IV. Why Chrift made ufe of Bread in this Holy Sacrament, is next to be confider'd. Befides the general Reason I have already mention'd, viz. To reprefent the Nourishment he intends our Souls by his Death and Crucifixion, if we lay hold of it by an active and fruitful Faith, there may these following Reasons be alfo given for it.

1. To put us in mind that he was the Perfon prefigured by the Bread, variously prepared, and ordered under the Law, and in the Temple, and in the Rituals of the Jews. The Shew-bread was to be before the Lord continually, Exod. 25. 30. In the Original'? it's called, The Bread of Faces. The My

ftery of it was to fhew, that Chrift was to be the great Mediator, who fhould be always in the Prefence of God, behold his Face, and live for ever to intercede for us; and though other fignifications may be afcribed to that Rite, yet Chrift being the end of the Law, we must refer all principally to him; and as the Bread in their Offerings and facred Ceremonies was variously order'd, so it had various Significations, as the Fathers have obferved. Bread, or Corn, while it was yet in the Ear, reprefented Chrift veiled, and feen darkly under the Law: Bread, or Corn. rather in its Flower, Chrift, as he was preach'd by the Prophets: Bread form'd and perfected, Chrift as he was clad in Flesh : Bread bak'd in an Oven, Chrift being in the Virgin's Womb: Bread fry'd in the Pan, Chrift in his Torments and Agonies: Bread toafted, Chrift being Crucified. I will not warrant all these Applications from Scripture; however being pious, and according to the Analogy of Faith, they ought not to be fuperciliously rejected.

2. Bread is the Sign of Friendship. It was fo not only among the Jews, but the ancient Pythagoreans too, whose Symbol it was, Take heed of breaking the Loaf, ie Friendship; and that which makes it an Emblem of Amity and Love,is,because many Corps go together to make one Loaf, and the feveral parts are clofelly compacted,

do perfectly agree, and are united, and incorporated one with the other: Chrift therefore made ufe of Brea d not only to tell us, that by eating of this Bread, we are made the Friends of Chrift, and Chrift is made our Friend, if we eat as becomes the Gospel of Christ; but to hint to us, how we, that call our felves Chriftians, fhould love one another, how dear we ought to be one to another, and how, like Members of the Mystical Body of Chrift, we ought to be affected without one another's Mifery; as in the Natural Body, if one Member be afflicted, all the rest sympathize with it; and if one fuffers, all feel the Smart and Anguish.

3. This was to excite aur Hunger after Chrift, as the fight of Bread raises the Appetite of an hungry Man. If Christ be the Bread which came down from Heaven, as he faith himself, John 6. 51. he must needs be the best, the fweeteft, the pureft, the cleanest, the wholsomest, the favourieft, and the most nourishing Bread, and to a Soul fenfible of her own Vilenefs or Danger, the most delicious Object; fuch Souls he frequently calls, as knowing, that their Inclinations,Defires,and Breathings, to be fatisfied with his Favour, must needs be vigorous and impatient of Repulfes. For what makes the Covetous long after Gold, or the Seaman in a Storm after his defired Haven? The one can fatisfie the greedy Man's Neceffities, the other free the Mariner from Fears and Dangers; Chrift alone can fatisfie the Neceffities of a wounded Soul, and he is the only Port, in which a Soul, that's weary of Sin, can find Rest, and Eafe, and Safety from Danger. Where Men look upon these earnest Defires as Exceffes of Devotion, or Effects of a Diftemper'd Brain, 'tis a Sign they were never fenfible of the Terror of Sin, nor did the roaring Lion ever fright their Souls by Suggestions of Despair, nor did they ever fee themselves undone and miferable, elfe their Hearts, and their Flesh would cry out unto the living God. Ask a Man that's finking into the Sea, what makes him cry for a Deliverer: Ask him that's fallen among Thieves, what makes him long after fome good Christian to ref

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cue him. Did Men feel the Load of Sin, and were their Souls fenfible of what they say in the Communion Service, that the Burthen is intolerable, they would need no Prompter to cry with David, O God, thau art my God, early will 1 feek thee: My Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land, where no Water is, Pfal. 63. 1.

4. Christ used Bread here, that whenever we look upon it, we might remember our Duty of Dealing our Bread to the Hungry; By this Phrase our Kindness and Liberality to the Poor,is expreffed in Scripture, E. 58.7. Indeed if we reflect to this Sacrament, that we our felves are Beggars, and expect Alms from our gracious Master, we have great reafon to do by the Poor and Needy, as we would have God do by our miserable Souls; when we come to this Table, how justly might he fay to us, as Chrift to the Woman of Canaan, It's not meet to take the Childrens Bread, and give unto the Dogs; for how often have we with the Dog returned to the Vomit? But he deals not with us after our Sins; He bids us open our Mouths wide and he will fill them, not with Quailes and Manna, but with that which outlafts both these, and then how natural is the Inference, Hath my God fed me, a poor Worm, this Day with the richest Bread, and fhall I let his poor Members ftarve? Hath he in compaffion to my starved Soul, enrich'd it with his Love this day, and shall not I express my Love to those who are in want of common and ordinary Food?

The Preceding Confiderations reduc'd to Practice.

"TH

I.THIS puts us in mind of the Apoftles faying, 1 Cor. 1.27. God hath chosen the foolish Things of the World to confound the Wife, and hath chofen the weak things of the World to confound those that are mighty; Behold, when Chrift inftitutes the Ordinances of the Eucharift, the greatest Feast, the richest Banquet that ever was feen or frequented by Mortal Men; he ranfacks not the Sea for Rarities, nor bids his Servants kill and flay

the

the Fowls of the Air, or the Cattle upon a Thousand Hills; but Bread, plain, common, ordinary Bread, he caufes to be fet upon the Table, and by that expresses the fublimeft Mystery of our Religion. God is not for outward Pomp, nor did he ever matter external Magnificence; but by plain and fimple Things, he hath done the greatest Miracles. These were not wrought by Men clad in Royal Robes, but by Perfons who wore hairy Garments, and had Leathern Girdles about their Loins, by Men that wander'd about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins, in Caves and Dens of the Earth, of whom the World was not worthy; by Men whom the World looked upon as Mad, and had feldom any Recourse to, but when Neceffity forc'd them, and they knew not how to make fhift without them. By the most contemptible Things, he hath wrought the greatest Deliverances. Indeed, nothing declares his Power or Majefty fo much, as when he makes ufe of the meanest Things to effect those which are greateft. By Lice, and Frogs, and Caterpillers, he deftroys the Land of Egypt; and by Three Hundred undisciplin'd Men, he defeats the vast Army of Midianites. When he brings the First-begotten into the World, and bids all the Angels of Heaven worship him, all his State and Grandeur is performed in a Stable, in a Manger, in a Cradle: And as God, by the plaineft and fimpleft Things, loves to bring Things of the greatest confequence to pass, fo he is for the plaineft Devotion too. The Pharifee's founding a Trumpet when he gives Alms, makes no pleafing Mufick in Heaven; but the poor Widow, that, without making a Shew, throws in her Two Mites, even all her Living, into the Treasury, is the acceptable Votary: Therefore grieve not, Chriftian, because thou canst not bring a Thousand Rivers of Oyl, or Ten Thousand Rams, into the Temple of God: Bring but an humble Heart, and he will take more Notice of it, than of all the Pomp and Retinue of Bernice and Agrippa.

II. Since

II. Since the Bread in this Holy Sacrament is to represent our spiritual Nourishment, it must needs be worth our enquiring, whether we find that spiritual Strength and Nourishment in our Souls which is promifed and commanded in this Ordinance. And there can be no better Sign of our thriving upon this spiritual Food, than if,

1. Our Corruptions do fignally abate: As in the Body; if the ill Humours begin to be qualified, and the Sharpness of the Blood be taken off, and the Pains and Aches decay, it is a Sign the Body advances in Health, and Strength returns. It is fo in the Soul; if our Envy, or Pride, or watchful Temper, or our Laziness in God's Service, or our Indifferency in Devotion, or our Backwardness to Duties, &c. decays and dwindles away, it is a certain Sign our Souls begin to be in an excellent Temper; for these are the Worms that hinder our Trees from growing, which if they faint and die away, the Trees are like to come to their full Growth and Heighth, and the Fruit of them to perfect Maturity.

2. If our Delight in the Things of God doth increase, our Delight in the Ordinances of God, our Delight in Meditation, our Delight in fpeaking and thinking of God, our Delight in Obedience, our Delight in doing Good, and being helpful to others? It is as great a Sign the Soul thrives upon this fpiritual Food, as it is in the Body, when a Man begins to look with a chearful Countenance, and the ruddy Complexion clears up, and the once fickly Perfon goes about his Bufinefs with Alacrity.

3. If we loath any thing that is offenfive to our Blessed Redeemer. As an healthy Stomach doth loath any thing that is prejudicial to the Body, fo the Soul is then in a good Plight, when that which is contrary to the Intereft of the Crofs becomes odious to her; when it goes against her to do that which muft needs be difpleafing to him that died for her; when it is a Grief to her to see the Senfualities Men wallow in.

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