{Conco. 7a.
7. May. 1693
1. Cor. 11. 24.
And said, take, Eat; This is my Body wch is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. In Christ instituting of his Supper, we have considered what Christ did. Now
- II. Secondly, we are to consider what Christ said. And that we have in the words Read. He said, Take, Eat &c. In this institution Christ did not only do somthing, but he also said somthing. What Christ said we may consider by & by: But in that he said somthing hince we may
- Note. That the Lords Supper cannot be celebrated without the word. It is not enough that there be a table Spread, Bread taken, blessed, broken, & given, but the word must be annexed. Somthing must be said, as here, & also in baptisme, to make them Sacraments. It behoves us both to regard Gods benefit, & our duty; both which God makes known to us in his word, in the taking, blessing, breaking, & giving bread, we see the goodness of God to us. In what Christ sais in his instituting of this ordinance, we see our duty to God. In this Sacrament we have therefore a twofold testimony, or witness viz: one Audible, the other visible.
The visible Testimony is twofold, viz. a Sacred element, & a Sacred action concerning it. The Elements are Bread & Wine. The actions are taking, blessing &c.
There is in this holy Supper a three-fold word to be at-
- 1. tended (1) A com̄mand, concerning the manner of using the
- 2. Signs (2) A promise concerning the Sealing of the heav-
- 3. enly benefits represented thereby (3) Last: A command, concerning our duty, with reference to the beneficence of God, in his bestowing heavenly things upon us. But what Christ said we may consider by & by. We are only in generall taking notice, that Christ spake somthing. He spake, & that with a clear, distinct & audible voice. But to whom did he spake? Why not to the Bread, but to his disciples concerning the bread, namely that he might instruct them, touching the use of it.
- 1. Use. Hince learn that we ought Religiously to celebrate this Sacrament, viz: not as a dumb action, but as that which is animated by the word, by which the right end & use of the whole is evidently declared. What is the difference between eating & drinking here, & civil eating & drinking, if we take away the word, which is now to be used? We may compare all those to a body without a Soul. Now the body seperated from the Soul is dead. 2. Jae. 26. Why so the Sacraments without the word is dead. Christ not only did, but spake, in the instituting the Sacraments, & so we are ever to do. In Baptisme the Minister is to speak, as well as act. 28. Matth. 19. Go, & teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the holy Ghost. So here we are to speak, as well as act. And hince I say we are to improve this Ordinance, not as a dumb action but as animated by the word.
- 2. Use. Hince learn we, who they are who are invited to this holy Feast: Why they are Christs disciples. Such as own Christ, & follow Christ, as their Master, Lord & only Saviour. Christ speaks to these, & these are the guests that should fill his Table.
But so much in generall, & by the by that Christ spake, & that to his Disciples.
Now let us come to the words themselves, wch Christ spake in his instituting this Ordinance. Where (as was
- 1. hinted before) a threefold word is to be observed viz (1) A command concerning the manner of using the Signs, in
- 2. those words. Take, Eat (2) A promise concerning the Sealing of the heavenly benefits represented by those signs: in those words. This is my Body, which is broken
- 3. for you. (3) Last: A command concerning the End of the Lords Supper, & so of our duty in our attendance on this Ordinance: in those words, This do in Remembrance of me.
- (1) Then here is a com̄and concerning the manner of using the Signe. Take, Eat. These are the words of command concerning the external action of the communicant: And it consists of two parts Take, Eat
- 1. Take. Take this Blessed, Broken, Given, Bread, i.e. take it in your hand; for of taking it into the mouth, Christ speaks afterwards, wn he saith Eat. In the instituting of this holy ordinance, Christ first took the Bread himself, in his own hands, & then he offers it to his Disciples, & bids them take it. 26. Matt. 26. Q.D Do’nt content your selves, with a sight of the Bread, or with a touch of the Bread: But Take it, Receive it. It is freely offered to you: Accept of it, Take it &c. And hereby is signifyed that Christ is visibly put as it were into our hands, & we should stretch forth the hand of Faith & Take him, Receive him, Embrace him.
- 2. Eat. i.e. do not only take this blessed, broken, given, bread, into your hands, but take it in your mouth, feed upon it, swallow it down, let it go into your belly for nourishment sake: hereby signifying that by faith we should feed upon Christ, & the benefits of his death. 6. Joh. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. compared wth 33. 34.35. v.
- 1. Use. Hince learn that both these customs of Taking, &
- 1. Eating, are to be distinctly observed in the Church. (1) Reason, Because after this manner Christ instituted, this holy Ordinance. We are not therefore to maim, & mangle
- 2. Christ Ordinances (2) R. To Show our selves free from Superstition; which some (viz: the Papists) labouring under, think it an unworthy thing for Laicks, or the common people to touch wth their hands; & therefore firsooth must be put into their mouths by the Priest; as if our mouths were more holy than our hands, & we did not sin more with our mouths, then by our hands: And as if the Lords Supper were not a Sacrament for the purging of the whole man.
- 2. Use. Hince learn that every communicant is to receive his Portion. Christ distributes to all, & Speaks to all, & therefore all are to Take & Eat.
- 3. Use. Instruction: To teach us how to use the Signs or Symbols in this Sacrament: As particularly this of Bread. Why in the words of our Saviour. Take, Eat
- 1. Take. It is not enough that we see the Bread, or look upon the Bread, but we must take it; we must receive it.
- Qu: But how must we take it? How must we Receive it?
- An: Why we must take it, as Christ offers it.
- 1. Then, we must take it, as taken first by Christ: And so signifying that Christ took himself, & offered himself voluntarily for us. I lay down my life, for my Sheep, sais Christ. 10. Joh. 15. 18. This taking also signifies God the Fathers taking of him, & separating him to this service of mans Redemption. And so we are to receive this Bread, as representing, the true bread of our souls, come down from Heaven. 6. Joh. 33. 58. The bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven.
- 2. We must take it with thanksgiving & blessing God for such an unspeakable benefit. And Blessing Christ for his transcendent love herein, 3. Joh. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son &c. 1. Joh. 4. 9. 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us &c. I have loved you, with the greatest love, so as to lay down my life for you, sais Christ. 15. Job. 12. 13. Oh wt great thankfulness then should we take this bread withall? Even as good old Simeon. 2. Luke. 28.
- 3. We must take it as Broken: And thereby representing to us, the bitter death Christ suffered for us. 53. Isa. 5. He was wounded for our Transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, 31 Ps. 12. I am like a Broken vessell. 69. Ps. 20. Reproach hath broken my heart &c.
- 4. Last: We must take it as given. As a free gift, & that which we can lay no claim of merit unto. And when we take the Bread, yea &c a convenient time before, we should dwell upon the serious soaking meditation of these things.
- 2. Eat. We must not only take, but eat, yea therefore we are to take that we may Eat & feed upon this Bread. We must make it our own, apply that which hereby is represented to our Souls, as we do the thing Representing to our bodies.
- 1. And so we must each one for our selves say I am one of Christs sheep, he died for. 10. Joh. 15. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth, 31. Ps. 5.
- 2. We must eat with thanksgiving &c
- 3. We must feed upon the broken death of Christ, 53. Isa. 5. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 18.
- 4. Last: We must feed upon this wonderfull gift, as bequeathed to each of us.
- 4. Use. Last: Exhortation to all Christs disciples: Oh show your selves such, in this matter by obeying the word of com̄and. Take, Eat. 1. Luke. 5. 6. Zacharias, & Elisabeth, his wife were both righteous before God, walking in all the com̄andments & ordinance of the Lord, blameless. Oh if you would be blameless, you must observe all the Lords com̄andments & ordinances. 28. Matth. 19. 20. Teach them to observe all things, whatsoever, I have com̄anded you.