CHAP. I. THE History of the Institution of the LORD'S SƲPPER.

THE Meaning of Our LORD in his instituting of the Fucharist, can no way be better understood, than by a careful Examination of the Terms He us'd, and the Circumstances of his Discourse.

HIS Words express the Thoughts He would suggest to the Minds of his Apostles, and all other Christians after them; and to the end we should the better apprehend the Sense of them, the Evangelists have not only [Page 2]given us a plain Relation of his Institution, but been very careful in describing all the Circumstances thereof to us.

THEY therefore acquaint us, that JE­SUS CHRIST instituted this Holy Sacra­ment that same Night He was Betrayed, and delivered up to the Jews by one of his Disciples, after he had celebrated with them the Anniversary of their Fore-fathers Deliverance out of Egypt, in eating the Paschal Lamb, according to the Law of God. Exod. 12.

AS to the Form or Manner which CHRIST observ'd in his Celebrating the Eucharist, the Evangelists agree, that after the Paschal Supper, He took Bread, and having given Thanks, brake it, and distributed it to his Disciples, saying; Take, eat, this is my Body, which is broken for you; do this in remem­brance of me.

THEN they tell us further, that Our Lord having likewise taken the Cup, and gi­ven Thanks, He deliver'd it to his Disci­ples, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is my Bloud, the Bloud of the New Testament, which is shed for you; do this as often as you drink of it in remembrance of me.

IN a word, they intimate to us, that the Disciples did all drink of it, and that having sung an Hymn, they accompany'd [Page 3]JESUS to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, where after his ha­ving endur'd a most Bitter Agony, He was laid hold of, in order to be exposed to all the Reproaches He soon after suffered, both from the Jews and Romans, and sinally to be crucify'd. Thus ending his Life by a Punishment, that was equally painful and accursed.

MOREOVER it appears, that the Design of our Lord JESUS CHRIST was, That this Ceremony should be in all After­ages exactly observ'd in his Church. This may plainly be seen, First, From his Sub­stituting it to that of the Passover, which was to continue as long as the Jewish Re­ligion lasted, as being that which took its Beginning from the Rise, or at least the Grand Deliverance of that People. Secondly, Because this Ceremony was to be the Sacrament of a New Covenant, that should not be abrogated by any other whatsoever. Thirdly and Lastly, Forasmuch as the Apostle St. Paul, who had been rapt up into the Third Heaven, there to be further acquainted with the great Mystery of Faith, informs the Be­lievers, that they ought to declare, that is (according to the Jewish way of speaking) to celebrate the Memory of [Page 4]CHRIST's Death, untill his Com­ing again, that is, to the End of the World, when he shall return from Hea­ven to judge both the Quick and the Dead, in order to the Completion of his Promises, and our Hopes.

CHAP. II. That JESƲS CHRIST borrow'd the Actions and Expressions HE made use of in the Institution of the Eu­charist, from the Jews.

THERE are two sorts of Reflections may be made upon the Institution of the Lord's Supper. Some do serve to explain the Letter, and out-side of this Sacrament; and others, again inform us of the great Aim and Design of it. I be­gin with the First.

AS it is well known, that in the Institu­tion of Baptism, CHRIST borrowed the Rite of Washing, practised by the Jews on those Gentiles they admitted to the Publick Profession of Judaism; so it is as plain, that our Saviour in the Institution of his Holy Supper, did so far comply with the Jewish Customs, after the Cele­bration of their Passover (yet raising some of them to a much more excellent Sense, than they had before) that He follow'd closely the Notions and Expressions of the Jews.

TO clear this, we must know that the Evening of the Passover, the Master of the House began this Solemnity with Praises to God, holding in his Hand a Cup of Wine, whereof himself having first drunk, he gave it to all the Company.

AFTER this, instead of the usual Bles­sing of the Bread, he was wont to take an unleavened Cake in his Hand, saying, This is the Bread of Affliction, which our Fa­thers did Eat in Egypt. Words that had a Natural Relation to the History of their Bondage and Deliverance of old.

I omit the whole Ceremony of the Paschal Lamb, which is described in the 12th. Chapter of Exodus, and shall only remark, that after this Feast the Master [Page 6]of the House was us'd to take the Cup a­gain, which at first he had consecrated, and having given thanks, to present it to the Participants, saying to them, that That was the Fruit of the Vine, and the Bloud of Grapes. An Expression bor­row'd from Genesis, Chap. 49.11. and Deut. Ch. 32.14.

FINALLY, after this Ceremony, their Custom was to Sing the 113th. & 114th. Psalms, as an Hymn that concluded the Devotion of this Solemnity: Which Song of Praise they still at this day call the Hallel.

'TIS evident our Lord did imitate this Usage, which is still observ'd by the Jews, save only that they don't eat a Lamb. When therefore He had eaten the Paschal Lamb, He took the Bread, which was designed to commemorate the Misery the Children of Israel under­went in Egypt; and made use of the same Blessing and Giving of Thanks, which was received among the Jews; Brake the Bread He had taken; and intending this Ceremony should preserve the Remem­brance of his Death, He still prosecuted the same Notions and Expressions of the Jews; saying, that it was his Body which was now to be broken for the Remission of the Sins of Mankind.

AFTER this, He (according to the Practice of the Jews) took the Cup, gave thanks a second time, and having ended his Blessing or Prayer, (for these signifie the same thing among the Jews) He de­clared that this Cup was the New Testa­ment in his Bloud, or the Bloud of the New Testament by which God granted penitent Sinners the Pardon of their Sins.

WHICH Expressions clearly shew, that He would have this Cup to be consider'd as a Memorial of the New Testament, of which he was the Mediator.

IN short, is it not manifest, that He, together with his Disciples sang the same Hymns, which were solemn and customa­ry with the Jews on this occasion?

THERE is no man who does not easily perceive that JESUS CHRIST found in this constant Custom of the Jews, a just ground for expressing himself as He did, when he design'd to institute, and perpe­tuate in his Church a Publick Memorial of his Death and Sufferings.

THE Jews themselves, the Mortal E­nemies of our Religion, do agree with this. They highly maintain, that accord­ing to CHRIST's Sense, these Words, This is my Body, &c. which He pronounced in shewing the Bread, cannot import the [Page 8]notion of Reality, but only of Significa­tion; that his Meaning was very appa­rent, both because He said in the 6th. of St. John concerning the Eating here men­tioned, The Words that I speak to you are Spirit and Life, that is, they are to be un­derstood in a Spiritual Sense; and because it was an usual Expression with them to say, This is the Bread, which our Fathers did Eat, though indeed it was but the Memorial of it. Fortalit. Fid. L. 3. § 11. p. 172.

Thus the Expressions of our Lord be­ing (as appears) made up of those com­mon Idea's so current among the Jews, it is evident that his Design in instituting of the Eucharist, was to represent his Death to us, as a thing, which for time to come was to be commemorated by the Church, He substituting it in the room of the Memorial of the Deliverance out of Egypt, and the ancient Covenant God had made with the Jews, after his having set them at Liberty from their hard Bon­dage.

BUT these Remarks, which only respect the out-side of the Eucharist, are of much less importance than those of the Second Order, which refer to our Lord's Design in his Institution of this Holy Sacrament.

CHAP. III. That JESƲS CHRIST in his Institu­tion of the Eucharist has followed Idea's or Notions, quite opposite to those of the Paschal Lamb; And what those Idea's of the Paschal Lamb are.

OUR Saviour's Words are not to be compar'd only with those the Jews made use of at the Eating of their Unleavened Bread, which they call'd the Bread of Affliction, because it was a Repre­sentative of it; but (that they may be throughly illustrated) they are to be con­sidered with opposition to the Idea's of the Paschal Lamb, to which our Lord was willing to make the Celebration of this Sacrament to succed. And indeed not only St. Paul leads us naturally to look upon the Sacrifice of the Passover as a he says 1 Cor. 5.7. that CHRIST our Passover is Sacrificed for us; nor only did JESUS CHRIST for this choose the time of the Passover to ordain the Memorial of his Death; but the Jews themselves seem [Page 10]fully to agree with it, when they pro­pound this, as one of their most ancient Traditions, That the Messias is to pro­cure their Salvation the self same Day, in which they were deliver'd from their Egyptian Bondage. Fagius ad Exod. 12.13.

First then, I say, that it is evident our Lord's Design was to substitute the Me­morial of the Deliverance of Mankind by his Death, in the room of the Re­membrance of the Jews Deliverance by the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb. He does not now command the Eating of a Lamb as formerly; and his Words, Do this, are not at all spoken to that purpose; but his Intent was to abolish the Memory of the Curse GOD had pronounced a­gainst the Race of Cham, which was ex­ecuted in the Death of the First-born in Egypt, and had been a Principle of Di­vision among those Nations he now unites again. It is with respect to his Death (which under the Appearance of a Curse, has made him the Blessing of the World) that he ordain'd this Ceremony of break­ing and eating Bread. Which latter Cere­mony CHRIST prefers before the Eating of the Paschal Lamb, it being his Will, that it should thenceforwards be considered as the Chief Ceremony of his Reli­gion, [Page 11]as being a solemn Token of his having abolish'd the Curse due to Sinners; whereof indeed the Paschal Lamb was a publick Monument with respect to the E­gyptians, though it was a Signal of God's Blessing to the Israelites.

IN the second place I say, that Christ expresses himself so as to give us Idea's very much differing from those of the Jews. For First, He speaks of a New Testament, in opposition to the Old he was about to abolish. Secondly, He op­poses his Bloud, Which was shed for many, for the remission of their Sins, to the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb, that was poured forth only for a few, and the Ceremony of it celebrated but in one Nation, viz. that of the Jews, to which alone the Be­nefit of the Egyptian Deliverance was ap­propriate. Thirdly, He opposes the Eat­ing of his Flesh, which he represents as a Sacrifice He was about to offer up for the Sins of the World, to the Eating of those Lambs, that were slain in pursuance of God's Law.

This being laid down (which I hope cannot be contradicted) it is plain that forasmuch as JESUS CHRIST did partly make use of the Idea's or Notions of the Paschal Lamb, and partly express'd him­self [Page 12]with opposition to that Ceremony, We must necessarily, in order to our ap­prehending the true Meaning of our Lord in the Institution of his Supper, and having a perfect Knowledg of it, make out a due Parallel between the Pas­chal Lamb, that kept up the Remembrance of the Egyptian Deliverance, and the Sacra­ment of the Eucharist, which preserves that of the Death of our Lord and Saviour.

In order whereto these following Re­flections may be made upon the Instituti­on and Celebration of the Paschal Lamb.

The First is, That is was God's Plea­sure in instituting this Ceremony, to trans­mit the Memory of so great and pro­digious an Event as that of his People's De­liverance out of Egypt, was to all Posterity. This He Himself expresses in the 12th. Chapter of Exodus, in this manner: This day shall be unto you for a Memorial; and you shall keep it a Feast to the Lord through­out your Generations: And when your Child­ren shall answer, It is the Sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed over the Houses of the Children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and de­livered our Houses. It was with regard to this, that to excite the Curiosity of [Page 13]all the People, yea, even of the very Children, He ordain'd that they, who were to celebrate the Passover, should take a Journey to the Temple, in that Equipage of Travellers, in which their Fore-fathers departed out of Egypt. He would have them also eat Unleavened Bread for the space of sevendays, and bit­ter, or wild Herbs with the Paschal Lamb; and He (in like manner) ordain'd, that they should every year renew this Ceremony, wherein their Children had a share as soon as they were capable of asking their Fathers the reason of all this change from their usual way of Eating. And indeed such a Ceremony thus solemnly observed every year, and to which every one, from one Generation to another, does by a publick Law submit himself, is an infallible means to establish the Belief of a Matter of Fact, and preserve the Memory of great Events.

The Second is, That GOD would have his People consider with what exact Faith­fulness, He had acquitted Himself of all his Promises, by delivering them with a strong Hand, and stretched-out Arm from the cruel Power of the Egyptians, at the same time when He made an Example of this Barbarous Posterity of Cham, who [Page 14]had afflicted them in a long & painful Ser­vitude. For as on one hand GOD had subje­cted all the Progeny of Cham to his Curse (as you may see, Gen. 9.25.) which began to take Effect in those Plagues wherewith He smote Egypt, though it was afterwards more exactly fulfilled by the Destruction of the Canaanites; So on the other He said to Abraham, Gen. 15. v. 13, 14, & 16. where he explains the promised Blessing; Know of a Surety, that thy Seed shall be a Stranger in a Land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. And also that Nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterwards shall they come out with great Substance. But in the Fourth Generation they shall come hither again. Behold here the Oracle that con­tains an Excellent Promise; which being made good to the Jews, He commands them to celebrate the Memory of the Exact Accomplishment thereof by ob­serving the Anniversary Festival of the Paschal Lamb.

THE third Reflection we may make upon the Institution of the Paschal Lamb, in this, That God would have the Jews look on their Deliverance out of Egypt, as the greatest Blessing He had e­ver vouchsafed to them. And certainly [Page 15]as He had express'd an exceeding great Fa­vour in with-holding Abraham's Knife from slaying Isaac, and substituting a Ram in the Room of him; so there was none of the First-born of the Israelites, but could say, that GOD had been as fa­vourable to them, as He was to Isaac, by causing the Sword of the Destroying Angel to fall upon a Lamb, at a time when he was commissioned to slay all the First-born in Egypt both of Man and Beast.

The Fourth Reflection was hinted at just now, which is, That GOD would have his People understand, that the Ex­piation of the Sins of their Ancestors had been typify'd and prefigur'd by his accepting of the Bloud of their Lambs, instead of the Lives and Bloud of their First-born. And indeed in agreement to this Observation we may say, that the whole Law in all its several Expiations, wherein Sin was transferr'd upon the Sa­crifice, did nothing else but further illu­strate and extend the Figure of Abraham's Offering, as likewise that of the Sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, and represent the same more lively and distinctly to the Minds of them that Offer'd; God having joyn'd to this Expiatory Sacrifice, certain cir­cumstances [Page 16]of Places, Persons, and Time, to the end the Impression of it might be the deeper, and leave a more lively Sense in the minds of those that were concern'd therein.

A Fifth Reflection upon the Paschal Lamb is this, that it was to be consider'd as a Publick Pledge and Token of the Covenant GOD had made with the Peo­ple of Israel, by preferring them before the Ismaelites and Edomites, who were descended, the former from Abraham, and the latter from Isaac. The Sign of Cir­cumcision did sufficiently acquaint the Jews, that by this distinguishing Chara­cter GOD had chosen them from among all other Nations of the Earth, to accomplish in the midst of them the Promise He had made to Abraham, namely, that of his Seed the Messias was to be born, in whom all Na­tions should be blessed: But this sign of Circumcision being common to the Jews, with the Ismaelites and Edomites, the pre­tences of both these to the Priviledges of the Covenant (which GOD had first made with Abraham, and afterwards re­new'd with Isaac) was still kept up. It was therefore requisite there should be a Religious Ceremony, that might de­monstrate that this Covenant was parti­cularly [Page 17]confin'd within the Family of Ja­cob. Which was done by the Paschal Lamb. For this represented to them, that (ac­cording to what was foretold Gen. 15.) Affliction, and that in this State they had receiv'd a particular Relief and Delive­rance from GOD; which, forasmuch as it could not be said of the Ismaelites or Edomites, did most strongly refute all their Pretensions to a Right in God's Cove­nant with Abraham. This likewise most clearly set forth to them, that God by virtue of his Covenant, had, out of his Mercy, preserved them at a time when the Egyptians felt the Effects of his Curse and Vengeance, and that accordingly He would not fail of fulfilling that Great Promise, in order to the accomplishment of which He had so miraculously preser­ved Isaac, and after him, their Fathers also, from the Sword of the Destroying Angel.

LASTLY, It is to be observed, that as this Ceremony reminded them of GOD'S Love for their Nation, of his Faithfulness in making good his Promi­ses, of the Expiation of their Iniquities, and of his Covenant with them (A Co­venant by which He had engaged to be [Page 18]their God, that is, their Benefactor and Protector, and one day to give them the Messias, who was to be born of their Nation,) so it naturally led them also to look upon themselves as the People of GOD, and to obey Him faithfully; In a word, to answer by a Holy Life, and all the marks of true Gratitude, the Ho­nour GOD had conferr'd upon them, by his making (out of his meer Good Will) a Covenant with them, and calling them to so great Hopes, as those were, which He had set before them.

CHAP. IV. Of the Truths which the Holy Com­munion represents to us.

THESE are the Principal Truths, great Comforts and just Obligati­ons to serve GOD religiously, which so manifestly were imply'd in the Cele­bration of the Paschal Lamb. But how much more important is the thing our Sa­viour has made to supply the place of [Page 19]it in his Institution of the Eucharist! That which he exhibits to us in this Sa­cred Mystery (whether with respect to the Truths, Comforts, or our Obligati­ons to Piety it contains) is infinitely more Sublime, great and real. To be assured of this, we need only to resume and attentively consider the forementi­oned three Points. I begin with the Truths the Eucharist represents to us.

THE first of these Truths respects the Purpose and Design of our Lord, when He instituted the Sacrament of his Supper. Certainly it was (as all Chri­stians agree) to establish a publick Mo­nument of his Death, as being the greatest Event that could ever be commemorated. First, He brake the Bread; and then, to express what He meant by this break­ing of the Bread, He said, that it was his Body broken, i. e. torn by the cruelty of his Tormenters. He presented after­wards the Cup to his Disciples; and to unfold the Mystery thereof, added that it was the New Testament in his Blood; which had a natural reference to his Death. This He explains more clearly in his com­mand, Do this in remembrance of me, that is, in commemoration of my Sufferings. Which made St. Paul say, As often as you [Page 20]shall Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup, you shew (or according to our way of speaking, you must shew or declare) the Lord's Death, i. e. you are to call to mind, and solemnly commemorate this wonder­ful effect of the Love of God. Indeed we see the Evangelists have so exactly described the Death of Christ, with all the Circumstances thereof to us, that we may aver, they have (as it were) present­ed us with the very Picture and Lively Image of it. So that had we been Eye­witnesses of the same our selves, and in company with them upon Mount Calvary, we should hardly have been so well ac­quainted therewith, as now we are. But besides this, it was our Saviour's will, that by a Religious Ceremony, which should be solemnized to the World's End, his Death might continually be placed before our Eyes. And notwithstanding this ig­nomious Death was to prove a Stumbling-block to the Jews, and at first be look'd upon as meer Foolishness by the Gentiles; yet would He have the Remembrance thereof to be dearly preserv'd in his Church, by his instituting of the Eucharist much after the same manner as God the Father had instituted the Ceremony of the Paschal Lamb, which did yearly re­fresh [Page 21]the Memory of the Jews about their Deliverance out of Egypt, as the most re­markable Event, that had ever happened to their Nation.

THE second Truth which the Eucha­rist offers to us, is, That JESƲS CHRIST is the true MESSIAS pro­mised by God, and that we have in Him the Accomplishment of the ancient Pro­phecies; which (among the diverse Cha­racters that the MESSIAS was to be known by, and are exactly found in Our Lord) expresly foretold that He was to suffer Death. Psal. 22. Is. 53. Dan. 9.26. And here it is well worth our while to consider: First, That GOD had stampt the mark of his Curse upon the Punish­ment of the Cross. Cursed is every one that hangs on a Tree, Deut. 21.23. Gal. 3.13. Secondly, That though GOD had de­scribed the MESSIAS, as One who was to be the Fountain of Blessings to all Nations, Tribes and Families of the Earth; yet at the same time He had given forth many Oracles concern­ing his Death upon the Cross, and the se­veral Circumstances of it. Thirdly, That GOD was pleased to dictate a greater Number of Oracles relating to this mat­ter, than to any other of those Glorious [Page 22]and wonderful Events, whereby the MESSIAS was to be distinguish'd du­ring his Life here. The Prophecies men­tioning his Birth, and the place of his Na­tivity, are but few; whereas GOD pre­signifi'd by the Prophets, and represented by manifold Lively Types and Figures 1. That both Jews and Gentiles were to joyn together in the Destroying of the MESSIAS, Psal. 2.1. 2. That his own Disciple, and one that ate Bread with him should betray him. Psal. 41.9. 3. That He should be sold for thirty Pieces of Silver, Zach. 11.12. 4. That his Disciples would forsake Him, Zach. 13.7. 5. That He was to be the scorn and deri­sion of his Adversaries, Psal. 22.7. 6. That He should hold his Peace as a Sheep dumb before his Tormenters, Isa. 53.7. 7. That the Great Men of the World were to take Council together for putting Him to Death. Psal. 2.2. 8. That He was to be expo­sed as an Object of Horror and Detestation, Isa. 53.3. 9. That He was to be reckon­ed among Transgressors, Isa. 53.12. 10. That they should pierce his Hands and Feet, Psal. 22.16. 11. That Lots should be cast upon his Vesture, Psal. 22.18. 12. That He should be insulted over, and derided on the account of his trusting in God, Psal. 22.8. 13. That he was to complain [Page 23]of his being abandoned by GOD to the fury of his Enemies, Psal. 22.1. 14. That they would give Him Gall and Vinegar to drink, Psal. 69.22. 15. That He was to commit his Soul into the Hands of GOD, Psal. 31.5. 16. That his Side was to be pierced with a Spear, Zach. 12.10. 17. That none of his Bones should be broken, Exod. 12.49. Psal. 34.20. 18. That He should be laid in a Rich Man's Tomb, Isa. 53.9. And besides these, there a great many other Circumstances to the same purpose, ex­actly specify'd by the Prophets. But I wave them; my Design being only to hint at the most remarkable.

WHAT I have mentioned here is suf­ficient: First, to demonstrate, that CHRIST'S Death (with all the notable passages of it) was a convincing Proof of his being the promised MESSIAS. But in the second place, it is yet more evident, that as our Saviour would have a lively Sense of his Bloody Death and Passion, to be preserv'd by a publick Monument, that might perpetuate the memory of it in his Church, so was He willing thereby to inculcate the more forcibly this Proof of his being the Messias. A Proof taken from the kind of Death, which He suf­fer'd, and the Circumstances attending [Page 24]it. For as much as this Death (which had so much Scandal in it) being the Object of the Christian Religion would inevitably expose it to many Reflections and the Opposition of great difficulties.

THE third Truth, which the Eucha­rist represents to us, is, That the Passion of CHRIST, which the Jews look up­on, as an Evident Sign of the Curse of God, is most truly a plentiful conveyance of the greatest Blessings to Sinners. This we are made sensible of, as soon as we re­flect upon these two Things. 1. That GOD denounced his Curse against Sin­ners, not only when He said, Gen. 3.17. Cursed shall be the Ground for thy sake, or when in Deut. 27.26. He pronounced him accursed, who did not continue in all the Words of the Law to do them; But also by annexing this Curse in particular to that kind of Death which our Lord suffer'd; it being said, Deut. 21.23. He that is hang'd is accursed of GOD. 2. That though GOD by his Oracles given to Abraham had promised, that all Nations should be blessed by means of the Messias, yet He does no less expresly declare, that the Messias was to suffer the Punishment of the Cross, and consequently be under the Curse of GOD, Psal. 22. Zach. 12.10. [Page 25]A man must either make no use of his own Reason, or presently infer from these Truths, that the MESSIAS was to be a Blessing to the World, no other way than by his being exposed to the Curse for a time, viz. by undergoing an accur­sed Death before he could shower down all the Blessings of his Grace and Glory up­on us. The Eucharist preserving the Memory of our Saviour's Passion, natural­ly leads us to this Reflection. Which will be much more sensibly impress'd upon us, if with it we joyn a view of JESƲS CHRIST; who presents Himself on the Cross, as a Victim offer'd for Sin­ners, and his Death as a Real Sacri­fice.

THE fourth Truth, is that which is most distinctly laid open to us in the Man­ner and Circumstances of the Eucharist. For,

First of all, CHRIST did not only institute this Ceremony after He had ea­ten the Paschal Lamb with his Disciples, which set before their Eyes. 1. The Sa­crifice of the Ram, that was offer'd up in the Room of Isaac. 2. That of the Lambs in Egypt, for the redemption of the First-born of the Israelites. 3. The Testimony of John the Baptist express'd [Page 26]in these Terms; This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the Sins of the World. Which saying of his explains all the ancient Types, and with one word does illustrate whate­ver we read concerning the Death of the Messias in the 53d. of Isaiah. And,

Secondly, CHRIST in the Institution of his Sacrament expresses Himself also by way of opposition to the Paschal Lamb, and other Sacrifices of the Law; thereby to intimate that the ancient Deliverance the Jews had obtained by their offering of Lambs for their First-born, was but a Fi­gure of that which was to be procur'd by his Death, and that this Death was to be consider'd as a true Sacrifice, by means of which GOD was certainly and fully reconcil'd to Sinners. And this Truth it is evident CHRIST was willing to de­clare most sensibly to us; 1. When He represents his Body as broken, and his Blood as shed. 2. When he wills us to eat the Bread of the Eucharist, and drink of the Cup, as Eating his Body and drink­ing his Blood. Indeed when Our Saviour commanded his Disciples, (and in their Persons all the Faithful) to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood, it is manifest, that He would, 1. Take off the restraint of the Old Law, which forbad Sinners [Page 27]to eat of the Sacrifice that was offer'd for their Sins. 2. Abolish that Precept of the same Law, which absolutely in­joyned Men to abstain from Blood. And as this intimates that those Victims of old had never made any through Expiation; so it plainly shews, that CHRIST offer'd up Himself as the true Sacrifice from which this Blessed Effect was to be look'd for. Moreover after his ha­ving suggested these Ideas of Himself as a Victim slain, He now represents Him­self to us under the Notion of an High Priest, when he says, Mat. 26.29. I will not drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine, until that Day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom; In which words He alludes to the Custom of of the High Priest, who after he had hap­pily concluded his Solemn Sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, and was come home safe from the Sanctuary (where GOD had killed some) he was wont to make a Feast to his Friends, in token of joy, for the good success of his Function.

'TIS this important Truth the Apostle St. Paul so strongly asserts in his Epistle to the Hebrews; And it is for the same reason, that when he was desirous to take off the Corinthians from the Communion they [Page 28]had with Heathens in their Sacrifices, he represents to them the Celebration of the Eucharist, as a participating of the Sacri­fice offer'd up by our Lord.

INDEED if this Sacrament had been instituted by CHRIST, after his Re­surrection (which wholly effaced the Pour­traiture of his Shame and Sufferings) it would have been much more difficult to have thence inculcated to us this impor­tant Truth of the Christian Religion. But Our Lord did expresly choose the time im­mediately before his Death, that so the Ceremony, which was to preserve the Me­mory of it, might so fill us with the sense of the Shame and Punishment he endu­red, that it might lead us to make a con­tinual Reflection upon these Truths, viz. That when JESUS CHRIST dy'd; He dy'd for Sinners; That when He was nail'd to the Cross, He bore their Sins in his Body on the Tree; That when He was wounded, it was for our Transgressions; and that by his Stripes we are healed.

THE fifth Truth, which our Saviour was willing continually to set before our Eyes by the Celebration of the Eucharist, is, That this Bloody Death of his was the Blessed Means, by which GOD entred into Covenant with Mankind. Moses [Page 29]had said of the Blood he sprinkled upon the People, Behold the Blood of the Cove­nant which the Lord has made with you, con­cerning all these words, Exod. 24.8. And Our Saviour plainly opposing his Blood to that, says concerning the Cup, This Cup is the New Covenant (or Testa­ment) in my Blood, which is shed for the re­mission of your Sins. This Covenant is the greatest and most important Truth of our Religion. By it GOD delivers Men from Hell, and restores them to his Fa­vour and Protection. It is this also dis­plays before us the whole Mystery of our Redemption; as 1. That Man being created Innocent fell into Rebellion against GOD, by list'ning to the insinuations of the De­vil. 2. That though Man deserved to be not only reduc'd to nothing, from whence the Hand of GOD had raised him at the first, but to be cast into Hell, there to un­dergo the punishment due to his Disobedi­ence; yet GOD being mov'd with pity, resolv'd to forgive all, and make a New Covenant with him. 3. That it was the Will of GOD that his Own Son taking in due time Human Nature upon Him, should be the Person in whose Blood this Covenant was to be Established. 4. That JESUS CHRIST having really shed [Page 30]his Blood, this Covenant was fully rati­fy'd and confirmed, and Remission of Sins offer'd to all that would repent. For that is the thing which is meant by the New Covenant, according as GOD expresses it in Jeremy 31.34. saying, I will forgive their Iniquity and remember their Sin no more.

THE sixth considerable Truth is, That our Saviour would have us always to bear in mind his Last Coming to judge the World, and consummate the Work of Our Redemption. Accordingly this Sacrament contains solemn Marks and In­stances of the fulfilling of the Promises God had made to send the Messias into the World. It sets forth in what man­ner He began to act and suffer for Man­kind. But He being to continue but a lit­tle while here upon Earth, and to be ta­ken up to Heaven, there to remain to the End of the World, this Ceremony ac­quaints us, that He is then to come again from thence, in order to fulfil our Hopes, by causing us to reap the last Fruits of his Expiation of Our Sins, that is, in de­stroying Death, by a glorious Resurrecti­on, and making us to live for ever with GOD, a Life that neither Sin, nor Death (which Sin has brought into the World) [Page 31]can ever disturb. And it may be said, that as the first Coming of the Messias was the great Object of the Religion, De­sires and Hopes of the Jews, Art thou (say they) He that should come, or do we look for another? Mat. 11.3. as likewise of the Promises of Blessings which GOD had made to the Gentiles themselves, He being called the Expectation and desire of all Nations; Hag. 2.7. so is his second Coming the great Object of the Christian Religion. This same JESƲS (said the Angels to his Disciples, gazing up to Heaven) who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven, Act. 1.11. On this account also the Church is represented to us (Rev. 22.17.) calling for her Bridegroom. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears, say, Come. And indeed as the Prophets describe these two Com­ings of the Messias under the notion of one single Object; so we see, that according to the mind of St. Paul (who assigns for the continuance of this Holy Ordinance the whole Interval of time to the end of the World and Christ's Return.) Our Saviour has in this Sacrament united this his two Comings, as being the greatest Objects of our Religion.

CHAP. V. Of the Comforts the Holy Eucharist ad­ministers to us.

THUS having explain'd the impor­tant Truths which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper engages us to meditate upon, it is very Evident that Our Parti­cipation of this Sacrament furnishes us with most lively and refreshing Comforts, which I now come to propose in order, with reference to the foregoing Truths.

FIRST then, What joy must we needs feel when we reflect upon this great Event, viz. the Death of Our Saviour? Let us but compare our Happiness with the Condition of the Patriarchs, and we shall easily perceive how high a pitch our Joy ought to be raised to. St. Peter tells us, that the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently what, or what manner of time the Spirit of CHRIST, which was in them did signifie when it testifi'd before­hand the Sufferings of CHRIST and the Glory that should follow, 1 Pet 1.10, 11. The Promises of GOD did fill their Hearts with gladness, even before they [Page 33]came to pass, yea, tho' it was revealed to them, that it was not to themselves, but to us that they ministred those things, which have been declar'd to us by the Preachers of the Gospel, 1 Pet. 1.12. They rejoyced to see the Faithfulness of GOD in the fu­ture accomplishment of his Promises. And to this purpose St. Paul informs us, that the Patriarchs and Holy Men of old dy'd in the Faith, not having receiv'd the Promi­ses, but having seen them afar off, and were perswaded of them and embraced them. Heb. 11.13. Yet all this at a distance. Thus Balaam, Numb. 24.17. I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh. But 'tis our happiness that we are come to that Blessed State, which Our Saviour appropriates to his Disciples. We see those things which so many Kings and Righ­teous Persons desired to see, and did not see them. John the Baptist who Baptized Him, bore Witness of Him, and foretold his Death; yet never saw it. This was an Advantage reserved for us. His Death is now in most lively Colours presented to our View. It is Matter of Fact, cer­tain and indubitably attested. He is come down from Heaven; He has taken our Flesh upon Him; discharged the Fun­ctions of his Ministery here upon Earth, [Page 34]Sanctify'd Himself for our sakes; suffer'd Death, and ordained a Memorial of it, as of a thing past and done. They of old had no distinct knowledge of the Death of the MESSIAS, nor of the kind and manner of it. All which is clearly manifested to us, at this Day. And though the Jew meets with Matter of Scandal, and the Gentile and occasion of Re­proach, yet the Christian finds subject of the most exalted Joy and Comfort, in the Celebration of these Holy Myste­ries.

THE Second Comfort the Eucharist administers to the Faithful, is exceeding sweet, and ravishing. We can no sooner in our Meditations, reflect upon the fulfil­ling of the ancient Types of the Paschal Lamb, and the Oracles of old, concern­ing the Coming of the MESSIAS, but we find the support of our Faith, and a solid ground for our Hope to rest on. Who can conceive the least doubt of GOD'S performing those Promises, the Execution of which seems as yet very difficult, and at a great distance, since He has already fulfilled that of sending the MESSIAS, who had been so long looked for, during the Course of so ma­ny Ages? He sills us with good hopes for [Page 35]things to come (says an ancient Father) For He who has given Himself to us here, will much rather do so hereafter, Chrys. H. 6. ad. Pop. And indeed, who sees not that this Dispensation of his being mani­fested in our Flesh, and his Death in par­ticular, must fill us with strong and lively Hopes, when we address our Prayers to Him? Christian, 'Tis true, thou must appear before GOD, but GOD has left all Judgment to the Son; and He by partaking of Flesh and Blood, is become thy Brother. He shed his Blood, and laid down his Life to redeem thee; He dy'd to deliver thee from that Misery and Curse to which thou hadst doom'd thy self to all Eternity. Wouldst thou be as ful­ly convinc'd of his tender Love and Com­passion, as thou art of his Power? Con­sider He feeds thee with his own Blood, and is set forth in the Holy Supper, as the Lamb of God. is it possible that this Con­sideration should not remind us of that Excess of Love, which prompted Him to die for us? We see here not a Sheep, but the Shepheard, giving his Life for the Sal­vation of his Sheep. Where will you meet with a Shepheard that feeds his Sheep with his own Blood? Yet JESUS CHRIST, the Great Shepheard feeds us with his. [Page 36]What may not we expect from so punctu­al a Faithfulness, supported by a Good­ness and Compassion that is beyond all Example?

THE third Comfort, which we may reap hence, is this, That being deliver'd from the Curse we lay under, every one of us may now say to his Soul, Re­turn unto thy Rest, O my Soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee; And with St. Paul triumphantly cry out, There is now no condemnation to them who are in CHRIST JESƲS. 'Tis He has deli­ver'd us from the fear of Death; by means of which we were all our Life's time subjects to Bondage. Before we are convinc'd of this Truth we are in a State of Misery, Ter­rour and Despair. But since CHRIST has alter'd our Condition, by removing the Curse that was against us, What Peace, Joy and Comfort ought not to possess our Consciences? If we consider David's Condition before Nathan had assur'd him of GOD'S Pardon, we have a lively Emblem of the lamentable Cir­cumstances in which the Sinner is, whose Ears always ring with the Sound of this dreadful Sentence, Cursed is he, that con­tinues not in all the Words of this Law to do them. Deut. 27.26. He sees the Sword of [Page 37]the Destroying Angel ready to strike him. But now this Sacrament tells him, that God has put away his Iniquities, and re­moved the Curse he had so justly drawn down upon himself. This Religious Ce­remony which CHRIST has annexed to the Declaration of his Gospel, is a Publick Monument, that GOD hence­forth is not only become placable, but throughly appeased and reconciled to Man. He cryes to us, that our Iniquities are pardon'd, but says the Sinner, what shall I offer to GOD to make atonement for my offences? Shall I offer him, (as Abraham did Isaac) my First-born for my Transgressions? And the Eucharist points him (as the Angel did Abraham) at the Victim prepar'd by GOD, or rather bespeaks him in the Words of St. John the Baptist, Behold the Lamb of GOD that takes away the Sin of the World. And then the Sinner with Joy and Exultation breaks forth, He is, He is indeed come into the World; He has suffer'd Death to save Sinners, whereof I am chief.

NOW, if these Reflections on the Eu­charist afford such Comforts to Christians in general, they will more sensibly affect us, when we come to consider these Com­forts more distinctly. The Holy Sacra­ment [Page 38]by preserving the Remembrance of CHRIST'S Death, obliges us more particularly to meditate upon this won­der of the Wisdom and Love of GOD, whereby He has deliver'd us from our Sins, by charging them upon our Lord; who, like a Sacrifice, was slain in the room of Sinners, as the Ram was in the stead of Isaac, and as the Lambs, which were killed, to redeem the First-born of the Israelites, from the Sword of the Destroyer. Now as there is nothing more stupendous than this Substitution, so nothing yields Con­solation like it. For here we see, 1. The Love of the Father, who withheld the stroke of his Vengeance from Mankind, whereas He destroy'd the Apostate An­gels, without remedy. 2. The Charity of the Son, who is become our Surety. Herein is the Love of GOD, not that we loved Him first, but that He loved us. No man has greater love than this, that he lays down his Life not for his Friend, but his Ene­my. And yet thus far did our Saviour's Love carry Him. He presented Himself a Sacrifice to GOD the Father. He re­ceived the stroke that was to wound us; neither the horror of those Crimes we had committed, nor the dreadful Punishments that were due to us for them, being able [Page 39]to deter Him from taking upon him our Nature and Sufferings. GOD gave him to us, that He might be the High Priest of his Church. But He was not invested in this Dignity, nor is represented as making Intercession in Heaven for us, neither set forth as Blessing of us, but be­cause He has expiated our Sins, by offer­ing up Himself a Sacrifice to free us from Death. Moses's Wife seeing her Husband threat'ned with Death by the Angel for her Son's not being circumcis'd, thought it expedient to hazard the Child's Life by an hasty and venturous Circumcision, that she might secure her Husband from the danger that hung over him. GOD in this Case, does something far more great and wonderful for us. He gives the Life of his own Son to redeem his Enemies; and behold, the Son readily consents, and yields himself, as Isaac did. Lo, I come (says He) in the Volume of thy Book, it is wriiten of me, I delight to do thy Will, O my God. O Ineffable and a­mazing Love to Mankind, who deserved nothing, but an Eternal Curse!

AS it was in the Blood of Lambs, that GOD made a Covenant with the Peo­ple of Israel, so the Eucharist representing to us in the fifth Place, that the Blood [Page 40]of CHRIST is the Ground and Foun­dation of the New Covenant, which GOD has made with Christians, we can­not look upon the Sacrament as the Pledge and Seal of this Covenant, with­out being filled with an Excess of Joy and Consolation. For indeed, what greater Glory can be imagined, than for Man to be admitted to a Treaty with GOD? And what an inconceivable Ad­vantage is this, that GOD should vouch­safe to enter into Covenant with us? There are none but are sensible of the Happiness of the Israelites, in this regard. To be convinc'd of which, we need only hear them, even at this day, speaking with the greatest Comfort, of the Honour GOD therein has done them, notwithstanding their total dispersion, and groaning un­der the Burthen of that Curse, which pur­sues and overtakes them every where. Now, that ancient Covenant GOD has abolished, as being imperfect; but this which we commemorate, is to endure for ever. The Design of the former was only to give the Jews a lively Sense of Sin, or at the best to administer a Typi­cal Expiation; whereas the latter, viz. the New (according to the Prophet Je­remy) makes a true Atonement for Sin, [Page 41]and affords a Remission rightly and pro­perly so call'd. That had no promises, but what concern'd a Happiness here on Earth; whereas This does promise a Re­surrection and Eternal Glory.

THE greatest Honour the Old Cove­nant did confer upon the Jews, was this, That the MESSIAS should be born of their Blood; but the Advantage of the New, is, That the MESSIAS partak­ing of Flesh and Blood with the rest of Mankind, has given his own Blood to raise them to the Glory of Adoption, who shall believe in Him. O how happy is the People, whose God is the Lord! And what does this Expression, to be the God of any one, import, but this, viz. To be his Great and Soveraign Benefactor? Of old He was the GOD of Abraham, but not of Loth, and his Posterity; Of Isaac, but not of Ismael and his Off-spring; Of Jacob, but not of Esau and the Edomites. Now, He is the GOD of all the Earth. But he has not made this Covenant with all the Nations of the World, save only by virtue and on the Sole Account of the Blood of CHRIST. And can we with any attention, reflect on this Truth, repre­sented to us in the Holy Eucharist, with­out feeling a Joy unspreakable and full of [Page 42]Glory? GOD had promised to enter into such a Covenant, as this; and Jere­my describes it in the 31. Chap. of his Prophecies; Yet the Old lasted till John the Baptist, and so long the Ceremonies of it were in use. But then comes CHRIST, and instead of continuing the Celebration of the Old Covenant, which was made in the Blood of the Paschal Lamb, He abro­gates it, and in its room substitutes the New Covenant, made in his own Blood. Do this (says He) in remembrance of me. Not That which was done before, but This: For this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood, which is shed for the Remission of your Sins.

TO conclude, 'tis to be considered (and this is the last Vein of Comfort hid in the Eucharist) that this Holy Sacra­ment inviting us to take a View of CHRIST'S second Coming, as well as of his Dispensation in the Flesh, 'tis im­possible but it must fill our Souls with surpassing Joy and Comfort. The full Salvation of Believers does, as yet, only consist in Hope. GOD indeed pardons their Sins; but they are still subject to all the Miseries Sin has brought into the World. They hope for Eternal Life; and yet dye like other Men. Their Bodies [Page 43]are laid in the Grave, and become the food of Worms. So that their Expectation seems to be quite frustrated. And as the Jews and Gentiles find Matter of Scandal and Derision in the Death of the Son of GOD, so according to all outward ap­pearance, they have the same reason to in­sult over the Faith and Hope of his Fol­lowers, when they compare these with their present Condition, which to the Eye, differs not from that of other Men. But all these dark Clouds shall at last be scat­ter'd; these Shadows vanish, and the Glo­ry of our Lord and his Faithful be revealed. He shall appear from Heaven in the Glory of his Father, and every Eye shall see Him, even they who have pierced Him. And as He will thus display his Majesty in the Sight of all the World, so will He at the same time unvail the Life and Glory of his Children, who at present are ready to sink under the burthen of Sin, the Vio­lence of CHRIST's Adversaries, the de­ceits of the World, and the Devil, and the Power of Death, which is the last E­nemy of CHRIST and his Church. He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Whosoever eats of this Bread shall live for ever. These are our Savi­our's [Page 44]Promises, wherein as He terms the Embracing of Him by Faith, an Eating of his Flesh, in opposition to the Type of Manna; So this Eating may be as truly ascribed to them, who by Faith consider Him, as the Sacrifice that has taken away the Punishment due to Sin. O what comforts do arise to the Faithful from the Expectation of this his Return! What exulting Joys will they be filled with at his Coming! What Delights flow in upon them as they mediate hereon! What ravishing Pleasures does it afford us amidst the greatest Evils of this Life! What quiet in the sharpest Trials! And what Confidence even at the time when Death stares us in the Face!

CHAP. VI. Of the Duties prescribed to us in the Holy Eucharist.

I SUPPOSE I have very clearly made out, that it is impossible atten­tively to consider the Truths, which the [Page 45]Lord's Supper discovers to us, without reaping the unspreakable Comforts which so naturally spring from it. And it may (with as much Ease) be demonstrated, that these Truths indispensably engage us to the most Essential Duties of our Religion; and that GOD having comprehended what is most capable to administer the sweetest Consolations to our Souls, in this Mystery, it cannot but at the same time be very influential towards Sanctification and a Godly Life. To the making out of which I design the Conclusion of this Treatise, where I intend to represent these Duties, as the necessary and natu­ral Consequents of what I have before laid down. It behooves every Commu­nicant seriously to consider of these En­gagements; And the rather, because this is a sure way for them to know whether they have worthily receiv'd the Sacra­ment, or to amend the faults by them committed in any preceding Communi­on, for want of discharging these Reli­gious performances as they ought.

FIRST then, Is it possible that a Christian, who knows that JESUS CHRIST designed the Celebration of the Eucharist for a publick Monument of his Death, as of a most Signal Event, [Page 46]worthy of all Commemoration, should express any neglect of, or indifference for this Sacred Feast? The Primitive Church called the Faithful to it every Lord's Day, looking upon the partak­ing of this Holy Sacrament, as a Publick Profession of our Faith, and the very Badge of Christianity. And shall our re­missness and coldness in Religion be a law­ful Excuse for our absenting our selves from the Lord's Table, when He him­self invites us to it, and affords us op­portunities for it? Some perhaps will fancy that they have a just pretence to abstain from Receiving, because of dif­ferences or Law-suits they are engaged in. But if CHRIST debars them his Table, who are so unkindly disposed to­wards their Neighbours, does not He teach us withal, and point us at the Re­medy that is to be found for the Cure of such Uncharitableness? He tells us, in this Case, that he who is about to offer, must leave his Gift before the Altar, and go and first be reconciled to his Brother, and then come and offer his Gift, Mat. 5.24. And why this? But to teach us, that we must either wholly renounce our Religion, or else put our selves upon faithful En­deavours to obey the Laws of it; That [Page 47]a Profession of Christianity is both Er­roneous and impious, which is not ac­companied with a Practice of the Duties it prescribes; and that it is impossible for a Man, with any fruit or benefit, to perform the publick Requirings of it, while its most important Precepts and Rules are neglected.

SECONDLY, let it be observ'd, That since Christians look upon the Ce­lebration of the Eucharist, as a convinc­ing Proof of the Truth of their Religi­on (it being a publick Memorial of Our Saviour's Death, which was a most signal fulfilling of GOD's Promises, and an E­vident Character, whereby CHRIST was to be known for the true Mes­sias) they cannot but find a Natural Ob­ligation incumbent on them to become Christians indeed. The Sacrament of Baptism is conferr'd upon us at a time when we know not the Nature of the En­gagements we enter into, nor the Justice and Extent of the Promises made in our behalves therein. But he who receives the Lord's Supper, ratifies before GOD and Man, the Promises made in his Name at his Baptism. And this he does in his own person, as supposing he has now suffici­ently examined the Truth of the Religi­on [Page 48]on he professes. He is satisfy'd that his Parents have done him the greatest kind­ness imaginable, by engaging him in GOD's Service from his most tender In­fancy; and that they did well to conse­crate him to it for ever, since it is in this Profession his whole Happiness consists; and he now solemnly renews the Oath of his inviolable Obedience and Faithfulness to GOD, which before he had done by his Sureties. Can we thus reflect upon the Participation of the Eucharist, and not conceive a most sensible sorrow for ha­ving acted contrary to the Laws of CHRIST and Our own Hopes? Can we entertain this Notion of it, and not resolve for the time to come; more dili­gently to pursue Our Heavenly Calling, and more exactly answer the Holy Design of the Religion we profess? Certainly it is against Common Sense to pretend to be a Christian, and yet to live like a Jew, or Heathen. It is ridiculous, outwardly to acknowledge Laws more Holy and Di­vine, than those the World is governed by, and at the same time to follow the Customs and Manners of Worldly Men. All the Vices of the Age ought to find their Death in this Reflection, as they do their Condemnation in the sacred Laws [Page 49]and Religion of Our Lord and Saviour.

WE come now to a third Reflection upon the Holy Communion, which is no less plain and natural than the foregoing, viz. That in this Sacrament we consider the Death of CHRIST, as the Source of that Blessing GOD had promised, and the Principle of all those He will hereafter impart to us. This Notion sets before our Eyes the Curse we should inevitably have fallen under, had not GOD rever­sed it. Can any one seriously think of this Truth, without praising God with all the Power of his Soul, and returning the Fruits of a just acknowledgement to Him for the same? O how dreadful a thing it is, to be accursed of GOD! Go ye Cursed into Eternal Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. And on the contrary, how transporting and full of Comfort it is, to be blessed by Him. JE­SUS CHRIST, the Blessed of GOD, has blessed us with all manner of Blessings. He became a Curse for us, that we might be made a Blessing of God in Him. Come (sayes He) Ye Blessed of my Father. And by what other means can we be raised to this Bliss, but by the Study and Practice of Holiness? It was the Unhappiness of the Jews to fancy, that all should partake [Page 50]of GOD'S Promises to Abraham, who were descended from him after the Flesh. But the Gospel acquaints us with these three Things. 1. That Faith in CHRIST is the means GOD has appointed to make the Heathens partakers of this Ad­vantage. 2. That the Profession of be­lieving in CHRIST is vain, and de­ceitful, where it is unaccompanied with an Holy Life. Faith without Works is Dead. It is but a pretended and false Profession. 3. And Lastly, That JESUS CHRIST will never own any for the Blessed of his Father, but such as by their Works of Charity and Perseverance in Godliness, shall have made good the Sincerity of their adherence to his Religion.

TO this we are further engaged by a fourth Reflection, which we make upon the Father's giving his own Son for a Sacrifice to expiate our Crimes. Here we see on one hand, the Extream Aversion GOD has for Sin, while on the other, we discover the infinite Love He expresses to Sinners. We have set before us the lively Image of that Abyss of Misery into which we had been plung'd, had not GOD prepar'd this his Lamb, who gave his own Blood and Life to redeem us. Now our Hearts must be utterly obdurate and insensible, [Page 51]not to make a most serious reflection up­on on this Hatred, GOD bears to Sin. We behold it punished in a most dreadful and affrighting Manner, when GOD de­stroy'd the Old World by the Deluge, and rain'd down Fire from Heaven on Sodom, and the Cities that snar'd in her unnatural Lusts. These Punishments were Marks of his Justice, taking Ven­geance of Sinners. But how infinitely more terrible is GOD'S Detestation of Sin, pourtrai'd in the Death of his Dear and Only Begotten Son, whom we see smitten for our Iniquities, and in all out­ward apparance forsaken of his Father. St. Peter had not yet seen Him extended on the Cross, nor heard Him uttering these doleful Words, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? Yet could not he, when he saw Him only exposed to his first Reproaches, forbear shedding Tears of a true Repentance. And what may then be expected from a Sinner, who in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, has all the Ideas of his Agony, Sufferings and Death, most lively delineated to Him? What an irreconcilable Aversion ought not he to conceive for his Sins? What Resolutions ought not he to take of leaving and for­saking them for ever?

AND to this we find our selves still more indispensably oblig'd, by the Nature of this Sacrament. For, in the fifth Place, it is (as I have said before) the Memorial of CHRIST'S Blood, by vir­tue whereof GOD has made a New Covenant with Sinners; In which He has assured us, that He will forgive us our Sins, and bestow the Glory of his King­dom upon us. But the Condition with­out which we cannot be made Partakers either of the Remission of Sins, or of the Glory of Heaven, is, the Repenting of our Iniquities, and applying our selves to the Study of Sanctification, to our Life's End. The Benesit of this New Covenant is, That God remembers our Transgres­sions no more; but the Condition He re­quires of us, is, That whereas the Jews laid up his Laws in the Ark, without ha­ving them in their Hearts, we must al­ways have them written in ours, in order to a continual Religious Observance of them. Now, as it is his Will, that we should daily beg of Him the Pardon of Our Sins (which plainly shews He is ready to grant it us;) so the Only Command He lays upon us, is, That for the time to come we sin no more, lest a worse thing befall us. And indeed is it not exceed­ingly [Page 53]unaccountable, that Men, who would pass for Children of GOD, should live the life of Devils? That they, who look upon themselves as Confederates with CHRIST, should continually violate the Conditions of this Covenant? GOD reminded the Jews of their Obligation to Holiness, upon the account of his being their GOD. Moses implies thus much in the 24. Chap. of Exodus, where the People having accepted of the Laws which he had propounded to them from GOD, after he had wrote them in a Book, and read the same in the Audience of the Congregation, they answer'd, All that the Lord has said will we do, and be obedient. Whereupon Moses sprinkled the Blood on the People, and said, Be­hold the Blood of the Covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these Words. And shall Christians believe, that GOD will own them for his People, while they remain in their Bondage to Sin? The Meaning of the Covenant we have made with GOD, has been clearly expressed by a Pagan, viz. Pliny, who in his Epistle to the Emperour Trajan ( Lib. 10. Ep. 97.) thus explains the Notion Christians had of this Glorious Covenant, they were enter'd into with GOD, They [Page 54]bind themselves (says he) by a Sacrament or Oath, not to commit any such Crimes, as are falsly reported of them, but to abstain from Robbery, Theft and Adultery, to be as good as their Word, and Faithful to their Trust, &c. He plainly shews, that Belie­vers looking upon themselves as Confe­derates and Parties in the same Covenant with GOD, banished all manner of Di­visions from the midst of them; And fur­ther intimates, that as they did all eat of the same Bread, so they were of one Heart and Mind, and united to GOD by their resemblance of Him, and imita­tion of his Holiness. Now since that time the Gospel is not alter'd; for its Maxims are unchangable. Neither is it only with respect to the Prophecies or Promises therein contained, that it abides to Eter­nity, without any possibility, that so much as one tittle of it should ever fall to the Ground; but the same must be understood of it, as it is the Rule of our Life and Manners, prescribed to us by our Lord and Master.

LAST of all, Since JESUS CHRIST has in this Sacrament, united the Memo­rial of his Coming in Glory to the Re­membrance of his Humiliation even unto Death, will not this Consideration most [Page 55]naturally inspire us with powerful Encou­ragements to Piety, and an indefatigable Perseverance in that Fidelity we owe to Him? In commemorating our Saviour's Passion, we are oblig'd to deny our selves, and to be ready to lay down our Lives, whensoever it shall please God to require it, in order to the advancement of his Glory. JESUS CHRIST tells us, that he is unworthy of Him, who is not willing to leave all to follow Him. He has given his own Life for us, and calls us to a like Abnegation of our selves. They who seek their own Pleasures, desire to be Rich: But CHRIST chose a Volunta­ry Poverty. They are Ambitious of Ho­nours, whereas He refused to be made a King. They fear Death; but He freely submitted Himself to it. They abhor the Cross, that ignominious and painful way of Dying; whereas He declined not to be Crucified. We can commit no Sin, but so far as we desire the things which He despised, or endeavour to avoid those He so willingly underwent. Certainly the sight of this Example ought powerfully to oblige us to an imitation of it. It was a Saying of St. Cyprian's ( Epist. 30.) That Men are not fitted for Martyrdom, when they are not furnished for the, Fight out of [Page 56]the Church's Magazine, and that the Soul is apt to faint, when it is not strength'ned by a fre­quent Communion. This Father was in the right, and his Reason for it, is the more Solid, because the Eucharist, immediately after it has exhibited to us the Represen­tation of our Lord's Death (which arms us with constancy,) shews us the Reward of Believers, by setting before our Eyes his Coming again from Heaven to glorify them. 'Tis this Return of our Lord, that will prove the great Comfort of the Righ­teous, and at the same time, a dread and trouble to the Wicked. JESUS CHRIST, by thus reminding us of his Glory, while we are meditating upon his Sufferings, does much the same thing He did upon the Cross; where he accepted of the Repen­tance of the Converted Thief, approved of the Acts of his Faith, the Marks of his Love and Tokens of his Zeal for the Innocence and Glory of this JESUS, whom he now look'd upon, as his Saviour. CHRIST kindly received and rewarded the evident Expressions of his Hopes. But on the other hand, punished the Unbelief and Impenitence of his Companion; He assured the former, that he would admit Him into his Kingdom, because He saw in his Heart the Character of a sincere [Page 57]Believer, and all the generous Inclinations of a Martyr; but left the latter to the just deserts of his Iniquities. A true Penitent meets with the greatest Comforts imagi­nable in the Eucharist, where the Impeni­tent (who treads under foot the Blood of the Covenant, and discerns not the Lord's Body) receives his own Damnation. 'Tis absolutely impossible this Sacrament should not have such different Effects upon these two sorts of Communicants. For from it proceeds a Voice, that proclaims Pardon to peni­tent Sinners; and in it we plainly see the Solid Foundation of that Mercy, which GOD will in his due time, fully display; But withal we ought to take notice it cries aloud, that we must enter upon the Way of Holiness, and persevere therein to the End, even to Death, as JESUS CHRIST did, if we desire to appear with full as­surance before his Throne, who is to judge all Men at the last Day, and render to eve­ry one according to his Works.