The Communicants Guide, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
IF we be Christians, we have a right to this Sacrament; yet, that we may profit the more by it, we are more particularly to examine our selves both how we understand it, and how suitable our Affections are unto it.
I. We are to try how we understand the Nature, Ends, and Benefits of this divine Ordinance. To which end, we are duely to consider the Institution of it, as it is recorded in Scripture.
St. Matthew tells us, Matthew. 26. 26. &c.that as they were eating, Iesus took Bread, and blessed it,Mark 14. 22. &c. (St. Luke saith, he gave Thanks) and brake it,Luke 22. 19. &c. and gave it to the Disciples,1 Corinth. 11. 23. &c. and said, Take, eat, this is my Body. (St. Luke addeth, Which is given for you, this do in Remembrance of me: and St. Paul saith, which is broken for you, &c.) And he took the Cup, and gave Thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins. (St. Luke saith, This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you) And St. Paul saith, This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood: This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me: For as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do shew [or, shew ye] the Lord's Death till he come.
By these Words of the Evangelists and St. Paul, we may understand what the meaning and use of this Sacrament is.
1. It is a holy Christian Feast, not much unlike the Feast of the Passover among the Iews, at which this was instituted by Christ. Exodus 12.When they were in Bondage in Egypt, God, in order to their Deliverance, destroyed all the first-born in Egypt, commanding them to kill in each Family a Lamb, and to strike the Blood thereof upon the Door-posts of their Houses, and so to feast upon it, promising, that when he saw the Blood he would pass over their Houses, and not destroy their first-born. In thankful Remembrance whereof, they yearly kept the like Feast, called therefore the Lord's Passover. Thus by the Sin of Adam we being all brought into Bondage and Slavery under Satan, it pleased God to destroy the Power of the Devil, and deliver us by the Death of JESUS CHRIST, the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World; Iohn 1. 29.to redeem us by his precious Blood as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot: 1 Pet. 1. 19.so that Christ is our Passover sacrificed for us. 1 Cor. 5. 7.Therefore are we to keep the Feast, eating our Passover, the Body and Blood of Christ, in a thankful Remembrance of this our Redemption and Deliverance by his once offering himself to God a Sacrifice for our Sins.
In like manner, when according to the Law, Men sacrificed Peace-offerings unto God, Levit. 7. 20.they were allowed to feast before God on part of the same; to signifie, that God now admitted them to an intimate Communion and Friendship with himself, feasting them at his own Table, of that meat which by their Oblation was now in a special manner his. So Christ, whom all the Sacrifices of the Law did shadow forth and typifie, being offered once for all a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins, calleth us Christians to feast upon this Sacrifice, though it was a Sin-offering; and even upon the Blood of it (as the Iews were not allowed to do in their Feasts) in token of a more intimate Communion and Friendship with God through him, who hath made our Peace. This Sacrament then is a sacred Feast, and that upon the sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ: and as bodily we eat and drink the broken Bread and pouredout Wine, the Symbols of his Body and Blood; so spiritually we eat his crucified Body and drink his poured-out Blood.
2. The great end of this Feast is, to keep up in the Christian Church a fresh and joyful Remembrance of Iesus Christ, and of all that he did and suffered in the Flesh for us. This do, saith he, in remembrance of me. It is his Pleasure that we more signally and solemnly commemorate thus the Sacrifice of his Death by a lively Representation of it at this Feast of Love, and so shew his Death till he come.
1. We shew it hereby to our own Hearts, for the stirring them up to an holy rejoycing in Christ, praising him, believing in him, loving him and obeying him, and to bring them to true Repentance and a perfect hatred of Sin which crucified the Lord of Glory.
2. We shew it to the World, declaring to the Honour of our holy Iesus what great things he hath done for our Souls; that we are not ashamed of a crucified Saviour, that we glory before the World and rejoyce in him, that he is the Food and Gladness of our Souls, that we are resolved to be faithful unto him whilst we live, and are ready to dye a bloody Death for him if he shall call us to it.
3. We shew it unto God, laying before him in our Prayers the Death of his only begotten Son, as the most powerful Argument, and all indeed that we have, to prevail with him for Pardon, and Grace, and Glory; offering our Persons and our Services to the Father as acceptable unto him in the Vertue of this Sacrifice only.
3. The Benefits of this Sacrament must needs be many, seeing herein our blessed IESUS giveth himself unto us to be the food of our Souls His Body, which was broken for us, he here bids us take and eat. His Blood, which was shed for us, he here bids us drink, The Cup of Blessing, 1 Cor 10. 16.which we bless, is it not the Communion or Communication] of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communication of the Body of Christ? Christ, and all the Benefits of his Passion, are freely communicated to the worthy Partakers of this Bread and this Cup. The Cup of which we drink, is the New Testament in his Blood. Covenants were of old made and confirmed with Sacrificings and Feastings: the new Covenant of Grace and Salvation was established with us through the bloody Sacrifice of Iesus Christ, and is renew'd and confirm'd by our feasting before God on this Sacrifice.
1. This Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins, and by our worthy drinking of it, we receive an Assurance, That our Sins and our Iniquities God will remember no more, Hebrews 8. 12.
2. God, by admitting us to his Table to feast on this Sacrifice, owns us as Members of his proper Family; and will accordingly provide for us and protect us. He will be to us a God, and we shall be to him a People, Hebrews 8. 10.
3. The Promise of the Covenant was this,Hebrews 3. 10. I will put my Laws (saith God) into their, Minds, and write them in their Hearts: God will give the light of Knowledge and the life of Grace; not only teach us, but incline our Hearts to love and delight in his Laws. Here is Life and strength of Grace promised, but all through Iesus Christ; he is the bread of God which giveth Life unto the World; and this bread is his Flesh which he gave for the Life of the World, and he that eateth this bread shall never hunger nor die, John 6. 33. 51. 35.
4. The Bond of Vnion betwixt Christ our Head, and us his Members, is hereby strengthned. He (saith he) that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him, Joh. 6. 56.
5. The Communion of Saints is hereby preserved and maintain'd; by this we declare, that we being many are one Bread and one Body; for we are all Partakers of that one Bread, 1 Corinth. 10. 17.
6. Our Faith of the Resurrection is hereby confirm'd; Whoso eateth my Flesh (saith Christ) and drinketh my Blood, hath eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day, John 6. 54.
So many and inestimable are the Benefits of the New Testament in Christ's Blood by this Sacrament confirmed unto every worthy Communicant.