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offering made by fire unto the LORD," Lev. ii. 4, 5. 9, &c. Exod. xxv. 30. All which, as most things in the Levitical law, had, doubtless, some respect or other to CHRIST, as is intimated in the law itself, where it is said, that this shall be done by an everlasting covenant," Lev. xxiv. 8, even that which is founded in CHRIST. The bread, consisting of twelve loaves or cakes (according to the number of the tribes of Israel, and of CHRIST'S Apostles), was set upon the table in two rows; which might put us in mind of the two natures in CHRIST, "the bread of life which came down from heaven,” John vi. 33. 35. In Hebrew this is called "the bread of the face," because it was to be set before the face of God continually, Exod. xxv. 30, as CHRIST" continually appeareth in the presence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24. Upon this bread was laid pure frankincese, called in Hebrew пnas, olibanum, from its whiteness; by reason whereof it was used in Sacrifices, as a symbol of God's pardoning sin, as it was likewise of His acceptance of what was done, by the sweet scent it made when burnt. This was laid upon the bread, to be to it for a memorial, as the Hebrew words signify, to call to remembrance the offering made by fire unto the LORD; that is, the death of CHRIST, typified by all such offerings. The bread was to be eaten, not burnt; but the pure frankincense that was laid upon it, was to be burnt, and by its sweet smell call to mind the death of CHRIST, by virtue whereof GOD smells a sweet savour, and accepts of the Sacrifices and services we offer and perform to Him, 1 Pet. ii. 5. And all this was to be done, the bread to be eaten, the frankincense burnt, and new put in their places every Sabbath-day throughout the year; that upon that day especially, men might be put in mind of their SAVIOUR, and accordingly act their faith on Him, for their pardon and acceptance with GOD.

There were many such ways, whereby the people of GOD, in those days, were constantly put in mind of what the SAVIOUR of the world was to do, and suffer for them. All which are now laid aside, and only this one Sacrament of His last supper, instituted by Himself, in the room of them. This is now our Christian shewbread, whereby we "shew the LORD's death till He

come." This is our burnt-offering, our sin-offering, our trespass-offering, our thank-offering, our meat-offering, our drinkoffering, and all the offerings required of us, whereby to commemorate our blessed SAVIOUR, and what He hath done for us; and, therefore, as the Jews were punctual and constant in observing all things prescribed to them, for the same end we certainly ought to do this as often as we can; this one thing, which answers the end of all their offerings, and yet hath neither the trouble, nor the charges, nor the difficulty of any one of them.— pp. 19-23.

ID.-Church Catechism Explained.

When our ever blessed REDEEMER instituted the Sacrament of His last Supper, He said, "This do in remembrance of me." Luke xxiii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 24. Whereby He laid His command upon His Apostles there present, and, in them, upon His Church in all ages, that they should continue this His holy institution in remembrance of Him, or of that death which He was the next day to suffer for the sins of the world; and that they should do it all along until His coming again. As we learn also from His Apostle, saying, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the LORD's death till He come," 1 Cor. xi. 26.

This, therefore, is to be always done, for the continual remembrance of His death, as it was a Sacrifice for the sins of the world; therefore called here, "the Sacrifice of the death of CHRIST."...

And therefore His death was not only a true and proper Sacrifice, but the only true and proper Sacrifice for sin, that was ever offered up in the world. For, His being offered up for the sins of the whole world, there was no sin for which any other need or could be offered up. Or if there had been, no other could have taken it away: "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin," Heb. x. 4. Yet such only were all the "Sacrifices," as they were called, under the Law. Which, therefore, were not real expiatory Sacrifices in themselves, but only types and shadows, appointed by GoD to foreshow, typify,

and represent

come.

"the Sacrifice of the death of CHRIST" then to

And in like manner, the Sacrament of the LORD's Supper is now ordained by Him, to set forth and commemorate the same Sacrafice as now already offered up for the sins of mankind. Which, therefore is necessary to be continued to the end, as the typical sacrifices were from the beginning of the world.-pp. 138, 9.

ID.-Sermon VIII. Christianity an holy Priesthood.

But in every temple of the LORD, it is necessary that there be likewise a priesthood to offer Sacrifices suitable to such a temple. And so there is here: for the Apostle having said [1 Pet. ii. 5.] that the Saints are a "spiritual house," or temple, he adds, that they are also an "holy priesthood,”. . . ordained to "offer up spiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST."

For the understanding of which words, it will be necessary to consider what sacrifices they are which the Saints offer up to GOD; wherefore they are called spiritual Sacrifices; and that these spiritual Sacrifices are acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST.

First, therefore, a Sacrifice in general is properly something that we give or offer to God for our own. For though we have nothing but what He first gives to us, yet when He hath given it to us, we have a civil right to it; it is our own in respect of all other men but when we give it back again to God, divesting ourselves of our own right to it, and transferring it wholly to Him, then He looks upon it as a Sacrifice offered up to Him, and is pleased to accept of it as such. Under the law, GoD commanded that oxen, and sheep, and lambs, and such like living creatures, should be offered up in Sacrifice to Him; which, being killed by a priest, were consumed, either by fire upon the altar, or else by those who waited at it, and so were fed as it were at God's table, of such things as were offered to Him. But these Sacrifices being ordained only to foreshow and typify the " LAMB of GOD that taketh away the sins of the world," they ceased in course, when He had offered up Himself a Sacrifice for our sins upon the Cross. But now under the Gospel other kinds of Sacrifices are required of us: we are now commanded to " present our bodies

as a living Sacrifice," Rom. xii. 1; not to kill them, but to offer them up alive, as a "living Sacrifice," by devoting ourselves wholly to the service of God.

. Hence all manner of good, pious, and charitable works, that are done in obedience to GOD, and for his service and honour, are now called "Sacrifices". . . But sacrificing in general, being a public owning of God and His sovereignty over the world, whereby we openly testify our acknowledgment and belief, that He is the Almighty Creator, Possessor, and Governor of all things, and that we are obliged to Him for all the blessings we enjoy therefore, by the Sacrifices which are here said to be offered by the holy priesthood here spoken of in my text, such duties seem to be more especially understood, whereby we now set forth the glory of GoD, by joining together, in making our public profession of our dependence upon Him, and our manifold obligations to Him.

Particularly our open or public praying to Him, and to Him alone, for all the good things that we want. For hereby we plainly discover, that we believe Him to be the Author and Giver of" every good and perfect gift.". . . And therefore, under the law itself, their public prayers always went along with their daily Sacrifices both morning and evening, and were performed at the same time, even while the lamb was roasting upon the altar and this was itself also reckoned as a Sacrifice offered up to GOD. "Let my prayer," saith David, "be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening Sacrifice," Psal. cxli. 2.

"I

Especially considering that prayer always was, and ought to be accompanied with praise and thanksgiving to GOD, which is so properly a Sacrifice, that it is often called by that name. will offer," saith David, " to Thee the Sacrifice of thanksgiving," Psal. cxvi. 17. "And let them sacrifice the Sacrifices of thanks-' giving, and declare His works with rejoicing or singing," Psal. cvii. 22.

But the Sacrifice that is most proper and peculiar to the Gospel is the Sacrament of our LORD's Supper, instituted by our

LORD Himself to succeed all the bloody Sacrifices in the Mosaic law.

For though we cannot say, as some absurdly do, that this is such a Sacrifice whereby CHRIST is again offered up to God, both for the living and the dead; yet it may as properly be called a Sacrifice as any that was ever offered, except that which was offered by CHRIST Himself: for His, indeed, was the only true expiatory Sacrifice that was ever offered. Those under the law were only types of His, and were called Sacrifices only upon that account, because they typified and represented that which He was to offer for the sins of the world. And therefore the Sacrament of CHRIST'S Body and Blood may as well be called by that name as they were. They were typical, and this is a commemorative Sacrifice. They foreshowed the death of CHRIST to come; this shows forth His death already past. "For as often," saith the Apostle, "as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the LORD's death till He come," 1 Cor. xi. 26. This is properly our Christian Sacrifice, which neither Jews nor Gentiles can have any share in, as the Apostle observes; "We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the tabernacle," Heb. xiii. 10; an altar, where we partake of the great Sacrifice, which the eternal Son of GoD offered up for the sins of the whole world, and ours among the rest; that ALMIGHTY GOD may be reconciled to us, and receive us again into His love and favour, and make us happy in the enjoyment of it for ever. Which is so great a blessing, that they who really mind their own good and welfare can no more forbear to partake of this Sacrament, when they may, than they can forbear to eat when they are hungry and have meat before them.

These are those spiritual Sacrifices which the holy Priesthood, or whole body of Saints, offer up to GOD. The Apostle calls them "spiritual," in opposition to those carnal Sacrifices that were offered by the Levitical priesthood; and because they are of a spiritual nature, and performed in a spiritual manner, being offered up in the spirits of the Saints as well as bodies; and by the SPIRIT of GOD Himself, dwelling in them, and so consecrating