conveyed to the Liver, where the matter is separated again, and the good is turned into blood, and the better into spirits; and thence the body is supplied with blood; and the spirits repair unto the heart and head, that thence they may be sent on Embassies for the ministeries of the body, and for the work of understanding. So it is in the dispensation of the affairs of the soul: The ear, which is the mouth of the soul, receives all meat, and the senses entertain the fuel for all passions, and all interests of vertue and vice. But the understanding makes the first separation, di∣viding the clean from the unclean: But when the spirit of God comes and purifies even the separate matter, making that which is morally good to be spiritual and holy, first cleansing us from the sen∣sualities of flesh and blood, and then from spi∣ritual iniquities that usually debauch the soul,

then the holy nourishment which we receive passes into divi••e excellencies. But if sensuality be in the palate, and intemperance in the stomach; if lust be in the liver, and anger in the heart, it corrupts the holy food, and makes that to be a savour of death, which was intended for health and holy blessi••gs.

But therefore when we have lived in the cor∣rupted air of evil company, and have sucked in the vile juices of coloquintida and the deadly henbane; when that is within the heart which defiles the man, the soul must be purged by repentance, it must be washed by tears, and purified by penitential sor∣row. For he that comes to this holy Feast with an unrepenting heart, is like the flies in the Temple upon the day of Sacrifice: the lit∣tle insect is very busie about the flesh of the slain beasts;* 1.3 she flies to every corner of the Temple; and she tastes the flesh before the portion is laid be∣fore the God: but when the nidour and the deli∣cacy hath called such an unwelcome guest, she cor∣rupts the Sacrifice, and therefore dies at the Altar, or is driven away by the officious Priest. So is an unworthy Communicant; he comes it may be with p••ssion and an earnest zeal; he hopes to be fed, and he hopes to be made immortal; he thinks he does a holy action, and shall receive a holy blessing; but what is his portion? It is a glorious thing to be feasted at the Table of God; glo∣rious to him that is invited and prepared,* 1.4 but not to him that is unprepared, hateful, and impeni∣tent.

But it is an easie thing to say that a man must repent before he communicates; so he must before he prayes, before he dies, before he goes a jour∣ney, the whole life of a man is to be a continual repentance * 1.5; but if so; then what particular is that which is required before we receive the holy Com∣munion? For if it be an universal duty of infinit, extent, of unlimited comprehension; then every Christian must alwayes be doing some of the of∣fices of repentance: but then, which are the pecu∣liar parts and offices of this grace which have any special and immediate relation to this solemnity? for if there be none; the Sermons of repent••nce are nothing but the general doctrine of good life, but of no special efficacy in our preparation.

The answer to this, will explicate the intrica∣cy, and establish the measures of our duty in this proper relation, in order to this ministery.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rev. 22.11.
• * 1.2

  —17.
• * 1.3

  ••••ta praegusto Deûm, Moror inter aras, Templa perlustro omnia.
• * 1.4

  ••st glori••sus sanè convi∣ctus Deûm, Sed illi qui invitatur, non qui invisus est.
• * 1.5

  See the doctrine and pra∣ctise of Repen∣tance, Chap. 1. & 2.