Directions for a Godly Life, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. What a Sacrament is and how many there bee.
A Sacrament is an outward viſible ſigne of an inward and inviſible grace; ordayned by God, whereby hee doth ſeale vntounto vsus his covenant of grace made in the blood of Chriſt, and wee againe teſtifie our faith and piety towards him: ſo that it is both a ſigne in reſpect of the thing ſignified, & a ſeale in reſpect of the covenant thereby ſealed vntounto vsus. The word ſacrament doth properly ſignifie an oath, wherby Souldiers bound themſelues vntounto their Generall; whence it is taken to ſignifie that obligation, whereby wee tye our ſelues to the bleſſed and ſweete ſervice of Ieſus Chriſt: for hereby wee, as Chriſt's Souldiers, firſt binde our ſelues by promiſe of obedience to fight vnderunder the Lords banner againſt the world, the fleſh and the divell; Secondly we put on the cogniſaunce and Armes, the Colours and marke of Chriſt by profeſſing our faith in him, that ſo it may appeare vntounto the world to whom wee doe belong.
Now Sacraments are of two forts. Firſt of the Old Teſtament, which were 2. firſt Circumciſion, ſecondly the Paſſeouer. The firſt was ordained for a ſigne of entrance into the Covenant; the ſecond for an aſſurance of confirmation of, and continuance in the ſame: both which are now aboliſhed, and in ſtead of them wee now hauehave the Sacraments of the New Teſtament, which are likewiſe 2. firſt Baptiſme anſwerable to Circumciſion; ſecondly the Lord's Supper to the Paſſeover: both ſignified by that water & blood, which iſſued out of the ſide of Chriſt, when it was peirced by the ſouldiers on the Croſſe. Of theſe the firſt is called the Sacrament of our Nativity or entrance, becauſe by it wee are aſſured that wee are receiued into the Covenant of Grace, and ſo are regenerate & belong to the flock of Chriſt: the ſecond is called the Sacrament of our growth & perſeverance, whereby wee growe vp in Chriſt, & are aſſured that we ſhall be ſtill kept in this eſtate. So that both are neceſſary; the one to aſſure vsus of our entrance into, & the other of our continuance in the eſtate of Grace; for although that Grace once conferr'd cannot bee loſt, yet our aſſurance doth often want ſtrengthening by reaſō of our manifold tēptations, againſt which we are cōforted by the remembrance of Chriſt's death and paſſion: which doth alſo teach vsus why the Sacrament of Baptiſme is receiued but once, & the Lord's Supper often; becauſe our birth is ſignified by our Baptiſme, & we can be borne but once; but we dayly ſtand in need of food and ſtrengthening, & therefore we often receiue the Supper of the Lord, that our ſoules may be nouriſhed vntounto life everlaſting.
Chap. II. What the Lord's Supper is.
That wee may rightly vnderſtand the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we muſt know 2. things. 1, what it is; 2, what belongs to the due receiving of it.
For the firſt; the Lord's Supper is a Sacrament, conſiſting of Bread and Wine lawfully conſecrated & diſtributed; inſtituted by Chriſt himſelfe for a cō tinual remēbrance of the Death & Paſſion of Chriſt, & the benefits which we receiue thereby.
This inſtitutiō was at Chriſt's laſt Supper after hee had eaten the Paſſeouer with his Diſciples; ſo that it is called a Supper in reſpect of the time of the inſtitution; and the Lord's Supper in reſpect of the Author, the Lord Chriſt; as alſo in reſpect of the end thereof, which is partly to ſet forth the Lord's Death, and the ſpirituall foode therein receiued, namely the body & blood of Chriſt himſelfe.
In this Sacrament wee muſt conſider 2 things. 1. the parts: 2. the end.
The parts are 2. firſt the outword Signes. Secondly the thing ſignified. The ſignes are either repreſenting, namely the elements themſelues: or applying ſignes, which are the actions about thoſe elements.
The elements are 2. Bread & Wine; not Bread only, but both, according to Chriſt's inſtitution: and that aſunder, not the Bread dipt in the Wine, as ſome will hauehave it; becauſe Chriſt's blood was ſhed out of his body for our ſinnes, and wee are to receiue theſe ſignes as repreſenting Chriſt, not whole but wounded and peirced.
Now Chriſt choſe thoſe elements before any other, becauſe they beſt ſerue to ſet forth Chriſt's Body and Blood; for as Bread by diverſe breakings & preſſings comes to be perfect, yea the chiefeſt, food of our bodies, ſtill giving a good reliſh, when other things doe not, and is alſo more common to all thā any other. So the body of Chriſt by many torments was made the chiefe nouriſhment of our ſouls, remaining alwayes moſt ſweet and pleaſaunt, and common to all that can receiue him by faith; and as Wine doth cheriſh and comfort vsus, ſatiſfie our thirſt, purge away many corrupt humours, & maketh vsus bold and adventrous: ſo the blood of Chriſt reviues and gladd's our drooping ſoules, ſatiſfieth our ſpirituall thirſt, purgeth vsus from all our ſinnes, and maketh vsus couragious againſt all feare of our enimie the Divell; againe as bread is made of many graines into one loafe, and wine of many grapes into one cuppe: ſo wee, partaking thereof, and of Chriſt, by faith, are made one with him as our head, and alſo one among our ſelues as members of his body; thus of the elements.
The Actions in this ſacramēt are of 2. ſorts. 1. of the Miniſter. 2 of the Communicants. The actions of the Miniſter are theſe.
1 Setting apart, & 2 bleſſing of the Elements, whereby is ſignified that Chriſt Ieſus was ſet apart and ſanctified for vsus, as it is Ioh. 17.19.3. breaking and powring out, & 4. diſtributing to the Communicants; whereby is ſignified that Chriſt's Body was crucified & his blood ſhed, & that the benefits thereof are offered vntounto vsus, if we hauehave faith to receiue thē, as it is Ioh. 3.15. He was lifted vp, that whoſoever beleeueth in him ſhould hauehave life everlaſting.
The actiōs of the Cōmunicāts are 2.
1. Taking.
2. Eating & drinking.
By which is ſignified that they, which receiue benefit by Chriſt, muſt receiue him by faith applying his merits to their owne ſoules, as Ioh. 1.12. As many as received him to them he gaue power to become the Sons of God, euen to them which beleeue on his name.
Thus of the ſignes; the thing ſignified is the Body & Blood of Chriſt, with the benefits, which wee receiue thereby; namely the ſtrengthening & refreſhing of our ſoules in the remiſſion of our ſins: & this wee receiue, not of the Miniſter (for he giues only the ſignes) but of God himſelfe, apprehending the ſame by our faith; for Chriſt is not ſignified in theſe ſignes as in a picture, but exhibited vntounto vsus; being himſelfe preſent in the Sacrament, though not corporally to the Bread & Wine, yet ſpiritually to our faith; for though his Body bee in Heaven and muſt there remayne vntill the laſt day, as it is Act. 3.2; yet we may feed on him ſpiritually by fayth by applying his death and paſſion vntounto our ſinfull ſouls: ſo that there is one vnion betweene Chriſt and the Elements, which is Symbolicall; and an other betweene Chriſt and vsus, which is ſpirituall and reall.
The ends of this Sacrament are twofold: 1 in reſpect of others: 2 in reſpect of our ſelues.
In reſpect of others, to teſtifie vntounto them that faith which we profeſſe; that ſo they ſeeing our readines herein may hauehave their harts alſo ſtirred vp to ſuch good duties. In reſpect of our ſelues it concernes, either what we hauehave received frō, or what wee are to returne to God. In the firſt reſpect it ſerueth.
Firſt for remēbrance; namely, of the death of Chriſt; for, as often as we receiue this, wee ſhew the Lords death till he come. 1. Cor. 11.26.
Secondly, for confirmation vntounto vsus; and that, both of our vnion among our ſelues; as 1. Cor. 10.17. for we being many, are one Bread and one Body, for we all partake of one Bread: as alſo of our Communion with Chriſt; for as the Bread and Wine are turned into the ſubſtance of our bodies; ſo wee by faith are vnited vntounto Chriſt, & made fleſh of his fleſh; for his fleſh is meate indeed, & his bloud is drink indeed; Ioh. 6.55: & for this cauſe it is called the Communion.
In the ſecond reſpect concerning that which wee are to returne vntounto God, it ſerues to teſtifie our thankfulnes to God for his mercy in giuing vsus his Son, and in him all things, and aſſuring vsus thereof by this Seale: which wee cannot but doe, when we conſider the torments that he endured for our ſinnes, which were indeed the very nayles and ſpeares that pierced him: and for this cauſe it is called the Euchariſt; becauſe in it wee offer vp our thankes vntounto God; and ſo alſo it may be called a Sacrifice: not that wee doe therein offer vp Chriſt vntounto God, (for Chriſt himſelfe at once finiſhed this offering of his Body on the Croſſe) but becauſe we offer vp our thankfull hearts vntounto God for his mercy in Chriſt, ſo that it is a ſacrifice, not of Chriſt, but of our thankfulneſſe.