by Rev. John Flavel
(continued from page 267)
Minister: “It is the duty of all Christ’s ministers, to give the sacramental bread of life, and the cup of consolation, to those who hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ, and His righteousness, and kingdom. And now I have told you your duty, I shall be willing to declare to you the nature and the circumstances of this blessed ordinance.”
Christian: “Sir, I must confess I am not so well instructed herein; and if I may not be too troublesome, would be very glad to understand what this holy ordinance is, and why it is called a sacrament.”
Minister: “It is a seal of the covenant of God in Christ, wherein, by certain outward signs, instituted by our Saviour, Christ and all His benefits are signified, conveyed, and sealed to the worthy receiver. The word sacrament has been anciently used, both to signify baptism and the supper of the Lord; and was taken up by the ancient fathers, from the oath by which the Roman soldiers were sworn to their duty, and were not admitted to be soldiers, until they had solemnly taken that oath or sacrament. It is called by several other names in Scripture, namely, breaking of bread, Acts ii, 42, the Lord’s table, 1 Cor. x, 21, the communion, 1 Cor. x, 16.”
Christian: “Pray, Sir, how many sacraments were instituted under the New Testament, and by whose authority were they appointed?”
Minister: “There are only two, baptism, and the Lord’s supper, and they were ordained by the sole and immediate authority of Jesus Christ; and those other five which the Papists have added, and called by that name, as order, or ordaining of priests, penance, marriage, confirmation, and extreme unction, or anointing at the hour of death; all these were neither immediately instituted by Christ, nor have the proper ends of a sacrament.”
Christian: “What are the elements to be used in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?”
Minister: “Bread and wine, and no other, Luke xxii, 19, 20. And all communicants are to receive both of them, notwithstanding the bold and sacrilegious practice of the Papists, who give the people the bread, or wafer only, none but the priest receiving both the bread and the wine. And this without any sound reason, or scripture warrant; and they may as well corrupt, totally abolish, or add to any of the ordinances and institutions of Christ Jesus, as presume to do this.”
Christian: “What resemblance or congruity is there between bread and wine, the signs, and what is signified by them in the Lord’s supper?”
Minister: “Bread is so necessary, that it is often put for all kind of food, and necessaries; and the least morsel of it is completely bread. Thus Christ is food, and all necessaries to the soul; and every worthy communicant receives a whole and complete Christ: And as corn is not bread, till it be bruised or ground; so Jesus Christ had not been food for us, if He had not been bruised with wounds and sorrow. And as bread is the common food of all people, so is Jesus Christ of all real Christians. Again, as bread being a solid body, may properly denote the body of Christ; so wine, being liquid, may represent His blood: And as wine is pressed from the grape, so the blood of Jesus was forced out by His agony, and the wound of the cross.”
Christian: “May not the bread and wine at our common tables signify the same thing?”
Minister: “No; because this is solemnly set apart, and consecrated to sacramental use by prayer and blessing, and by applying the words of our dear Redeemer used in the institutions of this ordinance.”
Christian: “Is not the bread and wine after consecration transubstantiated, or transformed from the substance of bread and wine, into the real substance and essence of the body and blood of our Saviour; since Christ’s own words are, This is My body, etc. This is My blood, etc.”
Minister: “No, by no means; this being a Popish error, attended with many absurdities and idolatrous practices. But it is the body and blood of Christ, in the sense that Christ spake it; but He did not say, This is no longer bread in substance, but the very substance of My body. And such phrases are often used in Scripture, and yet not always to be taken in a strict sense, no more than the Rock was Christ, and I am the true Vine, the Door, the Shepherd, etc. Moreover, Christ intended it for a sacrament, that is, a sign of what it represents, now it cannot be the real body of Christ, and the sign of it also. Again, our senses of seeing, smelling, and tasting, assure us that it is bread and wine, and no way substantially changed after the words of consecration. And if we must deny our senses in this, we may as well doubt whether these words, This is My body, etc. be recorded in Holy Scripture, though we see them there.”
Christian: “If the bread and wine be not the body and blood of Christ really and substantially, how then doth the true believer, in receiving, eating, and drinking them, receive, eat, and drink the body and blood of Christ?”
Minister: “By receiving these elements so consecrated, as signs, seals and conveyances of Christ and His benefits to the soul; and a true Christian hath them conveyed to him thereby, as really as a writing under hand, seal, and witnesses, can convey lands, or other benefits, which are not really in the writings themselves.”
Christian: “What are the actions of the Minister, in administering this ordinance?”
Minister: “After blessing the bread, he breaks it, and delivers it to the communicants in the words of Jesus Christ, signifying thereby a crucified Jesus, Who was wounded for our transgressions. He then pours out the wine in the sight of the congregation, and delivers that to them also, after blessing it in the words of Christ. And hereby is represented to us, our dear Redeemer shedding His blood for us; which is the sacrifice of atonement, whereby we obtain remission of sins. In which action, the minister, standing in Christ’s stead, as His minister, (wherein Christ is present, and by His Spirit and authority) doth as really tender and bestow Himself and benefits, as if He had spoken the same words in His own visible person.”
Christian: “But say some, since our Saviour restrained this ordinance to the time of His coming; He being come in the Spirit, it is now at an end, and abolished.”
Minister: “If these enthusiasts mean the coming of the Spirit, in its sanctifying operations; then it seems, that it was appointed only for unbelievers; and that the disciples, who communicated with Christ at the institution thereof, had not the Spirit, but were unbelievers; which is false and absurd. If they mean the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, or the pouring forth in an extraordinary measure; the practice of the Apostle and the church of God, both at that time, and long after, will abundantly contradict that assertion; Acts ii, 42, 1 Cor. x, 16.”
Christian: “What are the benefits that Christ gives, and we receive in this ordinance?”
Minister: “The exercise and increase of every grace; the cleansing our souls from the guilt of sin; healing the wounds which sin hath made in our consciences; a confirmation of the truth and promise of God; an humble and holy delight in Christ, and our fellow Christians, and a more earnest longing for, and expectation of, the blessedness of life to come: And is an ordinance chiefly intended for confirmation of our faith, love, and increase in grace; so that no person ought to come thereunto, but in faith.”
Christian: “What are the necessary preparations for this solemn ordinance?”
Minister: “(1) That a man have the habit of faith. (2) That he have an hearty disposition and willingness, to receive Christ as his Lord and Redeemer. (3) That he be in charity with all men; John i. 7, Matt. xv, 26. We must also exercise renewed acts of repentance, and clear up our interest in Christ, and have our souls full of faith and love towards Him.”
Christian: “Sir, there is one scripture that, I believe, discourages many from partaking of the Lord’s table; neither do I indeed well understand it: 1 Cor. xi, 27, 28, 29. “Whosoever will eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (or judgment) to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Minister: “I am indeed of the opinion, that the want of right understanding this scripture, has been a stumbling-block to many, and so I shall endeavour briefly to explain it. The Apostle here truly represents, and very much aggravates the danger of unworthy receiving this holy sacrament: but he does not deter the Corinthians from it, because they had sometimes come to it without due reverence; but exhorts them to amend what had been amiss, and to come better prepared and disposed for the future. And therefore after that terrible declaration, that “Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,” etc. he does not add, therefore let Christians take heed of coming to the Lord’s table; but let them come prepared, and with due reverence; not as to a common meal, but to a solemn participation of the body and blood of Christ: “But let him examine himself; and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” For if this be a good reason to abstain from this ordinance, for fear of performing it in an undue manner; then a wicked man may as well lay aside all other holy duties, as prayer, hearing, and reading the Word of God, for fear of the unworthy use of them; since, The prayer of the wicked, (that is, one that resolves to continue so) is an abomination to the Lord. And Christ says, Take heed how ye hear. And the Apostle says, that those who will not believe the Gospel, it is the savour of death to them: that is, it is deadly and damnable to such persons. Now there is as much reason for men to give over praying; or attending the Word of God, as not to receive the sacrament; since he that prays unworthily, that is, without spiritual benefit and advantage, is guilty of great contempt of God, and Jesus Christ, and aggravates his own damnation; as well as he, who, by partaking of the Lord’s supper unworthily, eats and drinks his own judgment. And when the Apostle adds, “But let a man examine himself; and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” it seems clear, by the occasions and circumstances of his discourse, that he does not intend we should examine our state of grace, whether we are true believers or no, and sincerely resolved to continue so; but he speaks of the actual fitness and worthiness of the Corinthians at that time, when they came to receive the Lord’s supper. And therefore, v.20, he sharply reproveth their irreverent and unsuitable carriage at the Lord’s table; they coming thereunto disorderly, one before another. It was the custom of Christians then, to meet at the feast of charity, in which they did communicate with great sobriety and temperance; and when that was ended, they celebrated the Lord’s supper. Now, among the Corinthians, this order was broken: the rich met, and excluded the poor from this common feast; and after an irregular feast, (one after another eating his own supper as he came), they went to the sacrament in great disorder. One was hungry, having eaten nothing at all; others had drunk and eaten intemperately; and the poor were despised and neglected. This the Apostle condemns as a great profanation of that solemn institution, for behaving themselves with as little reverence, as if it were a common supper, or feast. And this he calls, not discerning the Lord’s body: making no difference between the sacrament and a common meal; which contemptuous carriage, he calls eating and drinking unworthily: for which he pronounceth them guilty of the body and blood of Christ; by which he tells them, they did incur the judgment of God, which he calls eating and drinking their own judgment; for so the word signifies in the Greek, and not eternal condemnation. It is meant of some temporal judgment and chastisement, in order to the preventing of eternal damnation; which is evident from what follows: “H that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment t himself.” And then he says, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” That is, for this irreverence of theirs, God sent among them several diseases, of which many had died. And then he adds, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” That is, if we would censure and examine ourselves, so as to be more careful for the future, we should escape the judgment of God in these temporal punishments. “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” That is, when by neglecting thus to judge ourselves, we provoke God to judge us; he inflicts these temporal judgments upon us, to prevent our eternal damnation.”
Christian: “Sir, I am much obliged to you for the satisfaction you have given me in these weighty points, referring to the Lord’s supper: and now, though in a deep sense of my great unworthiness, yet with humble confidence in my dear Redeemer, Who graciously invites all that are heavy laden to come unto Him, I do intend, by the blessing of God, to address myself to the Lord’s table the next Lord’s Day; humbly beseeching the assistance of your prayers, that I may not come without the wedding-garment; but may be so qualified, as to obtain those glorious privileges and blessings, which are there represented and sealed to every worthy communicant.
The merchant will not lose his opportunity of buying, or the sailor his of sailing, and why, Christian, should you lose yours of growing rich in grace.
Thomas Brooks