Conco 3a.}
5. March. 1692
1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25. 26.
(1. Q) Who is the Author of this Ordinance (An) The Lord Jesus Christ (2. Q) When was this Ordinance of the Lords Supper at first instituted? (An) The same night in which he was betrayed. Here two questions farther may arise (1. Q) Why did Christ defer the appointment of this Ordinance unto night? (An) The reason is supposed to be this viz: Christ would have this mystery of the holy Supper to succeed that of the Paschal Lamb, & by this new Sacrament to abrogate that old one. Now the Paschal Lamb was to be killed in the even: at the going down of the Sun. And thus Christ the Anti-type was slain in the evening of time, or the last times. Now here we (1) considered the qualifications of the Passover-Lamb, the Type, & how Christ the true Lamb, the Antitype was prefigured thereby. To Proceed
- 2. Now we may consider of the Rites & Customs used in
- 1. that Institution. As (1) There was to be a parting, or separation. 12. Ex. 3. The Passover-Lamb appointed to holy use was to be seperated from the rest of the Flock: And hereby was signifyed that Christ (the true Passover-Lamb) was seperated from the rest of Mankind, & sanctifyed by God the Father to this use & service. 7. Heb. 26. He was seperate from sinners. 6. Joh. 27. Meat that comes down from Heaven, by divine constitution. 10. Ch. 36. 5.
- 2. Heb. 4. 5. (2) The Lamb was to be kept up four days viz from the 10th day of the first month (which answers to our March) unto the 14th day of ye same Month, wherein it was to be killed. 12. Ex. 2. 3. 6 6. Ezra. 19. And hereby was signifyed that Christ who was fore-ordained from Eternity & sanctifyed from the Womb, was solemnly seperated from the vulgar & common people, by a speciall vocation, manifested from Heaven, in his Baptisme when the Father cryed out over him: This is my Beloved Son occ. & the holy Ghost in the likeness of a Dove rested on him. 3. Matth. 16. 17. Hince Christ was driven into the Wilderness, & coming forth from thence he began to Proclaim the Gosple, which service he performed for the space of four years, & thereby prepared himself for an oblation. So that in that time Christ solemnized four anniversary Passovers, & in the fourth year he himself was
- 3. made our Passover (3) The Lamb was to be killed, & that at the time God had appointed viz: in the month Abib (Which answereth to part of March, & part of April with us) Abib signifies a great Ear (or Stem) of Corn, or the month of Corn, because in those hot countries corn was eared, & began to be ripe in this month; & from thence this month had its denomination. In this month the Children of Israel went out of Egypt. 13. Ex. 3. 4. And this deliverance was a figure of our spiritual deliverance by Christ. In this Month (as some say Alsted: in hoc themate84) the world was created, & all things were revived: And therefore God would have Christ to dye in this month, to teach us that Christ is the Second Creator or Redeemer, & that under him as under the Sun in Spring all things are refreshed & revived, which receive influence
- 4. from the light & heat of his grace (4) The Lamb was to be Roasted. It was not to be Seethed, or boiled in water, but must be Rost with fire. 12. Ex. 8. 9. 2. Chr. 35. 13. 14. And hereby was signifyed, & it teacheth us thus much, viz: that Christ our Passover with the fire of divine justice kindled against our sins, & with the fire of his Love towards us & our salvation, ought to be as it were Roasted on the cross, that we might escape Roasting in Hell. It signifies that Christ underwent most greivous pains for
- 5. us. 53. Isa. 5. 10. (5) The Master of the Family was to give a Lamb, or provide a Lamb. 12. Ex. 3. And hereby was signifyed that God the Father would give his own Son to become an Offering & propitiation for us. 3. Joh. 16.3.
- 6. Ro. 24. 25. 1. Joh. 4. 10. (6) The Paschal Lamb was to be solemnized in Remembrance of the Israelites free deliverance out of Egypt; & also to testify their Faith in Christ who was to deliver his Church by power from the strong hands of the infernal Pharoah. 12. Ex. 24–34. 1. Cor. 5. 7.
- 7. (7) The Blood of the slain Lamb must be sprinkled on the door-posts, that the destroying Angel might pass over &c 12. Ex. 7. 13. 22. 23. And hereby was signifyed, that the Satisfaction made by Christ should be imputed to all Beleivers, so that by ye virtue & merit thereof they should be delivered from eternall death, & so that they only should escape the judgment of God, whose hearts are sprinkled, that is to say, purged with the blood of Christ, & place their whole hopes & confidence for Salvation no where else, than in the merit of his Death. 51. Ps. 7. 1 Pet.
- 8. 1. 2.18.19. (8) Last: The Roasted Lamb was to be eaten 12. Ex. 8. And hereby was signifyed that Christ was delivered up to Death for us, that he might become food for our Souls. 6
- 1. Joh. 33. 34. 35. 47. 48. And here farther observe (1) That the whole Lamb was to be eaten. 12 Ex. 9. 10. The Lamb must be Roasted all & whole; it must not be cut into peices: hereby signifying our full com̄union with Christ,
- 2. whole & undivided. 1. Cor. 1. 13. 30. (2) The Lamb was to be eaten by no stranger, uncircumcised, or unclean person. 12. Ex. 43. 44. 45. 49. And hereby was signifyed that none but Regenerate persons & true Beleivers have a right to feed upon the Lords Supper of wch the Passover was a figure. It was unlawfull for such as were not purifyed to eat the Passover. 11. Joh 55. & 18. 28. Indeed we read of some who were admitted to the Passover wo were not cleansed: but yet that was an extraordinary case.
- 3. 2. Chr. 30 18.19. 20. (3) The Lamb was to be eaten standing, & in haste, & with loins girded, & so with the habit of travellers & sojourners. 12. Ex. 11. And hereby was signifyed that the Israelites were ready to depart out of Egypt without any delay; & hereby we are taught that such as seek life & Salvation by Christ are not to slug & Sleep in Satans Kingdom, but with all speed to desert it, & to acknowledge that they are but strangers & travellers in this World, & ready to depart out of it as soon as God shall please to call them out of it. 13 Ro. 11. 12. 1. Cor. 15. 34. 5. Eph. 14. 39. Ps. 12. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 11. Heb. 13. 14. 15.
- 4. 16. (4) The Lamb was to be eaten by each particular family. 12. Ex. 3. 21. And hereby was signifyed that each particular believer ought to apply the death of Christ to
- 5. himself (5) The Lamb was to be eaten by neighboring families, if one family was too little to eat it. 12. Ex. 4. And hereby was signifyed (as some think) the vocation of
- 6. the Gentiles. (6) The Lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs. 12. Ex. 8. And hereby was signified not only that the bondage of the Israelites was most hard & bitter, but also that whosoever will have communion with Christ must prepare themselves to bear the Cross, & whosoever desire to taste the sweetness of the Remission of sins, purchased by the bitter death of Christ, must also relish in their souls the reall bitterness of sin. i.e. they must heart
- 7. ily & in very deed greive for their sins. (7) The Lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread. 12. Ex. 8. 9. Numb. 11. Yea this Feast continued seven days together & during all this time they were to eat unleavend bread. 12. Ex. 15. 18. 19. 20. Hince this Feast was called & known by the name of the Feast of unleavened bread. 23. Ex. 15. 2. Chr. 8. 13. And hereby was signifyed both the Sodain departure of the Israelites out of Egypt. 16. Deut. 2. 3. And also the urgency of the Egyptians for their departure, not allowing them time to leaven their bread. 12. Ex. 31—35. And also to signify that those who would partake of Christ must purge their souls from all the Leaven of heresy & vices, & must devote themselves to sincerity, truth, & holiness. 1.
- 8. Cor. 5. 6. 7. 8. (8) Last: After the Lamb was eaten they gave thanks, & sang an Eucharistical Song, as appears from. 26. Matth. 30. 14. Mark. 26. The Jews at the Passover sang the great Hallelujah i.e. 113. Ps. with the five following Psalms. Nor do we read of any thing farther in the celebration of the Passover unless that in Egypt the Israelites were not to go out of doors untill the morning, lest they should be mingled with the Egyptians, & so be sharers with them in those horrible judgments, which God was about to execute upon them that night. 12. Ex. 21. 22. 23. And hereby is signifyed that all such as give up their names to Christ, ought to seperate themselves from the company of the wicked i.e. they ought not to communicate with them in their evil deeds lest they share with them in their plagues. 51. Jer. 6. 18. Rev. 4. Yet here we are to remember that this Rite of not going out of their houses, untill the morning, & also that Rite of springling their door-posts with the Blood of the Lamb, & also that Rite of eating the Lamb in haste, standing, with their loins girt, staves in their hand &c as those ready for journey, only belonged to that Passover which was solemnized in Egypt: Hince in the command for their yearly celebrating this Feast there is no mention made of these ceremonies or customs. 12. Ex. 14. &c. And Christ with his Disciples did eat the Passover sitting down or lying down. 26. Matth. 20. 21. 14 Mark. 12—19. 22. Luke. 7—16. And after the eating of ye Passover Christ & his disciples did not abide in the house untill the morning, but went forth into the mount of Olives. 26. Matth. 30. 14. Mark. 26.
Thus much of the Rites & ceremonies used at the Passover, wherein we see Christ the true Paschal Lamb was prefigured thereby. And thus we see that the Passover Lamb in its qualifications, & also in the ceremonies used in its celebration did prefigure Christ Jesus: And there we see why Christ did defer the appointment of this ordinance of the Lords Supper untill Night.