bath day to keep it holy, or to honour your father and mother. You are equally guilty of sin in neglecting to communicate as if you took the name of the Lord your God in vain; or were guilty of murder, adultery and theft. For the same Lawgiver who says remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, and honour your father and your mother, also says, do this in remembrance of me. He who has forbidden

profane swearing and murder, has also pronounced accursed every one who continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. And not only is the omission of communicating sinful, but it is, moreover, a sin of the deepest dye and of the most aggravated nature.

For, in the second place, we are bound to celebrate the sacrament of the Lord's supper, by the strongest of all ties, those of gratitude and love. Consider the occasion and design of the institution. It was appointed to assist us in recalling to mind one whom, were it not for our corrupt and treacherous hearts, we could never forget, him who is the greatest and best friend of the human race; to commemorate an event the most striking that occurs in the annals of mankind, an event de

monstrative of love and grace unparalleled, and productive of unspeakable benefits to the human race. Viewed in this light every principle in our nature calls upon us to draw near and contemplate this wonderful thing.

nance.

Do this in remembrance of me-said our blessed Saviour when he instituted this ordiHow impressive and significant are these words! The circumstances in which they were uttered, might serve instead of comment and paraphrase to those who heard them, but to us at this distance of time, who are moreover slow of heart to believe, and still slower to obey, some farther illustration may be requisite. My beloved disciples, would "he have said, you have already been wit❝nesses to the unrelenting malice of my ene

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mies, to the persecution of the Scribes and “Pharisees, and to the violent opposition " which I have been forced to encounter in "the prosecution of the great design of redeeming the human race. But whatever "difficulties I have hitherto met with, how"ever great my past sufferings have been, yet they bear no proportion to those which I

am shortly tosuffer. For I must now be ex"posed not only to the relentless rage of the

"Scribes and Pharisees, and to the insatiable

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I am

fury of an incensed multitude, but also to "the united strength and attacks of all the 66 powers of darkness. But this is not all. I "have a severer baptism to be baptized with; "I am not only forced to fight with men and devils; but, as Jacob contended and wrest"led with the angel till he obtained a blessing, so must I this night wrestle and strive "in prayer with God, till I obtain pardon and blessing for the fallen sons of Adam. "now to feel the whole weight of my father's "dreadful wrath and indignation for all the "sins of the world. Your zeal and affection "for me have hitherto kept you closely at"tached to me, but the time is at hand, when "I must be deprived even of this consolation, "and shall be left alone, to sustain the whole "shock of divine displeasure at human guilt. "like sheep without a shepherd, you will all "of

of you be soon scattered, every one to his "own home: and I shall be left in a situation "so deserted and forlorn that even God himself

shall, for a while, seem to forsake me. Then "shall I be delivered up into the power of "mine enemies to be abused and evil intreated, "to be mocked and scourged, to be crucified

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and slain. But all this will I readily and cheerfully undergo for the benefit of man

kind, that I may turn my Father's just indig"nation from his guilty offspring, that I may "redeem the captive sinner from the guilt " and the dominion of sin, and that I may thus "reconcile all the redeemed unto God in one body by the cross.

"But while I do and suffer so much for you, "all that I require in return for such love and

kindness is, that, you affectionately remem"ber and gratefully commemorate what I "have already suffered and am still farther to "suffer in your room, and for your benefit. "I therefore leave it, as my last and dying "order to you all, and to all who shall come "after you, that you do, by the constant cele"bration of this holy sacrament, perpetuate "and keep up a continual remembrance of my sufferings and death, until the time of

my second coming. By breaking of bread, "as you see me do, you will, in a lively man"er, represent and set forth the wounding and bruising of my body by the Jews.

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eating it, you will naturally be put in mind "of those benefits which are procured by my "death. The pouring out of the wine will

naturally remind you of my blood, which " is soon to be shed for the remission of sins. "The drinking of it will serve to shew the

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efficacy of my blood in cleansing and puri

fying the soul. And your partaking of "both will be sufficient to signify that as your

bodies are strengthened and refreshed by "bread and wine, so your souls are comforted "and sustained by the power and efficacy of 66 my death, and by those heavenly influences "and constant supplies of divine grace which,

for my sake, are conveyed and imparted to 66 you, and to all Christians, in the due and "faithful receiving of this holy sacrament.”

Who, now, that considers Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and views the communion in this light, does not perceive the obligation he is under to celebrate it? While we stand in need of a Saviour, we are bound to commemorate what that Saviour has done for us. While we want a faithful Mediator to stand in the breach for us, we ought, unquestionably, to remember the inestimable blessings which are purchased and secured by his death and intercession. For how can we lay any claim to the merits of the Saviour, if we do not follow his directions or obey his commands. Will the