morates that sacrifice, may justly be called, in the language of our Articles, "a sacrament of our redemption."

Bishop Tomline.

"This do in remembrance of me." These words, enforcing upon us the use and necessity of frequent communion, imply something far more significant than that, by celebrating the holy sacrament, we preserve a memorial of a deceased benefactor; they imply, that we thereby continue to receive his benefactions, which are conveyed to us from time to time, as often as we "show the Lord's death, till he come." So true is the account given of this sacred rite in the Articles of our Church, that it is not only the badge or token of a christian man's profession, but rather a certain and sure witness and effectual sign of grace, and God's good-will towards us, by which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him.

Bishop Warburton's Sermons.

Here begins the account of the Lord's Supper, after the passover was eaten-" and brake it, and gave unto them, (the disciples, as is expressed in Matt. xxvi. 26.) saying, This is my body, which is given for you:" or will be given for you, as an offering for sin, in your room and stead; and accordingly it was given into the hands of meu, and of justice, and unto death. The phrase denotes the substitution and sacrifice of Christ in the room of his people, and the voluntariness of it; and is only mentioned by Luke in this ac count. The apostle Paul writes, "which is broken for you;" 1 Cor. xi. 24. alluding to the breaking of bread in the ordinance, and as expressing the bruises, wounds, sufferings, and death of Christ, The Ethiopic version here adds, " for the redemption of many." "This do in remembrance of me:" that is, Eat this bread in remembrance of my love to you, and in commemoration of my body being offered up for you. Observe this ordinance in the manner I now institute it, in time to come, in memory of what I am about to do for you; for this direction does not only regard the present time and action, but is intended as a rule to be observed by the churches of Christ in all ages, to his second coming; and it is to be observed, that the Lord's Supper is not a reiteration, but a commemoration,

of the sacrifice of Christ. This phrase is only mentioned here by Luke, and by the apostle Paul, who adds it also at the drinking of the cup; 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. The Persic version here reads, "Do this perpetually in remembrance of me." Dr. Gill.

As often as the church of God kept the feast of the passover, they remembered their bondage and their deliverance; and their glorious deliverer commanded his redeemed family to perpetuate the remembrance of his death-" This do in remembrance of me;" and Paul shows this to be the design of the Lord's Supper, when addressing the believing Corinthians, he says, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."

Gethsemane and Calvary are often before the eyes of believers, when surrounding the table of the Lord; and while they view the broken bread and flowing wine, their fixed attention and holy admiration catch the echo of John's exclamation, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!"

How strikingly do our senses assist our faith in this ordinance !We partake of bread, the staff of life; and of wine, refreshing and exhilarating in its qualities; conscious that our spiritual life and comfort are received from Christ alone: and frequently, while the emblematical bread and wine are passing our lips, faith is actually feeding upon Christ, and receiving the choicest communications of his everlasting love to the soul; but when faith is not in exercise, (which is sometimes the case with the most eminent saints) we prove most painfully the truth of our Lord's declaration, “ Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." John vi. 53. The spiritual presence of Christ in the ordinance is essential to our enjoyment; and when he condescends to reveal himself to us, all our graces are lively in their exercise, and it becomes a banquet of love to our souls; he communicates the secrets of his heart, and we obtain sweet and intimate communion with him.

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Moreover, while the disciples of Christ give this public testimony of their attachment to, and dependance upon him, they hold the sweetest fellowship with one another. There is a holy union of soul cherished among them, and a sacred glow of affection runs through

all their hearts toward each other; they look upon their brethren and sisters in communion as members of the same mystical body, and members one of another. They give and receive mutual pledges of spiritual attachment, by praying with and for each other, and renew their public vows to "love one another with a pure fervently."

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Irens.

By the Act of Uniformity, none are to communicate in public, but at the altar, and they are to receive the elements kneeling. The ceremony of kneeling at the sacrament is observed by the Lutherans and the Church of England, but not by any other Protestants that we know of. In this country, it has occasioned much contention, and a variety of disputes. This much is certain, that kneeling at the communion was not used in the primitive church, till after the time of Constantine the Great.

Hurd's History of all Religions.

Lastly, take notice of the use, design, and end of this institution; O there is much in this. in remembrance, or for a memorial of me. Christ knew how apt our base hearts would be to lose him, amidst such a throng of sensible objects as we here converse with; and how much that forgetfuluess of him and of his sufferings would turn to our prejudice and loss; therefore doth he appoint a sign to be remembered by: "As oft as you do this, ye show forth the Lord's death till he come.”

Remembrance, properly, is the return of the mind to an object, about which it hath been formerly conversant; and it may so return to a thing it hath conversed with before, two ways: speculatively and transiently; or affectingly and permanently. A speculative remembrance is only to call to mind the history of such a person, and his sufferings; that Christ was once put to death in the flesh. An affectionate remembrance is when we so call Christ and his death to our minds, as to feel the powerful impressions thereof upon our hearts. Thus, Matt. xxvi. 75. "Peter remembered the word of the Lord, and went out, and wept bitterly." His very heart was melted with that remembrance; his bowels were pained; he could not hold, but went out and wept abundantly. Thus Joseph, when he saw his brother Benjamin, whose sight refreshed the memory

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former days and endearments, was greatly affected, Gen. xliii. 29, 30. "And he lift up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son; and said, "Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake to me? and he said, God be gracious to thee, my son. And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yearn upon his brother, and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there." Such a remembrance of Christ is that which is here intended. This is indeed a gracious remembrance of Christ: the former bath nothing of grace in it. The time shall come, when Judas that betrayed him, and the Jews that pierced him, shall bistorically remember what was done. "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him; and they also which pierced him; and all nations shall wail because of him." Then, I say, Judas shall remember; This is he whom I perfidiously betrayed. Pilate shall remember; This is he whom I sentenced to be hanged on the tree, though I was convinced of his innocency. Then the soldiers shall remember; This is that face we spit upon, that head we crowned with thorns; Lo, this is he whose side we pierced, whose hands and feet we once nailed to the cross. But this remembrance will be their torment, not their benefit. It is not, therefore, a bare historical, speculative, but a gracious, affectionate, impressive remembrance of Christ, that is here intended: and such a remembrance of Christ supposes and includes

The saving knowledge of him. We cannot be said to remember what we never knew; nor to remember savingly, what we never knew savingly. There have been many previous sweet and gracious transactions, dealings, and intimacies betwixt Christ and his people, from the time of their first happy acquaintance with him; much of that sweetness they have had in former considerations of bim, and hours of communion with him, is lost and gone; for nothing is more volatile, hazardous, and inconstant, than our spiritual comforts; but now at the Lord's table, there our old acquaintance is renewed, and the remembrance of his goodness and love refreshed and revived. "We will remember thy love more than wine; the upright love thee." Cant. i. 4.

Such a remembrance of Christ includes faith in it. Without

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discerning Christ at a sacrament, there is no remembrance of him; and without faith, no discerning Christ there. But when the cious eye of faith hath spied Christ, under that vail, it presently calls up the affections, saying, "Come, see the Lord." These are the wounds he received for me. This is he that loved me, and gave himself for me. This is his flesh, and that his blood. So his arms were stretched out upon the cross to embrace me; so his blessed head hung down to kiss me. Awake, my love; rouse up, my hope; flame out, my desires; come forth, O all ye powers and affections of my soul; come, see the Lord. No sooner doth Christ by his Spirit call to the believer, but faith hears; and discerning the voice, turns about, like Mary, saying, Rabboni, my Lord, my Master.

This remembrance of Christ includes suitable impressions made upon the affections, by such a sight and remembrance of him; and therein lies the nature of that precious thing which we call communion with God. Various representations of Christ are made at his table. Sometimes the soul there calls to mind the infinite wisdom, that so contrived and laid the glorious plan and mysterious design and project of redemption: the effect of this is wonder and admiration. O the manifold wisdom of God! Eph. iii. 10. O the depths, the heights, the length, and breadth of this wisdom! I can as easily span the heavens, as take the just dimensions of it. Sometimes a representation of the severity of God is made to the soul at that ordinance. O how inflexible and severe is the justice of God! What, no abatement! no sparing mercy! No, not to his own Son! This begets a deep impression on the heart.

It produces au humble adoration of the goodness and mercy of God, to exact satisfaction for our sins, by such bloody stripes, from our surety. Lord, if this wrath had seized on me, as it did on Christ, what had been my condition then? If these things were done in the green tree, what had been the case of the dry tree?

Sometimes representations (and not common ones) are made of the love of Christ, who assumed a body and soul, on purpose to bear the wrath of God for our sins. And when that surpassing love breaks out in its glory upon the soul, how is the soul transported and ravished with it! crying out, What mauuer of love is this!