parts 1. Of all that Christ did and suffered for all the elect 2. That Christ was chosen of the Father to be redeemer of all the elect Ps 89.19 That the Father did preordain Him 1 Pet. 1.20 Sent Him Ioh. 3.17 Sealed Him Ioh. 6.27 Sanctified Him Ioh. 10.36 And that Christ was freely given of the Father Ioh. 3.16 And was made of the Father unto all the truly faithfull our wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Es 9.6 And that Christ gave Himselfe freely for all the elect Eph. 5.2 So this Sacrament representeth both these unto us 2. That this Sacrament is the seale of the Gospel Rom. 4.11 shewing all that to the eye for it is a visible word which the Gospel presents to the eare Even that Christ is freely given of the Father and fully gives Himselfe in this Sacrament unto all who will take Him by faith as His own words prove Take eat this is my body Drinke this is my bloud Q. How can I take Christ A. Taking of Christ is an act of the will which act by faith takes Christ to be my Prophet to teach me Ioh. 15.15 To be my Priest whose sacrifice of Himselfe can only save me Heb. 7.24,25 And to be my King to apply salvation unto me Act. 4.12 And whose only laws concerning his worship and my salvation I must solemnly sweare to observe Ps 119.106 2. As I must take Christ by faith which wanting Gods best Ordinances profit not Heb. 4.2 So I must take Him to love Him above all things Philip. 3.8 for nothing can please the Lord which is not done in love 1 Cor. 3. passim 3. In taking Christ I must resolve and constantly endeavour to my best possibility to serve Him all the dayes of my life Luk. 1.74,75 Q. What learnest thou hence A. 1. Seeing Christ who is the full food of my soul is given of the Father freely gives himselfe in this Supper I must purge away all my native corruptions Es 1 16,17 and hunger for it Mat. 5.6 before I receive it 2. I admire the hellish obstinacie of Papists and Lutherans who confesse these words This cup c. to be a figurative speech The cup for the wine and yet will not allow so much when the Lord calleth the bread His body 3. Papists perversenesse who give not the wine unto the inferior sort of their receivers Do this in remembrance of me Q. What is here to be markt Q. Two things 1. Why is remembrance again commanded And secondly what is it that we must remember Q. Why is remembrance again urged A. Because of our natures totall corruption Gen. 5.6 Rom. 7.24 forgetting what we should remember and remembring what we should forget Q. How is that proved A. We are commanded to remember 1. The seventh day to keep it all holy Ex. 20.8 2. To remember and not forget how we provoke the Lord to wrath Deut. 9.7 3. To remember now our Creator in the dayes of our youth Eccles 12.1 4. To remember Lots wife for looking backe to sin Luk. 17.32 5. And in this Sacrament to remember Christ which all wee too often forget Againe we too much remember injuries which we are commanded to forget Mat. 6.15 So our memories are like strainers which keep the dregs and suffer the best to passe thorow Q. Are not all those from our memories weaknesse A. No but from our natures perversenesse for the world sin trespasses and vanities are too much remembred even of the faithfull Rom. 7.15 Q. What are we here to remember concerning Christ A. 1. We must remember what Christ hath done and suffered for us And that His blood which is my soulss spirituall drinke and which only can cleanse me from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 is fully and freely given here unto all faithfull receivers 2. We must remember this Sacraments four ends 3. That Christs bloud was shed for mee Mat. 26.28 4. And to imitate the Institution Q. What learnest thou here A. 1. To bewaile my natures perversity and my memories frailty 2. To frequent this Sacrament often that I may still remember what my Lord hath undergone for me V. 26. Yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come Q. What is here propounded A. Another end of this Sacrament Christs death Q. What was Christs death A. It was the last act of His voluntary humiliation in which He suffered the most extreame most horrible paines which were due unto all the elect by reason of their sins Q. Why is his death which is a passion called an act A. Because Christ did dispose himselfe willingly to undergoe it Joh. 10.11.18 Q. Why is Christs death called voluntary A. None could enforce Him unto it for He is omnipotent Esa 96. Rev. 1.8 19.16 His death was of power Col. 2.15 not of infirmity for observance of His Fathers will Mat. 26.39.42 for His love to the elect Ioh. 10.15 for satisfying His Fathers justice by victory 1 Cor. 15.54 and not succumbing by misery Act. 2.24 Q. Did our Saviour indeed suffer such extream torments A. Yes for his sufferings did equall all those eternall torments which the whole elect should have suffered Esa 53. Psal 22. Ioh. 19. Q. Christs sufferings being so short how is that possible A. 1. The eternity of paine the totall absence of Gods favour and such other circumstances accompanying the eternall torments of reprobates are not of the essence but are adjuncts of paine And therefore Christ did not undergoe them 2. Our Lord had sufficiency both of power and dignity to overcome death and all its circumstances Act. 2.24 1 Cor. 15.54.57 3. These limitations duly considered Christs death was the very same both in its kinde for it was accursed Gal. 3.13 and in its measure for he bare all the elects sinnes Esa 53.3,4,5 6. And His death did represent the very death of the damned fully Mat. 27.46 Luk. 22.44 Q. What doth this teach thee A. 1. Seeing that the Father spared not the Sonne of His love who did no sin neither was guil found in His mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 He will not spare me if I continue in any one knowne sin with delight Iam. 2.10 compared with Deut. 27.26 2. That the Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evill and cannot looke on iniquity Habbac 1.13 3. I must communicate often that I may shew alwayes the Lords death and that sinne live not in me Rom. 6.3 compared with v. 6. 4. If in this Sacrament I get Christ by faith then his bloud cleanseth mee from all sin 1 Ioh. 1.7 V. 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Q. What is most remarkable in this verse A. Three things especially 1. What that sinne is which maketh unworthy receivers guilty of Christs body and bloud 2. How that unworthinesse maketh them guilty 3. And the ground or cause of that guiltinesse Q. What sinne is
A short and plaine TRACTATE OF THE LORDS SVPPER Grounded upon 1 Cor. 11.23 c. By VVILLIAM MORE Minister of Gods Word LONDON Printed by T. H. for Charles Green and are to be sold at his shop in Ivy Lane 1645. To the Right Honourable the Lady FRANCIS HOBERT Wife of the Honourable Sir JOHN HOBERT Knight and Baronet MADAM THe many obligements in which I acknowledge my selfe tyed unto your honours honourable husband who hath been Gods gracious instrument in preserving me from the unjust oppression of the perverse though I be not repaired in my sufferings have made me humbly to present unto your Honour as a true token of a gratefull minde this little Tractate short as might be shunning obscurity and plaine according to my best possibility Though Momus carp I care not The Word of God is not bound Receive honourable Lady this mite from him who daily doth plead at the Throne of Grace for your honours honourable husband for your honourable Ladiship And happy hopefull Children And who is really Madam Your Honours humble servant in the Lord WILLIAM MORE EMMANVEL A short and plaine Tractate of the LORDS SUPPER grounded on 1 Cor. 11.23 c. Q. WHat is a Sacrament of the new Covenant A. A divine Institution in which by visible signes all the blessings of the new Covenant are represented given sealed and applied that is Jesus Christ and all his graces unto all faithfull receivers Mat. 3.11 Act. 19. Mat. 26.26 Rom. 4.11 Joh. 1.12 Q. How many Sacraments are in the New Covenant A. Two Baptisme and the Lords Supper Our Lord nor his Apostles ordained no more Q. What is the Lords Supper A. A Sacrament of the faithfull their spirituall nourishment and increase of grace through Christ 1 Pet. 2.2 Q. Doth not the Lords Supper worke faith in those who receive it though they lack faith A. No For as no temporall food can make a dead childe to live no more can this spirituall food any who is spiritually dead Mat. 7.6 Q. Must we communicate often A. Yes for our soules like our bodies must be often fed and we must labour for it Joh. 6.27 Q. We are but once baptised why should wee often communicate A. As there is but one beginning of naturall life and yet it must be often fed so there is but one beginning of spirituall life which is faith Rom. 1.17 And it likewise must be often fed 2 Pet. ult ult Q. Why is both bread and wine given in the Lords Supper A. 1. As our bodies must be fed both with meat and drinke so our soules must be fed with Christs body which is that true bread that strengthneth our heart and with his bloud which maketh the heart glad Ps 104.15 2. To demonstrate that Christ is the only â—…ll and perfect food of our soules Joh. 6.51 Q. May not infants baptized ignorants of perverse indisposition naturall fooles obstinate malicious grossely scandalous sinners drunken men be admitted to this S. Supper A. No because they cannot discerne the Lords body 1 Cor. 11.29 Q. How many parts are there of the Lords Supper A. Foure 1. A lawfully admitted Minister 2. The elements bread and wine 3. The words of Institution 4. And a competent number of communicants Q. Are all those necessary parts of it A. Yes any of those wanting there can be no true Sacrament Q. May not any of the effectually called administer this Sacrament A. No for none may administer the Sacraments but Preachers Mat. ult 19. And none may preach except they be sent of God Rom. 10.14 And those who are sent of God must be lawfully admitted 1 Tim. 4.14 Heb. 5.4 1 Cor. 11.23 The Lord Iesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread Q. Who did first institute this Lords Supper A. The Lord Jesus himselfe Mat. 6.26 Mark 14.22 Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.23 Q. What learnest thou hence A. 1. Seeing my Lord did institute it I must in filiall feare observe his commands in preparing my selfe to take it it tending so much to his glory and to my salvation Mal. 1.6 2. And seeing he is Jesus my Saviour Mat. â— 21 I must in love to advance his honour and mine owne salvation hunger for it Mat. 5.6 Q. Seeing Christ gave it in the night must not we doe so likewise A. No unlesse it be in times of persecution 1. Because that Sacrament of the Old Covenant the Passeover behoved to be ended before this Sacrament of the New Covenant the Lords Supper was instituted for this succeeded to that Luk. 22.15.16 2. The Pascall lamb was commanded to be killed in the evening Exod. 12.6 and eaten that same night v. 8. 3. This Supper was instituted as near before Christs death as possible could be to the and that nothing might be altered in it added to it nor taken from it Heb. 9.17 4. That this legacy bequeathed by our Lords latter will unto all the faithfull might be more firmly fixed in our memories No such necessitie viz. persecution urge us Tooke bread Q. Why did our Lord take bread to resemble his body A. 1. As our bodies cannot ordinarily live without bread which strengthneth mans heart Ps 104.15 no more can our souls live wanting Christ who is the living life giving bread that gives eternall life Joh. 6.51 2. Christ tooke bread for its generality because of all meats bread is most generally knowne most universally used and in most Countries most easily acquired 3. Because of breads likenesse for of all creatures which are eaten bread most resembles Christs body And hence He calleth His body the true bread which came downe from heaven Joh. 6.32.35 4. As bread is needfull for all meats So is our Lord for us in all matters most necessary Joh. 15.5 1 Cor. 1.30 5. As the bread hath endured all kindes of breaking ere it can be food for my body So Christ suffered all kindes of death death in sinne only excepted ere he could be food for my soule Heb. 2.9.10 Q. What doth this teach thee A. I must labour for the fulnesse of faith that I may get the bread which endureth unto life everlasting Joh. 6.27 Q. What doth that bread signifie A. 1. Christs body as his owne words prove This is my body 2. As it is but one bread made of many graines so all the elect are members one of another Ephes 4.25 are all members of Christs mysticall body Ephes 5.30 and Christ is their head v. 23. Q. What learnest thou hence A. I must love Christ above all things Mat. 22.37 and my neighbour as my selfe v. 39. especially the faithfull Gal. 6.10 Q. What kinde of bread tooke Christ A. Common table bread unleavened for no leavened bread might be eaten at the Passeover Ex. 12.15 Q What was meant by leaven there A. False doctrine Mat. 16.22 Hypocrisie Luk. 12.2 Malice and wickednesse 1 Cor. 5.8 Q. What should that teach thee A. Those all must bee rooted out of my heart before I