Wednesday after Trinity-Sunday — Of other Figures of the blessed Eucharist

Consider, first, that the sacrifice of Melchisedech, (Gen. xiv. 18,) in bread and wine, was another figure of the sacrifice and sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, in the Eucharist; as Melchisedech himself, and his priesthood, was an illustrious figure of Christ, and his eternal priesthood, as we learn from Psalm cx. 4. and Hebr. vii. And so likewise, in the law of Moses, al' chose sacrifices commonly called peace-offerings in which both the priest and the people were partakers of the victim, were also figures of Christ sacrificed for us, and received by us. So many ways was the divine Majesty pleased, both before the law and in the law, to show forth to us, not only the sacrifice, in which his Son should be both our priest and victim, but also the sacrament, by which he should communicate his own flesh to us. Learn from hence, my soul, what reverence, what devotion, thou owest to our tremendous mysteries, the very figures of which were so sacred and so venerable. It was a great crime, if any one, that was not clean and pure, presumed to approach to these ancient sacrifices. What purity, then, is the Christian now obliged to bring with him, when he approaches to the truth, of which these were but shadows 1

Consider, secondly, that God appointed twelve loaves, made of fine flour, to stand always in his temple, before the veil of the sancta sanctorum or the inward sanctuary; placed there upon a table, made for that purpose, of incorruptible wood, and overlaid with gold; and that the clearest frankincense should be put upon them; that the bread might he for a memorial of the oblation of the Lord by an everlasting covenant; Levit. xxiv. 5, 6, 7, 8. These loaves, called the holy breads and the loaves of proposition, or show-bread, were also a figure of the holy Eucharist. They always stood before the Lord in his temple, as an offering made to him by his people; as a figure of that solemn offering which should be afterwards daily made, under the form of bread, in the church of Christ; the clearest finkincense was put upon them, to denote the pure prayer, and devotion, with which this offering was to be made. And they stood before the veil, with the golden candlestick, and the altar of perfumes, to signify that the sovereign means to bring our souls to God, and to introduce us within the veil, into his eternal sanctuary, would be the right use of the bread of life, which we have in the blessed Eucharist, joined with devout prayer, and the lights and graces of the Spirit of God, signified by the seven branches of the golden candlestick.

Consider, thirdly, that the tree of life, planted in the midst of the earthly paradise, (Gen. ii. 9,) was also a figure of the blessed sacrament. The fruit of this tree had that excellent property, that, if sin had not banished us from that happy abode, we should have been maintained thereby in a constant vigour, strength, and health, and so should have never died. O how well does the blessed Eucharist answer this noble figure! — seeing we here feed upon life itself, in its very source; and, by frequently and worthily approaching to it, receive a plentiful supply of heavenly grace, for the maintaining of the vigour, strength, and health, of \he soul \ that so we may never incur the second death, but may pass from life to life, from the life of grace to the life of glory, from life concealed under sacramental veils, to life seen and enjoyed, without shadow or change, for all eternity.

Conclude, from all these ancient types and figures, so noble, and so expressive of the blessed Eucharist and its fruits, to raise thy thoughts and heart above this earth, and all that is earthly, in the use of this heavenly sacrament. And assure thyself that this divine mystery, so many ways prefigured, both in the law of nature and in the law of Moses, must needs be something far superior to all types and figures.