The divine life in three treatises

3. Also in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are called to a familiar converse with God: He there appeareth to us by a wonderful condescension in the representing, communicating signs of the flesh and blood of his Son, in which he hath most conspicuously revealed his Love and Goodness to Believers: There Christ himself with his Covenant-gifts are all delivered to us by these Investing signs of his own institution; even as Knighthood is given by a sword, and as a House is delivered by a Key, or Land by a Twig and Turf. Nowhere is God so near to man as in Jesus Christ: and nowhere is Christ so familiarly represented to us, as in this holy Sacrament. Here we are called to sit with him at his Table, as his invited welcome guests; to commemorate his sacrifice, to feed upon his very flesh and blood; that is, with our mouths upon his Representative flesh and blood, and with our applying Faith upon his real flesh and blood, by such a feeding as belongs to Faith. The Marriage-Covenant betwixt God incarnate, and his espoused ones, is there publicly sealed, celebrated ⟨p. 175⟩and solemnized. There we are entertained by God as friends, and not as servants only, and that at the most precious costly feast. If ever a believer may on earth expect his kindest entertainment, and near access, and a humble intimacy with his Lord, it is in the participation of this sacrifice-feast, which is called [The Communion] because it is appointed as well for our special Communion with Christ as with one another. It is here that we have the fullest intimation, expression and communication of the wondrous Love of God; and therefore it is here that we have the loudest call, and best assistance to make a large return of Love: And where there is the most of this Love between God and man, there is most Communion, and most of Heaven, that can be had on Earth.

3. Also in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are called to a familiar converse with God: He there appeareth to us by a wonderful condescension in the representing, communicating signs of the flesh and blood of his Son, in which he hath most conspicuously revealed his Love and Goodness to Believers: There Christ himself with his Covenant-gifts are all delivered to us by these Investing signs of his own institution; even as Knighthood is given by a sword, and as a House is delivered by a Key, or Land by a Twig and Turf. Nowhere is God so near to man as in Jesus Christ: and nowhere is Christ so familiarly represented to us, as in this holy Sacrament. Here we are called to sit with him at his Table, as his invited welcome guests; to commemorate his sacrifice, to feed upon his very flesh and blood; that is, with our mouths upon his Representative flesh and blood, and with our applying Faith upon his real flesh and blood, by such a feeding as belongs to Faith. The Marriage-Covenant betwixt God ncarnate, and his espoused ones, is there publickly sealed, celebrated