Discourse Concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, Section 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
TO all thoſe that are thus faithfully in Covenant with him, this Sacrament is a further ſign and ſeal of remiſſion of ſin.
For the Law of Covenants doth require, that where one party doth profeſs friendſhip, and ingage to fidelity; the other perſon in the agreement ſhould make aſſurance of his love, and confirm his promiſes. And therefore when we come with hearts full of love to renew our friendſhip with God, we may beleeve that he doth embrace us alſo with the deareſt affection, and giveth us greater teſtimonies that he hath cancelled all the bonds wherein we ſtood indebted to him: Bonds able to break the whole world, if payment were exacted; Debts which all men and Angels cannot poſſibly diſcharge; which yet he is ſo willing to acquit us of, that he hath appointed this holy action for that end, that we may have more pledges of his love, and more aſſurance that we are not bound over to eternal puniſhment. Well may we run into the armes of Chriſt where we expect to receive ſuch favours. It is no wonder if we be forward to tye our ſelves faſt to God (as I ſaid in the laſt Chapter) when he binds himſelf as faſt to us. We need not ſtand ſo much upon it to promiſe even to die for him, when it is but the way to life. We may be glad to lie in the wounds of Chriſt, when we find a cure there for our ſins. A crucified Saviour ſhould be moſt dear unto us, and we ſhould moſt joyfully kiſs his croſs, ſeeing we hope thereby to have our iniquities croſſed out, and ſtand no longer upon our account.
Methinks all that hear of ſuch a Covenant of Grace ſhould be deſirous to enter into it (and ſo they would if they had not as trifling conceits of the evil of ſin, as they have of the worth of their ſouls:) And all that are in that Covenant ſhould be glad of an opportunity to reiterate it, that they may have ſtronger grounds whereon to hope for pardon. And it is to be acknowledged to the ſingular mercy of God, that we can never come to profeſs any love to him, but he will return back a great deal more to us; and that when we give thanks to him, he will give us more cauſe to thank him.
Now for the full clearing of this thing, I ſhall propound but theſe three conſiderations:
I. That our Saviour in the inſtitution of this Sacrament, doth tell us, what was a great end of it, when he ſaith,M…th. 26.28. Luk 22.20. This cup is the new Teſtament in my blood; or this is my blood of the new Teſtament, which is ſhed for many for the remiſsion of ſins. In which ſpeech you muſt note, that the word This, doth ſtand for the action of giving and receiving, not for that which is given and received in and by it: For the Cup or the Blood cannot be a Teſtament or Covenant, but the giving and receiving of the cup or blood is; and therefore by This is the new Teſtament, &c. muſt be meant, this action is a Covenant between you and me, made in the blood of the Lamb for the forgiveneſs of your ſins.
The Doing of this doth neceſſarily preſuppoſe a Covenant of Grace which God hath made, and which we own in Chriſts blood; but beſides, it doth import a profeſſion (both on Gods part, and on ours who do receive) of performing and making good that which we are reſpectively bound unto: ſo that God doth there tender all that which he promiſeth in the Goſpel comwe by receiving do bind our ſelves (as you have ſeen) to all the Goſpel, and mands. Now this is the great thing that God promiſeth in his Covenant, I will be mercifull to their unrighteouſneſs; and their ſins, and their iniquities will I remember no more.
This Action therefore is appointed by him, not onelyonly to be a ſymbol of his ſufferings which did ratifie the Covenant of forgiveneſs, but to be an exhibition of himſelf, for to put us in poſſeſſion of the great thing purchaſed by his blood, which was pardon to all penitent ſinners.
The blood of the Paſchal Lamb (as Chryſoſtom obſerves) was ſhed foreign,In Matth. 26. for the ſaving of the firſt-born of Iſrael, but Chriſts blood (who is our Paſſeover) was ſhed for the remiſſion of the ſin foreign, of the whole world. Now though the ſhedding of the blood, and ſprinkling of it on the door poſts, were the cauſe of the deliverance; yet their eating of the Lamb was that which did entitle them to it, and gave them a right to that ſalvation. So though the blood of Jeſus ſhed upon the tree be that which procures the pardon, and be the price of our redemption; yet that remiſſion is ſolemnly exhibited and given unto us, or (as we ſpeak) applied to our perſons, by the eating of this bread, and drinking of this cup, which are as effectual as Deed or Inſtrument for the conveying of this mercy unto us. We may ſee this well explained to our hands by an ancient Author. The Sacrament (ſaith Bernard) is a ſacred ſign or ſecret,Serm. de Coena. as may be illuſtrated by a common example. If I give a Ring to a friend, it hath no other ſignificancy, but that I love him: but if I give him a Ring, ad inveſtiendum de haereditate aliqua, thereby to inveſt him in the right of ſome inheritance, then it is both a Ring and a ſign alſo. In like manner, though Bread and Wine ſet before us, do denote nothing more then the kindneſs of a friend that would refreſh us; yet given and taken as a religious rite, and in token of a Covenant, they are turned into another thing, and are both Bread and Wine, and likewiſe the inſtrument of a conveyance. And this is the change which the Ancients mention of the Bread and Wine into the body and blood of Chriſt: a change, not in the ſubſtance, but in the accidents; not in their nature, but in their uſe; not in any natural quality, but in their ſignificancy, application and divine efficacy. As when the wax is imprinted and made a ſeal, or ſilver ſtamped and made a coin, they remain the ſame in ſubſtance, and yet are changed in regard of their uſe and value alſo. So it is with the bread and wine when they are offered unto God, and delivered by him again to us, and received as a repreſentation of the Lord Jeſus: they continue what they were, if we look onelyonly at their matter; but are changed by Gods appointment into divine things, if we reſpect the end to which they are applied, which is to make over to us the bleſſing of the Covenant, viz. remiſſion of ſins.
This is all that Theodoret means by his foreign or tranſmutation, and Cyril by his foreign, change of one thing into another; and Nyſsen by his foreign, tranſlation; or Theophylact by his great word foreign, tranſelementation. For that this laſt word doth not amount to a change of one ſubſtance into another, we may be clearly ſatisfied from himſelf; who as he ſaith,foreign. the bread is tranſelementated into Chriſts body; ſo likewiſe affirms, that we are tranſelementated into Chriſt. Now as by this later expreſſion, he can intend no more but our myſtical incorporation with him, ſo by the former nothing elſe is to be underſtood, but the converſion of the bread to no other uſe, ſo that in effect it is made the body of Chriſt.
In ſhort; he that hath the picture of a King in his Chamber, hath but a bare ſign which may make him think of him, and no more: but he that hath the Kings great Seal, which confirms him in the poſſeſſion of all the land he injoyes, hath his picture and ſomething elſe that comes along with it, which inſtates him in a real good. And though the wax affixed to the writing be the ſame for ſubſtance with that which is in a mans ſhop, yet for vertue (as it is made uſe of) it is much different, and far better then all the wax that a whole County can afford. Even ſo it is in this caſe before us; Bread broken and Wine poured out, are but bare ſigns of Chriſts ſufferings, if we conſider them nakedly in themſelves: but if we look on them as a foederal rite, and as they are given to us, and eaten and drunken by us in remembrance of the death of Chriſt, ſo they are ſeals and further confirmations of Gods great love towards us. And though they are ſtill the ſame for ſubſtance, with the moſt common Bread and Wine which we uſe at our Meals; yet in regard of the uſe to which now they are converted, they become Sacred and of great vertue to convey unto us the things expreſſed in the Covenant, which are of more worth then all the World.
II. It is further manifeſt that we are hereby confirmed in the ſtate of pardon and forgiveneſs, becauſe we do here put forth the moſt ſolemn act of Charity and Forgiveneſs to all our enemies. For it is a Feaſt of Love (as you ſhall ſee afterwards) and this is the very condition upon which our forgiveneſs depends, that we forgive others;Matt. 6.14, 15. and therefore when we here pray for all men, and put away all enmity out of our hearts, never to return any more, God is engaged to expreſs himſelf to us as a friend, and to let fall all differences that have been between him and us. I know that we are never to harbour any hatred in our hearts, and that we cannot pray ſucceſsfully at any time, unleſs we lift up pure hands without wrath; and I likewiſe wiſh the Doctrines of Love were moſt frequently and ſeverely preſſed and practiſed; but yet there is no time when we do more narrowly ſearch our ſelves to find out the reliques of that ſowre leaven, and when we are more powerfully moved to extinguiſh even the leaſt ſpark or ſeeds of fire that are in our ſouls, then when we conſider Chriſts death, and remember how he prayed for his Enemies upon the Croſs. And therefore I conceive, that upon this account, the Sacrament of Chriſts Body and Blood, may be a means of aſſuring our pardon, and ſtrengthning of our title to Forgiveneſs. But notwithſtanding I conſider with my ſelf, that this duty of pardoning others, is not ſo peculiar to this Sacrament, but that it may, and muſt be done (as I ſaid) at all other times; and for that cauſe I ſhall paſs it by, and proceed to that which I would have moſt of all obſerved, for the underſtanding of this part of my Diſcourſe, and that is this:
III. This eating and drinking is a feaſt upon a ſin-offering, and therefore is a greater pledg of remiſſion of ſin. That you may conceive of this aright, it muſt be remembred, That though the people of Iſrael uſed to feaſt upon their peace-offerings which were made at the Altar (as hath been ſaid already) yet they were not admitted to eat of any elſe. The whole Burnt-offerings indeed had Peace-offerings attending alway upon them; and ſo they did partake of the Altar, when they were offered, by eating of the latter; but of the former none taſted but God himſelf. The Offerings for ſinne (as you have ſeen) were the portion of the Prieſts, and the people were excluded from them, unleſs you will ſay that they eat by them as their ſubſtitutes and mediators: But now you muſt further note, That though the Prieſts were to eat of the ſin-offering for particular perſons; yet of the ſacrifice made for the ſinne of the whole Congregation, whoſe blood was carried into the holy place; the Prieſts themſelves might not eat (and ſo conſequently nor the people by them) but they were to burn its fleſh without the Camp. And whether it were upon the day of general atonement, (Lev. 16.27.) or at any other time when the whole Congregation had committed a ſin through ignorance (Lev. 4.13.21. Lev. 6.30.) that an offering was to be made for them; they were not permitted to have the leaſt ſhare of it. Now Chriſt made his ſoul an offering for ſinne,Iſa. 53.10. and ſuch an offering, that with his blood he entred into the holy place, and ſuffered without the Camp, and therefore was moſt illuſtriouſly ſet forth by that ſacrifice, which was for the whole Congregation. According then to the Law, none was to feed upon the Sacrifice; and yet our Lord hath indulged unto us the priviledg of feaſting upon this great Sacrifice of Propitiation; according as the very words of the Inſtitution of this Sacrament do intimate, when our Saviour ſaith,Mark 14.24. This is the blood of the New Teſtament which is ſhed for many, i. e. which is like to the Sacrifice on the great Day of Atonement, which was not made for one perſon, but for the whole Congregation; and of this I give you leave to drink. This was a favour never granted to the World before; and beſides what the Law of Moſes ſpeaks, it is remarkable what is delivered by Porphyry, as the ſence of all the Heathen Divines in the World,L. 2. foreign. foreign. All Divines conſent in this, That it is not lawfull to touch ſo much as a bit of thoſe Sacrifices which are for the averting of wrath. Though it was never lawfull (you know) to eat the blood of any Sacrifice, whether Peace-offering, or other (but it was to be poured out at the Altar) and though the fleſh of thoſe that were offered for ſin, by the Laws of all people, were not to be taſted; yet we may drink the blood of the Sacrifice, yea of this great Sacrifice for all the people, and we may eat the fleſh of it by the command of our Saviour. This things ſure muſt contain in it ſome great myſtery: for the Apoſtle ſeems to take notice of it, when he ſaith, Heb. 13.10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which ſerve the Tabernacle, &c. Altar in this place is by a Metonymie put for a Sacrifice, and the ſence of the Apoſtles diſcourſe in that and the following verſes is this: Go out of the Synagogue, and never meddle with the Jewiſh Religion; though you may endure perſecution by them, as Chriſt did; for you enjoy this ſpecial priviledg, of eating of the ſacrifice of Chriſt which was made for ſinne without the Gate, and whoſe Blood was carried into the holy place, a thing which no Jew could ever have any right unto, in thoſe ſinne-offerings that were made among them. The true intent of this grant which Chriſt hath made us, contrary to the manner of all the World, may be to ſhew our union with his Sacrifice, and that the righteouſneſs of it is as truly imputed to us, as if we could have made ſatiſfaction our ſelves. And (as the Apoſtle ſaith, Act. 13.39.) it ſhews that we are juſtified by him from all thoſe things which we could not be juſtified from by the Law of Moſes. This difference therefore is remarkable between the legal Sacrifices and this repreſentation of Chriſts ſacrifice: In them was made foreign (Heb. 10.3.) a commemoration of ſinne every year, they were a plain confeſſion of ſinne, that it remained ſtill in force, and that they could not take it away, elſe they needed not to have been repeated; and ſo St. Chryſoſtome ſaith very elegantly,foreign. Hom. 17. in Hebr. The Legal Saerifices were rather Accuſations then expiations; a confeſsion of their weakneſs, rather then a profeſsion of their ſtrength, becauſe, as the Apoſtle ſaith, they were a remembrance that ſinne ſtill was in power. But this ſacrifice of which we partake, is an foreign, a commemoration of the remiſſion of ſinnes; a remembrance that it is quite taken away, and hath quite loſt all its ſtrength; and ſo ſeeing Chriſt hath made a perfect ſatisfaction, though they might not eat, yet we may, of the ſacrifice of Expiation. They might not, becauſe ſinne was acknowledged thereby to remain; we may, becauſe by Chriſts offering to make expiation, it is aboliſhed, and utterly deſtroyed, ſo as to have no force to oblige us unto puniſhment. And if that be true which is delivered in Pirke Eliezer and other books,Cap. 29. that Abraham was circumciſed on the day of expiation, (Gen. 17.26.) and that this day was a remembrance of the Covenant of Circumciſion, then it is ſtill more clear, that onelyonly by the new Covenant forgiveneſs could be obtained, for the greateſt of their Sacrifices (according to the Apoſtle) made a remembrance of ſins, and not of the forgiveneſs of them.
To ſhut up this then, you may thus take a very brief ſum of it. Before the flood they onelyonly offered Holocauſts or whole burnt offerings, (for then they eat no fleſh:) After the flood they ſacrificed Peace-offerings alſo for mercies which they received; and theſe they all eat of. But we read of no ſin-offering till the Law was given; and thoſe the Prieſts onelyonly eat of, but not of all. Till the Goſpel came, never did any eat of a ſin-offering that was carried within the vail to reconcile withall; but now both Prieſt and People partake of it.Rev. 1.6. We are all made Priests unto God in this regard, that as the Prieſts of old had the favour to eat of the body and ſo have all the people of God now, by communicating of Sin-offerings, blood of Chriſt, who offered up himſelf unto God for us. And it muſt be added,1 Pet. 2.9. that we are more then Prieſts, even Kings and Prieſts, or a Royal Prieſthood, for there is nothing denied unto us, and we have power to eat of that which the High-Prieſt himſelf might not taſt of, which is the Sacrifice of general Atonement, whoſe fleſh was burnt without the Camp. And if we well conſider, we ſhall ſee that they had no reaſon to feaſt upon it, ſeeing the guilt did ſtill remain which their ſacrifice could not remove; but that we have, becauſe our offering for ſinne hath made a compleat expiation, and given us the greateſt ground of joy and peace. Now by our eating of it, we muſt needs be concluded to partake even of that Altar, and ſo to have remiſſion of ſin.
To draw then the Chapter to a Concluſion; If we take a review of what hath been ſaid in this and the foregoing Diſcourſe, we may be ſufficiently informed what Divines mean when they ſay, That the Sacrament is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace. We ſet our Seal to it, as we give up our ſelves to God; and God ſets his Seal again to it, by delivering the body and blood of his Son to us. The death of Chriſt there repreſented, and communicated to us, doth ſeal to us pardon of our ſinne, and all bleſſings; if we do heartily ſet our ſeal to the counterpart, and by taking and receiving Chriſt under theſe ſigns, promiſe and engage moſt firmly to lead a life according to his Will revealed to us. God ſeals when he gives; and we ſeal when we receive. If we mean as really as he doth, then we have a right to all things ſpecified in the Covenant. By which you may diſcern, that it is not a ſeal that we are pardoned, and our ſinnes are forgiven; but that God remains firm in his purpoſes of Grace, and if we do ſo too in our purpoſes of obedience, we may thence conclude that we are pardoned. Our aſſurance then of our particular pardon, is a thing that reſults from another act of ours, which is a ſerious comparing of our ſeal and Gods together, or a reflecting upon what we and God have done. When we know our own ſincerity and heartineſs in our profeſſion, as we are aſſured of Gods reality and truth in what he promiſeth, then we may conclude well of our ſelves, and reſt aſſured of a pardon.
Yet our pardon is not ſealed ſo certainly as God ſeals the Covenant, becauſe the certainty that we have in our ſelves of our being pardoned, relies upon a thing far more dubious then the certainty we have that God will pardon. Our judgment concerning our ſelves, is onelyonly an humane act grounded upon the true knowledg of our ſelves, whereas our beliefe of the promiſe, is a divine faith, grounded upon the word of God to which he ſets his ſeal; and therefore the concluſion we make (which ſtill follows the weaker part) or the aſſurance we attain of our being pardoned, can be onelyonly an act of humane faith: It can never be ſo ſure as one of the premiſſes is, unleſs we could be as ſure that we ſay true of our ſelves, as that God ſaith true of himſelf. If it were as certain that I beleeve, as it is that God will pardon all that beleeve, then the Concluſion would be as certain as either, that therefore I am pardoned. But ſeeing the firſt Propoſition is grounded on a fallible judgment (and it is poſſible I may deceive my ſelf) therefore I cannot make a concluſion of equal certainty with the ſecond propoſition, but, That I am pardoned, will be no ſtronger then this, That I beleeve. Yet notwithſtanding, if a man find no cauſe to ſuſpect his own reality, he may have a belief of his pardon free from doubting, and may reſt well ſatisfied that he is in a good eſtate, becauſe nothing appears to the contrary, but that he ſincerely doth the Will of Chriſt. Though he attains unto this perſwaſion not by a direct, but a reflex act of faith, i. e. not meerly by a belief of Gods Word, (which no where ſaith that I am pardoned) but by a ſerious examination of himſelf according to the tenor of the Word; yet ſeeing he diſcerns a conformity between himſelf and it, he may have a very good and ſtrong (though not infallible) aſſurance that his ſinnes are blotted out, and ſhall not be imputed to him.
Whenſoever then we approach to the Lords Table, we ſhould come with a belief, that God makes over unto us the greateſt bleſſings, if we receive them as he requires. Now all that he requires is, That we would love and obey him (as we ſaid in the former Chapter;) when we heartily engage to this, we have hereby a conveyance made to us of all that Heaven contains, which is included in this phraſe, forgiveneſs of ſinne. For you may obſerve that in Scripture-ſtile, the taking away of Gods Wrath is the doing of ſome favour. His kindneſſes are not meer negatives or removals of evil; but when he forgives ſinne, and inflicts not the puniſhment, he conferres the contrary bleſſing, and reſtores us to the inheritance.