powerful liturgy in the world; for when Christ was consecrated on the cross, and became our High Priest, having reconciled us to God by the death of the cross, he became infinitely gracious in the eyes of God, and was admitted to the celestial and eternal priesthood in heaven, where, in the virtue of the cross, he intercedes for us, and represents an eternal sacrifice in the heavens on our behalf. That he is a Priest in heaven appears from the large discourses and direct affirmations of St. Paul. That there is no other sacrifice to be offered but that on the cross, is evident, because he hath once appeared in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself;' and, therefore, since it is necessary that he hath something to offer, so long as he is a Priest, and there is no other sacrifice but that of himself offered upon the cross, it follows that Christ in heaven perpetually offers and represents that sacrifice to his heavenly Father, and, in virtue of that, obtains all good things for his Church. Now, what Christ does in heaven he hath commanded us to do on earth, that is, to represent his death, to commemorate this sacrifice by humble prayer and thankful accord, and, by faithful manifestation and joyful eucharist, to lay it before the eyes of our heavenly Father. The Church being the image of heaven, the priest the minister of Christ, the holy table being a copy of the celestial altar, and the eternal sacrifice of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world being always the same; that as Christ, in virtue of his sacrifice on the cross, intercedes for

us with his Father, so does the minister of Christ here, that the virtue of the eternal sacrifice may be salutary and effectual to all the needs of the Church, both for things temporal and eternal."

"But we must be infinitely careful to remember, that even the death of Christ brings no pardon to the impenitent persevering sinner, but to him that repents truly. And so does the Sacrament of Christ's death,-this can do no more than that; therefore let no man come with his guilt about him, and in the heat and affections of his sin, and hope to find his pardon by this ministry. He that thinks so will but deceive-will but ruin himself."*

"Thanks be to the Eternal God, the manner of the Holy Communion now set forth in this realm is agreeable with the institution of Christ, with St. Paul, and the old primitive and apostolic Church; with the right faith of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross for our redemption, and with the true doctrine of our salvation, justification, and remission of all our sins by that only sacrifice. Now resteth nothing, but that all faithful subjects will gladly receive and embrace the same, and every man repenting himself of his offences against God, and amending the same, may yield himself wholly to God, to serve and obey him all the days of his life, and often to come to the Holy Supper which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath prepared;

*Bishop JEREMY TAYLOR'S "Worthy Communicant."

and as he there corporally eateth the very bread, and drinketh the very wine, so spiritually he may feed of the very flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, his Saviour and Redeemer; remembering his death, thanking him for his benefits, and looking for none other sacrifice for remission of his sins; but only trusting to His sacrifice, who being both the High Priest and also the Lamb of God, prepared from the beginning to take away the sins of the world, offered up himself once for ever in a sacrifice of sweet smell unto his Father, and by the same paid the ransom for the sins of the whole world; and is, before us, entered into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, as Patron, Mediator, and Intercessor for us, and there hath prepared places for all them that be lively members of his body, to reign with him for ever in the glory of the Father."*

"Let us, therefore, by Him, offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" in the blessed Sacrament which he ordained, and pray" that the God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, may, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work, to do his will ;-working in us what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory for Amen."

ever.

CRANMER'S "Defence of the Truc and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament."

Monday.

Jesus said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. This is that bread which came down from heaven: he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.ST. JOHN, vi., 51, 53, 58.

On the benefits of attendance on the Holy Communion.

HE sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, was the consummation of all those promises made by a forgiving and merciful Creator to man in a degraded and fallen state. He was the promised seed which was to bruise the serpent's head-the Star which was to give light to the people of God-the Sceptre which was to rule over the nations-the Lawgiver who was to guide-the Messiah who was to save them. Till he appeared, types and symbols had kept up the hope and expectation of his advent, and sacrifices had prefigured his

death; but his crucifixion abolished them all. He was the atoning Lamb, slain by a voluntary sacrifice of himself for the sins of mankind; he was the universal peace offering; he abolished by his death the sacrificial ordinances of the law, nailing them to his cross, and opening a new and living way to everlasting salvation, by restoring a prospect of eternal life and happiness to them who, by the sin of Adam, had incurred the penalty of eternal death; and has left not only his example and precepts to guide us in our progress, but has promised the continual assistance of his Holy Spirit for the encouragement and comfort of all who, through well-doing, seek for glory and immortality.

Such being the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it might be supposed that mankind would naturally cherish a continual remembrance of an event which had secured to them such invaluable privileges; but the instability of man, even in things most essential to his happiness, was so well known to Him who came to save the world, that He has himself commanded a perpetual memorial of his death. The time and manner of this institution are particularly described by three of the Evangelists, St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke. Our Saviour and his immediate followers had met to celebrate the feast of the Passover, which, having been instituted in commemoration of that night when the blood of the slain lamb saved the worshippers of the true God from the general destruction around them, was a type of