The Online Library of Liberty

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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
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• §40
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• §57
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• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§57

Of the Holy Eucharist.Further, That the Memory of this Covenant, confirm’d by the Death of the Saviour, may be frequently renewed, and impress’d the more strongly upon the Minds of Men by the help of some external Action which can fall under the notice of the Senses: And that it may be assur’d, and seal’d by a certain singular Monument: And the Grace of it at the same time be confer’d to the Faithful; it pleas’d the Saviour just at the instant of his Passion to Institute the Rite or Sacrament of his Supper. For the better understanding the Nature of which, it would conduce not a little, if it were observ’d, That this Rite was borrow’d by Christ from among those which were used by the Jews at the eating of the Pascal Lamb, and was advanced by him to be of a Nature far more sublime. For with this Rite the Master of the Family distributed the unleavened Bread, which he had blessed, and broke to those who stood about the Table, saying these words: This is the Bread of Affliction which our Fathers did eat when they went from the Egyptian Bondage. Our Saviour improv’d this Sentence, as if he should say; hitherto in the Celebration of the Passover ye did eat Bread, which exprest the Misery of your Fathers when they went in hast out of Egypt. But I now reach to you a far more noble Bread, which is my Body which is given for you for a Sacrifice, to bring you, being freed from the Service of Sin and the Devil, into the Liberty of the Covenant and my Kingdom. So also in the Celebrating of the Pascal Solemnity, a Cup full of Wine was distributed, joyn’d with the praising of God for that he had made so noble a Creature for the chearing and refreshing of Mankind. But instead of this another federal Cup was substituted by the Saviour, as if he should say; Hitherto ye have drank meer Wine, but I now mingle for you a more noble Cup, For this is my Blood, or the Cup of the new Covenant in my Blood which is shed for you for the Remission of Sins. Thus it appears that the solemn words of the mystical Supper are taken from two Rites of the Jewish Covenant: One from the Pascal Solemnity Instituted when the Israelites became a free People, and subject to the supream Dominion of God himself; and the other from that by which Moses Establish’d the Obedience of the People to the Laws, as the noblest part of the Divine Common-wealth. Exod. 24:8. Behold this is the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words. But ’tis not now the Blood of Bulls and Goats that is shed or poured out, but that of the Saviour himself. Heb. 9:10. And whereas, otherwise, Blood is a thing which makes unclean, and the eating of which is accounted among things forbidden; yet the Blood of the Victims had a Virtue of Cleaning and Purifying, as it did prefigure the Blood of the Federal Victim. And this Blood much rather must have this Virtue, Heb. 9:13, 14. To cleanse us from all sin, 1 John 1:7. Rev. 1:5. So that in this Sacrament, Christ reaches out to us, not only his Body, but also his Blood, as the Vehicle of his Soul, or Life, Lev. 17:11. from which things the Genuine End, and Fruit of the Sacrament does appear; which is, on the part of him that uses it, that he should repeat his Promise by which he entred into the Covenant in Christ, and should therein apply to himself the Benefits procur’d by the Passion and Merit of Christ; and testifie himself very thankful for them, and so publickly declare himself a Subject of the Kingdom of Christ. And on the part of Christ these are conferr’d and seal’d, and by a certain Divine Power bestow’d on those who rightly use this Sacrament. Which is agreeable to the ancient Custom of making Covenants with a Sacrifice, and a Feast annexed to it. See Gen. 26:28, 29. 31:44, 46, 54. Whence we judge the Genuine sense of what is said, John 6:53, &c. to be this, That his Discourse must not be understood strictly to concern the Lord’s Supper; for otherwise there could be no Salvation for Infants and Children, who before they partake of it depart from this Life; neither could the Thief on the Cross, nor many of the Catechumens of the Primitive Times of Christianity be sav’d. Neither is the whole force and meaning of his Discourse exhausted, if it be said, that to eat the Flesh of Christ, and to drink his Blood, is the same thing as to believe in Christ, or to place our Hope, and trust for Salvation in the Satisfaction of Christ. And I suppose there cannot be found in all the Holy Scripture, or any prophane Writers a Translation of this sort. Therefore it seems to me that the Sacrament of the Supper is also comprehended and included, and thereby after the manner of a Synechdocical Expression the whole Confederation, or as it were Incorporation of the Faithful Man with Christ, which is seal’d by the Sacramental eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ. In the same manner as the whole Instrument of a Contract is spoken of under the Name of the Hand and Seal: To strike a Covenant, signifies the whole Composition of the Covenant as it is taken from the Rite of striking a Victim for the Confirmation of a Covenant.