mies, and the sufferings that awaited him there; but, as he came into the world to fulfil the will of his Heavenly Father, so he was then ready to accomplish all the prophecies concerning him, since, as himself said, "Thus it was written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer." The twelve apostles (one of whom was at that time most perfidiously plotting his destruction) were assembled with him at table. He foresaw that this was the last time they would thus peaceably be united; that in a few hours his mortal agonies would commence, and that great sacrifice would take place, for which he had taken our nature upon him. He considered, also, the melancholy situation of those friends whom he was about to leave; he foresaw, that the disappointment of their hopes, and the weakness of their faith in him, would lead them into great temptations and difficulties. He forewarned them, that one of their number should betray, and another deny him; so that they all began to be sorrowful. He was upon the point of concluding that life, which he had spent in going about doing good; and, in

order to impress on his followers the remembrance of what he had done, and was about to suffer for them," he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me;" likewise also the cup, after supper, say. ing, "This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you." These words, as recorded by St. Luke, contain the account of that institution of Christ, which is observed, at this day, by those who profess his religion. The covenant made by God with the children of Israel, was confirmed by the blood of those sacrifices, which he bad commanded, of beasts that were offered upon the altar. But as it was impossible "that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins," so the Mosaic law was only a shadow, or type, or preparation for that better covenant, which was established with man, by the death of Christ; who, as St. Paul says, "is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." He came into the world to teach the purest doctrines, to set us a perfect example of unsinning obedience to

his Heavenly Father, and to expiate our sins by his own blood. He rose again from the dead on the third day, as an earnest of his power to raise us from the grave, and afterwards ascended into heaven, where he now liveth to make intercession for us with God; and he will hereafter come with power and great glory, to judge both the quick and dead.

These are the great truths, and the advantages arising from the religion of Jesus Christ. By yielding up himself to the sacrifice of the cross, he has procured for us eternal life, which he freely offers to all those who will believe in him, and obey the precepts contained in his gospel; and, in remembrance of his unspeakable love, of his sufferings for your sake, and of the benefits he has procured for you, he has left a last solemn and dying command, that, with a mind serious and collected, and with a pious disposition of heart, you should eat bread in remembrance of his body, which was nailed to the cross, and drink wine in remembrance also of his blood, which he shed for you.

That cup, or the contents of it, he tells you, is the New Testament in his blood, or

the Christian covenant, which he came to confirm, and which he sealed with his blood. By receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, you therefore publicly acknowledge that you are willing to be one of his disciples, and to own him as your Master and Lord; that you agree to the terms proposed in his gospel, that you engage to conform your life to his precepts, and to accept him for your Mediator and Redeemer. And surely, my young friend, you will be desirous of obeying this command of your dying Saviour; a command which he left as a proof of his love, and to assure you of his benevolent design towards you at the time he was going to yield himself up to a cruel and painful death for your sake.

In

If you are truly disposed to be a Chris tian, you need not have any fears about receiving the Sacrament; it requires no qualification but a serious belief in Christ, and a thankful remembrance of his death. St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, he had blamed them for the manner in which they performed this duty, because they had met together to eat and drink, as at a common meal, and so had profaned the institut

tion:

tion by the most riotous and disorderly belia viour. He, therefore, instructs these Gentile converts in the true design of the Lord's Supper; which is plain, and easily understood, and which I will here repeat for your informa"For I have received of the Lord," says he, "that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new Testament in my blood; this do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. To which the Apostle adds, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come ;" that is, ye remomber it in the manner which he has ordained till he shall come in glory.

To neglect the observance of a duty so solemnly enjoined by Christ, is to refuse our assent to his covenant, to refuse the sacred memorials of his blood, which he has left as a token of his love to all his followers. Can we pretend to regard a friend, a master, a