Advice to an Only Child, Chapter 31 – Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXI. Of the Ends of the Sacrament.
ENdeavour to underſtand well the Ends of this Sacrament. Now for your more clear and diſtinct underſtanding hereof, I ſhall premiſe this one thing, viz. That this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the true notion of it, is a Feaſt, and particularly a Feaſt upon a Sacrifice, or a Feaſt upon that which was once offered up in Sacrifice to God, namely the Body and Blood of Chriſt, which are repreſented in the outward Elements of Bread and Wine. And thus it is parallel unto, or bears proportion with, the Jewiſh Feaſts under the Law, which were made upon thoſe things, which they had firſt offered up in Sacrifice to God: for it was an antient cuſtom among the Jews (as alſo generally among the Heathen) to link Feaſting and Sacrificing together, and to Eat of the things which themſelves had Sacrificed, and ſo had a Communion therein. This they did to ſignifie a Foederal or Covenanting Rite, and ſolemnity betwixt God and Them, as alſo a Covenanting League of friendſhip among themſelves, who did eat thereof. This being premiſed, you may more plainly underſtand the ends of this Sacrament, which are theſe following.
The firſt end of this Sacrament is to be nouriſhment to our inward man, or that the Divine Nature in us might thrive, The end of a Feaſt is nouriſhment. This Sacred Feaſt was inſtituted to nouriſh and feed the Soul, to ſtrengthen and increaſe its Graces. Hence it's expreſt by Eating and Drinking, 1 Cor. 11.24, 25. Chriſt comes to the Soul as Melchiſedeck to Abraham with Bread and Wine. The very Body and Blood of Chriſt, which were a Sacrifice, as they were offered up to God, in that one full and ſufficient oblation upon the Croſs are Meat and Drink for the Souls nouriſhment as they are offered unto us, and ſet before us in the Diſhes of the outward Sacrament, and ſo Chriſt Crucified is truly and really, but Spiritually and Myſtically given to us in the Lords Supper to be our Nutriment, as he was given for us in the Sacrifice and Oblation upon the Croſs, to be our propitiation and atonement: Chriſts Fleſh is Meat indeed, and his Blood Drink indeed, and do become one with us ſpiritually for our nouriſhment, as our Bodily Meat and Drink do, being turn'd into our ſubſtance, here there is a kind of Divine Coalition into the ſame Nature: hence our Saviour ſaid, He that eateth me ſhall live by me, Joh. 6.57. It's ſtoried of Artemiſia that ſhe ſo dearly loved her Husband Mauſolus, that after he was dead, ſhe took the Aſhes of his Urn, and mingled them with her Drink, and ſo intomb'd her dead Husband in her living body. A faithful Soul that is eſpouſed to Chriſt, doth this at the Sacrament, Eating and Drinking there of her crucified Saviour by a Spiritual Commeſſation, thus ſhe lives by him, and hath him as it were intomb'd in her Heart.
Therefore whenſoever you come to this Heavenly Banquet, come with this end that your Soul may receive increaſe and nouriſhment in Grace thereby, that you may have Chriſt become one with you, as your food doth whereby you thrive and grow. But yet you muſt not think to get any nouriſhment, from the out-ſide of the Sacrament, from the outward Rynd or Bark, or Skin of the Ordinance, or by feeding on the outward Elements, if you reſt there. This would be to ſcrape or lick the Diſh only, or out-ſide of the Cup, to play with the Trencher and let the Meat alone, and to go away whole and untoucht from the Table.
The ſecond end for which this Sacrament was inſtituted, is a ſolemn Commemoration of Chriſt and him Crucified, or the celebrating a memorial of him in the Church thr…ughout all Ages. Publick Feaſts were uſually made for the perſerving the memory of ſome great Benefactor. Now this Sacrament of the Paſſion is a publick Feaſt for the whole Church of God in all Ages; and was it not inſtituted for to keep a perpetual memory of the Founder of it, our dear Lord and infinite Benefactor? This will appear by his own words at the firſt Inſtitution, do this in remembrance of me, Luk. 22.19. i. e. of me as Crucified and Dying, as Saint Paul expreſly interprets it, 1 Cor. 11.16. For as oft as ye do eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup, ye do ſhew forth the Lords Death till he come; and therefore it was purpoſely ordain'd for the retaining a more ſpecial Memory of his Death and Paſſion. For the Sacrament (as I premiſed) was a feaſt upon a Sacrifice, and ſo it was ordain'd by Chriſt more particularly and ſpecially, to commemorate that oblation of himſelf upon the Croſs for the Redemption of the World, till he come to Judgment, to eternize the memory of his great and infinite love and goodneſs in dying for us, and to tranſmit it to all ſucceeding Ages and Generations. The Lord hath, ſo done this marvellous work, that it ought to be had in everlaſting remembrance.
Therefore in all your addreſſes to this Sacrament of the Paſſion, come for this end, to keep in a thankful and affectionate memory the great and infinite ſufferings of Chriſt for our Sins. Remember his Death and Paſſion through the whole Sacramental Action, and that with the moſt enlarged and enraviſht affections and meltings of Heart, and the immortal hatred of thoſe ſins that put him upon dying for us, and the ſhedding of His moſt precious blood, one drop whereof is of more value than a Mountain of Pearl as big as the whole Earth.
The third End of the Lords Supper is a ſolemn renewing of the Baptiſmal Covenant. The Feaſts antiently made upon Sacrifices were generally uſed (as I obſerved before) to ſignifie thereby a Covenanting with God. Therefore this Supper of the Lord being in the true notion of it (as I ſaid) a feaſt upon the bloody Sacrifice offered by Chriſt upon the Croſs for us, it doth clearly inſinuate to us, that it was appointed to be a mutual ſtipulation or covenanting betwixt God and his Communicants, hence Chriſt ſaid concerning the Cup, This is the New Teſtament or Covenant in my Blood▪ i. e. the Rite or Solemnity of the, New Covenant (to declare and ſignifie the conſent of parties thereunto, and reſolution to perform the duties of it) inſinuating thereby, that as the Legal Sacrifices on which the People did eat were as Rites of an old ſuperannuated Covenant, ſo was this Sacrament a Rite of a New Covenant, by uſing whereof we do teſtifie our engagements to perform it, as God doth his for making us partakers of all the Bleſſings couched in it. So that this Sacrament on Gods part doth ſignifie a ſolemn delivery of Jeſus Chriſt, his pretious Body and Blood, together with remiſſion of ſins (for which that bleſſed Body was broken and torn, and that Blood ſpilt) and all other fruits of his Death. And on our part it ſignifies a free acceptance thereof, and a hearty delivery of our ſelves up to the intire obedience of him, as we ingaged in the New Covenant to do: ſo that conſequently one great End of this Sacrament is to be a pledge of our happy participation of the Body and Blood of Chriſt, with remiſſion of Sins, Juſtification, Adoption and Title to the Regions of Bliſs, and all other the ineſtimable benefits thereof. Hence it's called the Communion of the Body and Blood of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10.16. where the Apoſtle doth plainly declare than the Sacramental Bread and Cup are aſſured pledges of our Communion with the Body and Blood of Chriſt, i. e. of the Communication thereof to us if duely received.
Therefore in all your Addreſſes to the Lords Table, go with this …cope and End, that you may have a part and portion in Chriſts Body and Blood, remiſſion of ſins, and reconciliation thereby, with all other merits of the Blood of the Croſs, which God hath Covenanted to make over to you. And go alſo with this intent, that you may renew the ingagement, and declare that you will ſtand to the terms of the Baptiſmal Covenant, that you will keep firm and conſtant to that holy League, and ſtand out in a holy War againſt all the Enemies of Chriſt, and never revolt or go to the Enemies quarters; but as a faithful confederate with him, will alway fight under his Banner, againſt the World, the Fleſh and the Devil, and continue to be on Chriſts ſide, or of his Religion to your lifes end.
The fourth End of this Sacrament is to be a pledge and improvement of that love, unity and concord that ought to be among Chriſtians. Thoſe that did feaſt upon the Sacrifices antiently (as I before hinted) did uſe to enter into a Covenant of friendſhip among themſelves as well as betwixt God and Them. And it hath been an univerſal cuſtom, throughout the World to make Covenants or Leagues of Friendſhip by Eating and Drinking together. This bleſſed Supper of the Lord is really and truly a publick Love-feaſt, and was deſigned by our Saviour for this end, the promoting Love and Union among all his People, and to ſhew that they ſhould all cleave together in one Spirit, as they have all been partakers of one Bread, 1 Cor. 10.17. If then it was a Love-feaſt and the feaſt ſtill remain, let not the love be excommunicated.
CHAP. XXXII. Of Habitual Qualifications of the Communicants.
BEfore you make Addreſſes to this Heavenly Banquet, ſee that you be habitually ſuch a perſon as the Maſter of the Feaſt our Lord Jeſus Chriſt would have his gueſts to be. Therefore you muſt ſet ſome portion of time apart, before the Feaſt Day, to examin your ſelf, whether you be ſuch a perſon or no, i. e. whether you be a Real and Serious Chriſtian, one that is truly, and in good earneſt Godly. When the King ſaw one amongſt his Gueſts, that had not on a Wedding Garment, that was not Veſted with the Robes of Chriſts Righteouſneſs for Juſtification, nor of Inherent Righteouſneſs for Sanctification, he commanded to take him, and bind him Hand and Foot, and to caſt him into utter Darkneſs, Math. 22.13. The Wrath of God will be up againſt ſuch unworthy Gueſts, as the King's was againſt Haman, at the Banquet of Wine, and will give Sentence againſt them accordingly. The Indians, when they firſt came into theſe Northern Countreys, thought Roſes had been Fire. Surely the Roſe of Sharon will be really a Conſuming Fire, a devouring Flame to unworthy Communicants. He that Eats and Drinks unworthily, Eats and Drinks his own Damnation, 1 Cor. 11.29. it's as if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, he ſwallows Damnation; and this is more th…n to ſwallow down Flames here in the World. It would be well for ſuch, if this Sacrament proved only an empty Feaſt to them, but it proves mortal Poyſon, and like Poyſon taken in Wine, works with the fierceſt Violence. If you be an unworthy Gueſt at the Lords Table, you will be guilty of the Body and blood of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11.27. your Soul will be diepred in Blood. I mention not this to diſhearten you from going to that Bleſſed Feaſt (for you ought to go) but to perſuade you to go as a worthy Gueſt, that your going may be for your Everlaſting Comfort, and not for your Confuſion.
CHAP. XXXIII. Of Actual Qualifications.
MAke your ſelf actually ready to come to this great Solemnity, this Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper. It's not enough that you be habitually, unleſe you be actually prepared. If you were invited to a Feaſt by ſome great Perſon, you would not ſatisfie your ſelf to go in your ordinary Dreſs, though it were neat and handſom, but you would put your ſelf to ſome more than ordinary pains to ſpruce and trim up your ſelf, ſo as not to have a Hair amiſs. And ought you not to be more careful to Beautifie, Deck and Trim up your Soul afreſh, by Special and more than Ordinary Devotions and Actions of Piety, before you come to this High and Majeſtick Solemnity, this Tremendous Myſtery? as Chryſoſtom calls it. Before Meat, it's good to uſe ſome Exerciſe (as Phyſicians ſay) to ſtir up the Natural Heat, for to promote Digeſtion: And ſo before this Spiritual Feaſt, it's good to Exerciſe our Souls, for the ſtirring up our Spiritual Appetite thereunto, for the warming, heating and quickning of all thoſe Graces and Affections that are neceſſary for a worthy Communicant, which are, Faith, Repentance, Hungring Deſires, Love to God and our Neighbour, Joy, Thankfulneſs, and Reſolutions of New Obedience. You muſt not only have the habit of theſe Graces, but they muſt be made ready, new ſcoured and prepared, ſo as they may work more kindly at the Sacrament; there muſt be a tuning of the Viol, and a winding up of the Strings, the ſeveral Faculties of the Soul. Now you muſt rally up all your Affections, all the Forces of your Soul, and get them all in a ready Frame, and due Poſture, for exerciſing themſelves at this Sacred Solemnity. You muſt premeditate before you go, of all the work that you are to do at the Sacrament, and ſo thereby fit your ſelf for the better doing of it, when you come there.