THE HOLY Eucharist OR THE MYSTERY OF THE LORDS SUPPER Briefly Explained By THOMAS WATSON Minister of the Gospel The second Impression newly Enlarged Dedit nobis Christus carnem suam in cibum sanguinem in potum animam in pretium aquam lateris in lavacrum Bernard 1 Cor. 10. 21. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's-Table and the Table of Devils LONDON Printed by A. Maxwel for Thomas Parkhurst at the Golden Bible on London-Bridge next the Gate To the Honourable Vertuous and my ever Honoured Friend Mrs. DOROTHY WOLSTENHOLM Madam BEsides the Cognizance I have had of you when it was my happiness to live among some of your Noble Relations your friendly deportment and the favourable Aspect which you have been pleased to cast upon me hath very much rendred me your Debtor And I knew not what other way to express my self grateful than by presenting yoâ—… with some of that Treasure which through the help of the Spirit I have digged out of the Sacred Mines of Scripture The Tractate which I here dedicate to you is small but the Subject treated on is of eminent and singular worth Pearls may lie in a little room and a soveraign Electuary may be given upon a Knive's point The Supper of the Lord is a matter of weighty importance as having in it the very pith and quintessence of the Gospel Madam Admire distinguishing Grace which hath made you Noble not only in blood but in spiritual Endowments How deeply are you obliged to God who hath given you an insight into the Mystery of Life which will abide with you when the Flower of Beauty shall fade and the Feathers of Honour must lie in the dust Madam let Jesus Christ be ever in your thoughts you are never out of his Let that dear Saviour lie as a bundle of Myrrh between your Breasts delight much in the Galleries where the King of Glory is held Let those hours be counted golden when you are at Free grace's Table and Christ sups with you and you with him I have no more at present to add only desire your Candid Interpretation kind reception of these few impolished lines So entreating the Lord to enrich you with all spiritual and eternal Blessings I take leave and rest Madam Yours to serve you Thomas Watson TO THE Reader Christian Reader VVHEN I Contemplate the Holiness and Solemnity of the blessed Sacrament I cannot but have some awe upon my Spirit and think my self bound to hold this Mystery in the highest Veneration The Elements of Bread and Wine are in themselves common but under these Symbolical Representations lie hid Divine Excellencies Behold here the best of dainties God is in this Cheer Here is the Apple of the Tree of Life Here is The House of Wine where the Banner of Free grace is gloriously displayed In the Sacrament we see Christ broken before us and his broken body is the only comfort for a broken Heart While we sit at this Tabâ—â— Christ's precious Spikenard of merit and grace sends forth its smell The Sacrament is both an healing and a sealing Ordinance Here our Saviour leads his people up the Mount of Transfiguration gives them a Glimpse of Paradise How welcome should this Jubilee of the Soul be wherein Christ appears in the oriency of his beauty and draws the golden 〈◊〉 of his love to the center of a Believer's Heart Oh what Flames of Devotion should burn in our Breasts How agil and nimble should we be mounting up as on Wings of Cherubims when we are to meet the Prince of Glory who brings the Olive-branch of Peace in his mouth and whose kisses leave a print of Heaven upon the Soul The scope of this ensuing Discourse is to raise an high value and appretiation of the Sacrament to Excite Holy Ardours of Soul in such as intend to partake of it Think not That it is enough to be outwardly devout at Gods Table drawing near to him with the lip when the Heart is far from him What is this but with Ephraim to compass God with Lyes They who put off God with bare shews he will put them off with bare signs They who give God only the skin of Duty shall carry away only the shell of Comfort Spirituality is the life of Worship If we come to the Sacrament in due order* we shall see him whom our souls love The Lord will give us a fore-crop here and reserve the after-crop of Glory for the Kingdom of Heaven That this may be effected shall be the earnest prayer of him who is Yours in the Work of the Gospel Thomas Watson THE MYSTERY of the Lords Supper MATT. 26. 26 27 28. And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my body And he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of sins IN these words we have the Institution of the Lords Supper The Greeks call the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mystery There is in it a Mystery of Wonder and a mystery of Mercy The celebration of the Lords Supper saith St. Chrysostom is the Commemoration of the greatest Blessing that ever the World enjoyed A Sacrament is a Visible Sermon And herein the Sacrament excels the Word Preached The Word is a Trumpet to proclaim Christ the Sacrament is a Glass to represent him Quest. But why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper appointed is not the Word sufficient to bring us to Heaven Answ. The Word is for the Ingrafting The Sacrament for the Confirming of Faith The Word brings us to Christ The Sacrament builds us up in him The Word is the Font where we are baptized with the Holy Ghost The Sacrament is the Table where we are fed and cherished The Lord condescends to our wâ—…akness Were we made up all of Spirit there were no need of Bread and Wine but we are compounded creatures therefore God to help our Faith doth not only give us an audible Word but a visible Sign I may here allude to that of our Saviour Joh. 4. 48. Except ye see signs ye will not believe Christ sets his Body and Blood before us in the Elements here are Signs else we will not believe Things taken in by the Eye do more work upon us than things taken in by the Ear. A Solemn Spectacle of Mortality doth more affect us than an Oration So when we see Christ broken in the Bread and as it were Crucified before us this doth more affect our Hearts than the bare Preaching of the Cross. So I come to the Text As they were eating Jesus took bread c. Where I shall open these five particulars in reference to the Sacrament 1. The Author 2. The Time 3. The Manner 4. The
must be with heat and intenseness of soul. Jacob wrestled in prayer Gen. 32. 24 Cold Prayers like cold Suitors never speed Prayer must be with sighs and groans Rom. 8. 26. It must be in the Holy Ghost Judev. 20. He who will speak to God saith St. Ambrose must speak to him in his own language vvhich he understands that is in the language of his Spirit 13. And lastly we must come to the Lords Table with self denying heâ—…rts When we have prepared our selves in the best manner we can let us take heed of trusting to our preparations Luk. 17 15. When ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants Use duty but do not idolize it We ought to use duties to fit us for Christ but we must not make a Christ of our duties Duty is the golden path to walk in but not a silver Crutch to lean on Alas what are all our preparations God can spie an hole in our best garments Isa. 64. 6. All our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags When we have prepared our selves as hoping in God's mercy we must deny our selves as deserving his Justice If our holiest services be not sprinkled with Christ's blood they are no better than shining sins and like Uriah's letter they carry in them the matter of our death Use duty but trust to Christ and Free-grace for acceptance Be like Nâ—…s Dove she made use of her wings to fly but trusted to the Ark for safety We see how we are to be qualified in our addresses to the Lord's-Table Thus coming we shall meet with embraces of mercy We shall have not only a representation but a participation of Christ in the Sacrament we shall carry away not only panem but salutem We shall be filled with all the fulness of God 4. Hath Jesus Christ made this Gospel-banquet Is he both the Founder and the Feast Then let poor doubting Christians be encouraged to come to the Lord's-Table Satan would hinder from the Sacrament as Saul did the people from eating honey 1 Sam. 14. 26. But is there any soul that hath been humbled and bruised for sin whose heart secretly pants after Christ but yet stands trembling and dares not approach to these holy Mysteries let me encourage that soul to come Mark 10. 49. Arise he calleth thee Object 1. But I am sinful and unvvorthy and what should I meddle with such holy things Answ. Who did Christ die for but such 1 Tim. 1. 15. He came into the world to save sinners He took our sins upon him as vvell as our nature Isa. 53. 4. He bare our griefs In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our sicknesses See thy sins saith Luther upon Christ and then they are no more thine but his Our sins should humble us but they must not discourage us from Christ the more diseased we are the rather vve should step into this Pool of Siloam Who doth Christ invite to the Supper but the poor halt maimed Luk. 14. 21. That is such as see themselves unvvorthy and flie to Christ for Sanctuary The Priest was to take a bunch of Hyssop and dip it in blood and sprinkle it upon the Leper Lev. 14. 7. Thou who hast the leprosie of sin upon thee yet if as a Leper thou dost loath thy self Christ's precious blood shall be sprinkled upon thee Object 2. But I have sinned presumptuously against mercy I have contracted guilt after I have been at the Lord's Table and sure Christ's Blood is not for me Resp. It is indeed grievous to abuse mercy It vvas the aggravation of Solomon's sin his heart was turned from the Lord which had appeared unto him twice 1 Kings 11. 9. Presumptuous sins open the mouth of Conscience to accuse and shut the mouth of God's Spirit which should speak Peace yet cast not avvay your Anchor look up to the blood of Christ it can forgive sins against mercy Did not Noah sin against mercy vvho though he had been so miraculously preserved in the Flood yet soon after he came out of the Ark he was drunk Did not David sin against mercy when after God had made him King he stained his soul with lust and his robe with blood Yet both these sins were washed away in that Fountain which is set open for Judah to wash in Zach. 12. 1. Did not the Disciples deal unkindly with Christ in the time of his suffering Peter denied him and all the rest fled from his colours Mat. 26 56. Then all the Disciples forsook him and fled Yet Christ did not take advantage of their weakness nor did he cast them off but sends the joyful news of his Resurrection to them Mat. 27. 7 And of his Ascension John 20. 17 Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend to my Father and your Father And lest Peter should think he was none of the number that should be interested in Christ's love therefore Christ dispatcheth away a special Message to Peter to comfort him Mar. 16. 7. Go tell the Disciples and Peter that he goes before you intoGalilee there shall you see him So that where our hearts are sincere and our turnings aside are rather from a defect in our power than our will the Lord Jesus will not take advantage of every failing but will drop his blood upon us which hath a voice in it which speaks better things than the blood of Abel Object 3. But I find such a faintness and feebleness in my soul that I dare not go to the Lords Table Resp. Thou hast the more need to go Drink of this Wine for thy often infirmities 1 Tim. 5. 23 Were it not strange for a man to argue thus My body is weak and declining therefore I will not go to the Physitian he should the rather go Our weakness should send us to Christ his blood is mortal to sin and vital to grace Thou sayest thou hast defects in thy soul if thou hadst none there would be no need of a Mediator nor would Christ have any work to do Oh therefore turn thy disputing into believing be encouraged to come to this Blessed Supper Thou shalt find Christ giving forth his sweet influenences and thy grace shall flourish as an herb Object 4. But I have often come to this Ordinance and find no fruit I am not filled with comfort Answ. God may meet thee in an Ordinance when thou dost not discern it Christ was with Mary yet she did not know it was Christ. Thou thinkest Christ hath not met thee at his Table because he doth not give thee comfort 1. Though he doth not fill thee with comfort he may fill thee with strength We think we have no answer from God in a duty unless he fill us with joy yes God may manifest his presence as well by giving strength as comfort If we have power from Heaven to foyl our corruptions and to walk more closely and evenly with God
believeth not is condemned already The Arminians dream of Universal Redemption Christ dying intentionally for all The Brazen Serpent was made a Type of Christ now the Brazen Serpent cured not all persons only them that looked upon it So those who either through ignorance or stubbornness look not on Christ by Faith have no benefit by him 2. In case the people of Israel had not looked upon this Serpent Alone if they had set up another Brazen Serpent by this and looked upon both they had not received a cure So after God hath set up Christ to be a Saviour if any shall presume to set up another Saviour by him as the Papists who look partly to Christ and partly to their Merits they can receive no sanative vertue from him For us of the Protestant perswasion to look upon our duties equally with Christ our prayers and tears as expecting they should merit salvation this is to make two Brazen Serpents to set up two Christs and then we cannot be cured We are to use duties but to look beyond them to Christ. They are good duties but bad Christ's If we trust to our duties for salvation they will be Fiery Serpents to sting us not Brazen Serpents to heal us 3. In case the Brazen Serpent was set up upon a Pole if Israel had looked only upon their sting and not upon the Serpent they had not been cured So if we look only upon our Sins and through despair look not up to Christ vve have no healing from him To keep avvay from Christ because of our sins is a disparagement to Christ as if there were more malignity and poyson in sin then vertue in this Brazen Serpent Indeed vve must look with one eye upon sin but vvith another eye upon Christ. Look on sin vvith a penitent eye and on Christ vvith a believing eye Weep for sin that slevv Christ but hope in the Lamb slain 4. In case Israel had looked upon the Brazen Serpent yet if it had been vvith an eye of scorn or contempt as despising that remedy God had provided they had not been cured Jesus Christ is lifted up but if he be looked upon as the Jews looked upon him vvhen he hung on the Cross vvith an eye not of reverence but disdain he vvill not cure The blasphemous Socinians look upon Christ only as a meer man and his blood not satisâ—…ory or meritorious these cannot be â—…ved by him Isa. 53. 3. He is despised of Men. To these he is not a Brazen Serpent but a consuming fire 5. The Brazen Serpent resembled Christ in the issue and result of it He who looked on the Serpent had an infallible cure So he that can but look wishly on Christ by Faith is certainly savâ—…d Joh. 3. 14. Whosoever believeth on him shall not penish Our misery at first came in by the eye looking upon the apple undid us but looking on Christ aright saves us 2. I shall show the Transcendencies of Christ the Spiritual Brazen Serpent above that in the Wilderness 1. The Brazen Serpent was inanimate it could repair life not infuse life But Jesus Christ gives life to the World Joh. 6. 33. Yea a never-dying life Joh. 3. 15. Eternal life Life is sweet but this word Eternal makes it sweeter 2. The Brazen Serpent could cure only a sting in the body The Lord Jesus heals a more deadly sting in our souls Psal. 103. 3. So deep were these wounds that they could not be healed but by deeper wounds made in Christ's side He was fain to die to cure us 3. The Brazen Serpent could cure only those who were within sight of it such as were afar off and in remote parts of the Wilderness had not their sting removed But Jesus Christ cures none but them who are afar off Jer. 2. 5. They are gone far from me The East is not so far from the West as the sinner is from God but herein appears the vertue of our Spiritual Brazen Serpent he heals none but them who are afar off Such as are not only aliens but rebells that live in the Devil's Territories Christ works a cure upon them and turns them from the power of satan Act. 26. 18. 4. The Brazen Serpent cured them that looked on it but if they had wanted the organ of fight there had been no cure for them What would a poor blind Israelite have done but Christ our Brazen Serpent not only cures us when we look upon him but if we want our sight he enables us to look upon him Christ not only saves us when we believe but he gives us power to believe Ephes. 2. 8. Christ anoints us with the eye-salve of his Spirit that we may look up and looking up we are cured Use. 1. Information 1 Branch In this Mystery of the Brazen Serpent see by what improbable means God doth sometimes effect great things What was a Brazen Serpent What likelihood that this should heal one that was stung it was a meer Image a shape and this not applyed to the wound but only beheld and looked upon yet this wrought a cure Reason would with Sarah have laughed at this A bitter Tree cast into the vvaters did dulcifie and make themsweet to drink of Clay and spittle cured the blind man vve vvould rather think it should put out ones eyes that did see What is there in the Rainbovv to prevent a deluge What is Bread and Wine in the Sacrament that these Elements should be consecrated to such an high mystery as to be a symbol of Christ's Body and Blood What more strange then that a dead man should quicken the vvorld but God loves to amuse and non-plus human vvisdom and bring great things to pass by vveak contemptible means 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. This the Lord doth 1. That his Glory may shine forth the more The less appears in outvvard means the more of God is seen The less beauty and splendor is in the Load-stone the more the virtues of it are admired And the less outward Pomp is in the instrument the more Gods wisdom energy is manifested 2. God would have the World see what power is in his Institution God appointed the Brazen Serpent therefore a word of Blessing went along with it to heal Psal. 107. 20. He sent forth his word and bealed them In the blessed Sacrament we are to look above the Elements a word of Blessing goes along with God's Institution to make this Ordinance effectual for the sealing up of Christ and all his benefits to us 2. Bran. In this Mystery of the Brazen Serpent see what infinite need we stand in of Christ. What would a stung Israelite have done without a Brazen Serpent if Balm be needful for one that is wounded if an antidote be needful for one that is poysoned then Christ the Brazen serpent is needful for a soul stung with sin Yea and what need have we to look often upon Christ in the