as he would have done, had he not been better advised.

But Christians, who have any confideration and love for their own fouls, will not lightly esteem, or turn their backs upon, this holy ordinance; becaufe, if they know any thing, they must know, that their falvation depends upon it; and that it is this blood of Chrift which cleanfeth us from all fin:-That we can hope for no share in the merits of Jefus Chrift, but by clofing with this means of grace which he has ordained; that the Lord's fupper is to Chriftians what the tree of life was to Adam in paradife; and that as he, when for his tranfgreffion he was deprived of that food which was defigned to make him immortal, as he was left in his pure natural condition, utterly unable to attain eternal life; even fo fhall we, if we partake not of this food, this bread of life, as our Lord calls it:-we are no more capable of attaining heaven and happiness, than he was of returning to paradise after he was cast out.

The reason is plain:-Without a fupernatural grace, no mortal man can attain to a fupernatural state and condition. This grace is given us in baptism, as the tree of life was to Adam, and can only be preferved by obeying this command of Jefus Chrift. For, faith he, except ye eat the flesh, the facramental flesh, of the Son of Man, and drink his blood,

◄ 1 John i. 7.
I

• John vi. 26.

his

his facramental blood, ye have no life in you; that is, nothing but this can fuftain the divine life of a Christian.

In fhort, this is the only way to continue in covenant with God; that is, to be one of his family, one of his care, under his especial protection; one who has a promise of and a right to the kingdom of heaven, by virtue of this covenant.

St. Paul' ftiles this facrament the communion of the body of Chrift; that is, it is that ordinance by which we have fellowship with Jefus Chrift and with all his members. By this we own to all the world that we belong to Christ. And then let us remember, that if we do not belong to Chrift, we do belong to a much worse master.

The branch, faith our Lord," The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine: -No more can ye, except ye abide in me. Now, can any thing render Chrift more effectually prefent with, and united to us, than this ordinance; whereby we are made one with Christ, and Chrift with us?

The paschal lamb was to the Ifraelites what this facrament is to Chriftians. There was no hope of fecurity for any Ifraelite, who had not the blood of the lamb upon his door, and who did not ever after keep up the memory of his deliverance by that facrifice. And will Christians hope for mercy without doing

f1 Cor. x.

John xv. 4.

what

what Christ has ordained in memory of his death, and our much greater deliverance?

And remember this, I befeech you, for a certain truth, that generally speaking, whatever it is that hinders people from going to the facrament, will hinder them from going to heaven. Such are thefe:-A careless indifference for their foul's welfare; an unwillingness to look into their fpiritual estate; a great love for the world and its idols, and an unwillingness to renounce them; a faint purpofe of doing it fome time or other. These are too often the true caufes of men's turning their backs upon this holy ordinance, or of coming to it with an indifference and indevotion which betrays the want of a true sense of the bleffings which they might receive from it.

May God Almighty grant, that all who now come to partake of this holy facrament may receive the remiffion of all their past fins, be confirmed in all goodness, receive all the graces necessary for their prefent condition, may be filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and receive this holy facrament as a pledge, as an earnest, of a bleffed refurrection, and of a life eternal, for Jefus Chrift's fake, whose death we now commemorate.

To whom, with the Father, &c.

SERMON

1

SERMON LXXVII.

A FREQUENT RECEIVING OF THE LORD's SUPPER RECOMMENDED AND ENFORCED.

I COR. XI. 26.

AS OFTEN AS YE EAT THIS BREAD, AND DRINK THIS CUP, YE DO SHEW THE LORD's DEATH TILL HE COME.

IT

T will hardly be expected that I should say any thing upon these words, or upon this fubject, that has not been faid before; neither indeed is it necessary.

If we can so represent the duties of chriftianity, as that they may be apprehended by all forts of hearers, and that they be often and seasonably put in mind of them; it is all that the minifters of Chrift can do.

Our meeting now is in order to be inftructed concerning the meaning, the nature, and ends, of the facrament of the Lord's fupper. Those that have lived in the faithful ufe of this ordinance will not expect any further information; the reft will only hear what every Christian should know.

I am verily perfuaded there is no Christian, who seriously hopes to be faved, that would ever lightly turn his back on the holy facrament, if he understood and confidered the

meaning,