The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 9
Chap. 9. Of the second inward part of the Lords supper.
THe second inward part is the aThe second inward part of the Lords supper, is the holy spirit.holy spirit, who assureth vsus of the truth of Gods promises. As we hauehave in the word of truth, the forgiuenes of sins, increase of faith, groweth in sanctification, a great measure of dying to sin, and a greater care to liue in newnes of life, promised … vsus: so doth the spirit worke these things bRoma. 8, 15 Galat. 3, 2, 5in the hearts of all the …. This appeareth in many places. Rom. 8. rehaue receiued the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba father: the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God. To one is giuen by the spirit, the word of wisdome, and to … the word of knowledge, by the same spirit: to another is giuen faith, by the same spirit: all these thinges woorketh one and the selfe same spirite, distributing to eueryevery man seuerally, as hee will So then as wee are weake in faith and slowe to beleeue: so we hauehave the spirit giuen vntounto vsus to helpe our infirmities and to open our heartes to receiue the promises. This truth being cleared, the vses offer themselues to be considered. vse. 1.And first of all, inasmuch as the spirite worketh these things in the harts of all the faithfull, from hence we gather, that such as neuer finde any chaunge or renewing of the mind, or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacramentes, may iustly suspect themselues, whether euer they had faith or not, and whether ever they repented or not: and therefore ought to vse the means to come by faith and repentance. For, the worke of the spirit accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God, as also we see in the hearing of faith preached, hee must open the hart that is closed vppe, before wee can receiue with meekenes cIam. 1, 21the worde that is grafted in vsus which is able to saue our soules.
Indeed, eueryevery person present may heare the wordes of institution, may see the Wine poured out, may eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe, as they may also hear the sound of the voice that commeth vntounto them: but the whole force, effect, and power resteth onelyonly in the Spirite of GOD, sealinge vppe the truth and substance of those things in the harts of all the children of God.
Againe seeing these thinges are done and performed by the working of the spirit: they are confuted and cōuinced, vse. 2that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ, and be vnited to his flesh, vnlesse his body be shut vp vnderunder the accidentes of bread and shewes of wine, and so his flesh be giuen vntounto vsus carnally, that we may eate him with our mouthes, and conuey him into our stomackes. But we see heere, the Holy-ghost is the bonde of this vnion, hee worketh in vsus faith, which pierceth the heauens, and layeth hold on Christ. It is saide of Abraham the Father of the faithfull, that dIohn 8, 56he reioiced to see the day of Christ, he sawe it and was gladde. For as we cannot see him with our bodily eies, nor hear him with our bodily ears nor touch him with our bodily hands: no more can we tast or eat him with our bodily mouths. By the hand of faith, we reach and apply him: by the mouth of faith we receiue and eate him. Let vsus beleeue in Christ, and we eaug. tract. in Iohn 26. & 27hauehave eaten Christ: let vsus not prepare our teeth and our belly, but a liuely faith working by louelove. Wherefore, albeit the humane nature of Christ goe not out of the highest heauens: yet we that liue vponupon the earth are partakers of his bodye contained in the heauens, and his flesh and blood are communicated to vsus as truely and effectually, as if he were Obiectionthere on the present with vsus. If any say, How can this bee? can that which is absent from vsus, be present with vsus? can Answer.heauen be in earth, or earth bee in heauen? He ere vntounto I may moste iustlye aunsweare, although this bee a great mistery and marueilous in our eyes, yet we must confesse and consider, that the Holy-ghost is the author of this vnion, and as it were the conduit-pipe of this coniunction, who by his diuine power ioyneth togither things that are seuered in place, and begetteth faith in vsus, which is the instrumenr and hande, f1 Ioh. 17, 20whereby we receiue and applye Christ with all his gifts vntounto our selues, as Iohn. 17. Father, I pray thee for such as shall beleeue in mee, that they may be one, as thou O father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in vsus. He ereunto commeth the saying of Paule, Ephe, 3. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith. Like wise Act, 13. Byhim eueryevery one that beleeueth, is iustified, that is, absolued and discharged, And Iohn 3. so many as beleeue in him, shall not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. Thus we see our fellowship with christ, is from the spirit, and by our …. The spirit is the principall worker: faith is the meanes and the instrument. Neither must this comunction seem vntounto vsus impossible, throgh the great distance and distinction of place. We see the sun daily with oureies, which though it be scituate in the heauens, and seperated from vsus in place, communicateth his effect and power vntounto vsus, that dwell vppon the earth, neither doe we maruell thereat, and yet is the sunne but a Deut. 4, 193creature subiect vntounto vsus, and distributed to all the people vnderunder the whole heauen to serue their vse. Shall not Christ then the sonne of righteousnesse make vsus truely partakers of his flesh by the vnsearchable power of his spirit, and the supernaturall gift of a liuely faith, who can as easily ioyne together things farre off, as those that are nigh? Are not the faithfull, seuered in place, and scattered through the world, ioyned as neerely together as the members are, h1 Iohn r, 3to become one body where of Christ is the head? As the Apostle teacheth, That which we hauehave seene & heard, declare we vntounto you, that ye may also hauehave fellowship with vsus, and that our fellowship also may be with the father & with his son Iesus Christ. We see this like wise lively laid out before vsus in the estate of …, though the husband and wife be sundred for a time and separated one farre from another, yet the band of matrimony doth so ioyne and vnite them, that the wife is one flesh with her …, albeit he be a thousand miles distant from her: so is it betweene Christ and the faithfull, he loued the church and gaue himselfe for it, and they are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, which coupling and combining together with Christ is wrought (as we hauehave shewed) by the spirit, principally, by faith instrumentally, by both most effectually. We need not therfore any carnall and bodily presence of Christ to ioyne vsus to him, seeing it is truely and certainely perfourmed by these meanes, whereby we grow to a perfect man in him. For, as the Sunne is more comfortable to the world by his refreshing beames and sweete influence being absent, then if his naturall body and compasle lay vponupon the earth: so the flesh of christ being in the glory of his father, much more comforteth and refresheth our soules and bodies by his heauenly grace and spirituall influence, then … he were present fleshly before our eyes. And as the Sunne, not discending from heauen nor leauing his place, is not withstanding present with vsus in our chambers, in our houses, in our hands, and in our bosomes: so christ being in the highest heauens, not comming downe, nor forsaking his glorious habitation, yet iMath. 28, 20neuerthelesse is present with vsus in our congregations, in our heartes, in our praiers, in our meditations, and in the sacraments. But of this we shall hauehave occasion to speake more in the chapter following, and we hauehave already spoken of it in the former bookes.