between the heat of God's anger and our souls; let us desire He would have regard to His Dearly Beloved; and the LORD cannot turn back our prayers that press and importune Him with such a mighty argument. Say, therefore, to Him, "Behold, O LORD, the Sacrifice of the everlasting covenant: behold, we lay before Thee the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Is not Thy soul in Him well pleased? Is not His body as really in the heavens, as the signs of it are here in our hands? Hear, good LORD, the cry of His wounds. Let us prevail with Thee through the virtue of His Sacrifice. Let us feel, yea, let all the world feel the power of His intercession. LORD, seeing we bring Thy Son with us. LORD, though Thou wilt not hear us, and let know that He lives, and was dead, and that He is alive for evermore. Amen."--pp. 265, 6.

Deny us not, O Hear Thy SON, O

us and all others

ID.-Christian Sacrifice.

In such meditations as these, when we show forth the inestimable value of CHRIST's Sacrifice, we do, as it were, offer it unto God; or rather, make before Him a commemoration of this offering. And in this sense the ancient Christians did call this Sacrament a Sacrifice; and every Christian they looked upon as a priest and a sacrificer, when he came to the table of the LORD. Because CHRIST not only bade His Apostles "do this in remembrance of" Him; but St. Paul requires every one of us to do the same, and to "show forth His death till He come."-p. 20.

As we are partakers of a better Sacrifice, which is of greater efficacy and virtue than any of theirs (the Jews') were; so GoD receives us into a nearer familiarity with Himself, and, by setting before us not only the body of that Sacrifice which was offered to Him, but the blood also (which was His own proper food), plainly tells us that He intends to make us partakers of the highest blessings, even of His own joy and happiness. Of which He gives us strong assurance, in that He lets us partake not only

of the blood of the Sacrifice, in this figure and representation, but of the blood of that Sacrifice which was offered for the sins of the world. This bids us rest assured of His abundant grace; and not doubt of our acceptance with Him, to a participation of His highest favour. There is nothing now to hinder it, nor to make us call in question His merciful kindness towards us. For we have such a token and pledge of forgiveness of our sins by this Sacrifice, as the ancient people of GOD had not of the forgiveness of their offences, by the blood that was offered at God's altar. They were not admitted to taste of that blood, as we are of the blood of JESUS; and so, could not have that boldness and access with confidence to GOD, which we have through the faith of Him.

This seems to be one great secret of this Sacrament, as appears from the words of St. Luke and St. Paul, (Luke xxii. 20; 1 Cor. xii. 25. compared with Matt. xxvi. 28) who tells, that this cup which we drink of, is "the new covenant in CHRIST'S Blood, which was shed for the remission of sins.".... Which is the import also of the word "communion," used by St. Paul to express the effect of this Sacrament. (1 Cor. x. 16.) "The cup of blessing which we bless," &c. In its full signification, that phrase denotes not merely our being made of His society, but our having a communication of His Body and His Blood unto us, (so the word KOVOVÉw is rendered in other places, Gal. vi. 6; Phil. iv. 15) of which we partake by eating this bread and drinking this cup, in remembrance of His death for the remission of sins. And so we beseech our merciful FATHER, (in the Prayer of Consecration which our Church prescribes) that we receiving these, His creatures of bread and wine, according to His Son our SAVIOUR's holy institution, in remembrance of His death and passion, may be partakers of His most blessed Body and Blood. For, after the bread and wine are deputed by holy prayer to GoD, to be used for a commemoration of CHRIST's death, though they do not cease to be what they were before, yet they begin to be something which they were not before this consecration.... All the effects and benefits of His Passion are imparted to us by these which in themselves are but God's creatures of bread and wine,

yet by His appointment become to us the Body and Blood of His SON. In short, there is nothing which the Body and Blood of CHRIST can be to the spirits of men, but by these tokens He exhibits it to us, and gives us an interest in it. This is spiritually to eat His flesh and drink His Blood; as both our Church and the ancient speak. Our souls entertain and feast themselves upon His Sacrifice; being really made partakers of whatsoever His Body and Blood can do for them. Which St. Gregory Nazianzen meant, I should think, when he saith, that "these oblations are the communication of the incarnation of GoD, and of the sufferings of GoD."-pp. 45-48.

It is certain that it was not common bread and wine which the ancient Christians prayed might become the Body and Blood of CHRIST to them; but bread and wine first sanctified, by being offered to God with thanksgiving, and presented to Him with due acknowledgments that He was the LORD and giver of all things. After which followed a thankful mention of the great love of GoD, in sending His Son to redeem mankind by His death, represented by that holy bread and wine broken and poured out, in commemoration of His Passion.. This was the principal thing of all, which our Church therefore expressly puts us in mind of, in the words now recited; and distinctly acknowledges in the Prayer of Consecration. As for the other, that also is to be understood when you see the bread and wine set upon GOD's table by him that ministers in this divine service. Then it is offered to God; for whatsoever is solemnly placed there, becomes by that means a thing dedicated and appropriated to Him.

And if you observe the time when this bread and wine is ordered to be placed there, which is immediately after the alms of the people have been received for the poor, you will see it is intended by our Church to be a thankful oblation to God of the fruits of the earth. And, accordingly, all that are there present, when they behold the priest thus preparing the bread and wine for consecration to an higher mystery, should secretly lift up their souls to GoD in hearty thanksgiving, and offer Him the Sacrifice of praise for these and all other such like benefits;

desiring Him to accept of these gifts, as a small token of their grateful sense that they hold all they have of Him, as the great LORD of the world. And so we are taught to do in that prayer which immediately follows in our Liturgy, " for the whole state of CHRIST'S Church," and wherein we humbly beseech Him to accept" not only "our alms," but also our "oblations." These are things distinct, and, the former "alms" signifying that which was given for the relief of the poor, the latter "oblations" can signify nothing else but (according to the style of the ancient Church) this bread and wine presented to GoD, in a thankful remembrance of our food both dry and liquid (as Justin Martyr speaks), which He, the Creator of the world, hath made and given unto us. But, above all, we must be sure to offer our devoutest acknowledgments for that gift of gifts, the Son of God dying for us; without which thanksgiving, to speak the truth, we do not do that which CHRIST commanded, and so cannot hope for the blessing He hath promised. Hear St. Chrysostom (instead of all that treat of this matter) who excellently declares the manner and reason of thanksgiving, in a sermon of his upon the eighth chapter of St. Matthew. "A perpetual memory," saith he, "and "thanksgiving for a good turn, is the best way that can be found "to secure and preserve it to us. And, therefore, the dreadful 'mysteries and full of salvation, which we celebrate in every "assembly, are called the Eucharist; because they are a com"memoration of many benefits, and show forth the principal

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piece of Divine providence, and dispose us always to give Him "thanks. For if to be born of a virgin was a great wonder, "what was it to be crucified, to shed His blood for us, and to "give Himself to us for a feast and a spiritual banquet? What "shall we call this? Where shall we place it? We can do no "less than give Him thanks perpetually. ... And, therefore, the "priest, when this Sacrifice is in hand, bids us thank God for "the whole world; for what is past, and what is present, and "for those things that are to come.' This sets us free from the "earth, and translates us to heaven; and of men makes us "angels.... For that Only Begotten Son of His, who was more precious to Him than all things besides, hath He given for us

"enemies; and not only given Him, but, after that gift, set "Him before us on our table; doing all things Himself for us, "both to give, and then to make us thankful for His gifts. For, "mankind being generally ungrateful, He undertakes throughout, and doth all things for us Himself. And what He did for "the Jews, putting them in mind of His benefits, from places, "and times, and feasts, that He hath done here; from a kind of Sacrifice, casting us into a perpetual remembrance of the good "He hath wrought for us."-pp. 68—71.

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TOWERSON, PRESBYTER.-Explication of the Catechism, Part iv.

"ob

But because the fore-mentioned Baronius tells us that the Sacrament, whereof we speak, had also the name of an lation," or 66 Sacrifice," as that too because of the "offering" there made for sin, or an expiatory one; therefore it will be necessary for us to go on to inquire into that name, and so much the rather, because the same author is so copious in his quotations concerning it. And I readily grant that this Sacrament is frequently so called by the ancients, but that it was called so for the reason alleged is utterly denied, neither can there be produced any convincing proof of it. The utmost that can be said by those who are the most ancient, is, that it is an eucharistical oblation, as that too for the blessings of this world, and particularly for the fruits of the earth, as well as for the blessings of our redemption. And to that purpose, and no other, are the sayings before quoted out of Justin Martyr, and Irenæus, and Origen. Which, how they agree with their designs who represent this Sacrament as an expiatory oblation or Sacrifice, I shall leave to all indifferent men to judge. And though it be true, that some of those who followed, spake in another strain, and represented it also as an oblation "for the benefit of the offerers" and others, as well as an eucharistical oblation for benefits received, yet it is evident, from Mr. Mede, that the ancients meant no more by that oblation or Sacrifice, than a commemorative one, by that sacred rite of bread and wine representing to GOD and the FATHER the expiatory Sacrifice of His Son upon the Cross, and, as it were,