It was requisite that the Jews in Egypt should prepare their bodies for the fatiguing march before them, by taking food; and that they should do this, was the command of Jehovah. But he also designed to convert this strengthening and refreshing of the body into a sacrificial service, a significant and expressive sacrament. And does not this represent accurately what Christ did, when, after supper, he took bread and brake it, and took the cup and blessed it, and gave to his disciples, saying, do this in remembrance of me; thereby instituting a sacrament, which should supersede the Jewish passover? The bread and the wine formed parts of the Jewish feastthey were always distributed, after the paschal lamb; and thus our blessed Lord converted a portion of the ceremonial, into a spiritual, sacrament. And how full of meaning is this injunction in all its parts! We are in bondage and in danger of eternal death, but are saved by the body of Christ which was broken, and

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by the blood of Christ which was poured out for us; therefore we show the Lord's death until he come. We have a labour to accomplish a journey to perform, and we require spiritual food and nourishment; therefore we partake of his "flesh which is meat indeed, and of his blood which is drink indeed." And if we come to this holy sacrament in repentance and in faith, we thus obtain a pledge of our own salvation-of our own share in his perfect and all sufficient sacrifice and atonement-we verily and indeed take and receive the body and blood of Christ, and our souls are refreshed thereby, as our bodies are by the bread and wine. To use the expression of Christ himself on another occasion," according to our faith it is done unto us."

When, therefore, our children say unto us, What mean ye by this service? We reply, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover. We show forth the Lord's death we remember that hour when the shepherd was smitten and the sheep

of the flock were scattered: we commemorate that scene of wondrous mercy and unbounded love which was manifested to the world, when " He spared not his own Son, but freely gave him up for us all:" we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood: we feed upon him in our hearts, by faith with thanksgiving; and we expect to derive into our souls such a measure of divine grace, of strength and power from on high, as may enable us "to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life."

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If we require inducements to the frequent celebration of this sacrament, what greater can we need, than the enumeration of the benefits which it confers? If our salvation is a thing worth seeking after if eternal glory is a prize worth contending for if the depths of everlasting misery, the worm that dieth not, the fire that is not quenched, be evils to be avoided with our most anxious diligence: if it be, as sure it is, the primary and most essential duty of each immortal being to prepare for his state of immortality, there can be

no question that it is equally his bounden duty to seek every means of preparing himself, and to let slip no one opportunity of obtaining that grace which may help him. But, in addition to this obligation, arising from the reason of the thing, we have also the positive command of our blessed Lord, "Do this in remembrance of me." How then can they be called by the name of Christ who never attend his own peculiar and most holy ordinance? How can they hope for his salvation who live in continual disregard of his injunctions? Who hear the summons from month to month, yet stop their ears? Who receive the invitation of the Lord to the banquet which he hath provided, and yet turn aside, one to his farm and another to his merchandise, pleading, possibly, their very transgressions as an excuse for their disobedience, their sins as an apology for their neglect? No Jew could refuse to come to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover, and yet be numbered among his people.

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Thither the tribes go up, the tribes of

the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord'." And who shall call them Christians who never celebrate Christ's death, who act as if they had neither part nor lot in his sufferings, nor concern in his salvation. Let us come then to the table of the Lord: "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us," and we shall find-what all have found, who have approached in repentance and in faith-that strengthening and refreshing power which will enable us to support the trials and resist the temptations of the world, and will conduct us to the place of eternal rest and peace prepared for the people of God.

1 Psalm cxxii. 4.