the institution of the Ordinance Thirdly he declares unto them what the meaning of their action was in imitating that which Christ did and remembring what He said Christs actions and speeches are distinctly related in respect of the time and in respect of the things done and said by him at that time The time was the night wherein he was betrayed That the Lord Jesus in the same night wherein he was betrayed v. 23. The things done and said by him relate the two parts of the Ordinance the first concerning the Bread the second concerning the Cup. Concerning the Bread he did three things He took it he gave thanks over it and then brake it v. 23 24. Took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it Concerning the Bread he spake three words First a word of command Take and eat Secondly a word of institution and consecration shewing what was meant by the bread This viz. bread is my Body which is broken for you And thirdly a word of direction instructing them what to do and to what end they should do it Do this in remembrance of me v. 24. Concerning the Cup he relates in like manner that which the Lord did and said That which he did is expressed in these words After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped v. 25. That which he spake is in these words saying this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood Here is the word of institution and consecration And This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me this is the word of commandement and of direction v. 25. Hitherto the Apostle hath delivered what Christ did and said at the appointment of this ordinance Now in the verse following he delivers unto them doctrinally what the true meaning and intent of their action is in celebrating the Lords supper For saith he as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come As if he had said Christ having thus appointed his last supper to be celebrated by the breaking of bread and partaking of the cup for a remembrance of him and of that which he hath done for us your imitation of him in this ordinance in the nature of it is a shewing forth of his death a testimoniall of your faith in his death till he come again to receive you into life This is the doctrine which is delivered concerning the Ordinance it self as it is to be celebrated in imitation of Christ Followeth the doctrine delivered concerning the way to do this worthily both in respect of every Member by himselfe in particular and in respect of the Body of the Congregation in common The particular Members are taught 1. What the guilt is of unworthy partaking 2. How this guilt is to be avoyded 3. What the punishment of unworthy partaking is with the cause deserving it and the effect following thereupon 4. And how both the punishment and the dangerous effect of it is prevented Concerning the guilt of unworthy partaking the Apostle doth inferre it as a consequence from the foregoing doctrines thus vers 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. That is Seeing the Lord hath ordained that the eating of this his bread and the drinking of his cup shall be the memoriall of his body broken and of his blood shed for us therefore if any man doth not partake thereof answerably to this end and as it becommeth those that celebrate the memoriall of his death till his comming he shall be guilty before the Lord of his body and blood as if he were one of those that dealt with him unworthily and put him to death with wicked profane hands The way to avoyd this guilt is to come with a previous examination of ourselves this is taught v. 28. in these words But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. As if he had said But if you will free your selves from this guilt you must come with due preparation of heart unto the action of the Lords supper and this preparation must be a tryall of your state in the presence of God so as to approve your selves in all things to be answerable unto his will in fulfilling the purpose of this ordinance Concerning the punishment due unto the unworthy partakers the Apostle teacheth them that it is the judgement of damnation v. 29. For saith he he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself As if he had said Be carefull thus to examine and approve your selves in the use of this ordinance unto God to answer his will for if you do not so but come unworthily you shall by your eating and drinking procure a judgement of damnation to your selves as a just punishment of your sinne The cause deserving this punishment is their neglect of respect and reverence due to God and his ordinance the Apostle calls it v. 29. the not discerning the Lords body that is the want of care and respect due to the body of the Lord not taking notice of the dignity and worth of it nor discerning Gods purpose in offering it to us but using it as a common thing doth deserve this punishment The effect following upon this cause in them was that many of them were weak and sick and asleep v. 30. For this cause saith he many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep As if he had said And because the punishment of condemnation is due unto you therefore God doth afflict you to shew his displeasure with outward judgements upon you in the flesh The means to prevent these evils are two the first is our duty which may prevent the temporall chastisement the second is Gods dealing with us to prevent the eternall punishment Our duty is to judge our selves whereunto a promise is made that if we perform it we shall not be judged of God v. 31. For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged As if he had said These judgements of God befall unto you because you take not heed to your wayes in his service for if you did judge and condemne your selves by repentance for your faults God would not thus judge you with such chastisements Gods dealing with us to prevent the eternall evill of the deserved punishment is by such chastisements to free us from being condemned with the world v. 32. But when saith he we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world As if he had said However these chastisements are justly inflicted and judgements befalling us for want of care to judge our selves and shew that we deserve damnation yet God doth not inflict them otherwise then as a Father doth to correct us and chastise us in love that we may not be condemned finally with the world Thus he
together in the Lord. So then the neerer we come to this practise the more we shall be conformable to the will and answer the intention of Christ in this his Ordinance 16. Hitherto I have considered Christ and the Apostles practise and the end and use of the Ordinance unto which their practise was to be subordinate and answerable but because the Apostle doth referre us in a speciall manner to take notice of Christ himself in this matter let us look a little directly upon Christs whole aim and purpose in the institution of this ordinance and that we may do this the things which in his words and actions do institute and discover his intentions are to be reflected upon First then the words by which he doth consecrate the bread and wine are very considerable This is my Body which is given for you and this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Luk. 22. 19. 20. by which he sheweth that his purpose was to leave unto his Disciples in the use of bread and wine a representation and a pledge of the benefits which by his body and blood were conferred upon their soules therefore he giveth unto the Bread and Cup the names of that whereof they were memorials representations and pledges that by a holy use thereof in Faith the things remembred and represented thereby might be obtained Secondly the words of Direction instituting the Ordinance for after-times Luk. 22. 19. Do this in remembrance of me which the Apostle doth explain 1 Cor. 11. 6. to be a shewing of the Lords death till he come do manifest that his intention was that they should imitate his practise in his last Supper to keep the memory of his death in their mind till his comming Thirdly there is a word of promise relating to his comming again and to the conjunction of his Disciples with him in his kingdom Mat. 26. 29. I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdome This promise is mentioned also Mar. 14. 25. and more generally in Luk. 22. 16 19. and more distinctly in vers 29 30. where he promiseth his disciples a Kingdome and a priviledge to eat and drink at his table in his kingdome All which doth cleerly intimate that his intention was by this Ordinance not only to assure them of his comming again but of their society and fellowship with him whereof this Meale was to be an earnest and demonstration So then he did intend that this Feast upon the sacrifice of his Body and Blood should be unto them not only a means to confirm their Faith in his death and in the effects thereof in the New Testament as a thing past but also of their hope of the state of life to come So that this Feast was appointed to demonstrate also our expectation of the Feast which is prepared for those that are to be with the Lambe at his wedding Revel 19. 9. Fourthly and lastly Christs action of serving his Disciples at his last meale with them doth speak much of his intention towards them for he thereby doth not only intend to give them an example of humility that they should serve one another as he expresly doth mention Joh. 13. 12. till 17. Luk. 22. 27. that he did serve them but this service at his last meals doth speak them to be his loving friends and familiars as Joh. 15. 15. he calls them It doth speak them his guests who did sit at meat at his table as he declares it Luk. 22. 27. and consequently it doth manifest unto them and us that his intention was to shew forth unto them and in their persons so entertained by him to give to all his faithfull servants by this Ordinance an assurance of the esteem which he hath of them now and will have of them for ever in his Kingdome For elsewhere viz. Luk. 12. 37. there is an expresse promise made unto all his Faithfull servants assuring them of the like entertainment the words are these Blessed are the servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall find watching and consequently faithfull to him in their charges Verily I say unto you that He shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them This then being promised unto all and performed by the Lord unto his disciples at the last Meale whereof the remembrance is to be kept by all is a cleer demonstration that Christs intention was towards them and is to all his faithfull disciples by the solemnity of the action to give us an assurance of his love esteem of us that he accounts us as his friends familiar guests whom he doth honor 17. From all which this Conclusion as a generall rule is to be gathered in this matter Namely That manner of Administration of the Lords supper is most warrantable which doth best expresse and imitate Christ and his Apostles practise in the use of this Ordinance which doth represent and hold forth most effectually all Christs intentions in it and which is most fit to accomplish most fully the commandement of celebrating the Memoriall both of his death and of our conjunction with him at his comming again And on the other side that manner of Administration is least warrantable which doth not answer and imitate Christ his Apostles practise in the use of this ordinance which doth not represent and hold forth any of Christs intentions in it and which is not at all fitted to accomplish in any competent measure the commandement of celebrating the memoriall both of his Death and of our conjunction with him at his comming again But it is now made apparent by that which hath been hitherto said that a Table-gesture in sitting at meat doth best expresse and imitate Christ and his Apostles practise in the use of this ordinance That it doth represent and hold forth most effectually all Christs intentions in it and that it is most fit to accomplish his commandement of celebrating the memorial of his death and of our conjunction with him at his coming again And on the other side it hath also been made apparent that the gesture of Kneeling or any other behaviour inconsistent with a Table-action at a meal is least answerable and proper to all this Therefore it followeth that the Table-gesture of fitting at meat is that manner of Administration of the Lords supper which is most warrantable and that the gesture of Kneeling is least warrantable in this Administration CHAP. X. The practise of the best Reformed Churches in the Administration of the LORD'S Supper HAving hitherto taken from the Word of GOD the grounds which make good this Conclusion I shall adde for a close of this Discourse a brief Relation of the Practise of the best Reformed Churches to shew how in their Publike meetings this Ordinance is observed by them in imitation remembrance of
the Lord. 1. They appoint commonly the Lords day in the morning for the time of partaking of the Lords table and in most places this is done every two moneths once 2. The Minister after morning-Sermon when he hath prayed and caused the Psalm to be sung and dismissed those that are not to partake doth speak by way of Exhortation to those that are to come to the Ordinance declaring the institution thereof the benefits to be received by the worthy partakers in it and the danger of unworthy partaking whereupon the impenitent and scandalous are warned not to presume to approch unto the table 3. This Exhortation is by some delivered in the Pulpit by some at the Table it self by some it is read out of a Book wherein the Conceived form by the Church is contained by others it it not read but delivered in a free discourse for although they have Forms yet they do not strictly bind their Ministers to them 4. There is a Table before the beginning of the Sermon covered with a clean cloth upon it and at the end where the Minister is to sit the bread and wine is set prepared to be consecrated by him 5. When the Minister hath ended the Exhortation preparatory to the action before the consecration of the Elements he giveth thanks and prayeth unto God for a blessing upon the Ordinance and upon those that do partake of it This prayer is made at the Table whiles the Minister is there alone the prayer being ended he invites the Communicants to approach orderly without noise and confusion 6. The Elders and Deacons in most places partake first with the Minister and when these have received they rise and serve the tables which afterward are filled 7. According to the bignesse of the Congregation and the conveniencie of the place the Table is made longer or shorter and-Forms are set on each side thereof at a convenient distance for people to sit and to go in and out and they are ordered by the Elders to go in at the one end of the Table on each side and out at the other every one following his neighbour and as every one doth approach he giveth unto the Elder standing at the side of the Table whereat he enters his Token 8. At every time the Table is filled the Minister doth repeat the words of Consecration used by Christ or the Apostle Paul or to that effect and distributeth first the Bread on both hands to those that sit next unto him and then doth shove the Vessell which containeth the consecrated bread unto the rest along the Table as they sit in order every one taking of it as it comes before him a morsell and the Elders of each side stand behind the Communicants to shove the Vessell along the Table for the quicker dispatch of the action and to bring up the Vessell from the lower to the upper end where the Minister doth sit when all have eaten of the bread that is in it 9. The Bread being distributed the Cup in like manner is consecrated and given by the Minister on each hand one cup to go all along from one to another every one when he hath tasted of the wine setting it down upon the table before his neighbour and he taking it up drinking of it and setting it down again and when all have drunk the Elders carry up the Cups to the end where the Minister sits and set them filled before him and a Blessing being pronounced upon each Table-full the Communicants rise in order and go to their seats and another Table-full doth come in their room till all have received 10. The men come first in order then the women to partake 11. There is a Bason held or set in some place at the end of the table where the people come in or goe out to receive a collection for the poor 12. When all have received the last Table-full doth sit stil at the table until the Minister be gone up again to the Pulpit to give thanks to God for all and to dismisse the Congregation with a blessing FINIS