A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 18
The eighteenth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
VVHat analogy, reſemblance, or ſimilitude and fitneſſe of agreement is there between the wine and the blood of Chriſt in the Sacrament?
Anſ. Firſt,Gen. 49.11. Deut. 32.14. Iſa. 63.2, &c. Iohn 15.1, 5. Luke 22.42, &c. Mat. 27.24, &c. as the wine is made of the blood of Grapes, preſſed and ſtrained in the winepreſſe, for the benefit of men and women: ſo the blood of Chriſt; was preſſed out in the winepreſſe of the wrath of God, which Chriſt did endure in his moſt bitter agony and paſſion for our Redemption.
Queſt. 2. What is a ſecond reſemblance and analogy between Wine and the Blood of Chriſt?
Anſ. As wine when it is drunken doth …rm the ſtomack,Pſal. 104.15. Prov. 3.6. Pſal. 119.13. Ier. 16.7. Mat. 26.27, &c. Acts 10.28. Col. 1.10. Heb. 12.24. Iohn 1.7. Rev. 1.5, 6. & 5.8, &c. chear up the ſpirits, and make glad the hearts of men and women in times of ſorrow, as a cup of conſolation of old time; yea, doth quicken and ſtrengthen to labour and duty: ſo likewiſe the blood of Chriſt received and drunken by faith, doth by Chriſts vertue and merits warm the life of grace in the ſoul, in aſſuring remiſſion of ſins purchaſed with his blood, cheriſh, comfort and quiet the ſoul, and make it able and ready to every good work, to the glory of God in Chriſt, good of his Church, and joy of our own hearts
Queſt. 3. What is a third analogy or ſimulitude between Wine and the Blood of Chriſt?
1. Cor. 10.3. Mat. 26.27. 1 Cor. 12.4. Gal. 3.27, 28. Eph. 4.3, &c.Anſ. As many Grapes preſſed together make but one wine, and all that receive the Sacrament drink of one and the ſame blood and juice of the Grape, as of the cup; ſo all the vertue of the paſſion of Chriſt, his active and paſſive obedience to his Fathers will for us, makes one cup of precious blood for the faithful to drink, and all the faithful drink of the ſame blood of Chriſt, as of one cup of love, to ſignifie and ſeal our union and communion with Chriſt, and one with another in love, as all made one in Chriſt Ieſus.
Queſt. 4. Now what kinde of union and preſence is this between the ſignes and the things ſignified, if it be not a corporal and local union and preſence?
Anſ. Firſt, for the union between the ſignes and the things ſignified, though there he not a corporal or local, or place union, yet it is not an imaginary, but a true Spiritual relation and union, by vertue of which, and of the Covenant of Grace in Chriſt, the things ſignified are really and truly communicated to all them that lawfully and rightly partake of the outward ſignes in this Sacrament.1 Cor. 10.16.
Queſt. 5. How is there a preſence of the thing ſignified with the ſignes, if there be not a local preſence, or that the things ſignified be not preſent in place with the outward ſignes, either by way of Tranſubſtantiation, the Bread and Wine turned into the Natural Body of Chriſt, as Papiſts; or of Conſubſtantiation, or of the Natural body in or under Bread and Wine, as ſome others have imagined?
Anſ. There is a fourfold manner of preſence, in and by which one thing may be ſaid to be preſent with another, which being rightly obſerved, a man may eaſily ſee how Chriſt and things ſignified are and may be ſaid to be united and preſent to the outward ſignes in the Sacrament, and to Believers that partake of them.
Queſt. 6. What is the firſt of theſe?
Heb. 2.14. Luke 24.38, &c. Mat. 28.6 Acts 3.20, 21. 1 Cor. 8.17. & 12.13, 27.Anſ. The firſt a local or place-preſence, a bodily preſence in a place, as a man is preſent in a houſe, as Chriſt was in the Temple, or the Sun in the Firmament, or the like; and with this preſence Chriſt may be ſaid to be preſent, not bodily, but in reſpect of his Divine Perſon and Spirit, by which he is alwayes preſent with his to the end of the world, yet not by the preſence of his Natural body, either by Tranſubſtantiation, or turning the bread and wine, by vertue of the Prieſts words of conſecration into the Natural body and blood of Chriſt, as the Papiſts; or by Conſubſtantiation, as if in or under the bread and wine the Natural body and blood of Chriſt were contained (as ſome Lutherans have affirmed) Chriſts Natural body, though glorified, being finite like ours and cannot be in multitudes of places and perſons at the ſame moment of time: But indeed is in heaven, and there to continue till the day of Iudgement, yet preſent by ſpiritual union with us, as we are Members of his Body.
Queſt. 7. What is the ſecond manner in which one thing may be ſaid to be preſent in or with another?
Anſ. By a Sacramental, ſ…mbolical,Gal. 13.1 1 Cor. …0.16. or figurative preſence; when a thing is repreſented to the minde of a man by ſome outward ſigne; as a thing is repreſented by a word, or a voyce; or a man to the ſight by a Picture: And thus Sacramentally Chriſts true natural body and bloud, are preſent, as repreſented to the eye of the ſoul, the minde of a believer by the outward ſigne of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament.
Queſt. 8. What is the third manner of preſence?
Anſ. The third is a ſpiritual preſence,Heb 11.i. 1 Cor. 10.3, 4, 5. Ioh. 8.56 when we repreſent a ſpiritual thing, not preſent, as preſent to and with us, by Faith; as faithful Abraham by the eye of Faith did ſee Chriſt day many hundred yeers before Chriſt was born, or as by a proſpective Glaſſe we do bring the body of the Sun, or Moon, or of a Star far off to be neer, and as it were preſent to the eies of our bodies; and thus Chriſts natural Body and Blood, his paſſion, death, reſurrection, aſcenſion, and all his benefits, are preſent to our ſouls and bodies by Faith, to our joy and comfort.
Queſt. 9. What is the fourth kinde of preſence in and by which one thing may be ſaid to be preſent in or with another?
Anſ. This is a virtual preſence, when that which is diſtant and far off in place,Mat. 28.20. Mat. 18.20. 1 Cor. 10.16. is by the virtue power and efficacie preſent to and with us, for our comfort and nouriſhment; as the Sun in the firmament is far off in place, and yet the vertue, the light, and warm'th of the Sun, is preſent with us here on the earth, to direct, revive, quicken, nouriſh, and cheriſh the creatures, yea, men and women whom experience teacheth to be refreſhed by it: And thus vertually Chriſt is preſent, yea, his natural Body and Blood, whole Chriſt, and his vertue preſent for the nouriſhment of true believers, and their aſſurance of eternal ſalvation by Chriſt ſealed in this Sacrament.
Queſt. 10. You have explained and held forth the Author, Matter, and Form of the Sacrament; now what is your knowledge concerning the Ʋſe, Benefit, and End of the Sacrament, to faithful and right Communicants.
Anſ. The Ends, Uſe, and Benefits of this Sacrament, are divers for the unſpeakable benefit of faithful receivers.
Queſt. 11. What is a firſt End?
Anſ. Firſt, to ſeal and confirm the Covenant, and promiſe of Gods free Grace in Chriſt,Mat. 26.26, 27. 1 Cor. 11.23, &c. to our ſouls with Chriſts vertue and merits; and all the benefits which Chriſt hath procured for us, in his Paſſion, Death, Reſurrection, Aſcention, yea, his whole active and paſſive obedience, to his Fathers will, as our Surety, with his whole Humiliation and Glorification, as mediator between God and us; all ſealed in this Sacrament.
Queſt. 12. What is a ſecond End?
Anſ. On our part to renew and ſeal our mutual Covenant of thankfulneſſe,Rom. 12.1.2. 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. Pſal. 116.12. Pſal. 119.105. and obedience, to our God and Father again, in and by the vertue and power of Chriſt, to be manifeſted in our lives, according to that light of his will, revealed by his Word and Spirit to our ſouls, from Chriſt our chief Prophet and director in the way to happineſſe.
Queſt. 13. What is a third End of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
Anſ. To hold forth Chriſt by remembring and ſhewing the Lords death until he come; for the ſtrengthening of our Faith, and refreſhing of our ſouls, in the lively repreſentation of Chriſts love to us,Ioh. 15.13. 1 Cor. 11.24, &c. giving his body to be crucified, and his blood to be ſhed for our ſins; evidently held forth in the ſacramental breaking of the Bread, powring out of the Wine, ſeen by the eye of the body, as the inward graces are by the faithful eye of the ſoul in every Communicant.
Queſt. 14. What is the fourth End and Benefit of this Sacrament?
Anſ. It is a ſealing and confirming:
2 Cor. 8.9. Eph. 3.8. Ioh. 6.56. 1 Cor. 1.9. Ioh. 17.20. Eph. 3.8, 16, &c. 1 Cor. 6.15. Col. 3.2, 3. 1 Cor. 12.12, 13.Firſt, of our union and communion with God in Chriſt, and of our right and title to all the riches and treaſures of Chriſts Kingdom of Grace and glory.
And ſecondly, of our union and communion one with another in Chriſt, and with the whole Church of God, as fellow members of the ſame myſtical body; of which Chriſt our Lord and Saviour is the head, for the comfort and benefit of his Church.
Queſt. 15. Are there no other Ends of this Sacrament.
Anſ. Yes, their are divers other ends and uſes: As
Acts 2.46, 47.Firſt, the profeſſion of our Faith that we are Chriſtians, not Iews, Turks, or Infidels.
Secondly, the profeſſion of our love, unity,Acts 2.46, 47. and charity one towards and with one another.
Thirdly,1 Cor. 11.17, 18. Epheſ 9.3, 4, 5. the conſervation of our fellowſhip and communion with Saints.
Fourthly, Our ſtrengthening of all graces in us by participation, and meditation of Chriſt, held forth in this Ordinance in all times of temptations, and divers other ends and uſes, but the former are principle in this Sacrament, John 6.32, 33, 34, 35, 50, 51.