Call to Worship August 4 2019
The Lord’s Supper by Thomas Watson
“(1) Let us exercise the EYE of faith. Faith has an eagle’s eye. It pierces into things far remote from sense. Faith takes a prospect of heaven. It discerns Him who is invisible, Hebrews 11:27. It beholds a beauty and fullness in Christ. It sees His beauty shining through the lattice of the ordinance. Faith views Christ’s love, streaming in His blood. Look upon Christ with believing eyes and you shall, one day, see Him with glorified eyes!
(2) Let us exercise the MOUTH of faith. Here is the bread broken. What use is there of bread—but to feed on? Feed upon the Bread of God. Adam died by eating; we live by eating. In the Lord’s Supper, the whole Christ is presented to us—the Divine and the human nature. All kind of virtue comes from Him—mortifying, mollifying, and comforting virtues. Oh, then, feed on Him! This grace of faith is the great grace to be set to work, at the Lord’s Supper.
QUESTION. But does the virtue lie simply in faith?
ANSWER. Not in faith considered purely as a grace—but as it has respect to the object—Christ. The virtue is not in faith—but in Christ. Faith is the ring, Christ is the precious stone. All that faith does, is to bring home Christ’s merits to the soul—and so it justifies. The virtue is not in faith—but in Christ.
QUESTION. But why should faith carry away more from Christ in the Lord’s Supper, than any other grace?
ANSWER 1. Because faith is the most receptive grace. It is the receiving of gold, which enriches. So faith, receiving Christ’s merits and filling the soul with all the fullness of God—must be an enriching grace. In the body, there are veins that suck the nourishment which comes into the stomach and turns it into blood and spirits. Faith is such a sucking vein—which draws virtue from Christ. Therefore it is called a precious faith, 2 Peter 1:1.
ANSWER 2. Faith has more of Christ’s benefits annexed to it, because it is the most humble grace. If repentance would fetch justification from Christ, a man would be ready to say, ‘This was for my tears.’ But faith is humble; it is an empty hand—and what merit can there be in that? Does a poor man, reaching out his hand, merit an alms? So because faith is humble, and gives all the glory to Christ and free grace, hence it is that God has put so much honor on it. Faith is the grace to which Christ and all His merits belong. Therefore, above all graces, set faith to work in the Lord’s Supper. Faith fetches in all provisions. This is the golden bucket, which draws water out of the well of life.
But there is a spurious faith in the world. Pliny tells of a Cyprian stone which is, in color and splendor, like the diamond—but it is not of the right kind. It will break with the hammer. So, there is a false faith which sparkles and makes a show in the eye of the world—but it is not genuine; it will break with the hammer of persecution.”