A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 17
The ſeventeenth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
VErily I like well of your Chriſtian concluſion for Peace and Ʋnity amongſt Saints, though there be ſome differences in opinion in leſſer matters, when as we all hold the Head Chriſt. And ſince you have declared your knowledge and faith concerning the Sacrament of Baptiſm: Now what do you know and believe concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and by whom, and when was that inſtituted, and what light is there from Chriſt to lead us to Chriſt therein?
1 Cor. 10.16. Mat. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11.23, &c.Anſ. This Sacrament of the communion of the Body and Blood of Chriſt, was inſtituted by the Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, in the ſame night that he endured his bitter Agony, and alſo ſweat drops of blood before he was betrayed by Judas, and apprehended by the Officers of the High Prieſts and Elders, to be condemned and put to death, that curſed death of the Croſſe which he ſuffered for our Redemption.
Queſt. 2. What is the outward viſible ſign, ſeal, or external material thing of the Lords Supper, or of that Sacrament of the confirmation of our Faith, and renewing of our Covenant again with God in Chriſt?
Anſ. The external or outward thing,Mat. 26.27. &c. & 14.22, &c. Luke 22.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.23, &c. ſign, ſeal, badge, or pledge in a Sacrament, is that which being ſanctified, holdeth forth another thing to the inward ear, or eye, or hand, or mouth of the ſoul, which is Faith, then it doth to the outward ear, or eye, or hand, or mouth of the body; and ſeals and aſſures another thing to the ſoul, then that which the body partakes of; and in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, this outward ſign, ſeal, pledge and Symbol, is the bread and wine conſecrated or bleſſed; and the bread broken and wine powred out; the bread and wine given and received, eaten and drunk of the faithful, together with the whole Sacramental action, according to the inſtitution of Chriſt.
Queſt. 3. What is the inwrrd or internal grace and material thing in this Sacrament, ſo ſignified, ſealed and communicated by Chriſt to every true and faithful receiver, of theſe holy myſteries, in this holy Ordinance?
Mat. 26.26, &t. Iohn 6.55, &c. & 10.15. &c. 1 cor. 10.16. Eph. 5.25, &c. Rom. 4.24, &c. Heb. 9.25, &c. & 10.12, &c. 1 Theſ. 1.10. Rom. 6.23.Anſ. The inward grace or inward material thing is Chriſt himſelf, given for his Church with his body and blood ſpiritually received by Faith, and all Chriſts merits, with the graces procured by Chriſt in his death, paſſion and Reſurrection, Aſcention, and all he hath done for our good, both for this and a better life; all which are lively repreſented, ſealed, and communicated to the faithful in their ſouls, according to the Covenant of grace held forth, and confirmed in this communion of the body and blood of Chriſt.
Queſt. 4. But ſince Chriſt ſaith of the bread in the Sacrament, This is my Body; and of the wine, This is my Blood, do not the faithful receive corporally and carnally the Body and Blood of Chriſt in this Sacrament?
Anſ. No verily, the Body and Blood of Chriſt cannot be received corporally and carnally, with the hand and mouth of our bodies, wratſoever the Capernaites of old, or the Papiſts or any other ſince have imagined.
Queſt. 5. How then is the Body and Blood of Chriſt received in the Lords Supper?
Anſ. To underſtand this, we muſt know that a body is divers wayes aſcribed to Chriſt, or Chriſt may be ſaid to have a body in a fourfold reſpect, or a fourfold body; and ſpiritually and by faith the children of God do receive and partake of union and communion with Chriſt, and Chriſts body in all theſe kindes.
Queſt. 6. What is the firſt kinde of body, and how do the faithful receive and partake of that body of Chriſt in this Sacrament?
Anſ. The firſt was the Natural body of Chriſt,Luke 1.15. Iohn 1.14. Mat. 27.21, &c. & 25.31.32. & 28.6. Acts 3.20, 21. which was conceived and born of the bleſſed Virgin Mary, crucified, dead and buried, and roſe again for us and our ſalvation: and aſcended into Heaven, and there is glorified, and ſits at the right hand of God the Father in power and glory: where he ſhall remain making interceſſion for his Church till the day of Iudgement, when he ſhall come with his glorious Angels in power to judge both the quick and the dead.
Queſt. 7. But how do we who are the Saints, receive and partake of this Natural crucified and glorified body of Chriſt.
Anſ. We may be ſaid to receive and partake of this natural body of Chriſt really and truly, though not corporally and carnally, by eating or receiving it by the hand or mouth of the body: But,
1 cor. 10.16.Firſt, Spiritually and by Faith, believing on Chriſt as our Lord and Saviour, who gave his Natural body to be crucified, and his Blood to be ſhed for our ſins.
Gal. 2.20.Secondly, Applying Chriſt and all his merits by Faith to our ſouls.
Iohn 6.5, 6.Thirdly, Receiving Chriſt to dwell in us, and ſo having an union and communion with Chriſt, as with our Lord and Head, into whom we are ingrafted by Faith.
Fourthly, To partake of Chriſt even the Divine Nature, by our union and communion with Chriſt which is ſealed in the Sacrament, John 6.63, & 6.33, &c. & 10.18. Eph. 1.17, &c. & 3.16, &c. 1 Cor. 12.12, &c. & 10.16, &c. 2 Pet. 1.3.
Queſt. 8. What is the ſecond kinde of body which is aſcribed to Chriſt?
Anſ. A Sacramental body, and ſo the bread and wine in the Sacrament,Mat. 26.26, &c. 1 Cor. 12.24, &c. are the body of Chriſt which doth ſignifie, repreſent, and ſeal the vertue of the Natural body and blood of Chriſt crucified, not to all, but to all true Believers; and this outward viſible Sacramental body is received by the bodily outward hands and mouth of all communicants, true Believers and Hypocrites, who come to the Lords Table.
Queſt. 9. But is this Sacramental body the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, any thing available for their goods, who come unprepared, and receive that and no more?
Anſ. No certainly, this is not profitable but hurtful to the ſouls,1 Cor. 11.28, &c. Mat 22.11, &c. becauſe they want the Wedding-Garment, and eat and drink Iudgement to themſelves, not being able to examine themſelues, or to diſcern rightly, or partake Spiritually of the Natural or Spiritual body of Chriſt.
Queſt. 10. How can you call a body Spiritual?
Anſ. The Apoſtle calls the glorified body of the Saints Spiritual bodyes, becauſe they are endued with Spiritual qualities of glory,1 Cor. 15.44. Rom. 6.6 & 7.24. Col. 2.16, 17. mortality, as ſin and death is compated to a body in reſpect of Natural corruption, or ſinful qualities, and mortality, ſo likewiſe the rich graces and ſpiritual benefits of the life of Chriſt, communicated and ſealed in the Sacrament, may be called a Spiritual body, as a whole body of ſpiritual heavenly graces beſtowed upon faithful receivers: thus Chriſt and his graces are a body of grace received by the faithful.
Queſt. 11. What do you call a ſpritual body of Chriſt?
Anſ. This is the third kinde of body, a vertual or ſpiritual body, comprehending all the power, life, vertue, merits and benefits which do ariſe from the paſſion, crucifying of the natural body, ſhedding of the natural blood of Chriſt, with his Reſurrection and Aſcention, for the good and benefit of Gods Church and people, held forth, ſealed, and exhibited in the Lords Supper, and received, not by the hand and mouth of the body, but of the ſoul, and enjoyed only by the faithful communicant, and ſuch as are rightly prepared for this ſacred feaſt of the Lord, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4, 16. Phil. 3.10, 11. Gal. 2.20. & 3.1. Chriſt held forth in the Word and Sacraments, as crucified before our eyes, and Spiritually communicated, 1 Cor. 10.16.
Queſt. 12. What is the fourth and laſt kinde of body attributed to Chriſt? and how do the Saints partake of or receive an union or communion with that, or aſſurance of it in this Sacrament?
Anſ. This fourth and laſt is the myſtical body of Chriſt,Rom. 12.45. 1 Cor. 12, 13, &c. & 10.16, 17. Eph. 2.16 & 3.4, 5. & 4.12. Col. 3.14, 15. Heb. 12.22, &c. 1 Ioh. 1.3, 7. the Church and people of God, the Members of that body of which Chriſt is the head. And a more full union and communion with which body the Saints do receive and partake of, when in the Sacrament as in a communion of Saints, rightly and ſpiritually, not by mouth of the body, but by faith they partake of Chriſt, and have this union and communion of Saints ſealed and aſſured in this Sacrament,
Queſt. 13. You have declared your knowledge concerning the author and matter of this Sacrament: Now what is the form of it?
Anſ. The form of communicating in this Sacrament, is likewiſe twofold, outward and inward.
Queſt. 14. What is the outward form or manner of celebrating or partaking of and in this Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
Anſ. The external or outward form in this Sacrament,Mat. 26.26, 27. 1 Cor. 10.16. & 11.23, &c. Iſa. 42.3, &c. & 53.10, &c. is firſt, the whole Sacramental word of Chriſts Inſtitution, the bleſſing or conſecrating of the bread and wine, the command of receiving, eating and drinking of the outward Elements, and eſpecially the Promiſe and Covenant of Grace; Chriſt and all his benefits promiſed, held forth and ſealed to the faithful in this Sacrament.
Queſt. 15. What it the ſecond part of the outward form or manner of celebration to be obſerved?
Anſ. The Sacramental actions of breaking bread,Mat. 26.26. Luke 22. powring out of wine, the diſtribution of bread and wine, to and for the communicants, and their receiving of of them by the hand, eating of them by the body, as Sacramental, ſignifying, ſealing, exhibiting, communicating, and applying ſigns and ſymbols of all inward grace given to the faithful, and received by them in this Sacrament.
Queſt. 16. What is the inward form of or in this Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
Anſ. The internal or inward form is the analogy, union and preſence, not local, but vertual, Sacramental and Spiritual of the outward ſignes, and the things ſignifi'd, the one repreſenting and anſwering; the other as the face doth anſwer a face in a glaſſe, the outward ſignes being exhibited by the Miniſter of Chriſt; and the things ſignifieth the light and warmth, and ſoul-cheriſhed vertue and nouriſhment of the life of grace from Chriſt, given and communicated, and applyed by that Sun of righteouſneſſe Chriſt; and Chriſt his ſpirit at the ſame time to the faithful in the Sacrament, as the Sun in the firmament doth its vertue of light and warmth to us; or as the outward Elements of bread and wine do their vertue and refreſhing,1 Cor. 10.16. to nouriſh the life of nature in man or woman that receive them in the Sacrament.
Queſt. 17. What Analogy, proportion, likeneſſe or agreement is there between the ſignes and the things ſignified? Firſt, between the Bread and the Body of Chriſt, to ſet forth and ſeal the benefits unto us?
Anſ. Firſt, as the bread corn of wheat is threſhed with a flail, or beaten with a ſtaffe, bruiſed, ground in the Mill, and baked in an oven, with fire to make bread for our bodyes;Iſa. 28.28. & 53.5, 6 1 Cor. 9.10. ſo was Chriſt threſhed with a flail, and beaten with a ſtaffe, and ground in the Mill, and baked in the fiery oven of his paſſion, and of the wrath of God; that he by his vertue and merits might be heavenly bread for our ſouls and bodyes, to nouriſh us to life Eternal.
Queſt. 18. What is a ſecond reſemblance?
Anſ. Secondly, as the bread is comfortable ſtrength and nouriſhment for a hungry body for life of nature:Pſa. 104.15. Ioh. 6.48, &c. ſo the body of Chriſt and vertue of his merits in ſweet nouriſhment for hungry true believers, to nouriſh the life of grace in them to life Eternal.
Queſt. 19. What is a third agreement or reſemblance?
1 Cor. i0.16.Anſ. As the bread in the Sacrament is made of many corns, and one bread is diſtributed to many, and many partake of one bread; ſo doth it ſet forth our union and communion with Chriſt, and one with another, we that are many are one body in Chriſt, and all partake of that one heavenly bread Chriſt for our everlaſting comfort.