of those that were concern'd therein A Fifth Reflection upon the Paschal Lamb is this that it was to be consider'd as a Publick Pledge and Token of the Covenant GOD had made with the People of Israel by preferring them before the Ismaelites and Edomites who were descended the former from Abraham and the latter from Isaac The Sign of Circumcision did sufficiently acquaint the Jews that by this distinguishing Character GOD had chosen them from among all other Nations of the Earth to accomplish in the midst of them the Promise He had made to Abraham namely that of his Seed the Messias was to be born in whom all Nations should be blessed But this sign of Circumcision being common to the Jews with the Ismaelites and Edomites the pretences of both these to the Priviledges of the Covenant which GOD had first made with Abraham and afterwards renew'd with Isaac was still kept up It was therefore requisite there should be a Religious Ceremony that might demonstrate that this Covenant was particularly confin'd within the Family of Jacob Which was done by the Paschal Lamb. For this represented to them that according to what was foretold Gen. 15. Affliction and that in this State they had receiv'd a particular Relief and Deliverance from GOD which forasmuch as it could not be said of the Ismaelites or Edomites did most strongly refute all their Pretensions to a Right in God's Covenant with Abraham This likewise most clearly set forth to them that God by virtue of his Covenant had out of his Mercy preserved them at a time when the Egyptians felt the Effects of his Curse and Vengeance and that accordingly He would not fail of fulfilling that Great Promise in order to the accomplishment of which He had so miraculously preserved Isaac and after him their Fathers also from the Sword of the Destroying Angel. LASTLY It is to be observed that as this Ceremony reminded them of GOD'S Love for their Nation of his Faithfulness in making good his Promises of the Expiation of their Iniquities and of his Covenant with them A Covenant by which He had engaged to be their God that is their Benefactor and Protector and one day to give them the Messias who was to be born of their Nation so it naturally led them also to look upon themselves as the People of GOD and to obey Him faithfully In a word to answer by a Holy Life and all the marks of true Gratitude the Honour GOD had conferr'd upon them by his making out of his meer Good Will a Covenant with them and calling them to so great Hopes as those were which He had set before them CHAP. IV. Of the Truths which the Holy Communion represents to us THESE are the Principal Truths great Comforts and just Obligations to serve GOD religiously which so manifestly were imply'd in the Celebration of the Paschal Lamb. But how much more important is the thing our Saviour has made to supply the place of it in his Institution of the Eucharist That which he exhibits to us in this Sacred Mystery whether with respect to the Truths Comforts or our Obligations to Piety it contains is infinitely more Sublime great and real To be assured of this we need only to resume and attentively consider the forementioned three Points I begin with the Truths the Eucharist represents to us THE first of these Truths respects the Purpose and Design of our Lord when He instituted the Sacrament of his Supper Certainly it was as all Christians agree to establish a publick Monument of his Death as being the greatest Event that could ever be commemorated First He brake the Bread and then to express what He meant by this breaking of the Bread He said that it was his Body broken i. e. torn by the cruelty of his Tormenters He presented afterwards the Cup to his Disciples and to unfold the Mystery thereof added that it was the New Testament in his Blood which had a natural reference to his Death This He explains more clearly in his command Do this in remembrance of me that is in commemoration of my Sufferings Which made St. Paul say As often as you shall Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shew or according to our way of speaking you must shew or declare the Lord's Death i. e. you are to call to mind and solemnly commemorate this wonderful effect of the Love of God. Indeed we see the Evangelists have so exactly described the Death of Christ with all the Circumstances thereof to us that we may aver they have as it were presented us with the very Picture and Lively Image of it So that had we been Eye-witnesses of the same our selves and in company with them upon Mount Calvary we should hardly have been so well acquainted therewith as now we are But besides this it was our Saviour's will that by a Religious Ceremony which should be solemnized to the World's End his Death might continually be placed before our Eyes And notwithstanding this ignomious Death was to prove a Stumbling-block to the Jews and at first be look'd upon as meer Foolishness by the Gentiles yet would He have the Remembrance thereof to be dearly preserv'd in his Church by his instituting of the Eucharist much after the same manner as God the Father had instituted the Ceremony of the Paschal Lamb which did yearly refresh the Memory of the Jews about their Deliverance out of Egypt as the most remarkable Event that had ever happened to their Nation THE second Truth which the Eucharist offers to us is That JESVS CHRIST is the true MESSIAS promised by God and that we have in Him the Accomplishment of the ancient Prophecies which among the diverse Characters that the MESSIAS was to be known by and are exactly found in Our Lord expresly foretold that He was to suffer Death Psal 22. Is 53. Dan. 9.26 And here it is well worth our while to consider First That GOD had stampt the mark of his Curse upon the Punishment of the Cross Cursed is every one that hangs on a Tree Deut. 21.23 Gal. 3.13 Secondly That though GOD had described the MESSIAS as One who was to be the Fountain of Blessings to all Nations Tribes and Families of the Earth yet at the same time He had given forth many Oracles concerning his Death upon the Cross and the several Circumstances of it Thirdly That GOD was pleased to dictate a greater Number of Oracles relating to this matter than to any other of those Glorious and wonderful Events whereby the MESSIAS was to be distinguish'd during his Life here The Prophecies mentioning his Birth and the place of his Nativity are but few whereas GOD presignifi'd by the Prophets and represented by manifold Lively Types and Figures 1. That both Jews and Gentiles were to joyn together in the Destroying of the MESSIAS Psal 2.1 2. That his own Disciple and one that ate Bread with him should betray him Psal 41.9 3. That He should
be sold for thirty Pieces of Silver Zach. 11.12 4. That his Disciples would forsake Him Zach. 13.7 5. That He was to be the scorn and derision of his Adversaries Psal 22.7 6. That He should hold his Peace as a Sheep dumb before his Tormenters Isa 53.7 7. That the Great Men of the World were to take Council together for putting Him to Death Psal 2.2 8. That He was to be exposed as an Object of Horror and Detestation Isa 53.3 9. That He was to be reckoned among Transgressors Isa 53.12 10. That they should pierce his Hands and Feet Psal 22.16 11. That Lots should be cast upon his Vesture Psal 22.18 12. That He should be insulted over and derided on the account of his trusting in God Psal 22.8 13. That he was to complain of his being abandoned by GOD to the fury of his Enemies Psal 22.1 14. That they would give Him Gall and Vinegar to drink Psal 69.22 15. That He was to commit his Soul into the Hands of GOD Psal 31.5 16. That his Side was to be pierced with a Spear Zach. 12.10 17. That none of his Bones should be broken Exod. 12.49 Psal 34.20 18. That He should be laid in a Rich Man's Tomb Isa 53.9 And besides these there a great many other Circumstances to the same purpose exactly specify'd by the Prophets But I wave them my Design being only to hint at the most remarkable WHAT I have mentioned here is sufficient First to demonstrate that CHRIST'S Death with all the notable passages of it was a convincing Proof of his being the promised MESSIAS But in the second place it is yet more evident that as our Saviour would have a lively Sense of his Bloody Death and Passion to be preserv'd by a publick Monument that might perpetuate the memory of it in his Church so was He willing thereby to inculcate the more forcibly this Proof of his being the Messias A Proof taken from the kind of Death which He suffer'd and the Circumstances attending it For as much as this Death which had so much Scandal in it being the Object of the Christian Religion would inevitably expose it to many Reflections and the Opposition of great difficulties THE third Truth which the Eucharist represents to us is That the Passion of CHRIST which the Jews look upon as an Evident Sign of the Curse of God is most truly a plentiful conveyance of the greatest Blessings to Sinners This we are made sensible of as soon as we reflect upon these two Things 1. That GOD denounced his Curse against Sinners not only when He said Gen. 3.17 Cursed shall be the Ground for thy sake or when in Deut. 27.26 He pronounced him accursed who did not continue in all the Words of the Law to do them But also by annexing this Curse in particular to that kind of Death which our Lord suffer'd it being said Deut. 21.23 He that is hang'd is accursed of GOD. 2. That though GOD by his Oracles given to Abraham had promised that all Nations should be blessed by means of the Messias yet He does no less expresly declare that the Messias was to suffer the Punishment of the Cross and consequently be under the Curse of GOD Psal 22. Zach. 12.10 A man must either make no use of his own Reason or presently infer from these Truths that the MESSIAS was to be a Blessing to the World no other way than by his being exposed to the Curse for a time viz. by undergoing an accursed Death before he could shower down all the Blessings of his Grace and Glory upon us The Eucharist preserving the Memory of our Saviour's Passion naturally leads us to this Reflection Which will be much more sensibly impress'd upon us if with it we joyn a view of JESVS CHRIST who presents Himself on the Cross as a Victim offer'd for Sinners and his Death as a Real Sacrifice THE fourth Truth is that which is most distinctly laid open to us in the Manner and Circumstances of the Eucharist For First of all CHRIST did not only institute this Ceremony after He had eaten the Paschal Lamb with his Disciples which set before their Eyes 1. The Sacrifice of the Ram that was offer'd up in the Room of Isaac 2. That of the Lambs in Egypt for the redemption of the First-born of the Israelites 3. The Testimony of John the Baptist express'd in these Terms This is the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World. Which saying of his explains all the ancient Types and with one word does illustrate whatever we read concerning the Death of the Messias in the 53d of Isaiah And Secondly CHRIST in the Institution of his Sacrament expresses Himself also by way of opposition to the Paschal Lamb and other Sacrifices of the Law thereby to intimate that the ancient Deliverance the Jews had obtained by their offering of Lambs for their First-born was but a Figure of that which was to be procur'd by his Death and that this Death was to be consider'd as a true Sacrifice by means of which GOD was certainly and fully reconcil'd to Sinners And this Truth it is evident CHRIST was willing to declare most sensibly to us 1. When He represents his Body as broken and his Blood as shed 2. When he wills us to eat the Bread of the Eucharist and drink of the Cup as Eating his Body and drinking his Blood. Indeed when Our Saviour commanded his Disciples and in their Persons all the Faithful to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood it is manifest that He would 1. Take off the restraint of the Old Law which forbad Sinners to eat of the Sacrifice that was offer'd for their Sins 2. Abolish that Precept of the same Law which absolutely injoyned Men to abstain from Blood. And as this intimates that those Victims of old had never made any through Expiation so it plainly shews that CHRIST offer'd up Himself as the true Sacrifice from which this Blessed Effect was to be look'd for Moreover after his having suggested these Ideas of Himself as a Victim slain He now represents Himself to us under the Notion of an High Priest when he says Mat. 26.29 I will not drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine until that Day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom In which words He alludes to the Custom of of the High Priest who after he had happily concluded his Solemn Sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and was come home safe from the Sanctuary where GOD had killed some he was wont to make a Feast to his Friends in token of joy for the good success of his Function 'T IS this important Truth the Apostle St. Paul so strongly asserts in his Epistle to the Hebrews And it is for the same reason that when he was desirous to take off the Corinthians from the Communion they had with Heathens in their Sacrifices he represents to them the Celebration of the Eucharist as a
A PREPARATION FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER To which are Added MAXIMS OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY Written Originally in French by P. Allix Englished by P. Lorrain LONDON Printed for Brab Aylmer at the Three Pigeons over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1688. IMPRIMATUR Jun. 13. 1687. Guil. Needham TO THE Right Honourable The LADY MARGARET RUSSELL May it please Your Honour BEING to expose this Translation to a World who generally have a great indifference not to say aversion for the Mysteries of OUR RELIGION especially That of the HOLY EUCHARIST and have espoused Maxims quite opposite to Those here laid down I had reason to believe it would stand in need of a Powerful Authority to support and vindicate it against the Cavils and Prejudices that in the minds of many may rise against the Subjects it treats of And as I was looking about for such a PATRONAGE which at once might as well by its GREATNESS authorize and commend as by its GOODNESS exemplifie and attest them it was my happiness to fix upon YOUR HONOUR who is so signally and incontestably possest of both these Advantages This MADAM was the Consideration made me aspire to the boldness of craving YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS NAME to countenance these Papers in condescending to which as your HONOUR will do manifest Justice to PIETY so will it be interpreted a transcendent Favour to and ever acknowledged as such by May it please Your Honour YOUR HONOUR' 's most humbly devoted obedient Servant Paul Lorrain THE PREFACE THERE are three Things absolutely requisite for the making of any one a Worthy and Happy Communicant 1. HE must throughly understand those Truths the Memory whereof Our LORD design'd to preserve in the Institution of the Holy Eucharist For no Man can with any benefit receive this Sacrament unless his Spirit be filled with the same Thoughts which Our Saviour did thereby suggest to his Apostles 2. HE ought to have a lively Sense of those Comforts arising from a Consideration of the Important Truths which CHRIST so clearly represents to us in the Celebration of this Sacred Mystery for as much as our Communicating in the LORD'S SUPPER ought not only to consist in the having our Spirits possessed with the Image of Him who was crucifi'd for us but in our gathering the precious Fruits which accrew to us by his Death 3 and Lastly As it would be an extreme Injustice for us to be found wanting in our Faithfulness Acknowledgement Love and Obedience to GOD who so graciously acquaints us with and makes us sensible of these Wonders of his Mercy and Compassion towords us so we may easily conceive the Necessity Reasonableness and Extent of the Duties our Participation of the Holy Sacrament engages us to which we ought with a Religious Care to discharge through the whole Course of our Lives NOTHING can therefore be of greater Use to Christians with respect to the Holy Communion than to have the great Truths imply'd in the Eucharist distinctly propounded to them and be made apprehensive of those delightful Comforts treasur'd up therein to the end they may thereby be disposed to a ready performance of the Duties it layes upon them THIS is my Design in this small Treatise wherein I shall follow no other Method than that just now hinted at that is I shall First of all endeavour to make out that the Eucharist exhibits the most weighty and Fundamental Points of Christianity to our View In the next place demonstrate that the Meditating upon these important Verities which are frequently called to mind by this Sacrament kept up in the Church is to true Believers a Well-Spring of inexhaustible Comfort and indefectible Joy. And finally conclude with pointing at those several Duties which this Holy Institution does so necessarily charge us with that we cannot neglect the same but at the peril of our Everlasting Ruin. To which three things I intend to speak without entring upon any of those Controversies which divide Christians in this Matter my Design here being not chiefly to oppose Error but to excite and fortifie their Devotion and Piety who are already acquainted with the Truth though they do not always duly consider and reflect upon it GOD grant we may so plainly discover to them the Connexion there is between the Truths Consolations and Duties of OUR RELIGION that while they are seeking for Comfort in the Meditation of DIVINE TRUTHS they may at the same time meet with strong and urgent Motives to apply themselves with all Diligence and Perseverance to the Practice of True Holiness A PREPARATION FOR THE Lord's Supper CHAP. I. THE History of the Institution of the LORD'S SVPPER THE Meaning of Our LORD in his instituting of the Fucharist can no way be better understood than by a careful Examination of the Terms He us'd and the Circumstances of his Discourse HIS Words express the Thoughts He would suggest to the Minds of his Apostles and all other Christians after them and to the end we should the better apprehend the Sense of them the Evangelists have not only given us a plain Relation of his Institution but been very careful in describing all the Circumstances thereof to us THEY therefore acquaint us that JESUS CHRIST instituted this Holy Sacrament that same Night He was Betrayed and delivered up to the Jews by one of his Disciples after he had celebrated with them the Anniversary of their Fore-fathers Deliverance out of Egypt in eating the Paschal Lamb according to the Law of God. Exod. 12. AS to the Form or Manner which CHRIST observ'd in his Celebrating the Eucharist the Evangelists agree that after the Paschal Supper He took Bread and having given Thanks brake it and distributed it to his Disciples saying Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me THEN they tell us further that Our Lord having likewise taken the Cup and given Thanks He deliver'd it to his Disciples saying Drink ye all of this for this is my Bloud the Bloud of the New Testament which is shed for you do this as often as you drink of it in remembrance of me IN a word they intimate to us that the Disciples did all drink of it and that having sung an Hymn they accompany'd JESUS to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives where after his having endur'd a most Bitter Agony He was laid hold of in order to be exposed to all the Reproaches He soon after suffered both from the Jews and Romans and sinally to be crucify'd Thus ending his Life by a Punishment that was equally painful and accursed MOREOVER it appears that the Design of our Lord JESUS CHRIST was That this Ceremony should be in all After-ages exactly observ'd in his Church This may plainly be seen First From his Substituting it to that of the Passover which was to continue as long as the Jewish Religion lasted as being that which took its Beginning from the Rise or at least the Grand