The New Covenant, Book 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the firſt inward part of the Lords Supper.
HIther to we hauehave ſpoken of the outward parts of this Sacrament, by doing whereof conſecration is performed: aWhat are the inward parts of the Lords ſupper.now follow the inward parts to be conſidered. For in Sacraments we muſt conſider not what they be of themſelues, but whatbAuguſt. cont. Maxim. in li. 3. they ſignifie vntounto vsus. Theſe inward parts are foure in number, to wit, firſt the Father, ſecondly the Spirit, thirdly the body and blood of Chriſt, and fourthly the faithfull. All theſe hauehave a ſacramentall relation to the outward parts, and declare the inward truth of them. The actions of the Miniſter are notes of the actions of God the Father: the word of inſtitution is made effectuall by the holy Spirit: the bread and wine are ſignes and ſeales, repreſenting the body and blood of Chriſt: the outward actions of eueryevery receiuer do note out the inward actions and ſpirituall workes of the faithfull. Thus then the agreement anſwereth aptly, and the proportion falleth fully betweene the parts.cThe agreemēt between the outward and inward parts. As the Miniſter by the words of inſtitution offereth vntounto the Communicants the bread and wine to feed thereupon corporally and bodily: ſo God the Father by the Spirit offereth and giueth the body and blood of Chriſt, to the faithfull receiuers to feed vponupon them ſpiritually. Hence it is, that the outward actions of the Miniſters, and the outward actions of the receiuers are ſaid to be ſignes of the ſecond kinde, and therefore may fitly bee called parts of the Supper.
Now then, let vsus remember the ſenſible and externall actions of the Miniſter, that thereby we may conſider the ſpirituall and inward actions of God the Father. And firſt of all, the taking of the bread and wine into his hands, and the conſecrating or bleſsing of them by repeating the promiſe, by prayers, and thankſgiuings, doth ſeale vp theſe holy actions of God the Father, by which he from all eternity euen before the foundation of the world, did ſeparate, elect, ordaine, chuſe, and call his Sonne to performe the office of a Mediator betweene God and man: and when the fulneſſe of time came did ſend him into the world, to performe that office, whereunto he was appointed, This wee ſee proued vntounto vsus in many places, as Iohn 6. Labour not for the meate which periſheth, but for the meate that endureth vntounto euerlaſting life, which the Sonne of man ſhall giuegive vntounto you: for him dIoh. 6, 27.hath God the Father ſealed, that is, hath inſtalled him into his office, to reconcile men vntounto God, and to bring them to euerlaſting life. And Gal. 1. Ieſus gaue himſelfe, that he might deliuer vsus from this preſent euill world, eGal. 1, 4.according to the will of God euen our Father: So that whatſoeuer Chriſt did, he did it by the will and appointment of his Father. According to the teſtimony of the Apoſtle, Heb. 5. Chriſt tooke not to himſelfe this honor, to be made the High Prieſt,fHeb. 5, 5. but he that ſaid vntounto him, Thou art my Sonne, this day I begat thee, gaue it him. And as the Father ordained him to that office, ſo in time he ſent him, as the Euangeliſt witneſſeth,gLuke 4, 18. The Spirit of the Lord is vponupon me, becauſe he hath annointed me, that I ſhould preach the Goſpell to the poore, binde vp the broken hearted, preach liberty to the captiues, &c. So likewiſe 1 Ioh. 4. Heerein is that louelove, not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus, and hIoh. 4, 10.ſent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for our ſins. And Gal. 4. When the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent forth his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnderunder the law, that he might redeeme them that are vnderunder the law. Thus we ſee the inward actions of God the Father, anſwering to the outward actions of the Miniſters, who being rightly called of God, do worke with him, and are the diſpenſers of his ſecrets.
Vſe 1 Now let vsus come to the vſes of this part. Firſt of all, this ſealing and ſending of his Sonne, ſerueth to confirme and aſſure vsus of our ſaluation in Chriſt. For ſeeing God hath annointed and appointed him into this office, our faith cannot faile, our confidence cannot fal, our hope cannot make aſhamed,iRom. 5, 5. ſeeing the louelove of God is thus ſhed abroad in our harts through the Holy-Ghoſt,kRom. 8, 16. who beareth witnes with our ſpirit, that we are the children of God, by whom weelEph. 4, 30. are ſealed vntounto the day of redemption.
Vſe 2 Againe, let vsus ſeeke ſaluation no where elſe then in him alone, whom God the Father hath ſealed, and ſet apart to that end. For euen as the body is nouriſhed by no other meats and drinkes then by ſuch asmDeut. 8, 3. Mat. 14, 4. God hath appointed to this purpoſe,nEzek. 14, 13 Leuit. 25, 26 as a ſtaffe to ſuſtaine vsus: ſo is the ſoule fed by no other meanes then God hath before ordained▪ The cauſe of our ſaluation is in the louelove of God toward vsus, which is notably repreſented by the taking and bleſsing of the outward elements. He might hauehave left vsus to our ſelues, to worke out our owne deſtruction: but his mercy is greater then his iuſtice.
Thirdly, by theſe outward actions of the Miniſter, we Vſe 3 muſt ſeeke confirmation & ſtrength of our faith, being aſſured that God the Father tooke his Sonne, and appointed him to theſe ends. We muſt not wander and gaze about, and thinke we hauehave nothing to do, but when we take and receiue the bread and the cuppe into our hands: we muſt in eueryevery ſacramentall rite conſider the things ſignified, and ponder in our hearts the fitneſſe and agreement betweene them both. So then, as we behold with our bodily eyes the Miniſter (repreſenting the perſon of the Father) taking, bleſsing, and ſeparating the bread and wine to that bodily vſe: ſo ſurely and certainely wee muſt learne that God the Father hath ordained and ſent his onelyonly begotten SonoMat. 17, 5. and 3, 17. in whom he is well pleaſed, to be the Mediator for the pardon of our ſins. Hence we ſee the infinite louelove of God toward vsus, and let vsus labour to comprehendpEph. 3, 18.19. the length, bredth, height, and depth thereof, that ſpared not his own Sonne,qRom. 32. but gaue him for vsus all vntounto the death: hence we ſee that exceeding compaſsion of the Son, that loued his enemies more then himſelfe, and accounted not his owne life precious to himſelfe: hence we ſee the gracious and glorious worke of our redemption, wherein the mercy and iuſtice of GodrPſal. 85, 10. meete together, and kiſſe each other, teaching vsus to take ſweet delight and comfort in the meditation thereof day and night with all thankſgiuing: hence wee hauehave aſſurance of ſaluation and conſolation in all troubles and tentations: hence we ſee the greatnes of our owne ſinnes that could not be pardoned, but by the death of the Son of god, and therefore we muſt hate them with an vnfained hatred as our greateſt, moſt dangerous and deadly enemies: and laſtly, hence we ſee, that if God the Father thus loued vsus, we ought earneſtly to louelove him againe, and to ſerue him in all duties of holineſſe and true righteouſneſſe: neither ought we to louelove him onelyonly, but for him all our brethren, as the Apoſtle reaſoneth,1 Ioh. 4, 11. Brethren, if God ſo loued vsus, wee ought to louelove one another.
Thus we hauehave ſhewed, how the taking of the bread by the Miniſter, ſignifieth the Fathers appointing of his Son: the Miniſters bleſsing, the Fathers ſeparating and ſetting apart his Sonne to his office: the Miniſters deliuering of the bread, the Fathers giuing of his Sonne. If then wee draw neere to the Lords table with faith, reuerence, and repentance, nothing can be more ſure and certaine to vsus, then the taking and receiuing of Chriſt, for when we receiue the bread from the Miniſter, wee withall receiue the body of Chriſt offered by the hand of God the Father, ſo that as we are aſſured of the one, we need not doubt of the other.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, the breaking of the bread, pouring out of the wine, and deliuering of them both into the hands of the Communicants, ſeale vp theſe actions of God, his chaſtiſing of his Sonne, and breaking him with ſorrowes vponupon the Croſſe for our redemption, offering him vntounto all, euen vntounto hypocrites, and giuing him truely to the faithfull with all the benefits of his paſsion. Indeed the Miniſter giueth the outward ſignes to all receiuers; but God giueth and applyeth onelyonly to the faithfull, the ſhedding of Chriſts blood for the daily increaſe of their faith and repentance. But heere it may be obiected, Obiection. that not a bone of him was broken,tExod. 12, 45 as it was figured by the Paſſeouer, and performed at his paſsion: the verifying and accompliſhment whereof, we reade Iohn 19, 36. I anſwere, Anſwere. there is a double breaking of Chriſt: one corporall, whereof the places before doe ſpeake: the other figuratiue, whereby is vnderſtood,uEſa. 53, 4.5. hee was tormented and euen torne with paines, as Eſa. 53. He was wounded for our tranſgreſsions, and broken for our iniquities: the chaſtiſement of our peace was vponupon him, and with his ſtripes we are healed. Lo what is meant by the breaking of the bread: his ſoule was tormented, his ſpirit was cruſhed, his hands and feet were pierced, he ſweat drops of Water and blood, and cryed out aloud vponupon the Croſſe, My Ma…. 27, 46.God, my God why haſt thou forſaken me. Wherefore let theſe rites be rightly marked and obſerued of vsus for our comfort and conſolation: Let vsus when wee ſee the bread broken and wine poured out, meditate on the paſsion of Chriſt how he was wounded and torne for our tranſgreſsions. Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces, yet hee was broken with afflictions, bruiſed with ſorrowes, and tormented with bitter anguiſh of his ſoule, by whoſe ſtripes we are healed, by whoſe condemnation we are iuſtified, by whoſe agonies we are comforted, by whoſe death we are quickened. Whoſoeuer reſteth in the outward workes done before his eyes, neuer attaineth to the ſubſtance of the Sacrament. Thus much of the firſt inward part.