Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
instructive: it pointed out to every communicant that he who came to the table of God with malice or ill will against any soul of man, or with wickedness, a profligate or sinful life, might expect to eat and drink judgment to himself; as not discerning that the Lord's body was sacrificed for this very purpose, that all sin might be destroyed. Blessing and touching the bread are merely popish ceremonies, unauthorized either by Scripture or the practice of the pure church of God; necessary of course to them who pretend to transmute, by a kind of spiritual incantation, the bread and wine into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ—a measure, the grossest in folly, and most stupid in nonsense, to which God in judgment ever abandoned the fallen spirit of man. The breaking of the bread I consider highly necessary to the proper performance of this solemn and significant ceremony, because this act was designed by our Lord to shadow forth the wounding, piercing, and breaking of his body upon the cross; and all this was essentially necessary to the making a full atonement for the sin of the world; so it is of vast importance that this apparently little circumstance, the breaking of the bread, should be carefully attended to, that the godly communicant may have every necessary assistance to enable him to discern the Lord's body while engaged in the most important and divine of all God's ordinances. I have learned, with extreme regret, that in many churches and chapels a vile compound, wickedly denominated wine, not the offspring of the vine, but of the alder, gooseberry, or currant tree, and not unfrequently the issue of the sweepings of a grocer's shop, is substituted for wine, in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. That this is a most wicked and awful perversion of our Lord's ordinance, needs, I am persuaded, no proof. As the passover was to be celebrated annually, to keep the original transaction in memory, and to show forth the true paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, so after the once offering of Christ our passover on the cross, he himself ordained that
ead and wine should be used to keep "that, his precious death, in remembrance, until his coming again." Now, as the paschal lamb, annually sacrificed, brought to the people's remembrance the wonderful deliverance of their fathers from the Egyptian bondage and tyranny; so the bread and wine, consecrated and received according to our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution, was designed by himself to keep up a continual remembrance and lively representation of the great atonement made by his death upon the cross. The doing this is not intended merely to keep up a recollection of Christ, as a kind and benevolent friend, which is the utmost some allow; but to keep in remembrance his body broken for us, and his blood poured out for us. For as the way to the holiest was ever through his blood, and as no man can ever come to the Father but by him, and none can come profitably who have not faith in his blood; it was necessary that this great help to believing should be frequently furnished; as, in all succeeding ages, there would be sinners to be saved, and saints to be confirmed and established in their holy faith. Those, therefore, who reject the Lord's supper sin against their own mercies, and treat their Maker with the basest ingratitude. Let no man deceive his own soul by imagining he can still have all the benefits of Christ's death, and yet have nothing to do with the sacrament. It is a command of the living God, founded on the same authority as "Thou shalt do no murder;" none, therefore, can disobey it and be guiltless. Again: let no man impose on himself by the supposition that he can enjoy this supper spiritually without using what too many impiously call the "carnal ordinance;" that is, without eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of the death of Christ. Is not this a delusion? What says the sovereign will of God? "DO THIS" What is THIS? Why, "Take bread, break, and eat it. Take the cup and drink ye all of it." THIS, and only this, is fulfilling the will of God. Therefore the eating of the sacramental bread, and the drinking of the consecrated wine, are essential to the religious performance of our Lord's command. Every institution has its letter as well as its spirit, as every word must refer to something of which it is the sign or signification. The gospel has
- Page 217 and 218: espect inconceivable: no mind can g
- Page 219 and 220: and presumptuous worshippers. Were
- Page 221 and 222: sufficiently insisted on it; they a
- Page 223 and 224: oxen?" Yes, and he mentions them wi
- Page 225 and 226: All who are addicted to riot and ex
- Page 227 and 228: I have known many decent, respectab
- Page 229 and 230: Suppose the stories to be true, or
- Page 231 and 232: and when he has thus got it, he boa
- Page 233 and 234: withheld to some charitable purpose
- Page 235 and 236: worshipper. He seeks to know the wi
- Page 237 and 238: prevent the light from coming in."
- Page 239 and 240: It is not merely to tell God our wa
- Page 241 and 242: perishing from the blessedness of b
- Page 243 and 244: I suppose the grossly absurd and pe
- Page 245 and 246: upright heart suppose that the pray
- Page 247 and 248: When a man has any doubts whether h
- Page 249 and 250: God has put it in the power of ever
- Page 251 and 252: unrighteous judge; and, in conseque
- Page 253 and 254: Redeemer in the most amiable and ab
- Page 255 and 256: Here it may not be improper to rema
- Page 257 and 258: Moses had not appointed any musical
- Page 259 and 260: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XVI
- Page 261 and 262: Of this glorious church every Chris
- Page 263 and 264: monarchy, a civil government by the
- Page 265 and 266: Though "little children," they were
- Page 267: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XIX
- Page 271 and 272: ministers of God see that the ordin
- Page 273 and 274: 3. As it is the duty of every Chris
- Page 275 and 276: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XX.
- Page 277 and 278: than celibacy; and hence I execrate
- Page 279 and 280: supposes the fact of the bride's gr
- Page 281 and 282: found. If we wish them to be wise,
- Page 283 and 284: saves the soul, and fills the heart
- Page 285 and 286: means of grace. This is your work,
- Page 287 and 288: "Fathers, provoke not your children
- Page 289 and 290: How ruinous are family distractions
- Page 291 and 292: operations of nature, and the synth
- Page 293 and 294: ingeth salvation to all men," Titus
- Page 295 and 296: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XXI
- Page 297 and 298: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XXI
- Page 299 and 300: II. OBEDIENCE. There can be no gove
- Page 301 and 302: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XXI
- Page 303 and 304: etter understood! Great possessions
- Page 305 and 306: eternal life of God, for the sacrif
- Page 307 and 308: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke XXV
- Page 309 and 310: heaven can make him a proper preach
- Page 311 and 312: deeply studied man; one who has pra
- Page 313 and 314: should take care to have his own so
- Page 315 and 316: general, and of man in particular;
- Page 317 and 318: authority of God, let him be carefu
instructive: it pointed out to every communicant that he who came to the<br />
table of God with malice or ill will against any soul of man, or with<br />
wickedness, a profligate or sinful life, might expect to eat and drink<br />
judgment to himself; as not discerning that the Lord's body was sacrificed<br />
for this very purpose, that all sin might be destroyed.<br />
Blessing and touching the bread are merely popish ceremonies,<br />
unauthorized either by Scripture or the practice of the pure church of<br />
God; necessary of course to them who pretend to transmute, by a kind of<br />
spiritual incantation, the bread and wine into the real body and blood of<br />
Jesus Christ—a measure, the grossest in folly, and most stupid in<br />
nonsense, to which God in judgment ever abandoned the fallen spirit of<br />
man.<br />
The breaking of the bread I consider highly necessary to the proper<br />
performance of this solemn and significant ceremony, because this act<br />
was designed by our Lord to shadow forth the wounding, piercing, and<br />
breaking of his body upon the cross; and all this was essentially necessary<br />
to the making a full atonement for the sin of the world; so it is of vast<br />
importance that this apparently little circumstance, the breaking of the<br />
bread, should be carefully attended to, that the godly communicant may<br />
have every necessary assistance to enable him to discern the Lord's body<br />
while engaged in the most important and divine of all God's ordinances.<br />
I have learned, with extreme regret, that in many churches and chapels<br />
a vile compound, wickedly denominated wine, not the offspring of the<br />
vine, but of the alder, gooseberry, or currant tree, and not unfrequently the<br />
issue of the sweepings of a grocer's shop, is substituted for wine, in the<br />
sacrament of the Lord's supper. That this is a most wicked and awful<br />
perversion of our Lord's ordinance, needs, I am persuaded, no proof.<br />
As the passover was to be celebrated annually, to keep the original<br />
transaction in memory, and to show forth the true paschal Lamb, the<br />
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, so after the once<br />
offering of Christ our passover on the cross, he himself ordained that