To do this in the most effectual manner, I think it necessary to set down the text of the three evangelists, who have transmitted the whole account, collated with that part of St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, which speaks of the same subject, and which, he assures us, he received from divine revelation.

It may appear strange, that although Jolm (Chap. xiii. 1-38.) mentions all the particulars preceding the holy supper, and from chap. xiv. 1-36. the circumstances which succeeded the breaking of the bread, and in chapter xv. xvi. and xvii. the discourse which followed the administration of the cup; yet he takes no notice of the divine institution at all; this is satisfactorily accounted for, on his knowledge of what the other three evangelists had written, and on his conviction that their relation was true, and required no additional confirmation, as the matter was fully established by the conjoint testimony of three such unimpeachable wit

nesses.

After this, our Lord resumes that discourse which is found in the 15th, 16th, and 17th chapters of John, beginning with the last verse of chap. xiv. Arise, let us go hence. Then succeed the following words, which conclude the whole ceremony.

To the preceding harmonized view of this important transaction, we should pay the greatest attention.

1. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it-Both St. Matthew and Mark use the word blessed, instead of gave thanks, which is the word used by St. Luke, and St. Paul. The terms in this case are nearly of the same import, for in all the four places referred to above, whether the word blessed or gave thanks is used, it signifies according to the Hebrew and Greek idiom, to bless God over it, the dispenser of every good (the word it being improperly added in our version,) thus to bless the sacrifice, was to give thanks to God, for the peace-offering, before they dined upon it, 1 Sam. ix. 13.*

Our Lord here conforms himself to that constant and religious Jewish custom, of ac

*The blessing over the bread, was also, in this instance, a peculiar benediction, to denote that a moral, though not a physical change was produced, the bread and wine ceasing to be common bread and wine, being by the words of consecration, sanctified and set apart to the most solemn office of our religion.

knowledging God as the author of every good and perfect gift, by giving thanks, on taking the bread, and taking the cup at their ordinary meals, for every Jew was forbidden to eat, drink, or use any of God's creatures, without rendering him thanks, and he who acted contrary to this command, was considered as a person, who was guilty of sacrilege.* From this custom we have derived the decent and laudable one, of saying grace before and after meat.

2. And brake it. The breaking of the bread I consider highly necessary to the proper performance of this solemn and significant ceremony, because this act was designed by our Lord to shadow forth the wounding and piercing of his body upon

the cross.

The Jews on taking the bread make use of the following benediction. "Blessed be thou our God, king of the universe, who brought forth bread out of the earth."

On taking the cup, they say, "blessed be our God, the king of the universe, the creator of the fruit of the vine." Vid. Buxtorf De Coena Domini.

In the Roman church, the bread is not broken, nor delivered to the people, that they may take and eat, but the consecrated wafer is put upon their tongue, by the priest, and he is reputed the most worthy communicant, who does not masticate, but swallow it. That the breaking of the bread to be distributed, says Dr. Whitby, is an essential part of this rite, is evident, 1st, by the continual mention of it by St. Paul, and all the Evangelists, when they speak of the institution of this sacrament, which shews it to be a necessary part of it. 2. Christ says, take, eat, this is my body, broken for you, 1 Cor. xi. 24. But when the elements are not broken, it can be no more said, this is my body broken for you, than where the elements are not given. 3. Our Lord said, do this in remembrance of me ; i. e. eat this bread broken, in remembrance of my body, broken on the cross; now where no symbol of the body broken is distributed, there nothing can be eaten in memorial of his broken body. Lastly, the apostle, by saying, the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? sufficiently informs us, that the eating of his broken body, is necessary in