demption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of free sovereign grace; for the abolishing of death, and for all the exceedingly great and precious promises, and the glorious prospects of life and immortality brought to light by the gospel. tial and transient: but by the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, to contemplate a kingdom which cannot be moved, a kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. You survey an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away; not with the feelings of a Balaam, who beheld from the high places of Baal, the goodly tents of Jacob, and the tabernacles of Israel, in which he had neither part nor lot; nor with the emotions of a Moses, who from Pisgah viewed the land flowing with milk and In thy name we solemnly separate, from a common to a hallowed use, so much of this bread and of this wine as we are now to employ in commemorating the death of Christ, his body broken, and his blood shed as a propitiation for the sin of the world.-honey, into which he must not enter; but with And over these sacred symbols we again solemnly dedicate ourselves unto thee, to be disposed of by thy providence, to be governed by thy laws, to be guided by thy spirit, to be accepted through thy intercession. Thee having not seen we love; in thee, though now we see thee not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. In thy presence we become witnesses to each other, and we cail angels and men to witness that we subscribe | with our hand unto the Lord, in trembling hope that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, among the living in the heavenly Jerusalem. And in this blessed hope we would, with one heart and voice, "The Lord in the same night in which he ascribe to God in Christ the kingdom, and was betrayed, took bread: and, when he had the power and the glory, now, and for ever-given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, more. Amen. Address to Communicants at the Sacramental Table. the confidence and composure of an Abraham, to whom God said "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: arise, walk through the land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it: for I will give it unto thee;" but with the rapture of a Stephen, who expiring exclaimed, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." That ye Christians, may through grace be made partakers of the same divine consolation, we administer unto you, and partake with you, the commanded memorial of the sufferings and death of the Redeemer of mankind. eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." How powerfully emphatical every word is! the bread of nature, in order to become To sit down at one table, to partake of the the aliment of the body, is bruised, and brosame fare, is the happiest view of domestic ken, and passes through the fire: "The comfort and of friendly intercourse. The bread of life, which came down from heaven," body and the mind are refreshed at once.- says Christ in his doctrine, "is my flesh, The bond of union is strengthened and which I will give for the life of the world." sweetened between the father and mother, "It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath between the parents and their children, put him to grief:" behold him buffeted of among brothers and sisters, among kindred wicked men, scourged, his head crowned and friends. To the enjoyment of that pure with thorns, his hands and his feet pierced, and exalted felicity, my brethren, we are his soul poured out unto death. And for now invited; and with the prospects of im- what end? His body, my sinful fellowmortality blend the endearing charities of creature, was “broken for you.” "He was human life. The great Master of our Gos- wounded for our transgressions, he was bruispel repast is not now indeed the object of ed for our iniquities: the chastisement of sense, but he is assuredly with us, he con- our peace was upon him; and with his stripes templates with complacency our common we are healed. All we, like sheep, have faith and hope, our mutual affection. He gone astray; we have turned every one to rejoices in spirit while he beholds those for his way, and the Lord hath laid on him the whom he died remembering his death, obey- iniquity of us all." And what does he deing his commandments, living under the in- mand in return? Do this in remembrance fluence of his spirit, advancing in his strength of me. Blessed Jesus! if thou hadst bidden toward the kingdom of heaven. Him not us do some great thing, would we not have having seen ye love, and ye look forward to cheerfully complied? How much rather the day when ye shall be like him, for ye shall then, when the yoke of love is imposed? see him as he is. We come at thy call: "We will remember the name of the Lord our God;" “O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name." 46* Communicants, ye are elevated to the summit of an exceeding high mountain, but not by the spirit of delusion, to survey airy or earthly kingdoms, and a glory unsubstan3 Z "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 ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. 99 all colours and of all languages, to cast in their lot among us, and to take shelter with us under the shadow of this "great rock in a weary land," to repose with us amidst "the trees of life," whose "leaves are for the healing of the nations." But is not "our fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ?" Is it not, then, with them who are drinking new wine in our Father's kingdom; with the spirits of just men made perfect; with those whom on earth we loved; with those who have often eaten and drank with us at this table, and with whom we hope to eat and to drink at the table that is above, sitting down with Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven?" Delightful reflection! The employments of earth and heaven are the same; the animating principle, the spirit of love is the same; the subject of their praise and the source of their joy are the same. "Unto Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.' In drinking together, my Christian friends, from this cup, we joyfully acquiesce in the new, and better, and well-ordered covenant, "ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator," and "established upon better promises;" a covenant which makes provision not only for human infirmity, but for the deepest and most malignant guilt, and which affords not merely a temporary relief, but confers an un-them, and "with Abraham, and Isaac, and changeable and everlasting security. "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.' And what is the seal of this better covenant? It is before you. "This The solemnity concludes with an intimacup," says the Saviour, "is the new Testa- tion of Christ's second appearance. “As ment in my blood:" the wine in the cup often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, is a symbolical representation of my blood ye do show the Lord's death till he come." shed for the remission of sin. "Ye know" Why trouble ye the woman?" said Christ that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot;" "slain from the foundation of the world," and which "cleanseth us from all sin." to the indignant disciples, who grudged the waste of the ointment which she poured on his feet, for she hath wrought a good work upon me; for in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial." Her pious act embalmed the body for In celebrating this holy ordinance, we are the grave ours contemplates Jesus, and not only more closely cementing the ties of the resurrection; ours looks forward to the nature and the bands of friendship among day when "the Son of man shall come in the ourselves, but we are extending our commu- clouds of heaven with power and great nion to the church of Christ universal, in glory." "Yet a little while and He that the east and west, in the south and north; shall come will come, and will not tarry." we are stretching out the right hand of fel-"He which testifieth these things saith, lowship over continents, over oceans, to give surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, the salutation of brotherly-love to all who come Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord love our Lord Jesus; and to invite men of Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST. LECTURE CXXIII. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins a piece. Jesus saith unto them, fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.-JOHN ii. 1—11 It requires no common degree of wisdom and the wonderful success with which it to make the transition from various situations should be crowned. We have seen him with one to another, with dignity and propriety. complacency receiving his disciples on their The gravity and seriousness of deportment return from a progress of preaching and healthat suits the temple do not suddenly melting, and of casting out devils; and rejoicing away into the familiarity and ease of private in spirit, as he contemplated the sudden and life. Men are called to act various parts, utter destruction of Satan's kingdom, and, but often lack the skill to discriminate be- on its ruins, the universal and everlasting estween character and character. At other tablishment of his own. We are now to betimes the scene changes too rapidly, and the hold him exhibiting a different kind of evihabit of the public personage is scarcely laid dence, but calculated to produce the same aside, when the spirit of it is likewise shifted, effect, that is, a full conviction that Jesus and the man discovers that he is merely an Christ was the Son of God, and the Saviour actor. Difference of behaviour may undoubt-of the world, namely, the display of miracuedly be assumed with change of place and lous powers, to support the truth of the docof company, without incurring the imputa- trines which he taught. This "Nicodemus, tion of hypocrisy: but there is a radical a ruler of the Jews," felt and admitted. character which the honest man never lays "Rabbi," says he, “we know that thou art a aside, whatever be the season, whatever the teacher come from God: for no man can do situation. He cannot indeed be gay and se- these miracles that thou doest, except God be rious at the same moment: but in the house with him." As on the two great commandof mourning he may be sad without sinking ments, love to God and love to man, "hang into depression, and in the house of feasting all the law and the prophets," so on these he may be cheerful without rising into levi- two unmoveable pillars rest the whole fabric ty. He can" rejoice with them that rejoice, of Christianity. The fulfilling of prediction, and weep with them that weep," without is a demonstration of the foreknowledge of losing the firmness of his mind, or betraying Deity, "declaring the end from the begininconsistency of spirit and temper. In truth, ning, and from ancient times the things that if you would be useful to men, you must ac-are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall commodate yourself, where the rights of conscience do not interfere, to their circumstances, and to the laws of decency and prudence. But where, alas! shall we find the man who is continually on his guard, who in every situation possesses his soul, and governs his spirit, and keeps the door of his lips? In vain we look for such a one among men of like passions with ourselves. But it is not for want of a perfect pattern, in the person of him who in all places, at all seasons, and in every situation approved himself the Son of God and the friend of men. Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus. He hath left us an example that we should follow his steps. Blessed Lord, we will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. We have attended the great Teacher sent from God to the synagogue at Nazareth, and have heard him fulfilling the duties of that gracious office by reading and opening up the Scriptures, and thus producing one species of evidence to the truth of his divine mission, the accomplishment of ancient, well known, and acknowledged prophecies concerning himself, his person, his consecration to the great work which he should come to execute, stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" and The period, and the place, and the occa- |