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still more was this shown by all those sacrifices commanded in the Law, on all occasions, at all seasons, even every day: there was no existence in GoD's sight, no goodness, no success, nothing approved without a propitiatory offering: all in all was sacrifice. And the Prophet Malachi, who came at the close of all, when the book of inspiration was about to be shut up for four hundred years, even till CHRIST should appear, he speaks much of the worthiness of sacrifices-of the good and evil being tried by sacrifices; and foretelling, that a time was approaching when offerings of this kind should cease, he adds, "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My Name, and a pure offering "." Not in Jerusalem only, but in the Catholic Church throughout the world, shall the Name of CHRIST be known; and in every place "incense"-which Scripture itself tells us is the Prayers of the Saints, the lifting up" every where " of holy hands"-shall be offered

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to HIм, and " a pure offering.” This pure offering has been always considered, by divines worthy of attention, from the earliest times of Christianity to the present day, to signify the Eucharist, which throughout the world is to take the place of the Jewish sacrifices; the pure oblation of this Sacrament with the incense of Prayers and sacred Liturgies.

Thus was the state of religion from the beginning; thus had the disciples been prepared and taught, when at that great Supper, with much preparation, after washing their feet, amidst most heavenly discourses and solemn prayers, our LORD gave them to understand that His new kingdom was now about to begin; that this was an occasion for which He had earnestly desired before His sufferings; and then, instead of those offerings which the Jews were accustomed to, HE appointed this Sacrifice and Sacrament—a memorial Sacrifice, unlike those slain beasts of old-a life-giving Sacrament, unlike those dead symbols of the Law: 66 a pure oblation" of bread and wine with thanksgiving, but to become to worthy partakers the Body and Blood of CHRIST, offered up unto God for us.

Now if those sacrifices of old had so much effect with God, to

3 Mal. i. 11.

41 Tim. ii. 8.

turn away His anger, to propitiate and obtain His favour, how much more must this solemn memorial of CHRIST crucified?

And to ourselves, how much more than the lifting up of Moses's hands should be the lifting up of our hearts to the remembrance of CHRIST's passion in this holy Sacrament-nay, indeed, much more when we cease to do so must our enemies prevail against us. Surely the greatest remedy against sin at all times, is the deep and feeling remembrance of CHRIST: it is the greatest encouragement to self-denial, makes it comparatively easy and pleasant, and sanctifies it. Nothing so much takes the sting out of every affliction, so much promotes and deepens repentance. No other consideration so much contributes to a sober Christian hope, or tends to further in us the love of GoD and man. But if this be the case at all times, how much more when such remembrance is in connexion with this sacred ordinance? If such effects are of all things in this world the most precious and truly good-from whom can they come but from HIM Who is HIMSELF the well-spring of all good? "Thou, LORD, hast wrought all our works in us And if it be GOD that worketh them in us, when can HE be reasonably expected to work in us such Divine fruits, from the feeling and living remembrance of CHRIST Crucified, so much as when we make this mysterious memorial of His dying? What we in humility and obedience I would do to GOD will HE not much more do in us? When we put HIM in remembrance of CHRIST by this oblation, will He not vouchsafe to us also that living, that life-giving remembrance of CHRIST in these mysteries?

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And if this be the case, observe, I beseech you, the words in the text, "" as often as." "So often," adds St. Paul, ye do show the LORD's death till HE come." This our Catechism expresses by the word " continual," that is, frequent and unceasing. If good and desirable once, still more so surely twice, and a third time. We find, in our frail affections for our fellow-creatures here on earth, that nothing increases love so much as thinking of a person often; by intense thought and desire the absent become present to us; by frequent remembrances of others our hearts are bound to them-our admiration and esteem for them increased.

5 Isa. xxvi. 12.

But oh! how infinitely more must this be the case in the frequent and devout remembrance of CHRIST. I need not mention to you, what doubtless you must have often heard, that the early Christians considered this memorial of CHRIST's sacrifice a necessary part of their daily worship. And who can tell whether it was the great and early love of those Christian saints and martyrs which made them desire this daily Sacrament? or whether it was this daily Sacrament that occasioned that much love? Both of these things grew together; they both lived and died together; that holy custom and that primitive love of the first Church. I do not mean to say that this was the case every where, for we know even in St. Paul's time, what sad abuses there were in the Church at Corinth on this subject; but, generally speaking, it was so when the Church, persecuted and oppressed, bore about in the body the marks of the LORD Jesus. This frequent Eucharist, the unceasing partaking of CHRIST'S Body and Blood, was its strength against all its enemies, its light in all difficulties, its means of closest union with CHRIST.

And to us now as a Church, and to all individual Christians, so much needing restoration in ourselves and protection from without, what more is needful than to render the whole of our daily life nothing else but a preparation, as far as may be, for the duly celebrating these holy mysteries; and with it so constant an attendance on God's altar on all opportunities, that our daily life also may be strengthened and enlivened by this continual remembrance. If we are bewildered and perplexed by religious controversies, here is our remedy-" Do this in remembrance of ME." If grieved and broken in heart at seeing our ancient Church corrupted and oppressed, here is our remedy—“ Do this in remembrance of ME." If afflicted at the sad consciousness of our past sins, which may have contributed to bring these and many other evils upon us; if in looking before and after, we shrink almost in despair at our own condition in the sight of GOD, here again is our only remedy-" Do this in remembrance of ME." If, on the other hand, we feel our hearts more and more hardened as we grow older, and are becoming insensible to these things, even then, one remedy alone remains. If the remembrance of CHRIST crucified will not soften the conscience, what

ever can do so?

The preparations of the heart are of the

LORD;" and those that "seek HIM early shall find Hıм,” in a humble and contrite spirit. The Prayer, called the General Confession, in the Communion Service, might well indeed be daily studied by those who long for a penitent heart, wherewith to approach this Sacrifice.

But what more can contribute to this than going over, again and again, in our daily meditations and prayers, all the particulars of CHRIST's sufferings and death-more especially on every Friday in the week? Of every single circumstance respecting our LORD's passion, how minute and small it may appear to be, yet of this be assured, to serious and devout reflection there goeth virtue and healing from it. How should it be otherwise? It is full of Godhead-nay, more, it is GoD and Man in one person. It is God brought unspeakably near to us. "Behold the print

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of the nails!" These words were not said in vain. What if they sounded in our ears all the day long; we should not be the worse off when we ourselves come to die. Or, His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground"." How many agonies of mind and body have been refreshed by the short record of these words? how many hearts have been softened while they were on their knees, at the thoughts of them, and been able to pray more acceptably?

Surely, thoughts such as these cannot be dwelt on too intensely, too often, too regularly at set times. The contemplation of them, with prayer and mortification, would go far to make us other than we are. But yet it must be considered that the meditation on these things, although it necessarily flows from true faith and love, yet it is not so expressly commanded by our LORD HIMSELF, and therefore we cannot be sure of so great a blessing, as when together with it we are fulfilling His own injunctionHis own, it may be said, last and dying injunction-the most affecting and impressive of all His commands, "Do this in remembrance of ME." To remember CHRIST at all times, and in all ways, is good; but to remember Him in the way HE HIMSELF has appointed, is assuredly the best of all.

John xx. 25, 26.

7 Luke xxii. 44.

SERMON XXII.

THE BREAD AND WINE.

MARK XIV. 22, 23.

"And as they did eat, JESUS took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is My body. And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them: and they all drank of it."

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WHEN children are taught by the Catechism to say that the outward sign of the LORD's Supper is the bread and wine which the LORD hath commanded to be received," how little do they know how much these words contain, what singular privileges to themselves God has therein preserved! The words are few and simple, and when they are referred to our LORD's own institution in Scripture it appears equally as much so; a few simple and plain words, requiring, it might have seemed, on our part nothing but obedience; and yet they contain matter which has shaken to its centre all the Christian world; a Divine gift which some have died to preserve to us, and which many other Churches in the world have not. For in the Roman Catholic church the holy bread is made more an object to be lifted up and worshipped than to be received; and the wine is not received at all except by the priests. Yet, referring to the different accounts of our LORD's own appointment, it must, I think, occur to us that our LORD did in His wisdom intend to provide against this very corruption, which He foresaw. For in speaking of the bread, the inspired writers do not say that our LORD enjoined them all to eat of the bread, or that they did all eat, although it is certainly implied. But of the cup it is actually stated, where one would not

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