The New Covenant, Book 3 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the third vſe of the Lords Supper.
THe third vſe of the Lords Supper is a ſpirituall communion and growth with ouraThe … Supper is the band of charity. brethren, to be one body with them, flowing from the Communion which we hauehave with Chriſt. For as the vnion betweene brethren and ſiſters of the ſame blood and of the ſame fleſh, ſpringeth from the neere coniunction they hauehave from father and mother as from a fountaine: and as the vnity and concord among ſeruants of the ſame ſociety, ariſeth by me…nes of the ſame Maiſter: ſo the faithfull that hauehave communion with Chriſt, hauehave likewiſe communion one with another. This Paul teſtifieth euidently, writing to the Corinthians, b…o…. 1…, …7We that are many are one bread and one body, becauſe we all are partakers of one bread. This is to be vnderſtood of that communion and fellowſhip which the members hauehave one with another, who receiue food and nouriſhment from the ſame Table, thereby profeſsing themſelues to be of the ſelfe ſame family & houſhold. Beſides, by the vniting together of many graines is made one bread: of many cluſters of grapes, one wine is preſſed out: ſo out of many members groweth vp one body of the Church▪ which is the body of Chriſt. This maketh much to the reconciling, renuing, and maintaining of friendſhip, that we are all partakers of one bread made of many cornes, and drinke of the ſame cup of wine made of many cluſters,c1 Cor. 12, 13 as the Apoſtle ſetteth downe, 1 Cor. 12 We are all made to drinke into one Spirit. Wherefore we are not onelyonly to looke to our vnion with Chriſt, but alſo our ioyning our ſelues with them who are of the ſame myſticall body, be they neuer ſo many that receiue with vsus this holy Supper: in reſpect whereof, this Sacrament hath beene called a communion.
Vſe 1 Now let vsus conſider what vſe may be made heereof to our ſelues. Is this one end of the inſtitution of Chriſts laſt Supper▪ to lay before vsus our communiō one with another? then what gifts ſoeuer we hauehave receiued from Chriſt, we muſt imploy them to the benefit & good of others. If God hauehave giuen vsus knowledge, we muſt vſe it to inſtruct the ignorant: if the gift of zeale, we muſt apply it to kindle and ſtir vp others to remember from whence they are fallen: if faith and ſanctification, we muſt beſtow them to the gaining and winning of others: if the outward things of this life & this world… good, we muſt communicate them to others, according to their want and our wealth, their pouerty and our plenty. The Candle hath receiued light not for it ſelfe but for others. The trees bring forth fruite, the clouds drop downe raine, the fountaines ſend downe water, the Sun ſhineth, the earth flouriſheth, the Bee gathereth, the beaſt laboureth, to profite others: And wherfore hauehave we all receiued moyſture from the roote, light from the Sun, fruit from the tree, water from the fountaine, euen life from Chriſt, but to impart it to others as freely as wee receiued: This is taught vsus in many places:c1 Pet. 4, 10. 1 Cor. 12.7. Let eueryevery man as he hath receiued the gift miniſter the ſame one to another. And in another place, The manifeſtation of the Spirit to giuen to eueryevery man to profite w thall: God hath tempred the body together, leaſt there ſhould be any diuiſion in the body, that the members might hauehave the ſame care one of another. So then the gifts that we hauehave receiued, of vnderſtanding, wiſedome, zeale, exhortation, reprehenſion, and whatſoeuer gifts externall, internall, or eternall: let vsus conſider that we are ſtewards not maiſters of them, and therefore muſt render and giuegive an account vntounto the author and giuer of them, when he ſhal ſay, GiueGive an account of thy ſtewardſhip, dLuk. 16, 12.for thou maiſt bee no longer Steward.
Againe, is the Lords Supper the bond of charity? And Vſe 2, doth it put vsus in minde of our communion with the Saints, and fellowſhip which one hath with another? then al ſuch as receiue the ſame doctrine, imbrace the ſame religion, & meete at the ſame table,eAug. tract. 26 in Iohan. muſt be vnited in Chriſtian louelove, gentleneſſe, meekeneſſe, and patience one toward another, ſupporting one another, bearing the burthen one of another, being alike affected and diſpoſed, guided by one ſpirit, nouriſhed by the milke of the ſame word, acknowledging one Father, profeſsing one faith, liuing in one body, walking in one calling, looking for one kingdome, worſhipping one LORD▪ meeting at one Supper, and waſhed with one Baptiſme for our regeneration and ſanctificationfEph. 4, 1, 2, … Ruth. 1, 16, 1… according to the ſaying of the Apoſtle, Epheſians 4. Walke wo…thy of the vocation whereunto ye are called, endeuoring to keepe the vnity of the Spir t in the bond of peace, there is one body and one Spirit, euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation, There is one Lord, one faith, one bapt…ſme, one God and Father of all, which is aboue all, and through all, and in you all. And in the ſamegPhil. 2.1 ….3 Epiſ…le to the Philippians, If there be any conſolation in Chriſt▪ i… any comf…rt of louelove, if any fellowſhippe of the Spirit, if any compaſsion and mercy: fulfill my ioy, that ye bee like minded, hauing the ſame louelove, beein… of one accord and of one iudgement, that nothing be done through contention.
And Luke Act. 4. deſcribing thehAct. 4, 3…. notes of the Church of Chriſt, ſaith, The whole multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and one ſoule, neither any of them ſaid, that any thing of that which he poſſeſſed was his owne, but they had all things common. Let vsus acknowledge our ſelues to be fellowes of one houſhold, and members of one body: and euermore bring with vsus this fruit of louelove to the Lords Supper, otherwiſe we ſhall neuer be the Lords gueſts. If brethren that are the children of the ſame father, malice and maligne one another, will not the father be angry? And if fellow-ſeruants brought vp in one family fall together by the eares, wil not their Maiſter be diſpleaſed and offended? Seeing thē God hath vouchſafed to call vsus his children, to admit vsus into his houſe, to nouriſh vsus at his owne Table, and to preſerue and reſerue vsus to his heauenly kingdome: he wil take from vsus all theſe priuiledges and prerogatiues if we bee hatefull and hating one another, and deale with vsus, not as with his owne children, but as with his vttter enemies:
Vſe 3 Laſtly, this end of the Supper ſerueth to reproue al ſuch as profeſſe their vnion with Chriſt the head, but hold not the bond of peace among themſelues, who doe much deceiue themſelues and faile in the duty which he requireth of them. For whoſoeuer is faſt and firmely vnited vntounto the head, muſt needes bee more firmely vnited vntounto the the body, becauſe all the life that is in the body proceedeth from the head. We muſt not therefore thinke that louelove is required onelyonly in preparing our ſelues to this Sacrament, but it ſtandeth vsus greatly vponupon, to come in louelove, to depart in louelove, and to continue in louelove: yea as we increaſe the times of receiuing,…. 4, 10. drawing neere to the Table of the Lord again and againe, ſo we ſhould labour to increaſe in louelove & as it were to double our affection toward our brethren. It is a vaine thing ſolemnely to profeſſe before God and men and the holy Angels and al the world, that we come in louelove and are in charity with al perſons, if by and by we be ready vponupon the leaſt occaſion to take vp hatred and contention, and to fall out one with another. For we ſhall need no …her witnes againſt vsus to ſeale vp our condemnation, then this Sacrament of the Supper, except we ſhunne and ſhake off theſe vipers, not from our hands, but from our hearts. All ſuch as come with enuy, hatred, rancor, malice, and deſire of miſchiefe, are as a generation of vipers, ſeeking to eate out the bowels one of another: becauſe theſe are as it were the poyſon or venome of the minde. Let vsus not make the ſeale of righteouſneſſe to be a ſigne vntounto vsus of certaine iudgement hanging ouer our heads,1 Cor. 11, 18.30. as it fel out among the Corinthians, who nouriſhed diuiſions among them & therefore were iuſtly and ſharply chaſtened of God many waies. Do not the members of our naturall body louelove one another? Yes they ſeeke the good one of another: the foote enuyeth not the hand; nor the hand the eye; nor the eye the heart. It would be ſtrange in nature to ſee the hands beate and teare the face or the feet: then what is it but euen monſtrous in religion for one Chriſtian to deuoure another, to pray vponupon another, to ſwell againſt another, and to do hurt one to another. There is no difference of grapes when they are all in the wine-preſſe: ſo there is no difference of Chriſtians (in reſpect of Chriſt) comming to his Table; ſo that being made one body in Chriſt, there ought to be no diuiſion or contention among vsus, but we ſhould be knit together in louelove with ſo firme and faſt a knot as may not bee broken. Thus much of the third and laſt end of the Lords Supper.