bonds of obedience to God, strict obligations to the mutual exercise of Christian charity, provocations to godliness, preservation from sin, and memorials of the principal benefits of Christ. Respect THE TIME of their Institution, and it thereby appears that God has annexed them for ever unto the New Testament, as other rites were before with the old. Regard the weakness which is in us, and they are WARRANTS for the more security of our belief. Compare the receivers of them with such as receive them not-and sacraments are MARKS OF DISTINCTION OF GOD's own from strangers, so that in all these respects they are found to be most necessary. But their chiefest force and virtue consists not herein so much, as in that they are HEAVENLY CEREMONIES, which God has sanctified and ordained to be administered in his Church: first AS MARKS whereby to know when God does impart the vital or saving grace of Christ to all that are capable thereof, and secondly, AS MEANS conditional, which God requires in them unto whom he imparts grace. For since God in himself is invisible, and cannot by us be discerned working; therefore, when it seems good in the eyes of his heavenly wisdom, that men, for some special interest and purpose, should take notice of his glorious presence, he gives them some plain and sensible token whereby to know what they cannot see. (Exod. iii. 2. John v. 4. Acts ii. 3.) In like manner it is with us. his Holy Spirit, with all their blessed effects, though entering into the soul of man, (we are not able to comprehend or express how,) do notwithstanding give notice of the times when they use to make their access, because it pleases Almighty God to communicate by sensible means those blessings which are

Christ and

incomprehensible. Seeing, therefore, that grace is a consequent of Sacraments, a thing which accompanies them as their end, a benefit which they have received from God himself, the Author of Sacraments, and not from any other natural or supernatural quality in them, it may be hereby both understood that the sacraments are necessary, and that the manner of their necessity to life supernatural is not in all respects as food unto natural life, because they contain in themselves no vital force or efficiency; they are not physical but moral instruments of salvation, duties of service and worship, which unless we perform as the Author of grace requires, they are unprofitable. For all receive not the grace of God, which receive the sacraments of his grace. Neither is it ordinarily his will to bestow the grace of sacraments, but by the sacraments, which grace also they that receive by sacraments, or with sacraments, receive it from him and not from them."

In these words of Hooker, is pointed the true nature and use of a sacrament. The grace we obtain by a right reception of the Lord's Supper is the participation of Christ, and of life through him. The apostle's words on this point are express:-" The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. The unworthy receiver forfeits the blessing, (1 Cor. xi. 27.) just as the unworthy conduct of many in Israel forfeited the blessing designed by that spiritual meat of which they all ate, and that spiritual drink of which they all drank. But it was not the less, spiritual meat and spiritual drink, con

veying to true believers in types, Christ and his grace, and real participation of spiritual blessings.

By the expressions of the apostle respecting Israel we are taught that the union of the grace and the outward sign is a reality; and though unbelief renders it void, faith apprehends it, and receives the whole blessing. The necessity of faith in the receiver was one great principle in the Reformation. Luther testified at the end of the 7th Conclusion in his Resolutions, that it was necessary that all partaking of the sacrament should believe [See Lutheri Opera, vol. i. b. 71.] and in his letter to Frederick, [See Letters, Nov. 29, 1518,] he defends what he had there said, ' that it was needful that he who went to the Sacrament should believe that he should obtain the "grace of the sacrament;' counting tha the should deny Christ, if he denied this opinion respecting faith.

It may be useful to make this yet more clear: Man consists of two parts, body and soul; but the soul being invisible and spiritual, it is very difficult for us to realize its necessities, as well as the infinite importance of supplying those necessities. By connecting the communication of grace with outward ordinances, the Lord condescends to our infirmities, and meets our weaknesses with visible signs and seals. We see the bread, we eat it, we drink the wine; we know that they nourish the body. We have only then to transfer to the soul the ideas connected with the strengthening and refreshing of the body. As the body requires its proper food, so the soul requires to be fed with divine truth, and that truth which is eminently suitable for the nourishment of the soul is the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ giving his life a ransom for our sins. The bread

which he gives for the soul is the glorious truth, that he gave his flesh for the life of the world. Nor can any thing else but this meet the wants of the soul and supply us with what shall really strengthen and delight and quicken the immortal spirit of man. All the glories of God shine in the heart, in the face of Jesus Christ, and in such a way as to fill us with joy and peace in believing. Here every desire is met. I see God most holy, and yet most full of love to me a sinner, and a way of access to him with the utmost confidence is open for me. I see here, gifts of pardon, peace, strength, salvation and eternal life assured to me. And the Lord not only gives the outward signs, to teach by visible pictures, but he gives to the believer receiving them in faith, the inward promised grace, which in infinite tenderness he has joined with those outward signs.

As we have both a body and a soul, so we want food for both. Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live. By thus connecting spiritual food with bodily food, the Lord has, in wisdom, kindness, and love, ordained a means of grace exactly adapted to our present situation, and calculated to lead our minds through earthly things, to spiritual and heavenly things, and so to ripen us for that blessed state, where we shall have a spiritual body, and be able to see him as he is, and rejoice in his presence for ever.

Both the mind and the affections, the understanding and the heart, are thus helped and blessed. The bread nourishes the body, and the whole obedience and work of Jesus furnish food for meditation to the understanding, to nourish and strengthen it. The

wine refreshes the body, and the glorious truths of the gospel, redemption through the blood of Jesus, and the inheritance obtained in him, rejoice the heart and gladden the soul. Both meat and drink are needful for the good of the body; and so the soul, in both its powers, the understanding and the heart, requires the varied parts of divine truth.

We have a beautiful picture of those blessings which our Lord Christ gives, in the conduct of Melchizedek to Abraham. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God, and he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand. The delivering of bread and wine was not merely a memorial of victories over enemies, but a token of continued blessing, of full provision for every want, and final possession of the promised inheritance. Indeed, the sacraments seem to be a kind of first redemption of the most needful things, water, bread, and wine, for the highest end of their creation, their spiritual use; in token that ultimately every part of creation shall thus be sacramentally blessed, and made a means of grace, to lead us to constant and delightful communion with God.

But however this may be, let us thankfully and gratefully observe God's present and divinely instituted ordinances, as exalted means of grace for enjoying the indwelling of his Son, the gift of his Spirit, and all the spiritual blessings in Christ, wherewith he hath blessed us.