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tial kindness than feeding them with a little Bodily Victuals; and informing them that as the Manna fuftain'd their mortal Bodies, fo his Bread from Heaven (his Flesh and Bloud, by Faith in him) the incarnate God and true Meffiah) wou'd fuftain their immortal Souls, and make them partakers of everlafting Life in Heaven. Now if we confider the occafion and circumftances of this difcourfe, and our Savior's defign of fixing their minds on Spiritual matters; we cannot imagin that he did compare Manna with the Elements of that Supper which he defign'd to Inftitute; but with Faith in him, which he prefs'd them to, and found they had an averfion from.

Thus then it appears, that thofe paffages which our Adverfaries alledge out of the Sixth Chapter of St. John, do not refpect the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; but that the phrafes of eating Chrift's flesh and drinking his bloud do fignify Faith in him, who then came into the World to purchafe Redemption for us by his Death.

CH A P. VI.

That, altho' the Sixth Chapter of St. John's Gospel did relate to the Lord's Supper, yet it cannot be understood in a Literal Senfe.

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Econdly, I am now to fhew, that altho' these Paffages did relate to the Lord's Supper, yet they are not to be understood in a Literal Senfe. And therefore we cannot think that they fignify eating and drinking our Savior's real Flefh and Bloud; but only a fpiritual eating and drinking

his Flesh and Bloud by receiving the Bread and Wine, to the end that we may be partakers of the benefits of that Holy Myftery, viz. The ftrengthening and refreshing our Souls by the Body and Bloud of Chrift, as our Bodies are by the Bread and Wine; as our Church speaks in her Čatechifm. Now that this fpiritual eating by faith was really intended by our Lord, if he did at all speak thofe paffages of the bleffed Eucharift, is very plain for the following Reasons.

First, We muft not understand the Phrafes of eating Chrift's flesh and drinking his bloud in a Literal Senfe, if it be made appear, that in the very fame Difcourfe our Savior means nothing else by those Expreffions, befides the belief of his Doctrin. Now that our Savior do's in the very fame Difcourfe mean nothing else by those Expreffions, befides the belief of his Doctrin, is plain from the 47th verse, where he faies, He that believeth on me, bath everlasting life. For 'tis certain that he makes eating his flesh the condition of our having everlafting life, verfe 53. faying, Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his bloud, ye have no Life in you. And therefore, fince none can be fav'd without eating his flesh, and yet Salvation is abfolutely promis'd to him that believeth, we may fairly conclude, that eating his flesh and believing are the fame thing.

Befides, when our Savior had call'd himself the bread of life, verfe 35. he immediately adds these words; He that cometh to me, fhall never hunger; and be that believeth on me, shall never thirst. From whence it is manifeft, that coming to Chrift and believing in Chrift are the fame thing, and that both thofe expreffions do fignify the fame as eating his flesh, who is there call'd the Bread of Life. Secondly,

Secondly, We must interpret the Phrafes of eating Christ's flesh and drinking his bloud in the fame manner, as Chrift's flesh is bread and his bloud is drink.' For certainly he cannot be eaten and drunk, otherwife than as he is bread and drink. Now 'tis undeniably plain, that Christ's flesh and bloud are bread and drink only in a figurative fenfe (for certainly none will fay that they are truly and properly bread and drink) and therefore Chrift's flesh and bloud cannot be eaten and drunk in a Literal Senfe.

Thirdly, To thefe we may add another reason, drawn from the barbarity of eating Man's flesh and drinking Man's bloud, which the Literal interpretation of thefe Phrafes (if they relate to the Eucharift) muft of neceffity make us guilty of. It may be answered, I confefs, that God's command will excufe the action; but certainly, if we confider the lovelinefs and goodness, the plea fure and reasonableness of every other part of our Holy Religion, we cannot imagin that our Dear God wou'd force us to this horrid thing. What can an Infidel (fuppofe he were perfuaded to embrace Chriftianity) I fay, what can an Infidel think of eating Man's flesh and drinking Man's bloud in order to Salvation? Will he not deteft that profeffion, which muft oblige him to fuch a practice, as our very Nature ftartles and is amaz'd at? Who can think of this inhumanity without utter abhorrence? I freely acknowledge, that I believe fuch a Precept wou'd be a juft Objection against any Revelation, and a fufficient Confutation of it. For certainly, God never defign'd to make us Saints by becoming more favage than Bears.

But then, when I confider farther, that this is

not an ordinary Man, whofe flesh and bloud I must be fuppos'd to eat; when I confider that I muft devour my Lord and my God; that (according to this interpretation of the words) I muft now chew and swallow that Dear Body, which was Nail'd upon the Cross, and fo cruelly mangled for me, and drink that precious Bloud which ftream'd forth for the pardon of my fins: I fay, when I confider these things, I am utterly confounded.

The very Jews, the fpiteful Jews did not use thee, or abuse themfelves, in fo vile a manner. They put thee to death but they did not eat thee. They fhed thy bloud; but they did not drink it. And can I imagin, that thou haft commanded thy Difciples to ufe thee with more than Jewish cruelty? I tremble upon every remembrance of thy Crucifixion, and am heartily griev'd for my Crimes which conftrain'd thee to undergo fuch Tortures: but as for loading thee with fresh and greater injuries, and exceeding the malice of thy bittereft Enemies by devouring thee, I cannot bear the apprehenfion of it..

But I cannot enlarge upon fo difmal a Subject, the bare mention of which is enough to affright every Soul that loves its Dear Redeemer. Only I defire our Adverfaries to meditate feriously up-¡ on it; that the uneafinefs of fuch thoughts may change their horrid opinion. Now tho' thefe Confiderations do utterly overthrow the Literal inter-, pretation of these paffages, yet I am willing to anfwer what has been faid in favor of it. And

First, 'Tis faid, that we muft interpret thefe words in a Literal Senfe, unless it appears neceffary to explain them by a figure. But certainly thefe Confiderations which I have offer'd, do make it neceffary fo to explain them. [

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Secondly,

Secondly, Tis faid, that the Jews understood Our Savior in a Literal Senfe, verfe 52. and our Savior did not correct their miftake, tho' he had a fair occafion of doing it. But I'anfwer,

That our Savior did not alwaies explain himself to thofe that were obftinate and harden'd, as it is evident thefe Perfons were. Thus for inftance, he faid, Destroy this Temple, and in three daies. I will raife it up, John 2. 19. And tho's the Jews did certainly mifunderftand him, verfe 20. because he spake of the Temple of his Body, verfel 21. yet he did not endeavor to fet them right..o abel who won 1

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Now the reafon of this way of acting is clear from Matth. 12. 10. where his Difciples ask d him, faying, Why Speakeft thou unto them in parables? He anfwer'd, verfe 11, 12, 13. because it is given unto you to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given. For whofoever bath (and hás made good use of those things which he has) to him fhall be given, and be fhall have more abundance: Nbut whosoever bath not (that is, whofoever has abus'd thofe things which he has already receiv'd) from bin fhall be taken away even that which be bath. Therefore fpeak I to them in Parables; because they feeing, fee not, &c. God is by no means obliged to rectify the miftakes of thofe Men who are refolv'd to pervert the means of Grace, and have been deaf to his former inftructions. But as for those who are humble and modeft, and willing to be inform'd, he is always ready and forward to make things eafy to them toommone sul sett

And accordingly! our Savior Chrift, as he us'd to do in other inftancès, takes care that his Difci ples fall understand him aright, verse 62, 63.which may be confider'd with the former Paraphrafe upon

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