3. God would have us remember and call to mind tlie
fate w hereunto we are brought, which is a fiate of

righteourncfs ; that we may blefs him for that which in
this world will iflue in our righteoufnefs, and in the world
to come, eternal glory.

Thefe things we may call over for our fnith to medi-
tate upon. Our minds are apt to be diftrafled j the or-
dinance is to fix them : and if we a£l faith in an efpeci- -
al manner in this ordinance, God will be glorified.



B3



[ JO ]

DISCOURSE IL
November 26. 16 '19.

1 Cor. X. 16.

Ibe cup ofbleffm^ ivhich we b/ejs, is it not the commti'
tiion oj the blood of Lhrijl? The bread which we break ^
is it not the communion of the body of Chrifl F

THere is, in the ordinance of the Lord's fupper, an
efpecial and peculiar communion with Chrifl: in
his body and blood to be obtained. One reafon why we
fo little value the ordinance, and profit fo little by it,
may be becaufe we underfl:and fo little of the nature of
that fpecial communion with Chrill, which we have
therein.

V/e have this fpecial communion upon the account of
the fpecial objeft that faith is exercifed upon in this or-
dinance, and the fpecial afts that it puts forth in refer-
ence to that, or thofe objefts. For the acls follow the
fpecial nature of their objects. Now,

1. The fpecial objeft of faith, as a61ed in this ordi-
nance, is not the object of faith, as faith ; that is, the mofl
general obje61 of it, which is the divine veracity. " He
that hath received his tellimony, hath fet to his feal,
that God is true," John iii. ^^. The divine veracity, or
the truth of God, that is the formal objeft of faith, as
faith •■) and makes oar faith to be divine faith. But now
this is not the fpecial objedt of faith in this ordinance,
but fomething that doth fuppofe that.

2. The fpecial objeft of faith, as juflifying, is not the
fpecial objeft of faith in this ordinance. The Ipecial ob-
■je£l of faith, as jufl:ifying, is the promife, and Chrifl in
the promife, in general as the Saviour of finners : fo when
the apoftle called men to repent and believe, he tells
them, " The promife is to you," Aftsii. 38. And, I fup-
pofe, I need not iniift npon the proof of this, that the
promife, and Chrifl in the promife, as Saviour and Re-
deemer, is the objecl of faith, as it is juftifying. But



C II ]

this alfo is fuppofed In the aftings of faith in this ordiv
nance ; which is peculiar, and gives us peculiar commu-
nion v.ith Chrilt. Therefore,

3. The fpecial and peculiar objeft of faith, the imme-
diate objeft of it, in this ordinance, in its largeit extent,

is,

( I.) The human nature of Chriif , as the fubjeft where-
in mediation and redemption was wrought. Chrilt is
confidered to come as a facrifice ; that is laid down
as the foundation of it, Pfal. xl. 6. Heb. x. 5. " A
body haft thou prepared me j" which is fynecdo-
chically taken for the whole human nature. Faith, when
it would lead itfelf unto the facrifice of Chrift, which is
here reprefented, doth in an efpecial manner confider the
human nature of Chrift ; that God prepared him a body
for that end. This we are to have peculiar regard unto,
^vhenever we come to the adminiftration or participation
of this ordinance j for that end we now celebrate it.
Nay,

(2.) Faith goes further, and doth not confider merely
the human nature of Chrift, but confiders it as diftinguifti-
ed into its integral parts, into body and blood ; both
which have a price, value, and virtue given unto them,
by their union with his human foul j for both the body
of Chrift and the blood of Chrift, upon which the work
of our redemption is put in fcripture, have their value
and worth from their relation unto his foul j as foul and
body, making the human nature, had its value and worth
from its relation unto the Son of God : othcrwife he faith
of his body, " Handle it, it is but flefti and bones." But
where the body of Chrift is mentioned, and the blood of
Chrift is mentioned, there is a diftribution of the human
nature into its integral parts, each part retaining its re-
lation to his foul, and from thence is its value and excel-
lency. This is the fecond peculiar in the objed of faith
in this ordinance.

(3.) There is more than this : they are not only con-
fidered as diftinguiflied but feparate alfo ; the blood fe-
parate from the body, the body left without the blood.
This truth our apoftle, in this chapter and the next, doth
moft fignally infift upon, viz. the diftinft parts of this or-
dinance, one to reprefent the body, and the other to re-



[ 12 ].

prtfent the blood j that faith may confider them as fe-
parate.

The Papifts, we know do facrilegioufly take away the
cup from the people : they will give them the bread, but
they will not give them the cup : and as it always falls
out, that one error rnurt be covered with another, or elfe
it will keep no man dry under it , they have invented
the doctrine of concomitance ; that there is a concomi-
tance, that is, whole Chriil is in every kind, in the bread,
and in the wine •, the one doth accompany the other j
which is direftly to overthrow the ordinance upon ano-
ther account, as it is to reprefent Chrift'sbody and blood
as feparated one from the other : our Lord Jefus bleffed
the bread and the cup, and faid, " This is my body j"
%vhich cannot be fpoken diftinftly, Unlefs luppofed to be
feparate.

Here then is a threefold limitation of the aft of faith,
even in this ordinance, in a peculiar manner reftraining
It to a fpecial communion with God in Chrift ; that it
hath a fpecial regard to the human nature of Chrill ; to
his human nature, as confifting of body and blood ; and
as it refpefts them as feparated body and blood.

Yea, (4.) It refpefts them as feparate in that manner.
You all along know, that I do not intend thefe objects
of faith as the ultimate objeft •, for it is the perfon of
Chrift that faith reds in ; but thofe immediate objefts that
faith is exercifed about, to bring it to reft in God : it is
exercifed about the manner of this feparation ; that is, the
blood of Chrift comes to be diftindi:, by being Ihed ; and
the body of Chrift comes to be feparate by being bruif-
ed and broken. All the inflituted facrifices of old did
fignify this, a violent feparation of body and blood j the.
blood was let out with the hand of violence, and fo fe-
parated, and then fprinkled upon the altar, and then to-
tvards the lioly place *, and then the bady was burned,
diftinft by itfelf : fo the apoftle tells us, " It is the cup;
which we blefs, and the bread which we break 5" the
cup is poured out, as well as the bread broken, to remind
faith of the violent feparation of the body and blood of
Chrift. From this laft conhderation of faith a£ling it-
felf upon the feparation of the body and blood of Chrift,
by way of violence, it is led to a peculiar acting of it-



I ^3 ]

felf upon all the caufes of it ; whence it was, that this
body and this blood of Chriil was reprelented thus fepa-
rate ; and by inquiring into the caules of it, it finds a
moving caufe, — a procuring caufe, — an efficient caufe, —
and a Hnal caufe •, which it ought to exercife itfelf pe-
culiarly upon always in this ordinance.

f 1.] A moving caufe ; and that is, the eternal love of
God in giving Chrlll in this manner, to have his body
bruifed, and his blood ffied. The apoftle, going to ex-
prefs the love of God towards us, tells you it was in this,
that " he fpared not his own Son." Rom. viii. 32. One
would have thought, that the love of God might have
wrought in fending his Son into the world, but it alfo
wrought in not fparing of him. Thus faith is called in
this ordinance, to exercife itfelf upon that love which
gives out Chrilf not to be fpared.

[2.] It reflecls upon the procuring caufe •, whence it
is, or what it is, that hath procured it, that there fhould
be this repreientation of the fcparated body and blood of
Chrift ; and this is even our own fin : He was delivered
for our iniquities, given for our tranfgreffions, died to
make reconciliation and atonement for our fins ; they
were the procuring caufe of it, upon fucli confiderations
of union and covenant, which I lliall not now infill up-
on. It leads faith, I fay, upon a fpecial refpc6l: to fin, as
the procuring caufe of the death of Chrifl. A natural
confcience en the breach of the law leads the foul to
the confideration of fin, as that which expofes itfelf alone
to the wrath of God and eternal damnation : but in this
ordinance we confider fin as that which expofeth Chriil;
to death ; which is a peculiar confideration of the nature
©f fin.

[3.] There is the efiicient caufe j whence it was
that the body and blood of Chrift was thus feparated ;
and that is threefold, principal, inllrumental, and adju-
\-ant .

What is the principal efTicient caufe of the fuffering
of Chrilt •' Why, the juHice aed righteoufnefs of God.
" God fet him forth to be a propitiation, to declare his
own rigliteoufnefs," Rom.iii. 25. Whence it is faid,
*' He fpared him not j" he caufed all our fins to meet
upon him ; the chailifcment of our peace was upon hira.



[ 14 ] â– 

Again, There is the inftrumental caufe ; and that is
the law of God. Whence did that feparation, which is
here repreiented unto us, enfue and flow ? It came fronx
the fentence of the law, whereby he was hanged upon the
tree.

Moreover, the adjuvant caufe, was thofe outward in-
ftruments, the wrath and malice of men : " For of a
truth againlt thy holy child Jefus, whom thou haft anoint-
ed, both Herod and Poniius Pilate, with the Gentiles,
and the people of Ifrael, were gathered together," Afts
iv. 27.

Faith confiders the caufe whence it was that Chrifl
was thus given up, the eternal love of God 5 the procur-
ing caufe was our own lins •, and if once faith doth take
a view of fin, as that which hath nailed Chrill to the
crofs, it will have a bleffed effetl upon the foul : and it
confiders the efficient cauie, which is the jufiice and righ-
teoufnefs of God. The Idw of God was the inftrument
in the hand of righteoufnefs, which was holpen on by
thofe outward inltruments who had a hand in his fuffer-
ing ; but none in his facrifice.

[4.] Faith confiders in this matter the end of this re-
paration of the body and blood of Chrilt, which is thus
reprefented ; and that is ultimately and abfolutely the
glory of God. He fet him forth for the declaration of
his righteoufnefs, Rom.iii. 25. Eph. i. 6. God aimed
at the glorifying of himfelf. 1 could eafi', manifeft un-
to you, how all the glorious properties of his nature are
advanced, exalted, and will be io to eternity, in this fuf-
fering of Chrift. — The fubordinate ends are two ; I
mean, the fubordinate ends of this very peculiar a£l of
this feparation of the body and blood.

(1.) It was to confirm the covenant. Every cove-
nant of old was to be ratified and confirmed by facrifice ;
and in confirming the covenant by facrifice, they divid-
ed the facrifice into two parts and paffed between them
before they were off"ered ; and then took it upon them-
fclves, that they would ftand to the covenant, which was
fo confirmed. Jefus Chrift being to confirm the cove-
nant, (Heb.ix. 16.) the body and blood of Chrift, this
facrifice, was to be parted, that this covenant might h".
confirmed. And,



C 15 ]

(2.) A fpecial end of it was for the confirming and
ftreiigthening ot our faith. God gives out unto us
the objeft of our faith in parcels : we are not able to
take this great myllerious fruit of God's love in grofs,
in the lump ; and therefore he gives it out, I fay in par-
cels. We fhall have the body broken to be confidered j
and the blood Ihcd is like wile to be confidered. This
is the peculiar communion which we have with Chrill: in
this ordinance •, becaufe there are peculiar objefts for
faith to aft itfelf upon in this ordinance above others.

The very nature of the ordinance itfelf gives us a pe-
culiar communion ; and there are four things that attend
the nature of this ordinance that are peculiar. It is com-
memorative, profeffional, euchariftical, and federal.

t. The ordinance is commemorative: " Do this in
remembrance of me." And there is no greater joy to
the heart of finners, and a man knows not how to give
greater glory to God, than to call the atonement of fin
into remembrance. It is obferved in the offering for
jcaloufy, Numb. V. 15. if a man was jealous, and caufed
an ofi'ering to be brought to God, God allowed neither
oil nor xrankincenfe j and the reafon is, " Becaufe it was
to bring fin to remembrance." But how fweet is that
offciing that brings to our remembrance the atonement
made for all our iins ? That is pleafing and acceptable
unto God and fweet unto the fouls of finners.

2. It has a peculiar profeffion attending it ; faith the
apoflle, " Doing this, ye (hew forth the Lord's death
till he come :" you m^ke a profeffion and manifedation
of it. And, give me leave to iay it, they that look to-
wards Chriit, anil do not put themlelves into a way of
partaking of this ordinance, tliey refufe the principal
part of that protclhon which God calls thein unto in
this world. The truth is, we have been apt to content
ourfclves with a piotellloa of moral obedience ; but it
is a profclTiun of Chrill 's inUitution by which alone we
glorify hiin in this world. I will have my death fliewnr
forth, faith Chriit, and not only remembeied. The
ufe of tliis ordinance is to ihew forth the death of Chrift.
As Chrill requires of us to (hew forth his death, fo fure-
ly he hath defcrved it by his death.



[ x6 ]

3. It is peculiarly cuchariftical : there is a peculiar
thankfgiving that ought to attend this ordinance. It is
called the cup of blefling, or the cup of thankfgiving :
the original word is ufed promifcuoully for blefling and
thankfgiving. It is called the cup of blefling, becaufe
of the inftitution, and prayer for the blefling of God up-
on it ; and it is called the cup of thankfgiving, becaufe
we do in a peculiar manner give thanks to God for
Chrill, and for his love in him.

4. It is a federal ordinance, wherein God confirms the
covenant unto us, and wherein he calls us to make a re-
cognition of the covenant unto God. The covenant is
once made, but we know that we ftand in need that it
fhould be often traniafted in our fouls, that God ftould
often teftify his covenant unto us, and that we ftiould of-
ten actually renew our covenant-engagements unto him.
God never fails, nor breaks his promifes : fo that he hath
no need to renew them, but tefliify them anew : we break
and fail in ours, fo that we have need adlually to renew
them. And that is it which we are called unto in this
ordinance, w hich is the ordinance of the great feal of the
covenant in the blood of Chrilt.

Upon all thefe accounts have we fpecial communion
with Chrirt in this ordinance. There is none of them
but I might eafily enlarge upon ; but I name thefe lieads •,
and my defign is to help my own faith and your's from
roving, in the adminiilration of ordinance, or from a ge-
neral acting of itfelf, to fix it to that which is its pai'ti-
cular duty ; that we may find no wcarinefs nor heavinefs
in the adminiilration : heie in thefe things is there e-
nough to entertain us forever, and to make them new
and frelh to us. But while we come with uncertain
thoughts, and know not what to diredl our faith to aft
particularly upon, we lofe the benefit of the ordinance.

For the ufe, it is,

1. To blefs God for his inftitution of his church, which
is the feat of the adminiilration ot this ordinance, where-
in we have fuch peculiar and intimate communion with
Chrill. There is not one inllance of thofe which I have
named, but, if God would lielp us to aft faith upon Chrill
in a peculiar manner through it, wonld give new ftrength
and life to our fouls. Now in the church we have all



[ 17 ]

this treafurc. We lofe it, I confefs, by our unbelief
and^dirdteein of it ; but it will be found to be an inelH-
Tnal)le trealure to thofc that ufc it, and improve it in ;i
due manner.

2. Doth God give us this favour and privilege, that
we fliould be invited to tiiis ipecial coriimuiuou with
Chrilt in this ordinance •' Let us prepare our hearts for
it in the authority of its inftitution. Let us lay our
fouls and confciences, in lubjetHon to the authority of
Chrilt, who hath commanded thefe things, and who did
it in a fignal manner the fame night wherein he was be-
traved. So there is a fpecial command of Chrill lies
upon us J and if vve will yield obedience to any of the
commands of Chrift, then let us yield obedience to
tliis. Prepare your fouls for fpecial communion with
him then, by lubjugating them thoroughly to the autho-
rity of Chrift in this ordinance.

3. It will be good for us all to be in a gradual exer-
ciling of our faith unto ihefe fpecial things, wherein we
have communion with ChrilL You have heard fundry
particulars: here is an objeft of your faith that is given
to be reprefented unto you in this ordinance, that God
hath prepared Chrift a body, that he might be afacrificc
for you ; and that this body was afterwards diftinguilh-
cd into his body flriclly fo taken, and his blood feparat-
ed from it ; and this in a defign of love from God as
procuring the pardon of our fins, as tending to the glory
of God, and the eliablifningof the covenant. — Train up
a young faith " in the way it Ihould go, and it will not
depart from it when it is old. And new things \\ill be
found herein every day to Ifrengthen your faitli, and ) ou
will find much fweetnefs in the ordinance itfclf.



[ i8 ]

DISCOURSE III.
December 10.^1669.

I Cor. X. 16.

The cup ofbtejjtng which we b/efs, is it not the commu-
nion of the blood of Chriji? The bread which webreaky
is it not the communion of the body of Chxift ?

I HAVE been treating fomewhat about the fpecial
communion which believers have with Chrifl in the
ordinance of the Lord's fupper. There remains yet
iomething farther to be fpoken unto for our direftion in
this great work and duty j and this is taken from the
immediate ends of this ordinance. I fpake, as I remem-
ber, the lall day to the fpecialty of our communion, from
the confideration of the immediate ends of the death of
Chrift ; now I Ihall fpeak to it in reference unto the im-
mediate ends of this ordinance j and they are two, one
•whereof refpefts our faith and our love, and the other
refpe^ts our profeffion j which two make up the whole
of what is required of us. For, as the apolUe fpeaks,
Rom. X. 10. " With the heart man believeth unto righ-
teoufnefs, and with the mouth confeflion is made unto
falvation." Both thefe ends, that which refpeds our faith
and love, and that which refpefts our profeffion are men-
tioned by our apoftle in the next chapter, ver. 24. There
is mention of that end of this ordinanance which refpefts
our faith j now that is recognition. Recognition is a
calling over, or a commemoration of the death of Chrift;
*' Do this, fays he, in remembrance of me." That which
refpefts our profellion, is a reprefentation and declaration
of the Lord's death, ver. 26. " When you eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye {hew forth, ye declare, ye manifeft
the Lord's death till he come. 1 hefe are the two im-
mediate great ends of this ordinance, a recognition of
the death of Chriil, which refpeds our faith and love j



[ 19 ]
and a reprefentntlon of it, which refpefts our profcfTion :
both are required of us.

There is that which refpeifls our faith. The great work
of faith is to make things that are abfent, prefent to a foul,
in regard to theirfweetnels, power and efficacy ; whence
it is faid to be the evidence of things not feen j and it
looks backward into the caufcs of things ; and it looks
forward unto the effefts of things ; to what hath wrought
out grace, and to what grace is wrought out ; and
makes them in their efficacy, comfort, and power, to meet
and centre in the believing foul-
Now there are three things, in reference unto the
death of Chriif, that faith in this ordinance doth recog-
nize, call over, and commemorate. The firlt is, the
faith of Chrift in and for his work. The fecond is, the
obedience of Chrill:. And the third is the work itfelf.
r. Faith calls over the faith of Chrifl. Chriit had a
double faith in reference to his death •, one with refpccl
unto himfelf, and his own intereil in God ; and the o-
ther in refpeft to the caufe whofe management he had o-
vertaken, and the fuccefs of it. He had faith for both
thefe.

ly?. The Lord Chrift had faith in reference to his
own perfon, and to his own intereft in God. The apof-
tle, declaring, Heb.ii.14. "that becaufe the children
were partakers of tlelh and blood, Chrill alfo did partake
of the fame," that fo he might die to deliver us from
death, brings that text of fcripture, ver. 13. in con-
firmation of it, which is taken out of Pfal. xviii. 2. " And
again, faith he, I will put my truft in him. How doth
this confirm what the apoltle jiroduce:; it for ? Why from
hence, That in that great and difficult work- that Chrift
did undertake, to deliver and redeem the children, he
was all along carried through it by faith and trull; in God.
*' He trulled in God," faith he, and that made him un-
dertake it : and he gives a great inftance of his faith
when he was departing out of the world. There are
three things that rtick very clofe to a departing foul 5 —
the giving up of itfelf; — the ftate wherein it fhall be
when it is given up ; — and the final iffue of that ellate.
Our Lord Jefus Chrill expreflfed his faith as to all thre>i
of them. As to his departure, Luke xxiii. ^6. " He



[ 20 ]

cried with a loud voice, Father, into thy hands I com-
mend my fpirit : and having faid thus, he gave up the
glioit." — What was liis faith as to what would become of
him afterwards ? That alfo he exprelTcs, Pfal. xvi. lo.
" For thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither wilt
thou fufi'cr thine holy One to fee corruplion. My foul
ihall not be left under the ftate of the dead, whereunto

it is going j nor my body fee corruption Vvhat was his

faith as to tne future iifue of things ^ That he expreires,
ver. II. " Thou wilt fhew me the path of life j (which
is his faith for his riling again) ; In thy prefence is
fulnefs of joy, and at thy right hand are pxeafures for e-
vermorej'" v.liere he was to be exalted; and thefe words,
" Father into thy hand I commend my fpirit," were the
firtt breaking forth of the faith of Chrill towards a con-
queif. He looked through all the clouds of darknels
round about, him towards the rifing fun •, through all
ftorms to the harbour, when he cried thofe words with a
loud voice, and gave up the ghoft. And by the way it
is the higheit aft of faith upon a Itable bottom and foun-
dation, futh as will net fail, to give up a departing foul
into the hands of God, which Jeius Chrift liere did for
our example. Some die upon prefumptions, lome in the
dark*, but faich can go no higher than, upon a lure and
liable ground, to give up a departing foul into the hands
of God ; and that for thefe reafcns, to fliew the faith o£
Chrift in this matter.

(i.) B^caufe the foul is then entering into anew ftate,
whereof there are thefe two properties that will try it
to the utmoll ; that it is invilible, and that it is unchange-
able. I fay, there are two properties that make this
a great a<9: of faith.

[l.] The ftate is inviiible. The foul is going into a
condition of things that " eye hath not feen, nor ear
heard j" that nothing can take any profedf into but faith
alone. Hov^ever men may talk of the inviiible ftate of
things, which our fouls are departing into, it is all but
talk, and conjefture, belides what we have by faith.
So tl»t to give lip a foul cheerfully and comfortably in-
to that Hate, is a pure aft of faith.

[2.] It is unchangeable, it is a ftate wherein there
is no alteration. And chough all alterations ftiould prove



[ 21 ]
for the worfe, yet it Is in the nature of man to hope good
from them. But here is no more alteration lelt : the
foul enters into an unchangeable ftate. And,

(2.) The 2drealbn is, becaule the total fum of man's life
is now call up, and he fees what it will come to. While
men are trading in this world, though they meet with
feme llraits and difficulties, yet they have that going on
which will bring in fomething this way, or that way.
But when it comes to this, that they can go, no farther,
then they fee how things lland with a departing foul j
the whole fum is call up, there is no more venture to be