blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: This is my body." Matt. xxvi. 26. Observe this rite no longer in remembrance of your deliverance from Egypt, but in remembrance of me; who, by dying for you, will bring you out of the spiritual bondage; a bondage far worse than the Egyptian, under which your fathers groaned, and will establish you in the glorious liberty of the children of God. Do it in remembrance of me, who, by laying down my life, will ransom you from sin, from death, from hell, and will set open the gates of heaven to you, that you may enter immortality in triumph.

Having given the bread to his disciples, he also took the cup, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." Matt. xxvi. 27, 28. All of you, and all of my disciples, in all ages, must drink of this cup, because it represents my blood shed for the remission of the sins of mankind; my blood by which the new covenant between God and man is ratified. It is, therefore, my blood of the new covenant; so that this institution exhibits to your joyful meditation, the grand basis of the hopes of the children of men, and perpetuates the memory of it to the end of the world. He added, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Matt. xxvi. 29.

The manifestation of the Son of God is the most illustrious, the most momentous event that is possible to engage the meditations of mankind. To his life and death, his resurrection and ascension into glory, we are indebted for our hopes and assurances of pardon, for our peace, for our happiness. To procure our benefit, he made the most amazing condescension from the dignity he enjoyed with his Father, by putting on the veil of flesh; he poured divine instruction from his lips, and shone forth with an all-perfect, and all-lovely-example. For No. 14.

our benefit, he submitted to a course of the most cruel treatment from his bitter enemies, to the agonies of the cross, and to the stroke of the king of terrors. For our benefit he arose again with power and lustre, ascended into the mansions of eternal happiness, manages our affairs with the Almighty, and holdeth the reins of government. With the greatest wisdom and goodness, therefore, this beneficent Jesus instituted a rite that should recal his love to our memories, and awake each pious passion in our breast; a rite, which by the breaking of bread, and the pouring out of wine, should represent to us, in a striking manner, that most signal proof of the affection both of him and his heavenly Father, when his tender frame was exposed to wounds and bruises, when streams of the most precious blood issued from his sacred veins.

The more we reflect on this instance of divine love, the more we shall perceive that there was a peculiar propriety in pointing out, by a particular ordinance, a fact of such immense inportance, in the system of revelation. Nay, we may even venture to assert, that in some dark and corrupt ages, when the scriptures were but little known by the common people, and hardly studied by the priests, the death of our Saviour would have been almost forgotten, had not the remembrance of it been renewed by the celebration of this sacred ordinance.

It should also be remembered, that the vanities of the world, the allurements of sensual pleasure, the charms of ambition, the splendour of riches; in short, temptations from present objects of every kind, have often too fatal an influence on our temper and conduct. They have a fatal aptitude to draw the soul aside to folly, and to obliterate the impression of things divine. It was, therefore, a wise, a kind intention of our great Redeemer, by a frequent repetition of the sacramental feast, to call back the wandering heart of man to a sense of his duty and obligations as a christian..

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Besides, though the religion of the immaculate Jesus is altogether gentle, generous, and beneficent: though its whole tendency is to correct the passions, sweeten the dispositions, and enlarge the affections of men, and though it enforces all this upon us by motives surprisingly powerful and affecting; yet such is the perverseness of the human heart, that jealousies and contentions, envy, wrath, and malice, too often find admittance there. Was it not then an instance of our Saviour's wisdom and benevolence, by uniting us together at the sacrament of his body and blood, to urge the putting away all bitterness, anger, evilspeaking, and revenge, and to inspire us with condescension, compassion and love? How careful, therefore, ought we to be in performing this duty appointed by our dying Saviour! We should, in order to receive it worthily, employ our meditation on the design and excellency of the gospel; on the noble system of the doctrines and duties it contains; on the illustrious, divine, and complete example of the blessed Jesus; on the important privileges, the valuable promises, and the ravishing prospects his revelation affords: and on the bright and convincing evidence with which it is attended.

We should contemplate that essential and unparalleled benevolence of the Father, in forming the means of our redemption; on the readiness manifested by the Son of God in undertaking our cause; and on his wonderful transactions in the prosecution of this grand, this amazing work. Above all, we should impress upon our souls a strong sense of the special and immediate purposes for which this sacrament was appointed.

When we actually join in communion, we should be careful that our affections be properly directed, and warmly engaged. To have our hearts fixed upon the vanities, the profits, and cares of this world, is a direct violation of the ordinance; and therefore we should be extremely careful to maintain a right temper and behaviour at

that time. We should study to abstract our thoughts as much as possible from every foreign, every terrestrial consideration, and to have our passions fervently employed in the solemn service. "Retire, O my soul (each of us should say) from this inferior scene of things: from all its pleasures and all its pursuits, and hold communion with the Almighty, and his Son the immaculate Jesus. Meditate upon that infinite grace of Omnipotence, which contrived the amazing plan, that displayed pardon, peace, and endless happiness, to so undeserving a creature as thou art. Recollect that surprising condescension and tenderness of thy compassionate Redeemer, which induced him to bring down from heaven salvation to the sons of men. Call to mind the admirable instructions he offered, the charming pattern he exhibited, the hard labours and sufferings he endured, in the course of his ministry; especially call to mind the ignominy, the reproaches, the agonies he endured, when he hung upon the cross, and purchased for the eternal mercy. Think upon these affecting subjects, till thine heart is filled with sorrow for thine iniquities; till thy faith becomes lively, active, and faithful; till thy gratitude and love are elevated to the highest pitch; till thy obedience is rendered uniform, steady and complete. Hast thou, O my God, the Parent of universal nature, hast thou so illustriously manifested thy compassion for sinners as not to spare thy own Son? Hast thou sent the Saviour into the lower world, in order to raise the children of men to immortality, perfection and glory? And am I now in thy presence on purpose to celebrate this institution, which requireth me to commemorate the death of the great Messiah: to declare my public acceptance of his excellent revelation,and my regard to my christian brethren? May then the remembrance of his beneficence dwell upon my mind, and upon my tongue, for ever and ever! May I consider and comply with the intention of his gospel; and may the sentiments of kindness and charity towards all my fellow-mortals and fellow

disciples, reign in my breast, with increasing purity, with increasing zeal !"

Such are the views that should possess our souls, when we partake of this sacred ordinance; but it will signify little to entertain these views, at that time, unless the effects of them are apparent in our future conduct and conversation; for a transient flow of affections, or sallies of immediate delight, were not principally intended in this institution.

The blessed Jesus did not ordain it as a ceremony or charm, but as a proper method of establishing our hearts in the fear and love of God, who gave his only beloved Son to die for wretched sinners. Though ye have, therefore, O Christians! obeyed the Redeemer's command, in this appointment, and found your passions greatly moved, yet this is not the whole required at your hands: it will justly be expected, that ye should live to the honour of your divine Master. As you have solemnly professed your faith in him, and your love towards him, the reality of your faith and love should be demonstrated by walking more strictly in the way of his precepts, and by abounding in that heavenly character and temper which his spotless example so engagingly recommends. Thus only

will the sacrament become subservient to the most beneficial purposes. Thus only will it be instrumental in qualifying us for sharing in the dignity and felicity possessed by our exalted Saviour.

May, therefore, all the followers of the immaculate Jesus, by uniting together at his sacred table, advance from holiness to holiness, till they arrive at the regions of eternal felicity!

Our blessed Saviour, after delivering the sacramental cup, and telling them that his blood was shed for them, mentioned the treachery of Judas, a second time. "Behold, he is at hand that doth betray me."

Matt. xxvi. 46. This second declaration was made very properly after the institution of the sacrament, which exhibits the highest instance of our great Redeemer's love to mankind, his dying to obtain the remission of their sius; for it abundantly proves, that the person who could deliberately be guilty of such an injury, to so kind a friend, must have been a monster, the fulness of whose ingratitude cannot be described by the force of language.

Some of the disciples, particularly struck with horror at the thought of Judas' treachery, rebuked him, by asking him with surprise, how he could betray his Master? This accusation Judas no doubt repelled by impudently denying the fact: but consciousness of guilt giving edge to the reproaches of his brethren, and to every circumstance of the affair, he immediately left the company, exceedingly displeased at thinking himself insulted and affronted.

The important, the awful scene now approached, when the great work was to be finished. The traitor Judas was gone to the chief priests and elders, for a band of soldiers to apprehend him; but this did not discompose the Redeemer of mankind: he took occasion to meditate on the glory that would accrue both to himself and to the Almighty, from those sufferings, and spake of it to his disciples. "Now (said he)

is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him." He also told them, that having already done honour to his Father, by the past actions of his life, and being about to honour him yet farther, by bis sufferings and death, which would display his perfectious, particularly his infinite love to the human race, in the most astonishing and amiable light, he was in his turn to receive honour from his father; intimating that his human nature was to be exalted to the right hand of Omnipotence; and that his mission from God was to be supported by irrefragable attestations. But his disciples, imagining that he spake of the glory

of a temporal kingdom, their ambition was again revived, and they began to dispute with as much keenness as ever, which of them should be the greatest in that kingdom. This contention Jesus suppressed by the arguments he had formerly used for the same purpose. Among the Gentiles, said he, they are reckoned the greatest who have the greatest power, and have exercised it but your in the most absolute manner: greatness shall be very different from theirs ; it shall not consist in being unlimited with regard to tyrannical power, even though it should be joined with an affectation of titles, which denote qualities truly honourable; but whosoever desires to be great, or chief among you, let him be so by his humility, and the service he renders to the rest, in imitation of me, your Master, whose greatness consists in this, that I am become the servant of you all. Adding, as they had continued with him in this temptation, he would bestow upon them such a kingdom a's his Father had appointed for him. At the same time, to check their ambition, and lead them to form a just notion of his king dom, he told them, that he was soon to leave them, and that whither he was going they could not at that time follow him

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which reason, instead of contending with one another which of them should be the greatest, they would do well to be united among themselves, in the happy bond of love.

For by loving one another sincerely and fervently, they would prove themselves his disciples, to the conviction of mankind, who could not be ignorant that love was a distinguishing part of his character.

This is termed a new commandment, not because mutual love had never been enjoined to mankind before, but because it was a precept of peculiar excellency: for the word, translated New, in the Hebrew language, denotes excellency and truth: he also called this a new commandment, because they were to exercise it under a new relation, according to a new measure, and from new motives. They were to love one

In order to make his disciples farther humble, watchful, and kindly affectionate one towards another, he assured them, that Satan was seeking to ruin them all by his "And the Lord said, Simon, temptations. Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Peter was greatly offended that his Master should have singled him out as the weakest for so he interpreted his praying for him, particularly and supposing that he mentioned Satan's seeking to sift him, as the thing which would hinder him from following his Master, replied, Why cannot I follow thee now? Is there any road more terrible than the dark valley of the shadow of death: Yet through these black and gloomy shades I am willing this moment to accompany thee.

Jesus knowing his weak, though sincere resolution, answered, Art thou so very confident of thine own strength? I tell thee, that this very night, before the cock crows, thou shalt thrice deny me to be thy

Master.

Our blessed Saviour having finished what he had to say to Peter in particular, turned himself to his other disciples, and put them in mind that when they were first sent out, he directed them to rely wholly upon the Almighty for assistance.

But

I have finished the work for which I was sent into the world; and nothing now remains for me, but to undergo those sufferings which the prophets have foretold concerning me, and to complete this whole dispensation of Providence, by submitting at last to a cruel and ignominious death.

The disciples, thinking their great Master meant that they should arm themselves in a literal sense, and endeavour to oppose the assaults that would shortly be made upon them by the Jews, answered, "Lord, here' are two swords;" but the blessed Jesus, who only intended to convey an idea of their approaching distress and temptations, and to arm them against the surprize, replied (It is enough) you need not trouble yourselves about any more weapons of this nature for your defence.

Be not terrified and disconsolate, added the compassionate Jesus, because I have told you that I must undergo great sufferings, and be taken away from you for a

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rely on him for deliverance in every affliction and distress.

Learn now, in like manner, to believe in me, who have all power committed to me, as a preserver and head of my church: and trust in me to accomplish fully all things that I have promised you. If you do this, and persist steadfastly in the belief of my doctrine, and in the obedience of my commands, nothing in this vale of misery, not even persecution, or death itself, shall be able to hinder you from attaining the happiness I have proposed to you. For in heaven, my father's house, there is abundant room to receive you: otherwise I would not have filled your minds with the hopes and expectation of happiness. But as there are mansions sufficient for you, in another state, you may with confidence and assurance hope for the full accomplishment of my promises, notwithstanding all this present world may contrive or act against you. And ye ought also to bear patiently my departure from you, at this time; since I only leave you to prepare a place, and open the portals of those eternal habitations where I shall be ever with you. "When I have prepared a place for you in that eternal state, I will again return and take you to myself. Nor shall you ever more be separated from me, but continue with me to all eternity, in full participation of my eternal glory and happiness, in the blissful regions of the heavenly Canaan. You must now surely know whither I am going, and the way that leads to these happy seats of immortality."

But the disciples, whose minds were not yet fully weaned from the expectation of a temporal power and glory, did not understand this discourse of their great and beloved Master. Accordingly, Thomas replied, Lord, we cannot comprehend whither thou art going; and therefore must needs be

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To which the blessed Jesus answered, I

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