Matth. xix. 6.

Acts xv.

18.

Matth.

in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. We cannot therefore admit the one revelation, and deny the other. They are closely united by Him who is the author of both: and what God hath joined together, let not man put afunder.

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. As the various events which befel our heavenly Redeemer during his abode on earth, are faid to have come to pafs that the Scriptures xxvi. 56. might be fulfilled; fo on the other hand, thofe Scriptures were therefore written, and the things recorded there were done, because the fupreme Wisdom had foreordained the events that fhould correspond to them. The fervices under the Mofaic law, and before it, were but Hebr.x.1. a fhadow of good things to come. The Redeemer's death was the whole mean

ing of every facrifice, in all ages: and Rev. xiii. when at last, in the fulness of time, he

8.

was

was offered upon the crofs, he was the Lamb flain from the FOUNDATION OF

THE WORLD.

If we would understand any thing concerning the facrament of the Lord's Supper, we must read, no doubt, those places in the Gospels where the inftitution is recorded, and confider them with a very particular attention. And if there be any other paffages of the New Teftament which relate to this fubject, it is very true that we must attend to them alfo.

count.

But why are we prohibited with fo much caution from looking any further for information? It is because other Plain Acwriters who followed have no pretences to the fame regard from us: the New Teftament is alone to be depended on: and we ought to take all our notions of this duty from it.

1

Not to stand now to difpute about the other writers who followed; what, may we afk, if we fhould have recourse to the writers who went before?

What before the inftitution and exiftence of the rite you are inquiring after?

Why not? The Old Testament was given by divine inspiration as well as the New, and contains the religion of that people among whom our Lord was born, and lived, and taught; and must therefore, in all human appearance, help us greatly to comprehend the inftructions which he delivered.

But this religion of the Jews was also, in it's nature, preparatory to that which he substituted in the place of it, and is intimately connected with it. Chrift is Rom. x. 4. declared to be the end of the Law; and Matth. v. he came, as he tells us of himself, to fulfil

17.

19, 20.

it. Ye are no more strangers and foreign- Ephef. ii. ers, fays St. Paul to the Gentiles at Ephefus, but fellow citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God; and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Christ himself being the chief corner ftone.

These reasons are general, and extend to other doctrines and duties of Chriftianity. But the inftitution of the Lord's Supper was attended with fuch particular circumstances as must lead us inevitably to the books of the Old Teftament for our information, and fuggeft to us that, very poffibly, even the effence of this duty cannot be understood without them.

xxvi. 26.

As they were eating, Jefus took bread and Matth. blessed bleffed it. As they were eating. Was this a common meal: or was it not rather the celebration of a facred rite? Will you not permit us to inquire con

cerning the time, place, and occafion of this folemnity? Must we start at once from the very words of confecration? As if never any thing had been done or written, from the beginning of the world to the then present moment, which could relate to that tranfaction: as if this new inftitution could have no connection with any other duties or inftitutions; and the whole Jewish difpenfation was not accomplished but deftroyed; and the Law and the Prophets, and all the books of the old revelation, had been utterly annihilated, and should be henceforth never heard of.

Nay, if we will permit ourselves to hear all that our Lord was pleased to fay even while he was fitting at that very last supper, where he inftituted this holy rite; we must either be already inftructed in the religion of the Jews, as the perfons all were to whom he spoke, or we cannot help asking fome questions, which