other way, but only in, by, and through Christ, and this by that intereft which we have in him, by our union with his Flesh and Soul.

2. The Manna (every one knows) fignified Chrift. The eating of Manna fignified the union of Manna with the Bodies, or flesh of the Ifraelites, which was a type of the neceffity of Mans union with the flesh of the Redeemer.

3. The Pafchal Lamb fignified the Lamb of God; And the Eating thereof fignified the conjunction or union of the flesh of the Redeemer with the Redeemed.

4. The legal Sacrifices, reprefented Christ to be facrificed on the Altar of the Cross: And they were to be eaten, (except Holocaufts.) The eating of them fignified mans union with the Antitype, that is Christ, even as that which we eat becomes one with us, it grows into one bulk with our bodies, and is united with us, and is animated with the fame life and foul with our bodies, it lives, it dies, and is buried, and rifeth again with us, and continueth with us after the Resurrection everlastingly; in like manner, the flesh of Chrift is united with our flesh, without which Union there can be no Redemption of us by him, nor indeed any refurrection of our Bodies, nor Immor

tality

ap

tality of our Souls, more than of the bodies and fouls of brute Creatures; (as will pear hereafter) therefore Christ said, Ex- John cept ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, &c. you have no life in you. And in the Sacramental fign of this real Mystery, he said, Take, eat, this is my Body (that is) my Mat. 26 Body is to you fuch a thing, as this Bread which you eat is to be; which will be concorporated and joyned in One, and united with your bodies, and will be animated with the fame life and foul, wherewith all the parts of your body were formerly endued and informed.

If it be enquired, why the very individual flesh of Chrift should not be in truth, and reality, and propriety of fpeech confeffed to be eaten, in full correfpondence with the Type, viz. the flesh of the Pafchal Lamb, which was really eaten?

Our Answer is, That if there were no other way, or fignification of Eating the flesh of Chrift, but only Orally; or as the Letter foundeth; then of neceffity, it must be fo meant and understood, and must be fo eaten, as the Pafchal Lamb and the Sacrifices were. But there is another way and meaning thereof, wherein the flesh of Chrift is truly faid to be eaten, both before he was incarnate or born, and alfo

after

1 Cor.

10.3.

after his Afcenfion into Heaven, in both which times it was, and is, impoffible to be eaten Orally.

'on me.

For when his Difciples were offended at the mentioning of Eating his Flesh, he said, Joh.6.62 What and if you shall fee the Son of man af cend up where he was before? as if he had faid, my flesh must have been eaten, so as I mean, even before I took human flesh upAnd alfo, after my affumed flesh fhall be afcended locally into Heaven, and not be any more upon Earth, or out of Heaven untill my return at the laft Judgment, and therefore far out of the reach of any mortal hand or mouth; therefore it cannot be meant literally of any oral, or -grofs carnal Eating.

If we fhall reft fatisfied, and feek no farther into this Myfterious Eating, than only to believe, that Chrift doth daily in the Sacrament thereof vouchfafe, and condescend to exhibit his very true Body in, or under the fpecies or appearance of Bread,or Wafercakes,and that his very Body is fo, really exiftant in many thousand diftant places in the fame minute of time; which to human Reason is incredible, and contrary to Philosophy, and even to our fenfes: If we can fwallow this vain, impoffible and unprofitable Camel, it would be a quick expedi

ént

ent, and an easie or lazy glofs to unriddle this grand mystery by; which hath a long time perplexed, and pofed the Chriftian World.

Concerning which, (good Chriftian Reader)I do here tender my poor Meditations,in humility,not Magisterially;but with due fubmiffion to the judgment of my Superiors moft earnestly begging ofGod,inftruction,illumination, and a right understanding herein, and wholly trusting and relying upon him, who by his Apoftle hath thus directed and promised, that, If any want wisdom, Jam. 1.5. let him ask it of God-and it Thall be given him; in hope therefore of his affiftance, I proceed to examination of the particulars, of Eating the Flesh, and Drinking the Blood of our Redeemer.

T

CHAP. III

He words of Chrift, from whofe lips never any guile or untruth fell, are thefe. Verily, verily I say unto you, except Johs.3 ye eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you; here are two Verilies, or Amens, which are often used by S. John only, whereas the other Evangelists never use but one Amen in the weigh

tieft narrations; this double Affertion falling from the mouth of Chrift, argueth a certain, and undeniable truth, which be cause it is hard and myfterious, yet neceffarily to be received and believed, therefore it is thus ftrongly and vehemently affirmed, and must be believed, although it' be not at first understood, for this is a character of Chriftian Faith to confefs the Words of God to be true, although we do not understand them, as Profper faith, MaProfp. de gna fortitudo eft confentionis, cui ad fequen Foc. Gen. dam veritatem, autoritas fufficit, latente ra 1.2. C. 2. tione. The valiantness of Christian Faith is,

John 6.

52.

John 6.

63.

of oth

in confenting to Truth by authority of Gods Word, when the reason thereof doth not appear.

The Jews asked (whileft Chrift was with them on earth)How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat? We may now much rather ask the fame question, feeing his Flesh is now in Heaven far remote from us, and certainly his Flefh fince his Afcenfion, never was on Earth to this day: Therefore to eat his Flesh orally, grofly, and literally understood, is both unpoffible, and (as Chrift affirmed) unprofitable. The Flesh profiteth nothing, or, if to eat his Flesh o rally, were neceffary and profitable, how can we come at it? The Apole adviseth.

Say