and the deftruction of his murderers.

xxvi. 54.

But how then Shall the fcriptures be fulfilled, Matth. that thus it must be?

14.

xxiv. 27.

If Christ be not rifen, then is our preach- 1 Cor. xv., ing vain, and your faith is alfo vain. And if he had not suffered on the cross, the predictions of the ancient Scriptures, beginning, as it is written, at Mofes and Luke all the prophets, the types in the Levitical fervice, the great Paffover itself, and every facrifice under the Law, had been infignificant and vain: no atonement had been made for the fins of man; and the judgment had both come, and for ever rested upon all men to condemnation.

Rom. v. 18.

For it is not poffible that the blood of Heb. x. 4 bulls, and of goats should take away fins': 12. they received their whole virtue and efficacy from that one facrifice offered for fins for ever, by him who loved us,

us, and gave Ephef.v.a. himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet smelling favour.

VOL. II.

Y.

Chrift

I Cor.v.7. Chrift our Paffover is facrificed for us; Ephef.i.7. and our redemption is through his blood.

Rom.v.9.

Hebr.xiii. By this we have juftification, fanctification,

12.

Col. i. 20. peace.

The Scripture mentions every

one of these, exprefsly afcribing them to Rev. i. 5. the fame cause. It is he that loved us,

and washed us from our fins in his blood. Rom.v.9. And being juftified by his blood, we are faved from wrath through him; or, as it d'aur. might be rendered, through it.

28.

But

there is no difference: as it is he who Acts xx. hath purchased the Church; fo the price he has paid for it is his own blood. The New Testament, you fee, teaches this doctrine in places innumerable; and the whole tenor of the Old, not only implies it, but has hardly any other meaning.

When therefore, in conformity to our Lord's inftitution at his laft fupper, we eat bread and drink wine, as he hath commanded, in remembrance of him; it is in remembrance of his death. It is his death, his crucifixion, his wounded body

and

and his blood, that are the awful objects then fet before us.

46.

God forbid that any Christian should undervalue the teaching of our Lord. His commands are neceffary to be obeyed: and it will be found at last, that it is in vain to call him our Lord, if we do Luke vi. not the things which he faith. His incarnation, his birth, life, miracles, and refurrection, are all of them proper objects for our frequent and devout meditations; and can never furely be thought of, without the warmeft feelings, and the best refolutions.

But yet, when we come to partake of the Lord's fupper, according to his appointment; it is not any of these, that is the direct and immediate object of our attention at that time; but his fufferings and death. He is fet before us, in this facrament, as crucified and dying for us. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 1 Cor. xi,

26.

count.

cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he

come.

This precife confideration, I should make no fcruple to say, is effential to the right discharge of the duty, and to every true account of it. If you take upon you at any time to enumerate the particulars that muft concur in order to the performing of this duty, agreeably to the end of the inftitution, the remembrance of the death of Chrift is always to be one, it is to be the chief of them.

It is not a right account, for it is not Plain Ac- a perfect one, to fay, that the communicant in a serious fenfe of his relation to Chrift, as his difciple, is to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of him as a perfon corporally abfent: abfent he might be, had he never died: we are to do it in remembrance of him, as one who fuffered in our ftead, and was crucified for To leave this out, is to let drop

us.

what

what is indifpenfably neceffary, and turn afide our attention from the very point on which it fhould be fixed above all others.

I

26.

19.

To fee this, indeed, it is not neceffary to go farther than the new Testament, As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 1 Cor. xi. cup, ye do fhew the Lord's DEATH till he come; than the four Gofpels; nay, if you will bind us to them, than the very words of the inftitution, This is my body, Luke xxii. which is given for you. Given! how? to be put to death, no doubt; crucified for your fake. St. Paul's words are, which is broken for you: delivered up to 1 Cor. xi. fuffer violence on your account. And, 24. this cup is the new Teftament of my blood, Luke xxii. which is fhed for you. Or as the words are in another Evangelift, this is my blood Matth. of the new Teftament, which is shed for many, for the remiffion of fins.

Look up therefore, Christians, in the facra

Y 3

20.

xxvi. 28.