|| Tertullian seems to have had a correct notion of those words it represented the destroying angel's passing over the children to LIVE miserably: rectè ESSE, to ENJOY good health : EST mihi of Israel, while he slew the first-born of the Egyptians: and fistula, I POSSESS a flute: EST hodie in rebus, he now ENJOYS our Lord and his disciples call this lamb the Pass-over, seve- a plentiful fortune: EST mihi namque domi pater, I HAVE a ral times in this chapter; by which it is demonstrably evident, father at home, &c. ESSE solvendo, to be ABLE to pay: FUIMUS that they could inean no more than that the lamb sacrificed || Troes, FUIT Ilium; the Trojans are EXTINCT, Troy is NO MORE. on this occasion was a memorial of, and REPRESENTED the means In Greek also, and Hebrew, it often signifies to live, to die, used for the preservation of the Israelites from the blast of the to be killed. Ovx EIMI, I am DEAD, or a dead man. Matt. destroying angel. ii. 13. Rachel weeping for her children, ori ovx E121, because Besides, our Lord did not say, hoc est corpus meum, (this is they WERE MURDERED, Gen. xlii. 36. Joseph is not, `k gor my body) as he did not speak in the Latin tongue; though as Yoseph einennu, Iwon oux EETIN, Sept. Joseph is DEVOURED much stress has been laid upon this quotation from the Val-by a WILD BEAST. Rom. iv. 17. Calling the things that ARE gate, as if the original of the three Evangelists had been writ- not, as if they were ALIVE. So Plutarch in Laconicis: "This ten in the Latin language. Had he spoken in Latin, follow-shield thy father always preserved; preserve thou it, or may ing the idiom of the Vulgate, he would have said, Panis hic thou not вE:" H μn E20, may thou PERISH. ΟΥΚ ΟΝΤΕΣ corpus meum significat, or, Symbolum est corporis mei :-hoc , ABROGATED laws. EIMI, I POSSESS a sound poculum sanguinem meum representat, or, symbolum est sangui- derstanding. Εις πατέρα υμιν ΕΣΟΜΑΙ, Γ will PERFORM the nis mei :—this bread signifies my body; this cup represents my PART of a father to you. ΕΙΜΙ της πολεως της δε, Ι ΑΝ ΙΝblood. But let it be observed, that in the Hebrew, Chaldee, HABITANT of that city. 1 Tim. i. 7. Desiring to BE teachers of and Chaldeo-Syriac languages, there is no term which exthe law, θέλοντε; ΕΙΝΑΙ νομοδιδασκαλοι, desiring to be REPUTED presses to mean, signify, denote, though both the Greek and teachers of the law, i. e. ABLE divines. Ta ONTA, the things that Latin abound with them: hence the Hebrews use a figure, ARE, i. e. NOBLE and HONOURABLE men: a pn ONTA, the things and say, it is, for, it signifies. So Gen. xli. 26, 27. The seven that are not, viz. the VULGAR, or those of IGNOBLE BIRTH. kine ALE (i. e. represent) seven years. This is (represents) the) bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Erypt. of our Lord, Acceptum panem, et distributum discipulis, corpus Dan. vii. 24. The ten horns ARE (i. e. signify) ten kings. They illum suum fecit, HOC EST CORPUS MEUM dicendo, id est, FIGURA drank of the spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock corporis mei. Advers. Marc. 1. v. c. 40. «Having taken the Was (represented) Christ. 1 Cor. x. 4. And following this bread, and distributed that body to his disciples, he made it his Hebrew idiom, though the work is written in Greek, we find body by saying, This is my body, i. e. a FIGURE of my body.” in Rev. i. 20. The seven stars ARE (represent) the angels of the That our Lord neither spoke in Greek nor Latin, on this seven churches: and the seven candlesticks ARE (represent) the occasion, needs no proof. It was, most probably, in what seven churches. The same form of speech is used in a variety was formerly called the Chaldaic, now the Syriac, that our of places in the New Testament, where this sense must necesLord conversed with his disciples. Through the providence sarily be given to the word. Matt. xiii. 38, 39. The field is of God, we have complete versions of the Gospels in this (represents) the world: the good seed ARE (represent or sig-language; and in them it is likely we have the precise words nify) the children of the kingdom: the tares ARE (signify) the eh ldren of the wicked one. The enemy is (signifies) the devil : the harvest is (represents) the end of the world: the reapers ARE (i. e. signify) the angels. Luke viii. 9. What might this parable BE? Tię EIH » wagαßoλn aun;--What does this parable SIGNIFY? John vii. 36. T.; EETIN ouros o hoyo;; What is the SIGNIFICATION of this saying? John x. 6. They understood not what things they WERE, Tiva HN, what was the SIGNIFICATION of the things he had spoken to them. Acts x. 17. T. av EIH to ogapa, what this vision MIGHT BE; properly rendered But this form of speech is common, even in our own lanby our translators, what this vision should MEAN. Gal. iv. 24. guage, though we have terms enow to fill up the ellipsis. For these ARE the two covenants, auras yag EILIN a duo Six-Suppose a man entering into a museum, enriched with the reSaxa, these SIGNIFY the two covenants. Luke xv. 26. He ask-mains of ancient Greck sculpture; his eyes are attracted by a ed, 7 EIH avra, what these things MEANT. See also chap. xviii. 36. After such unequivocal testimony from the Sacred Writings, can any person doubt that, This bread Is my body, any other meaning than, This bread REPRESENTS my body? The Latins use the verb sum, in all its forms, with a similar latitude of meaning. So, ESSE oneri ferendo, he is ABLE to bear the burthen: benè ESSE, to LIVE Sumptuously; malè ESSE, has spoken by our Lord on this occasion. In Matt. xxvi. 26 and number of curious busts; and on enquiring what they are, he learns, this is Socrates, that Plato, a third Ilomer; others Hesiod, Horace, Virgil, Demosthenes, Cicero, Herodotus, Livy, Cæsar, Nero, Vespasian, &c. Is he deceived by this information ? Not at all: he knows well that the busts he sees are not the identical persons of those ancient philosophers, poets, orators, historians, and emperors, but only REPRESENT ATIONS of their persons in sculpture, between which and the 28 For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. A. D. 9. Jer. 31. 31.- d ch. 20. 28. Rom. 5. 15. Hebr. 9. 22. CCIL. 1. there is none without its appropriate and deeply emphatic meaning. So it is written Ephes. v. 2. Christ hath loved us, and given himself, vñez nμwr, on our account, or in our stead, an offering and a SACRIFICE (via) to God for a sweet-smelling savour, that, as in the sacrifice offered by Noah, Gen. viii. 21. (to which the Apostle evidently alludes) from which it is said, The Lord smelled a sweet savour, an riach hanichoach, a savour of rest, so that he became appeased towards the earth, and determined that there should no more be a flood to destroy it; in like manner, in the offering and sacrifice of Christ for us, God is appeased towards the human race; and has in consequence decreed, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Verse 27. And he took the cup] METα TO SETTvnsai, after having supped, Luke xxii. 20. and 1 Cor. xi. 25. Whether the supper was on the paschal lamb, or whether it was a common or ordinary meal, I shall not wait here to enquire: see at the end of this chapter. In the parallel place in Luke xxii. we find our Lord taking the cup, ver. 17. and again ver. 19. by the former of which was probably meant the cup of blessing, non di kos haberakah, which the master of a family took, and after blessing God, gave to each of his guests by way of welcome: but this second taking the cup, is to be understood as belonging peculiarly to the very important rite, which he was now instituting, and on which he lays a very remarkable stress. With respect to the bread, he had before simply said, Take, eat, this is my body; but concerning the cup, he says, drink ye all of this: for as this pointed out the very essence of the institution, viz. the blood of atonement, it was necessary that each should have a particular application of it, therefore he says, Drink ye ALL of THIS. By this we are taught that the cup is essential to the sacrament of the Lord's supper; so that they who deny the cup to the people, sin against God's institution; and they who receive not the cup, are not partakers of the body and blood of Christ. If either could without mortal prejudice be omitted, it might be the bread; but the cup, as pointing out the blood poured out, i. e. the life, by which alone the great sacrificial act is performed, and remission of sins procured, is absolutely indispensable. On this ground it is demonstrable, that there is not a priest under heaven, who denies the cup to the people, that can be said to celebrate the Lord's supper at all; nor is there one of their votaries that ever received the holy sacra St. Luke and St. Paul add a circumstance here which is not noticed either by St. Matthew or St. Mark. After, this is my body, the former adds, which is given for you; the latter, which is broken for you: the sense of which is, "As God has in his bountiful providence given you bread for the sustenance of your lives, so in his infinite grace, he has given you my body to save your souls unto life eternal. But as this bread must be broken and masticated, in order to its becoming proper nourishment, so my body must be broken, i. e. crucified for you, before it can be the bread of life to your souls. As therefore your life depends on the bread which God's bounty has provided for your bodies, so your eternal life depends on the sacrifice of my body on the cross for your -souls." Besides, there is here an allusion to the offering of sacrifices-an innocent creature was brought to the altar of God, and its blood (the life of the beast) was poured out for, or in behalf of the person who brought it. Thus Christ says, alluding to the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, This is my body, TO UTTER vμar didoμeror, which IS GIVEN in your stead, or in your behalf; a free GIFT from God's endless mercy for the salvation of your souls. This is my body, to uñeg vμment. All pretension to this is an absolute farce, so long as (1 Cor. xi. 24.) which is broken-sacrificed in your stead; as without the breaking (piercing) of the body, and spilling of the blood, there was no remission. the cup, the emblem of the atoning blood, is denied. How strange is it, that the very men who plead so much for the bare literal meaning of this is my body, in the preceding verse, In this solemn transaction we must weigh every word, as should deny all meaning to drink YE ALL of this cup, in this The sacrament of the CHAP. XXVI. Lord's supper instituted. A. M 4035. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink | til that day when I drink it new with A.M. 4035. An. Olymp. henceforth of this fruit of the vine, "un- you in A. D 29. my Father's kingdom. A. D. 29. An. Olymp. CCII. 1. a Mark 14. 25. Luke 22. 18. verse! And though Christ bas in the most positive manner enjoined it, they will not permit one of the laity to taste it! Oh! what a thing is man! a constant contradiction to reason and to himself. I have just said, that our blessed Lord lays remarkable stress on the administration of the cup, and on that which himself assures us, is represented by it. As it is peculiarly emphatic, I beg leave to set down the original text, which the critical reader will do well minutely to examine: TOUTO yag ES TO αίμα μου ΤΟ της καινής διαθήκης, ΤΟ περί πολλών εκχυνόμενον εις a apagτ. The following literal translation and paraphrase do not exceed its meaning: For, THIS is THAT blood of mine, which was pointed out by all the sacrifices under the Jewish law, and particularly by the shedding and sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb. THAT blood of the sacrifice slain for the ratification of the new covenant. THE blood ready to be poured out for the multitudes, the whole Gentile world as well as the Jews, for the taking away of sins; sin, whether original or actual, in all its power and guilt, in all its internal energy and pollution. And gave thanks] See the form used on this occasion on ver. 26. and see the MISHNA, TRACT, ♫ Beracoth. b Acts 10. 41. poured out, the following form of adjuration was used by the Ζεν κύδισε, μεγισε, και αθανατοι θεοί άλλοι, So be their blood, their childrens', and their own ILIAD. 1. iii. v. 298-301. Our blessed Saviour is evidently called the Alanx, berith, or covenant sacrifice, Isai. xlii. 6. xlix. 8. Zech. ix. 11. And to those Scriptures he appears to allude, as in them the Lord promises to give him for a covenant (sacrifice) to the Gentiles, and to send forth, by the blood of this covenant (victim) the prisoners out of the pit. The passages in the Sacred Writings, which allude to this grand sacrificial and atoning act, are almost innumerable. See the Preface to Matthew. In this place, our Lord terms his blood, the blood of the NEW covenant; by which he means that grand plan of agreement or reconciliation, which God was now establishing between himself and mankind, by the passion and death of his Son; through whom alone, men could draw nigh to God: and this NEW covenant is mentioned in contradistinction from the OLD covenant, ʼn wahaia Diadnen, 2 Cor. iii. 14. by which appellative all the books of the Old Testament were distinguished, because they pointed out the way of reconciliation to God by the blood of the various victims slain under the law : but world, was about to be offered up, a NEW and LIVING way was thereby constituted, so that no one henceforth could come unto the Father but by HIM. Hence all the books of the New Testament, which bear unanimous testimony to the doctrine of salvation by faith through the blood of Jesus, are termed, H Kain Aanen, The NEW covenant. See the Preface. Verse 28. For this is my blood of the New Testament] This is the reading both here and in St. Mark; but St. Luke and St. Paul say, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This passage has been strangely mistaken: by New Testament, many understand nothing more than the book commonly known by this name, containing the four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, apostolical Epistles, and book of the Revelation; and they think that the cup of the New Testament, means no more than merely that cup which the book called the New Testa-now, as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the ment enjoins in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. As this is the case, it is highly necessary that this term should be explained. The original, H Kan Ann, which we translate, The New Testament, and which is the general title of all the contents of the book already described, simply means the new Covenant, from con, together, and venio, I come, signifies an agreement, contract, or compact between two parties, by which both are mutually bound to do certain things, on certain conditions and penalties. It answers to the Hebrew berith, which often signifies not only the covenant or agreement, but also the sacrifice which was slain on the occasion, by the blood of which the covenant was ratified; and the contracting parties professed to subject themselves to such a death as that of the victim, in case of violating their engagements. An oath of this kind, on slaying the covenant sacrifice, was usual in ancient times: so in Homer, when a covenant was made between the Greeks and the Trojans, and the throats of lambs were cut, and their blood COVENANT. Dr. Lightfoot's Observations on this are worthy of serious notice. "This is my blood of the New Testament. Not only the seal of the covenant, but the sanction of the new covenant. The end of the Mosaic œconomy, and the confirming of a new one. The confirmation of the old covenant was by the blood of bulls and goats, Exod. xxiv. Heb. ix. because blood was still to be shed: the confirmation of the new was by a cup of wine, because under the new covenant there is no farther shedding of blood. As it is here said of the cup, This cup is the New Testament in my blood; so it might be said of the cup of blood, Exod. xxiv. That cup was the Old Testament in the blood of Christ: there, all the articles of that covenant Jesus foretells the unfaithfulness A.M 4983. b a 30 And when they had sung a they had sung a 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All An. Olymp. hymn, they went out into the mount ye shall be offended because of me of Olives. this night for it is written, I will CCIL. 1. a Mark 14. 26.- ———b Or, psalm. being read over, Moses sprinkled all the people with blood, and said, This is the blood of the covenant which God hath made with you; and thus that old covenant or testimony was confirmed. In like manner, Christ, having published all the articles of the new covenant, he takes the cup of wine, and gives them to drink, and saith, This is the New Testament in|| my blood, and thus the new covenant was established."-Works, vol. ii. p. 260. Which is shed (xxvorov, poured out) for many] Exxew and xxvw, to pour out, are often used in a sacrificial sense in the Septuagint, and signify to pour out or sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices before the altar of the Lord, by way of atonement. See 2 Kings xvi. 15. Lev. viii. 15. ix. 9. Exod. xxix. 12. Lev. iv. 7, 14, 17, 30, S4. and in various other places. Our Lord, by this very remarkable mode of expression, teaches us, that as his body was to be broken or crucified, vñg nuwv, in our stead, so here the blood was to be poured out to make an atonement, as the words, remission of sins, sufficiently prove; for without shedding of blood there was no remission, Heb. ix. 22. nor any remission by shedding of blood, but in a sacrificial way. See the passages above, and on ver. 26. e Mark 11. 27. John 16. 32. ch. 11. 6.- Zech. 13. 7. nant, referred to by our Lord in this place, was universal; for as Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death for EVERY man, Heb. xi. 9. and is that Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the WORLD, John i. 29. who would have ALL MEN to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. even that knowledge of Christ crucified, by which they are to be justified, Isai. liii. 11. therefore he has commanded his disciples to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE, Mark xvi. 15. The reprobate race, those who were no people and not beloved, were to be called in; for the gospel was to be preached to all the world, though it was to begin at Jerusalem, Luke xxiv. 47. For this purpose was the blood of the new covenant-sacrifice poured out for the multitudes, that there might be but one fold, as there is but one shepherd; and, that God might be ALL and in ALL. For the remission of sins.] Els apsowy apagtiwv, for (or, in reference to) the taking away of sins. For, although the blood is shed, and the atonement made, no man's sins are taken away, until, as a true penitent, he returns to God; and feeling his utter incapacity to save himself, believes in Christ Jesus, whe is the justifier of the ungodly. The phrase, 15 Twy aμagtiwy, remission of sins, (frequently The whole of this passage will receive additional light when used by the Septuagint) being thus explained by our Lord, is collated with Isai. liii. 11, 12. By his knowledge shall my right-!| often used by the Evangelists and the Apostles; and does not cous servant justify MANY, for he shall bear their iniquities-he- | mean merely the pardon of sins, as it is generally understood, cause he hath POURED OUT his soul unto death, and he bare the|| but the removal or taking away of sins; not only the guilt, sin of MANY. The pouring out of the soul unto death, in the but also the very nature of sin, and the pollution of the soul Prophet, answers to, this is the blood of the new covenant which through it; and comprehends all that is generally understood is poured out for you, in the Evangelists: and the rabbim, by the terms justification and sanctification. For the use and multitudes, in Isaiah, corresponds to the MANY, zohv, of Mat- meaning of the phrase, afins aμagtiwy, see Mark i. 4. Luke thew and Mark. The passage will soon appear plain, when i. 77. iii. 3. xxiv. 47. Acts ii. 38. v. 31. x. 43. xiii. 38. xxvi. we consider that two distinct classes of persons are mentioned 18. Coloss. i. 14. Heb. x. 18. by the prophet. 1. The JEWS.-Ver. 4. Surely he hath borne OUR griefs, and carried our sorrows.- -Ver. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for OUR iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.-Ver. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid upon || him the iniquity of us all. 2. The GENTILES.-Ver. 11. By his knowledge, my bedaâto, i. c. by his being made known, published as Christ crucified among the Gentiles, he shall jus- || tify rabbim, the multitudes, (the GENTILES) for he shall (also) bear THEIR offences, as well as ours, the Jews, ver. 4, &c. It is well known that the Jewish dispensation, termed by the Apostle as above, muhoix dianan, the OLD covenant, was partial and exclusive. None were particularly interested in it save the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob: whereas the Christian dispensation, xawn dianan, the NEW core || Both St. Luke and St. Paul add, that after giving the bread our Lord said, Do this in remembrance of me. And after giving the cup, St. Paul alone adds, This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. The account as given by St. Paul should be carefully followed, being fuller; and received, according to his own declaration, by especial revelation from God. See 1 Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, &c. See the harmonized view above. Verse 29. I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine] These words seem to intimate no more than this: We shall not have another opportunity of eating this bread and drinking this wine together; as in a few hours my crucifixion shall take place. Until that day when I drink it new with you] That is, I shall This night] The time of trial is just at hand. I will smite the shepherd] It will happen to you as to a flock of sheep, whose shepherd has been slain-the leader and guardian being removed, the whole flock shall be scattered, and be on the point of becoming a prey to ravenous beasts. Verse 32. But after I am risen again] Don't lose your con to wicked men, and be brought under the power of death; yet I will rise again, and triumph over all your enemies and mine. no more drink of the produce of the vine with you; but shall drink new wine-wine of a widely different nature from this --a wine which the kingdom of God alone can afford. The term new in Scripture is often taken in this sense. So the NEW heaven, the NEW earth, the NEW covenant, the NEW man— mean a heaven, earth, covenant, man, of a very different nature from the former. It was our Lord's invariable custom to il-fidence, for though I shall appear for a time to be wholly left lustrate heavenly things by those of earth: and to make that which had last been the subject of conversation the means of doing it. Thus he uses wine here, of which they had lately drunk, and on which he had held the preceding discourse, to point out the supreme blessedness of the kingdom of God. || But however pleasing and useful wine may be to the body, and how helpful soever, as an ordinance of God, it may be to the soul in the holy sacrament; yet the wine of the kingdom, the spiritual enjoyments at the right hand of God, will be infinitely more precious and useful. From what our Lord says here, we learn, that the sacrament of his supper is a type of, and a pledge to genuine Christians, of the felicity they shall enjoy with Christ in the kingdom of glory. I will go before you] Still alluding to the case of the shepherd and his sheep. Though the shepherd have been smitten and the sheep scattered, the shepherd shall revive again, collect the scattered flock, and go before them, and lead them to peace, security, and happiness. Verse 33. Peter-said unto him, Though all men shall be offended-yet will I never] The presumptuous person imagines he can do every thing, and can do nothing: thinks he can excel all, and excels in nothing: promises every thing, and performs nothing. The humble man acts a quite contrary part. There is nothing we know so little of, as our poverty. The strength of pride is only for a moment. Peter, though vainly confident, was certainly sincere he had never been put to a sore trial, and did not know his own strength. Had this resolution of his been formed in the strength of God, he would have been enabled to maintain it against earth and Verse 30. And when they had sung a hymn] Yμvnoavtes means, probably, no more than a kind of recitative reading or chant-selves-nothing we see less of, than our own weakness and ing. As to the hymn itself, we know, from the universal consent of Jewish antiquity, that it was composed of Psalms 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, and 118, termed by the Jews halel, from 7-7 halelu-yah, the first word in Psalm 113. These six Psalms were always sung at every paschal solemnity. They sung this great hillel on account of the five great bene- || hell. fits referred to in it; viz. 1. The Exodus from Egypt, Psal. cxiv. 1. When Israel went out of Egypt, &c. 2. The miraculous division of the Red sea, ver. 3. The sea saw it and fled. 3. The promulgation of the Law, ver. 4. The mountains skipped like lambs. 4. The Resurrection of the dead, Psal. cxvi. 9. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. 5. The passion of the Messiah, Psal. cxv. 1. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, &c. See Schoetgen, Hor. Hebr. p. 231. and my Discourse on the nature and design of the Eucharist, 8vo. Lond. 1808. Verse 31. All ye shall be offended] Or rather, Ye will all be stumbled—παντες υμεις σκανδαλισθήσεσθε-ye will all forsake me, and lose in a great measure your confidence in me. Verse 34. Jesus said] Our Lord's answer to Peter is very emphatic and impressive. Verily I speak a solemn weighty truth, thou wilt not only be stumbled, full off, and forsake thy Master, but thou wilt even deny that thou hast or ever had any knowledge of, or connection with me; and this thou wilt do, not by little and little, through a long process of time, till the apostacy, daily gathering strength, shall be complete; but thou wilt do it this very night, and that not once only but thrice; and this thou wilt do also in the earlier part of the night, before even a cock shall crow. Was not this warning enough to him not to trust in his own strength, but to depend on God? Verse 35. Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny |