Quest. CLXXII., CLXXIII.

QUEST. CLXXII. May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, and of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s Supper?

ANSW. One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not assured thereof; and in God’s account, hath it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity, in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians,) he is to bewail his unbelief; and labour to have his doubts resolved, and so doing, he may, and ought to come to the Lord’s Supper, that he may be farther strengthened.

QUEST. CLXXIII. May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s Supper, be kept from it?

ANSW. Such as are found to be ignorant, or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s Supper, may, and ought to be kept from that sacrament by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

In these answers we have an account of those who are the subjects of this ordinance and ought to partake of it, or of those who must be kept from it: the former respects, more especially doubting Christians, who desire to receive satisfaction, whether they ought to engage in it or no; the latter respects those who are ready to presume that they are qualified for it, and ought to partake of it; though, indeed, they are to be excluded from it.

I. As to the case of one who doubteth of his being in Christ, and duly prepared for the Lord’s Supper: Here are several things that may afford matter of encouragement to him; and accordingly it is observed,

1. That though this be a matter of doubt to him, as being destitute of assurance of his being in Christ; yet he may be mistaken in the judgment which he passes concerning himself: since assurance, as has been before observed, is not of the essence of saving faith[101]. For a person may rely on, or give up himself to Christ, by a direct act of faith, who cannot at the same time, take the comfort that would otherwise arise from thence, that Christ has loved him, and given himself for him. Many have reason to complain of the weakness of their faith, and the great resistance and disturbance which they meet with from the corruption of nature: And others, who have assurance, at present, of their interest in Christ, may afterwards, through divine desertion, lose the comfortable sense thereof; so that we must not conclude, that every doubting believer is destitute of faith. Such are to be tenderly dealt with, and not discouraged from attending on that ordinance, which others, who converse with them, cannot but think they have a right to, and are habitually prepared for; though they themselves very much question, whether they are actually meet for it, as being apprehensive that they cannot exercise those graces, that are necessary to their partaking of this ordinance in a right manner. However, it is observed,

(1.) That there are some things, which, if duly considered by such an one, would afford him, ground of hope; though it may be, he cannot sufficiently improve them to his own comfort. As,

[1.] If he be truly affected with his want of assurance, and, as the result thereof, is filled with uneasiness in his own mind, laments his condition, and can take no comfort in any outward enjoyments, while destitute of it; and, if he be importunate with God in prayer, that he would lift up the light of his countenance upon him, and grant him the exercise, as well as the joy of faith. Moreover, if he frequently examines himself with impartiality, and an earnest desire to be satisfied, as to his state; and if, notwithstanding this, he still walks in darkness, and his doubts and fears prevail against him, he has some ground to conclude, that he is better than he apprehends himself to be, if he be truly humbled for those sins that may be reckoned the procuring cause thereof, and determines to be still waiting, till God shall be pleased to discover to him his interest in forgiving grace, and thereby resolve his doubts, and expel his fears, which render him so very uneasy.

[2.] A person has some ground of hope, if he can say, that he unfeignedly desires Christ and grace above all things, and can find satisfaction in nothing short of him; in this respect it may be said, that Christ is precious to him, as he is to them that believe. And to this we may add, that if he desires to forsake all sin, as being offensive, and contrary to him; so that when he commits it, he can readily say with the apostle, That which I do I allow not of; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate that do I; and from hence he concludes himself wretched; and earnestly desires to be delivered from the body of this death, Rom. vii. 15, 24.

(2.) There are some promises which a weak Christian may lay hold on for his encouragement; as,

1st, If the guilt of sin lies as an heavy burden upon him, and is the occasion of his doubts about his being in Christ; there are promises of forgiveness, Mich. vii. 18, 19. Isa. lv. 7, 8.

2dly, If he complains of the power of sin, and its prevalency over him, there is a promise that is suited to his case, in Rom. vi. 14. ‘Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.’

3dly, If satan’s temptations are very grievous to him, and such as he can hardly resist, there are promises suited to this case, in 1 Cor. x. 13. that ‘God will not suffer his people to be tempted above that they are able, but will, with the temptation, make a way to escape;’ and in Rom. xvi. 20. ‘The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.’

4thly, If he wants enlargement, and raised affections in prayer, or other religious duties; which is very discouraging to him, that promise may afford him some relief, in Zech. xii. 10. ‘I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication.’ And, in Psal. x. 17. ‘Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.’

5thly If our doubts arise from frequent backslidings, and relapses into sin, we may apply that promise in Psal. xxiii. 3. He restoreth my soul, &c. And, Hos. xiv. 4. ‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from them:’ And in Isa. lvii. 17, 18. in which it is supposed, that God was wroth, and hid himself from his people for their iniquity; and they are described as going on frowardly in the way of their heart; yet God says, ‘I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him, and to his mourners:’ And, in Hos. xi. 7-9. where God’s people are described as bent to backslide from him; yet he determines not to destroy them, but says, in a very moving way, ‘How shall I give thee up Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee Israel, &c. Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together? I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man, the holy One in the midst of thee.’

6thly, If we want communion with God, or his presence with us in his ordinances; which makes us conclude that we are not in Christ: Let us consider what is said in Isa. xlv. 19. ‘I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain:’ And, in chap. liv. 7, 8. ‘For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.’

7thly, If we are under frequent convictions, but they soon wear off, which occasions us to fear that we never experienced a thorough work of conversion, let us consider, Isa. lxvi. 9. ‘Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord?’ And, in Zech. iv. 10. ‘Who hath despised the day of small things?’ And, in Isa. lxv. 8. ‘As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it; So will I do for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all.’

8thly, If we are in a withering and declining condition, and want reviving; or, if we complain of barrenness under the means of grace, so that we may attend upon them, as we apprehend, to very little purpose; there are some promises that are suited to this case, as Hos. xiv. 7, 8. Isa. xlviii. 17.

9thly, If our doubts arise from the hardness of our hearts, so that we cannot mourn for sin as we ought to do, or would do, let us consider what God has promised in Ezek. vii. 16. Deut. xxx. 6. Acts v. 31.

10thly, If we are under the visible tokens of God’s displeasure, so that we are ready to conclude, that he distributes terrors to us in his anger; and, as the consequence thereof, we walk in darkness, and are far from peace: There are many promises that are suited to this case, as Jer. iii. 5. Psal. ciii. 8,-10. Isa. xii. 1. Joel ii. 13. Isa. l. 10. Psal. lxxix. 15. and xlii. 11.

2. We have a further account how such, who are at present, discouraged from coming to the Lord’s table, ought to manage themselves in this case. And here it is observed, that they ought to bewail their unbelief, to labour to have their doubts resolved; and, instead of being discouraged, they should come to the Lord’s supper, to be further strengthened. This advice is not given to stupid sinners, or such as are unconcerned about their state, or never had the least ground to conclude that they have had communion with God in any ordinance; and, especially if their distress of conscience arises rather from a slavish fear of the wrath of God, than a filial fear of him; or, if they are more concerned about the dreadful consequences of sin, than the intrinsic evil that is in it, I say, this advice is not given to such, but those, as before described, who lament after the Lord, earnestly seek him, though they cannot, at present, find him; and have fervent desires of his presence, though no sensible enjoyment thereof, and appear to have some small degrees of grace, though it be very weak: In this case a few words of advice ought to be given to them; particularly,

(1.) That they should take heed of giving way to any hard thoughts of God; but, on the other hand, lay the whole blame hereof on themselves. Thus God says by the prophet, “Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?” Jer. ii. 17.

(2.) They should give glory to, depend on, and seek relief from the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who glorifies himself by sealing believers unto the day of redemption; and, together with this, bestows those comforts on them which they stand in need of.

(3.) They must endeavour, to their utmost, to act grace, and so go forward in the ways of God, though they do not go on comfortably, and not say, “why should I wait on the Lord any longer?” Are they sometimes afraid they shall not arrive safely to the end of their race, they should nevertheless resolve not to give out, or to run no longer in it; and because their way is attended with darkness, or hedged up with thorns, they should not determine, for that reason, to go backward, as though they had never set their faces heaven-ward.

(4.) They ought to lie at God’s foot, acknowledging their unworthiness of that peace which they desire, but are destitute of, and plead for his special presence, that would give an happy turn to the frame of their spirits, as that which they prefer to all the enjoyments of life; as the Psalmist says, ‘There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,’ Psal. iv. 6.

(5.) It would be adviseable for such to contract an intimacy, and frequently converse with experienced Christians, who know the depths of Satan, and the deceitfulness of the heart of man, and the methods of divine grace in restoring comforts to those who are, at present, destitute of them, agreeably to what they themselves have experienced in the like case, 2 Cor. i. 4.

(6.) They ought, as a farther means for the strengthening of their faith, and establishing their comforts, to wait on God in the ordinance of the Lord’s supper, hoping for Christ’s presence therein; in which many have found that they have been enlivened, quickened, and comforted, while others, through the neglect hereof, have had their doubts and fears increased. And this leads us to consider,

II. What is contained in the latter of the answers we are explaining, which is applicable to those who desire to come to the Lord’s supper, but are to be kept from it. Here it is taken for granted, that all are not to be admitted to this ordinance, though it may be, they make a general profession of the Christian faith, and are not willing that any should question their right to it. These are described in this answer,

1. As being ignorant of the great doctrines of the gospel, and, consequently, unacquainted with Christ, whom they never truly applied themselves to, nor received by faith; and therefore they cannot improve this ordinance aright, or have communion with Christ therein.

2. They are to be excluded from the Lord’s supper, who are scandalous or immoral in their practice, whatever pretensions they make to the character of Christians: These are described by the apostle, as persons who profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate, Tit. i. 16. Such ought not to have communion with those whom the apostle describes as called to be saints, Rom. i. 7. nor can they partake of this ordinance aright, since they are not apprized of the end and design thereof, nor are they able, as the apostle expresses it, to discern the Lord’s body, 1 Cor. ix. 27. for, if they are strangers to themselves, how can they apply the benefits of Christ’s redemption to their own case? and, if they neglect the preparatory duty of self-examination, so that they do not know their own wants, how can they go to Christ in this ordinance for a supply thereof? or, if they do not desire the spiritual blessings of the covenant of grace, what right can they have to make use of the seals thereof? and if they are openly and visibly of another family, under the dominion of the powers of darkness, what right have they to the privileges which Christ has purchased for those who are members of his family, and spiritually united to him?

Object. 1. To what has been said concerning those that are to be excluded from this ordinance, it is objected, that it appears, that both good and bad have a right to it, from what our Saviour says in the parable of the wheat and the tares, in Mat. xiii. 29. both which are said to grow together until the harvest, when the reapers will be sent to gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, and the wheat into the barn: So that hypocrites, and sincere Christians, are to continue together in the same church, and, consequently to partake of the same ordinances.

Answ. To this it may be replied; this is not the sense of the parable; for our Saviour explains it otherwise, when he says in ver. 38. The field is the world: the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one. And from hence we may infer, that good and bad men are, through the forbearance of God, suffered to live together in the world; but it gives no countenance to this supposition, that the wicked ought to be joined with the godly as members of the same church: Not but that hypocrites may, and often do intrude themselves into the churches of Christ; yet since this is not known to them, they are not to blame for it, the heart of man being known to God alone; and the judgment that we are to pass concerning those who are admitted into church-fellowship, or to the Lord’s supper in particular, is to be founded on that credible profession which they make; in which, though it be possible for them to deceive others, yet the guilt and ill consequence thereof, will only affect themselves.

Object. 2. It is further objected, that Judas was at the Lord’s supper when it was first instituted by our Saviour, though he knew him to be an hypocrite and a traitor, and that he would speedily execute what he had designed against his life; and if so, then all ought to be admitted to this ordinance. And the reason that is generally assigned why he was there at that time, is, because it is said, in Luke xxii. 14. When the hour was come, he sat down, and his twelve apostles with him; and afterwards we read, in ver. 19. that he took bread and brake it, &c. and also the cup after supper, &c. ver. 20. and then it is said, in ver. 21. Behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. This is supposed, by some, to have been spoken by Christ when they were eating the Lord’s supper; from whence it may be concluded that Judas was there.

Answ. But to this it may be replied; that it seems much more probable that he was not there when the Lord’s supper was administered though he joined with Christ and the other apostles in eating the passover; for we must consider,

(1.) That the passover and the Lord’s supper were celebrated, one immediately after the other, at the same table, or sitting; therefore the hand of Judas might be with Christ on the table, in the former, though not in the latter: So that, though these words, the hand of him that betrayeth me, is with me on the table, are inserted after the account of both these ordinances being concluded; yet we have ground to suppose, they were spoken while they were eating the passover, when Judas was present.

(2.) It appears yet more probable that he was not present at the Lord’s supper, from the account which John gives of this matter, in chap. xiii. 21. wherein our Saviour tells them, that one of them should betray him: and, in ver. 26. he discovers that he meant Judas, by giving him the sop; and in ver. 30. it is said, that having received the sop, he went immediately out. Now it is certain there was no sop in the Lord’s supper, as there was in the passover, inasmuch as there was no flesh therein: Therefore Judas went out when they were eating the passover, before they began to partake of the Lord’s supper; being, as we may reasonably suppose, in a rage that his hypocrisy should be detected, and he marked out as a traitor, who was, before this, reckoned as good a man as any of them: Therefore we have not sufficient ground from hence to conclude, that wicked men ought to be admitted to partake of the Lord’s supper.

Object. 3. For Christians to exclude any from the Lord’s supper, would argue a great deal of pride, or vain-glorious boasting, and it is, as it were, to say to them who are excluded, “Stand off, for we are holier than you.”

Answ. 1. A believer may with thankfulness, acknowledge the distinguishing grace of God vouchsafed to him, and not to others; and, at the same time, bless him, that he has given him a right to the privilege of his house, which all are not admitted to partake of, without doing this in a boasting way; he may say with the apostle in 1 Cor. xv. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am; and yet at the same time, deal faithfully with those who are destitute of this grace; he may bless God for the right which he hopes he has to this ordinance, and yet it is not his duty to admit them to it who have no right.

2. It is one thing not to admit persons who are unqualified to this ordinance, and another thing to despise them upon this account. Our business is not to reproach them, but to treat them with meekness; if peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, that hereby they may appear to have a right to it.

Object. 4. If wicked men are to be excluded from one ordinance which Christ has instituted in his church, they may, for the same reason be excluded from all; and so they may as well be debarred the privilege of hearing the word, and joining with the church in public prayer.

Answ. There is not the same reason for excluding wicked men from hearing the word, or joining in prayer with the church, as there is for refusing to admit them to partake of the Lord’s supper. For prayer, and preaching the word, are God’s appointed means for the working the grace of faith, instructing the ignorant, awakening the stupid and secure sinner, and putting him on complying with that method of salvation which God has prescribed in the gospel, and embracing Christ as offered therein: Whereas, on the other hand, the Lord’s supper is an ordinance which supposes the soul to have, before this, received Christ by faith; and therefore he is therein to feed upon him, and to take comfort from what he has done and suffered for him, as conducive to the farther mortification of indwelling sin; which supposes that he has had, before this, some experience of the grace of God in truth. Thus concerning the exclusion of ignorant or immoral persons, as being not qualified for the Lord’s supper.

And here we may farther observe, that they who bring these and such-like objections, with a design to open the door of the church so wide, that all may be received into it, and partake of those ordinances by which it is more particularly distinguished from the world, are very ready, in defence of their own cause, to charge others with being too severe in their censures, and refusing to admit any into church-communion, unless they can tell the very time in which they were converted, and the means by which this work was begun, and carried on; and this they are obliged to do in so public a manner, as that many are denied the privilege of partaking of this ordinance, for a mere circumstance; which is an extreme as much to be avoided as the receiving unqualified persons to the Lord’s supper.

But it may be replied to this, that since this charge is rather the result of surmize than founded on sufficient evidence, it deserves to have less notice taken of it: However, this I would say in answer to it, that I never knew it to be the practice of any church of Christ, to exclude persons from its communion, because they knew not the time or means of their conversion; which may be sometimes occasioned by their having been favored with the blessing of a religious education and restraining grace from their childhood, so that they have not run those lengths in sin which others have done; and therefore the change which is wrought in conversion, especially as to what concerns the time and manner thereof, is less discernible. Sometimes the work has been begun with a less degree of the terrors of conscience, under a sense of the guilt of sin, and the condemning sentence of the law, than others have experienced: These have been drawn with the cords of love, and the grace of God has descended upon them insensibly, like the dew upon the grass; and therefore all that can be perceived by them, or that is to be required of them as a necessary qualification for their being admitted to the ordinances and privileges which belong to believers, is their discovering those fruits of faith which are discernible in the conversation of such as have experienced the grace of God in truth.

As to the other part of the charge, in which some churches are pretended to insist on such terms of communion as are merely circumstantial, so as to refuse to receive any that cannot comply with them: This is to be answered by those who appear to be liable to it. All that I shall therefore add under this head, is, that since a visible profession of faith in Christ is to be made, as necessary to constitute a visible church, and the conversation of those who make it, ought to be apparently agreeable thereunto: And inasmuch as none are obliged to make any thing known to the church, that contains the least appearance of dishonour or reflection on their character in the world; but are only required to testify and give a proof of their steady adherence to Christ, and their desire to embrace him in all his offices, as well as worship him in all his ordinances; this cannot justly be reckoned an unnecessary circumstance or making that a term of communion which Christ has not made, and thereby excluding those who have a right to the Lord’s supper.

And now we have considered the terms of communion, and the qualifications for it, as well as the spiritual privileges that are to be expected by those who have a right to it. I cannot but observe, how this is abused, and practically disowned, by those who engage in this ordinance merely as a qualification for a civil employment. A person may certainly be a good member of a commonwealth, and very fit to be entrusted with the administration of the civil affairs thereof, who has little or nothing to say concerning his experiences of the grace of God. To assert, that a right to a civil employment is founded on the same qualifications that give a person a right to partake of the Lord’s supper, would be to advance, not only that which is indefensible, but what would be almost universally denied, unless it could be proved, that all might partake of it, the contrary to which, we have endeavoured to maintain.

Moreover, when Christ instituted this ordinance, his people were in no expectation of bearing any part in the civil government; therefore this was most remote from the first intent and design thereof: And we often find that this is a temptation to men to profane this ordinance, and lays a burden on the consciences of those who know themselves unprepared for it, who had little or nothing in view but the securing their secular interest; by which means it is to be feared, that many of them eat and drink unworthily, and, instead of receiving advantage by it, bring their consciences under such entanglements, that they cannot easily extricate themselves from. Thus concerning those who are to be admitted to be partakers of the Lord’s Supper, though doubting of their meetness for it, and others being excluded, who have no right to it.

The last thing observed in this answer, is, that they who are not, at present, deemed fit for this ordinance, may afterwards be admitted to it when they have received instruction, and manifested a thorough reformation; or when, by their diligent attendance on other ordinances, or means of grace, accompanied with the divine blessing, that, which at present disqualifies them, being removed, they may humbly and thankfully wait on God therein, and hope for his presence and blessing; and then the church will have reason, as well as themselves, to bless God for that grace which they have experienced, whereby they may come to it for the better, and not for the worse.

Footnote 101:

See Quest. lxxxi. Vol. III. page 268.