Further to last Lord’s Day sermon and in anticpation of the Lord’s Supper this week, here a number of quotations. Most of these were taken from the new book from Reformation Heritage Books, A Puritan Theology.

First, John Owen sets before us a reason why we may not value or benefit from the sacrament as we could and should.

One reason why we so little value the ordinance, and profit so little by it, may be because we understand so little of the nature of that special communion with Christ which we have therein.

Second, from Stephen Charnock, concerning the excellence of communion with Christ is the sacrament,

There is in this action [the Lord’s Supper] more communion with God….than in any other religious act….We have not so near communion with a person either by petitioning for something we want, or returning to him thanks for favour received, as we have sitting with him at his table, partaking of the same bread and the same cup.

Charnock again, stressing the true nature of our communion with Christ,

Christ is really present to us, and faith really takes him, closes with him, lodgeth him in the soul, makes him an indweller; and the soul have spiritual communion with him in his life and death as if we did really eat his flesh and drink his blood presented to us in the elements.

Finally, Matthew Poole,

When he saith, Take, eat, he means no more than that true believers should by the hand of their body take the bread, and with their bodily mouths eat it, and at the same time, by the hand and mouth of faith receive, and apply all the benefits of his blessed death and passion.