servances instituted in commemoration of these events, and which we know, from the most indubitable evidence, have been uninterruptedly observed from the period of their institution down to our own times. It is impossible for the ingenuity of infidelity to account satisfactorily for these facts, on any principle which does not involve in it the truth of Christianity; and it does not seem possible to conceive of a more simple, yet more effectual method of transmitting unimpaired the principal evidences of the truth of Christianity, in the miraculous events accompanying the Saviour's death and resurrection, than by wrapping it up, if I may use the expression, in the two kindred positive institutious of the Lord's Supper and the Lord's day.

The use of the Lord's Supper, as confirming Christian truth, is however by no means confined to this general proof of the truth of Christianity, as a system which it involves. It not only proves that a certain system of principles, denominated Christianity, is true and divine, but it proves that the doctrines which it emblematically embodies, form the leading principles of that true and divine system. It does not, like some very clear and convincing statements of the evidences of Christianity leave you in the dark as to what Christianity is. And here we have much reason to admire the "manifold wisdom" discovered in this emblematical institution. Even a slight variation in its details would have rendered it completely unfit for answering this most important purpose. Had our Lord merely enjoined that his followers should frequently assemble around the same board, and eat bread, and drink wine together, the rite might have been plausibly represented as nothing more than an exhibition of the tendency and design of Christianity to put an end to all unfriendly divisions among mankind, and to bind them together in the bands of fraternal affection. Had he even

gone somewhat farther, and, on appointing such an institution, proclaimed, "This is the bread of life; he who eateth of it shall never hunger-this is the wine of the kingdom; he that drinketh of it shall never thirst-eat, drink, and live for ever," still, without doing any violence to the meaning either of the symbols, or of the words explicatory of them, we might have been told that all that was meant was an emblematical representation of the tendency and design of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, to make men good, and wise, and happy. But it is impossible thus to give meaning to the emblems in the Lord's Supper, as explained by our Lord, without admitting, that the incarnation and the atonement, are essential parts of Christianity: and the same evidence which proves Christianity to be divine, proves this to be Christianity. The doctrine of salvation, through the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, as the substitute of sinners, is so wrought into the very substance of this ordinance, that no ingenuity can extract it. So long as the Lord's Supper continues in the church

-so long as the words of the institution are repeated, and the instituted symbols displayed, there never shall be wanting in the church a clear demonstration that the death of the Son of God, as a sacrifice for sin, was a doctrine of the primitive age of Christianity.

It is thus that the Lord's Supper confirms, as well as exhibits the leading principles of Christianity; and it is thus that it answers to the description which is often given of it as a sealing ordinance. To this denomination, which, by the way, is not a scriptural one, very confused, and, in some cases, dangerously mistaken ideas are attached. The covenant of mercy was ratified, or sealed, by the blood of the Son of God, shed on Calvary; and of this blood-shedding, the Lord's Supper is not the repetition, but the commemoration and as to the Lord's Supper sealing to the recipient his individual interest in the blessings

secured by that covenant, the only scriptural idea that can be attached to these words is, that this ordinance is fitted as an exhibition both of truth and its evidence, to confirm that faith in the Gospel, which at once connects us with the Saviour, and produces the consciousness of enjoying some, and the well-grounded hope of enjoying all the blessings of his salvation.

The Lord's Supper which is thus, on the part of him who instituted it, an emblematical exhibition and confirmation of the leading principles of Christianity, is, on the part of him who observes it, an emblematical expression of a state of mind and of heart, accordant with this statement of Christian truth and its evidence. And here lies one of the principal differences between the verbal exhibition of Christian truth and evidence, in the written or spoken gospel, and the emblematical exhibition of Christian truth and evidence in the Lord's Supper. In both cases, it is the duty of those to whom the exhibition is made, to meet it with a corresponding state of thought and affection; but it is in the latter case only that a solemn profession of such an accordance of mind and heart is made. The taking the bread into our hands, and eating it, the taking the wine into our hands, and drinking it, are the appointed emblematical method of professing our faith of the truths represented in this ordinance; our reliance on Jesus Christ as our own Saviour, our unreserved submission to his authority, and our cordial love to all who, through the faith of the truth, rely on this Saviour, and are interested in his salvation.

The intelligent and believing communicant responds, as it were, to the voice of the Saviour, "This is my body broken, my blood shed for many, for the remission of sins:" "It is thy body broken, it is thy blood shed for many, for the remission of sins. I know, and am sure, that this is a faithful saying, that Jesus

Christ, God's Son in human nature, suffered and died in the room of sinners, to obtain their salvation, and that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

But, in observing the Lord's Supper, there is more than an expression of the belief of the gospel testimony in its general form, as embodied in this emblematic institution; there is also a profession of personal reliance on the Saviour's sufferings and death, as the expiation of our guilt, and the price of our salvation. This is the necessary and immediate result of the belief of the testimony in its true extent, and is so closely connected with it, that it is not much to be wondered at if it has sometimes been indentified with it. The emblems, as explained by our Lord, not merely intimate in general that Christ died for men-for sinners; but that he died for those in particular for whom this ordinance is intended, that is, for believers:" This is my body broken for you, this is my blood shed for you." The state of mind and heart corresponding to such a declaration, is a personal reliance on the Saviour, a cordial reception of his salvation; and the language of the conduct of the believing communicant is, My Lord and my God,' MY Saviour and my all.

In the observance of the Lord's Supper, there is also a profession of an accordance of mind and heart with the view which the ordinance emblematically exhibits of the unity of the body of Christ. The believing communicant embraces, in the arms of his affections, the whole brotherhood of believers, and the language of his conduct, in eating of the common loaf, and drinking out of the common cup of the Christian family, is, "I love them all in the truth, for the truth's sake which is in them, and will abide in them for ever." The observation of the Lord's Supper does not imply in it a profession of a complete accordance of sentiment with every individual,

or even with the religious body, along with whom we observe it. It implies a profession of our union with them in the faith of the truth, which the ordinance emblematically represents. It necessarily implies this, but it implies no more.

Finally, in observing the Lord's Supper, there is plainly implied, a profession of unreserved and implicit submission to the authority of Jesus Christ. The ordinance, as we have shown above, is a positive institution. It involves in it an assertion of the authority of Jesus Christ over the conscience; and the observance of the ordinance is an unequivocal acknowledgment of this authority. The only reason why we observe it is, that Jesus Christ has commanded us to observe it; and in observing it, we say, "We do this just because Christ has commanded us to do it, and we are ready to do whatever he commands us, and ask no better reason than that he hath commanded us." When Jesus Christ puts the cup into our hands, he as it were says, "The man in whose hands this cup is found shall be my servant for ever;" and on taking it, we as it were respond, “Truly, O Lord, we are thy servants-we are thy servants, thou hast loosed our bonds; thine we are, and thee we will serve we will walk in all thy commandments and ordinances blameless."

This view of the Lord's Supper, as on the part of him who instituted it, an emblematical representation and confirmation of the grand peculiarities of the Christian institution; and on the part of him who observes it, an emblematical expression of a state of mind and of heart in accordance with this statement of Christian truth and its evidence, has at least this advantage, that it is completely free of mysticism; it enables us distinctly to see why the observance of this ordinance should be restricted to persons possessed of a peculiar character, to explain the manner in which this ordinance contributes to spiritual im