ceiv'd that Tradition, as they did their Blood in CHAP. their Veins, from one common Parent.) But V. that being the Shadow of the Sacrifice of Chrift, where the Subftance has enter'd, the Darkness, with the bloody Sacrifice, together with the Idolatry and Superftition fuperadded, vanishes like a Shadow; and there remaineth the Memorial of the only valuable Blood, or true Sa-. crifice, once offer'd, by Signs and Symbols, as a facred Occafion to Reason, to reflect in due manner, and to right Purposes, upon the bleffed Inftitutor, was to laft to all Ages and Generations.

IT was at the Poftcenium ufual with the Jews at the Conclufion of the Paffover, when Bread and Wine were ferv'd upon the Table, purposely for the Guests to take fome of each, and take thence withal a religious Occafion to bless and thank God for thofe Creatures, as well as for their Deliverance out of Egypt: Then it was our Lord and Mafter took the Creatures of Bread and Wine, feiz'd upon the commemorative Ufage and Cuftom, converts, and enjoins it (bleffing God upon that new Occafion) to the Remembrance of bis dying, and his Blood Shedding; an infinitely greater Deliverance than the other. Thenceforward the SUBJECT both of Remembering, and Bleffing was changed. Thenceforward fucceeded in lieu of the Memory of the Redemption out of Egypt, a much greater Remembrance, even the univerfal Redemption of the World by Christ our Paffover, the Lamb of God flain for us; and a much greater Thankf giving took place of that for Bread and Wine; even for the Son of God giving himself to be the Bread of the World, the true Bread that came VOL. I. down

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CHAP. down from Heaven, giving Life eternal to the World.

V.

AFTER the Difpofition of the external Signs upon the Table, next follows the appropriating them to the holy and folemn Ufe which Christ has commanded, ufually called Confecration; not as if any Alteration paffes upon the Elements; for what was Bread and Wine before, is the felf fame ftill, in its Nature and Conftitution, though appropriated from common, to a fpiritual Ufe. The Remainder lies upon every Communicant, to make it that religious and beneficial Sacrament, Eucharift, and Communion it ought to be. And every one may communicate with their Spirit, and with their Understanding alfo, by bringing the Thing fignify'd to the prefent external Signs; which is done by a pious Remembrance, and Confideration of the Ends for which the receiving the Lord's Supper was ordained; briefly comprised by our Lord himself in that plainly obliging, and no lefs advantageous Command, do this in Remembrance of me.

SHOULD it be asked bow, and where is the Body and Blood of Christ prefent, after the folemn appropriating a certain Quantity of the Elements to the Ufe of remembering? The Anfwer is, in the Receiver's Thoughts and Remembrance. How can a Memorial be any where else? And there it is, or may be, as verily and indeed taken and received in the faithful Remembrance, as fuch a paft important Tranfaction concerning the abfent Body and Blood of Christ crucify'd, can be in the Mind of him, or her, who is devoutly commemorating, that it was once offered up in Sacrifice; and for whom; and for what

End.

End. This plain Observation is abundantly fuf- CHAP. ficient to rectify the many Miftakes concerning V that Prefence; feeing it is neither in, nor under, nor with thofe Elements at all; nor does there any real Prefence, excepting that of Bread and Wine, enter into the Bread and Wine, unless Thought and Recollection of Mind can be a real Prefence. 'Tis true, the Thoughts or Ideas making up collectively the Memorial of Chrift crucify'd, is present to the Mind, but that makes his abfent Body no otherwise present, than to the Intents and Purposes of thinking and reflecting. If that can create a real Prefence of any Sort, then may every other absent Body thought of by Occafion of fomething prefent, appointed to be the Sign, Memorial, or Occafion of thinking thereon, be as well present in, under, or with that Sign or Occafion of thinking; as the Body and Blood of Chrift, the Thing fignify'd, can be believed to be with the Bread and Wine, the Sign, or the Thing fignifying in the Lord's Supper. To talk feriously of any other real Prefence, (if that which is mental may be called fo) or of a Body being prefent after the Manner of a Spirit, is to study to make that difficult and unintelligible, which Chrift, and the Nature of Things, have made very plain: For not the Bread and Wine, but our Thoughts taking an Occafion from those appointed Signs and external Actions of breaking and pouring out, of eating and drinking, to reflect seriously and thankfully upon the Death of Chrift, the new Covenant in his Blood for Remiffion of Sins, Accefs, and Acceptance with God, and eternal Life; and to comply in earnest with all the Conditions on our Part, for obtaining the Benefits and fecuring the Bleffings; our Thoughts, I fay, fubftitute the Notion of Pre

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fence,

V.

CHAP. fence, which, being no more than notional and mental, is confequently oppfite to real Prefence: Not the Bread and Wine as fuch, but the raised Remembrance and religious Thinking, is that which works upon the Mind, and renders the Lord's Supper the most religious and devout Solemnity to us.

EITHER fuch as may be called a SACRAMENT; as we ufually take Occafion thence to recognize, on our Part, the Fidelity ftipulated in the new Covenant, and amend the Obedience of our Lives, which was before devoted and engag'd in Baptifm, folemnly offering up ourselves, Souls and Bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively Sacrifice unto God. Submitting ourselves wholly to his holy Will and Pleasure, and studying to ferve him in true Holiness and Righteoufnefs all the Days of our Life. And this agrees with the Account Pliny tranfmitted to Trajan the Emperor, of the Chriftians in his time; That they were wont upon a ftated Day, to meet together early in the Morning, and bind themselves by a Sacrament not to commit Theft, &c.

OR an EUCHARIST; with respect to the Thanksgiving Part, confifting of folemn Oblation, of most humble and hearty Thanks to Almighty God our heavenly Father, who of his tender Mercy did give his only Son Jefus Chrift, to fuffer Death upon the Crofs for our Redemption; of all Times, and above all Places, it is then, and there very meet, right, and our boun den Duty to give Thanks.

OR the COMMUNION of the Body and Blood of Chrift, as St. Paul has affign'd the

Ufes,

V.

Ufes, 1 Cor. x. viz. (1.) For maintaining Chri- CHAP. ftian Charity in giving, forgiving, and general interceding, among Chriftians, who are myftically one in Body; and all Fellow Members of that one Body, whereof Chrift is Head. The Mind is then aptly imprefs'd with a correfponding Difpofition and Sympathy of mental Membership and Communion of Saints, by the bodily Concurrence of Chriftian People communicating of the fignified Body. Love to Enemies is particularly fignified and ftampt upon the Mind, by reprefenting the moft bounteous fuperlative Example of it, in that, while we were yet Enemies, he died for us. And what can better infpire the Communicant. with univerfal Benevolence and Reconciliation, than his receiving the Pledges of the like Love of God, and of our Mafter and only Saviour, thus dying for all Men? (2.) For preferving Christians from the Idolatry of communicating in any Service to, or worship of any other Mediator, for Acceptance with God, but the one Lord Chrift. To whom they must all inviolably adhere, as the fole Mafter and Mediator of the true Religion, and Worship of God.

AND if there is but that one Mediator and Advocate with God, who lives for ever, and for all Intents and Purposes, to make Interceffion bimfelf for us, and reprefent and plead the once offering of Himself for us; not only the Doctrine of Saints and Angels interceding, is abfurd; but that Notion lately efpoufed by fome Protef tants, viz. of the Priest or Minister representing the Sacrifice of his Son to God, and pleading that Oblation with him for the Sins of the Congregation, must be erroneous likewife; because it is a plain fbaring with, an encroaching upon Chrift's

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Office