A25478:1111
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers
London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1676
Sermon 12: How may it appear to be every Christian's indispensable Duty to partake of the Lord's S…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There are others are well enough satisfied with the wisdom of their Lord, and in the nature of the things appointed for the remembrance of him, which yet may be, and ought to be inquisitive as to the reason of them;
Which I shall reduce to these 4 Questions.
1. Why did the Lord appoint bread rather than any other kind of food? 2. Why must it be broken bread? 3. Why must it be taken and eaten? 4. Why wine as well as bread? and why Wine rather than any other drink?
1. To the first I say, he appointed bread as most apt to signify the thing thereby to be presented to our Faith, and that is himself, as he is bread of life to our Souls, for so he calleth himself, Joh. 6.33. The bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world. And 35. Jesus said, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger. This is evident that man's natural life doth not more depend on the virtue of the bread that perisheth, than the Soul's life of Grace and Glory depends on that virtue that proceedeth from a suffering Jesus; I live (saith the Apostle Paul) yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; all that life of Faith, all the indwellings of Grace in our hearts, comes from, and is maintained by the virtues and influences of Jesus Christ this bread of life: and so likewise doth our eternal life depend on him, as he likewise tells us, v. 27. Labour for the meat that endureth to eternal life, which the Son of man shall give you: this meat is the Lord himself, who by his sufferings made our peace, and purchased the life of grace and glory for us.