delight to do thy Will O my God. O Ineffable and amazing Love to Mankind who deserved nothing but an Eternal Curse AS it was in the Blood of Lambs that GOD made a Covenant with the People of Israel so the Eucharist representing to us in the fifth Place that the Blood of CHRIST is the Ground and Foundation of the New Covenant which GOD has made with Christians we cannot look upon the Sacrament as the Pledge and Seal of this Covenant without being filled with an Excess of Joy and Consolation For indeed what greater Glory can be imagined than for Man to be admitted to a Treaty with GOD And what an inconceivable Advantage is this that GOD should vouchsafe to enter into Covenant with us There are none but are sensible of the Happiness of the Israelites in this regard To be convinc'd of which we need only hear them even at this day speaking with the greatest Comfort of the Honour GOD therein has done them notwithstanding their total dispersion and groaning under the Burthen of that Curse which pursues and overtakes them every where Now that ancient Covenant GOD has abolished as being imperfect but this which we commemorate is to endure for ever The Design of the former was only to give the Jews a lively Sense of Sin or at the best to administer a Typical Expiation whereas the latter viz. the New according to the Prophet Jeremy makes a true Atonement for Sin and affords a Remission rightly and properly so call'd That had no promises but what concern'd a Happiness here on Earth whereas This does promise a Resurrection and Eternal Glory THE greatest Honour the Old Covenant did confer upon the Jews was this That the MESSIAS should be born of their Blood but the Advantage of the New is That the MESSIAS partaking of Flesh and Blood with the rest of Mankind has given his own Blood to raise them to the Glory of Adoption who shall believe in Him. O how happy is the People whose God is the Lord And what does this Expression to be the God of any one import but this viz. To be his Great and Soveraign Benefactor Of old He was the GOD of Abraham but not of Loth and his Posterity Of Isaac but not of Ismael and his Off-spring Of Jacob but not of Esau and the Edomites Now He is the GOD of all the Earth But he has not made this Covenant with all the Nations of the World save only by virtue and on the Sole Account of the Blood of CHRIST And can we with any attention reflect on this Truth represented to us in the Holy Eucharist without feeling a Joy unspreakable and full of Glory GOD had promised to enter into such a Covenant as this and Jeremy describes it in the 31. Chap. of his Prophecies Yet the Old lasted till John the Baptist and so long the Ceremonies of it were in use But then comes CHRIST and instead of continuing the Celebration of the Old Covenant which was made in the Blood of the Paschal Lamb He abrogates it and in its room substitutes the New Covenant made in his own Blood. Do this says He in remembrance of me Not That which was done before but This For this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for the Remission of your Sins TO conclude 't is to be considered and this is the last Vein of Comfort hid in the Eucharist that this Holy Sacrament inviting us to take a View of CHRIST'S second Coming as well as of his Dispensation in the Flesh 't is impossible but it must fill our Souls with surpassing Joy and Comfort The full Salvation of Believers does as yet only consist in Hope GOD indeed pardons their Sins but they are still subject to all the Miseries Sin has brought into the World. They hope for Eternal Life and yet dye like other Men. Their Bodies are laid in the Grave and become the food of Worms So that their Expectation seems to be quite frustrated And as the Jews and Gentiles find Matter of Scandal and Derision in the Death of the Son of GOD so according to all outward appearance they have the same reason to insult over the Faith and Hope of his Followers when they compare these with their present Condition which to the Eye differs not from that of other Men. But all these dark Clouds shall at last be scatter'd these Shadows vanish and the Glory of our Lord and his Faithful be revealed He shall appear from Heaven in the Glory of his Father and every Eye shall see Him even they who have pierced Him. And as He will thus display his Majesty in the Sight of all the World so will He at the same time unvail the Life and Glory of his Children who at present are ready to sink under the burthen of Sin the Violence of CHRIST's Adversaries the deceits of the World and the Devil and the Power of Death which is the last Enemy of CHRIST and his Church He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Whosoever eats of this Bread shall live for ever These are our Saviour's Promises wherein as He terms the Embracing of Him by Faith an Eating of his Flesh in opposition to the Type of Manna So this Eating may be as truly ascribed to them who by Faith consider Him as the Sacrifice that has taken away the Punishment due to Sin. O what comforts do arise to the Faithful from the Expectation of this his Return What exulting Joys will they be filled with at his Coming What Delights flow in upon them as they mediate hereon What ravishing Pleasures does it afford us amidst the greatest Evils of this Life What quiet in the sharpest Trials And what Confidence even at the time when Death stares us in the Face CHAP. VI. Of the Duties prescribed to us in the Holy Eucharist I SUPPOSE I have very clearly made out that it is impossible attentively to consider the Truths which the Lord's Supper discovers to us without reaping the unspreakable Comforts which so naturally spring from it And it may with as much Ease be demonstrated that these Truths indispensably engage us to the most Essential Duties of our Religion and that GOD having comprehended what is most capable to administer the sweetest Consolations to our Souls in this Mystery it cannot but at the same time be very influential towards Sanctification and a Godly Life To the making out of which I design the Conclusion of this Treatise where I intend to represent these Duties as the necessary and natural Consequents of what I have before laid down It behooves every Communicant seriously to consider of these Engagements And the rather because this is a sure way for them to know whether they have worthily receiv'd the Sacrament or to amend the faults by them committed in any preceding Communion for want of discharging these Religious performances as they ought FIRST then
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