he the token of that blood which is the feal of it.

6. Is it faid, but what occafion was there for inllltut-
ing a rite to fatisfy us that God will make good all the
promifes of his word, when we may depend upon his
veracity ? " faithful is he that piomifed, Heb. x. 23.
who alfo will do it, 1 Thef. v. 24. He cannot deny
himfelf," 2 Tim. ii 13. It may be fufficient to an-
fwer, that knowing and pitying our weaknefs, and be-
ing willing more abundantly to fhew us the immutabili-
tyof his counfel, that they might have a ilrongconfolation
whofe chief concern it is to enjoy the bleflings of the
new covenant, He makes ufe of this as a means to help
our unbelief and encourage our faith and hope in his
word. See Heb. vi. 18.

7. As every communicant is to look upon the blood
of Jefus as the feal of the new covenant, and to think
that his blood being flied, " all the promifes of God in
him are yea, and in him Amen," 2 Cor. i. 20. and as
he is to confider the cup, the token of this blood, as the
appointed feal of this covenant, that is. as confirming
thefe promifes, or as deiigned to give us full fatisfaftion
that every one of them fliall certainly be performed, fo it
ought to be obferved, that there is no other fenfe in
which any of the communicants are to think that the cup
is the feal of the new covenant.

8. Some may fuppofe th;it the fpeaking of the cup as
the feal of the new covenant to all the communicants,
gives encouragement to the vain hopes of thofe among
them, who are wicked, and who conclude with them-



[ 51 ]
felves that they are in a flate of grace and falvation, be-
caufe in receiving the lacrament they receive the feal
of the new covenant. But, I think, I have fufficiently
guarded againll this, by obferving, that the promifes of
the word are all that God feals in the facrament. For
unlefs you fuppofe that thefe promifes have a tendency
to encourage fuch hopes in the wicked communicants,
the fealing of them, or affuring us that God will aft a-
greeably to them, cannot juitly be faid to have any fuch
tendency. And indeed it had eftcclually prevented
their falling into this dangerous and often fatal miltake,
if they had but ferioul]y confidered, that as the plain
language of God in his word, *' There is no peace to
the wicked," Ifa. Iviii. 21. is no ways contrac ifted by
his promifes ; fo there is no colour of reafon for fancy-
ing that the cup in the ficrament fpeaks any thing con-
trary to this language, becaufe it only ferves to confinn
the proTiifes.

9. And as this notion of the cup gives no encourago-
raent to the vain hopes of the wicked communicants, fo
it is certainly very proper to give the truly pious all the
comfort they can reafonably defire. For as the promi-
fes of the word do aiTure them that the Lord is their
God, and that all the bleHings of the new covenant are
theirs •, fo the cup, as the leal of this covenant, does
aptly ferve to encourage their faith and hope iu thefe
promifes, and may well be confidered as giving them the
fame affurance.

10. Let every communicant therefore take to himfelf
that portion of the word and promife that belongs to
him, and no ill confequence will follow from his looking
on the facramental cup as the feal of it. So far from
this, that the conlidering it under this notion may be of
great fcrvice unto all : for inftance, it may invite and
encourage a wicked perfon to forfake his evil " way and
unrighteous thoughts, and return unto the Lord j" and
it may alfo fhew him the necelTity of this, to obferve,
that as God calls on him to aft in this manner, fo he
aiTures him, not only in his word, but by the facramen-
tal cup, that thus doing " he will have mercy upon him,
and abundantly pardon," Ifa. Iv. 7. And what can do
more to fill the foul of a pious commu,nicant.with love

E 2



[ 52 ]
to God and zeal for his fervice, than to think, as he de-
claies in his word that he has made with him an " ever-
lafting covenant," Ifa. Iv. 3. fo he alfo fets the cup be-
fore him, and prefents it to him as the feal of his bleffed-
nefs ? and furely the amazing love and grace of God that
is herein difplayed, fhould in reafon conftrain us all to
enter into, or renew a covenant with him, that we will
be his people and fervants.

II. But this leads me to obferve, that a covenant be-
ing a mutual engagement between the parties concerned ,
who enter into bonds or come under an obligation to
each other, the figning and lealing of the covenant is to
be confidered as the a6l of thefe parties. As therefore
the giving of the cup is to be looked upon as the token
and feal of God's covenanting with us, fo our receiving
of it is to be confidered as the token and feal of our cove-
nanting with God, that is. as the token and feal of our
fokmnly engaging, that we will be his, and will live in
his fervice.

21.1 only add, that it is with great propriety that
the giving of the wine as the fymbol of the blood of
jefiis, is made the feal of God's covenanting with us ;
and that our receiving of it under this notion, is to be
the. feal of 'our covenanting with God. For as this
tends to raife in us a full perfualion of his ading agree-
ably to his covenant with us to make good our engage-
merits unto him, " can any thing be conceived more
" awful and binding than a covenant fo tranfafted *i^"



Section V.

My blood, which is J})ed for you and for many.

I. As the wine in the cup, the fymbol of the blood
of Jefus, prefents it to our minds as Hied, fo it ought to
be obferved that the Qiedding of his blood was fo remark-
able a circumftance of hisfuflPerings and death, that, like
the breaking of his body, it may very well be put for

* Groves en the Sacratnent.



C S3 1
the whole. We may therefore fay that this, as well as
that, fets Chrill before us as ciucitied.

2. And as when our Lord gave the bread to his difci-
ples, he took notice of the interelt or concern that they
had in his broken body, of which it was the appointed
hgn, obferving, that it was broken for them j fo he does
the like on his giving them the cup, the fymbol of the
blood which he flied ; for he tells them, that it was flied
for them ; and not for them alone, bnt for many others j
for Gentiles as well as Jews, even to all that Ihall believe
on him, John xvii. 20. " that whoiotver believeth in
him Ihould not perifh, but have cverlaiting life," John
iii. 16.

3. As therefore Jofeph fpake of the kine and ears of
corn in Pharaoh's dream as being one, Gen. xli. 26. fo
we may fpeak of the bread and the wine in the facrament ;
thus far they are both one j' both tend to the fame end,
and anfwer the fane purpofe. Both are the lymbols of
a crucified Jefus. Both fet him before us as crucified
for us J and both are given us to invite and encourage
us to look to him, and depend upon him for all the blef-
fed fruits of his fufferings and death.

4. And if it be faId,"But why thouldthe fymbol of one
and the fame thing be doubled r why fliould our Lord
fet it again before us â– ' why (hould he fpeak of it a fe-
cond time ?" it rotiy be faid in anAver, " That this may
be done to lead us to confider it as a matter of th.e ut-
motl importance to us, and to ihew us that he v.-ould by
all means engage our attention to it." And indeed,
what is there of greater concern to us than this, that
Chrill gave himftlf to fuffer and die for us, that believ-
ing in him. we may have life througli his name r Well
may he, once and again, call and invite us to faith in
liimfelf, when, as was obferved, this faith is abfolutely
necelTary, as to tlie right receiving of the facrament, fo
likewife to our eternal bleflednefs.

5. Befides, there is no method more proper than this,
which our bleffed Saviour has taken to remove all our
doubts and fears as to liis love to us and our intereft in
his fufterings and death, and to lead us to look on this
as a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that
he came into the world, and was crucified for us that

^3



[ 54 ]
we might be fared. How can we call this in queftioir,
v\.hen-Vve obferve that in the facrament he gives us not
oiily one, but another token and pledge of it.

6. Some of the communicants, it may be, when tak-
ing and eating of the bread, fay in their hearts, " Alas !
we fear that we have no part nor lot in this Saviour j
it is not for us to trufl in him for falvation j" but as if
compaffionating their cafe, and willing to comfort them,,
he repeats the aflurance of this, that he was crucified for
them, and fetting the cup before them, and prefenting
them with it, as the fymbol of his blood ilied for them-

y. And as to others who may fay. Lord we belie"e,
we believe that thou haft loved us, and haft given thy-
felf for us, and we receive this bread as what thou giv-
eft us to encourage us to receive thee by faith as our'
Lord and Saviour, they may fee reafon to add, help
thou our unbelief-, Lord increafe our faith. And what
more proper to anfwcr this end and to ftrengthen their
hope and their truft in Chrift than this, his alTuring them
that he hath appointed the cup to be a frefti token of his
fuff"erin^s for them, and his commanding them to receive
it as fuch.



Section VL
For the remijfion of Jin s.

When our Lord gave his difciples the bread, the tok-
en of his body, he only told them, in the general, that
it was given and broken for them ; that is, for their be-
nefit •, but now he comes to give them the cup, the tok-
en of his blood, as he tells them that it was Ihed for them,
fo he likewife takes notice of its being ftied for this end
in particular, that he might procure for them the remif-
lion of fins.

2. The blefting here fpoken of, the remiffion of fins,
the fruit of Chrift's ftiedding of his blood, or tlie effeft
of hi« fufferings and death, need not be taken in its moft
ftiift and proper fenfe, as meaning no more than the
bare pardoning of a criminal, or delivering him from the



C 5S 1
condemning fentence of the law, but rather as being the
i'ame with that " redemption which we have through
the blood of Jefus, according to the riches of his grace,"
Eph. i. 7. or, as taking in all the blellings for which he
fuffered and died.

3. And yet it is not without reafon that he mentions
this in particular, and would fix the eyes of the commu-
nicants upon it ; for he fpeaks of his blood, as the blood'
of the new covenant •, and he prefents the cup to us,
not only as the token of his blood, but alfo as the token
and feal of this covenant, and nothing can do more to
encourage us to receive it under this notion, than to
confider that it is fhed for us, for the remilfion of fins.

4. bins in the general are here fpoken of, and con-
fequently all lins muil be intended. Have our fins
therefore been ever lo many, and ever fo heinous,
we (hould not fay, Alas for us I there is no hope ! but
think with ourfelves that we arc invited to the table of
our Lord, and that as he there offers us his body, as gi-
ven and broken for us, and calls us to eat bread in token
of our receiving him by faith as our Lord and Saviour ;
fo he there affures us, that out of a regard to his blood,
God is willing to make a new covenant with us •, nay,
and that the wine, the reprefentative of this blood, is
given us as the feal of this covenant on the part of God j
and from this it follows, as we fliall fee under the next
fcclion, that our receiving of it is to be the token of
our thankful acceptance of this covenant, and of our
bringing ourfelves under the mod folemn engagements
to God that we will be his fervants.

5. Whereas therefore, fome of the communicants
may thus fpeak within themfelves ; " But alas I we have
finned and rebelled againft the Lord, and is it for us
to look for inch a favour as this, the having him for
our God in covenant r" this may do fome tiling to
give them relief and comfort, "the blood of Jeius Chrill
his Son was (hed for the remifhon of fins, to wafli (Rev.
i., 5.) andcleanfeus from all fin," i Johni- 7. and remove
that, which is the only ti)ing that can be fuppofed to
I'indcr the favour of God from Howing to us in a full
Ilream. But this may lead me to obferve,

6. This, the llicdding of Chrifl's blood, or his fuffer-



r 56 J

Iiig and dying for us, for the remiflion of fins, as it was^
the laft and the moll difficult part of his undertaking,
fo it was the crowning and completing of the whole.
Agreeably we find, that when upon the crofs, he was
juil about to expirsor give up his Ipirit, bowing his head,
he faid it is fitiillied. John xix. 30. And as in token
of his full hope and confidence of acceptance with God,
" He cried with a loud voice, and faid. Father, into thine
hands I commit my fpirit," Luke xxiii. 46. j lb there
is abundant reafon to conclude that God was vvellpleafed
fully' fatisfied with what our bleffed Saviour had done, be -
caufe he hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name, that at the name of Jefus
every knee fhould bow," Phil. ii. 9, 10. And becaufe
he is entered into the holy place, Heaven itielf, with
his blood theie to appear in the prefence of God for us,
Heb. ix. 12, 24. "and ever lives to make interceflion.
for us," Heb. vli. 15. Let thefe things be confidered,
and it will be feen that a folid foundation is laid for our
hope and truft in Chrift y and that we may be fully af-*
fured, that " he is able to fave to the uttermolt, all them '
that come unto God by him," Heb. xii. 2^.



Section VHi.
yirnd gave it unto them,Jhjring, Drink ye all of if. •

i; As that, which our Lord had before given to his
difciples was no other than bread broken, fo this, which
he is now putting into their hands, is no other than Avine
poured into the cup. But that we may know what a6l
or afts of our minds fliould attend the receiving of it,
we are not to confider what it is in its own nature, but
what it is made to fignify, by virtue of his ordinance or
inftitution.

Had this therefore been all that he had faid of the cup,
" This is my blood which is fhed for you j" as it w-ould
only have ferved. like the bread, to have fet Chrift be-
fore us, as crucified for us ; fo like that, it would only
have called for our faith in him, and then the giving of



[ 57 ]
the cup would have tended to no other end than the
giving of the bread.

3. Eut we find that our Lord has alfo fpoken of the
cup as " the new covenant in his blood j" and this no-
tion being peculiar to the cup, we may reafonably fay,
that this is that which we are principally to have in our
eye in receiving it.

4. When therefore the cup is about to be put into
our hands, it will be proper for us to confider our bleffed
Stviour, as the mediator of the new covenant, and as
affuring us that, having fhed his blood, he has done all
that which was neceffary to reconcile God to us, his fin-
ful and rebellious creatures ; fo that now he may be juft,
Rom. iii. 26. and yet enter into the new covenant with
us ; and that all the articles of this covenant are drawn,
and figned and fealed as it were in this blood, fo that
nothing elfe is wanting to complete the bleffed work, but
our accepting, figning, andfealing of the famej and to this
he calls and invites us.

5. This is fo amazing, that we may well be crying
out, *' Eut is it fo in very deed r" 2 Chron. vi. 18. Is
there any ground for the ravifhing thought, that the
great God, the Creator of heaven and earth, will make
a covenant of peace and friendfhip with us j with us,
who by our fins have brought ourfelves under the curfe
of his righteous law ? is it for condemned criminals to
look for fuch an high privilege as this ^ when we con-
fider what we are, and how ill we have carried it to-
\vards our maker, what reafon have we to fear that he
he will deal with us as with the angels that finned, '* whom
he cart down to hell, and delivered into chains of dark-
nefs, to be refcrved unto judgment," 2 Pet. ii. 4. Well
might there remain " no facrifice for our fins, but a cer-
tain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indigna-
tion, which fhall devour the adverfaries," Heb. x. 26, 27.
" Well might (hame and confufion for ever cover us."
But now, as if it were to obviate, or filence our fears,
and give us to hope for this bleffednefs, as our compaf-
jionate Redeemer here fpeaks of his blood as the foun-
dation and fcal as well as token of the new covenant, fo
he alfo tells us that it was " Ihed for us for the remii-
fionof fins."



f 58 3

6. Being filled therefore with a fenfe of our obliga-
tions to God for the unfpeakable gift of his love, the
gift of his Son : and building all our hopes on his fuf-
ferings and death, we Ihould cheerfully and thankfully
receive the cup in token of our hearty acceptance of
God's offered grace, and of our folemnly engaging that
we will be his, and will fpend all our days in his fervice.

7. To this the riches of the^race of God in his kind-
nefs towards us through Jefus Chrill, fhould in reafon
conftrain us. And what more evident than that this is
abfolutely neeeffary to our happinefs ? For a covenant
being, as was obferved, (Se£l. iv. 2.) a mutual engage-
ment between the parties concerned, who enter into
bonds, or come under an obligation to each other, it can-
not be fuppofed that the Lord fliould be a God in cove-
nant with thofe who do not covenant with him. Be-
fides, we fee that the bleffings of the new covenant are
all along fpoken of in fcripture, as the portion not of
thofe who are enemies unto God, but of fuch only as are
his people and fervants.



Section VIII.

This do in remembrance of me : This do ye^ as oft as
ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

I. If this do meant no more than the bare eating the
bread and drinking of the wine, the latter of the fen-
tences at the head of this feflion, which relates to the
cnp, would have been a tautology, and the fame as to
fay, *' This do as oft as ye do it." But our Loid does
here evidently command his difciples not only to eat
bread and drink %vine, but to do it in a manner agreea-
ble to all that which he had faid and done in their prc-
fence, that is, to break the bread, and to take and eat ft
when broken, as fignifying his body given and broken
for them ; and to drink of the wine in the cup, as figni-
fying his blood, the blood of the new covenant j and-as
fignifying alfo the new covenant in his blood (hed for



C 59 1

tliem, and for many, for the remiffion of fins ; and, after
liis example, to pray to God with thankfgiving, as on
the folemn taking of the bread, fo likewife on taking
of the cup.

2. Many writers have confidered thefe two paffages
as a diredtion to the communicants to remember Chrift.
But although 1 freely own that it is their duty to re-
member him, and that it is to no purpofe to cat bread
and drink wine at his table without aferious remembrance
ot him •, yet 1 fee no reafon to think that he here direfts
hisdifciples to this duty : becaufe after all that had paffcd,
fuch a direftion would have been altogether needlefs.
For perfons of knowledge and underflanding cannot ea-
fily hear that which is faid of the bread, and of the cup,
and attend to the prayers made upon this occafion, with-
out remembering Chrift.

3. But as he might very properly give orders to his
diiciples to ouferve the ordinance he had juft infti-
tuted, fo it was likewife very proper for him to let them
know at the fame time for what reafon he gave them that
order j and both thefe things are done in the ientences
we now confider. For, firft, our Lord commands his
difciples not only to eat bread and drink wine, but to
do it as was fciid in a manner agreeable to his inftitution j
and then he acquaints them with the reafon of his ap-
pointing theie rites, viz. " the keeping up the remem-
brance of him in the world i" A reafon that obliges Chri-
llians in all ages *o obferve them.

4. As theretore the pallover was to the children of
" Ifrael fiir a memorial of the Lord's paffing over their
houfes," Exod. xii. 14, 27. " when he imote Egypt in
their lirlt born, and brought out his peonle from among
them with a Urong hand, and a ftretclrcd-out arm ;" fo
the l^ord's fuppcv is appointed to be to us a memorial of
our Saviour and his fuffering and d\ ing for us on the crofs,
that he might deliver us from fm, from death and hell,
and mike us blcJTcd for ever. It is as a pillar, or mo-
nument, which he himfelf hath fet up in his church, and
which he would have to continue therein till the time
of his coming to judge the world, that his name may en-
dure for ever, and the remembrance of him and of his
love to all generations.



[ 6o ]

5. And as the very fight of a monument, if we are be-
fore acquainted with the occafion of its being eredled, is
fufficient to lead our thoughts to thofe things, the me-
mory of which it is defigned to preferve, and as it can-
not well be but that we muil think on them, when we
read or hear that which is infcribed upon it ; fo the
very fight of the bread and the cup at tlie Lord's table,
if we are before acquainted with the occafion of their
being fet upon it, is fufficient to lead her thoughts to him j
and it cannot well be, but that we mull think on him,
when we read or hear that which is as it were infcrib-
ed on the bread and on the cup, or written concerning
them : And when thele words have been juft pronoun-
ced, " This bread is Chrift's body, which is given and
broken for you ; and this cup is Chrift's bipod of the
new covenant, and the new covenant in his blood fhed
for you, and for many for the remiffion of fins j" furely
there is not the leaft neceffity, or it mufl: be in vain, to
call on the communicants to remember him.

6. I only add here, that fome think that the original
words may be thus rendered, This do for my memorial ;
and that, as the rainbow was appointed to put God in
remembrance, fo the Lord's fupper was inllituted, and
we are commanded to obferve it to put Chrirt in remem-
brance*. Eut there is this difference in the two caies.
We are told that the rainbow is to put God in remem-
brance of the covenant he was pleafed to make with all
flefh, that he would not " any more deihoy the earth
with a flood," Gen.ix. 16. But no intimation is given
us of anything that the facrament is to put Chrill in re-
membrance of. But be this as it will, the notion of this
ordinance, that it Is as a monument to preferve remem-
brance of him. i? no ways afTtcled by it : for as the bow
in the cloud not only ferves to put God in remembrance
of his covenant, but to keep up the remembrance of it
among men, fo whatever that be which this inlHtution is
to put Chrill in remembrance of, it is not the lefs pro-
per to preferve the remembrance of him, and his fuffer-
ings and dying for us.

»

* Holloway'i commemorative facriiice, p ij.



[ 6i ]

Section IX.
And they all drank of it.

1. Had our Lord faid no more as to the cup, Than lie
fpake wich refpeA to the bread, Tliis do in remembrance
of me ; we miglit reuibnaljly have underitcod him ^
commanding his difciples to drink, ot the cup, as weli as
to eat the biead, in a mamier agreeable to his ordinance.
But knowing that, in time to come, many of the com-
municants would latisfy themfelves with the " bare eat-
ing and drinking in his prefence," Luke xiii.26. as a means
proper to prevent this evil, which may prove of fatal
confequence to fuch as are guilty of it j he adds, as oft
as ye drink it, words that evidently teach us, as we have
feen Sect. VIIL i. that when drinking of the cup we
are to have an eye to the inlHtution, and to fee that we
exadly obferve it ; and this may lead us to conclude
that we are to do the fame when eating the bread.

2. And thus it is as te this, -^vhich we are now to
confider, the exprefs notice that is taken of the difciples
drinking of the cup. It is not (aid that they did aJl
eat of the bread, and yet we cannot but think that they
did all eat of it. And we might reafonably have thought
that they all drank of the cup, had this alio been palt over
in lilence. But known unto God are all liis works, froru.
the beginning of the â– world. And things that to us are
future and to come in far dillant ages, are all prefent
unto him ; and as he forefaw that fome would arife
\vho would interpret the words, tliis do ye, when fpok-
en with reference to the cup, as not being a command
to drink of it*, and who agreeably to this would refufe
giving it to the greateft part of the communicants j lb
as if it were to fliew that all have a right to it. and to
embolden them to inlift on their right, one of the in-

* Hac igitur parte non continetur pneceptum fiicien li, id tfl:,