A helpe to true happinesse. Or A briefe and learned exposition of the maine and fundamentall points of Christian religion. By Mr. Paul Bayne

QVEST. VI••

7 Q. WHo obtaine this benefit by the Lords Supper?

A. Such as come with knowledge, faith, repentance and loue. Acts 8.37. 1 Cor. 11.28.

Earthly food will not nourish and strengthen the body, if the stomacke, liuer, &c, be not well affected and prepared for the receiuing, altering and distributing of it: so our soules must come qualified, as heere is descri∣bed, before they can haue benefit by Christ. 1 Wee must haue knowledge, as of our misery, Christ, saith: so of the Sacraments in special.

Looke as men before they receiue deeds, which others deliuer sealed to them, they know what is contained in them: what it is that the seale is set too: so heere our soulr cannot receiue the co∣uenant sealed and deliuered to vs, till we know what it is, which God doth vnder seale passe vnto vs. Beside, as it is a feast, wee loue light in our bodily feasting, and to see what it is wee feede on: so this eye of knowledge is ne∣cessary, euen in spirituall fea∣sting.

2 Wee must bring foorth faith, that is required: faith toward this grace which the word of God doth reach vs with the seale; For it is not hauing faith, but the new ex∣ercise of faith, which maketh

vs worthy Receiuers; The Corinthiansa 1.1 had faith,b 1.2 yet receiued not the grace of the Sacrament. Looke as a man may haue a hand, yet if when a thing is reached foorth to him, hee doe not put it out, nothing is receiued: so wee may haue this hand of faith, yet if wee when God reach∣eth vs the body and bloud of his Christ, doe not then a∣waken it, to lay hold on the grace God offereth, we shall goe away without receiuing it: or looke as at a feast, though we haue a mouth, if we will not then open it, and take downe the sustenance before vs, wee shall returne empty: so though wee haue this mouth of faith, yet if we doe not open it to God now offering to feede vs, we shall

not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a crumm of that gra•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Sacrament offreth.

•• Wee must come with Repentance. For as hunger, and sallads of sower tart herbs, or other sharp things, which giue a spurr to the ap∣petite, are good in these earthly banquets: so is Re∣pentance and the sower meditations of it, the best sawce, to make this meate relish with vs.

4. With loue to Christ. Looke as earthly meates do no good, when there is not a naturall heate, to worke on them: so our heauenly sustenance.

This loue is that superna∣turall heate, which maketh vs receiue him with profit; What is fitter then loue, for those who come to a com∣mon

loue feast; What more seemely then vnitie, for such as make protestation, that they are all one in Christ?

[Vse.] Let vs then take heed wee come prepared; wee will trimme vp our selues, and go vnto the tables of our Superiours, with care to bee somewhat like. It is to bee lamented, that men come so ignorantly, vnbeleeuing∣ly (as if faith renued toward God who promiseth, were not requisite, as the Papists teach) so impenitently, so full of enuie, ranker, filthi∣nesse; Take heede; if to handle the Kings picture vn∣reuerently be so great a fault, what fault is it, to prophane the picture of the King of Kings?

Notes

• a 1.1

  1 Cor. 11 32
• b 1.2

  1 Cor. 11 29 30.