declaration, which would authenticate such gloomy apprehensions, and intimidate the soul, which comes with an humble and true sense of the Purposes of this Duty, from paying this act of homage and obedience to its Supreme Lord, who has indispensably enjoined its performance upon all his followers.

It shall be mine endeavor then, in the following pages, to remove that cloud, which has too long hung over this Institution, and which has hitherto, in a great degree, counteracted its salutary and beneficial purposes; and having done this, I trust that all those unreasonable scruples will be dispelled, which have so long withheld the majority of christians from the performance of a duty, which they can in nowise neglect, without singular dishonor to Christ, and danger to themselves; and consequently, by thus inducing them to a more frequent attendance at the Table of their Lord, to bring them to the most effectual means of Grace and Virtue, and dispose them to the most proper preparation for eternity.

I purpose, therefore, to give a plain and succinct ACCOUNT of the INSTITUTION itself; to describe the NATURE of a SACRAMENT; to explain the APPLICATION OF MIND with which this Ordinance is directed to be performed; the ENDS and PURPOSES for which

it was instituted; the BENEFITS resulting from its performance; the DUTY and general OBLIGATION to receive it; to consider those OBJECTIONS, which are founded on some EXPRESSIONS in the Communion Service; and lastly, to shew what are the PREPARATION, and QUALIFICATIONS necessary for a WORTHY PARTICIPATION.

The INSTITUTION of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is recorded, in four different parts of the New Testament, by the first three Evangelists, and by the Apostle St. Paul, whose words differ very little from those of his companion, St. Luke; and the only variation between St. Matthew and St. Mark is, that the latter omits the words, "for the "remission of sins." As there is so general an agreement amongst them all, it will only be necessary to recite the words of one of them, I shall select therefore those of St. Matthew.

"Now, when the even was come, Jesus sat down "with the twelve.

"And as they were eating, He took bread, and "blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, " and said, take, eat; this is my body.

"And He took the сир, and gave thanks, and gave "it to them, saying, drink ye all of it:

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which "is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, being thus instituted, was adopted by all the early christians, with very few exceptions; and no modern sect rejects it, except the Quakers, and some Mystics who make the whole of religion to consist of contemplative love.

It appears then from the several accounts that have been handed down to us, that the design of this Institution was, "for the continual remembrance "of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which "we receive thereby ;" to be retained in all succeeding ages of the world by his disciples and followers, that is by those, who embrace his religion, and seek for eternal happiness on the terms which He has proposed. At the time when our Lord instituted this rite, he was celebrating a religious festival of the Jews; he was eating the Passover, which was appointed by God, to be observed yearly, in commemoration of the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt; and we are informed by the Jewish writers, that it was a custom, universally practised at the Paschal Feast, for the Master of the house to take bread, and bless it, and breaking to distribute it to the rest; and in like manner to bless the wine

and to distribute the cup of blessing, as it was thus called, to those that sat with him. There could not then be a more suitable opportunity for establishing an ordinance, which was to commemorate the infinitely more important deliverance of all mankind from the bondage of sin. The former deliverance was typical of the latter; and instead of the Jewish Passover, which was now to be abrogated, they were to commemorate " Christ, their passover, who was sacrificed for them;" the bread broken, was to represent his body offered upon the cross, and the wine poured out was to represent his blood, which was shed for the salvation of men. The nourishment, which these elements afford to our bodies, is figurative of the salutary effects, which the thing signified has upon our souls. And as the celebration of the Passover was not only a constant memorial of the deliverance of the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, but also a symbolical action, by which they claimed a title to the blessing of the Old Covenant, so the celebration of the Lord's Supper is not only a constant memorial of the death of Christ, but also a pledge or earnest to the communicant of the benefits promised by the New Covenant. As the Passover likewise was instituted the night before the actual deliverance of the children of Israel, so the Lord's Supper was instituted the night before

the redemption of man was accomplished, by the crucifixion of the blessed Jesus; who suffered in the very same month, the very same day of the month, and the very same hour of the day, on which the Paschal Lamb was first ordained to be sacrificed.

We see then that our Savior adopted this religious rite of the Jews into his new religion, transferring only the use of the elements (which he retained) from their primary intention, and applying them to a far nobler purpose, as perpetual emblems of his body and blood, which were to be given and shed for the remission of sins, and of which they were the most proper and significant representations.

Here then we perceive no arduous task enjoined, which requires exalted flights of piety to attain ; here is no real presence of that immaculate Being, which bids us be clean and spotless, or e'er we come within the rays of his celestial glory; here is nothing that calls upon us to come more perfect to the performance of this, than to the performance of any other religious duty: we are conimanded only, in an humble and submissive sense of our infinite obligations to Him, and with thoughts detached from all other pursuits, and fixed down to this very act, in which we are engaged to eat bread and drink wine, in remembrance that his body was broken, and his