world by religion's leavening influence to its sole dominion, which is wisdom, happiness: a perpetually heightening condition of man.

I might point you to the world: I might accompany you throughout its history; and, were I so to do, I could place my finger upon its religious element, and shew, that, that only has been enduring; that, that only has been accomplishing good. This would not be confined to any period, nation, or people; but would extend to them all: they would all establish the position to which your consideration has been called. I would, you may be all conversant with history; and, if so, you are so many asseverations to the fact set forth. Who has achieved the perpetually transpiring changes for good throughout the world? has accomplished civilization? modified evil? increased knowledge ?-giving conception of a brotherhood to man?-raised from serfdom ?-destroyed feudalism? rendering truth, virtue, love, the cement of society? these, the results of religion? Oh! I am tempted, but I will not individualize: it is too extensive a theme; and I might do wrong, to some of the most eminent whom I might name not. But, throughout all time, it has been he and she, the man and woman,-they, who have been the portion of the people, most actuated by religion. Earnest souls, who have tired not, desponded not, though often thwarted, and depressed;-but who have hoped on, worked on; who have had faith, and whose foundation of action was religion. They are these, still, who are effecting the changes in the world for the

tering universally of its condition: who are giving

knowledge; who are educating the people ;-who are acting upon governments; modifying laws; extending freedom; hallowing the precincts of families, and hence extending them-circumscribing them notto nations,-for, it is the eliciting in them of religion.

But there needs no other testimony than that which is adduced in the life of Jesus. At the time of appropriating to himself the words of prophecy which I have quoted for my text, proclaiming that in him their message was fulfilled, he went, as his custom was, on the sabbath day, into the synagogue (the house appropriated for religious services) of Nazareth, his native city. And we see, that he ever availed himself of the opportunity and purpose, in the synagogue, and the temple, of the services of religion. Some of the most precious instances of his teaching there occur. He joined in the ordinance of the passover-the most revered one of the Jews, in their rendering of thanksgiving to God. Jesus, in public and in private, in the domestic circle, and in the appropriated house of God, prayed. He enjoined prayer on others-that they should pray always-that their lives should be an act of devotion. His life was the exposition of religion: and therein shewed he, that all good is wrought by religion. Be henceforth none deceived. Religion is the indwelling of your souls; the light of your lives; the sustenance, giving aid to others: to benefit them, inciting in them religion. It is the light, truth, love, redeeming the world. It is the strength of them who are subduing evil,-dispensing wisdom. It is the guidance of them, their uncontrolable impulse, who, thoroughly,

in the best sense, are educating children; to make them superior to the circumstances of the world, and able to determine the world's circumstance. Religion is blessing us, whether we know it or not; or whether or not we speak of it lightly. They are they who possess most in cultivation religion, who are doing the most to benefit their race. For theirs is a grounded, an enlightened action, from which shall come, inevitably, great, and corresponding,-ever beneficial, results. We all are recipients of our greatest blessings from religion. Could you extract now the religion which is amongst us, which has been spoken to, warmed, nurtured, from the man of Nazareth, oh! to what a condition would the world be reduced! or, were we, at the present, to be divested of religion, what should we be? It would take from us our sabbath, this day of rest, this blessing to our toilsome condition; it would do away with this opportunity for our socially meeting for our mind's spiritual expansion; it would discard the holy special associations this day in families-and hence would be annihilated the sweet streams of intercourse and blessing flowing through the week. Our lives would be all labour; all toil; all depression; all the wearing and tearing of our bodies, by the abrogating from them of their renovations by our spirit's cultivation. The beasts, subjected to our toilsome use, would be depressed and deteriorated by the change; but how much more we than they ! Soon would there be of our condition a retrogression: man would not rise, but sink in the animal.

I would encourage you, then, by the words of my

text, with Jesus to feel,-individually making the application,-"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Oh! be we the veritable enunciation, to others, in our lives, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." And be we then more earnest, more truthful, more faithful, in applying ourselves to the services of religion-using them, as by our nature for our education required; and so may we hold more dearly, and attend more cheerfully, the services of this day, the peculiar institution of religion.

THE

MEMORIAL OF THE LORD'S SUPPER:

ITS IMPORT.

MY DEAR FELLOW CHRISTIANS,

In humbleness of Christian hope I desire to be enabled in the present discourse, to make manifest the love of God in Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ. I shall endeavour to speak to every one individually though collectively who are here present. To the young I yearn to treat my subject as of its not being unsuited to their years; nor above a weak, if a healthy capacity. To the more advanced in years, and especially to those who have now upon them the care of their young children who will conduct the sphere of life's action after us, I speak in the trust of strengthening a Christian purpose in the discharge of their duties; and to those who are descending into the grave—the reverend in years—that we may exchange a sympathy in our common condition, the old and the young, in the exhilirating faith that pierces the tomb, and that looks through into a mindful eternity.

My subject will be based on the words of Jesus to his apostles on an important occasion, in his enjoining them, "This do in remembrance of me." They are recorded in the

19th verse of the 22nd chapter of LUKE:

"This do in remembrance of me."

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