ceiving them reduces mankind often unto. But as the Jews were obliged, under the feverest penalty, to be circumcifed, and keep the paffover: fo our guilt and danger will be proportionably great, in not observing, when it is in our power, these two more eafy inftitutions, which are not only of a higher Authority, but also the dif tinguished badges of a more excellent profeffion.

By the word Sacrament the church tells us, is meant an outward and visible fign of an inward and spiritual grace, given unto us, ordained by Christ himjelf, as a means whereby we receive the fame, and a pledge to affure us thereof. Now for the clearer understanding this account which the church gives us of a facrament, it is neceffary that the feveral parts of which it confifts, fhould be diftinguifhed and therefore you are to observe, that we are therein taught, that to conftitute a facrament, there must be, first, something difcernible and apparent to our fenfes; which, fecondly, muft reprefent fome fpiritual grace and favour vouchfafed us by God; thirdly, that outward fign must be of Chrift's own inftitution; and, fourthly,appointed by him as a means of conveying to us this inward grace, and as a feal and token of affurance, that he will beftow the one upon those who do worthily receive the other; and as these properties are only to be found in

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baptism and the fupper of our Lord, no other religious rite can be truly called, or ought to be esteemed, a facrament.

Now the parts of which a facrament confifts are two, viz. The outward visible sign, and the inward Spiritual grace. Thus, outward fenfible things can be a means of conveying, and pledges of affuring us of divine grace and favour. For altho' these facra mental figns were ordained by God in gra cious condefcenfion to our infirmities,there by to inform our understanding, to refresh our memories, and to excite our affections; yet their farther efficacy is not owing to any power in themselves, but to the bleffing of Chrift upon his own inftitutions, and appointments: and we are not to doubt, but that, in the right ufe of the outward means, he will by the power of his Spirit, though in a manner unknown to us,convey, and con firm, in baptifm; and convey, and confirm, in the Lord's Jupper, to the worthy receivers thereof the divine grace fignified thereby, according to his own most true promise.

The church teaches us, that the outward vifible fign [or form] in baptifm is water, wherein the perfon is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Now water is peculiarly fitted for the purpofe for which it is here appointed; forasmuch as cleanfing is one well known pro

perty

perty of water, it is evidently a fit fign to denote our being washed from fin, by virtue of the blood of Chrift; and fince all men were to be invited into his church, and fome form of admiffion to be ordained, it argued great wifdom and goodness in our Lord to take away that painful rite of circumcifion, and inftead thereof to appoint the most common, and the most eafy fign that could be invented, to be the door of entrance into that church.

Now the Lord's Supper is fo called, because the Jewish cuftom of eating bread, and drinking wine, at the conclufion of the pafchal fupper, was by our Lord converted into the facrament of his moft precious body and blood. But this does not transfer any obligation upon us to receive this facrament after fupper, or in the evening, any more than to receive in an upper chamber, a table posture, or with any other circumftance of the like nature, wherewith our Lord did eat the paffover with his difciples, before he fuffered. For in matters of this kind, we are to be directed by the lawful difpenfers of this holy mystery; who, with a due regard to its fuperior dignity and the imitation of scripture, have appointed the Lord's houfe, and the Lord's day, and the fore-part of that day, for the ftated celebration thereof. And you are to take notice, that it is ordered to be rePart II.

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ceived

ceived three times a year at least, whereof Eafter to be one, in the humble pofture of kneeling; and with all thofe inward acts of fuitable devotion, which our most excellent office of adminiftration cannot but raise in every attentive communicant.

The church affures us, that the facrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained for the continual remembrance of the facrifice of the death of Chrift, and of the benefits which we receive thereby: and this memorial of Chrift's death is to be a ftanding fervice in his church, fo long as it continues militant here on earth; for Chrift did inftitute, and in his holy gofpel command us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious death, until his coming again. Now the death of Chrift is called a facri fice, becaufe that our heavenly Father, of his tender mercy, gave his only Son Jefus Chrift, to fuffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a full, perfect, and fufficient facrifice, oblation, and fatisfaction for the fins of the whole world; and thereby we receive the benefits of obtaining remiffion of our fins, and of being made partakers of the kingdom of heaven: and by this we are to understand, that as the Son of God did vouchfafe to yield up his foul by death upon the cross for our falvation; fo it is

the

the duty of all Chriftians to receive the communion in remembrance of the facrifice of his death, as he himself hath commanded; and to do it fo frequently, that they may may always have a fresh and lively remembrance thereof, in their minds.

Now the church teaches us, that the outward part, or fign of the Lord's Supper, is bread and wine, which the Lord has commanded to be received; and from hence we are to obferve, that notwithstanding it is our duty to reft fatisfied in our Lord's will and pleasure, without feeking after a reafon for his appointments; we cannot but obferve, that as our spiritual juftification is appofitely reprefented by water, in the other facrament, fo is our fpiritual fuftenance by bread and wine in this; and that, both bread and wine being part of one complete nourishment, and separately ineffectual, this facrament is commanded to to be adminiftered in both kinds.

The church likewife tells us, that the in ward part or thing fignified, is the body and blood of Chrift; by which we are to underftand that God did not only give his Son Jefus Chrift to die for us, but also to be our fpiritual food and fuftenance in this holy facrament; and that, if we receive it with a true penitent heart, and lively faith, we do fpiritually eat the flesh of Chrift and drink his blood: and you are to infer from B 2 what