in and without, our hunger is satisfied and our thirst for ever quenched: they are things wonderful which he feeleth, great which he seeth, and unheard of which he uttereth, whose soul is possessed with this Paschal Lamb, and made joyful in the strength of this new wine. This bread hath in it more than the substance which our eyes behold. This cup hallowed with solemn benediction availeth to the endless life and welfare both of soul and body, in that it serveth as well for a medicine to heal our infirmities, and purge our souls as for a sacrifice of thanksgiving,—with touching, it sanctifieth, it enlighteneth with belief, it truly conformeth us unto the image of Jesus Christ. What these elements are in themselves it skilleth not; it is enough that to me, which take them, they are the body and blood of Christ, his promise in witness hereof sufficeth; his word He knoweth which way to accomplish; why should any

cogitation possess the mind of a faithful communicant but this, "O my God, thou art true! O my soul, thou art happy?" And thus the words of the text come home again, as an assured truth, "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him." But if so, the latter part of the verse is no less true, "His power and his wrath is against all them that forsake Him," as do all they who irreverently draw not nigh to the table of their Lord, when his dying command was this, "This do in remembrance of me!" Oh then, ye Christian people, do ye mould the Psalmist's words to prayer and praise, saying, "If I forget thee," my Saviour, "let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; yea, if I prefer not" thy holy table "in my mirth." "What reward shall I give unto the Lord, for all the benefits which He hath done unto me! I will receive the cup

of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people." "I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord, and so will I go to thine altar; That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."

Even so with praise and thanksgiving and eucharist, shew, in the receiving of the Holy Communion, that you are united with Christ your head, "very members incorporate in his mystical body," and "also heirs through hope" of the saints' everlasting rest in heaven, "through the merits of his most precious death and passion." "Buried with Him in baptism" in your early years, let this second Sacrament tell how you bear in mind the continual remembrance of His death, which is your life. Never rest contented till yourselves and children compass the altar, till you can say with joyful assurance, BEHOLD, I AND THE

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ME;"-with joyful assurance, because here on earth they are God's children, consigned in this world to "the knowledge of his truth," and in the world to come unto "life everlasting!"

And thus much for the present as concerns this our "sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving," the Sacrament withal of peace and of union and of concord, showed forth after " the apostles' doctrine and fellowship... in breaking of bread and in prayers." On Sunday next, I purpose, through God's assistance,—without which neither you nor I can think or speak,-to say a word on the preparation for, as well as on the excuses men use to make relative to, this Holy Sacrament. Meanwhile, as Paul said to the elders of Ephesus called together at Miletum, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."

SERMON IV.

PREPARATION FOR, AND EXCUSES RELATIVE TO, THE LORD'S SUPPER.

LUKE xix. 7.

"And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner."

So thought they of the publican, Zacchæus ! But, like Matthew, he had henceforth better things than "the receipt of custom" to look to; even to the Lord Jesus, who said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come