JesusIsLord
Puritan Board Freshman
Hi guys any idea what the puritans thought about the lords supper? I been thinkin about this subject a lot lately and wanted to know how they approached it in their time and how they thought about it
Communion
- Thread starter JesusIsLord
- Start date
- Status
Jake
Puritan Board Senior
As far as administration, you may be interested in this, starting on page 28: https://reformedtheologybooks.files.../bobby-phillips-many-grapes-in-one-vessel.pdf
Hamalas
whippersnapper
The best place to start would be to read chapters 27-29 of the Westminster Confession of Faith (which is a summary of Puritan teaching): http://www.opc.org/wcf.html#Chapter_27
From Beeke and Jones Puritan Theology:
For all their love of the Bible and spiritual simplicity, the Puritans had no desire to jettison the sacraments ordained by Christ in the Bible. They especially delighted in the Lord's Supper. Reynolds wrote, "Her then, inasmuch as these sacred elements are instituted to present and exhibit Christ unto the faithful soul, we may infer with what affection we ought to approach unto him, and what reverent estimation to have of them." Christ is the desire of all nations, the sum of our happiness. But we cannot enjoy Him without being united to Him. Reynolds wrote, "Union until Christ we cannot have, until it please him, by his Spirit, as it were, to stoop from that kingdom where now he is, and to exhibit himself unto those, whom it pleaseth him to assume into the unity of his body."
We cannot rise up to heaven and see Christ there as Stephen once did in a vision. However, Reynolds said, Christ is pleased to glorify His power by working through weak, created things. He is pleased to confirm and strengthen our union with Him "by those poor and ordinary elements of bread and wine in his sacrament." Therefore, the Lord requires us to come with reverence and hunger and affection to His Table.
The Puritans teach us that we should approach the Supper with reverence and spiritual hunger, remembering Christ, and seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18) to the glory of God Triune. By grace, we will then leave the Supper with a holy resolution to live wholly and solely for Him.
Its an excellent book if you are curious as to the Puritans on thoughts on any number of theological issues. I highly recommend it.
For all their love of the Bible and spiritual simplicity, the Puritans had no desire to jettison the sacraments ordained by Christ in the Bible. They especially delighted in the Lord's Supper. Reynolds wrote, "Her then, inasmuch as these sacred elements are instituted to present and exhibit Christ unto the faithful soul, we may infer with what affection we ought to approach unto him, and what reverent estimation to have of them." Christ is the desire of all nations, the sum of our happiness. But we cannot enjoy Him without being united to Him. Reynolds wrote, "Union until Christ we cannot have, until it please him, by his Spirit, as it were, to stoop from that kingdom where now he is, and to exhibit himself unto those, whom it pleaseth him to assume into the unity of his body."
We cannot rise up to heaven and see Christ there as Stephen once did in a vision. However, Reynolds said, Christ is pleased to glorify His power by working through weak, created things. He is pleased to confirm and strengthen our union with Him "by those poor and ordinary elements of bread and wine in his sacrament." Therefore, the Lord requires us to come with reverence and hunger and affection to His Table.
The Puritans teach us that we should approach the Supper with reverence and spiritual hunger, remembering Christ, and seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18) to the glory of God Triune. By grace, we will then leave the Supper with a holy resolution to live wholly and solely for Him.
Its an excellent book if you are curious as to the Puritans on thoughts on any number of theological issues. I highly recommend it.
- Status
