Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God; and "that believing ye might have life through

"his name.

In the twenty-fixth chapter of St. Matthew, and the twenty-fixth and fome fucceeding verses, we have the following account of the inftitution of this bleffed facrament. "And as they were eating, Jefus took bread, and blessed it, and "brake it, and gave it to the difciples, and

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faid, Take, eat; this is my body. And " he took the cup, and gave thanks, and 66 gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of "it: for this is my blood of the New Tef

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tament, which is fhed for many for the "remiffion of fins." To which account St. Luke adds these words: "This do, in "remembrance of me."

It behoves us to confider well the following points: The Author of the inftitution; the time of it; the nature and purposes for which it was inftituted; and, laftly, the manner in which we should prepare ourselves to celebrate it, fo as to derive from it all the benefits it offers to us.

I propose

I propofe to confider all these points. in their order, and then to make fome obfervations, and draw fome conclufions from the whole.

And, firft, as to the Author of this facrament. It was no less a perfon than the Son of God himself: who, in compaffion to loft mankind (become by their own inexcu fable folly and perverseness the objects of God's wrath), and to restore them to his favor by taking upon him the penalty of their guilt, had, voluntarily, quitted the glorious mansions of blifs; taken upon himself their nature, with all its imperfections and frailties, fin only excepted; had fubmitted to pass thirty-three years on earth, in a state of abject poverty, and, during the three last of them, subjected to every species of infult and contempt which the pride and arrogance of power and riches could impofe upon him, and now on the point of experiencing the most unheard-of cruelties and tortures which the malice and refentment of man could invent, and of clofing the whole by a

death

death the most painful and ignominiouseven the death of the cross.

Such was the divine Author; and the time was immediately previous to the completion of his sufferings; the very night before his crucifixion.

The purpose of the inftitution is declared, by Christ himself, to be that of perpetuating, through all ages, the remembrance of his wonderful love to mankind; and the gratitude and obedience which are his dues from them, in confe quence.

It was to take place of the Paffover; that having been established in remembrance of God's deliverance of the Jews, when he fmote all the firft-born of the land of Egypt, from the bondage of Pharaoh; and as a type, or shadow, of a much greater deliverance mankind were to experience in the voluntary facrifice of Christ, the true pafchal Lamb: this being therefore on the point of its accomplishment, the fhadow was of course to be done away. The nature of it was perfectly fimple;

but

but fully expreffive of the bleffings it was to convey. The elements to be received were bread and wine: intimating, that as they gave strength and vigor to our natural bodies, fo when received, through faith, as the body and blood of Christ given for us, they would, in like manner, operate as fpiritual food to our fouls, and improve us in every Christian virtue.

We come now to confider the manner in which we should prepare ourselves for the worthy receiving of it.

It must be evident to every Christian, who reflects on the atonement required by God for the guilt of mankind, (whose justice could be fatisfied with no less an offering than the death of his own fon,) how great must be his hatred against fin, and how incumbent it is upon us to expel from our hearts what coft our Lord fo dear.

It will therefore be neceffary, in the first place, to examine into the ftate of our foul, that we may fee and know what the situation of it actually is. God does

not

not expect perfection from us; but has been graciously pleased to promise his acceptance of our fincere and hearty endeavors to please him, and of repentance and determination of amendment, when we have done amifs. Our Church catechifm points out to us the feveral heads on which we ought to examine ourselves; namely:

Whether we repent us truly of our former fins ?

Whether we ftedfaftly purpose to lead a new life?

Whether we have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ?

Whether we have a thankful remembrance of his death? And,

Whether we be in charity with all

men?

Having fully and impartially examined *ourselves, on all these points; folicited

the grace of God's holy fpirit, to affist our honest endeavors; and formed our refolution for the time to come; let us not fcruple to present ourselves at God's holy table,