Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 32
32. Q. What benefit haſt thou by the Supper of the Lord?
A. The body, and bloud of Chriſt, verily, and indeed taken and received by my beleeving ſoul.
Mark this comfortable benefit by the Lords Supper. The benefit of the Lords Supper.Thy body receives the bread and wine. Thy ſoul receives the body, and bloud of Chriſt by beleeving. God offers him in a promiſe (this is my body, this is my bloud) and thou canſt not receive a thing in a promiſe but by beleeving it. If I promiſe to give thee houſes and lands, and ſeal a conveyance of them to thee, thou canſt not receive it but by beleeving my words, and conveyance: ſo it is with thee in this Sacrament. Chriſt, in reſpect of his bodily preſence is in heaven; for they are not to receive him, Act. 3.21.till the time of the reſtitution of all things: yet in the Sacrament we have his body and bloud taken and received. As a maried woman hath her husband, one fleſh and heart with her, though he be a thouſand miles off, Prov. 2.by vertue of the Covenant of God which they made: ſo by vertue of the covenant and promiſe of God in the Sacrament, though Chriſt be in heaven, and thou upon the earth, thou haſt his body and bloud. A man may be preſent in a place, or to a place. In a place, as thou art here with me. To a place as Paul was abſent in body, 1 Cor. 5.but preſent in ſpirit to the Corinthians, that is by his Apoſtolicall ſpirit, power, and authority. So is Chriſts body, and bloud, preſent to the receivers of the Sacrament faithfully. When the Sun ſhines full upon our window, we ſay that the Sun is come into the houſe; yet it is not the Sun, but the ſhining of it: ſo we ſay that Chriſts body and bloud is in the Sacrament; yet it is not Chriſts body, and bloud carnally, bloudily, but the Rayes of his perſon and merits to the comfort of thy ſoul. Every thing is received by us as it is perceived of us. Thou receiveſt a colour by the eye; becauſe that perceives it. Thou receiveſt a ſound by the ear; becauſe that perceives it. Thou receiveſt a ſcent by the noſe; becauſe that perceives it. Thou receiveſt ſavourie things by the taſte; becauſe that perceives it. Thou receiveſt the Revolution of the heavens by the underſtanding; becauſe that perceives it: but thou receiveſt Chriſt in the Sacrament none of theſe wayes. Thou ſeeſt him not, feeleſt him not, taſteſt him not, heareſt him not, ſmelleſt him not, underſtandeſt not how bread, and wine, both before, in, 1 Cor. 10.16. 1 Cor. 11.27, 28.and after conſecration can be the naturall or glorified body, and bloud, of Jeſus Chriſt, and yet be bread, and wine: & yet ſet thy faith on work upon Gods promiſe, and thou canſt truly receive Chriſt, becauſe thou perceiveſt him by faith, and no otherwiſe. He is given to thee as he may ſatisfie thee that deſires him: but thou deſireſt him to ſatisfie not a corporal, but a ſpirituall hunger. Joh. 6.35, 36.62.64. Joh. 6.63.He is given as he may do the good, but it is the ſpirit that quickeneth, the fleſh profiteth nothing. Ob. If thou think, that, though his naturall fleſh profits nothing, yet his glorified fleſh would: Sol. Chriſt tels thee, that it is his naturall body that comforts thee in the Sacrament, not his glorified: for Chriſt ſaith this is my body which is broken for thee: this is my bloud which is ſhed for thee: and I am ſure that his glorified body was not thus dealt withall. Ob. If thou ask me, why the bread and wine conſecrated in the Sacrament ſhould then be called the body, and bloud of Chriſt. Sol. I tell thee, it is not becauſe it is properly ſo: but firſt, becauſe of the Sacramentall union between the ſigne and the thing ſignified by Gods pact and covenant. If thou receive the ſigne faithfully, 1 Cor. 10.16.thou ſhalt have a reall communion with Chriſt by promiſe. Next becauſe of the change of the bread and wine from common to holy uſe. Though there be not a ſubſtantiall change of them: yet is there a change in uſe, in name, and in honour. In uſe: it is not uſed as common bread and wine, but as the Supper of the Lord. In name, during the time, it is not called bread, and wine, but the body, and bloud of Chriſt. In honour: It is uſed by the faithfull to give a reall communion with Chriſts body, and bloud.
Uſe. Therefore (my dear childe) make ſpeciall uſe of this ſweet benefit. Who would not joy in ſuch a communion? Who would not be glad when he comes unto it? Who (except fools, or mad men) would not caſhier all wicked ſociety for this with Chriſt? Nay, if thou love thy ſoul, and thy Chriſt the Saviour of it, thou muſt abandon it. As David ſaid, Away from me ye wicked, Pſal. 119.I will keep the commandements of my God: ſo thou muſt ſay, away ye wicked, I will have communion with the body and bloud of Chriſt. Be of his minde that thought, one dayes fellowſhip with Chriſt to be more worth then all the world. But remember that thy ſoul muſt be a beleeving ſoul, or elſe thou wilt never draw water out of this well, ſuck honie out of this Rock. There are thouſands in the Church who preſume to come to the Sacrament, and think they may have fellowſhip with Chriſt, & yet keep their old ſins, & their old fellowſhip alſo: who never look what faith they have to carrie Chriſt home. But what ever they do, be thou ſure to follow Gods will, and my counſell about it, forſake all and follow Chriſt. If thou ſay, that thou maiſt come to the Sacrament long enough before thou be aſſured that thou doeſt take, and receive the bodie, and bloud of Chriſt: Ile tell thee that I have obſerved two wayes whereby thou maiſt get ſome comfortable witneſſe in thy ſoul of it. Firſt, by the Spirit of Chriſt. His bodie and bloud were never diſ-united from his divine nature. How we may be aſſured that we receive Chriſt in the Sacrament. Ezek. 1.21.Therefore where his body and bloud goes, his ſpirit goes along with it. As the Prophet ſaith, the ſpirit of the horſes were in the wheels: ſo the ſpirit of Chriſt is in his body, and bloud, to make them act for thy good. Doeſt thou then finde his ſpirit? Mark what Paul ſaith, where the ſpirit of Chriſt is, there is a killing vertue to ſubdue the fleſh; Rom. 8.9, 10, 11.and a quickning vertue, to raiſe you from the death of ſinne, to the life of grace. If it be thus with thee, let thy ſoul comfort it ſelf that thou doeſt take the body and bloud of Chriſt. Next, 1 Joh. 1.6, 7.thou ſhalt know it, by thy courſe in this world. For ſaith John, If we walk not in darkneſſe, then we have fellowſhip with Chriſt, and the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt the righteous cleanſeth us from all ſinne: Therefore if thou doeſt not walk in the darkneſſe of ſinne, and errour, but laboureſt to know and do Chriſts will; then thou takeſt and receiveſt the body, and bloud of Chriſt.
Thus I have ſhewed thee the numbe… names, and benefits of the two Sacraments. 1 Cor. 11.29.But, now; becauſe they that eat and drink the Lords Supper unworthily do eat, and drink judgement to themſelves: therefore tell me,