eat his natural flefti and blood. " How can this man
give us his tlelh to cat '" They thought he inftrufled
them to be canibals. Whereupon he gives that ever-
lalting rule for the guidance of the church, which the
church forfook, and thereby ruined itfelf; faith he,
'* It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flefti profiteth no-
thing •, the words that I fpeak, they are fpirit, and they
are life." It is a fpiritual communication, faith he, of
niyfelf unto you ; but it is as intimate, and gives as real
an incorporation, as if you did eat my fleih and drink
my blood. The church forfaking this rule of a fpirit-
ual interpretation, ruined itfelf, and fet up a monfter, in-
ftead of this bleffed myfterious ordinance.

We may enquire, therefore, now faith doth peculiar-
ly aft itieif towards Chrift in this ordinance, whereby
we have a diftinft participation of Chrift, othcrwife than
we have by and in any other ordinance whatfoever.
And I would mention four things unto you, which you
may make ufe cf.

1. That faith hath a peculiar refpeft to the foie au-
tliority of Chrift in the inftitution of this ordinance.

All other ordinances draw upon the light of nature,
and upon the moral law, as prayer, preaching the word,
and fmging of pfahns to the praife of God •, but this,
that we fhould receive Jefus by eating of bread, and
drinking cf wine, has no refpeft to the light of na-



[ 136 ]

ture, or the moral law at all ; and we ftiould as foon
chufe to honour God by facrifices, and eating the flefli
of them, if it were not for the authority of Jefus Chrift,
Herein doth faith gire honour to Chrift in his kingly
ofhce. This is the moft direct profeflion of the fubjec-
tion of our fouls and confclences to the authority of
Chrift, in all our religion. We can give no other rea-
fon, we can take no allufion from things, but merely this,
Chrift would have it fo.

2. Faith hath a peculiar refpeft to the love of Chrift
in dying for us, making the atonement for us by his
blood, and therein the glorifying of the wifdom, love,
and grace of God the Father. Faith is led into fpecial
communion with Chrift as dying for us to make the a-
tonement j and therein we give glory to Chrift in his
priefily office in a peculiar manner in this ordinance, it
refpecling the facrifice of Chrift, whereby he made a-
tonement for us.

3. Faith hath refpeft to this fpecial manner of the
exhibition of Chiift to the fouls of believers, under the
outward figns and fymbols of bread and wine by his in-
ftitution, making fuch a facramcntal union between the
thing figuified and the fign, that the figns remaining to
be what they are in themfelves, they are unto us the
thing tliat is fignified, by virtue of the facramental union
that Chrift hath appointed between his body and blood,
and the benefits of it •, and this bread and wine, though
not changed at all in themfelves, yet they become to us
by faith, not what they are in themfelves, but what is
ligrified by them, " the body and blood of Chrift."
Herein we give glory to Clnift in his prophetical office.
It is he who has revealed, taught, and inftrudled his
church in this truth, which depends on the facramental
union which follows by his inftitution. That is the
third thing wherein faith peculiarly adls itfelf in this or-
dinance.

4. The fourth thing is, the myfterioufnefs, which I
leave to your experience, for it is beyond expreflion, the
myfterlous reception of Chrift in this peculiar way of
exhibition. There is a reception of Chrift as tendered
in the promife of the gofpel ; but here is a peculiai way
of iiis exhibition under outward figns, and a myfterious



[ ni ]

reception of him in them really, fo as to come to a real
fubftantial incorporation in our fouls. This is that which
believers ought to labour after an experience of in them-
felves J to find that indeed under thefe four confidera-
tlons, they fubmit to the authority of Jefus Chrift in a
peculiar manner, giving him the glory of his kingly of-
fice •, mixing faith with him as dying and making atone-
ment by his blood, fo giving him the glory and honour
of his priellly othce j much confidering the facramental
union that is, by his inftitution, between the outf/ard
figns and the thing fignified, thus glorifying him in his
prophetical office j and raifing up their fouls to a my-
llerious reception and incorporation of him, receiving
him to dwell in them, warning, cherilhing, comforting and
itrengthening their hearts.

I have mentioned thefe things as thofe which lie ix
your praftice, and to obviate that (if I may mention it)
which you may be tried with. There is but one plaufi-
ble pretence that our adverfaries, who defign toopprefs
us, have in this bufinefs : If, fay they, there be not a
real prefence and a real fubftantial tranfmutation of the
elements into the fubftance of the body and blood of
Chrift, ftiew you a way whereby you may have a peculiar
communion with Chrift, any more llun in the word
preached. We fay, we have in thefe things experience
of a peculiar communion with . Chrift, in a way made
proper to this ordinance, which is not to be found in any
other ordinance.



y^£ END.