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The Lord's Supper was printed in 1665 as The Holy Eucharist, dedicated to Mrs Dorothy Wolstenholme. Watson takes the words of institution — "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it" — and calls the sacrament a mystery: the Greeks, he notes, call it μυστήριον, and there is in it both a mystery of wonder and a mystery of mercy.
He answers first why the sacrament was appointed at all, when the Word is already preached. The Word is for bringing us in; the sacrament is for strengthening faith. The Word brings us to Christ; the sacrament helps us grow in him. Things we see, Watson argues, affect us more than things we hear — "A solemn spectacle of mortality affects us more than a speech" — and so Christ is set before the eye broken in the bread.
Five uses follow. The first refutes transubstantiation. The second draws out what the sacrament teaches. The third exhorts the reader to come to the table, and answers the objections of those who hold back. The fourth is comfort for God's people, and the fifth a warning to the profane who come without preparation.
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When I contemplate the holiness and solemnity of the blessed sacrament, I cannot help feeling awe in my spirit and considering myself bound to hold this mystery in the highest reverence. The elements of bread and wine are common in themselves, but divine excellencies lie hidden under these symbolic representations. Behold here the best of delicacies, what Horace calls “Salian feasts.” God is in this feast. Here is the apple of the tree of life. Here is the house of wine (Song 3:4), where the banner of free grace is gloriously displayed.
In the sacrament we see Christ broken before us, and his broken body is the only comfort for a broken heart. While we sit at this table, Christ’s precious spikenard of merit and grace sends forth its fragrance. The sacrament is both a healing and a sealing ordinance. Here our Savior leads his people up the Mount of Transfiguration and gives them a glimpse of paradise. How welcome this jubilee of the soul should be, in which Christ appears in the brilliance of his beauty and draws the golden lines of his love to the center of a believer’s heart!
Oh, what flames of devotion should burn in our breasts! How agile and nimble we should be, mounting up as on wings of cherubim when we are to meet the Prince of Glory, who brings the olive branch of peace in his mouth, and whose kisses leave an imprint of heaven upon the soul!
The purpose of the following discourse is to inspire a high regard and appreciation for the sacrament, and to stir holy fervor in the souls of those who intend to partake of it. Do not think it enough to be outwardly devout at God’s table, drawing near to him with the lip, when the heart is far from him (Isa 28:13). What is this but, with Ephraim, to compass God with lies (Hos 11:12)? Those who put God off with mere shows, he will put off with mere signs. Those who give God only the skin of duty will carry away only the shell of comfort.
Spirituality is the life of worship. As Chrysostom says, “God must be served not with sacrificial smoke, but through excellent and spiritual conduct.” If we come to the sacrament in due order (1 Chr 15:13), we shall see him whom our souls love. The Lord will give us a first harvest here and reserve the later harvest of glory for the kingdom of heaven. That this may be accomplished will be the earnest prayer of him who is
Yours in the Work of the Gospel.
Thomas Watson.
The Lord’s Supper
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to his Disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it: For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the Remission of sins” (Matt 26:26-28).
In these words we have the institution of the Lord’s Supper. The Greeks call the sacrament “a mystery.” There is in it a mystery of wonder and a mystery of mercy. “The celebration of the Lord’s Supper,” says St. Chrysostom, “is the commemoration of the greatest blessing that ever the world enjoyed.” A sacrament is a visible sermon. It is a representation of a sacred thing through which, under the form of visible things, spiritual grace is both shadowed forth and conferred. In this respect the sacrament excels the preached Word. The Word is a trumpet to proclaim Christ; the sacrament is a mirror to represent him.
Question: But why was the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper appointed? Is the Word not sufficient to bring us to heaven?
Answer: The Word is for implanting faith; the sacrament is for confirming it. The Word brings us to Christ; the sacrament builds us up in him. The Word is the font where we are baptized with the Holy Spirit; the sacrament is the table where we are fed and cherished. The Lord accommodates our weakness. If we were entirely spirit, there would be no need for bread and wine. But we are creatures composed of body and spirit, so God helps our faith by giving us not only an audible Word but a visible sign. I may here allude to our Savior’s words: “Except ye see signs, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). Christ sets his body and blood before us in the elements. Here are signs; otherwise we will not believe. As Gualter says, “Because we are led by external things, God increases faith in us through these symbols.”
Things received through the eye work more powerfully upon us than things received through the ear. A solemn spectacle of mortality affects us more than a speech. So, when we see Christ broken in the bread and, as it were, crucified before us, this affects our hearts more than the preaching of the cross alone.
So I come to the text: “As they were eating, Jesus took bread,” etc.
1. The Author of the Sacrament
The author of the sacrament is Jesus Christ: “Jesus took bread.” Instituting sacraments belongs by right to Christ and is a jewel in his crown. Only he who can give grace can appoint the sacraments, which are the seals of grace. Christ, as the founder of the sacrament, gives it glory and luster. A king who makes a feast adds greater grandeur and magnificence to it. “Jesus took bread”: he whose “Name is above every Name” (Phil 2:9), God blessed forever.
2. The Time of Its Institution
We may notice two circumstances concerning the time when Christ instituted the sacrament.
1. It was after he had eaten supper. “After Supper” (Luke 22:20). This contained a mystery: it showed that the sacrament is chiefly intended as a spiritual banquet. It is not to indulge the senses but to nourish the graces. It was after supper.
2. Christ appointed the sacrament shortly before his sufferings. “The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread” (1 Cor 11:23). He knew that troubles were coming upon his disciples. Seeing their Lord and Master crucified would cause them great distress, and shortly afterward they themselves would have to share his bitter cup. Therefore, to arm them against such a time and encourage their spirits, on the very night in which he was betrayed he gave them his body and blood in the sacrament.
This gives us a useful indication that in all trouble of mind, especially when danger approaches, we need to turn to the Lord’s Supper. The sacrament is both an antidote against fear and a restorative to faith. The night “in which Christ was betrayed,” he took bread.
Thomas Watson was an English Puritan preacher and author renowned for his clear, warm, and practical exposition of Reformed theology. He served as rector of St. Stephen Walbrook in London for sixteen years until ejected in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity. Despite persecution, Watson continued to preach privately and write prolifically. His works, including "A Body of Divinity," "The Doctrine of Repentance," and "The Beatitudes," are celebrated for their memorable illustrations, spiritual depth, and accessibility to ordinary readers. Watson's ability to make complex theological truths practical and applicable has made his writings enduringly popular among Christians seeking spiritual growth.
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