The Communicant's Companion
because the doctrine of man's justification and salvation by it, was not agreeable to their philosophy. The wisdom of this world, and the princes of it, judged it absurd to expect salvation by one that died a captive; and honor by one that died in disgrace; and turned it to the reproach of Christians, that they were the disciples and followers of one that was hanged on a tree at Jerusalem. They who put him to such an ignominious death, and loaded him with all the shame they could put upon him, hoped thereby to make every one shy of owning him, or expressing any respect for him; but the wisdom of God so ordered it, that the cross of Christ is that which above any thing else Christians have cause to glory in. Such are the fruits, the purchases, the victories, the triumphs of the cross, that we have reason to call it our crown of glory, and diadem of beauty. The politicians thought it had been the interest of Christ's followers to have concealed their Lord's death, and that they should have endeavored to bury it in forgetfulness; but instead of that, they are appointed to show forth the Lord's death, and to keep it in everlasting remembrance before angels and men.
This, then, we mean, when we receive the Lord's Supper; we thereby solemnly declare that we do not reckon the cross of Christ any reproach to Christianity: and that we were so far from being ashamed of it, that, whatever constructions an unthinking, unbelieving world may put upon it, to us it is the wisdom of God and the power of God; it is all our salvation, and all our desire. We think never the worse of Christ's holy religion for the ignominious death of its great Author; for we see God glorified in it, man saved by it; then is the reproach of it rolled away for ever.
2. We hereby profess our dependence upon, and confidence in Christ crucified. As we are not ashamed to own him, so we are not afraid to venture our souls, and their eternal salvation with him, believing him "able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him;" and as willing as he is able, and making confession of that faith. By this solemn rite we deliberately, and of choice put ourselves under the protection of his righteousness, the influence of his grace, and the conduct and operation of his Holy Spirit. The concerns that lie between us and God, are of vast consequence, our eternal weal or woe depends upon the right management of them; now we hereby solemnly declare, that having laid them near our own hearts in a serious care about them, we choose to lodge them in the Redeemer's hands, by a judicious faith in him, for which we can give a good reason. God having declared himself well pleased in him, we hereby declare ourselves well pleased in him too; God having committed all judgment to the Son, we. hereby commit all our judgment to him likewise, as the sole Referee of the great cause, and the sole Trustee of the great concern, "knowing whom we have believed, even one who is able and faithful to keep what we have committed to him against that day," that great day when it will be called for.
This then, we mean, when we receive the Lord's Supper; we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we own ourselves to be his subjects, and put ourselves under his government; we confess that he is a skillful physician, and own ourselves to be his patients, resolving to observe his prescriptions; we confess that he is a faithful advocate, and own ourselves to be his clients, resolving to be advised by him in every thing. In a word, in this ordinance we profess that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, nor of the cross of Christ, in which his gospel is all summed up, knowing it to be "the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe," and having found it so to ourselves.
III. It is a communicating ordinance: here are not only gospel truths represented to us, and confessed by us; but gospel benefits offered to us, and accepted by us; for it is not only a faithful saying, but well worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus died to save sinners. This is the explication which the apostle gives of this ordinance: "The cup of blessing which we bless," that is, which we pray to God to bless, which we bless God with and for, and in which we hope and expect that God will bless us, it "is the communion (or the communication) of the blood of Christ; the bread which we break, is the communion (or communication) of the body of Christ," which was not only broken for us upon the cross, when it was made an offering for sin, but is broken to us, as the children's bread is broken to the children in the everlasting gospel, wherein it is made the food of souls.
By the body and blood of Christ, of which this ordinance is the communion, we are to understand all those precious benefits and privileges, which were purchased for us by the death of Christ, and are assured to us upon gospel terms, in the everlasting covenant.
When the sun is said to be with us, and we say we have the sun, as in the day, or as in the summer, it is not the body and bulk of the sun that we have, but his rays and beams are darted down upon us, and by them we receive the light, warmth, and influence of the sun, and thus the sun is communicated to us, according to the laws of creation: so in this ordinance we are partakers of Christ, not of his real body and blood, (it is senseless and absurd, unchristian and inhuman to imagine so,) but of his merits and righteousness for our justification, his Spirit and grace for our sanctification. We must not dream of ascending up into heaven, or of going down to the depth, to fetch Christ into this ordinance, that we may partake of him; no, the word is nigh thee, and Christ in the word.