this Ordinance was instituted and is celebrated is for the remembrance of Christ for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a memorial of that great that universal Sacrifice Christ Jesus Memorials of dying friends though plain are precious and of great account with all men being kept amongst their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or esteemed treasures and we may see how little Christ receded from the intent of the Passeover which was a memorial of the Hebrews deliverance in Aegypt Exod. 12. 14. and transferr'd to a greater memorial of himself by whom is wrought a greater and more universal deliverance of the Church The day of the Jews Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week for celebration of the resurrection of Christ and so the creating of a new Heaven and a new earth that day The paschal rite of the Jew was changed from a memorial of their deliverance from Aegypt into a memorial of the death of Christ by which we have a greater deliverance Their Passeover was to be observed by them in their generations for ever Exod. 12. 24. and our Supper is an Ordinance to be observed by the Gospel-churches for ever Their ever was Christs first coming our ever is till he come again It 's twice repeated For remembrance of me both the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine are but one memorial which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bufinesse of this Ordinance All Churches and Christians could not see the Lord dying for he died but once and therefore they have a glasse or representation of that death which as it is alwayes in the efficacy and effect so it might alwayes live and be fresh in our memory the commemoration of that Sacrifice which never is never needs to be repeated is repeated often in this Sacrament and this Sacrifice of Christ as it was promised and prefigured in old Types and Sacrifices so was it performed ence in truth upon the crosse and is often celebrated in this Sacrament of memory This memorial is solemn this remembrance must be practical CHAP. XII Of doing this in remembrance of Christ The Properties of this Memorial §. 1. IT 's a solemn memorial instituted by Christ himself Great deliverances have solemn commemorations such was the Passeover the feast of Purim the Encaenia or feast of Dedication Great victories have their dayes of Thanksgiving great deliverances benefits Benefactours are honoured with solemn memorials private remembrances which every man may agitate in his own minde are too low expressions of publick and eminent and universal benefits therefore Christ will set up his own monument and ordain a solemn Ordinance for remembrance of himself to be observed by all that have his memory and it is one of the great Sea-marks of the Church of Christ he did not set up anniversaries or festivals for his Nativity Circumcision Ascension c. which the Churches in after times observed but he did set up in grosse this solemn memorial of himself and that is principally of his death His death I say For ye shew the Lords death ver 26. And why Because his death is the expiation of sinne therein was made the Sacrifice of Atonement Redemption Reconciliation was made thereby the Covenant confirmed the love of God to man demonstrated the justice of God for sinne exemplified the foundation of our righteousnesse hope peace and victory laid the fulnesse of merit the mirrour of mercy the admiration of Angels the center of all Christianity and the summe of all Scripture types Prophecies Promises the most admirable of all the works of God that ever were and indeed all that can be said and more then can be said was here to be seen and is here to be remembred Secondly This remembrance of Christ must be lively and practical There is a naked historical theoretical remembrance a review of the Species or Ideas formerly imprinted in the minde So Absolom is remembred in his Pillar and Lot's wife in her pillar of salt meerly historically and there is a practical remembrance which connotes affections fruitfull effect and so in common speech to remember is to requite good or evil and in Scripture phrase God remembers our sins our services when he punishes or rewards Remember me O my God and spare me Nehem. 13. 22. with infinite the like Our remembrance of Christ in this Suppâ—r sets awork all that is within us Our sorrow for sinne as Peters remembrance of his words when the Cock crew Mark 14. 7â— He wept bitterly our faith to believe in and receive him so Psal 20. 7. We will remember that is trust in the Name of our God It sets on work our thanksgiving for so great a benefit ingages resolutions blows up the coals of love fils with admiration What would the sight of Christ bleeding on the cress for us groaning under our sins have wrought on tender heart The same as far as a reflexion can work which is weaker than the direct Species should be the temper of our hearts when we see him and his death personated and acted in this Sacrament here we see him dying paying our ransome Oh the dreadfull example of Gods justice upon sin Oh the sweetest example of Gods mercy to a sinner actually acting their several parts in this spâ—ctacle of Christ represented to our saith as yet hanging on the crosse the Lamb of God is as yet smoking upon the Altar which takes away the sins of the world if you seel not your remembrance of Christ it 's nothing If you exercise onely wit and invention it 's barren but the exercise of affection is the best commemoration He that brings sin hither as bitter herbs shall be sweetly refresht with Christ our Passeover §. 3 §. 3. To whom this Remembrance is made Quest To whom is this remembrance made Ausw 1. We make it unto and within our selves whetting upon our hearts the fruit and benefit we receive from him and the torments and pains he endured for us 2. We make this remembrance to others to all the world by our solemn profession of Christ and his death as that we stand unto for remission of sins and acceptation with God Let the Jew or Infidel laugh at us for trusting to a crucified Saviour and memorizing him in a piece of bread and cup of wine It is our joy and triumph we live and hope to die in and if need be for this profession 3. We make this remembrance to God we set before him the Sacrifice of his own Sonne and put him in minde by him to be mercifull to us we inculcate the death of Christ to God and set before him these monuments we say and pray Lord remember Mede Diatribiâ— Mal. 6. c. 1. v. 11. Forbes Hist Theol. p. 618. Cal. 2. that Sacrifice which we here remember If thou remember our sins we will remember thy Christ pardon us in the name of that Sacrifice which we commemorate and make mention of before thee and this is the
can we be debarred If Christ say Do this who can say Do not this I have answered this already The command here is not an outward commandment as I may say but an inward not given to all the world but to Christs Disciples to certain qualified persons as the command of the Passeover was limited to the circumcised and to the clean and this also to a man that examines himself and so let him eat of this bread c. It 's a duty and a priviledge both of all outward Ordinances the inmost §. 5. Vse 3 Christ hath thought it needfull to make provision against our forgetfulness of him while he is absent from us in the flesh The forgetfulness of Christ is the loss of all Religion we are apt to forget his love and his blood Those that live in known habituall sin forget Christ and I make no doubt but the often sight and memory of his death which is here acted and personated or drawn forth to the eye might exceedingly mortifie sin and melt the heart Nothing shews sin more distastfull to God than the death of Christ every pardon cries aloud to him that is pardoned Go and sin no more but he that takes heart to sin because Christ died seems neither to see his own sinne nor death in the death of Christ §. 6 §. 6. How our mindes should be exercised in the time of the celebration of this Supper Vse 4 Here we learn how to exercise our mindes and meditations in the celebration of this Supper viz. in the remembrance of Christ the survey of whom is inriched with excellent fruit of renewing our repentance quickning our faith elevating our affections and the impression made upon us by this lively spectacle of a dying Saviour cannot but work as the bloody Robes of Caesar did upon the people when they were hanged out in sight by Marc. Anthony and therefore it is suitable to the end of this Sacrament to be exercising our memories mindes and affections in the perusall of Christ Jesus I know that some Churches use to sing a Psalm while the action is performing whom I condemn not as a means to keep the heart intent and in spirituall frame or fixedness but should rather chuse a silent meditation and imployment of the minde in the remembrance of Christ for that 's more suitable to the end of this Ordinance and to Christs example and institution who according to the custom of the Jews filled the time of action with commemoration and closed it with a Hymn and if we may give credit to the Jewish Writers and others out of them as Hugo Broughton shews in his Commentaries on Daniel the Psalms of the Hallel or Hymn sung by the Jews was the 113 114 and so onward and it 's very probable that Christ and the Apostles did not herein vary for they sung a Hymn at the close as Matth. 26. 30. which example I need not stand to improve against the Anti-psalmists of this age There are severall pertinent meditations that may fully take up the time of the action with great advantage and benefit to our souls as namely 1. The dreadfulness of Gods justice which with a terrible stroak did smite the great Shepherd for our sins the least dram of it would have sunk us to all eternity 2. The cursed nature of sinne that so exasperates the holy God and makes such a breach between God and the creature as can never be made up but by the broken body of the Lord of Glory 3. What it cost to redeem a soul a mass of gold as big as the whole earth not valuable with one drop of this blood 4. What an infinite love broke forth that God rather than let our souls be lost would send his eternall Son and make him sin for us 5. What a great work it is to reconcile a sinner to his God all names of men and Angels are nothing to it all their sufferings would not pay a penny of this debt which is not dissolved by any blood but of the Lord of Glory 6. That God would not only pardon sin by giving forth a generall pardon as a King pardons rebels but so pardon as might even melt the hardest heart and for ever humble and silence and satisfie it by the love of God and the sufficiency of that Sacrifice whose vertue extends to thousands and lasts alwaies 7. That the gratious Covenant of God made with all that beleeeve in Christ is sealed and ratified with such blood as there needs no doubt of the validity of the Covenant though one man bad as many sins on him as all the world 8. That Gods way of saving man by a Mediatour the death of a Mediatour doth oblige man to be the than krullest creature in the world Angels that sin'd not have need of no Mediatour Angels that sin'd have none man that sin'd and therefore needs one hath one given to him The man Christ Jesus 9. That as God gave Christ for you so he gives him to you that he that was your Sacrifice offered up to God might in this Sacrament be offered unto you as meat and drink as spirituall repast that as we live by Christ so we may live upon him being entertained as confederates to feast with God upon the Sacrifice offered up unto him It is a fruitfull field of Meditation through which ye may walk the time of celebration and then breathe out your Meditations in a Song of praise as the close and musick of this heavenly Feast Concerning which Hymn wherewith the Jews did usually close the coenam apolyticam or dimissory Supper calling it the Hallel from the first word of it Hallelujah you may consult not only the Jewish Writers but our Learned men Cameron Myroth in Matth. 16. 30. Drusius in Matth. 26. â—â— Hugo Broughton in Dan. pag. 46. beside Paulus Burgensis Gerard Harm Fol. 178. col 3. who do also point out to us the 113. 114. Psalms as that Hymn for though some others do rather conceive it a new Hymn composed by our Saviour Grotius in Matth. 26. and the 17 Chapter of St John to be it we finde no reason to go with them in that opinion both because our Saviour did not easily vary from the Rite or Custom received nor could the Disciples have sung with him in consort except we imagine such a praelection of it to them as is used by us now a daies which will not be proved CHAP. XIII How much it concerneth Ministers to Teach and all to Learn the true meaning of this Ordinance 1 COR. 11. 26 27. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the death of the Lord untill he come Wherefore whosoever doth eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord c. VVHen this Ordinance of the Supper is suitable to the Institution and the Communicant is suitable to the Ordinance then all is right Of the former I have acquitted my self by setting
of his properties but it was both As it was the death of the Lord of Glory the Sonne of God so it gave us the most illustrious testimony and example of the love of God as ever was or could be and that the Scripture often points unto As it was the death of the Lamb of God so it was a Sacrifice death wherein he was made sinne for us and bore our sinnes in his Body As it was the Joh. 11. 13. Rom. 5. Gal. 2. 20. death both of the Sonne of God and the Lamb of God so it reconciled us sinners unto God and meritoriously redeemed and ransomed us from our bondage to the curse and wrath of God the only ground and foundation of our hope peace and comfort §. 2. Secondly It is the business of the Communicant to shew forth this death of the Lord The Ordinance it self is full of death what other language doth bread broken and the blood severed from the body speak but a dying Christ As the Ordinance so the Communicant doth by eating and drinking in fact declare and annunciate his profession of adherence to and embracement of the death of Christ we solemnly and publiquely avow both to God and men that we stick unto and abide by the death of the Lord for remission of sinne and reconciliation of our persons to God and it is a solemn part of Gods positive worship to shew forth the death of Christ our Lord not by a meer historicall relation but a practicall and publique profession of our faith and acceptance thereof which though at all times we may remember yet God would have a solemn Ordinance in his Gospel-Churches for the commemoration and shewing of it forth which Ordinance is this of the Supper I know men are witty to elude Ordinances and to flatter themselves with private devotions and meditations but when God hath set up an Ordinance on purpose for the publique and solemn shewing of the Lords death let them consider it that are not only careless of the benefit of it but fail of their duty by not presenting themselves at this solemn shewing of the Lords death but how can it be expected that they that shew not the life of Christ by a godly conversation should care to shew forth his death by publique profession or rather how can it be construed that they do it out of conscience of duty and not out of meer superstition expecting that from the Sacrament which the Papist expects from his auricular confession that is to quit the old score that he may more freely begin upon a new But I may not forget that which is very learnedly observed that the Apostle using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which frequently is used for publishing and preaching Schiud in loc Haggada the Gospel doth allude to the Haggada as it was called by the Jewish custom at the Passeover and that was a set and solemn declaration or annunciation of the Lords passing over the houses sprinkled with blood of their slavery and hard bondage in Aegypt and their deliverance thence teaching us in this our Gospel-Passeover to shew forth our hard bondage under sinne and the Lords justice passing over all the souls sprinkled with this blood and thereby delivering us from our spirituall Aegypt §. 3. Use The Use of this Point is to call upon all Communicants hoc agere to be intent upon and taken up with this employment Shew ye forth the Lords death this must be your actuall exercise at the time of eating and drinking the death of Christ must fill your eyes your ears your lips your thoughts If any of you could see Christ dying the sight would wholly take you up and you come as near to see him dying as an Ordinance can bring you in a representation If any where that Psal 2. 11. takes place here Rejoyce with trembling Tremble for you see the weight of sinne upon the Lord Christ and the severity and wrathfull indignation of God against sinne both those terrours cannot be seen in a clearer glass than the death of the Lord Rejoyce for the love that delivers up Christ is unparallel'd and the death of the Lord is succedaneous a Sacrifice death the Sacrifice bears the sinne and takes it off you there is a nunc dimitiis for all you that take Christ in your arms I would not be thinking of the joys of heaven the second coming of Christ absolutely and abstractly considered but shewing forth his death As in prayer good thoughts if impertinent are distractions and to be whipt for vagrants so here If my heart present to me the anger and terrible wrath of a just and holy God I shew the Lords death If the Law take me by the throat and say Pay that thou owest I shew the Lords death If conscience ask me what I have to shew for pardon of sin and peace with God I shew the Lords death Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It s Christ that died CHAP. XV. The Lords Supper is an iterable Ordinance THe third Point is taken up from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as often as ye eat this bread c. Doct. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is an iterable Ordinance which is to be repeated Our Saviour gives a hint of this in those words This do for a remembrance of me and the Apostle from him For as often c. The word often is sometimes opposed to seldom and sometimes to once as Heb. 9. 25 26. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High priest entreth into the holy place every year For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world The Sacrifice of Christ or the offering of him up was but once Heb. 9. 26. The Sacrament of his body and bloud is often as a memorial of that Sacrifice and the comparison used in that place is this As man dies but once so Christ also As in the Sacraments of the Jews the first of them Circumcision was but once nor indeed could be but the Passeover often once every year and Christ was but once circumcised but kept the Passeover often So in the Sacraments of the New Testament Baptism is but once Christ was but once baptized but the Supper often which though Christ celebrated but once yet he gave order for the repetition of it I will not now take up the discussion why Baptism but once the Supper often the Scripture gives us no hint for the repetition of the one but it doth for the other and the old saying is plausible Semel nascimur saepius pascimur we are but once born but we are often nourisht God did more punctually and precisely under the Law prescribe the times of their Sacraments the eighth day for circumcision such a day of such a moneth yearly for the Passeover as he also did the times and place and other circumstances of his worship for the people were more servile then
not a Wedding-garment For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly Rom. 2. penult §. 6 §. 6. What is requisite to our Receiving Worthily The actual exercise of our graces is requisite to our eating and drinking worthily The instrument must be in tune before-hand as I shew'd you in the former but now the strings are stricken now they make their musick The activity and imploiment of our faith and affections is now required and our graces must be on their wheels now the sails are spread to catch the gale which sweetly breathes from this holy Ordinance for here it 's said Take Eat Take and drink and as the eye the hand the mouth are now in actual imploiment as to the Sacrament or outward part so faith which is the eye hand mouth of the soul and all the affections are to be actually imploy'd as to the inward thing the body and bloud of Christ Not the having of an eye but looking up to the brazen Serpent healed the biting It 's not enough to have faith but we must believe Now that the Sacrament is in use now must our graces be in use too Now that God actually offers and presents Christs body and bloud to my faith Now let the hand of faith go forth and take Christ in Awake my faith and see the atonement of my sins in the broken body of my Saviour Awake repentance and hear the strong cries and see the dolefull agony of him that bears our chastisement Awake my memory and call to minde that Aegypt wherein I was and the bloud of the Passeover which removed the destroying Angel from my soul Awake all that is within me to blesse and praise the Lord. Oh let this Crosse crucifie my lusts and passions Let this death stay my reigning sins as Joshua did the Kings of Canaan Now let the Altar smoak with the Sacrifice of a loving heart inflamed with holy fiâ—e of Gods love to me Now the wax is warm Oh let the Seal be stamped fair that I may see the impression alwayes after Now that God shews forth to methe death of his Sonne for me let me shew forth that death of Christ to God again as that which I stick unto and abide by for my righteousnesse and peace with God Alas if my graces be now asleep they are next a kin to dead We might have sweet we might have fruitfull Sacraments had we but lively graces Graces upon their wing not lying sullen and benum'd with cold therefore blow up your graces as the Apostle his phrase is blow the smothering fire the embers into a flame by pertinent meditation Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that this King of glory may come in And that I may speak to the comfort of a godly soul Let grace run forth at what tap it will so there be but vent whether at the uppermost of high praises or at the lower of melting humblings If the fire flame rise high thou hast more comfort If it smoak God will not quench-it and that 's some comfort Some have a finer taste and relish their meat with higher gust and more delight than others and yet others be nourisht as well as much as they So haply some receive Christ with greater delectation and yet thy soul may be nourisht as well as theirs CHAP. XXIV That a Godly man may receive the Sacrament unworthily HAving shown you the qualifications of a worthy Communicant before-hand and that the actual exercise of grace is requisite at present for receiving worthily I make this Observation §. 1. That a man who is in a state of grace and so godly may yet receive the Lords Supper unworthily and without effect not for want of habitual fitnesse or qualification but for want of the actual exercise of grace at present or because of some distempers which overtake and surprise him in the act of communicating This Point it may be at first sight looks strangely but upon consideration will be found too true For if we look back to the Passeover we finde that an Israelite circumcised and so qualified to eat the Passeover yea a true Israelite might be unclean at the present time and so uncapable of keeping it And we have at home in this Text an example and a proof of this Point These Corinthians are looked upon as and supposed to be and no doubt some of them were godly and regenerate persons who yet contracted epidemical judgements upon them Many sick weak c. and that for a sinne they little thought of their undue and unfit coming to the Lords Table they are distinguisht from the world vers 32 Of whom it s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 30. For this cause you are judged of the Lord and chastened and hence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contended to import only temporal judgement in this place I confesse this Point is controverted and disputed and more abroad than at home amongst us Vasquez seems to me to hold That it is enough that a man be in a state of grace and that every godly man receives worthily or else should sinne mortally But it is no new Doctrine with us That a regenerate man may sinne mortally as they speak or commit a sinne meritorious of condemnation We must not lessen regenerate mens sinnes which in divers respects are the greater because the person is regenerate Even they that are babes in Christ may be carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. â— And therefore Cajetan on the other side requires actual Devotion as necessary to the fruit of this Sacrament and his Argument is Because the Sacrament works according to the manner of its signification And therefore as meat and drink to the end they may nourish do require that we cooperate by some act of life to receive and digest them so there is necessary some act of inward grace to meet with and receive this spiritual food that it may nourish and refresh us and I hold the Argument good and firm Nor do I finde any priviledge of a regenerate man that he cannot commit this sinne He may be under a spiritual Apoplexy or stupidity as David for a time seems to have been He may be overgrown with a crust a coldnesse a security and so unfit by disease though not by death Chrysostome saw this truth when he speaks of some that may not eat because not initiated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others though they be members yet are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean It 's true It is proper to the godly to receive worthily but it 's proper Soli sed non semper only they do so but not they alwayes and therefore I turn my speech to you and desire that you be not render'd secure and negligent by this false principle that a regenerate man cannot receive the Sacrament unworthily for this is the ready way to fall into that sinne which you imagine your selves free from by taking you off from that self-examination that trimming
in a state of salvation without it because it serves for confirmation of one that is already in a saving state and it 's plain that a great parâ— of Christs Office is exercised in preserving and continuing of them in him who are already members of him and therefore is the finishâ—r as well as authour of our faith for we live in him and from him and our grace is maintain'd by emanations from Christ as the light by continual emanations from the Sunne and therefore this Ordinance of Communion of Christ and the exercise of such acts of communion are of prime use and benefit as the branch that shoots from the Tree grows and lives from that root which gave to it the first being by a contrived influx of sap into it And this is the first combination of Gods act and of ours 2. The second combination is The gracious Covenant which God hath made in Christ is sealed to a believer The common nature of a Sacrament is to be a seal of Justification or Righteousnesse with God by faith in Christ Rom. 4. 11. As a seal refers to some Covenant so the Sacrament refers to Gods Covenant with man which is this That God promises to accept into favour and into his propriety all that do believe in and receive Christ and to bestow upon them all the blessings and benefits thereof God gives Christ in way of Covenant He covenants with Christ our Lord that he should give his soul an offering and a Sacrifice for sin and in so doing should see his seed Isa 53. 10. So Arminius in this point is orthodox Of this Covenant the death or bloud of Christ is the Condition which Christ accepted and performed The Covenant of God with us is That all that believe in Christ that died and receive him for their Lord and Saviour shall have remission of sins c. and of this Covenant the bloud of Christ is the ratification as the Testators death ratifies the Will or Testament for it is bloud that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicate the Testament Heb. â— 18. and so in the words of this Chapter This Cup is the New Testament or Covenant in my bloud viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicated thereby and this bloud we receive in this Sacrament as the Seal of the gracious Covenant made with us So that if doubts arise concerning the reality of God and surenesse of this Covenant that speaks so much grace and mercy we look upon and take hold of this Seale of bloud and are thereby setled and therein acquiesce Answerable to this act of God the believer accepts of and submits to this Covenant and the Conditions of it viz. to believe and to have God for our God and thereof makes a solemn profession in this Sacrament giving up himself to Christ as Lord and Saviour restipulating and striking hands with him to be his and so bindes himself and doth as it were seal a counterpart to God again and not onely so but comes into a claim of all the riches and legacies of the Will or Covenant because he hath accepted and here declares his acceptance of the Covenant The Seal is indeed properly of that which is Gods part of the Covenant to perform and give and is no more but offer'd untill we subscribe and set our hands to it and then it 's compleat and the benefits may be claimed as the benefit of any conditional promise may be when the condition is performed And least you should stumble at that word I must let you know That the Will accepting and submitting to the conditions is the performance of the conditions required and so the gracious God that might pro imperio require duty and allegiance of his creature condescends to us to enter into a Covenant of Grace with us and vouchsafes us the honour of coming into Covenant with him that so he might settle and maintain a communion and correspondence between himself and his people and there might be a mutual bond of engagement each to other which is solemnly professed as often as we meet with God in this Sacrament because we are so apt to disbelieve and waver about his promises and to halt and decline from our obligations to him And this is the second combination of action according to that which is to be remembred at every sealing day the Sacrament is a sealing day Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes c. And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee So much for the first What is here done §. 6 §. 6. What is here Received by the Worthy Communicant 2. I come to the second What is here received and I do not mean to say what every believer doth sensibly receive but what God hath appointed by this Sacrament to convey and what may be received by a believer in the right use of it not alwayes to his own sense but according to the nature of this Ordinance I will not say that which some affirm but it is Apocryphal of the Manna which the Israelites did eat that it had the taste that every man desired But this I may say that as Calvin of himself When I have Instit l. 4. c. 17. §. 7. said all I have said but little the tongue is overcome yea the minde is overwhelmed I say then in one word 1. Christ is here received the body and bloud of Christ into intimate Union as the nourishment of our souls What is more ours than the meat we eat What is more nearly joyn'd to us than that which becomes part of our selves The Scripture by the language it useth hath even overcome our apprehensions A man may eat the fruit that hath no interest in the Tree but here the believing eater grows into the Tree he that drinks drinks the fountain he comes to a closer Union with the conduit-pipe of all grace the flesh of Jesus Christ You know the best meat and drink doth you no good except it be made your own nor is Christ of worth except he be ours he is as if he were not Tolle meum tolle Deum we must be happy by a Christ within us Know you not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. â— There was a croud toucht Christ but vertue went out of him to none but one that toucht him by faith So there is a throng about the Table but none receive Chrâ—st but those that by faith take and eat his crucified body If Christ himâ—elf be hâ—re received what spiritual grace is there that is not in him It is somewhat a grosse conceit to ask How Christ in heaven and a believer on earth can be united For man and wife are one flesh though a thousand miles asunder And we know that as the Apostle saith Col. 2. 19. there are bands and joynts whereby the Head and every Member the root and
holy men to be called haeresy though they may be Hay and Stubble upon the foundation but it hath been observed of old that some haeresiarchs or heads of haeresy have been well reputed for strictnesse and unblameablenesse of life we learn out of Austine that a Pelagij nomen non sine laude aliqua posui quia vita ejus a multis praedicabatur Retract lib. 2. cap. 33. Pelagius had a very good testimony and Scripture tells us they come in Sheeps cloathing and speake lies in hypocrisy Lies would not take if they were not commended by the holinesse of the person and guilded over as a rotten nutmegge with gold There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transformation of Satan into an Angell of light of false Apostles into the Apostles of Christ of Satans Ministers into the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11. 13. 14. 15. and therfore we must not measure or judge of b Ex personis fidem an ex fide personas Tertull de praescip faith by the person but of the person by the faith Truth may be as a Iewell in a dunghill and errour carried as Hanniball carried his poyson in a Gold-ring That horse of superstition and idolatry upon the back of which the Divell hath in former times made warr against the Church is slain under him and now he is mounted upon a fresh horse of another colour called liberty of opinion falsely called liberty of conscience Le ts not be ignorant of his devices I passe on to the second part of the text The seed which these false teachers doe sow and the text saith They shall privily bring in damnable haeresies even denying the Lord that bought them in which wordes we take up these three things 1. That haeresies are damnable 2. That damnable haeresies are brought in privily 3. That those which bring them in doe evendeny the Lord that bought them I shall first open these in few words and then come to the investigation or searching out what haeresie is which is here by the Apostle called damnable 1. First you see that haeresies are said to be damnable or destructive Haeresies of destruction as it s said Psa 5. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of bloods that is a bloody man but why should haeresies be emphatically called haeresies of destruction for is not all sin of damnable guilt and is not death the wages of sin as sin It s true And yet as Judas that was an Apostle and an eminent Disciple of Christ and betrayed and sold him for money is called John 17. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of destruction and as the Antichrist is also called 2 Thes 2. 3. the man of sinne the sonne of destruction because under Christs name and colours he fights against him and serves his own lusts upon the profession of his name and so shall fall under more eminent and remarkable destruction So Haeretickes who professing Christianity and the name of Christ doe denye him or adulterate his trueth for their owne ends and lusts shall come under more heavy and sore damnation which is aggravated by that expression Swift destruction which shall fall upon their heads violently and unexpectedly for their judgement lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not vers 3. And that it may appeare that God had an eye of wrath and vengeance upon this kinde of men long agoe It s said by our Apostle here vers 3. their judgment now of a long time lingreth not and by Jude vers 4. that they were of olde ordained to this condemnation or judgement which new and unusuall expressions or aggravations of the destruction of this kinde of men doe give sufficient reason why haeresies are called haeresies of destruction whether the word damnable be restrictive to some haeresies as implying that there are some that are not damnable or whether it be descriptive as describing what haeresies are c Gerard in locum in suo genere in general must be answered and resolved by the definition or description of haeeresie what it is and if we either looke at that description of it which is implied in this Text to bee a denying of the Lord the Redeemer or which is given of it in any place in the Apostolicall Epistles we shall find that in the Scripture acceptation description of haeresie All haeresie is damnable not that every Haeretick is certainly and peremptorily damned for then I see no more reason for admonishing an haeretick then for praying for one that hath sinned a sin unto death even Judas called the son of perdition had hee had as some of the Ancients say Peters repentance might have found forgivenesse as he did but there is this marke set upon haeresie that we may all heare and feare and doe no such thing 2. Damnable haeresies are brought in privily words of this decomposition as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe signifie insinuation these tares are sowne while men sleep in a clancular or subtill way whereof men are not aware as it s said Gal. 2. 4. False brethren d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2. 4. at unawares privily crept in and Jude 4. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 4. Certain men are crept in privily meaning Haeresy-masters or false teachers Haeresie is modest at first and insinuates as the Serpent into Eve by subtle fetches and quaeres yea hath God said Gen. 3. 1. or by sweete promises and inducements ye shall not surely dye ye shall be as Gods your eyes shall be opened vers 4. 5. So it s said vers 3. they shall make merchandize of you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with fine forms of speech words composed for the nonce The Apostle observes that there is a subtilty or as you might say a mystery in this Trade of corrupting mens mindes from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 4. 14. And sometimes they worke by the wife as the Serpent did to give her husband the apple they draw men as Juglers doe a piece of mony with a fine invisible haire and never bring forth the portenta of their opinions until their sigmenta have made the way they mixe their drosse among good silver and lap up errour in the pap of truth that some parts of the monster may have their true shape 3. These that bring in these damnable haeresies doe even deny the Lord that bought them and here I might take in hand two sorts of opinions The first is that of the Socinians who deny that Christ by a proper satisfaction made to the justice of God did buy or purchase us To these the finger of the Text seemes directly to point for they not only deny the Lord Christs theanthropie but his redemption by way of purchase The other is that of some that hence inferre an universall redemption because that these that bring upon themselves swift destruction are said to bee bought by f Lutherani alisque Christ of both which points I
and let us cast out the incestuous Corinthians out of our Society for he is a leven ver 6 7. and let us purge out of our selves malice wickednesse c. For they are leven ver 8. that we may be a holy Congregation and a holy people and so the argument of the Apostle stands thus from the example of the Old Passeover Those for whom Christ the Passeover is sacrificed ought as holy Congregations and holy people to be unleavened with sin and wickednesse and to walk before God in an unleavened sincerity but for us Christ the Passeover is sacrificed therefore let us keep the Feast c. I have explained the words and now we shall consider this Passeover two waies 1. As a Sacrifice or figure of a Sacrifice and so it refers to Christ our Passeover Christ is sacrificed for us 2. As a Sacrament and so it relates to us and shews us our duty upon that Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us keep the Feast The Sacrifice is given for us the Sacrament is given to us From the first Our Passeover is Christ sacrificed for us We have a Doct. Our Passeover is Christ sacrificed for us Passeover but it is Christ sacrificed And here before I shew the Analogy or resemblance between the Passeover and Christ we shall note three or four things §. 3. 1. They in the Old Church of Israel had Christ as well though not so clear as we 1 Cor. 10. 4. The Rock that followed our Fathers in the Wildernesse was Christ the Passeover was Christ the personall Types such as Isaac on the Wood the reall Types as their bloudy Sacrifices were Christ He was then in his swadling clouts swathed up in shadows and types and not naked as now Gal. 3. 1. those Types being anatomized unbowelled are full of Gospel full of Christ the death of Christ pecus prosunt quam fuit saith Bernard de coena Christ is the marrow in the bone the kernell in the shell yesterday and to day and the same for ever the summe and sweet of all Ordinances therefore those that say they were filled with temporall promises but had no spirituall derogate too much from them as that they were Swine filled with husks and speak a wondrous Paradox that those that had so much faith Heb. 11. should have no Christ we give them the right hand of fellowship and they were the elder brother yet we have the double portion §. 4. 2. Mark the form of speech Christ our Passeover that is our Paschall Lamb which is also called the Passeover Exod. â—2 â—1 Kill the Passeover Now the Passeover properly was the Angels passing over the Israelites houses and not the Lamb but we must learn to understand Sacramentall phrases the signe called the thing signified the figure called the thing figured The Rock was Christ Christ our Passeover that is paschal Lamb Circumcision called the Covenant Gen 17. 13. My Covenant shall be in your flesh this will be allowed in every place but one and that is this one This is my body For the Lutheran stands up for a corporall presence under the Signes The Papist for a change of the Bread and Wine into Christs body and bloud No conferences no disputes no condescensions will satisfie them and yet we say very fairly the very body of Christ born of the Virgin that died on the Crosse that sits in heaven is present in this Sacrament but not in the Bread or Wine but to the faithfull Receiver not in the Elements but to the Communicants but all this will not serve turn These two Prepositions Con and Trans have bred more jarres and cost more bloud since they were born and there is neither of them in this cause six hundred years old then can be well imagined §. 4. 3. The Passeover figured Christ and yet the Jews ordinarily saw not Christ in it It is plain in their celebration of the Passeover or their Rituals they take notice of and commemorate their Egyptian slavery and their deliverance and so they were commanded but of Christ not a syllable It entred not into them that a Lamb rosted should figure the Messiah as they had formed him in their thoughts and so they held the Passeover as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking backward but as a Type looking forward no knowledge except the faithfull had some glimpse of it and this is the great fault of men in all Sacraments they minde not the inwards of a Sacrament nor look for the kernell they did so and we also not discerning the Lords body is not that it which makes us guilty of his body and bloud there is in all Sacraments res terrena res coelestis as Irenaeus Earthly men see the earthly part they eat they drink It feeds not they eat shells the inwards within the bone are marrow Christ Christ set spirituall food before our bodies viz. ayery set corporall before the soul and you illude both saith Parisiensis de Euchar sub finem §. 5. â— The Passeover is Christ sacrificed not Christ a Lamb unspotted but Christ a Lamb rosted with fire and this tels you that the Passeover and our Supper represent Christ crucified Christ dying or dead It is the death of Christ not his Resurrection nor ascension that is here set forth Ye shew the Lords death till he come this is the sight which a sinful soul would see this is the comfortable spectacle to see the price paying the ransome laying down the thing in doing Hence he draws the hope and comfort of Redemption and therefore the bread was broken and the Cup was full of bloud to represent to the life this life giving Death to Christ The Papists have cheated the people of the bloud by a trick of concomitancy telling them that the bread is his body and his body hath bloud in it we have a word of Institution of both severally the life of the representation is the bloud shed the Passeover is a Lamb slain and rosted and the bloud on the doorposâ— and by providence if the Papists will allow all to eat then we have expresly for the Cup a Bibite ex hoc omnes Mat. 26. 27. Drink ye all of it So that it is the Death of Christ here represented and which is one step further it is a Sacrifice Death which works and makes atonement this was it that all the Sacrifices that the Passeover did prefigure a Sacrifice death that should deliver and make expiation This Cup saith Christ is the New Testament in my bloud which is shed for you and many for remission of sins a death and such a kinde of death as in our Sacrament set forth a Sacrifice Death therefore it 's said sacrificed for us §. 7. Now let us come to the Analogy or resemblance between the Passeover and Christ sacrificed wherein I shall The resemblance between the Passeover and Christ sacrificed endeavour to avoid the vanity and curiosity of making similitudes to
sinn'd in assuming 2 Chron. 3. 5 6 7. The revealing of an event which God hath determined or those actions whereby that event shall be brought to passe gives no warrant for else Hazael being told 2 King 8. 12. before and Judas too what they should both do might have been pleaded for justification After a wonderfull manner saith Austin that is against Gods will which is not besides it It 's against the will of his command which is our rule which is not beside the will of his purpose and yet may be our sin God is just and gracious in delivering up his Sonne to death but Judas and the Jews sin horribly in it there is Rom. 12. 2. That good and acceptable and perfect will of God which the godly are to hold unto but for the Act. 2. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods determinate councell Pharaoh and Judas and Herod and Pilate the worst names in the whole world may be the instruments and damned midwives to bring it to the birth for as Mr Brightman saith in another case a fair and perfect childe born doth not make any thing the better the adultery in which it was begotten so the being the work of Gods purpose nothing warrants the act of any man or of Judas that betray'd Christ I must not enlarge upon these §. 3. Obs 2 The Lord Jesus was betrayed in the night Judas marches as Captain of the band of men and Officers of the Chief-Priests and Pharisees unto the Garden with Lanterns Torches Weapons Joh. 18. 3. They are cunning to do their work in the night without notice and noise tumult He that about an hour or two ago had been at Passeover with Christ now betrayes him He had sold him afore and now delivers him §. 4. Observe here the pattern of a wicked heart made worse by spiritual Ordinances Whether Judas was present at and participant of the Lords Supper that is whether he received both Sacraments the Passeover and the Lords Supper we may haply hereafter consider but at the Passover he was at that Passover which Christ saith he had heartily desired to eat with them Luk. 22. 15. and with the holiest society in the world but he was a Serpent in Paradise all the while §. 5. His Character is this 1. He was purse-bearer and receiver of the contributions that came in and steward to lay out upon occasion and because he inverted the publick stock to his private use he is called a thief John â—2 6. 2. His Covetousness in time began to flie at great gain for though he retained to such a Master and was both a Teacher and Preacher of heavenly Doctrine yet he thrives from a thief to a traitour and exposed to sale the most precious jewel Jesus Christ Luke 22. 3. 3. Of this sinne he went breeding and came full Matth. 26. 16. of it to the Passeover This he had premeditated and with this he was prâ—possest and with no better preparation comes to the Sacrament to which he came not to repent of his sinne but to cover it So some men use Religion and his successe was according for what he was conceived with before now is quicken'd After the sop Satan entered into him Joh. 13. 27. 4. He goes from the Sacrament full of Satan and within few hours sels that bloud which should have been sprinkled on his door-posts § 6. This is a fearfull example to all that after such a president dare venture upon a Sacrament to which they come with purpose to go on in those sinnes they bring to it as he did whether covetousness as his was or luxury drunkenness loosness of life fraud rapine ungodly callings unjust use of their callings c. they think to receive Christ in the Sacrament and Satan receives them for you must know That as Christ is presented in the Sacrament so Satan is present at it to enter in after the morsel being first by the morsel sealed to be his Sins of purpose and resolution are the key that opens the door for his entrance do not look at Judas his particular sinne of selling his Master that was not yet but look at his purpose and resolution to commit the sinne for that was now even at the Sacrament that was it that set open the door to the Devil and such a purpose to continue in your sinnes will do the like office for Satan in you as in him that is hold the door open The Devil had put it into Judas heart Joh. 13. 2. and after the Supper he enter'd into him vers 27. It 's true the best of us bring sinne and corruption in us and with us to the Lords Table it 's well if it be sour herbs to this Passeover but it must not be unleavened bread sweet sinnes we may come with sour sinnes but not with sweet The Apostles as Luke relates Chap. 22. 24. had some ambition and desire of greatness in them which even now began to peep up and our Saviour checks it and they also freshly come from the Lords Table shewed infirmity they could not pray with him they all ranne away from him after denied him What alas so soon after the Sacrament We learn this excellent lesson to bewail our corruptions that bubble up in us even while we are at the Table and those in us which still appear in us when we are newly gone from it But there is great difference between their sins and Judasses they thought of some preferment under Christ and he made a preferment of him He like a false souldier forsook his colours and fled to the other side They were routed and ranne away with intent to return again for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His was an old fire that had long lien in him and been fed by him Theirs were some sparklings that sparkled and soon went out His was premeditated and purposed sin theirs upon the sudden temptation They were imperfectly good he was perfectly evil as was said of Simon Magus Act. 8 2â— Thou art in the gall of bitternesse not there is some gall of bitternesse in thee I have said this and laid open Judas to affright men not from the Supper but unto preparation or self-examination And so let him come saith the Text. I will wash mine hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine Altar Psal â—6 6. For when or where do ye read such an expression as vers 29. He that eats and drinks unworthily eats damnation drinks damnation to himself It puts me in minde of a comparison of Chrysostoms in his Sermon de proditione Judae As corporal food finding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stomack possest with ferment vitious humours doth more hurt than good and increases the disease not of it's own nature but by fault of the stomack So this Sacrament received by wicked men aggravates their condemnation not of it self but through their unrepented sins Obs 3 The same night in which he was betrayed the Lord Jesus did
Legacy bestowed is himself and all spiritual benefits with him My body and bloud The heirs are all believers Disciples The Executours for the outward part are those to whom he saith Hoc facite do this execute this my Will The Witnesses are the Evangelists and Saint Paul Here is a perfect sealing then of a Testament which is of force by the death of the Testatour and nothing must be added or taken away for it is a Will sealed and Gal. 3. 15. publisht 2. To leave it as his ultimum vale or last memorial Aug. Epist 118 of precious relish and esteem when men are going then they give memorial gifts unto their friends then they give their pictures Keep this for me Remember me when you see me not When men are dying then they pull their ring off their finger and leave it with their beloved Oh what impression have the verba morientis the word of a dying man As if a man saith Chrysostome should say to children These were your fathers dying words This was his last charge This he spoke and died and there is nothing that is remembred with more awe more affection than the last words the last gift of dying friends 3. To testifie his dearest love to his Church and people that when death was in sight and all the unspeakable sorrows shame and suffering were now ready to invade him when injuries from men were ready to load him and the justice of God upon sinne to be demonstrated on him all these did not make him forget his love His love to his poor people overtop'd all He loved them to the end Joh. 13. 2. and exprest it at the last and when he was in expectation of utmost sorrow he forgets not his love to his 4. To fortifie his Disciples against temptations which were now rushing in upon them when they should presently see their Lord led away as a prisoner to be arraigned and themselves scattered and discouraged Peter denying bloudy enemies insulting then to fortifie their hearts Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 1◠1. He administers this Sacrament to strengthen the Union and Communion between him and them and to tie them to him so fast that the gates of hell might not prevail against them that their faith might not fail though it fainted as was said to Peter and though they fall yet they might not utterly be cast down as the Psalmist saith They had before eaten the body which they after saw broken and drunk the bloud which they after saw shed The broken body was not theirs that broke it The bloud shed was not theirs that shed it but it was theirs that had before eaten it and drunk it so God underprops his weak servants before the winde blow and seasonably antidotes the hearts before the bitter cup that they may stand fast though for fear they runaway 5. That when we iterate this Sacrament our hearts may be prickt with remembrance of this dismal night Chrysost in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom that he might exceedingly prick us for a wounded heart is a good preparative to the receiving of a wounded Saviour He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Isa 53. 5. Let a man survey this night how his blessed Saviour was for him betray'd into the hands of bloudy men This right he was plunged into most dolefull sorrows He was amazed and loaden with grief exceeding sorrowfull in a wofull agony sweating like drops of bloud running down to the ground without any comfort from any man his chief Disciples could not pray with him all fled and ran away from him betray'd by one of his own denied by another sending forth loud cries and tears God smit the Shepherd scatter'd the flock an Angel from heaven strengthening him an Angel that had not the benefit of Redemption by him but not a man for whose Redemption this was Oh the dark eclypse that now seized on this Sunne of righteousness Who can express the anguish and dolour of this night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though he was a very stone saith Chrysostom it would melt him wound him Therefore I exhort you all when you come to this Sacrament bring this night with you bring this night with you in which he was betray'd It is a night of observation to be remembred as was said of the first Passeover in Aegypt Exod. 12. 42. so it may be said of the night of this first Supper read read again or get some body to read to you this History related by Matthew or St Luke and water your meditations with sorrowfull tears not as he that wept when he read the History of Dido in the Poet out o◠an imaginary compassion but as beholding in this glass both your sins and your redemption This do in remembrance of him CHAP. VI. Of the outwards of this Ordinance of the Supper 1 COR. 11. 23 24 25. He took bread and when he had given thanks c. §. 1. IN the Sacrament of Baptism there is but one outward element water in this of the Supper two bread and wine which though they distinctly signifie the one the body the other the bloud of Christ yet because they set forth one nourishment of the body by bread and drink of the soul by the body and bloud of Christ and make but one commemoration of Christ and his death This do in remembrance of me vers 24. Drink it in remembrance of me vers 25. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death vers 26. Therefore as several dishes are but one Supper so these several signs are the parts of one Sacrament To avoid tautology and coincidency I mean to open the parts distinctly and yet to take together element with element rule with rule action with action as fitly yoked together joyntly and so be as soon at the end of the one as of the other which course of handling that word in Luke 22. 20. whom of all the Evangelists Paul doth nearliest agree with and vers 25. of this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Likewise or After the same manner points me unto and if there be any word in the three Evangelists that write the History of the institution whereof one that is Matthew was present at the action that may serve for the beautifying or clearing of any point as we go along we shall take it also into the contexture of our Discourse The Method and order is to handle 1. The outward Ordinance of this Supper 2. The inward thing signified or represented 3. The mandate or command Do this 4. The end For remembrance of me §. 2. The outward Ordinance is properly called the Sacrament the inward kernel or thing signified is called Res Sacramenti the thing of the Sacrament for the Sacrament is the outward visible sign and therefore it is very absurdly said of Bellarmine and other Lib. ◠de Euch. cap.
Martyr ibid. Hâ—â—aker Eccles Pola p. 359. Paraeus in 1 Cor. 11. conveying though symbolically to the faith of a beleever Christ himself for union and communion and the benefits of his death remission of finnes as the pledge confirms the contract the Seal passeth or conveyeth the estate by which we are as truly partakers of Christ Jesus if we receive by faith as we are partakers of bread and wine for nourishment this is a high signification and use it 's full and rich and comfortable and this I prove by that of the Apostle wherein I rest as a full explication of the phrase in hand 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we blesse Is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the body of Christ Here is Participation Communion and he saith Is it not Is it not As a known and received truth amongst Christians and with this I content my selfe as cleare and full against all contenders and gainsayers As for the Ancients I referre you to a whole Parliament of them called together and voting down Transubstantiation Crakanthorpe Defens cap. 73. against that unhappy man the Arch-Bishop of Spalato who had before his last revolt said Omnes Patres All the Fathers are against the Real Presence but he unsaid it again afterward to his Justin Apol. 2. losse Justin Martyr cals the bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bread over which thanks were given Irenaeus the very same Tertullian and Origen prove That Tertul. l. 4. contra Marc. â— 40. Origen Christ had a true body against the Phantasticks because the bread is a figure and signe of a true body Hierom cals it a representation and Austin is Greek Fathers call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionysius Basilius Theodores totus Calvinianus in the point There are rhetoricall flourishes hyperbolies and high expressions sometimes to procure honour to the Ordinance or quicken up the Communicants but in judgement they are with us Crakantherp Defens cap. 73. § 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lingua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. hom 82. in Matth. sanguinem sugimus Cyp. de caena and such hyperbolies c. So much be spoken for the explication of the words which are so ravelled and perplexed by contrary senses CHAP. IX Of the Inward thing signified or represented in this Supper I. What is presented to the Beleever NOw we shall proceed to open to you what Christ presents unto and sets before the faithfull in this Supper and what the faithfull do receive in the right use thereof For the first There is here presented and set before you in this Supper 1. Christ himself sacrificed for you with the fruits and benefits of his death or of the sacrifice of himself 2. The New Testament or the New Covenant confirmed and ratified by his Blood with the contents of that Covenant viz. Remission of sins and other benefits by consequence flowing from it §. 1. 1. Here is Christ himself sacrificed for you with the Fruits and Benefits accruing from his death presented and set before you The efficacy of his Hooker Eccl. lib. 5. pag. 360. Body and Blood is not all that is here presented to be received as is consist by the true Protestant Churches of our Confession but first and principally Christ himself as the influence of heaven is in plants beasts men but there is not such a thing only here set forth but a Divine and mysticall Union with Christ himself for here is a participation saith the Apostle of the Body and Blood of Christ who is exhibited as really and truly present not opposing reall to spirituall but to chimericall or phantasticall nor intending his presence in the Elements as contained in them but to the faith of the receiver who hath union with him The very Body and Blood of Christ that Body which was fastened Peter Martyr in 1 Cor. 11. 24. Calvin in 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. to the Cross that Blood which was shed was a Sacrifice as offered up to God is meat and drink as offered unto us and therefore our Divines say that Christ is truly and really but yet spiritually given to us as he was given for us This is my Body which is broken for you given for you saith the Text and that which was given for you is given to you He was given for you in the Sacrifice he is given to you in the Sacrament with those blessed fruits and benefits that flow from his Death §. 2. 2. Here is presented to you the New Testament a Covenant ratified and confirmed in his Blood with the benefits and priviledges thereof It is called New either from the excellency of it as the word New sometimes signifies or for the durableness and perpetuity of it as the Apostle explains it Heb. 8. ult in opposition to the Old made with Israel Cameron in Myreth Matth. 26. which was to determine and vanish away as to the form of dispensation This Covenant is That God will be our God and we shall be his people That he will forgive our iniquities and remember our sins no more c. and the Blood of Christ is the sanction of this Covenant for without Blood is no remission the blood of Christ is the Seal which ratifies the truth and validity of this Covenant The Wine in this Sacrament represents that Blood of Christ and is not so properly a Seal confirming the Covenant in it self as conveying the comfort and participation of it unto us or if you will it is a Seal of Remission of sin to us which is an Article of the Covenant that is sealed by the Blood of Christ and therefore it is said This is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for Remission of sins §. 3. And so you have here presented to your Faith Christ himself sacrificed for you the New Covenant confirmed by Christs Blood shed for the pardon of sinnes which are the highest and most glorious things of Gods gift to mankinde who hath in the dishes of this outward Sacrament set before you such good cheer to feed upon as all Sacrifices under the Law and Feasts were but the meer shadows of Take heed of thinking meanly of the furniture of this Table God hath no better provision to set before a sinner than his Sons flesh and blood and his Covenant of grace sealed and confirmed our Socinian likes not this that word My Body broken for you my Blood shed for remission of sinnes makes him bestirre himself to turn off the Body broken to the bread and the Blood shed to the wine and so you see two extreams the Papist turns bread into Christs Body and wine into Blood the Socinian on the other hand that which is spoken of the Body puts off upon the bread and that of the Blood upon the wine that the death of Christ might not be a proper Sacrifice for us §. 4
the rod belongs to Moses And whereas it may be said The Church hath the word of God and by that they denounce judgement declare sinne wound the profane prohibit the unworthy from this Table I grant it and it is a necessary and proper means but withall I say If a City or Common-wealth have Laws proclaimed and expounded and penalties set forth and declared but no execution of any restraint or punishment no power to correct or punish I need not tell you how full we should be of thieves and felons for all that Thus much be said in confirmation and maintenance of my general Position That the Lords Supper is a barred Ordinance which I have endeavoured to make good by evidence of Fact by evidence of Scripture and by evidence of Reason for the satisfaction of your scruples if any be and the settling of animosities Much more might have been said and argued upon the point For if the very Heathens in their idolatrous Sacrifices by their light of reason did no lesse as appears by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Callimachus Callimachus and Procul ô procul este profani in Virgil Away away all you that are profane If both Heathens and the Church of God had some that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 survey the Sacrifices that they had no blemish that might disable them from being presented to God If in the Olympick games or masteries Chrysost hom 17. ad heb the Crier made Proclamation If any man come out and accuse this Coâ—batant or Antagonist that he is a thief a slâ—ve c. being a dishonour for a Gentleman a Free-man to enter lists with such a fellow If the old Druids in France had a form of Excommunicâ—tion Caesar Commentaries out of their Society and it was accounted a mighty punishment If the Essens a Sect among the Jews in Christs time had it in use to cast out of their Society such as were offensive as Josephus tels us If the Synagogues had a form of dissynagoguing offences Grot. de imp pag. 232. though they abused it as all Church-censures are when they spare the carrion-Crows and vex the Doves I say if all this and much more why then should this be accounted a new and unreasonable either Doctrine or practice I end this point with a request That every one of you would rather labour and study to prevent all occasion of using this course than to remove the old Land-marks §. 8. Who may not be denied this Ordinance The second general Position is this That though Thesis II. this Sacrament be a barred Ordinance denied to some yet it cannot be denied to any baptized visible Professour of the Gospel but upon such grounds and in such manner and order as God hath appointed or allowed And this takes off the odium and terrour of the former point This settles and quiets all mistakes of them For God is not the Authour of confusion but of order and peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. Let all things be done in order ver 40. And therefore the Apostle when he had enjoyned Timothy To rebuke them that sinne before all that others may fear 1 Tim. â— â—0 doth in the next words lay a serious charge upon him To observe these things without preferring one before another and to do nothing by partiality Would you call that a well-govern'd City a well-order'd house or rather a Cycleps den where every one may cast out another and he himself as the Rabbies in the latter end of the Jewish State ridiculously excommunicated one the other As promiscuous accesse is not to be allowed so neither promiscuous denial As one may intrude and usurp the Lords Supper rashly so he may be as rashly forbidden As there is an ignorant and scandalous rushing in so there is an ignorant and scandalous thrusting out The door may be open'd and shut both errante clave If I say that a gangren'd leg or arm may and must sometimes be cut off Doth it follow that for every sore before healing plaisters be used we must runne to the Knife or Axe Or if I say a robber or murderer may be put to death must I therefore have him to the next tree without further trial or judgement The case is plain but particularly handled thus 1. It cannot be denied to a repentant sinner one that doth renew his purpose of amendment and after his fall with Peter bewails it bitterly whatsoever his sins have been for which he hath been punisht or censured Repentance doth dissolve the bands and pull away the barre from the door repentance prevents the punishment I le cast them into great tribulation except they repent as it prevents so it restores a man as Ezek. 18. 30. Repent so iniquity shall not be your ruine This was the Novatian rigour and errour they would not allow lapsed Christians that had fallen into sinne the benefit of repentance and restoring to the holy Table but leave them to Gods mercy for to the peace and communion of the Church they must not return But the Orthodox Churches did allow repentance to be medicinal Yea the very Church-censures were not intended to be mortal but to be medicinal viz. that sinne might be destroyed but the soul saved 1 Cor. 5. 5. and here is a difference between civil sentences of death and Church-censures If a man be condemned to die for felony his repentance doth not acquit or restore him from the sentence of death but it restores a man to his Church-priviledge that had lost it it is Tabula post naufragium like a plank or board after a Shipwrack which saves from drowning him that gets to it Object Some may object That this is an obvious and easie Engine to open any door that is shut for if a man make a verbal profession of his repentance and say I repent of my sins and that is to my self you know not my heart I demand my right Answ The Discipline of the Church is not to be exposed to mockery nor is it a meer external Pageant I will know saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 20. not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power Hypocritical and superficial expressions signifie nothing but the powerfull work of grace and regeneration which changes the heart and because the Objection may be made by some ex animo intending to shew with how easie a word as Nollem factum or I repent to blow the door open to himself therefore I answer it That though I should rest in a serious profession of faith and repentance which is not pull'd down again by a wicked life or scandalous sinne As Philip rested in it when the Eunuch answer'd him I believe that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Act. 8. 37. and so was baptized yet when a man lies under the charge of our censure for some scandalous sinne the case
preparation The thing that is exhibited to us is Christ his body broken his bloud shed Christ dying Christ a Sacrifice offer'd up to God is here commemorated and is here offer'd and that inward grace which is necessary to receive and close with Christ must be brought with you That grace is found by and from the word and that grace must be used here and exercised The Covenant requires it and the Seal is the Seal of the Covenant You cannot take the Seal and leave the Covenant you cannot enter Covenant without faith and Repentance you do but expect that the Seal should seal a lie to you if you expect remission of sinnes to be sealed without your faith in Christ It 's impossible that the Word and Sacrament should be opposite as that the Covenant and Seal thereof should disagree As therefore if one would know what a Seal conveys or confirms let him reade the Deed and the Conditions of it and there it is learn'd So if you would know what the Sacrament seals to you hear what the Word saith Mercy and Grace to a believer in Christ and to no other which he that will receive from this fountain must bring his vessel with him for qui fide vacuus foras manducat non intus Chem. Exam. c. dente non mente August Corollary 3 Thirdly Be not frighted with the sound of this Word worthily or worthy Communicant but labour to understand the least and lowest manner of receiving worthily for we wrong our comforts when we make that which is the measure of growth to be the measure of truth of grace and judge of the life of the tree not by the bud but by ripe fruit and here consider §. 3. 1. That words of high sound in vulgar and common acceptation when they come to be undertaken in a Gospel-sense and notion do shrink into a meer contemptiblenesse with worldly wise men For as the Gospel useth some Greek words in a sense unknown to eloquent profane Authours so it hath a notion of Blessednesse Perfection Glory Worthinesse which relishes not the palate nor bears any show in the world If Aristotle describe blessednesse what a deal of humane perfection and accomplishments of fortune doth he croud into it for which he is derided by other Sects But if Christ describe blessednesse in the Gospel what do you hear of but poverty of Spirit purity of heart meeknesse mourning suffering for righteousnesse sake wherein there is no more shew of blessednesse to a worldly man than there was in Christ of Majesty to Herod and his men of warre So perfection in Gospel-phrase is a disclaiming thereof and sence of our imperfection Phil. 3. 12. And the Spirit of glory rests upon you that suffer 1 Pet. 4. 14. And your worthinesse is rather the sense of your unworthinesse Thus the Gospel construes these high sounding words and the reason is because the Gospel placing our righteousnesse and our happinesse in the having of Christ and taking every man utterly off his own bottom doth thereby come to a new reckoning that is not used in the whole world and accounts them full that are most empty rich that are poor blessed that are in their own sense or outward condition miserable possessing all things that have nothing and so in this point in hand according to Luther's paradoxal expression which our Whitaker approves is Est optime dispositus qui est pessime dispositus He is most worthy that is most unworthy viz. that is sensible of his unworthinesse 2. If this worthinesse of a Communicant should Whitak de Sacram. p. 658. be imagin'd to signifie any meritorious or proud congruities of our vertues works righteousnesse it would be the greatest unworthinesse that could be What should such proud creatures come to a Sacrament or memorial of Christs death for that being no sinne with them to be expiated by that death◠Thou sayest I am rich I stand in need of nothing go anoint thy eyes that thou mayest see Revel 5. This Pool of Siloam is for such as have infirmities Nor doth the Gospel require perfect faith or perfect repentance or grace for that 's against the nature of this Sacrament which is to last no longer than our imperfections and infirmities last that is untill Christ come So as there is no better Argument of our imperfection than the command of growing in grace so neither is any a fit patient for this medicine but the weak and impotent the doubting and complaining soul The Gospel knows not the name of attainers nor the thing Not that I have attained or were already perfect Phil. 3. 12. This meat and drink is for growing children which as the old Physician Hippocrates saith must be often-nourisht How long might a man examine himself before he finde this temper in himself that he wants nothing there can be no wonder that such a one is above Ordinances especially this which though it be one of the highest Ordinances of the Church yet is accommodated to the use of the lowest believer The Apostles communicated in it before the Spirit was sent down solemnly upon them they were but ignorant and raw when Christ said Take Eat Drink ye all of it 3. If thou hast the seminals of grace mixt with a masse of corruptions as gold at first is mixed with much earth there may be worthinesse despise not small things Natural generation begins in a small thing a little drop and so Regeneration If there be sense of sin if thirst after Christ there is something Thou art discouraged with thy daily lapses why drink of this wine for thy often infirmities Thou art overborn with strong lusts come and eat and drink to nourish thy weak graces keep them alive to fight though they do not conquer and triumph Thou canst not say thou hast faith but canst thou feel thy want of it and mourn for it This smoak comes from some invisible spark Thou art not thou sayest in Covenant and the Seal belongs not to thee But art thou willing to be in it and come into the bond of the Lord Is it the longing of thy soul to be ingaged into the ways of God and disenthrall'd from the sweet bondage of sin In a word Let thy sins and corruptions be strong and violent thy wants many thy weaknesse great Let them be as thou sayest as thou fearest yet if there be a groaning sense a longing desire of remedy affections piercing of and breathing after Christ If there be a seed of God in thy heart which is kept alive in the midst of so much corruption by no lesse a miracle than if a spark be kept alive in the sea then surely there is a Gospel-meetnesse in thee to be partaker of this Supper Here is Christ cook'd ready to thy weakest and lowest faith in obvious materials of meat and drink Let not the pride of any worthinesse bring thee nor the sense of unworthinesse keep thee back CHAP. XXIII Of Worthy
thus God offers the body and bloud of his Sonne which was shed for the remission of sinne and saith Take ye Eat ye Drink ye and that inward act which answers to this outward action whereby we do receive Christ that is exhibited we call faith when Christ is tender'd to us in the Word we believe ex-promisso when offer'd in the Supper we believe ex pignore There we have a promise here a pawn or pledge This faith is the taking hand which goes forth to the offering-hand of God This taking eating drinking are but faith appropriating and applying Christ You say you believe What believe you That God offers Christ to your faith What 's a poor man the richer for believing that one offers him a shilling What 's a condemned man the better for believing that a pardon is offer'd to him This is but a faith of the truth of the offer But doe ye receive Christ offered Do you close in with Christ Do you take him into you Here is the best Covenant sealed with the best blood that ever was You believe this to be a truth but come not in to this Covenant that saith doth but serve to your just condemnation It is the Christ-receiving not the truth acknowledging saith that brings salvation to you If men did but know what saving saith is we should have either more or â—ewer believers more for they would renounce that superficial thing cahed faith and buy gold tried in the fire Fewer for they would not count themselves to believe by that faith which they have A woman may believe a man to be rich and honourable and â—eall in his suit yet that belief doth not make a marriage but actual consent to take him for a husband For saith gives as well as takes it gives a man up to Christ as well as takes Christ to be a Saviour It is not true faith that blows hot and cold out of the same mouth and cries Hosanna to Christ a Saviour but yet I will not have him reigne over me This Sacrament presents Christ to faith thus It presents Christ himself his body and bloud not the benefits of Christ apart and abstract but Christ himself It presents Christ for intimate union with us as the nourishment is to the body It presents him really as the bread and wine is really taken and received It presents him crucified and suffering as if he was now dving and bleeding in whom faith findes reconciliation remission justification and redemption so is it acted and exercised in this Ordinance §. 4. Thirdly The third grace that is freshly revived and set on work in this Sacrament is Repentance and that appears thus Here is represented Goes Justiâ—e against our sinne in bruising his own Sonne with fore and dreadfull breaches made upon him and this Justice is mixt with goodnesse in transferring and laying upon the Sacrifice the delinquencies and sinnes which had they been charged on us had sunk us into the bottome of perdition and who that sees this shall not tremble at the fearfull wrath of God which Angels and men could not stand before Who shall not mourn over Christ whom we have pierced as it 's said of them Zech. 12. 10 Who can love the knife that slew his friend I meane the sinne that our Saviour bore in his body on the Tree This consideration here presented to you if you follow Christ from the Garden to Golgotha should me thinks affect the soul of a believer 1. With tender meltings of godly sorrow for sinne 2. With fresh purpose of amendment of life 1. With godly sorrow for sinne To hear the strong cries and see the streaming bloud of Christ for can there be a greater demonstration either of Gods Justice toward sinne or of his goodnesse to a sinner They say an adamant will be broken by bloud but alas the heart of man hath lost ingenuity or else the bloud of Christ would make us love sinne as bad as the terrours of Mount Sinai yea and to love it lesse and hate it more Fear may break a man but goodnesse melts him The terrours of the Lord may amaze and leave a man as hard still but godly sorrow makes tender and changes the disposition of the soul Revive then the sense of your sinne even pardon'd sins do revive godly sorrow and the more because he tastes goodnesse and grace to him unworthy the sweet of the Passeover is lost for want of bitter herbs 2. With fresh purpose of amendment a needfull grace to be renew'd at this Sacrament we should eat this Passeover with shoes on our feat and slaves in our hand ready to march out of Aegypt We cannot eat the Passeover and stay in Aegypt still God confirmes his Covenant and we must restipulate with God to cast out and execrate the old Leaven Let 's carry wounded sinnes from this Table Bring wonded hearts and carry away wounded sinnes Let 's learne to die to sinne by seeing Christ die for sinne Mutet vitam qui vult accipere vitam saith Austine The Covenant of Grace is sealed Let us seal a Covenant of Obedience By the merit of Christs death we are purchased to be Gods not our own By the power of his Death we are slain dead to sinne But here I must break out to meet with our common purposers and resolvers which if ever in their lives do now when they come toward the Lords Table flatter God and themselves with a new beginning of a new life from this time they are resolved that the ear that hath heard them shall hear them swear no more The eye that hath seen them shall see them drunk no more c. I would these greene cords would hold but we finde this righteousnesse is but a morning dew their Sampson lusts when they awake break all these cords And why Because these purposes arise from a fit of conscience not from a principle of life or love and so they prove but Lucida intervalla they returne to their madnesse againe when the fit takes them I would such men would resolve to be ashamed of these resolutions which so often leave them in the dirt that selfe confusion may carry them out of their owne strength which selfe-resolution doth but arme them with and therefore doth not stand For he that hath the Falling-sicknesse may resolve to fall no more but in vaine untill the disease be purged These are the principall the staple graces to be exercised in this Ordinance there are others which are included in these which I but name As §. 5. Fourthly Spiritual appetite of hunger and thirst after Christ who is here offered as full nourishment for the soul under the form of bread and wine I account gracious desires to be the immediate products of regenerated graces and very comfortable testimonies of life spirituall 1 Peter 2. 2. but it is called vehement desire 2 Cor. 7. 11. in difference from the sluggards desires which are but wishes and which every man pretneds
knowledge and conviction that they believe more than we do because they know more but this faith hath no seat in the will or at least draws it not to election of the good things believed to be A man may be called an orthodox believer by vertue of this faith and it is sides recta not vera a right faith not a true sana but not salvifica sound faith but not saving if thou bring this faith only thou shalt receive only the outward signe for it is a seeing eye but not a receiving hand and many shallow effects it may have by vertue of the general mercies and promises of God but the Sacrament saith Take Eat and therefore there is besides this a Christ-receiving or a Christ-accepting faith for not to those that believed by meer conviction John 2. 23. did Christ impart himself but to as many as received him Joh. 1. 12. Weaknesse of faith in our times is properly said of this manner of believing It 's the receiving hand that shakes with the palsie Few complain of weaknesse of faith historical nor of the hardnesse of it because it 's not encountred with discouragements sins temptations as saving faith is because the whole adventure of the soul lies upon it and God knows when we come to shoot the gulf and to renounce all false hopes or true fears and cast our selves on Christ we do it with great difficulty for without Gods attraction it 's impossible and this is the faith which we must be exercised in and which is confirmed by this Sacrament and a rare faith it is even in the believing world For it gives up man to Christ as well as receives Christ And the dis-interessing of self-love and the interessing of Christ into preheminence and government is very rare and infrequent For I count that no receiving of Christ which divides him and takes so much as self-love would serve it self upon but brings not every thought into captivity to the obedience of him IV. If thou finde in thy affections any appearances or seeming impressions of grace be not over-credulous till the bottom be searched for there lies abundance of self-love and self-interest even when there is a good countenance and fore-side as in the zeal of Jehu which carried in the fore-head of it The Lord of hosts but there was a byas within that wheeled towards his own interest I shall name but four and that briefly § 2. 1. The love of God which is a reflex of his first love to us As the Sun-beams which come from the wall are the reflex of the beams that first smite upon it and there may be a love of God upon terms of his beneficence providence patience general goodnesse to mankinde without any love of Christ in sincerity which is upon special and distinguishing grounds for that love of God which is over-topt by self-love is not accounted love of God but rather a lust of serving our selves upon him which is the last resort of the love of most men to God but it may be distinguisht thus If it arise from the sense of that distinguishing love of God to thy soul whereby he hath drawn thee to Christ out of the pit of common perdition and that without any worthinesse in thee or contributions of thine to that inestimable grace yea notwithstanding that contrariety and opposition to him wherein thou wast above many others ingaged the very thought whereof doth ever inflame the heart unto a mans dying day If it be a love to God for his holinesse and his sanctification of thee to bear his Image and to be like him If it be a love of complacency and friendship to delight thy self in God and to affect Union and Communion with him If it produce a willingnesse to confederate with him and to be in league against all interests of the flesh and world I love my master I will not go out free or be at my own freedom 2. The second affection is desire of grace and of spiritual things I conceive there may be a carnal desire of things spiritual and carnal prayers for spiritual gifts namely to consume them upon our lusts of pride and vain-glory which is the desire of Simon Magus a desire to die the death of the righteous which was the wish of Balaam a desire of forgivenesse of sinne to be freed from condemnation by meer self love a desire of heaven too to open unto us for happinesse not holinesse or communion with God a desire comfort to anguish of conscience and that rather for ease than for grace a desire of grace it self as a necessary bridge unto or signe of salvation Give us of your oyl say they for our lamps are out Many fallacies may be in our desires and yet I account them when they are refined from drosse to be most comfortable signes of spiritual life for Christ makes thirsting after rightcousnesse the character of a blessed man Matth. 5. and the Apostle makes them a fruit of repentance 2 Cor. 7. 11. and a signe of regencration 1 Pet. 2. 2. if they arise from a taste of the graciousnesse of God and carry on to the sincere Word for growth in grace and be spent in endeavours of obedience and exercise of communion with God equally longing to be Christs as to have Christ He that shall deny to a poor soul the comfort of such desires puts out the spark that smokes in the wick of the candle when the flame is gone out before 3. The third affection is fear the fear of the terrours of the Lord and those punishments which according to his threats wait upon sinne Estius propounds the case Whether a man under servile fear may come to the Lords Supper And answers No but with distinction the fear of wrath may be used as a bridle to curb the insolency and luxuriency of the flesh by saying hell and damnation close to it and so the regenerate whose flesh is impetuous may make use of this fear to restrain the propension of it but then if this fear be meerly of punishment so that were it not for that he would with all his heart give himself over to commit iniquity with greedinesse then it 's plain that the willingnesse to sinne lives and this horrour of conscience nothing at all changes the inclination of the will no more than the whip or chain doth the nature of a Fox or Wolf and the case is no other than that of a childe that will colly himself with the cole that 's black and dead but dare not touch the fire cole which burnes his fingers and there is no comfort in such restraints from sinne nor have such feares any sparke of grace in them 4. The fourth affection is sorrow for sinne which may be worldly and carnal and no other than Pharoah his Take away this plague or the pangs of a whore that returns to folly But there is a sorrow according to God which works repentance unto salvation and brings
representing the mystical union of Christ and the Church is therefore a Sacrament There must be a promise and a command of God added to the visible creature whereby the use of it to such a purpose is warranted and authorized therefore we must look higher than the outward elements or their power An Axe is more than iron A Seal is more than wax Gods institution renders the creatures of bread and wine which as Bellarmine notes though two elements are but one instrument or seal usefull to spiritual effects not by elevating their natures as the iron or wax being instruments are not elevated to any efficacy as physical instruments but by appointing their use and working by them therefore that Question How can bread and wine How can water reach or touch the soul is impertinent for it refers to a natural causation but moral relation needs no contact there is a benefit follows upon the right use of them which comes not through them tanquam per canalem but from God by the use of such means as an estate is convey'd from the donor by a seal of wax 2. The benefits and blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace are sealed and the graces of the Covenant are improved in a believer by this Ordinance Christ Christ crucified or rather in crucifying together with such benefits as are immediately sealed in his death reconciliation redemption remission of sinnes as on Gods part offered to a sinner are here obsignate and sealed And faith in Christ repentance from dead works c. are here exercised excited confirmed renewed the main fundamental and essential benefits and graces which are in most necessary order to salvation are here in act not such things as some Christians have and some have not But the common necessaries of the Covenant both on Gods part and ours without which no Christian can be saved And therefore I cannot but wonder that many well-meaning souls should fix their eyes on such benefits or gifts to be given in this Sacrament as are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a Christian but eminencies of some and not of all they look for gifts of prayer of memory freedom from passions some Parts or Endowments which they see others excell in and if they gain not these they gain nothing they are unworthy c. Alas that you should so mistake I tell you Covenant-benefits Covenant graces the radicals the vitals are they which receive improvement here here is Christ offer'd and faith is quickned here Christ crucified is exhibited and here repentance is renewed the main benefits that God can give the main graces that we can have such as are essential without which salvation is not This I would have observed for the honour of the Ordinance and the quickning of addresse to it And another thing also viz. That when you hear us use the words exhibit convey conferre afford grace or spiritual benefits You are to understand that this is not per modâ—m emplastri seu medicae potionis not as a natural agent but per modum sigilli or Sacramenti in a way proper to a Sacrament As we say an estate passes by the Seal that is is assured or confirmed or as we say the promise or contract passes by a Ring words which every one understands and doubtlesse the benefit and fruit of the Sacrament is afforded in a peculiar way As the Word besides begetting grace doth also increase and confirm but not in the same way as the Sacrament doth as it may be the same bargain that passes by promise by oath by earnest by seal yet these are several wayes of certioration so it 's the same grace that 's nourisht by the Sacrament as by the Word but the way is divers That of the Sacrament is by way of sign and seal that of the Word by way of Promise or Covenant-agreement nay the two Sacraments themselves do dâ—ffâ—r in their proprieties Baptism seals the Covenant by way of initiation and the Lords Supper by way of nutrition or augmentation God did not make or multiply Ordinances at random without their distinct and peculiar use for the exhibiting to us the same Christ the same graces the same benefits as men have several wayes of assurance making one to another §. 5 §. 5. What is done to a Worthy Receiver by Christ So much generally For the particular we shall consider 1. What is here done 2. What is hence received For the first There is here done by Christ two things and answerably two things by a believer in Christ Two things principally are here done by God or by Christ 1. Christ crucified is really exhibited to the faith of a believer 2. The gracious Covenant which God hath made in Christ is sealed to a believer 1. Christ crucified together with all those benefits More particularly that ensue upon his death is really exhibited to a believer for there is not a meer representation or empty figure but a real and true exhibition of Christ himself as broken for our sinnes The word accipite Take ye Eat ye does evidently confirm it to us If there were only a resemblance or figurative representation then See ye were more properly said but Take Eat this is my body plainly shews that Christ himself is here given to a believer I think we look so much on the representation that we forget the exhibition and therefore should labour to conclude that Christ himself as in the state of a redeeming Saviour is truly and indeed holden forth and presented to our faith as verily as any benefit can be offer'd and holden forth by one man to another This body and bloud was really offer'd up to God for us which is in this Sacrament really offer'd and applied to us by our faith Answerable to this exhibition of Christ himself the believer performs an act of Communion 1 Cor. 10. 16. partaking of the body and bloud of Christ in a spiritual sense for spiritual nourishment increase and building up for the new creature is fed and maintain'd by Christ and by vertue of union with him we have communion as the Vine-branches by their union with the Vine receive sap and nourishment So as we have not graces without Christ nor benefits without Christ but first in order of nature we have union as members of him and then of his fulnesse we receive For a Christian is like a branch that hath nothing of its own but what it receives from the root as it self springs from the root so the increase and growth of it is from the root also He is as the Moon which as appears in the Eclypse hath no light of it self but increases and comes to full as it receives from the Sunne Let no man think that a believer hath no further use of Christ after his first believing and receiving of him for then this Sacrament would not be usefull the effect whereof as Durand saith is not absolutely necessary to salvation as if one could not be