If, at the close of this representation, I be asked, What is the Lord's fupper? I answer, It is a folemn, but chearful rite, in remembrance of Christ, and of what he has done and fuffered for the benefit of mankind. Like other cuftoms, which stand as records of past events, it preserves the memory of the most important of all tranfactions to the end of the world, even till Chrift's fecond coming. Customs are, in many cafes, the most useful records of events, as they keep alive the remembrance of them in the minds of all persons concerned in them. This cuftom of celebrating the Lord's fupper may, therefore, be confidered as a proof of the most important facts relating to chriftianity. If they be not true, how could this custom have arifen? Nay, this custom is the only record, that Chrift exprefsly appointed, of his death and fufferings. We no where find that he gave any orders to his difciples to write his life, and he wrote nothing himself. Thefe hiftories, however, though not exprefsly enjoined, were provided for us in the common course of Divine Providence

dence; and very thankful ought we to be for them; fince, without written hiftories, cuftoms are apt to be perverted, and to degenerate from their original defign.

If I be asked, what is the advantage of celebrating this rite; I anfwer, It is of the fame nature as that which results from repeating any cuftom, in commemoration of any other important event; of the fame nature with the celebration of the paffover, for inftance, among the Jews. It tends to perpetuate the memory of the transaction recorded by it, and to cherish a grateful and joyful sense of it. In this case, the custom tends to perpetuate the memory of the death of Chrift, and to cherish our ve neration and love for him. It inflames our gratitude to fo great a benefactor, and, confequently, our zeal to fulfil all his commands.

The celebration of the Lord's fupper being, more especially, a commemoration of his death, it ferves to remind us that we are the disciples of a crucified mafter,

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and is therefore a means of fortifying our minds, and preparing them for every degree of hardship and perfecution to which we may be exposed in the profeffion of christianity. It reminds us that we are not of this world, even as our Lord was not of it, and (fervants not being greater than their Lord) that we have no right to expect better treatment from the world than he met with from it. By this means it ferves to keep up in our minds a conftant view to the great object and end of our christian profeffion, viz. the expectation of a future life, and to cherish the mortification to the world, and that heavenlymindedness, which are eminently ufeful in fitting us for it.

On thefe occafions then, more efpecially, let us reflect, that if, in the hour of temptation, we deny Chrift, he will alfo deny us; that if in circumftances of reproach, we be ashamed either of the profeffion of his gospel, or of that ftrictness and propriety of conduct to which it obliges us, he alfo will be ashamed of us in

that

that great day when he fhall come in his own glory, in that of his father, and of his holy angels; but that if we fteadily and uniformly confefs him before men, by an unblamable life and converfation, and by proper fortitude in bearing the trials to which we may be expofed for the fake of his truth, and of a good confcience, he alfo will confefs us before his heavenly father, and the holy angels; fo that if we fuffer with him, we fhall alfo reign with him, and be glorified together.

Laftly, the celebration of the Lord's fupper being the joint action of several perfons, it ftrengthens our affection to the common caufe, to one another, and to all who are engaged in it. If you expect more than this, with respect to yourselves or others, your expectations are unreasonable, enthufiaftical, and fure to be disappointed.

If I be asked, by whom this rite must be celebrated; I anfwer, by all profeffing chriftians, who are arrived at years of difcretion,

cretion, and whose lives are fuch as give no just reason to question their fincerity. In nothing that I have read to you, (and I have read to you every thing that relates to it in the New Teftament) can you find any other qualification required; and therefore, what right have christians at this day to infist upon any other? The utmost that can fairly be inferred, by any juft confequence from the nature of this ordinance is, that, fince the custom is peculiar to christians, it may be confidered as an open declaration of a man's christianity. The language of it will then be this; By joining in this folemn action in remembrance of Chrift, I declare myself a chrif tian, and refolve, by the grace of God, to live and die as becomes a chriftian; for a resolution to behave as becomes a chriftian, is the neceffary confequence of an honeft man's declaring himself to be one. previous declaration of a man's being a christian, made either to the minister, or to the congregation, is by no means necessary, but may be expedient, with respect

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