What Is the Lord's Supper?
ATrfvV. The Lord’s supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is shewed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits to their spiritual hourishment, and growth in grace.
Q. What divine warrant have we for the Lord’s supper?
A. Christ’s institution, and the apostolic practice, Mat. xxvi. 1 Cor. xi. Acts ii. and xx.
Q. When did Christ institute this sacrament?”
A. The same night in which he was betrayed.
Q. Why did he institute it the night before his death T
A, To shew, that it was to come in the room of the passover, which was abolished by his death •, to manifest his great love to his people in giving them such a solemn pledge of it when entering on his sufferings; and to stir us up the more affectionately to remember his death therein.
Q. Doth Christ’s example, in celebrating this ordinance in the evening of a work-day, and in an upper room, bind us to do the like? A. No; for the eating of
the passover just before, occasioned these circumstances.
Qj What posture is fittest for receiving the Lord’s sup- - per? A. Sitting comes nearest Christ’s example, and
fcest suits with the nature of that feast, Matth. xxvi. 20, 26o
Q. What are the outward signs in this sacrament?
A. Sacramental elements and actions.
Q, What are the sacramental elements ?:
A. Bread and wine, (of any kind; for Christ made use” of what was at hand), Matth. xxvi. 26 — 29.
O. What is signified by the bread P A. Christ’s -
body, or himself clothed with our nature, 1 Cor. x. 11.
Q^ What is signified by the wine?
A. Christ’s bloodyor complete meritorious righteousness, 1 Cor. ix. 25, 26.
Q. Why is Christ’s righteousness often called his blood?1-*
A. Because the shedding of his blood was the last and most errinent visible act of his righteousness John xix
Q. How do bread and wine represent Christ’s body and; blood?
A. As bread and wine are excellent food to our body; so Christ, in his person and righteousness, is meat indeed-, and drink indeed to our soul, John v’u 32, — 57.
Q. Are the sacramental bread and wine transubstantiated, or turned into the real body and blood of Christ?
A. No j for such a change of the elements ls’contrary to
sense, reason, scripiure, and the very nature oa sacrament %,
it would divide or multiply the body of Christ, and subject.
U to corruption, and the torments of hell.
Ere 3;
Qj. How is transubstantiation contrary to sense?
A. As we see, feel, taste, and smell the elements to have the Sines-ibstance after consecration as before.
£) How is it contrary to reason? A. As by reason, we know the substance of a thing cannot be changed, while its accidents and qualities remain the same.
Q. May not God, by his power, effect such a change?
A. Nu j for this would destroy the proof of all divine miracles recorded in scripture, 2 Tim. ii. 13.
Q. Can one who believes transubstantiation, in a consistency with himself, believe any other miracles or points of Christianity? A. No; for if, in opposition to
sense and reason, he believes transubstantiation, it behoves him, in consistency with himself, to believe, that there is no Bible, no Christians; that Christ never appeared, wrought miracles, or rose again, &c.
Q. How is transubstantiation contrary to scripture?
A. As the scripture calls the elements bread and wine after consecration, as well as before, 1 Cor. xi. 26, — 28.
Q. How is it contrary to the nature of a sacrament?
A. It makes the Lord’s supper not a means of remembering Christ, but of making and barbarously eating him.
Qj How would it divide or multiply Christ’s body?
A. As it would make as many bodies, or pieces of Christ’s body, as there are receivers of the Lord’s supper.
Q. Mow would transubstantiation subject Christ’s body to corruption, or the torments of hell? A. As the
elements unite with the substance of men’s bodies which shall be corrupted, and many of them cast into hell.
Q. If the elements are not changed into Christ’s real body and blood, why did Christ say of the bread, This is my body I
A. His meaning is, that it represented his body.
Q. How prove you that? A. No other view will agree to common sense •, and the verb (is) is frequently used in scripture for signifies or represents, Gen. xli. 26, 27.
Q. Ought every communicant to receive both the bread and wine? A. Yes j for Paul says of all the communicants, Ye eat this bread and drink this cup, Cor. xi. 26.
Q. How may the sacramental actions in the Lord’s supper be distinguished?
A. Into the actions of the dispenser, and of the receiver.
Q. What are the sacramental actions of the minister?
A. The taking, blessing, and breaking the bread, and giving it, wilh the wine, to the communicants..
Q. What may the taking and blessing the bread and wine lead us to think of’? A. Of Gud’schusing. calling,
and furnishing Christ to be our Mediator, Prov. viii. 25.
Qj. For what other end does the blessing of the elements serve? A. To set them apart from a common use,
to represent Chris’s body and blood, 1 Cor. x. 16.
Q. What is signified by the breaking of the bread?
A. God’s breaking and bruising Christ For our sin.
Q. What doth the giving of the elements to the communicants represent?
A. God’s giving Christ, and Christ’s giving himself to worthy receivers, John vi. 32, 57.
Q, What is signified by the communicants -receiving the elements, and eating the bread, and drinking the wine?
A. The receiving and feeding on Christ’s person and righteousness by faith, Matth. xxvi. 26, — 29.
Q. How is Christ’s flesh and blood to be eaten and drunk?
A. Not in a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith.
Q. What do you mean by a corporal and carnal eating?
A. The pretending to eat Christ’s body, and drink his blood, as we do ordinary meat and drink or by communicating with carnal ideas of his human body.
Q. What are the general ends of the Lord’s supper?
A. The shewing forth of Christ’s death, and the spiritual nourishment of his people, 1 Cor. xi. 26.
Q. To whom are we to shew forth the death of Christ in communicating? A. To God, to our conscience,
to Satan, and to the world, Gal. vi. 14. Rev. xxii. 12.
Q. How are we to shew forth Christ’s death to God?
A. By representing it to him by faith as a sufficient satisfaction to his justice, and the accepted price of all the blessings which we need from him, Heb. x. 19, — 22.
Q. How are we to shew forth Christ’s death to our conscience? A. By our believing application of it, as an answer to all its legal accusations and demands, and as a means of enlightening, softening, and quickening it to all holy duties, Heb. x. 22. and ix. 14. 1 John i. 7.
Q= How are we to shew forth Christ’s death to Satan I
A. By our believing improvement of it as an answer to all his accusations, a proof of the falsehood of his horrible Suggestions, a reason against yielding to his temptations,. and an ensign, for defeating his assaults, Rev. xii. 11.
Q. How are we to shew forth Christ’s death to the world? A. By professing it as the centre and sum of
our principles •, the foundation r of our hope, joy, and boasting; and the reason of our holy walk, and disconformity to vain wicked men, Gal. vi. 12. 1 John iv. 9, 19.
Qj What spiritual nourishment do believers receive in the Lord’s supper? A. Their souls are comforted
and strengthened by receiving Christ and his benefits.
Q. What benefits do believers receive in the Lord’s supper? A. Peace, pardon, sanctification, consolation,
foretastes and pledges of eternal glory, Matth. xxvi. 2S.
Q. What is the effect of our being nourished with Christ and his blessings.
A. Our growth in grace, 2 Pet. iii. IS.
Q. What names are ordinarily given to this sacrament?
A. It is called the eucharist, the communion, the feast, and the Lord’s supper.
Q. Why is it called the eucharist or thanksgiving?
A. Because Christ gave thanks when he appointed it j and we are to receive it with thanksgiving.
O. Why is it called the communion?
A. Because therein we have sweet fellowship with Christ, and with one another, 1 Cor. x. 16, 17.
Q. Why is it called a feast? A. Because of the
great provision and joy that is to be found in it..
Q. What kind of feast is it?
A. A royal feast, afeat of marriage and memorial, and. a feast on a covenant and sacrifice.
Q. How is it a royal feast? A. As Christ, the king
of kings, is the maker and matter of it, and chief guest at it.
Q. How is it a marriage feast?’ A, Therein our
spiritual marriage with Christ is sealed; and we receive pledges of our glorious espousals at the last day.
Q. How is it a feast on a sacrifice? A. Because
Christ, as sacrificed for- us, is the matter of it, 1 Cor. v. 7.
Q. Why is this sacrament carled the Lord’s supper?
A. Because the Lord Christ instituted il in the evening. of the world, and of the day when the passover supper war eaten; and to represent its excellency.
Q. What are the properties of the Lord’s supper I
A. It is a confessing, commemorating, communicating, confirming, and covenanting ordinance.
Q^. How is the Lord’s supper a confessing ordinance?
A. We therein declare our love to, esteem of, dependence on, and confidence in Christ crucified.
Q. How is it a feast of memorial, or commemorating ordinance? A. Christ therein testifies has remembrance of us ‘y and we remember his death, and our own sin as the deserving cause of it, Isa. liii. 1 C .. xi. 23,-» — 26.
Qj What of Christ’s death does this sacrament call to remembrance? A. The terribje, voluntary, acceptable, and efficacious nature of it; and the love of God as the moving cause of it, Isa. lii. 13. and liii. 4, — 12.
Q. In what manner is the death of Christ to be remembered in the Lord’s supper? A. In a thankful, affectionate, confident, humble, and sin-loathing manner.
O. How is the Lord’s supper a communicating ordinance? A. As we therein familiarly reveal our case to Christ, transfer our sin for pardon, bring our maladies to him for a cure, and receive his exhibited blessings.
O. How is the Lord’s supper a confirming ordinance?
A. Therein our graces are confirmed and strengthened, and God’s covenant is confirmed with us, 1 Cor. x. 16.
Q. How is it a feast or a covenant, or covenanting ordinance? A. God, with delight and pleasure, en* gages to be our God and Portion; and we covenant to be wholly and only devoted to his service, Zech. xiii. 9.
Q. Do not believers herein also communicate in one another’s affections and prayers, and engage to seek and promote one another’s good? A Yes, 1 Cor. x. 17»
£). How frequently is the Lord’s supper to be received?
A. As often as we can have oppor’ .unity,
Q. Kow prove you that? A. Vne Christians in
the apostolic -and primitive ages received it every Sabbath; Christ’s death is worthy of frequent remembrance: and we frequently need thi ordinance, Acts ii. 42. and xx. 7. - Q. Would not frequent communicating lessen the solemnity of that ordinance?
A. No; no more than frequent nrayer, meditation, &c. lessen the solemnity of these ordinances: nav, frequent conscientious communicating tends much to advance the truly divine solemnity of it.
Q. How so?: A. The more frequently Tfe have communion with Christ, the more deeply would we be affected with the majesty, holiness, and love of God, which shines in this ordinance, Isa. vi. 5. Psalm lxxxix. 7.
Q. What different kinds of communicating are there
A. Worthy and unworthy communicating.
Q. What is necessary to worthy communicating?
A. A worthy state, frame, and end.
Q. What call you a worthy state for this duty?
A. A state of grace, or spiritual union tvith Christ.
Q. When have we a worthy frame for this duty?
A. When, in Christ’s strength, we actively exercise the graces of his Spirit on him, 1 Cor. v. 8. Song i. 12.
Q. What worthy ends ought we to have in communicating?
A. The glorifying of God, the obeying of Christ’s dying command, receiving spiritual nourishment to our soul, and mortification of our lusts, 1 Cor. x. 31.
Q. What is unworthy coir municating? A. Communicating without grace, or without the exercise of it.
Q. Wherein lieth the evil of unworthy communicating?
A. It is very sinful and dangerous.
£). How is it very sinful? A. It profanes Christ’s
body and blood, by intermeddling with it as a common thing, or using it as an encouragement and cloak to sin it is as a crucifying him afresh, and putting him to open shame; and is more sinful than the Jews of crucifying him.
Q- How is it worse than the Jews crucifying of him?
A. The Jews crucified Christ in his stale of humiliation, under the notion of an impostor; but unworthy communicating crucifies him as an exalted Saviour and Friend.
Qj What is the danger of unworthy communicating?
A. We thereby eat and drink damnation or judgment to ourselves, not discerning the Lords body, 1 Cor. xi. 29.
£). Who thereby eat and drink damnation to themselves? A. Such as communicate in a graceless state. Q. How do these eat and drink damnation by their unworthy communicating? A. This sin binds on them the ^uilt of their other sins, draws down signal wrath, hardens their conscience, and makes it extremely difficult to bring them to repentance, 1 Cor. xi. 29, 30.
(£. Who e«t and drink judgment to themselves by their unworthy communicating? A. Such believers as da
communicate in a carnal, dead, and lifeless- manner.
Q^. How do they eat and drink judgment to themselves? A. Their unworthy communicating exposeth them to heavy chastisements -, such as, hiding of God’s face, prevalency of sin, outward troubles, &c. 1 Cor. xi, 30.
O. Whose duty then is it to receive the Lord’s supper?
A. All Christians come to the years of discretion are
under the obligation of God’s law to partake of it; but
believers only have a proper right to it; and such believers
otnly as have grace in suitable exercise are fit for it.
Qj Are graceless professors, come to age, guilty of any sin if they neglect to partake of the Lord’s supper?
A. Yes; they are practically guilty of renouncing their baptism, of condemning the death of Christ as unworthy of remembrance, and of despising sacramental blessings as unworthy of their regard, Luke xxii. 19, 2G.
Q. What should such persons do, when both their observance and omission of their duty involve them in sin? A. Their only right course is to flee to Christ, that he may draw them out of the state of nature, and furnish them with his grace, and then to communicate, Isa. lv. 1,-7..
Q. What is the duty of believers destitute of the suitable exercise of grace? A. To flee to Christ for the
quickening and excitement of their grace, and then to communicate; as their sin of neglecting it is greater than that of graceless professors, Prov. xvi. 1. Psalm cxix. 40. O. Who may be admitted to the Lord’s table by men? A. Such as are in appearance saints, and faithful; but such as are ignorant, and openly wicked, cannot, without great sin against Christ, be admitted thereto.
O. Why ought ignorant, profane, and scandalous persons, to be refused admission? A. Because their admission would tend to the destruction of their souls, and to the dishonour of Christ and his church, 1 Cor. v. Q. Did not Christ admit Judas to the Lord’s supper? A. It doth not appear that he did j but though he did, that only infers that hypocrites may be admitted.
■Q* May not ministers give tokens of admission to ignorant and profane persons, if afterwards they doctrinally debar them? A. No; such conduct is very uncandidj lays Christ’s children’s bread in the power of dogs; and is like giving false keys to known thieves, and then charging them ta be honest, 1 Cor, iv. 2.
83$ Oftlw worthy receiving Quest. 97.
Q. Is not such persons seeking admission to the Lord’s table, a true sign of their repentance and reformation’
A. Not in the least; for many seek after this ordinance as an atonement for past sin, or merely to be like their neighbours, or to cover some wickedness, &tc.
Q. Doth the partaking of ignorant and scandalous persons pollute this sacrament to others? A. The admission of them may bring the curse of God upon the dispensation of the sacrament by those who admit them 5 but their presence doth not directly pollute it to others.
Q. But may not the godly, by partaking with such, hurt the souls of those ignorant and scandalous persons?
A. Yes •, for it encourages them to believe themselves good Christians, having right to the seals of God’s covenant?
Qj Is not this sacrament greatly abused, by forcing men to partake of it, or by making the receiving of it a qualification for a civil office? A. Yes, John xviii. 36.