There are several things contained in these answers, viz.
I. The general description of this ordinance, as it is called a sacrament of the New Testament; in which we shall be led to speak concerning the person by whom it was instituted in common with other ordinances; and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. We shall consider the persons by whom it is to be administered, namely, the ministers, or pastors of particular churches; inasmuch as it is an ordinance given only to those who are in church-communion.
III. We have an account of the matter thereof, or the outward elements, to wit, bread and wine.
IV. We shall consider the ministers act, antecedent to the church’s partaking of this ordinance, in setting apart the elements from a common to a sacred use; which is to be done by the word and prayer, joined with thanksgiving.
V. We have an account of the actions, both of the minister and people; the one breaks the bread, and pours out the wine. In order to their being distributed among those who are to receive them; the other, to wit, the communicants, partake of them, and join with him in eating the bread, and drinking the wine.
VI. We are to consider what is signified hereby, namely, the body and blood of Christ; which are not supposed to be corporally and carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of the receivers, upon which account they may be said to feed upon the body and blood of Christ, and apply the benefits of his death to themselves.
VII. We have an account of the persons who hope to enjoy these privileges, and partake of the Lord’s supper in a right manner; these are said worthily to communicate; as also the ends which they ought to have in view, namely, their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace, their enjoying communion with Christ; and that love that they are obliged to express to each other, as members of the same mystical body.
I. It is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by our Saviour. That it is an ordinance, is evident, in that it is founded on a divine command; as appears from the words of institution, in Matt. xxvi. 26, 27. Take eat, this is my body; and he took the cup, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, &c. And this is also intimated by the apostle, when, speaking particularly concerning it, as also the manner in which it is to be performed, he says, I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, 1 Cor. xi. 23. Moreover, there is a blessing annexed to our partaking of it in a right manner; which may plainly be inferred from the apostle’s distinguishing those who receive it worthily, from others that receive it unworthily, or in an unbecoming manner; of whom the former are said to come together for the better, the latter for the worse, ver. 17. and to partake of the Lord’s supper for the better, is to partake of it for our spiritual advantage, which supposes, that there are some blessings annexed to it, which render it not only a duty, but an ordinance, or means of grace. And, that it is a gospel-ordinance of the New Testament, appears from the time of its being instituted by our Saviour, as well as the end and design thereof. It is particularly intimated, that Christ instituted this ordinance immediately before his last sufferings, as a memorial of his dying love. Thus the apostle says, The same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread, ver. 23. And that it was designed to continue as a standing ordinance in the church throughout all ages, appears from what he farther adds, As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death, till he come, ver. 26.
The contrary to this is maintained by some modern enthusiasts, who deny it to be an ordinance, as they also do baptism; concluding that no ceremony, or significant sign, is consistent with the gospel-dispensation. And as for what the apostle says concerning our shewing forth the Lord’s death till he come, they suppose, that hereby is meant, till he comes by the effusion of the Spirit; and therefore, if it was an ordinance at first, it ceased to be so when the Spirit was poured forth on the church, in the beginning of the gospel-dispensation. To this it may be replied,