Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

THE ONLY ATONING SACRIFICE.

"We are sanctified through the offering of the, body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." Heb. x.

"The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifices of Masses, in the which it was commonly said, that the Priest did offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, were blasphemous fables, and dangerous deceits." Article xxxi.

The holy Eucharist is however in some other senses a Sacrifice: first, as its' name implies, it is a Sacrifice of thanksgiving; and this we shew by our praises and our alms, and by the offering of our whole selves in soul and body to God's service. But it is yet something more: our blessed Lord has enjoined us in this way to commemorate His

[ocr errors]

death; and, that there might be no mistake, He has declared that the bread is His Body-the wine His Blood. St. Paul has also told us, that in this rite we do "shew the Lord's death," in other words, represent His Sacrifice, or "set forth evidently before our eyes Jesus Christ crucified among us." Accordingly it was called in the primitive Church a commemorative Sacrifice; that is, not a real Sacrifice, but the memorial of one; and in that sense it is still a Sacrifice, and the Lord's Table is still, as our Bible says, (Heb. xiii, 10.) the Christian's "Altar." If any one call this popery, he is charging popery on the Word of God: we do right in using these terms, and they rather are to blame, who have any scruple about them; for, wherever the representative nature of this Sacrament is forgotten, this is the sure progress; it is first undervalued, and then laid aside: so in the Scotch Establishment we know that it is already become an annual ceremony, and our own neglect in making it monthly is to be traced to the same source. Now it is very necessary to partake often of this holy Sacrament, for therein by an act, and not in words only, do we plead with the Father the Sacrifice of His Son: in itself indeed it is no atonement, but by means of it we share the merit of Christ's atonement; and, if we will not often "do this in remembrance of Him," we cannot have any scriptural assurance, that He will remember us.

See passages from Brevint, Hammond, and Bishops Jewel, Hall, Taylor, Patrick, Beveridge, Wilson, and Potter; in "Eucharistica," by the Rev. S. Wilberforce.

THE SACRIFICE OF CHRISTIANS.

AN HOLY PRIESTHOOD,

To offer up spiritual sacrifices.

"Christ hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

A PRAYER.

O blessed Saviour, who didst both die for our sins, and also institute holy Mysteries, in which (as in a figure) we might see Thee crucified before us, forgive us that we have so sadly slighted Thy love in times past; and put Thou a better heart within us, that we may turn to Thee with a true repentance, and celebrate Thy Sacrifice as often and in such a way as Thou wouldest. O give us a living faith, and grant us grace, so verily and indeed to take and receive Thy Body broken, and Thy Blood shed for us, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by Thy Body, and our souls washed through Thy most precious Blood. And do Thou enable us, O Lord, to give up ourselves to Thee a living sacrifice in body and in soul, that in all our thoughts, words, and works, we may henceforth seek only Thy glory, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

No. 19.

SCRIPTURE TRACTS

FOR THE

FASTS AND FESTIVALS.

Easter Even.

BY A LAYMAN.

"Christ was buried."

"We are buried with Him by baptism into death."

"Dead indeed unto sin."

"How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?
"Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not."

1 Cor. xv.

Rom. vi. 1 John iii.

LONDON:

J. G. F. AND J. RIVINGTON.

STRONG, BRISTOL; COMBE, LEICESTER.

PRINTED BY H. AND A. HILL, CASTLE GREEN, BRISTOL. MDCCCXL.

Price Three Halfpence, or 1s. 3d. per Dozen.

[blocks in formation]

Angels of peace, look down from heav'n and mourn,
Lo, your own God low to the earth is bent,
Wearing guilt's image, of His glories shorn,
Of wicked men He bears the punishment.

O miracle stupendous of vast love!

O deadness of man's heart that still remains!
To die for you your God comes from above;
Ye will not walk with Him and share His pains.

It is Thy Cross alone, alone Thy Cross,

From everlasting flames our souls sets free;
Chasten us with fire, sword, or worldly loss,
But spare us for a long eternity.

The flesh shrinks back, but 'tis His Father's will,
He bows His head and drinks the bitter cup,-
In this Thy strength may we Thy law fulfil,

Take from Thy hand the chalice, and look up.

Heal'd by the stripes which Thy pure body stain, Wash'd by the blood which floweth from Thy side,

Leave us not, lest we sin, and fall again,

And thus another Cross for Thee provide.

Glory to Him, who gave His Son to die;
Glory to Him, who for the guilty dies;
Glory to Him, who came down from on high
To sanctify the holy sacrifice.

Translated by the Author of " The Cathedral."

« FöregåendeFortsätt »