The Thirtieth Lord’s Day

30 The Thirtieth Lord’s Day
1 Corinthians 11:28-29
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
The Apostle in this part of his Epistle, corrects many abuses which had gotten some strength in the Church of Corinth, among which was the profanation1of the Lord’s Supper. This is the conclusion of its correction, in which he expounds the duty of believers in receiving the Lord’s Supper. This duty may be referred to two heads: 1. Concerning the action itself, whereby the faithful are made partakers of this mystery by eating and drinking. 2. Concerning the manner of this action which is specified to us in the word so. And this manner is again contained in three acts of which, 1. Is that which is set in last place, that every communicant discern the Lord’s body. 2. Is that he test himself. 3. Is that he furnish himself with such a disposition as is worthy of so great a mystery. And these three acts are set down in these three phrases: discerning the Lord’s body; let a man examine himself; and he that eats or drinks unworthily.
Doctrine 1. All our work, that is ours only in the Lord’s Supper, is to eat and drink the body and blood of Christ.
It is gathered from these words, Let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; and not discerning the Lord’s body. 
Reason 1. Because this is the Sacrament of our spiritual nourishment in and by Christ.
Reason 2 . Because in the very institution of this Sacrament, no other thing is prescribed but that we should take, eat, and drink; namely, as the signs are with our bodies, so the body and blood of Christ spiritually or by faith, are to the nourishment of our souls.
Reason 3. Because nothing else is represented in the external signs and actions but this nourishment on Christ, which by the institution of Christ, is used in this Sacrament.
Use . Of Refutation: against Papists, What the difference is between the Supper and the Popish Mass — because Papists have taken away the Sacrament that was instituted by Christ, and have set up in its place the Sacrifice of the Mass that was devised by men. And this is the difference between a Sacrament and a Sacrifice: the formal reason of a Sacrifice consists in this, that in it men offer something to God, and God receives something from men. But the formal reason of a Sacrament is in this, that God offers something to men by visible signs, and men receive it from God on the conditions and in the manner that he offers it. In this Supper, God offers Christ to us for our spiritual nourishment; and we receive Christ as the food of our souls by eating and drinking of him by faith. Hence the popish Mass is a mere stranger to Christ’s institution, while they make its principal use to be a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead; while they officiate their private Masses in which the people neither eat nor drink; while in the public Masses they take the cup away from the people, so that, though they eat
1 Blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character in some sort, yet they drink in no manner; while they hold up the Host, or Sacrifice — that is, the consecrated bread and wine — to be adored and worshipped, rather than eaten or drunk; while, lastly, they do all this in an unknown tongue, so that the people cannot understand either what or how they should eat or drink.
Doctrine 2. That we may rightly partake in the Lord’s Supper, it is chiefly required that we rightly discern the Lord’s body.
By this discerning of the Lord’s body is understood an act of the understanding whereby we observe the difference between this bread and common bread. This bread is consecrated to be a sign and exhibitive seal of the Lord’s body to our faith (that is, of all his benefits and graces). Or it is that judgment of our mind whereby we have a right apprehension, and pronounce a right sentence, concerning this whole mystery or business. The lack of this discerning is what is reproved here by the Apostle.
Reason 1. Because without judgment and prudence agreeable to the thing undertaken, nothing can be rightly or perfectly done or performed.
Reason 2 . Because in the Sacraments, where the external appearances are bodily and gross, and yet a spiritual mystery or secret (as to its sense) lies hidden in them, there is need of spiritual heed and judgment, so that we may rightly pierce and dive into that spiritual secret itself.
Reason 3 . Because the lack of this discerning brings with it a profanation of this holy feast, as appears by the example of the Corinthians. For whoever does not discern what it is about, in which they busy themselves, can never fit themselves so as to behave rightly in handling such a business.
Use . Of both Direction and Exhortation: that everyone earnestly set his mind and judgment to rightly discern, before he comes to the table of the Lord, what it is that is done there; and what it is that he himself should do there. Now the special points that ought to be discerned by all communicants, are these:
1. The occasion and necessity that there was, that Christ should be broken and given for us, and to us, which was no other but the deepest guilt of our sin, and the heaviest punishment due for it; and the misery that would have flowed to us from this.
2. The proper cause and reason for this donation, which was the infinite mercy of God towards us.
3. The manner in which Christ was given for us, which was both in body and soul, to the sufferance of death (though they were the soul and body of God personally); that by his obedience, we might be both freed from death and the consequent of its misery, and also made partakers of all the blessings of grace, and glory, and happiness which were prepared for us in him, and which he had merited for us.
4. The means by which Christ is thus applied to us, and made ours, as he is in this Sacrament. Externally he is applied to us by the signs of eating bread, and drinking wine; and internally he is applied to us by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Our faith is stirred up by him to rely on Christ for life, and nourishment, and growth unto life eternal, and for all the blessings mentioned.
Doctrine 3. The second duty required for a right communicating, or partaking of this Sacrament, is that we seriously examine or test ourselves.
The object of the former duty was the Supper itself, instituted by God. The object of this duty is ourselves, in which by a reflex act, we behold and consider ourselves, so that we may understand how our disposition and condition agrees or disagrees with the nature and use of this institution. And this inquiry should be made with greatest care and diligence, as the word used for it sufficiently expresses; and in which is properly expressed the Goldsmith’s pains in diligently testing silver and gold, so that he may know true coin from false.
Reason 1 . Because it would be in vain to discern the Lord’s body, unless we also rightly discern how we ourselves agree with, or disagree from, the Lord’s body; and whether we have such requisites as necessarily we must, for the saving participation of his body. For in the Sacrament, there is a mutual relation between the gift offered, and our receiving of it; nor does it assist us at all, to know of what sort and how precious the gift is, unless we also know that we ourselves are those to whom this gift belongs.
Reason 2 . Because great is the deceit of man’s heart, whereby men deceive themselves while they think that all is right, when it is not at all so. It is necessary therefore, that we diligently examine our own hearts, lest we be deceived with a false faith, and from this, rest in a fancy and vain imagination.
Reason 3 . Because it is not enough to our comfort, that we are sometimes well-disposed to partake of these good blessings of God, unless we also discern that this disposition is in us. For our comfort depends not only on the presence or having of grace, but also on our inward feeling and perceiving that we have it. That we may attain to this perceiving, it is necessary that we seriously examine ourselves, and know what is in us.
Use . Of Exhortation: that we may have a care for this duty, and not deal too gently with ourselves, nor slightly, but bring all to a very punctual and rigorous trial. Now the special points that we ought to examine in ourselves are these:
1. Whether we have knowledge and understanding of the things that belong to the institution of the Supper; that is, whether we rightly discern the Lord’s body as has been taught in the preceding Doctrine.
2. Whether we have a true acknowledgement of and repentance for our sins, from the guilt of which we would be disburdened; i.e. the pardon of which we seek to be sealed to us in the use of this Sacrament.
3. Whether we have that faith whereby we flee only to Christ, so that we may be freed from our sins.
4. Whether we are so far in charity and love for our [offending] neighbour, that we carry no spite, hatred, malice, or revenge toward his person, but can pray heartily for him to God for his forgiveness, just as we would for ourselves — in case he is opposed to any convenient and fitting means of reconciliation — and we can where occasion offers, indeed we are desirous to, do him really all the good that we can. Although, we may not be able to outwardly testify our forgiveness of him, such as where church discipline cannot be had for fear of hardening him in his sin, or of exposing ourselves and these mysteries to derision; or because some other hindrance will not allow us, such as the remote absence of the parties, and the like.
Doctrine 4. The third duty for right communication, is that we have the disposition that is worthy and fitting for so great a mystery.
It is gathered from these words, He that eats or drinks unworthily. Now the worthiness that is required here is not the worth of quantity or of merit, but of quality or uprightness in the business; and of suitableness — as when St. John the Baptist says, Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.1 There he does not mean fruits that deserve repentance to be given to us, but fruits that are agreeable to true repentance; that is, true fruits of true repentance, and suitable to its nature.
Reason 1 . Because these mysteries cannot be unworthily used, without the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ also being unworthily affronted, as it were by contempt. And hence it is that unworthy partakers are said to eat and drink judgment to themselves; namely, from God’s wrath, who is provoked by this most unworthy ignominy put upon his Son.
Reason 2 . Because no noble form is introduced in an ordinary way, nor without being fitly disposed and prepared beforehand; so too the grace and comfort of this Sacrament is not to be received except by those who are suitably disposed and prepared for it; so that whoever comes unworthily, of necessity leaves unfruitful from this Sacrament, as to receiving any solid fruits from it.
Reason 3. Because unfitness and unpreparedness make this most holy Ordinance into an occasion for many, of greater hardening in their sins. 
For as the preaching of the Gospel is to some a savour of death unto death,2 not of its own nature, but by their perverse dispositions, so also, for unworthy communicants, this Sacrament is not the cup of blessing, but the occasion of a curse. Now the specialties that are required for this disposition are these:
1. A right and pure intention, whereby we look at all and only those ends in partaking of the Supper, which God looked at in appointing and giving it to us. 
2. A good conscience, whereby we have a sure and firm purpose and resolve to obey God in all things commanded by him; and of shunning all sins in obedience to him.
3. An awful reverence flowing from rightly discerning the Lord’s body. 
4. Humility which flows from a right examination of ourselves, whereby we cannot help but perceive our own unworthiness.
5. A great desire for the spiritual good things which are offered to us in the Sacrament.
6. Thankfulness to God for the goods bestowed and imparted to us.
7. Charity towards our brethren who are, together with us, partakers of these blessings in Christ, as further declared in the previous Doctrine. 
Doctrine 5. Whoever openly neglects these duties is not to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper. 
1 Matthew 3:8.
2 2 Corinthians 2:16.