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XIII

is our Saviour and our Refuge. [Vide apud Juft. Martyr. Dial cum. Tryph.] Not that they imagined that the Passover was changed into the very Substance of God their Saviour, but only that it was a Memorial of that Deliverance which God wrought for them at their coming out of Egypt, and of that which was hereafter to be wrought for them by the Meffias. And when they ate the unleavened Bread, they faid, This is the Bread of Affliction which our Fathers did eat in the Land of Egypt. By which they could not mean, that that was the very Bread which their Fathers eat many hundred Years before, but only that it was the Reprefentative and Memorial of that Bread. So that when our bleffed Lord at the Inftitution of the Eucharift faid, This Bread is my Body, and this Cup is my Blood, Do this in Remembrance of me; it was very natural for the Apoftles to understand his Meaning -to be this; This Bread and this Cup are the Symbols and Reprefentatives of my Body broken and my Blood shed for you:

And

And when I am gone from you, do

you,

in like manner as I have done, confecrate Bread and Wine to be the Memorials of my Body and Blood offered for you. I fay it was natural for the Apostles to understand our Lord thus, because this Way of Speaking was common among the Jews, and particularly they were accuftomed to it at the Celebration of the Paffover, to which the Chriftian Eucharift fucceeded. In all Languages, Symbols and Representatives are ufually called by the Names of thofe Things which they reprefent. But there is ftill an higher Reafon why the Eucharistical Symbols fhould be called Chrift's Body and Blood; and that is, That they are not bare Types and empty Figures, but they are in Power and Efficacy, tho' not in Subftance, that very Body and Blood which they reprefent. For by the Divine Appointment and Benediction, they are available to all thofe Ends which could be attain'd by feeding upon Christ's Natural Body and Blood, were that cither poffible or lawful. That we may

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XIII.

XIII.

the more diftinctly apprehend this, it SERM. will be only neceffary to obferve, that among both Jews and Gentiles it was cuftomary for the People to eat of the Sacrifices which they offered. By which Rite was fignified on the one hand, that they devoted themselves to the Service of that God of whofe Altar they par took; and on the other hand, that the God accepted them for his Guests, took them under his Protection, and granted to them thofe Favours and Bleffings, for the obtaining of which the Sacrifice was offered. Under the Gospel there hath been only one bloody meritorious Sacrifice; the Sacrifice which our bleffed Redeemer made of himself. Now it was impoffible that Chriftians in after Ages fhould in a ftrict and literal Senfe partake of the Sacrifice of Chrift's Perfon ; or if it had been poffible, yet it would have been impious. For the removal of this Difficulty our Lord us'd this Expe dient. He inftituted a Sacrifice reprefenting, and commemorative of, this one great Sacrifice; He fubftituted confecra

ted

ted Bread and Wine to be eaten and drank, instead of his Natural Body and

is

He took Bread

Take, eat, This
given for you.

Blood facrificed for us.
and blessed it, and faid,
is my Body which is
Likewife He took the Cup and blessed it,
and faid, Drink ye all of this, for this
my Blood which is fhed, for you, Do
this as oft as ye drink it for a Memorial
of me.
So that by Eating of this Bread,
and Drinking of this Cup, we do to all
Intents and Purposes partake of Chrift's
Body and Blood; we bring ourselves
under the fame Engagements to God, and
are entitled to the fame Favours and Be-
nefits from Him, as if we did eat of that
individual Sacrifice which Chrift offered
on the Cross. Thus the Cup which we
blefs is the Communion of the Blood of
Chrift, and the Bread which we break
is the Communion of his Sacred Body.
That which we engage to do in this Sa-
crament, is to dedicate ourselves to the
Service of Almighty God; and the Be-
nefits which we receive by it are the Re-
miffion of our Sins, the Affiftances of

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XIII.

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XIII.

Divine Grace, and a Principle of an happy Immortality. All which were purchafed for us by the Sacrifice of Chrift's Death, and are infur'd and convey'd to us by Religiously Feafting on this Memorial of it. But of these I shall not now Difcourfe. At prefent I fhall only add, that the Confideration of the Excellency and great Importance of this Branch of Christian Worship, and of the mighty Benefits accruing to us thereby, should engage us to make a suitable Preparation. for it, and to approach God's Altar with Reverence and Godly Fear; with Hearts full of Joy and Gratitude to Him, who gave his only begotten Son for our Redemption, and unto Him that loved us, and wafh'd us from our Sins in his own Blood, and hath made us Kings and Priefts unto God and his Father. To whom, &c.

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