strongly impress on their minds that, the longer they defer this duty, the less likely are they eventually to comply with it at all; and what will be their feelings, perhaps, when the day is so far spent, that the night is come "when no man can work"?

Let me then urge you, brethren, to meditate on what has now been said. "En

deavour to repent you truly of your former sins, have a lively and steadfast faith in Christ your Saviour, amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men. So shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries."

Preached at Hawkhurst,
October 27, 1833.

SERMON X.

1 COR. v. 7-8.

Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast.

WERE it not a matter of gene

ral complaint amongst the clergy, it would be one of great surprise to myself, that so few persons, in comparison with the num

ber of those who deem themselves servants of the Lord Christ, and call themselves by his name, set to their seal that such in truth they are in that especial act which he offered to them as a test and proof of it. To speak plainly, and in direct terms, it would be astonishing to me to know that there are so many who profess to believe in and obey their Saviour, and yet refuse to communicate in his holy Supper.

And this neglect is especially observable in that class of society where we should

least expect to find it-servants and la

bouring poor.

Taking the parish as a whole, I willingly admit that we have here as many communicants as are generally found elsewhere in others of equal size. And in the upper classes amongst us, I joyfully bear testimony that there are but few against whom we have reason to complain. Some there are, to be sure, who never approach with us to that sacred altar, setting a most unhappy example to their families and these labouring poor, and incurring a lamentable dereliction of their own sacred duty. But this is the exception amongst the upper class; amongst the lower it is the rule. The latter, for the greater part, never appear there at all. I will undertake to say, that more than one half have never yet obeyed their Lord in this respect, never yet showed the memorial of his death, never yet had recourse to this means of uniting themselves to the parent vine, never yet endeavoured by this method to imbibe that spirit of His without which they are none of His.

Now, whence arises this lamentable neglect? Notice has been given every month, and before many of the principal festivals. The exhortations enjoined by the prayerbook have been read at various times. Sermons have been preached: private admonitions, as occasion allowed, delivered. has been done, all said that I can think of; and, I will not say, altogether without benefit, but, certainly, with very little, compared with what might have been expected from these reiterated measures. The ne

All

glect continues, and how to remedy it I know not. It is grievous to me to think of it; it is discouraging to me as a minister. I can add but little new in the way of argument. However varied in words, the matter must still be the same: and I have as little reason to hope now of success as before. Nevertheless, let us once more approach this subject; let us see if, by an intermission of time, truths forgotten shall appear as a novelty and a fresh argument of further force. Let us see if preaching, at least such as I can offer, be of any effect,

and if those who will flock to hear a sermon, do so with the hope of hearing what their duty is, and with the resolution of endeavouring to profit by it. Let us once more approach this subject of the Lord's Supper, this dying bequest of our Saviour, this spiritual banquet, for which we seem to have so little appetite.

Now, there are various grounds, I conceive, from which we might advance to the consideration of this ordinance: that which I shall select, as the more appropriate to this season, is the institution of the Jewish passover. For the institution of the former took place at the commemoration of the latter, and our Lord gave us some intimations, and the apostles more explicit declarations afterwards, that these two bore relation to each other. We commence, therefore, by considering the circumstances regarding the institution, and subsequent celebration of the passover.

The service of our Church has lately informed us how the Israelites became settled in the land of Egypt; that they were driven