Anfwer of our Catechifm is to be understood; that the Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful in the Lord's Supper: Words intended to fhew, that our Church as truly believes the trongest Affertions of Scripture concerning this Sacrament, as the Church of Rome doth; only takes more Care to understand them in the right Meaning: which is, that though, in one Senfe, all Communicants equally partake of what Chrift calls his Body and Blood, that is, the outward Signs of them; yet in a much more important Senfe, the Faithful only, the pious and virtuous Receiver, eats his Flesh and drinks his Blood; shares in the Life and Strength derived to Men from his Incarnation and Death; and through Faith in Him, becomes, by a vital Union, one with Him; a Member, as St. Paul expreffes it, of his Flesh and of his Bones": certainly not in a literal Senfe, which yet the Romanifts might as well affert, as that we eat his Flesh in a literal Senfe; but in a figurative and fpiritual one. In Appearance, the Sacrament of Chrift's Death is given to all alike: but verily and indeed, in its beneficial Effects, to none befides the Faithful. Even to the unworthy Communicant He is prefent, as He is wherever we meet together in his Name: but in a better and moft gracious Senfe, to the worthy Soul; becoming, by the inward Virtue of his Spirit, its Food and Sufte nance. This real Prefence of Chrift in the Sacrament, his Church hath always believed. But the monstrous Notion of his bodily Prefence was started 700 Years after his Death and arofe chiefly from the Indifcretion of Preachers and Writers of warm Imaginations, who, inftead of explaining judicioufly the lofty Figures of Scripture-Language, heightened them, and went beyond them: till both it and they had their Meaning miftaken moft aftonishingly. And when once an Opinion had taken Root, that feemed to exalt the holy Sa Eph. v. 30. crament crament fo much, it eafily grew and fpread; and the more for its wonderful Abfurdity, in thofe ignorant and fuperftitious Ages: till at Length, 500 Years ago, and 1200 Years after our Saviour's Birth, it was eftablifhed for a Gofpel-Truth by the pretended Authority of the Romish Church. And even this had been tolerable in Comparison, if they had not added idolatrous Practice to erroneous Belief: worshipping, on their Knees, a Bit of Bread for the Son of God. Nor are they content to do this themselves, but with most unchriftian Cruelty, curfe and murder thofe, who refuse it. It is true, we also kneel at the Sacrament, as they do: but for a very different Purpose: not to acknowledge any corporal Prefence of Chrift's natural Flesh and Blood; as our Church, to prevent all Poffibility of Mifconftruction, exprefsly declares; adding, that bis Body is in Heaven, and not here: but to worship Him, who is every where prefent, the invifible God. And this Pofture of kneeling we by no Means look upon, as in itself neceffary: but as a very becoming Appointment; and very fit to accompany the Prayers and Praifes, which we offer up at the Inftant of receiving; and to exprefs that inward Spirit of Piety and Humility, on which our partaking worthily of this Ordinance, and receiving Benefit from it, depend. But the Benefits of the holy Sacrament, and the Qualifications for it, fhall, God willing, be the Subject of two other Difcourfes. In the mean time, confider what hath been faid; and the Lord give you Understanding in all Things. • 2 Tim. ii. 7. LEC LECTURE XXXVII. T Of the LORD'S SUPPER. PART II. HE Doctrine of our Catechifm, concerning the Lord's Supper, hath been already fo far explained, as to fhew you, that it was ordained, not for the Repetition, but the continual Remembrance, of the Sacrifice of Chrift: that the outward Signs in it are Bread and Wine; both which the Lord hath commanded to be received by all Christians: and both which are accordingly received, and not changed and tranfubftantiated into the real and natural Body and Blood of Chrift: which however the Faithful, and they only, do, under this Reprefentation of it, verily and indeed receive into a moft beneficial Union with themfelves; that is, do verily and indeed, by a fpiritual Connection with their incarnate Redeemer and Head through Faith, partake, in this Ordinance, of that heavenly Favour and Grace, which by offering up his Body and Blood He hath procured for his true Difciples and Members. But of what Benefits in particular the Faithful partake in this Sacrament, through the Grace and Favour of God, our Catechifm teaches in the fourth Answer, to which I now proceed: and which tells us it is, The trengthening and refreshing of our Souls by the Body and Blood of Chrift, as our Bodies are by the Bread and Wine". Now both the Truth and the Manner of this Refreshment of our Souls will appear by confidering the Nature 3 Αλλα πατάσθαι ανωχθι τους επι γευσιν Αχαιός Σίτε και οίνοιο το γαρ μένος εςι και αλκη. HOM. IL. T. v. 160, 161. of the Sacrament, and the Declarations of Scripture concerning it. Indeed the due Preparation for it, the Self-examination required in order to it, and the religious Exercises which that Examination will of Courfe point out to us, muft previously be of great Service; as you will fee, when I come to that Head. And the actual Participation will add further Advantages of unfpeakable Value. Confidered as an Act of Obedience to our Saviour's Command, Do this in Remembrance of me, it must be beneficial to us: for all Obedience will. Confidered as Obedience to a Command, proceeding principally, if not folely, from his mere Will and Pleasure, it contributes to form us into a very needful, a fubmiffive and implicitly dutiful, Temper of Mind. But further: it is the most eminent and diftinguished A&t of Chriftian Worship: confifting of the devouteft Thankfulness to God for the greatest Bleffing, which He ever beftowed on Man; attended, as it naturally muft, with earnest Prayers that the Gift may avail us, to our fpiritual and eternal Good. And it is much more likely to affect us very strongly and usefully, for expreffing his Bounty and our Senfe of it, not as our daily Devotions do, in Words alone, but in the less common, and therefore more folemn Way, of vifible Signs and Representations: fetting forth evidently before our Eyes, to ufe St. Paul's Language, Chrift crucified amongst us. This, of Neceffity, unless we are ftrangely wanting to ourselves, muft raise the warmeft Affections of Love, that our Hearts are capable of, to Him who hath given his Son, to Him who hath given Himfelf, for us. And as Love is the nobleft Principle of religious Behaviour, what tends fo powerfully to animate our Love, muft in Proportion tend to perfect us in every Branch of Duty, according to the juft Reafoning of the fame Apoftle: For the Love of Christ conftraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and He died for Gal. iii. 1. all all, that they who live, fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto Him, which died for them, and rofe again. When our Saviour faid to his Difciples, If ye love me, keep my Commandments; He knew the Motive was no lefs engaging, than it is reafonable. And therefore He adds very foon after, If a Man love me, he will keep my Words. But this Inftitution carries in it a yet further Tye upon us; being, as our bleffed Lord himfelf declared, the new Teftament in his Blood: the Memorial and Acknowledgment of the fecond Covenant between God and Man, which was founded on his Death; and requires a fincere Faith and Obedience on our Part, as the Condition of Grace and Mercy on his. Every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, is bound to depart from Iniquity. But the Obligation is redoubled on them who come to his Table as Friends, and make a Covenant with Him, by partaking of his Sacrifice". If thefe live wickedly, it is declaring with the boldest Contempt, that they confider Chrift as the Minister of Sin; and count the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith they profess to be fanctified, an unholy Thing . Partaking therefore of this holy Ordinance is renewing, in the most awful Manner, our Engagements to the Service which we owe, as well as our Claims to the Favours, that God hath promifed. It is our Sacrament, our Oath to be faithful Soldiers1 under the great Captain of our Salvation: which furely we cannot take thus, without being efficaciously influenced to the religious Obfervance of it, in every Part of a Chriftian Life. But there is one Part especially, and one of the utmoft Importance, to which this Inftitution peculiarly binds us, that of univerfal Good-will and Charity. For commemorating, in fo folemn an Action, the Love of Chrift to us all, cannot but move us to that mutual Imi c 2 Cor. v. 15, 16. 2 Tim. ii. 19. 1 2 Tim. ii, 3, 4, d John xiv. 15. Pfalm 1. 5. e Ver. 23. f Luke xxii. 20. * Heb. x. 29. |