A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 82 · Part 2
Mark XIV.24.
And as they did Eat, Iesus took Bread, &c.
Secondly, Having spoken of the Sacrament of Baptism, I come now to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is the most Spiritual and sweet Ordinance that ever was instituted. Here we have to do more immediately with the Person of Christ. In Prayer we draw nigh to God, in the Sacrament we become one with him. In Prayer we look up to Christ, in the Sacrament by Faith we touch him. In the Word Preached we hear Christ's Voice, in the Sacrament we feed on him.
Quest. 1. What Names and Titles in Scripture are given to the Sacrament?
Resp. 1. It is called, (1.) Mensa Domini, The Lord's Table, 1 Cor. 10.21. The Papists call it an Altar, not a Table. The Reason is, because they turn the Sacrament into a Sacrifice, and pretend to offer up Christ corporally in the Ma…s. It being the Lord's Table, shews with what Reverence and solemn Devotion we should approach to these Holy Mysteries. The Lord takes notice of the Frame of our Hearts when we come to his Table. Matth. 22.11. The King came in to see the Guests. We dress our selves when we come to the Table of some Great Monarch. We should think with our selves, we are going to the Table of the Lord, therefore should dress our selves by Holy Meditation and Heart-Consideration. Many think it is enough to come to the Sacrament, but mind not whether they come in Due Order *1 Chron. 15.13.. Perhaps they had scarce a serious Thought before whither they were going: All their Dressing was by the Glass, not by the Bible. Chrysostom calls it, The dreadful Table of the Lord: So it is to such as come unworthily. (2.) The The Sacrament is called Coena Domini, the Lord's Supper, 1 Cor. 11.20. to import, it is a Spiritual Feast: It is indeed a Royal Feast, God is in this Cheer. Christ in both Natures, God and Man, is the matter of this Supper. (3.) The Sacrament is called foreign, a Communion, 1 Cor. 10.16. The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? The Sacrament being called a Communion, shews,
1. That this Ordinance is only for Believers, because none else can have Communion with Christ in these Holy Mysteries. —Communio fundatur in …nione: Faith only gives us Union with Christ, and by Vertue of this we have Communion with him in his Body and Blood. None but the Spouse communicates with her Husband. A Stranger may drink of his Cup, but she only hath his Heart, and communicates with him in a Conjugal manner: So Strangers may have the Sign, drink of the Cup, but only Believers drink Christ's Blood, and have Communion with him in his Priviledges.
2. The Sacrament being a Communion, shews, That it is Symbolum Amoris, a Bond of that Unity and Charity which should be among Christians. 1 Cor. 10.17. We being many are one Body. As many Grains make One Bread, so many Christistians are one Body. A Sacrament is a Love-Feast. The Primitive Christians (as Iustin Martyr notes) had their Holy Salutations at the Blessed Supper, in token of that Dearness of Affection which they did bear each to other. It is a Communion, therefore there must be Love and Union. The Israelites did eat the Passover with Bitter Herbs, so must we eat the Sacrament with bitter Herbs of Repentance, but not with bitter Hearts of Wrath and Malice. The Hearts of the Communicants should be knit together with the Bond of Love. Thou braggest of thy Faith, (saith Austin) but show me thy Faith by thy Love to the Saints. For as in the Sun, Light and Heat are inseparable, so Faith and Love are twisted together inseparably. Where there are Divisions, the Lord's Supper is not properly a Communion, but a Disunion.
Quest. 2. What is the Lord's Supper?
Resp. It is a visible Sermon, wherein Christ crucify'd is set before us; or it is a Sacrament of the New Testament, wherein by receiving the Holy Elements of Bread and Wine, our Communion with Christ is signify'd and seal'd up to us. Or thus: It is a Sacrament Divinely Instituted, wherein by giving and receiving Bread and Wine, Christ's Death is shewed forth, and the worthy Receivers are by Faith made Partakers of his Body and Blood, and all the Benefits flowing from thence. For the further explaining of the Nature of the Lord's Supper, I shall look back to to the Institution.
1. Iesus] took Bread. Here is the Master of the Feast, or the Institutor of the Sacrament. The Lord Iesus he took Bread. He only is fit to Institute a Sacrament, who is able to give Vertue and Blessing to it.
2. He took Bread.] Christ's Taking of the Bread was one Part of his Consecration of the Elements, and setting them apart for an Holy Use. And as Christ did consecrate the Elements, so we must labour to have our Hearts consecrated before we receive these Holy Mysteries in the Lord's Supper. How unseemly a Sight is it to see any come to these Holy Elements, having Hearts leavened with Pride, Covetousness, Envy! These do with Iudas receive the Devil in the Sop, and are no better than Crucifyers of the Lord of Glory.
3. And Blessed it.] This is another Part of the Consecration of the Element, Christ blessed it: He blesseth, and it shall be blessed. Viz. He look'd up to Heaven for a Benediction upon this Ordinance newly founded.
4. And Brake it.] The Bread broken, and the Wine poured out, was to signifie to us the Agony and Ignominy of Christ's Sufferings, the Rending of Christs Body on the Cross, and that Effusion of Blood which was distilled from his blessed Sides.
5. And gave it] to them. Christ's giving the Bread, denotes Christ's giving of himself and all his Benefits to us freely. Tho Christ was sold, yet given. Iudas did sell Christ, but Christ gave himself to us.
6. He gave it to Them,] viz. The Disciples. This is Childrens Bread; Christ doth not cast these Pearl before Swine. Whether Iudas were present at the Supper is controverted, I rather incline to think he was not: For Christ said to the Disciples, This is my Blood which is shed for you, Luke 22.20. Christ knew his Blood was never shed effectually and intentionally for Iudas. In eating the Passover Christ gave Iudas a Sop, which was a Bit of Unleavened Bread dipt in a Sauce made with bitter Herbs; Iudas having received the Sop, went immediately out, John 13. But suppose Iudas were there, tho he receiv'd the Element, yet not the Blessing.
7. Take, Eat.] This Expression of Eating denotes Four things. (1.) The near mystical Vnion between Christ and his Saints. As the Meat which is eaten incorporates with the Body, and becomes one with it; so by eating Christ's Flesh, and drinking his Blood Spiritually, we partake of Christ's Merits and Graces, and are mystically one with him. Iohn 17.23. I in them. (2.) Take, eat. Eating shows the infinite Delight the believing Soul hath in Christ. Eating is grateful and pleasing to the Pallat: So feeding on Christ by a lively Faith is delicious. Nullus animae suavior cibus. Lactantius. No such sweet feeding as on Christ crucifyed. This is a Feast of Fat things, and Wine on Lees w…ll refined. (3.) Take, eat. Eating denotes Nourishment. Meat, as it is delicious to the Pallat, so it is nourishing to the Body. So eating Christ's Flesh, and drinking his Blood, is nutritive to the Soul. The new Creature is nourished at the Table of the Lord to everlasting Life. Iohn 6.54. Whoso eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath eternal Life. (4.) Take, eat, shows the Wisdom of God, who restores us by the same means by which we fell. We fell by Taking and Eating the Forbidden Fruit, and we are recovered again by Taking and Eating of Christ's Flesh. We died by eating the Tree of Knowledge, and we live by eating the Tree of Life.
8. This is my Body.] These Words, Hoc est Corpus meum, have been much controverted between us and the Papists. This is my Body, that is, by a Metonymy, It is a Sign and Figure of my Body. The Papists hold Transubstantiation, that the Bread is after Consecration turn'd into the very Substance of Christ's Body. We say we receive Christ's Body Spiritually, they say they receive Christ's Body Carnally, which is contrary to Scripture. The Scripture affirms, that the Heavens must receive Christ's Body until the times of the restitution of all things, Acts 3.21. Christ's Body cannot be at the same time in Heaven and in the Host. Aquinas saith, It is not possible by any Miracle that a Body should be locally in two places at once. Besides, it is absurd to imagine, that the Bread in the Sacrament should be turned into Christ's Flesh, and that his Body which was hung before, should be made again of Bread. So that This is my Body, is as if Christ had said, This is a Sign and Representation of my Body.
9. And he took the Cup.] The Cup is put by a Metonymy of the Subject for the Adjunct, for the Wine in the Cup; it signifies the Blood of Christ shed for our Sins. The taking of the Cup, denotes the Redundancy of Merit in Christ, and the Fulness of our Redemption by him. He not only took the Bread, but the Cup.
10. And when he had given Thanks.] foreign. Christ gave Thanks that God had given these Elements of Bread and Wine to be Signs and Seals of Man's Redemption by Christ. Christ's giving of Thanks, shows his Philanthropy, or Love to Mankind, who did so rejoyce and bless God, that Lost Man was now in a way of Recovery, and that he should be rais'd higher in Christ than ever he was in Innocency.
11. He gave the Cup to them.] Why then dare any with-hold the Cup? This is to pollute and curtail the Ordinance, and alter it from its Primitive Institution. Christ and his Apostles administred the Sacrament in both Kinds, the Bread and the Cup, 1 Cor. 11.24, 25. And the Cup was receiv'd in the ancient Church for the space of 1400 Years, as is confess'd by Two Popish Councils. Christ saith expresly, Drink ye all of this. He doth not say, Eat ye all of this: But, Drink ye all; as foreseeing the Sacrilegious Impiety of the Church of Rome in keeping back the Cup from the People. The Popish Council of Constance speaks plainly, but impudently, That altho' Christ instituted and administred the Sacrament in both Kinds, the Bread and the Wine, yet the Authority of the Holy Canons, and the Custom of the Mother Church, think good to deny the Cup to the Laity. Thus as the Popish Priests make Christ but half a Saviour, so they administer to the People but half a Sacrament. The Sacrament is Christ's Last Will and Testament, in the Text, This is my Blood of the New Testament. Now to alter or take away any thing from a Man's Will and Testament, is a great Impiety. What is it then to alter and mangle Christ's Last Will and Testament? Sure 'tis an high Affront to Christ.
Quest. 3. What are the Ends of the Lord's Supper?
Resp. 1. It is an Ordinance appointed to confirm our Faith. Iohn 4.48. Except ye see Signs ye will not believe. Christ sets the Elements before us, that by these Signs our Faith may be strengthened. As Faith cometh by hearing, so it is confirmed by seeing Christ crucify'd. The Sacrament is not only a Sign to represent Christ, but a Seal to confirm our Interest in him.
Object. But it is the Spirit confirms Faith, therefore not the Sacrament.
Answ. This is no good Logick. The Spirit confirms Faith, therefore not the Sacrament, is as if one should say, God feeds our Bodies, therefore Bread doth not feed us; whereas God feeds us by Bread: So the Spirit confirms our Faith by the Use of the Sacrament.
2. The End of the Sacrament is to keep up the Memory of Christ's Death. 1 Cor. 11.25. This do ye foreign, in remembrance of me. If a Friend give us a Ring at his Death, we wear it to keep up the Memory of our Friend. Much more then ought we to keep up the Memorial of Christ's Death in the Sacrament! Christ's Death lays a Foundation for all the magnificent Blessings which we receive from Christ. The Covenant of Grace was agreed on in Heaven, but sealed upon the Cross. Christ hath sealed all the Articles of Peace in his Blood. Remission of Sin flows from Christ's Death, Matth. 26.28. This is my Blood of the New Testament shed for many for the Remission of Sins. Consecration, or making us Holy, is the Fruit of Christ's Death. Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Conscience! Christ's Intercession is made available to us by Vertue of his Death. Christ could not have been admitted an Advocate, if he had not been first a Sacrifice. Our entring into Heaven is the Fruit of Christ's Blood, Heb. 10.19. Christ could not have prepared Mansions for us, if he had not first purchased them by his Death: So that we have a great deal of cause to commemorate Christ's Death in the Sacrament.
Quest. In what Manner are we to remember the Lord's Death in the Sacrament?
Answ. It is not only an Historical Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion: Thus Iudas remembers Christ's Death, and how he betray'd him: And Pilate remembers Christ', Death, and how he crucify'd him: But our remembring Christ's Death in the Sacrament, must be,
(1.) A Mournful Remembrance. We must not be able to look on Christ crucified with dry Eyes. Zech. 12.10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn over him. O Christian, when thou lookest on Christ in the Sacrament, remember how oft thou hast crucifyed him! The Jews did it but once, thou often. Every Oath is a Nail with which thou piercest his Hands: Every unjust sinful Action is a Spear with which thou woundest his Heart. O remember Christ with Sorrow, to think thou shouldst make his Wounds bleed afresh!