SECTION I.

1. THe Sacrament instituted by Christ at the eve of his Passion, which S. Paul calls the Lords Supper, is with­out controversie one of the greatest Mysteries of Godliness, and the most solemn Festival of the Christian Religion. The holy Table, or Altar, which presents this sacred Banquet, may, as well as the old Tabernacle, take to it self the title of * Meeting: since there the People must appear to Worship God, and there certainly God is present to [...] Tabernacle for appointed time & meeting. [Page 2]meet and to bless his People. At the Place, and during the whole Act of this Meeting with God, the Christian Communicants are in a special manner invited to offer up to God their Souls, their Bodies, their Goods, their Vows, their Praises, and whatsoever they can give: and God on the other side offers to us the Body and Blood of his Son, and all those other Blessings withal, that will assuredly follow this sacred Gift. For this must be granted, then the holy Communion is not only a Sacrament that the Worshipper is to come to for no other purpose, then to receive; nor a Sacrifice only, where he should have nothing els to do, but to give: but it is as the great Solemnity of the ancient Passover was, whereof it hath taken the place; a great Mystery consisting both of Sacrament and Sacri­fice, that is, of the Religious Service, which the People owe to God, and of the full Salvation, which God is pleas­ed to promise his People.

2. It may by this appear, how far it concerns every Christian not to err in a Point, that makes the Center both of his Happiness and his Duty: and that ties the very knot, which in a manner joins Man with God. It was upon this account that the Devil, who bore ever [Page 3]an equal hatred both to what is Holy to God, and to all what is conducible to the Salvation of Man, hath from the very beginning bin busie with this Sa­crament: and hath ever since given the Church more trouble about the Body of Jesus Christ, then ever the Angel suffered about the Body of Moses. Jude 9. For the Body of Christ, as the Holy Fathers distinguish it, being of two sorts, to wit the Natural, which is in Heaven, and the Sacramental, which is blessed and given at the holy Table; the primitive Heretics, whom the Spi­rit of Antichrist set up and animated against the Church, spent all their strength and their venim, at the very time, and in the face of the Apostles, in order to destroy the first, which is the Human Nature of Christ, and to reduce it to a Phantosm: and God knows whe­ther the second, that is the Sacramental, receives at this day any better enter­tainment from two contrary Parties, who make it either a false God, or an emty Ceremony. Of all these opposite Ene­mies, the first, who assaulted his Flesh, could in this impiety be but poor vain undertakers, this glorious Body being highly exalted above their reach: but the second are on this account more dangerous, because the blessed Com­munion, [Page 4]which makes up this other Bo­dy, may daily fall into the hands of ei­ther an Idolatrous, or a profane Abuser. Therefore it very much concerns them, whosoever have either any Piety towards God, or any care of their own Souls, to menage their Devotions with such precaution and judgment, that this ve­nerable Sacrament may be kept safe from the attemts of superstition and profaneness.

SECTION II.

1. THe blessed Communion was chief­ly instituted by the Son of God, for a Sacrament in the Church: But when it is received by the Christian People, if this receiving of theirs be right, it must needs be attended with the addi­tion of such other Performances, as will make it also a Sacrifice. As it is a Sa­crament, this great Mystery shews three Faces, looking directly towards three Times, and offering to all worthy Re­ceivers three sorts of incomparable Bles­sings; that of Representing the true Effi­cacy of Christs Sufferings, which are [Page 5]past, whereof it is a Memorial: that of exhibiting the first Fruits of these Suffer­ings in real and present Graces, whereof it is a moral Conveyance and Communica­tion: and that of assuring Men of all o­ther Graces, and Glories to come, where­of it is an infallible Pledg.

2. As this Sacrament looks back; it is an authentic Memorial, which our Sa­vior hath left in his Church, of what He was pleased to suffer for Her. For tho these Sufferings of His were both so dreadful and Holy, as to make the Heavens mourn, the Earth quake, and all men tremble: yet because great Ob­jects, how terrible and magnificent soever they be, whilst they last, are not less, then the smallest things, apt to be forgotten when they are gon: and so, there was small likelyhood; that the Passion of Jesus Christ, which was not seen upon the Cross above the space of some few hours, could be well preser­ved in the memory of men throughout all ages; therefore our Saviour was pleas­ed at his last Supper to ordain this Sa­crament, as a holy Memorial, Representa­tion, and Image, of what He was about to suffer for that short time, to save his dear Church for ever. So that when Christian Posterity, which had not seen the Crucifixion of their Savior, like the [Page 6]young Israelites, that had not seen the killing of the first Passover, should come to ask after the signification of those things, this Bread, this Wine, the Break­ing of the one, the powring out of the other, and the Participation of both; this sacred Mystery might expose to faithful Beholders as a present and con­stant Object, both the Martyrdom and the Sacrifice of this crucified Savior, giv­ing up his Flesh, shedding his Blood, and pouring out his very Soul for the expia­tion of their Sins.

3. Therefore, as in the Feasts of the Passover, the late Jews could say, This is the Lamb, these are the Herbs, and this is the Bread of affliction, which our Fa­thers did eat in Egypt; because their lat­ter Feasts did so effectually represent the former; that the People, who did par­take of those, had ground enough both to act and to speak as if they had bin present at this: So at our holy Commu­nion which succeeds the Passover, and is undoubtedly no less a blessed, and pow­erful Sacrament to set before our eyes Christ our Passover who is sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5.7. Our Saviour, says St. Augustin, doubted not to say, This is my Body, when he gave to his Disciples the Figure of his Body. Because especially, besides the Commemoration, this Sacrament duly given, [Page 7]and faithfully received, makes the Thing which it represents as really present for our use, and as really powerful in order to our Salvation, as if the Thing it self were newly done or in doing. Eating this Bread and drinking of this Cup you set forth the death of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.26.

4. For certainly, not to mistake the meaning of Christ, nor to injure his Mystery; whensoever with the primi­tive Church we call it a Memorial, or a Figure; great care must be taken lest we confound these Venerable Representa­tions, which God himself hath set up in his Church, and for his Church, with those emty Figures and Marks which ei­ther some old Tradition, or some private phansie may by chance have put in our way. Men of ordinary Understanding do not regard with the same eye the Armes and Images of Princes, which public Autority hath set up in a public emi­nent Place: and which a Painter, to please his phansie, hath fixt in a private Room. Without all doubt a wise Travel­ler would be much more moved at the sight of the Salt Pillar, (if it did stand yet where it did) which God had set up purposely, where Lots wife lookt to­wards Sodom, then at some Prints of her Feet (if they were to be seen yet) when she turned some other way. [Page 8]And if we credit the History, that Cross, which the first Christian Empe­ror is reported once to have seen in the Air (which undoubtedly the hand of God, or an Angel had made appear with some Design) could not but cause a greater respect, then that ordinary Sign of the Cross, which Christians have used on common occasions. Add what no body can deny, that all Sorts of Signs and Monuments become more or less Venerable according to the grea­ter, or lesser worth of the Objects, which they are made to represent. It had bin hard for Abraham, or for any devout Patriarck, not to feel some mo­tions of Reverence and holy Fear, when they did chance to pass again by Mamre, or by Morijah, or such other remarkable Places where God had appeared to them: and who doubts but the very sight of Bethlehem, of the Mount of Olives, of Cal­vary, &c. which Christ honored with his Presence when he was born, when he suffered, and when he went up to Heaven, did heat the primitive Christi­ans with considerable Flames of Zeal, be­sides that usuall Faith and Knowledg, which they had got by their reading? But when these Signs and Monuments, besides their ordinary use, bear with­al as it were on their Face the glorious [Page 9]Character of their Institution from above, and with this Institution the most ex­press Design that God hath thereby to re­vive in a manner, and to expose as full to all our senses, his Passion and sufferings, as if they had still there true Being (as they have still the same vertue;) a discreet and pious Beholder must needs look on these Ordinances with these three de­grees of Devotion.

5. The first is, when he considers those great and dreadful Passages which this Sacrament sets before him. I doe ob­serve on this Altar some what very like the Sacrifice and Passion of my Savior. For thus the Bread of life was broken: thus the Lamb of God was slain: thus his most precious Blood was shed. And when I look upon the Minister, who by speciall order from God his Master distributes this Bread and this wine, I conceive that thus verily God himself hath both given once his Son to dye, and gives still the virtue of his Death to bless and to save every Soul that comes unfaignedly to him.

6. The second is an Act of Adoration and Reverence, when he looks upon that good Hand, that hath consecrated for the use of the Church the Memorial of these great Things. I cannot without some degree of devotion look on any Ob­ject, [Page 10]that in any wise puts me in mind of the Sufferings of my Savior: and if I did perceive but any Cloud, somewhat like them, altho it were but casual, I would not neglect the Accident that had caused that Resemblance. But since the good hand of my God hath purposely contrived it thus, to set before me what I see; and since by his special Ap­pointment these Representatives are brought in hither for this Church, and among all the rest for me: I must mind what Israel did, when the Cloud filled the Tabernacle. I will not fail to wor­ship God, assoon as I perceive these Sa­craments and Gospel-Clouds appearing in the Sanctuary. Here I worship neither Sacrament, nor Tabernacle, but I will ob­serve the manner, that Moses, David, and all Israel have taught me to receive poor Elements with, after the Institu­tion of God hath once raised them to the estate of great Mysteries. Neither the Ark nor any Clouds were ever ado­red in Israel, tho some brutish Heathen sometimes thought so: but sure it is, the Ark was considered quite otherwise then a Chest, and the Cloud then a Vapor, assoon as God had hallowed them both, to be the Signs of his presence. There­fore as the former People did never see the Temple or the Cloud, but that [Page 11]presently at that sight they used to throw themselves on their faces; I will never behold these better and surer Sacraments of the glorious Mercies of God, but as soon as I see them used in the Church to that holy purpose that Christ hath consecrated them to, I will not fail both to remember my Savior who consecrat­ed these Sacraments, and to worship also my Savior whom these Sacraments do represent. And God forbid, that, when I am able, I should not receive them, as my Savior himself was pleased to re­ceive his own Baptism, with Devotion and Prayer. Luk. 3.21.

7. The third, which is the Crown and the compleating of the two other, is such a vigorous and intense Act of Faith, as may correspond to the great End, which our Savior aimed at, when He instituted this Sacrament. The main Intention of Christ was not here to pro­pose a bare Image of his Passion once suffered in order to a bare Remembrance: but over and above to enrich this Me­morial with such an effectual and real Presence of continuing Atonement, and strength, as may both evidently set forth Christ himself crucified before our eyes, Gal. 3.1. and invite us to his Sacrifice, not as done and gone many years since, but, as to expiating grace and mercy, still [Page 12]lasting, still new, still the same that it was, when it was first offered for us.

8. All those Sacrifices under the Law, which had both their use and their strength limited, some to a year, some to a Month, some to a day, were not less powerful at the last, then they were at the first moment of their proper Du­ration: and they who lived or dyed within the twelfth month of the year, after the Feast of Propitiations, had as much benefit from that anniversary Sa­crifice, as they, who were upon the place and at the very day, when the high Priest did offer it. Upon the like, but infinitly better reason, the Sacri­fice of Jesus Christ being appointed by God the Father for a Propitiation that should continue throughout all Ages, to the Worlds end: and withal being ever­lasting by the Priviledg of its own Or­der, which is an unchangeable Priesthood, Heb. 7.24. and by his worth, who of­fered it, that is the Blessed Son of God, and by the Power of the Spirit, by whom it was offered, which is the eternal Spi­rit, Hebr. 9.14. all kinds of Eternity thus concurring together to the Sacri­fice upon the Cross, it must in all re­spects stand everlasting and Eternal, and the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. Hebr. 13.8.

[Page 13] 9. Therefore this Sacrifice being such, the holy Communion is ordained of Christ, to set it out to us as such, that is, as effectual now at this holy Table, as it was then at the very Cross: and by the same proportion the Act of worthy Receivers, (besides Remembrance and Worship) must needs be this; first to elevate their Faith, and stretch their ve­ry Souls up to the Mount, with the bles­sed Virgin, who stood nearest the Sa­crifice, or at the least with the Disci­ples, who lookt on it at some distance: and then look up to the Victim, to Je­sus the Everlasting Mediator of the Ever­lasting Covenant, and to the Blood of sprink­ling that speaks yet, and craves for better things (Pardon and Blessing) then Abels did. Hebr. 12.24. Here Faith must be as true a subsistence of those things past, which we believe, as 'tis of those other things yet to come, which we hope for. Heb. 11.1.

10. At the approach therefore of this great Mystery, and by the help of this strong Faith, the worthy Communicant being prostrated at the Lords Table, as at the very foot of his Cross, shall with earnest sorrow confess and lament all his Sins, which were the nails and spears that pierced our Savior. We our selves most chiefly, not Pilate, nor the [Page 14]Jewes (for he would not have dyed for such alone) we have crucifyed that Just one. Men and Brethren what shall we do! Act. 2.37. He shall fall amazed at that Stroke of Divine Justice, that being of­fended but by Men, could not be sancti­fied, nor appeased but by the sufferings and death of God. How dreadful is this Place! how deep and holy is this Myste­ry! Then he will fall again to worship­ping, not less amazed at, then thankful for, those inconceavable Mercies of God the Father, who so gave up his only Son, and for the Mercies of God the Son, who thus gave himself up for us.

11. My Lord! and my God! I behold here in this Bread made of a Substance that was cut down, beaten, ground and bruised by men, all the heavy Blows and Plagues and Pains, which my Savior did suffer from the hands of his Murtherers: I behold in this Bread dryed up, and baked and burnt at the Fire, the fiery wrath also, which he suffered for me [Page 15]from above, and from the hand of his own Father. My God, my God, why hast thou thus for­saken him! the violence of wicked men first hath made him a Mar­tyr, then the Fire of Heaven hath made him a Burnt sacri­fice: and under both these Suf­ferings, lo he is become to me the Bread of Life!

Let us then go, to take and eat it. For tho the Instru­ments that bruised him be bro­ken to pieces, and the direful Flames that burned him be quite put out, yet this Bread, which is the Body of the Lord, conti­nues new. The Spears and Swords that slew, and the Burn­ings that compleated the Sacri­fices, are many years since scat­tered and spent; but the strength and sweet smell of the [Page 16]Oblation is still fragrant, the Blood still warm, the words still fresh, and the Lamb still stand­ing as slain. ^* Any other Bread by duration will alter, and any other Sacrifice will lose its strength; but Thou most Eternal victime, offered up to God through the Eternal Spirit, by an everlasting Priest, and by an Order which can never be changed, Thou remainest alwaies the same: and as thy years shall never fail, they shall never lose nor abate any thing of thy saving strength and mercy: help O help me also, that they abate nothing of my Faith. Help me to grieve for the sense of my sins, and for that of thy pains, as those good Souls did, who saw thee suffer. ^† Let not my heart burn with less Zeal [Page 17]to follow and serve thee now, when this Bread is broken at this Table, then did the hearts of thy Disciples, when thou didst break it in Emaus. ^* O Rock of Is­rael. Rock of Salvation, Rock struck and cleft for me, let those two streams of Blood, and Wa­ter, which once gushed out of thy side, ^† when the Curse of the Law, and the Rod of Moses had opened it, bring down with them Salvation and Holiness into my Soul, tho far distant from the Mountain, where thou didst re­ceive that deadly Blow. And let not my Soul less thirst after them at this distance, then if I stood upon Horeb, whence sprung this water, and near the very Cleft of that Rock, the very Wounds of my Savior [Page 18]whence gushed out this Sacred Blood. All the distance of Times and Countries, how great soever, which is between Adam and me, doth not keep his Sin or his Punishment any more from pursuing and reaching me, then if I had bin born in his house: and notwithstanding this distance we sin and dye after his Image, as if we were immedi­atly sprung from his Loines. Se­cond Adam, Adam descended pow­erful from above, let thy Blood reach as far, and come as freely both to save and to sanctify, as the Blood of my first Father did both to destroy and defile me. Blessed Jesu, who revivest by this Sa­crament the Memory of thy Sa­crifice, quicken and strengthen my faith also, dispose my mind, prepare my heart, and then bless [Page 19]this thine Ordinance. If I but touch (in that manner I ought to do) the Hem of his Gar­ment, the Garment of his Pas­sion, virtue will proceed out of Him, it shall be done accord­ing to my Faith: and my poor Soul shall be made whole. Amen.

SECTION. III.

1. THe second Face of the blessed Communion looks towards the present Graces that attend the right use of it, first as a Figure, whereby God represents, secondly as a moral Instru­ment whereby he is pleased to convey, them unto the Church. First I say it marks and signifies these present Graces. For being of its own nature a Sacrament, that is, a sign of an Invisible Grace, it must principally stand to signify, and lead us to greater Blessings.

[Page 20] 2. It is the ordinary way of God, when He either promises or bestowes on men any considerable Blessing, to con­firm his word and his Gift with the addi­tion of some Signs. For this I need not to alledg other Evidences then the Rainbow, the Burning Bush, Abrahams Furnace, Gideons Fleece, the Cloud, the Ark, &c. which for those times were Sacraments of great Things. God com­monly sent no Prophets, without giv­ing them as it were a Sacramental E­quippage, which could represent in some degree the Message they had to deliver; witness the Hairy Mantels, the rent Garments, the Iron Yoakes, the Hornes, some times some kinds of life or Gesture, wherein men might see before hand, the Charges and sad Predictions which they were to hear soon after. Our Savior did observe this same method, when he laid his hands on Children, when he breathed upon his Disciples, when he bad them to anoint the Sick, and when he cursed the Fig-tree. All men by a naturall instinct do somwhat like this when they second their Expressions with some signs and motions of their Body, tho they think of no Mysteries. So that you hardly can hear any man being somwhat earnest and serious upon any matter, whether of Request, or com­plaint, [Page 21]Submission, or Excuses, but you may see him at the same time either bowing the knee, or joining his hands, or unco­vering his head, which Acts are, in a manner, civil and natural Sacraments, to confirm his Expression.

3. The truth is, such is the disposition of most men, that how strongly soever they be perswaded of the Truth, which they hear, yet will they be far bet­ter wrought upon towards their own perswasion when they see some signs of this Truth: And tho a true Israelire doubts not at all of the presence of his God, nor a faithfull Disciple of the promise given him that he shall receive the Holy Ghost, when Moses and Christ have once passed their Word for these two Things: yet will their Faith be much strengthned, when one sees the Ark and the Cloud, which were the Sacrament of that, and when the other receives the Breath, which was the Sacrament of this. Now the Mystery of the Cross, and of the Sal­vation that followes it, is of that high and important nature, as might justly ob­lige the Son of God to propose them to his Church in the most sutable manner to work in men a deep impression. Therefore as God himself in order to sa­tisfy Moses more fully that his People should not perish, nor so much as di­minish [Page 22]under the Thraldom of Egypt; shewed him a Bush continuing still whole and entire in the midst of a great Fire: and in order they might be more firmly perswaded, that tho they were in a wilderness, they were under Gods protection, he made them go all the way under a Cloud; that when soe­ver there should happen any staggering in their Belief, both Moses and the Peo­ple might strengthen it, Moses by re­membring the Bush, and the People by minding the Cloud; to the same purpose hath Christ ordained some Visible Signes in his Church, to compleat her common Faith, and to assure this truth to every one who comes to him, that he shall be cleansed of his sins, as certainly as it is certain he sees some water which is the ordinary means for washing▪ and that he shall be kept up, and fed with a supply of all necessary Blessings, as certainly and really, as it is real and certain he tasts and takes in this Bread and Wine, which are the ordinary means for preserving our life and strength.

4. Besides, because the Sacraments are designed not only to perswade us more strongly of the truth and Being of the Things, but also to acquaint us more familiarly and sensibly with their Con­dition and nature; these Sacraments must [Page 23]have in their natural constitution, some known Qualities that make them fit for this Sacramental office. Such hath the Water for example, which was so deser­vedly chosen for the use of holy Bap­tism, because of the proper virtue it hath of washing the things that are fowl, of reviving and refreshing them that are dry, and of making fruitful the Barren. Hereupon S. Austin saies plainly, that unless the holy Sacraments had some such agreement with the Holy Things, which they are set up to represent, they could not be Sacraments at all. Epist. 23. ad Bonif.

5. So the blessed Communion is made of two such Elements, as can forthwith expose to the sight and sense of all men, the true ground of its Sacramental and significative Function. This function is twofold; the first to represent Christs Sufferings: and the second to represent the Blessing and the Benefit which we receive from these Sufferings. The first I say to represent Christs Sufferings. This Bread and Wine could neither sustain nor refresh me, had not their intrinse­cal Substance lost its first condition and estate: that is if the one had never fallen under the Sickle, the threshing, the Mil­stone, the Fire: and the other under the Hook, the Trampling, and the Press of [Page 24]bandmen: Nor doth the Son of God save me, but by ^* emtying himself in a manner, for a while of his first glo­ry in Heaven: and by losing that second life which he had taken in Bethlehem. This Blessed Savior is not a Savior by the strength of all the Miracles which He did about Judea, nor by any thing that He could suffer, as long as He would keep himself alive, when he was made fast to his Cross. As the best Harvest is not yet Bread, as long as it stands in the Field: nor is the best Corn Bread likewise as long as 'tis kept whole in the Floor; both Corn and Harvest being no more then antecedent Matter for mans Food. Jesus living in Galilee, Jesus teach­ing about the Temple, Jesus command­ing Storms and Waves, when he did walk upon the Sea, if he had proceed­ed no further, could not have bin the Bread of life: it must be Jesus suffering, Jesus crucified, Jesus dying: the grinding Mill, and the burning Fire have of this Corn made me this Bread: and nothing less then Cross, Wounds, Death, my Lord! my God! could of thy dearest Son make my Savior?

6. I say secondly, this Eucharistical Bread is instituted to represent the Fruit and Benefit which we receive both at the Holy Table, and upon all other oc­casions, [Page 25]from Christs Sufferings, to wit Maintenance and Improvement of life. As without Bread and Wine, or somthing answerable to it, the strongest Bodies soon decay: so without the virtue of the Body and Blood of Christ, the best and holiest Souls must infallibly starve and perish. The Body of the Lord as it was offered up to God in Sacrifice, is the Truth represented by the Passover: and as represented to us at the Holy Com­munion, is the Truth and Accomplish­ment typified by the Manna. The one is, as it were the Seed and the Original Prin­ciple whence we are born: and the other as the Bread wherewith we live. That is to say, as Bread and Wine do not pro­duce, but keep up that animal Life, which another Cause hath produced: so doth our Lord Jesus by a necessary and continual supply of strength and Grace, represented by Bread and Wine, sustain, improve, and set sorward that Spiritual Life and new Being, which He hath procured us by his Cross.

7. For Jesus the second Adams, be­ing seiz'd, as He hung on the Cross, with that deep sleep which God daused to fall upon him, gave this new Being to his Church out of that side which at his Passion was opened: and the Blood and Water, which then gushed out of his [Page 26]Wounds, are the true Principles of life, by reason of which his spouse the Church may be called Eve, that is true and everlast­ing Liver. Before she had this new origi­nal out of her Saviors Passion, her Hus­bands sleep, she by her old Extraction was a very Daughter of Death, and a Mother of such Children, as could pre­tend to no better Inheritance, then Curse and Wrath. Ephes. 2.2. By the course of Nature our Life is but a sad Progress from Birth to Death: and by the course of Gods Justice a sadder Mo­tion, such as is that of condemned Per­sons from Prison to the Place of their Execution. But whilst we were daily pas­sing on to that most dreadful Punish­ment, the Son of God lookt on us, and took our Condemnation upon him­self, and under it dyed in our steed. Thus by the Death and satisfaction of this Victim Justice gave way to my Release: God the Father forgave my Sin, and God the Son procured my Life. This Grace is the first Purchace of Christs Blood, the first Irradiation of Gods mercy, and the first Breath of spiritual Life in our Nostrils.

8. But alas! how soon would this first life vanish away, were it not presently followed and supported by a second? How soon would the removal of the [Page 27]former, be frustrated by the commission of other Sins! And since I am no soon­er born in sin then dead in it, how hard would it be without more help in this corrupted condition to keep dead Lazarus from Rottenness! Therefore the Body and Blood of Christ once Sa­crificed on the Cross, (to help this first) procures a second Life, that pre­serves, whomsoever it saves out of this stupid death in sin: it helps them out of the Puddle, where they did ly like Beasts without sense of danger, or shame: and it quickens these rotten Trees for the producing of better Fruit. The first Life being opposite to Condemnation and Eternal Punishment, belongs properly to the Blood that hath satisfied divine Ju­stice, and so removed Punishment: and the second which is opposite to stupid and senseless both falling into sin and ly­ing in it, relates properly to the Wa­ter, that after Propitiation and Pardon washes and sanctifies the sinner. These two Lives are the two first Effluxes, which proceeded out of Jesus Christ, when his Body was pierced: and both are inseparable; as the Blood and the water were, which flowed together out of his side. Let none, who finds him­self clean from the filth and spots of his sin, be afraid of Punishment for them, [Page 28] I have found a Ransom for him. Job. 33.24. for the water came not without the Blood. But let every one that hath a mind to be safe from Punishment which is taken off by the Blood, seek for far­ther security in the purifying of him­self from all the uncleanness of sin which the Water is to wash away: for the Blood came not without water. Christ came not by Blood alone, but by water and Blood. 1 Joh. 5.6.

9. Over and above these two Lives, whereof one consists in Pardon and re­moval of Punishment; the other in San­ctification, and enlivens us from dead works, so as not thenceforward to deserve it as before; there remains besides a third Life, which consists in an absolute Redem­tion from Death and other miseries. This life, as to the sure Title and Right, is together with the two other purchased by the same Sacrifice: but as to the real use and possession, it is reserved for us in Heaven, and there hid with Christ in God. Coloss. 3.3. Until it be revealed, we appear as if we were dead, these two Jewels lying in, and being wrapped about, with the dark Veils of human Mortality, till that Christ becoming unto us actual Redemtion, as well as actual Justice, and actual Sanctification, this third life succeeds to break the Cloud.

[Page 29] 10. Now the blessed Savior being by his Sacrifice the Author and giver of these three Lives, shews himself by this Sacra­ment to be the preserver of them also: and to this purpose sets up a Table by his Altar, where he engages most solemnly to feed and nourish our Souls with the constant supply of his Mercies to the very day of eternal Salvation, as really as he gives and we receive these Elements of Bread and Wine, which are the usual meanes of sustaining mortal Bodies until the end of this short Life. My Father worketh hitherto and I work with him. Ioh. 95.17. God the fa­ther rested indeed upon the seventh day from the work of Creating, and God the Son at the same day from the work of Suffering: but neither of them will rest till the day of Redemtion from the work of preserving, both what the Crea­tion hath produced, and what the Pas­sion hath saved. In the first Creation here is a Man and a Woman made of the Flesh, and as it were of the very wounds of her Husband: and there you find a Tree planted to maintain both their life and strength. In the Deliverance of Egypt, here is a People saved by the Sacrifice of the Passeover: and lest so many rescued out of Egypt, should faint and starve in the Desert, [Page 30]there you see an Angel leading them the way with his Light, keeping them cool under the Shadow of his Cloud, and feeding them through all their journ­ny with a miraculous sort of Meat. Jesus is both in the Original and progress of Salvation the Truth foreshewed by these Figures. When he dyed upon the Cross, there he fullfilled that which had bin shadowed forth both by the Sleep and wound of Adam, and by the killing of paschal Lambs: And when he feeds from Heaven with a continual Effusion of Blessing those souls and lives which he hath bin pleased to redeem by the effusion of his own Blood, He is the Truth both of the Tree and of the Angel, which were appointed the one to main­tain Man, and the other to keep Israel.

11. Christ relates to these four Figures as the Body which fulfils them: and the Holy Communion relates to them on the other side, as an Antitype, that is, as one Image may relate to another, all to express the same object. Upon the breaking the one and powring out the o­ther of these consecrated Elements, you see what Christ hath suffered, as upon the wound of Adam, and the death of the Passeover, Abel, Enoc, and Israel might partly see, what he should suffer: And upon the nourishing nature of this [Page 31]Bread, you see that which others have seen in the Tree of life; and in the An­gel raining down Manna, what He would give. But this is the advantage of the Holy Communion above all the an­cient Figures. Adam with his open Side, and all Sacrifices with their Blood did foretel only Christs Passion: and the Tree of life with all its fruit, and the Angel with all his Food did foretel on­ly, his preserving Grace: whereas this Sacrament alone represents both his Pas­sion, and Preserving, and besides these, another great Mystery, by their mutual dependency. What wee take and eat, is made of a Substance cut, bruised, and put to the fire; that shews my Sa­viors Passion; and it was used in that manner that it may afford me wholesom food; that shewes the Benefit which both he gives and I receive out of this dreadful Passion. The Angels enjoy such an immortality, and wear such Crowns as cost God nothing, but the pain he took to give them: ours are more pre­cious and costly then so: Our inheri­tance in Heaven is not less then Akel­damah, a Possession bought with Christs Blood. In this Sacrament here is Death represented, there Life; the Life is mine, the Death my Saviors: and ô blessed Jesus, this my Life comes out of thy Death, [Page 32]and the Salvation which I hope for, is purchased with all the pain and Ago­nies which Thou didst suffer.

12. Here Melchisedek and Aaron wait upon Jesus Christ at this Table, as Moses and Elias did on the Mount: These two great Priests stand to soreshew, what Christ alone is to perform. For there is Aaron the Priest with Blood, and here Melchisedek with Bread. There Aaron breaks, sheds and destroies: here Mel­chisedek feeds and blesses. Nay, both are one in Jesus Christ. First Christ appears to Sacrifice (upon the Cross) as Aaron did at his Altar, with Flesh and Blood: and as in Melchisedeks case and figure, with his own Flesh, and his own Blood. Then as Aaron did use to enter once e­very year into the Sanctuary, Christ once for all is ascended into Heaven thence to bless us. Act. 3.26. And this bles­sing, is the strength, the Food and Re­freshment, which Melchisedek brought in a figure; that with the help of these good Things both Abraham and his Fol­lowers, that is all sincere Christians, may cheerfully go on their way notwithstand­ing their own weakness, and all the dangers of their life. Thus here is a double Blessing which I wait for; both what Aaron shewed by his Blood, and what Melchisedek shewed by his Bread.

[Page 33] 13. Author of my Salvation, and of these Mysteries which express it, bestow on me these two Blessings, which this Sa­crament shews together; Grace for Grace; Mercy, and strength to keep Mercy. Hosanna O Son of David, save and pre­serve. Save me that I may not fall under the hand of the De­stroyer, and preserve me that after this Salvation I never fall by my own hand. But keep and set forward in me notwithstanding all mine Infirmities the work of thy faithful Mercies. Grant that I may not increase my Guilt, by my abusing of what thou gavest. My Savior, my Preserver, give me alwaies what thou givest once. Create a new heart within me; but bless and keep what Thou createst: and [Page 34]increase more and more what Thou plantest. O Son of God and Tree of Life, feed with thy sap this tender Branch, which without thee cannot but wither: and strengthen in thee a bruised Reed, which without thee can­not but fall. Father of ever­lasting Compassions, forsake not in the Wilderness a feeble Is­raelite, whom thou hast brought a little way out of Egypt: And let not this poor Soul of mine, which thou hast blessed with some desires, and helped a while with some tendency to­wards an Eternal Salvation, ever faint and fall from the right way. The Angel in the Wil­derness could undoubtedly rain as much Manna, as the Pas­chal Lambs could shed Blood; Jesu, the Truth both of those [Page 35]Lambs and of that Angel, Thou art as able to perfect me with thy Blessings out of thy Throne, as thou wert to re­deem me by thy Sacrifice on thy Cross. Jesu Author, Object and Truth of this which by thine appointment I am bidden now to take, perform in me by thy sufferings what Thou dost exhibit: Eternal Life, by this thy Body broken; give also Nourishment and maintenance thereby to this same Life, for this is the Bread of Heaven. Amen.

SECTION IV.

1. HItherto we have considered this holy Sacrament, first as a stand­ing Memorial of that Passion, wherein Christ Jesus once offered himself up to God as Sacrifice: and secondly as a sign of that nutritive and corroborative Grace (the true Efflux of that Sacrifice) by which sign he daily offers himself to us under the notion of Meat. For his Flesh is meat indeed, and his Blood is drink in­deed. Joh. 6.55. And I ingeniously con­fess that the most general use of the blessed Communion runs upon these two Notions: and that these two main Resemblances between the Bread, and Christs Body, which qualify the conse­crated Bread (and the consecrated Wine in the same manner) to bear the Cha­racter of a Sacrament, do likewise suffi­ciently qualify it, to bear another ho­nor, which it enjoys, of being called the Lords Body. However it is most certain, that when the Fathers call it so, (which Christ himself taught them to do) they justify both His and their [Page 37]speech upon the account of resemblance, and of this commerce, (most usual be­tween Representations, and objects repre­sented) of enterchanging their own names. Read the 23. Epist. of St. Austin ad Bonif.

2. So for example, in the Prophetic Visions and Dreams, which most com­monly were nothing else then extempo­rary Sacraments of Things then reveal­ed by God, those are most constantly said to be these. The 7 Ears of Corn are 7 years, by the interpretation of Jo­seph. Gen. 41.26. The seven Stars are seven Angels, in the Revelation of St. John 1.20. The Sower is the Son of Man, The Tares are the wicked, The Harvest is the end of the World, in the Parables of Jesus Christ. Matth. 13.37.38.39. If by chance we meet with Pi­ctures, that represent the Tabernacle, or the Ornaments of Aaron; we usually say, pointing at some of these Figures, This is the outward Court, this is the Sanctuary, here is the brazen Altar, and there you see the Plate of pure Gold, that none was allowed to wear, except the High Priest of Israel: just as walk­ing in the Palaces and Galleries of great Persons, we say without thinking to speak improperly, that we have seen the 12. Sibyls, the 12. Cesars, the Tem­ple [Page 38]of Ephesus, &c. that is, the Repre­sentations of all these. Now 'tis certain that no Visions nor Images have ever bin more intended for this end of Re­presenting, then the true Sacraments have bin: therefore it were most unreasonable to think, that these sacred Images should want that Priviledg which all other (al­tho casual and profane) are allowed to have, viz. to take the name of their Objects. Nay, since the Paschal Lamb, the Circumcision and the Baptism have it (for one is called the Passover, the o­ther the Covenant, and the other the Burial of Christ) why should the Holy Communion be without it? Besides it is not conceivable that Christ, who had yet in his hands that Paschal Bread which was called by the Jews the Bread of Affliction which their Fathers did eat in Egypt, because it was the Memorial of it, may not be understood after the same manner, when a moment after He calls it his Body.

3. Nevertheless, altho the literal and immediate sense of these Words This is my Body, comes to no more; as Tertulli­an, and S. Augustin with many more have in express terms declared it: and as all ancient liturgies must needs un­derstand it, whensoever they call the Eucharist, Type, Image, or figure; for the [Page 39]proper and immediate use of Images is to represent Things. If they chance also to have them in themselves, or to con­vey them over to others, it is upon ano­ther account, as being vessels or uten­siles, &c. which office is extrinsecal to Sacraments; Nevertheless I say the end of the blessed Communion, the exigen­cy and pious desire of Communicants, and the strength of other Places of Scrip­ture require a great deal more in the Eucharist then a meer Memorial or Re­presentation.

4. 1. The proper end of the holy Com­munion; which is, to make us partakers of Christ in another manner and degree, when with faith and repentance wee take and tast those holy Mysteries, then when with the like dispositions wee do hear the Holy Gospel. 2. The Exigency, and honest desire of Communicants; who seek no more for a bare Representation or Remembrance of Christ crucified, at this Holy Table, then Mary and other devout women did for winding Sheets or Napkins about his Grave. I want and seek my Savior himself: and I watch for all the opportunities of com­ing to his Sacrament, for the same pur­pose, that once made S. Peter and S. Iohn run so fast to his Sepulcher; because I hope to find Him there. 3. Lastly, the [Page 40]full sense and importance of other Places in Scripture, which allow the Holy Com­munion, a much greater Vertue then is that of representing only. The Cup of Blessing which wee bless, is it not the Com­munion of the Blood of Christ? 1. Cor. 10.16. For whether the word, which wee render Communion be taken in an active sense, as 'tis often for Communica­tion; the holy Eucharist is a Means of communicating the Blood of Christ: or tho we take it but in a neuter and intran­sitive sense; yet the holy Eucharist will be still a Mystery, wherein one way or other true Christians shall find, not a Commemoration or Representation on­ly, but a Communion also with the Blood so represented and remembred.

5. The reall Efficacy which the Holy Communion hath to convey Grace and Blessing on the true Christian Receiver, is evidently demonstrated by the opposite Efficacy it hath to convey a Curse and Destruction on the Profane. Whosoever sayes S. Paul, eats of this Bread unworthi­ly, eats damnation to himself. Now certain­ly this would be as much to think unwor­thily as to eat unworthily of this holy Bread, to think it might be really pernicious when it is abused, but not really blissful and saving in its right use; and that this Bread, which we eat of, should be an [Page 41] effectual Communion to procure death, but meerly Sacramental only to shew, and not to procure Salvation. S. Paul sets out the Character of the unworthy Communicant, by not discerning the Lords Body: and thereby declares him guilty of the very Body and Blood of Christ. That is to say, that whosoever offers to abuse this Sacrament, plunges himself into their Crime, who have abused Christ himself: and that that Villain goes hand in hand with Judas, with Pilate, with both Jews and Romans who murthered Him. What therefore can be thought of those good Souls, who approach to this Sacrament with faith, humility, and a trembling Reverence, but that they will return home as much Justified and full of grace after their Devout, as the other shall full loaded with Damna­tion, after their impious usage: and that God will be as merciful in reckoning those among the Righteous Mary, Joseph, Nicodemus, as He is Just against these, when upon this account he shuts up their Souls with the Sinners, that in ve­ry deed crucified him. And God for­bid that the Body of Christ, who came to save, not destroy, should not diffuse as much of its Savor of life for the life and Salvation of Devout Souls, as it doth, of its Savor of Death for the [Page 42]Death of the Impious. 2 Cor. 2.16.

6. The manner of this real Commu­nication and Conveyance, is the great unfathomable Mystery, which the Holy Fathers have ever admired: and which therefore we neither need, nor do take upon us to explain. The Shepherds think themselves happy with the Mes­sage brought to them by an Angel, This day is born to you a Savior, Luke 2.11. tho they know nothing of the way of his most miraculous Birth: and the honest Israelites ought not to receive Manna less thankfully (as they do not less effectually) tho they know neither of what matter, nor by what means the Heavens, the Air, or the Clouds can thus every morning shed about their Tents this strange Meat. I must not wonder if the waies of the Lord be unknown to me in his Miracles, since they are so very often in his most ordinary works. And if David, tho a Prophet, cannot think upon that natural virtue, which makes Bones and Veins every day out of that feed, that is apparently nothing like to all these parts of Mans body, but he cries out I have bin strangely and won­derfully made! Ps. 139.13. Who am I to pretend to a clear understanding of that hidden and incomprehensible wis­dom, wherewith God is pleased to make [Page 43]out of Water, or Wine, or Bread (in themselves weak Elements) strong and supernatural Organs for Mens Souls and salvation?

7. It is true indeed, that Bread, Wine, and Water can without much ado come up so high as to become a Sacrament to signify: since the Act of signifying de­pends meerly on Institution. Yet this Institution, such as may make a Sacra­ment, must needs proceed both from a Divine and an almighty Origine. Di­vine I say; to give a Sacred Character: and Almighty withal; to justify and maintain it. For example, after the Flood no man or Angel had authority to make of the Rainbow a Mystery, that should signify the worlds preserva­tion from Drowning: and if either Men or Angels had taken on them that Li­berty; none of them had the power to make it true; that is, to make it a stand­ing infallible Evidence that the world shall never perish by water. So in the Church neither Apostles nor Bishops have any more Right to confer either upon the water of Baptism, or upon the Bread and Wine of the Holy Commu­nion, a Sacramental or representative Office, then they have power to make good their Representation by conferring the Blessings promised by it. And it is [Page 44]specially to this purpose, that most of the Expressions and Epiphonemas of the holy Doctors are to be understood, when they stand somtimes amazed at the infinit Power of God, either in the Institution, or the use of these Myste­ries: God alone being able to raise, wa­ter or Blood or any Thing else to the Order of Sacraments. But to raise them a step higher, that is to the Dignity of standing for true Means and Instruments, which may convey on us those Graces, which by their proper institution they represent; there is the Finger of God indeed, and there is a fitter matter for Mens admiration, then Mens knowledg.

8. Here then I come to Gods Altar with a full perswasion that these words This is my Body, promise me more then a figure: that this holy Banquet is not a Representation made of outward shews without substance: and that it is not so dangerous a Mystery but that the Reli­gious use of it may convey to me (at the least) as many, and as great Bles­sings, as the profane abuse of it may throw on the Abuser Plagues and Cur­ses. But how these Mysteries become in my behalf the supernatural Instru­ments of such Blessings; it is enough for me to admire. One thing I know (as said the blind man after he had re­ceived [Page 45]his sight. S. Joh. 9.25.) he laid Clay upon mine Eyes, and behold I see. He hath blessed and given me this Bread, and my Soul received Comfort. I ve­rily believe that Clay hath nothing in it self, that could have wrought such a Miracle, as Israel never saw the like: And I know as much of this Bread, that it is not such a Jewel as may contain in its substance, or impart from it self to others, Grace, Holiness, and Salva­tion, which is the juice and the sub­stance of Christs Body. Only I am perfectly satisfied, that 'tis the constant way of God, to produce his greatest Works, at the presence (tho not by the virtue) of the most useless Instruments. At the very stroke of a Rod, He part­ed once in two the red Sea. At the blowing some Trumpets, He tumbled down massy strong walls. At some few washings in Jordan, he cured Naaman of a Plague, which naturally was incu­rable: and as soon as but a shadow did pass by, or some Oyl was dropped down, or some Cloaths were toucht, presently virtue went out, not of Rods, or Trum­pets, or shade, or Clothes, but of Him­self. Virtue, says he, is gon out of me: and thus he cured the sick, &c. Since then he hath instituted and adopted un­to himself the Sacraments of the Gospel, [Page 46]as the Representative of his Sacred Body and Blood: why may he not take the same course for the dispensing of his Mercies, at the use of his Ordinances? and why should not his very body pour out Effusions of life as well when we take in his Sacraments, as when others did touch his Clothes, which surely had less Priviledg?

9. Under the Law, the Right hand of the Lord had the preeminence, the Right hand of the Lord brought these mighty Things to pass, either when the red Sea opened a way for Israel, or when the Rock of Horeb powred Rivers to refresh them. Now under the Gospel, It is Christ himself with his Body and Blood once offered to God upon the Cross, and ever since standing before him in Heaven as the Lamb slain. Rev. 5.6. who fills his Church continually with the Propitiations and Perfumes of his Sacrifice, when after the receiving of the holy Sacrament, faithful Com­municants return home richer then they came, with the first fruits of Salvation. For Baptismal Water, and Consecrated Bread and Wine, can contribute no more to it, then the Rod of Moses, or the Oyl of the Apostles did, which was no more then their Motion and their Pre­sence. But yet since these simple Moti­ons [Page 47]and inconsiderable Presences are so closely attended by Christs institution and working, that he is pleased to attri­bute to them the Blessing wrought out by himself, 1 Pet. 3.21. O my God whensoever thou wilt bid me, go and wash in Jordan, or be baptised and wash away my sins, I will doubt no more to be made clean either of my Leprosy, or of my Sins, then if I had bin bathed in thy Blood: And whensoever thou wilt be pleased to say unto me, go, take and eat this Bread, which I have bles­sed, and which now I have given thee, I will doubt no more of being fed with the true Bread of Life, then if I were eating thy very Flesh.

10. In this manner faithful Commu­nicants eat as effectually of the Body of Jesus Christ by receiving its strength and virtue, as the Saints eat of the Tree of life. Rev. 22.2. because they eat the Fruit of that Tree: or Israel did drink of the Rock, 1 Cor. 10.4. because they did drink of the Stream that flowed from it. Once my Savior could say, that some Body had touched him, tho they had touched but his Clothes, be­cause a Woman had reached both her Faith and her Hand so near as to be healed by the Divine warmth and vir­tue that proceeded then out of him, as [Page 48]if she had touched his very Flesh. The truth is, we really touch, have or enjoy the Thing it self, when we are within that distance, where we may enjoy its virtue. So the Church was clothed with the sun. Rev. 12.1. because shee had all about Her its Brightness: and by the Holy Baptism we are said to put on Christ. Galat. 3.27. because we then receive the Robes of his Righteousness, and that which was typified by that Garment which God made of skins (which implies the death of Victims) to cover Adams Nakedness.

11. This Victim having bin offered up both in the fulness of times, and in the midst of the habitable World, which properly is Christs great Temple, and thence being carried up to Heaven, which is his proper Sanctuary, thence he spreads all about us Salvation, as the Burnt offering did its smoke: as the Golden Altar did its Perfumes: and as the burning Candlestic its Lights. And thus Christs Body and Blood have every where, but especially at the Holy Com­munion a most true and real Presence. When he offered himself upon Earth, the Vapor of his Attonement went up, and darkned the very Sun: and by rent­ing the great Vail, it cleerly shewed he had made a way into Heaven. Now [Page 49]since He is gon up to Heaven, thence he sends down on Earth the Graces that spring continually both from his ever­lasting Sacrifice, and from the continual. Intercessions which attend it. So that it is in vain to say, who will go up into Heaven? since without either ascending or descending, this Sacred Body of Jesus fills with Attonement and Blessing the remotest Parts of this Temple.

12. Of these Blessings, Christ from above is pleased to dispense somtimes more, somtimes less, into these Inferior Courts of the People, either according to the several degrees of their Faith, or ac­cording to the several waies and times, which He hath appointed to them, for presenting themselves nearer to Him. All worshippers do not come to him with the same Faith: nor have all sea­sons and waies, (tho approved and ap­pointed by Him) the same or equal Priviledg: And his Ordinances in the Church, as well as his Stars in Heaven, differ in Glory one from another. Fast­ing, Prayer, Hearing of the Word, pub­lic and private Services, and all like ho­ly Duties, are all very good Vessels to draw water from this Well of Salvation: but yet they are not all equal. The blessed Communion must exceed as much in Blessings, when well used, as it ex­ceeds [Page 50]in danger of a Curse, when it is not. In all places, saies God, where I re­cord my Name, there I will come to thee, and bless thee. Exod. 20.24. But in those Places and Ordinances, which He hath in an especial manner set out to record his Passion, and to renew the Sacrifice of his Body; he will certainly come with such a fulness of Blessings, as at­tend this Sacred Body, which is the pro­per Seat of Blessings: the Bread which we do break, being the Communion of his Body: just as the eating of the Un­leavened Loaves were (out of Jerusalem) the communion to the Passover, which was the type of Christ Crucified. Christ our Passover, saies the Apostle, is Sacri­ficed for us: therefore let us keep the Feast, &c. 1 Cor. 5.7.8.

12. Our life in general is the time of this Festival: and the Blessed Commu­nion, is the Bread and Wine of the Ban­quet. Therefore as they of Israel, who for some lawful impediment could not eat the Lamb in Jerusalem, nor durst, because of the Law, sacrifice and eat it at home, had nevertheless the Benefit both of the Passover and other Holy Things of the Temple, by virtue of pri­var Feastings, which they were allowed to keep with unleavened Bread and bitter Herbs in the Country. Our Eucharisti­cal [Page 51]eating supplies now this very Office: and derives on worthy Communicants, as far as their Salvation is concerned, the virtue of Christs Sacrifice, in as large and saving a manner, as if they were present at His Altar, and at the hour of His Passion. The Lord bless thee out of his holy Seat. For then it was the kind­ness of the Lord towards his first Peo­ple (as certainly He hath no less mercy for the second) virtually to diffuse the Propitiation and strength of Holy Things from his Palace, into their Tents; and to bless them both inherently with all the Graces, and imputatively with all the Right, which could be conferred on them whose fault 'tis not, if they cannot either eat the Passover nearer the Tem­ple, or wait upon Christ at his Cross.

13. Thus this great and Holy Myste­ry extends and communicates the Death of the Lord, both as offering himself to God, and as giving himself to Men. As he offered himself to God; it enters me both into that mysterial Body, which is reputed as dead with Christ, and into their Society, priviledg and Commu­nion, for whom He was pleased to dye: it sets me among the precious stones of Aarons Ephod, Exod. 28. close to the Breast, and on the very shoulders of that Eternal Priest, whilst he offers up him­self [Page 52]and intercedes for his spiritual Isia­el: and by this means it conveyes to me the Communion of his Sufferings. Phi­lip. 3.10. whence will infallibly pro­ceed another Communion in all his Gra­ces and Glories. Under the second no­tion, as He offers himself to Men; the ho­ly Eucharist is, after the Sacrifice for sin, the true Festival and Sacrifice of Peace offerings, and the Table purposely set up to receive those Mercies, that are sent down from the Altar. Take, and eat, this is my Body which was broken for you. And this is the Blood that was shed for you.

14. Here then I wait at the Lords Table, that both shews me what an Apostle, who had Heaven for his School, had the greatest mind to see and learn, and offers me the richest Gift, that a Saint can receive on Earth, the Lord Jesus crucified.

Amen Jesu, my Lord and my God, give me all this which Thou showest; and grant with­al that I may both devoutly take, and faithfully keep, what Thou art pleased to give. Bless [Page 53]this thine own Ordinance, and make it of a true Sign, an effe­ctual Means of thy Grace: then bless and sanctify my Heart also, and make it a fit Temple for thy Mercies. Certainly Thou wilt deal with me in these thy Mysteries, O God of Truth, ac­cording to thy faithfulness; but dispose also my heart so towards the right using of them, that I may safely wish it may be don according to my Faith. O Father which art in Heaven, here. I offer up to thee my Soul, and thou offerest to me thy Son. The Oblation which I make is alas an unclean habitation to receive the Holy One of Isra­el: and a Tent infected with Leprosy, therein to Lodg the Saint of the Lord. Come in nevertheless, come in high and E­ternal [Page 54]Priest, but wash thy house at thy coming. Let no ill savor of the grave, no more then that of Lazarus, keep thee so far from the Sepulcher, and from the vile condition wherein I ly, but that thy pow­er with thy Voice, and thy Blood with thy Sacrament, may reach to me to raise me up: And let none of those uncleannesses, that after the Law of Moses, did defile them who came too near, keep off the great Saint of the Lord from touching, and heal­ing me. Evil Spirits enter somtimes into swept houses, to make them foul. ^* But O Ho­ly and hallowing Spirit of God draw nigh unto my Soul, which of it self is foul already, to make it clean. I am a poor [Page 55]sinful, and unless thou help, a lost person, but yet such as I am sinful and lost, I wait for thy Salvation. Come in, O Lord, with thy Salvation to a dying Man, to make him whole; to a sinner tyed hand and foot with the bonds of iniquity, to release him: to one who con­fesses his sins, to absolve him. Finally come in my Savior, as thou didst to the Publican, both to make me better and to save me. O let this day Salvation come to this House. Amen.

SECTION V.

1. THe blessed Communion opens such a treasure of Blessings on the two sides which look towards the past or present Time, (as I have con­sidered it) as it may very well take up both all the eyes of Cherubins in be­holding the Mysteries, and all the hands of the numerous Israelites in gathering up all the Manna, that it contains: yet it hath one other side or prospect more, which goes beyond the two former, as much as the future Blessings exceed the present, and as the Glory, which we hope for, exceeds the small degree of grace, which we possess. The blessed Communion which is a speciall Instru­ment ordained of Christ both to present a new (as to our use) his Passion, and to convey on us the present Graces, which flow out of this Passion, doth there with­all assure us likewise of all the Happiness to come; whereof the received Graces are a hopeful Earnest, and this Sacra­ment under this third notion, is a cer­tain Pledg.

2. Now, tho what is given before [Page 57]hand for Earnest, and what is engaged by way of Pledg, come all to one, in point of Validity and obligingness: yet they quite differ many times both in their use and in their intrinsecal value. Whence it comes to pass, that Earnests may be allowed upon account for part of the Payment which is promised; whereas Pledges are recalled, and taken back; as the Seal and Staff of Juda once were. Gen. 38. Thus for example, zeal, Charity, and these degrees of Holiness, which God bestowes at the use of holy Sacraments, will remain still ours in Heaven, and there make part of our Happiness; whereas the Sacraments them­selves shall be kept back, and shall not appear more in Heaven then did the Cloudy Pillar in Canaan, or do now the shadows of the Law under the time of the Gospel. Certainly we shall have no need, either of these sacred Images of Christ; when we shall see him face to face, or of these Pledges to assure us of that Glory, which is to be revealed, when we shall actually possess it. But till that day, the holy Communion hath this third use, namely of being a Pledg and an assurance from the Lord, that in his good time he will crown us with Ever­lasting Happiness.

3. Our blessed Savior pointed at it, [Page 58]when He said to his Disciple, the Holy Cup being in his hand, that he would drink no more of that Fruit, till he should drink it new in the Kingdom of his Father. Luk. 22.18. In the reall purpose of God, his Church and Heaven go both together: That being the way that leads to this, as the Holy Place, to the Holyest: and both Holy Place, and Holyest come to this one Thing, which Christ calls the Kingdom of God. Let them not, whom He hath invited to eat and drink at Abrahams Table, trouble themselves about the Room where our blessed Savior will feed them; for tho it were but in this inferior part of the kingdom, where this Patriarck was faith­full, it it a sufficient assurance, that in time He will also make them sit in that other Palace, where this holy Man is now happy: and whosoever are admitted to the Dinner of the Lamb slain, Matth. 22.4. unless they be wanting to them­selves, must not doubt of being admit­ted to that wedding Supper of the same Lamb, who once was dead, but now is Living for ever. Luk. 14.16. Revel. 19.9.

4. The consequence and connexion that these two Festivals have one with the other, was most sweetly alluded to by our Savior, when he asked the Disciples, [Page 59]who talked of sitting at his Right hand in his Glory, whether they could pass to it throught the same Baptism and the same Cup. Mark. 10.37.38. And S. Paul meant as much, when he said that by the holy Eucharist we set forth the Lords death til he come. 1. Cor. 11.26. Both referring and continuing this holy Mystery to the second Coming of Christ, not only as to the End, where it must cease: but chiefly as to the Scope, that it looks to; and to that happiness at his coming, where it must be full­filled. And truly, since our Savior scarce ever speaks of his own death, but as a forerunner and Preparative to his Resur­rection: and often joines in one Clause, and delivers as it were with one breath, both his Crucifiction and his Glory, Mark. 10.34. it it very fit, unless we put asunder these two Things, which Christ commonly did put together, that the Sacrament which he instituted pur­posely to represent the one, which is al­ready accomplished, should at the least cast an Eye towards the other, which we look for.

5. Nay, it must look and lead that way upon another and much stronger necessity. Our Savior hath given us three kinds of life by his Passion, and He pro­mises to nourish and maintain us in every [Page 60]one of them, by these tokens of Bread and Wine, which he hath made his Sa­crament. This Sacrament affords help and improvement for two as tis said be­fore, but there is a third more, that we are not yet come to: This is that eternal Life, for which this present world is too vile an Element, and we our selves as yet too vile vessells. Till we acquire by Grace and pious Endeavors a greater Perfection; and till we grow to that stature as may fit us to bear up that weight of Eternal Glory: we are nei­ther of age to enjoy our Inheritance, nor of ability to manage well that great Estate, and wear those noble Ornaments that attend it: and therefore it lyes hid­den from us with Christ in God, and as it were under his Custody. I Know whom I have believed, and I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day. 2. Tim. 1.12. that is; by Faith we deposit this great Treasure in the hands of God to keep: and God by this Sacrament assures us and engages himself, that he will both keep it safe for us, and restore it to us whensoever we are fit for it.

6. This third use is the Crown and the Accomplishment of the two other: And tho the Sacrament hath three Faces, and looks three several waies, the [Page 61]Past, the present, and the future; yet as to the main end, these three aim at one and the same Glory. The first use of this Sacrament is to set out as new and fresh the great and holy Sufferings, which have purchased our Title to Everlasting Happiness: the second is both to repre­sent the quality, and to afford us the help of all necessary Graces (true Effluxes of these Sufferings) to capacitate us towards it: and the third is to assure us that when we are capacitated by these Graces; God, and his Christ will faithfully surrender to us the Purchace it self, that is, eternal Happiness. And these three Parts put to­gether make up the proper and true sense of these words, Take and eat this is my Body: for the consecrated Bread is not said to be the Lords Body only, because it represents the Lords Body, but be­cause also as to our present use on Earth, it doth as good as exhibit it: and as to our Happiness in Heaven bought with the price of this Body, it is the most solemn Instrument to assure our Title to it.

7. Thus the consecrated Elements are no more the Body and Blood of Christ, in that sense that Pictures and Maps set about Rooms, are commonly called Kings and Countries only because they re­present them: but as Patents also grant­ed [Page 62]by Kings, or other Deeds and Evi­dences left in our houses by our An­cestors, are called Lands, Estates, and Manors, because they convey over to us most really both the Title and Pos­session of all the goods which they men­tion. Represent to your mind Jacob di­viding among his Children every Par­cel of his Estate, and withal surrendring the Titles that belong to each Division; take thou this, Joseph, this is the Field, which my Grand Father Abraham bought of Hephron, and you Manasehs, come you hither, this is the Land, which I got from the Amorite. It is most certain that the surrendring such Instruments, (altho in themselves but Papers, or Parch­ments) is in very deed nothing less then giving away the very Lands: And Deeds and lands may very well go together under one Name, since by giving whe­ther Deeds or Lands, whether Patents, or Priviledges, Fathers and other Bene­factors do both intend and effect the same Thing. If it happen somtimes among men that Right and Possession take not one way: that our best Titles are laid aside: and that we cannot en­joy those Estates, whereof either our Kings, or Fathers have left us most clear Evidences; this falls out so by un­happy Rencounters of either weakness, [Page 63]or injustice, or ignorance, which are not to be found in Christ. Here then Christ our blessed Savior being desirous before his death, as by a Deed of his last will, to settle upon his true Disciples both such a measure of his Grace in this life, as might in part make them Holy, and after this life such a fullness of all Blessings, as might make them eternally happy; He delivers into their hands, by way of Instrument and Conveyance, the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood (the true Root and stem of all Blessings) in the same manner, as to his Intention, but in a surer way, as to the Event and effect, as Kings use to bestow Dignities by the bestowing of a staff, or sword, and Fathers pass as much as they please of their Estates on their Children, by giving them some few writings.

8. The true reason of all this, is be­cause the Giver is not able to transfer into his Friends hands Houses and Lands, because they are of an immoveable Na­ture: and therefore this must be supply­ed by substituting in stead of Lands, some Ceremonies, forms, or tokens, which may visibly pass from hand to hand: and shew to all ends and purpo­ses both the Intention, that the one hath to pass away, and the power, which the other hath to take and enjoy [Page 64]what is given him. Now Christ and his Estate, his Happiness and his Glory, his Eternity and his Heaven, are not Things that may be moved more easily, then the Mountains or the Earth: and therefore not to be disposed of in any other real manner, then great immo­veable Estates are. Therefore the King­dom of Israel was once conferred upon David, with some drops of that Sacred Oil, which Samuel poured on his head. 1 Sam. 16.13. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is in full value, and Heaven with all its fulness is in sure Title insta­ted on true Christians by those small por­tions which they receive at the Blessed Communion: the Minister of Christ having, as to this effect, as much power from his Master, for what he acts, as any Prophet or any Angel ever had, for what they did.

9. Hence it appears, what crime it is not to discern the Lords Body. It is to do worse then Esau did, who sold his Birthright for a trifle: it is to value at the same rate the Anointing of a Pro­phet, and the composition of a Perfu­mer: it is to take the Lords Body for a despicable Morsel of Bread. In a word, 'tis to perform the action of a Beast, that devours but the gross and earthy Matter of this Sacrament: and have [Page 65]nothing of a Christian or rational crea­ture, who elevates his Soul to that Bo­dy, which by Christs institution it re­presents, and to the Price of that Body, which it promises. For since the pro­per essence of Sacred signs or Sacra­ments consists not in what they are in their nature, but in what they signify by divine institution; hence it happens infallibly, that when the Sacraments are abused, the injury must needs light, not upon them in their own natural Being, Bread, Wine, and Water, which upon this account are not at all considerable; but upon the Holy mysteries, the Body and Blood of Christ himself, who is the main object of their formal Being, that is, their Signification. And therefore the Apostle speaks most exactly, when he saies, that whosoever eats of this Bread unworthily, doth not discern, or doth not sanctify, but uses as a common and profane thing, the very Body of Jesus Christ.

11. In this profane want of Discern­ing, 'tis hard to say whether the Sin, or the Punishment be the greater. For the sin is abominable, since not the Bread, but Christ himself suffers the wrong: the Bread being not here concerned at all, nor more abused by the Villain that abu­ses the Sacrament, then is the Earth, the [Page 66]water or any other common matter of human Bodies, by the Murtherer, that kills a Man: or then are Brass and Mar­ble by the Rebels, who pull down their Princes Statues: or then Parchment, Pa­per, and Ink, by that unnatural Son, who tears and tramples upon the Deeds, and the last will of his Father. Only there is this difference, that in these last Instances, the Outrage proceeds but from the Earth, the Brass, the Marble, the Paper, and other such common Matter, to the Man, King, or Fathers persons, who should have bin considered, and who alone suffer the wrong: whereas in abusing the blessed Sacraments the sin flys a great deal higher, namely to the very Face of Jesus Christ, for whose Body and Blood they stand. So that as the Holy Communion is not exposed in the Church under the notion of Bread and Wine: the faithful Communicants do appear there to receive Christ, and the faithless to abuse Him.

11. But if this Attemt is impious, the Punishment that attends it, is most dread­ful. It is a very sad mischance when Dogs or Apes tear like lose paper all to fitters the Titles and assurances of a good Estate: and who would not pitty that wretch, who in his mad Passion had thrown into the sea, the very Keyes, [Page 67]which were given him, to Justify the Propriety of vast Treasures, in such Houses, as these keyes might open. Blind Villains, you cannot discern, either among these Papers, the Original Deeds of your Estate: or among all these Instruments the keyes, that might both assure and give you admittance to immense Riches. Whensoever you eat of this Bread, and drink of this Cup thus unworthily; un­happy men, you do not discern the Pledges of your Salvation: nay most Im­pious as you are, you neither discern nor will honor the Body and Blood of your Savior, which would bring salvation to you. At once both impious and unhappy men, you despise and cast away from you, both the Salvation and the Savior!

12. Lord Jesu! who hast ordained this Mystery for a Communion of thy Body: for a Means of advancement and proficiency in Holiness: and for an infallible Pledg of Eternal Salvation, which thou hast pur­chased by thy Body, and which thou preparest thy People to [Page 68]receive by this Proficiency in Holiness; now Lord in mercy look on me, help my unbelief, increase my Faith, and order the Soul of thy Servant, who is to take these Holy Things. Then since thou thy self origi­nally givest them, (tho not im­mediatly, but by the ministry of thy Disciples, ^*) In giving them bless them also: and bless them whilst I receive them: that they may be efficacious to settle me in the Communion of thy Sufferings which they exhi­bit and shew forth: to feed me with that living Bread, which they present: and to sanctify me for that eternal Happiness, which they promise. O Lord thou knowest my sim­pleness, my Growning is not hid [Page 69]from thee look on a poor Sinner at thy Table, as thou didst on him who hung by thy Cross. O Lord my God, remember me now, when thou art come into thy Kingdom. ^* Amen.

13. Eternal Priest, who art gon up on high, there to receive Gifts for men; fill my Heart I beseech thee with blessings out of thy holy Seat, as now thou fil­lest my Mouth with the Holy Things of thy Church: and so dispose me by thy Grace to eat both spiritually and really the Flesh of that Sacrifice, which thou didst offer without the Gate, and which this Sacrament sets before me here in thy Courts, that thence I may be admitted into that Holy­est [Page 70]Sanctuary, which thy Sacri­fice hath opened, and which this Sacrament invites me to. This is the Bread which the Lord hath prepared for his Children, and which he sends me now by the hand of one of his Angels. O that in the strength of this Meat, I may walk as Elijah did, my fourty daies, or as Israel, my fourty years, and come at last to that Holy Mountain, where without the help of any Bread, or the Ministry of any Angels, I shall see my God face to face. Eter­nal, and blessed, and blessing Spirit of God, bless me now, and help me to drink so worthily of this fruit of the Vine, that I may drink it new in the Kingdom of my Father. Amen.

SECTION VI.

1. IT is a certain truth that there never was on Earth a true Religion with­out some kind of Sacrifices: and 'tis a very great lye to say that now the Chri­stian should want them. The Jews and the Pagans, who first aspersed the Church of Christ with this slander, did it upon such a reason, as became them, be­cause they saw neither Altars set up, nor Beasts slain and burnt among them. Thus the Pagans accused the Jews of adoring nothing but Clouds, because they had no Gods of Stone, or Silver in their Synagogues: and thus silly men may think now, that the world is desti­tute of Angels, because they do not ap­pear so often as they did in ancient times, in the shape and forms of Men. The truth, is as what appeared like a Bo­dy, was not an Angel: nor what was Stone, or Silver could be a God: Nei­ther the slaughter of poor beasts could ever be true Sacrifices. Thou delightest not in Oblations, the Sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit. Many among the Jews much less quick sighted then the Prophets were, [Page 72]confessed as much: nor certainly could any reason permit them to imagine, that Flesh and Blood, which in all their Scriptures passes both for the weakest and the vilest of Things, could be the best and the soundest part of Sacrifices.

2. Of all the Carnal Sacrifices, which the Jews do reduce to six kinds (besides many more Oblations) none ever had any saving reality, as to the washing a­way of sins but in dependance on Jesus Christ our Lord: and as to our service and duty towards God, which they were also to represent, none had this second end so fully performed under the Law, as it must be under the Gospel. The blessed Communion alone, when whole, and not mutilated, concenters and brings together these two great Ends (full Ex­piation of sins, and acceptable Duty to God) towards which all the old Sa­crifices never look't, but as either simple Engagements, or weak shadows. As for the first, which is Expiation of sins; 'tis most certain that the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone hath bin sufficient for it: and that if all both men and Angels were joined to it, it were not to add too, but to receive from its fulness. It is most certain also, that this great Sa­crifice being both of an infinit virtue to satisfy the most severe Justice, and of [Page 73]an infinite virtue to produce at once all the Effects, that can be expected of it; it were impiety to think, it should need to be don again, as weak and infirm Causes must, in order to make up by degrees and at several times their full Effect. This was perhaps the want of Faith, which the holy Scripture taxes in Moses. Num. 20.12. (which it is hard to find in any thing els) to strike a se­cond time, and without order, that myste­rious Rock, which to strike once had bin enough: for this second blow could pro­ceed but of a faithless mistrust that the first, which alone was commanded, could not suffice. But it were a much greater offence both against the Blood of Christ, to question its infinit worth, and against the infinitness and Immen­sity of this worth, to charge it with som Emtiness, which any reiteration should fill up. Therefore as the Expiatory Sa­crifice, which Christ offered upon the Cross, was infinitly able to do at once whatever an infinit number of other Sacrifices had bin able to do, either all together at one time, or each of them severally during the succession of all Ages; the Offering of it must needs be one only: and the Reiteration of it were not only superfluous as to its real effect, but also most injurious to [Page 74]Christ in the very thought and Attemt.

3. Nevertheless this Sacrifice which by a real Oblation was not to be offered more then once, is by an Eucharistical and devout Commemoration to be of­fered up every day. This is what the Apostle calls, to set forth the death of the Lord; to set it forth I say as well before the Eyes of God his Father, as before the Eyes of all Men: and what S. Au­gustin did explain, when he said that the holy Flesh of Jesus Christ was offer­ed up in three manners; by prefiguring Sacrifices under the Law, before his com­ing into the World: in real deed upon the Cross: and by a Commemorative Sa­crament, after he is ascended into Hea­ven. All comes to this first, that the Sacrifice, as tis it self and in it self, it can never be reiterated; yet by way of de­vout Celebration and Remembrance it may nevertheless be reiterated every day. Secondly, that whereas the Holy Eucharist is by it self a Sacrament, wherein God offers unto all men the Blessings merited by the Oblation of his Son; it likewise becomes by our Remembrance, a kind of Sacrifice also; whereby, to obtain at his hands the same Blessings, we present and expose before his Eyes that same holy and precious Oblation once offered. Thus the anci­ent [Page 75]Israelites did continually represent in their Solemn Prayers to God, that Covenant which he had made once with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob their Fore­fathers. Thus did the Jews in their Captivity turn their Faces towards ei­ther the Country or the Temple where the Mercy Seat and the Ark were, which were the Memorial of his Pro­mises, and the Sacramental Engagement of his Blessings. And thus the Christi­ans in their Prayers do every day insist upon, and represent to God the Father the meritorious Passion of their Savior, as the only sure ground, whereon both God may give, and they obtain the Blessings, which they do pray for. Now, neither the Israelites had ever Temple or Ark or Mercy seat, nor the Christi­ans have any Ordinance, Devotion or Mystery, that may prove to be such a blessed and effectual Instrument to reach to this Everlasting Sacrifice, and to set it out so solemnly before the Eyes of God Almighty, as the Holy Eucharist is. To men it is a sacred Table, where Gods Minister is ordered to represent from God his Master the Passion of his dear Son, as still fresh and still pow­erful for their Eternal Salvation: and to God it is an Altar whereon Men mystically present to him the same Sa­crifice [Page 76]as still bleeding and still sueing for Expiation and Mercy. And because it is the high Priest himself, the true A­nointed of the Lord, who hath set up most expressly both this Table and this Altar for these two ends, namely for the Communication of his Body and Blood to Men, and for the Representation and Memorial of both to God; it cannot be doubted, but that the one must be most advantageous to the penitent Sin­ner, and the other most acceptable to that good and gracious Father, who is alwaies pleased in his Son, and who loves of himself the repenting and the sincere return of his Children. Luke 15.22.

4. Hence one may see both the great use and advantage of more frequent Communion: and how much it con­cerns us, whensoever we go to receive it, to lay out all our wants, and pour out all our Grief, our Prayers, and our Praises before the Lord in so happy a conjuncture. The primitive Christi­ans did it so, who did as seldom meet to preach or pray, without a Com­munion, as did the old Israelites, to worship without a Sacrifice. On so­lemn daies especially, or upon great Exi­gencies they ever used this help of Sa­cramental Oblation as the most power­ful [Page 77]Means the Church had to strengthen their Supplications, to open the Gates of Heaven, and to force in a manner God and his Christ to have compassi­on on them. The People of Israel for the better performance of Prayer and Devotion went up to the Tabernacle and the Temple, because (besides other Motives) both these were Figures of that Body which was to be sacrificed. Where­fore. Christ calls his Body this Temple. Joh. 2.19. and the first Christians went up to their Churches, there to meet with these Mysteries, which do repre­sent him both as already sacrificed, and yet as in some sort offering and giving up himself. Those in worshipping ever turned their Eyes, their Hearts, their hopes towards that Altar and Sacrifice, whence the High Priest was to carry the Blood into the Sanctuary: and these looking toward the Cross and their cru­cified Savior there, through his Suffer­ings hope for a way towards Heaven; being encouraged to this hope by the very Memorial, which they both take to themselves and shew to God of these Sufferings. Lastly, Jesus our Eternal Priest, being from the Cross, where he suffered without the Gate, gon up into the true Sanctuary which is Heaven, there above doth continually present [Page 78]both his Body in true reality, and us as Aa­ron did the twelve Tribes of Israel in a Memorial, Exod. 28.29. and on the other side we beneath in the Church present to God his Body and Blood in a Memo­rial, that under this shadow of his Cross, and image of his Sacrifice, we may pre­sent our selves before him in very deed and reality.

5. O Lord who seest nothing in me, that is truely mine, but Dust and Ashes, and which is worse, sinful flesh, and Blood; look upon what I have of thee, some small Remnant of thine I­mage, some small beginnings of thy Grace, and some light sparks of thy Spirit. But because all these are defective, supply them, O Lord, with thy mercy, and with the Sacrifice of thy Son. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name, and thine Anointed give [Page 79]the praise. Turn thine Eyes, O Merciful Father, to the satisfacti­on and Intercession of thy Son, who now sits at thy Right Hand: to the Seals of thy Covenant, which lye be­fore thee upon this Table: and to all the wants and distresses, which also thou seest in my heart. O Father, glo­rify thy Son whom thou hast sent into this World: O Son bless thou this Sacrament which thou hast ordain­ed for thy Church, and send with it some influence of that Spirit whom thou hast promised to all Flesh: that by the help of these Mercies, the World, the Church, our Flesh and Souls may glorify thee now and ever Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

SECTION VII.

1. IT is either the Error, or the incogi­tancy of too many Christians, which makes them somtimes beleive and of­tener live, as if under the Gospel there were no other Sacrifice but that of Christ upon the Cross. It is very true indeed there is no other, nor can there be any other sufficient, and proper for this end, of satisfiing Gods Justice, and expiating our sins. I have troden the Winepress a­lone, and of the People there was none with me; I looked and there was none to help. Esay. 63.3.5. In this respect, tho the whole Church should in a Body, offer up her self as a burnt Sacrifice to God, yet could she not contribute more, to­wards the bearing up or bearing away the wrath to come, then all those Inno­cent souls, who stood neer Jesus Christ when he gave up the Ghost, did towards the darkning of the Sun, or the shaking of the whole Earth. But that which is not so much as useful, much less necessary to this Eternal Sacrifice, which alone could re­deem Mankind, is indispensably both ne­cessary and useful, that we may have a [Page 81]share in this Redemtion. So that if the Sacrifice of our selves, which we ought to offer up to God, cannot procure Sal­vation; it is absolutely necessary to re­ceive it.

2. As the old Law never introduced Aaron officiating before the Lord, with­out the whole People of Israel, repre­sented both by the twelve stones on his Ephod and the two other on his should­ers Exod. 28.12.30. The Gospel most commonly describes Jesus Christ and his Church, not only as two Parties, that do nothing the one without the other, but somtimes also as one Person alone: as particularly, 1. Cor. 12.12. Christ acts, officiates and suffers for his Body, in that manner that doth become the Head: and the Church imitates and fol­lows all the motions and sufferings of this heavenly and holy Head, in such a manner as is possible to its weak Mem­bers.

3. The main if not the whole Divi­nity of S. Paul as well in point of faith, as of Christian life, runs upon this Con­formity both of actions and sufferings: And that of S. Iohn likewise upon this same Communion. The truth is, Our Sa­vior had neither Birth nor Death nor Resurrection here on Earth, but such as we ought to conform us to: as he hath nei­ther [Page 82]Ascention, nor Throne, nor Ever­lasting life, nor Glory, but such as we may also have in Heaven common with him.

4. This Conformity or likeness to Christ, which (as the Hebrewes use to spake,) is the foundation and Pillar, that is, the grand Principle of the whole Christian institution, relates more directly to our du­ty about his Sufferings; and then to our hap­piness about his Exaltation. And the Communion, which is the other great fundamental, that S. Iohn hath still in his Mouth, points more at this, and presupposes that: And both make up a full Comment upon the words which our Savior so often commanded his Disciples, to follow him; thereby sig­nifiing both the Labor, and the suc­cess of this most Important Journy, for without doubt we shall follow him into Heaven, if we will follow him here on Earth: and we shall have Communion with him in his Glory, if we will keep Conformity with him here in his Suffe­rings.

5. These three expressions to Follow, to be like or have Conformity, and to have Communion, which are the most essential Clauses in the charter and charge of christianity, are not to be limited to the imitation of Christs Moralls on­ly, [Page 83]as when he bids us be Holy as he is Holy, &c. but they oblige all his Disci­ples to follow and imitate him likewise, as much as in them lies, throughout all the other parts of his life, and the very functions of his Offices. For we must be regenerated in his Birth, dye on his Cross, be buried in his Grave, bear his shame in his Tribulations; in a word, Christ and Christians are and must be continually together, Where I am there my servant shall be also. Ioh. 12.26. But of all these Duties the most funda­mental and most indispensable, is that of bearing part of his Cross and dying with him in Sacrifice.

6. Never did the Son of God intend any more to offer himself for his people, without his people, Then did the High Preists of the Law to offer themselves for Israel without his Ephod, the memori­all of them. Christ presented himself to God, in this great Temple, which is the world, at the head of whole Man­kind, as did the first born of Egypt, who also did prefigurate him every one in his house, at the head of his family. He came as a voluntary vi­ctim to the Altar, being attended on by his Israel, who as it were with their hands laid all their sins upon his head. There­fore [Page 84]as it was necessary, that they, who sought for Attonement, should wait up­on the Sacrifice: and that whosoever would escape the destroyer, or other Plagues, should keep themselves with­in that house, where either the first born, or the Paschal Lamb was destroy­ed: by the same necessity, whosoever do pretend to Eternal Salvation, must needs appear within that house, about that Altar, and that Cross, whereon this first born of every Creature, and this Eternal both Priest and Sacrifice was pleased to Offer up himself.

7. By this standing and appearing at the Altar under the Law the sinners in­deed did not dye; the victim alone being burned and destroyed: but because they laid their hands on it, when it was dying, and fell (for prayer and worship) on their faces down to the ground, when it did fall bleeding to death, They were as well as the very victim, repu­ted to Offer up themselves. So the tru­est Christians likewise are neither cruci­fied, nor destroyed in that manner, that their Master and Savior was: yet, 1. be­cause they look towards, and cast them­selves upon his Cross and Sufferings, as the only means both of expiating for their Sins, and of Salvation for their Souls, 2. because of the great and [Page 85]sharp grief, which they do suffer who sincerely think on the Son of God thus dying, and which is more, thus dying only for their sakes; which to them is as it was to the Blessed Virgin a sword to pierce their hearts, and likewise to pierce and crucifie to death their Sins: 3. because their whole Body of Sin, being by this Crucifixion, really over­mastered and wounded, there remains no life in them, but what they may, and will offer up and dedicate to Gods Service; The Savior thus offering him­self, and the saved so united to him by faith, so plunged both into the Com­munion of, and grief for his Sufferings, and so resign'd up and consecrated to his Will for the remnant of their life, are both accounted before God for one and the same Sacrifice.

8. It is the same, first by Imputation, such as were the first fruits and the Lump: Rom. 11.16. The Eares of Corn and the Harvest, which were both to­gether involved in, and made holy by one Offering. Levit. 23.10.11. In this sense Jesus Christ dying upon the Cross, was made the first fruits of them that offer themselves to God, that they may be sanctified by his death and Sacrifice. If one be dead then all are dead; as he was made the first fruits of them that sleep, [Page 86]that they should be quickned by his Resur­rection. But secondly as the Lurnp or mass may in some case either lose or not get at all the priviledg and holiness of the first fruits, (for example, a few sheaves of Corn, which the Worshippers had offered unto the Lord, could by no means sanctify that Harvest which af­terwards should be eaten in the Service or in the Temple of an Idol) Two real Actions are required to make good this Imputation, and to join the Christians to the Sacrifice of Christ their Head.

9. The first is, that they endeavor to crucify their sinful members as really as Christ himself had his sinless Body crucified. So that the feet, that before did run to Evil, the violent hands that did injure, the greedy eyes that did co­vet, and all those members of the Flesh, that were weapons of wickedness, may by this Cross and Sacrifice be most re­ally bound, and in a good measure destroyed as to their Corruption. I do glory in the Cross of Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galat. 6.14. So Jesus Christ, and his whole Church, and in this Church every true penitent Sinner being joined all together, do make up that compleat Sacrifice, which seems to have bin prefigurated by the Sacrifice at the [Page 87]consecration of Aaron, Exod. 29.13.14. whereof the kidneyes and the fat about the Inwards, were burnt as a sweet smel­ing Oblation on the Altar: but all the Flesh, the Skin, the Feet, the Dung (Instruments and Emblems of Sin) were thrown and burnt without the Camp. For Jesus Christ and his Church so concur together in one Oblation, that the blessed Savior contributes all that can go up into Heaven to please and appease God: and we on our Part do contribute, but what deserves to be re­moved out of the way, the Corruption and smell of sin. The Second necessary Condition to the aforesaid Imputation (for no imputation either to life or death can be just without some real grounds to support it) and to incorpo­rate us into the Sacrifice of Christs Bo­dy, is a serious resolution of piety, and universal consecrating both of our Per­sons and of all our Actions to God. I am crucified with Christ, that I may live to God. Now it is not I that live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now lead in the Flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2.19. This Place must be so rendred accord­ing to the distinction of both the Greek Copies, and all the Oriental versions. [Page 88]And this Act of the Church consecra­ting her self to God, and joining her self so to Christ as to make but one Ob­lation with him, is the Mystery repre­sented by the daily Sacrifice. Exod. 29.38. Numb. 28.3.

10. This Sacrifice did consist of two parts. The first and cheifest was the Lamb, that did foreshew the Lamb of God: and the second was the Meat and drink-Offering made of flower mingled with Oyl and Wine: all which being but an Additional thrown on the Lamb, morning and evening, was counted but for one and the same Sacrifice. Those Secondary Oblations so thrown and burnt upon the main Sacrifice, signified properly these Offerings, which Christians must present to God, of themselves, of their Goods, and of their Praises. From this Meat and Drink Offering which was added to more substantial Sacrifices, came the Bread and Wine to be used at the celebration of Christs Death. Which Bread in the Communion considered as Sacrament, signifies the natural, but con­sidered as Sacrifice, it represents the my­stical Body of Christ, that is his Church. For we that are many saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.17. are one Bread. To this pur­pose the holy Martyr Ignatius Epist. Rom. being ready to be offered up by Mar­tyrdom, [Page 89]said he was the wheat of God, which was to be ground by Beasts teeth. Soon after the Church added Oyl and Frankincense to Bread and Wine, to make up the whole Meat Offering which con­sisted of these four Things. The truth is, all what we can offer upon our own account, is but such an Oblation as this Meat and Drink offering of Moses was, that cannot be presented but by the virtue and merits of Jesus Christ, who supports it: and that can never ascend up to Heaven but along with the sacred smoke of that great Burnt Sacrifice, which is to carry it up thither. For on the one side our own persons, our works, or any thing else that may be ours, are by themselves but weak, unsubstantial kinds of Offerings, which cannot be presented unto God, otherwise but as these Additional Oblations, which from themselves fall to the ground; unless a more solid Sacrifice do sustain them: And on the other side, this solid and fundamental Sacrifice upholds, saves and sanctifies, but those persons and things, that according to the Law of Moses his Meat Offerings, are thrown into this his fire, are hallowed upon his Altar, and are together with him consecrated to God by him.

11. For this cause it is, that as soon [Page 90]as the Prophet had preached the com­ing of this Everlasting Sacrifice, and the propitiation and happiness, which it would spread over all the world; he foretels at the same time, that the Apo­stles and their successors: (whom he de­signs by expressions proper to that Oe­conomy, under which he did live) should bring the Nations from all parts of the Earth, as an Offering unto the Lord. Esay. 66. And to the same purpose St. Paul himself speaks of his Evangelical Office as of a Sacrificing Priesthood; and of the Gentiles, whom he did convert to Christ, as of so many Sacrifices which he presented to the Lord. I exercise, saies he, in the Gospel a holy Sacerdotal Priest­hood (for the word [...] signifies both) that the Oblation of the Gentiles may be acceptable, being sanctified by the holy spirit. Rom. 15.16. Hence proceeds that Me­thod, which he observes most constant­ly, never to preach the Faith in Jesus Christ, without inviting presently the Beleivers to Offer up unto God, either their Bodies and Souls: as Rom. 12. or their works of holiness, of Praise, of Charity, &c. as every where else. And these are the Spiritual Offerings which every true Christian must join to cast upon the fundamental Sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

[Page 91] 12. We know indeed that the uni­versal Assembly of Christians could ne­ver meet at the same time, or place, ei­ther to follow Christ in a Body, when he went to offer himself for them; or to fall upon their faces and prostrate themselves to the ground, when he bow­ed his head under their Sins: Provi­dence that scatters men up and down throughout all places and times of the world, permitting no possibility of such a general meeting. But the Sacrifice of Christ, tho it was confined to few hours and to a small parcel of Ground as to the Suffering; yet being everlasting, infinit, and still the same, as as to the sufficiency and virtue of it, coextends it self most perfectly to all both times and places, when and where those scattered members, will ever come to Offer up themselves to God with their head. And besides this, the second part of his Sa­cerdotal Office, which consists in inter­ceding, continuing still in the very Act, till the worlds end; They that could not embrace his Cross, and join with him at that same time that he Offer'd himself, may do it every day, and hum­ble themselves like poor victims loaden with sins and miseries, at the same time, that now he continues still actually inter­ceding. So in all Places, at all times, [Page 92]and upon any emergencies, whensoever the Beleivers will present themselves unto God, both with and by his Son Jesus, they may still receive the favor of acceptation, and that real efflux of saving Odor from Christ, which was represented by that typical holiness, which the additional Oblation did re­ceive from the principal Sacrifice, when it was adjoined to it. Whereas it is most certain, that all the Merit and blood of Christ shall no more save Men that will not draw neer and join themselves to conformity and Communion of his Death; then the continual and other burning Sacrifices, were ever able to consecrate, that meat, that Wine, that Oyl, and that Frankincense, which were not brought, nor burned upon the the same Altar with them.

13. Now tho all men be called to this conformity and Communion in the Sufferings of Christ, from the time of those sufferings, until there be no times at all: and altho the daies of our present life, have all the priviledg which these seven feast daies once had, when every one might gird his loins, eat his unleavened bread, and kill his own Bul­lock, as the Priest did Sacrifice the Pas­chal Lamb; (which Bullock was super­added to the Paschal Lamb, that both [Page 93]might better suffice for the 7 Festival daies, besides its other ritual and figurative im­portance as a Sacrifice:) it is certain, nevertheless that there are two more special and extraordinary daies, wherein Christians are invited by more urgent and proper Circumstances, to present their Souls and Bodies by way of Se­cond Offering upon the Sacrifice of their Savior. The first is past, and that was when the Savior offered himself to death: when Heaven and Earth, Temple and Graves shook at the blow that killed him; when pious Souls either stood im­moveable as the blessed Virgin hard by his Cross, or in a manner crucified themselves, beating their breasts as the Daughters of Jerusalem: and when eve­ry Disciple might by the very conjun­cture of all the things he saw, be mo­ved to say as Thomas, let us go and let us dy with him. Joh. 11.16. The o­ther time most favorable and proper, next to that of his real Passion, is that of the holy Communion; which, as it hath bin ^* explained, is a Sacramental Passion, where tho the Body be broken, and the blood shed but by way of re­presentative Mystery, yet both are as effe­ctually, and as truly offered for our own use, if we go to it worthily, as when [Page 94]that holy and divine Lamb did offer himself the first time.

14. Therefore whensoever Christians approach to this dreadful Mystery, and to the Lamb of God lying and sacrificed (as some say that the holy Nicene Coun­cil speaks) upon the holy Table; it con­cerns their main interest in point of Salvation, as well as in other duties, to take a special care, not to lame, and deprive the grand Sacrifice of its own due Attendance. But to behave them­selves in that manner, that, as both the principal and additional Sacrifices, were consumed by the same fire, and went up towards Heaven in the same flame; So Jesus Christ and all his Members, may jointly appear before God: this in a Sacramental Mystery, these with their real Bodies and Souls, offering them­selves at the same time, in the same place, and by the same Oblation. So that whosoever are attending on this sa­crifice, since they do it in remembrance of their Savior, once really dead, and every day Sacramentally dying for them (do this in remembrance of me) they do it in such a manner, 1. as may be­come faithful Disciples, who are resol­ved to dy both for and with their Ma­ster: 2. as true and sincere Members that cannot outlive their own head; [Page 95]and 3. as truly penitent sinners who dare not look for any share in the Glory, and Redemtion, and session at the right or left hand of their Savior, unless after their way they undergo the same Baptism, un­less they will drink the same Cup: and unless they enter really into the Com­munion of that Sacrifice and those Suf­ferings, which their Master, their head, and their Savior hath passed through, and which this very Sacrament engages them to.

15. Now, this Communion doth re­quire, first a Conformity of Actions, that may in some sort correspond to all what Christ hath done as Priest: Secondly another Conformity of mortifications, and passions, that may likewise answer to whatsoever he hath Suffered as a volun­tary Victim. As Priest; (for in this occa­sion all Christians after the example of their Savior, become Priests, since they offer themselves to God) to follow all the steps, and take upon them all the preparations, the Course of life and the like dispositions of mind, which were seen in this Blessed Melchisedeck, when he presented himself to God. To this effect the faithful Worshipper, present­ing that Soul and Body, which God fitted him with at his coming into this world, will lay them down at the Altar.

Lo I come, if this Soul and Body may be useful to any thing, here they are both to do thy will O God. ^* And hereafter if it please thee, to use that power which thou hast, as Crea­tor over Dust and Ashes, o­ver weak flesh and Blood, o­ver a brittle vessel of Clay, over the work of thine own hands; Lo here they are to suf­fer also thy good pleasure. I do now protest to my God, that if he please to afflict me either with pain or dishonor, I will humble my self under it, and be obedient unto death, even unto the death of the Cross. ^† Whatsoever may happen to me either from the Jews, or Gen­tiles, from my Neighbors, or from strangers, since it is my [Page 97]God that emploies them, tho they neither know, nor think it so; unless at the same time God help me to some lawful means of securing my self a­gainst their wrongs. I will not hereafter open my mouth be­fore the Lord, who doth strike me, except only to sing the Psalm, after I have eaten some bitter Herbs that belong to this Passover; and to bless the Lord who gave them me; and intreat him for the wick­ed, who perhaps hath malici­ously gathered them. Hereafter no man can take away any thing from me, no life, no ho­nor, no Estate, since I am rea­dy of my self to lay them down, assoon as I can perceive that God requires them at my hands. Nevertheless, O Father, if thou [Page 98]be willing, remove this Cup from me; yet if I must drink it, thy will be don. What kind soever of Suffering hereaf­ter may trouble my Flesh, or what kind soever of Agonies may perhaps worse trouble my Spirit, following the example of this high Priest, in the midst of his bitterest pains, O Father, into thy hand ^b I will ever remit my life, and the dearest concern­ments that attend it. And if thou be pleased, that either I live yet a while, or not; I will with my Savior bow down my head, ^c I will adore thee under my burthen, and humble my self under thy hand; I will give up all what thou wilt be pleased to ask, Goods, Joys, &c. until at last I surrender and give up the Ghost.

[Page 99] 16. To this first part of our Confor­mity with Christ as Priest, must be re­ferred, whatsoever we read he did from his last Passover to his Passion, as far as we can imitate it: as when he washed the feet of his Disciples: when he pray­ed for his Murderers: when he received with a mild reply the rashness of him that struck him, commiting all the rest to God: when he took that charitable care of gently restoring the Ear to an insolent fellow named Malchus: when his dismallest Agonies never kept him from comforting a Penitent, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise; Luk. 23.43. nor from instructing Good pious Souls, ye Doughters of Jeru­salem weep not, &c. nor from interce­ding for his cruellest Enemies, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. nor from taking care for his Relations, woman behold thy son &c. Ioh. 19.26. Hereupon the success of these both Active and Passive dispositions must needs be this, that God looking first to Abel, and finding him endued with that spi­rit of humility, of Charity, of meek­ness, and of patience, which was also in Christ Jesus, Phil. 2.5, he certainely will be pleased to look also upon his Sacrifice, Genes. 4.4.

17. Besides this first Conformity of [Page 100]holy Dispositions, and as it were Sacer­dotal Ornaments, between Jesus and his Disciples, considered as they are Priests: there must needs be also a conformity of Death and Passion between them, being considered as Sacrifices. The first Conformity, which regards Personal and Priestly Endowments, is never so exact, nor so full, as to adorn inferior Priests with all the proper Attire of Aaron; his Golden Plate, his embroidered E­phod, or his Miter, or his Breast Plate: yet it is never so defective, but that he and they may without indecency, not­withstanding the inequality of their Gar­ments, officiate at one Altar. The second Conformity which regards the Sacrifice, is yet much shorter then the first, being between things, not only unequal in degrees of perfection, but different in their nature. For really the Sacrifice of a living Creature, as the Lamb was, could not differ so much in nature from dead and inanimate Offerings, such as the Meal, the Oil, and the Wine were, which as secondary Sacrifices were added to the first; as the Sacrifice of Je­sus Christ differs from what poor Christi­ans, either are in their nature, or can offer up to God in Sacrifice. For of these two Sacrifices as to their proper conditions, The one is Divine, all­mighty, [Page 101]and all Holy; and the other is human, infirm, and sinful. And as to their several ends, The one is made to procure and work Expiation, and the other only to get some capacity to re­ceive it. The first and prime Sacrifice imparts to the second its Righteousness; and the second is thrown upon the first as a burthen, only to charge it with all its sins. Nevertheless as under the Law, the Lamb, and the Oblation added to it, did join in one Sacrifice, because both were offered upon one Altar, and con­sumed by one fire: so under the Gospel Christ and his People are accounted for one Oblation, when both in their own proper way are consecrated by the same Cross, and are in some manner alike obedient to death. For we have bin planted together in the likeness of his death, knowing this that our Old Man is dead, &c. Rom. 6.5, 6.

18. By this likeness or conformity of Sufferings Christ is dead once to satisfie the rigor of the Law, and so must Christians destroy their sins and mortifie themselves, that they may observe hereaf­ter the Righteousness of the Gospel. Christ during that terrible storm that made him weep and cry aloud. Matt. 27.46.50. Luk. 23.46. Heb. 5.7. did suffer such a heavy punishment as might [Page 102]satisfy Gods Justice: And his Mystical Body must every day both undertake and suffer such fatherly Corrections as may overmaster their own sins. In a word, the Holy Savior was willing to be crucified, because this dismal execu­tion was indispensably necessary to turn away the wrath to come: and his true members must be willing to crucifie themselves with him, because this Dis­cipline is as indispensably necessary to destroy in them by degrees that inward corruption which would bring back a­gain this wrath.

19. O Father of Mercies I beseech thee, both by the merits of thy Son, who now intercedes in Heaven, awd by that bloody Sa­crifice which he hath offered on the Cross, (whereof thou seest the Sacrament upon This Table) this Day be pleased to receive me into the Communion of his Suf­ferings, and hereafter into the Communion of his Glory. Cast [Page 103]not away from thee in displeasure the Elevation of these hands, which I will fasten to his Cross, so far as they may not offend, and which I do now stretch before thee with a true desire that here­after they may serve thee; neither despise the Sacrifice of a poor Soul, which also his Cross hath wounded with the sense of her mi­sery, and by this wound laies it open, both to pour out her own prayers, and to gasp after thy mercies. O God and Father, be­stow on me such a measure of that Spirit, through which thy Son offered himself, ^* as may san­ctifie for ever, the Body and Soul which now I offer; and may likewise help me to perform the service which I do promise. A Spirit of [Page 104]Contrition, that I may sufficiently detest those sins, which did deliver my God to death: then a spirit of Holiness, that I may never be tem­ted to them any more then a cruci­fied man can be temted. O let this crucified Body, which I present to thee for such, never be untied from his Cross, either to fall to those vi­clences, that have peirced my Savi­ors hands, or to fly up to those va­nities, that have crowned his head with Thorns; or to follow un­just pleasures, that have filled his dear Soul with greif, that have filled his Entrails with Gall. Arm and Rod of the Lord, who in thine Anger didst revenge all these sins upon my Savior, in thy mercy cor­rect and destroy them also in me. So my God accept of a heart, that [Page 105]sheds now before thee its Tears, as a poor Victim does its blood: and that raises up unto thee all its de­sires, its thoughts, its zeal, as a Burnt offering doth its flames. Fi­nally since my Sacrifice can be nei­ther, holy, nor accepted, being a­lone: Accept of it, O Father, as it is an Oblation supported by that Sacrifice, which alone is able to please thee. Receive it clothed with the Righteousness of thy Son, and made acceptable with that holy Per­fume that rises from of his Altar: And grant that He who sancti­fies, and they who are by him san­ctified, may be joined in one Pas­sion, and may enjoy hereafter with thee the same Glory. Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.

SECTION VIII.

1. IT is an express and often repeated Law of God by Moses, and no where repeated by Christ, that no wor­shipper shall presume to appear before him with emty hands. Sincere Chri­stians must have them full at the re­ceiving of the holy Communion, with four distinct sorts of Sacrifices. 1. The Sacramental and commemorative Sacri­fice of Christ. 2. The real and Actual Sacrifice of themselves. 3. The free will Offering of their Goods. 4. The Peace Offering of their Praises.

2. The first as representing the Sacri­fice offered on the Cross, is the ground of the three others, especially of the se­cond: which must no more be se­parated from it, then Parts are from the Whole, or the Body from its Head. These two are so close coupled toge­ther, that St. Austin ^* more then once, by the Body of Christ in the holy Com­munion, understands Christs mystical Bo­dy, [Page 107]which is the Church. And St. Cy­prian ^* saies expressly, that Christ and his People are contained and united together in the Holy Cup (that being represented by the Wine, this represent­ed by the Water;) so that Christ is not there without his People, nor the People without their Savior.

3. The Third and fourth, which are the Sacrifices of our Goods and of our Praises, are appendages following after the second, that is the, Sacrifice of our own selves, by as natural a consequence, as the fruits and leaves follow the Tree, and as what we have or what we can, must needs come after what we are. All the world know how that blemisht and lame Sacrifices were abominable under the Law: and certainly Bodies with­out heads, souls without their faculties, and Persons without their proper Du­ties, are not better under the Gospel. Such mutilated Sacrifices cannot suit with that of Christ, which was perfect­ly whole and entire. Therefore as when we once offer our selves to God, our Souls and Bodies, become attending Sacrifices on the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ: so must by the same equity, all our Goods and Services, by way of second­dary [Page 108]Oblations attend the Sacrifice of our Persons. And as the Lamb, in the daily Sacrifice was never offered without its Meat Oblation, nor this meat Obla­tion without its incense, its Wine, its Oil: So the Eternal Son and Lamb of God, who was pleased to offer him­self for me, must neither be offered without me; nor whensoever I offer up my self, both by him and with him, must I appear as a dry and unsavory Meat offering without juice, without sweet smell, without all the holy dispo­sitions of readiness and joy to obey and please my God in all good works, where­of the Incense, the Wine, and the Oil, were under the Law sacred Emblemes. In a word, whensoever we offer our selves, we offer by the self same Act, all that we have, all that we can: and so consequently we do engage for all, that it shall be dedicated to the Glory of God, and that it shall be surrendred into his hands, employed to such uses, upon such occasions and times, as he will be pleased to appoint.

4. Hear then, my son (as saies the wise man) look to they feet, when thou entrest into the house of God, lest thou offer the Sacrifice of fools. Eccles. 5.6. It is the Sacrifice as well as the part of a fool to offer the Person without the [Page 109]Goods that attend it, as it were the bones without the sinewes and the flesh that cover them. It is the same Act of an Impious wretch to mangle, and to mutilate, either the holy Sacrifice which Jesus hath made to his father, or the holy Sacrament which he hath ordained to his Church, or that holy Oblation, which after his Sacrifice and at his Sacra­ment he is pleased to require of us. And after we have presented it, it is an Act, not only of great Impiety, but of as great a Sacriledg, as was that of Anani­as, to withdraw without leave, any part of that Whole which we have devo­ted to Gods Service.

5. It behoves not Israel alone to go forth out of Egypt with all their Chil­dren and Cattle, and Goods, to offer them unto the Lord, that he may take either all, or such a part, as he will be pleased to chuse; Exod. 10.25, 26. All the Gentiles were likewise to go and give themselves up to Gods service with their Gold, their Silver, their Drome­daries, and their Chariots loden with their cheifest substance: The Egyptians with all their wealth: Tyre and Sidon with their Merchandise: Esay. 23.18. and 60.6, 7, 9. The wise men with their Frankincense, their Myrrh and their Gold: and so every sinner at his [Page 110]Conversion to God, was to consecrate all to Jesus Christ, and to the service of his Church. From that very moment, that by any reall Act of conversion, of faith, of repentance, or of vow, we have given up our selves to Christ, who hath likewise given himself for us; as by virtue of this mutual Communi­on, all what he possesses becomes ours, namely his Grace, his Immortality, his Glory; and so he bestowes it upon us, according to the times, and degrees which he sees best for our Salvation: by the same consequence, all whatsoever we have doth become his, so that he may take it after in what proportion and season soever he shall see best for his Glory. The two Asses which he sent for by his disciples, that he might ride on them to Jerusalem, and the Cham­ber which he commanded to be rea­dy, that he might eat the Passover in it, were not so absolutely his, as are our lives, our Goods, &c. whensoever the Lord hath need of them: Matt. 21.2, 3. Luk. 22.11. Those things were his only by the Right of propriety, which, as to a Soveraign Lord and God, is naturally reserved upon any thing which he creates or saves; but these are his besides, because we with our selves have given them. When he [Page 111]calls for the former, to deny them were injustice, but to deny these latter, were a visible Sacriledg: all what we are, what we can do, and what we can give, even to the least vessel in our houses, being involved and made holy, in this one Consecration. In that day shall there be upon the very Bridles of the Horses holiness unto the Lord: and every pot in Jerusalem and Juda shall be holy unto the Lord. Zechar. 14.20, 21.

6. This Consecration whereby the worshipper offers and resigns up all him­self, and all his Concernments to God, if it be well don, and duly performed, is, first as for our Souls and Bodies a Christian Apotheosis, if I may use this word, which both makes them capable of the Sacrifice and grace of Christ, and raises and prefers them to the very na­ture, that is the Condition of holiness and Immortality of God. Secondly as to the Consecrated things; it is a mira­culous priviledg, which in the end in­finitly multiplies every thing, which is thus parted with; it blesses the use of it altho it be but presented, as long as we can enjoy it, and finally exchanges it, when we can enjoy it no more, for such advantagious returnes, as may be conceived to be, not such as when water was turned into Wine, or dirt [Page 112]into Gold, but such, as if we conceive a glass of water, turned into streams of Everlasting Comsorts, the dust of Israel into so many stars of Heaven, small Cottages of Clay into Royal Palaces; and vain declining shadows into real and Eternal possessions: Thou hast bin faithful in a few things, I will make thee Ru­ler over many things, &c. Matth. 25.21. But if the Law of these Consecrations be not well performed; if Levi come to serve Ashtaroth, after he hath dedicated himself to God; and if the Offerings of the People, be employed to profane uses after they have toucht Gods Altar; then there are as many and as heavy Curses to be lookt for, as on the other side upon a better use, there are many and great Blessings to be expected. So that upon all considerations, both of pru­dence, and of Duty; first we must give up all to God: next after we have given we must fly all, not only as two most o­dious sins, but also as two most terrible mischeifs, the Sacriledg in withdrawing at any time when God demands it, what hath bin thus consecrated to him: and the Profaneness in mispending upon su­perfluous, or worse uses, what of it he is pleased to allow to our proper ne­cessities, and other lawfull Conveni­encies.

[Page 113] 7. Now tho Christ our blessed Savior, by that everlasting and ever same Sacri­fice of himself, offer himself virtually up­on all occasions: and we on our side, also offer our selves, and what is ours, with him several other waies, besides that of the holy Communion: as at our Con­version, and first Act of faith in him, Christ (saies St. Austin,) ^a is sacrificed for the salvation of every sinner, at the ve­ry moment he repents and beleives him to have bin Sacrificed; and at our Bap­tism, For every one offers the Sacrifice of the Passion of the Lord, at that time, that he is consecrated by the faith of this Passion, and baptised a Christian, saith the same fa­ther; ^b and the Baptism of Christ is the blood of Christ, saith another. ^c Never­theless because Christ offers himself for us at the holy Communion in a more solemn and public sacramental way; (thence it comes, that the Memorial of the sacrifice of Christ thereby celebra­ted, takes commonly the Name of the Sacrifice it self, as St. Austin ^d explains it often) we are then obliged in a more special manner, to renew all our Sacri­fices, all the vows of our Baptism, all the first fruits of our Conversion, and [Page 114]all the particular promises, which it may be we have made, either at our re­penting of some sin, or at our delive­rance from some eminent danger, or at the recovery out of some greivous sick­ness, or at the receiving some other signal mercy, whether for our selves, or for our friends. I will go into thy house with burnt offerings, I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. Psal. 67.13.14. Then and there at the Altar of God must we, both discharge all the vows, which for some hindrance or other, we had not yet the Conveni­ence to fulfil; and set afresh from Com­munion to communion, as they did the Shew-loaves from Sabbath to Sabbath, all those other Performances, which by their nature, and our duty, can never be ful­filled, but with the very end of our daies.

8. So shall the new Israel tread on the pious steps of the Old, who ever from time to time reiterated, either in Mispah, or in Gilgal, &c. that Covenant which the Lord had made with him in Sinai. It is true, the Lord did not then again repeat the Thunder, that once made the Mountains tremble; as in our Churches he doth not reiterate that ve­ry Passion, that made the powers of [Page 115]Heaven mourn and shake: Neverthe­less as Josuah, Asa, Josias, Jehojadah, and other such holy men, could from their Master assure the People, that the Covenant which they did renew, for example, in Shechem, Jos. 24.25. 2 Chr. 15.12. and 23.16. was not less power­ful, either to bless the observers, or to destroy the offenders thereof, then it was when Moses, and the Holy Angels publisht it at the first upon Sinai: So now the Ministers of our Lord Jesus Christ, having in their hands the sacra­ments of the Gospel, (true Seals and Tables of the new Law) may both pro­duce and give them out as Evidences; that the sacrifice of their Master is not less able to save mens Souls, when it is offered to men, and Sacramentally offer­ed again to God, at the holy Commu­nion, then when it was newly offered upon the Cross. And this is the reason, wherefore all faithful Christians ought then as effectually to reinforce all their Oblations, their vows, their Contriti­ons, and their protestations, Men and Brethren what shall we do? And God forbid that I should ever glory but in the Cross of my Savior; as the Israelites did by protesting upon the like occasions, We will obey the Lord our God and the Lord is the God, the Lord is the God. [Page 116]1 King. 18.39. both Israelites and Chri­stians seconding their Protestation of obedience, and their prostrations of Bo­dy and resignations of their minds, with secondary sacrifices: those of Bulls and Rams; these of Alms and Pious works.

9. By this it is easie to see, that our holy Eucharistical Communions are much correspondent to those Feasts, that did call the People of Israel toge­ther, first to appear and prostrate them­selves before the Lord with sacrifices for their sin: and then to lay upon the Al­tar that other kind of Sacrifices which they used to call ^* Peace Offerings, and which were ordained to express both their thankfulness to God, and their Charity to men. And in this friendly concurrence both of Mysteries, and of holy duties that attend them, all respects duly observed, Moses may still with the same power command both new and old Israel, thou shalt keep the feast unto the Lord thy God, with a Tribute of a free will offering of thine hand which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: And thou shalt rejoyce before the Lord thy God, thou and thy Son and thy Daughter, the [Page 117]Levite, the stranger the Fatherless and the Widdow. And you shall not appear before the Lord emty. Every man shall give ac­cording to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee. Deut. 16.10, 11.

19. The first Christians ever took it, and constantly practised it so. For when­soever they met at their devotions, where­of the Holy Communion was the most ordinary and the most essential part, they did make the use of all their Goods to be common among themselves: and the distribution of this blessed Sacrament was so constantly attended by the di­stribution of their Offerings, that it is somewhat hard to discern which of the two the Apostolical History intends to signify by the Breaking of bread, so often mentioned in the Acts. Some pi­ous and learned men have thought that this largeness and frequency of Offerings, which in the primitive times was all the stock they had for pious uses, made that Article which immediatly follows that of the Church, that is, the Commu­nion, or Communication of the Saints. But however tho this were not the Article of faith there meant, yet it was an Act of Piety so frequent, and so essential in those daies, that St. Luke would place it amongst those other sacred fun­ctions, that comprehend the whole du­ty [Page 118]and service of the Church. They continued stedfastly in the Doctrine of the Apostles and in the Communion, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. Act. 2.24. Thus were the primitive Chri­stians literally and punctually such as ho­ly David had prophesied they should be, a People that would come and of­fer themselves, with their free will offer­ings to Christ, in the Day of his Power; and of that glorious effusion of Graces, that like to a Celestial dew, would ap­pear wonderful by a thick and sudden producing of subjects and souldiers ready armed for his service: Psal. 110.

11. For this purpose it was that the Bishops had in their Churches, two Ta­bles. One of them was [...], i. e. within that space where the Ministers did officiate at the Altar, and where were Curtins purposely shut to keep non-Communicants from the sight of and access to the Holy My­steries. The other was where the Peo­ple could freely come to offer their Gifts, part whereof afterwards was brought by the Deacons to the Commu­nion Table. Hither were brought the Free will Offerings of the People, Bread, Wine, Oil, Wooll, sometimes Cloth, Silver, and any thing els, that might be useful to the Church, (till by express [Page 119]Canons of the Church, ^* those Oblati­ons in kind were limited to such things only, as could be emploied about the sacraments and service of the Church) and all this was offered up to God by all Chri­stians, by way of a daily Sacrifice. And when the Christians had offered up to God their Goods, the Priest who did receive them, did solemnly pray to God, that he would be pleased to look on their Oblations, as he did once on them of Abel, of Noah, and of Abraham. Out of these Oblations, the Elements of the holy Communion were taken forth and pre­sented at the other Table, where they were blest by the Bishop or Priest, and di­stributed by him to the People as from God, to assure them he had accepted, of both their persons, and offerings, and that instead of the Bread and Wine, which they had offered upon his Altar, as either the first fruits, or the Represen­tatives of all their Goods, he was pleas­ed to return to them not simple Bread, and simple Wine, but such Blessed Bread and Wine, as were both the sacred My­steries of the Body and Blood of his Son, and an infallible surety of all Things depending thereon. This is the reason; why, because primitive Christi­ans never received those holy Mysteries, but after they had made their Offerings; [Page 120]and because those very Mysteries, which they received, were commonly taken, as to the matter, from that Bread and Wine, which they had before Offered; The Holy fathers, (for instance S. Ire­neus) ^* who then had no occasion to be so exact, or cautious as to distinguish precisely the Nature of two sacred Offi­ces, which went constantly together, do not scruple to speak of the blessed Communion, promiscuously as Sacra­ment, or Sacrifice.

12. Now to bring all this more home; The Law of Antient Israel, the practise of the Primitive Church, and the very equity of the thing it self, do suffici­ently testify, that we ought not in these, more then in the former Ages, to appear before the Lord with emty hands: that it is not more fit for worshippers now then it was then, to present their per­sons, without their Goods, as it were trees, without their sap and fruit: and that these same Nations, which in the prediction of Esay, were at their first coming, to bring and consecrate both themselves and their Gold unto the Lord, must not be now less liberal, when by their Sacrifice, they appear to renew the vowes of their former Consecration; as surely God is not, up­on [Page 121]the same occasions less merciful, when by his holy Sacrament he renews unto them the Covenant of his saving Grace. Therefore he that comes rich, is bound to appear before his Savior, with his hands full of such free Will offerings, as he may take out of his abundance, as did in Israel the husbandman out of a plentiful harvest, when the Lord had blessed his field. He that is less able, must offer out of what he can either get by his labor, or spare by his Par­cimony: as the poor widow did, when she offered her Mite. In a word eve­ry one, whether he be rich or poor, is to lay down at the Offerings of God, according as the same God hath either blessed or spared him. 1. Cor. 16.2.

13. The quantity of these Oblations, whether extraordinary, as upon a Com­munion Day, or more ordinary, as up­on other daily occasions, is wholy left to the discretion of the Christian wor­shipper. And whereas God by his Law, did deal with the Israelites, as fathers do with Children in an ago unfit to guide itself, prescribing to them the measure, the time, and the manner of every thing, which they were either to do, or to give; our Savior hath by the Gospel freed all Christians from this punctual Pedagogy, leaving them, as [Page 122]men able to give an account of them­selves, both to their own Judgment, and to the direction of his spirit; But if this different way of the Gospel dis­charges Christians now adaies from the subjection of doing punctually, and lit­terally every thing, which the ancient Israel were to observe; it certainly ob­liges them to do more as to the matter, and to do it in a better manner. And God forbid that this honor and liberty, which he vouchsafes us above what he did to the Jews, should be taken by us, either as a permission, or as an occasion of being worse. Therefore God in former times did give special Laws to his People for every thing they were to do, in point either of Piety, or Cha­rity; for example, they were to give the Tenth part of whatsoever they could gather out of their feilds, their Trees and their flocks, besides another Tenth part every third year, that is a Thirtieth part every year: and what ever could grow of it self, during the vacancy of every seventh year: They were bound moreover to many other charitable waies of helping the poor, as to lend them mony without taking either use or pawn: and to leave in their fields and Vineyards so much of their Corn, and fruits behind, as could re­compence, [Page 123]the labor and diligence of many honest Neighbors, who, at the end of the year, had no other Harvest then this Gleaning. And altho all this was Charity, yet it was among the Peo­ple of Israel called Justice, because it was commanded by Law, and that they were obliged to pay these Almes, as strictly as any other Debt. Here then a downright Christian will do well to take notice, of what all these charges may come to, and what proportion they will bear with the Estate and revenue that God blesses him with, that so he may contribute towards works of Pi­ety and Charity, not only so much but more; and if not in the very same, yet in as good a kind as the Jews did. So that he may go beyond them in Cha­rity, whom the Gospel commands us to exceed in all other virtues, as we ex­ceed them in Blessings.

14. The time of these oblations is not more limited then their measure. At first S. Paul had appointed the first day of the week, that is the Lords day, for the gathering of those Charitable assistances, and, as he calls them, Ac­ceptable Sacrifices, 1. Cor. 16.2. Phil. 4.18. which were to be sent to the poor Brethren of Jerusalem; because e­ven from that time, that day was in a [Page 124]more special manner consecrated to the solemn Ministry of Prayers, of Preach­ing, and of Communion. Now, tho the danger of Profaneness, which then was less to be feared, hath in our daies made the use of this Sacrament much less Com­mon then that of Preaching and Prayer. Nevertheless since by these two holy exercises, both God speaks to us, and we to him; this should be warning enough, not to presume to appear be­fore him without a Gift. And that we may both bear up the more easily the expenses of this weekly Sacrifice, and diffuse more universally the sweet sa­vor thereof into all the parts of our life; it would be a piece of holy prudence, to take care that every day should both bear some part of the burthen, and have some share of the holiness. And that by a daily attending to this service, the Rich be still industrious to defalk some larger portions of his abundance; the poor to steal some thing out of his ne­cessaries: and the middle conditioned man to spare what he can out of all his competence. But specially when the good Providence lets fall into our hand some considerable advantages, then let him that will grow rich in God, look upon those temporal occasions, as a pro­pitious time of Harvest, whereof he [Page 125]must be sure to reserve the first fruits to God: and let him have a place in his house, like the Treasury in the Temple, where he may daily cast in his Talent, or his Didrachm, or his Mite, according as God daily blosses him▪ and whence he must be sure to take nothing, but for a special holy use, as if he did take it from Gods Altar.

15. It is true indeed that not only this, but also any thing else that we have at home, is already consecrated, since God having given it to us, we have given it back again unto God. For whensoever we gave him up our own persons, all our Goods were involved in this gene­ral Consecration, and thereby became ipso facto holy Offerings unto the Lord. But as these holy Offerings under the Law were of two sorts, some which the Worshipper, and his wife, and Children might eat; some of which it was not lawful for any to eat, except the Priests only; my meaning is that the truly pious Chri­stian should gather day by day, and by little and little (both to make his Devotion less burthensom, and by a con­tinual application to this work, to sanctify the whole course of his life the better) a Magazine of holy things of this last kind, which may be only emploied to God and his Churches service.

[Page 126] 16. But at the same instant that the Christian Worshipper shall take the materials of his good works, out of this store, he must have a great care to draw withal out of the good Treasure of his heart the fire, and the Frankincense, that is, the zeal and the holy thoughts that may improve, and raise good moral works, to the being of Religious Sacrifices. And as without doubt, at first, he had a care not to lay aside these first fruits, in a Corner of his house, either negligently or rudely, as some do throw their Alms into Beggars hands, or as Judas did his thirty Pieces into the Temple; so he must not forget himself so much, as to take them thence, and bestow them on the Body or members of Christ, that is, the Church and his Neighbor, but with such pious Elevations and applications of his mind, as may become both that Majesty which he adores, and the pious and ho­ly Act, that he intends. Let him do it, whether at his door, or in the way, or in the Temple, it matters not, for the hour is long since come, that Religious Acts, or Worshippings, are confined nei­ther to this Mountain, nor to Jerusalem; Joh. 4.21. wheresoever God gives thee the occasion and power to perform any holy work, there he makes holy Ground for thee: only this work, to be holy, and [Page 127]becoming a Worshipper, must by all means be don in Spirit and in Truth. This Spirit will teach us, what Flesh and Blood cannot do, both to perceive, and consider, not an Angel only, as the Patriarcks often did, but Christ himself, in the condition of an afflicted Church, for example, or of an honest distressed friend; and then at such occasions to lay our liberalities, with that same mind and thought that a true Worshipper would lay his Oblations, upon the Altar, where he knows that Christ will most effectually both find it, and accept of it. Once He received the Gold the Myrrh and the Frankincense, which the wise men gave Joseph; He did also re­ceive the Goods which Susanna, and o­ther Religious Women did put in the hands of his Disciples; since that time the Church and all her distressed Mem­bers have bin instated by Christ himself most expressly into the Place of these happy Persons; and as if they had bin for this purpose created Christs solemn Officers and Angels, about the time that he was to suffer and to leave his beloved Disciples, he promised them both to accept, and account as bestowed on him­self, these small Offerings, which for his sake we should deposite in their hands. Mat. 25.40, 45.

[Page 128] 17. This same spirit, and this Actual application, is the only means that we can have to raise up good moral works, and to make them true Heave-Offerings. Without this Elevation, what we give; may in it self be a good deed, to us a considerable-expense, and to other men some benefit; but to God, it is no sa­crifice: or it is such a sacrifice, as sends up no savor above: but either like the Oblation of Cain, falls all down to Ashes and Dust, or like the Alms of Pharises to such a paltry toward, as we get perhaps from men. Gen. 10. Mat. 6.

18. All these considerations and pious intentions of the Soul, which to the Worshipper must be instead of the Sa­cerdotal Utensils, and to the Oblation, in­stead of the fire and Frankincense, are much revived and stirred up by the Cir­cumstantial solemnity and Holiness of the blessed Communion. Look to the Ado­ration of the Ancient Israelites. I was, &c. Deut. 26.

I Dare appear before the Lord with all my sins and my sorrows; It is very just also, that I should appear with these few blessings, which are mine; they are mine [Page 129]by thy favor, and having re­ceived them of thy hand, now do I offer them to thee. ^* For­give I beseech thee my sins, de­liver me from my sorrows, and accept of this small Blessing. Accept of this my sacrifice, as thou didst of that of Abel, of A­braham, and of Noah; or rather look in my behalf on that only true Sacrifice, whereof here is the Sacrament; the Sacrifice of the only unspotted Lamb: the Sacri­fice of thine own Son: of thine only begotten Son, of thy Son proceeding from thee, to dy for me. O let him again come from thee to me; let him come now as the only begotten of the Father full of grace and of truth to bless me, Amen, Amen.