SERM.

IX.

Sacrament once was, it always will be, con-
sequently it will not only be a Representation
or Commemoration of Christ's Sacrifice made
to God; but it will be also a Consignation
of all the great Benefits procured by that Sa-
crifice to all faithful Communicants. For so
our Saviour's Words imply : For he not only
said, Do this for a Memorial of me : i. e.
Represent my Death in this Manner to the
Father but he said also, Take, eat, This
is my Body which is given for you; and
Drink

ye all of this ; for this is my Blood of
the New Testament, which is sed for you,
and for many for the Remisħon of Sins : In-
timating that by their partaking, in such
Manner, of his substituted or facramental
Body and Blood, they should partake of, or
communicate in, all the high Benefits, Graces,
and Blessings, which the Oblation and Sa-
crifice of his real Body and Blood was offer-

For the sacramental or symbolical Body and Blood, were instituted to supply the Place of the natural; and to be in Construction and beneficial Effect, the same Thing with it *. And therefore after Consecration, they are called by the Names of what they are Pledges of, and are ordained to convey, * Waterland on the Eucharist, p. 329.

because

ed to procure.

N 4

IX.

ICE 31

SERM. because though not literally, yet in just Con

struction and certain Effect, they are the very
Things which they are called, i.e. the Body
and Blood of Christ to all worthy Receivers :
While they are made use of in the holy Ser-
vice, they are construed and understood, (pure
suant to the Divine Promile and Covenant) as
standing for what they represent and exhi-
bit *. By partaking of the holy Elements
we become one Flesh, and one Blood with
Christ, in the fame Sense, as all the Mem-
bers of the Church are one Body with him.
We carry Christ about us, as being mysti-
cally united to him. His Body and Blood
are confidered as intermingled with ours, when
the Symbols of them really and strictly are
so. Consequently the Benefits are completely
the same ; God, who accepts of such sym-
bolical Union, making it to all saving Pur-
poses and Intents, as effectual, as any the
most real could be. Such was the End of
the Institution of the Eucharist, and such is
the high Privilege we are admitted to by it;
If with a true and penitent Heart, and lively
Faith, we receive that holy Sacrament, we
then (as our Church speaks) Spiritually eat the
Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood; we dwell
Waterland, p. 199. 200.

IX.

in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with SERM. Christ, and Christ with us. . What farther Blessings that mystical Union must draw along with it, I have not now Time to say : But having now shewed that this Ordinance is not only a positive, but also a rational Service ; that it is such a one as the Reason of it, as well as the Command appears ; we may hope that all who are influenced by Reason, instead of questioning the Expediency of the Institution, and undervaluing or lessening it's Virtues and Effects ; will obediently and diligently submit to the one, and with Joy and Thankfulness aspire to the other.

SER

Jesus an High Priest of the true-Ta

bernacle.

HEB. IX. 7, 11, 12.
Into the second [Tabernacle] went the High

Prie alone, once every Year, not without
Blood, which he offered for himself, and for

the Errors of the People.
But Christ being come an High Priest of

good Things to come, by a greater and more
perfe&t Tabernacle, not made with Hands,

that is to say, not of this Building ;
Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves, but

by his own Blood, be entered in once into the holy Place, baving obtained eternal Redemption for us.

T

O fhew you how truly our Jesus, as
SER M.
X.

the Christ, was, as a Prophet, so a Priest, as the Predictions concerning the Mefliah in the Old Testament foretold he should be ; I explained to you,

in
my

last,
the

X.

;

the Nature and Office of the High Priesthood S ERM. amongst the Jews : Which, being a Priesthood instituted by God himself, will furnish us with the truest Notion of a Priest and being instituted as a Type of what the Meffiah was to do, when he came, will best instruct us how far Jesus acted as the Messiah, in his priestly Character, in what he has done, and continues to do for the Expiation of the Sins of Men.

The Time, which the Remainder of what is needful to be said upon this Subject will require, will spare me none for a Recapitulation of what I have said already : For the Contents of my last therefore I must trust to your Memories : Only I shall remind

you that in describing the Office of the High Priest of the Jews, I observed to you that after the Sacrifice was offered, and the Blood of it Thed in the outward Court, a proper Emblem of the Place of Mortality, the Priest was in the next Place to carry the Blood into the inmost, or most holy Place of the Tabernacle, and there to sprinkle it upon and before the Mercy Seat. It was not enough for him, on this Day, to pour out the Blood on the brazen Altar in the outward Court ; nor to sprinkle it before the

Lord