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III. It should be observed with an intelligent and deep conviction of its Divine appointment and obligation. “I must needs keep this feast," says the Christian, "because Christ has enjoined it. There is nothing of human device in it. I yield to his authority who said, 'Do this in remembrance of me." The rite has come down associated with the practice of the church of God in every age-apostles, martyrs, and reformers have observed it; but it is not on that ground that I continue the custom, but because I have faith in Christ, and not because I yield to ecclesiastical authority. He had a right to set up this ordinance— he did set it up-and I submit to his authority, and obey his commands."

IV. The believer recognises its purely symbolical and commemorative nature. He does not sink into the revolting absurdity and degrading superstition of Romish or semi-Romish notions on this subject. It is true the Papist boasts of his greater faith in embracing the profound mystery of transubstantiation. He tells us he exceeds all men in faith, for he believes not only what is above reason, but against it. He discredits the testimony of the very senses, and believes that that which has the taste, and smell, and other accidents of bread, is still not bread in its substance. The intelligent Christian knows that the bread is still bread, the wine still wine, and nothing more; and that they are to be used as symbols of truth, the truth of the body and blood of Christ given for his salvation. He rejects the Lutheran notion of consubstantiation, which means the presence of the real body and blood of Christ with the bread and wine, as well as the Popish figment of transubstantiation. Nor does he entertain any notion of what is called "the mystical presence" of Christ with the elements. He does believe, and it is his glory and felicity to believe, that Christ's presence is with him in the act of receiving the bread and wine; but he has no notion, and therefore no belief, of that presence in the elements. Whatever is in the bread and wine, he really and carnally eats and drinks, and the idea of eating and drinking the presence of Christ, is to him very revolting. Besides, of what use would it be to him in a spiritual sense? drank goes into the stomach, and by the process of digestion and assimilation into the body, not into the soul.

What is eaten and

There is neither mystery nor obscurity in the Lord's Supper. It is the simplest thing imaginable; and its simplicity is its glory. It is an emblematic representation and commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ's human nature upon the tross for sin. It is an auxiliary to our faith through the medium of our senses: it is a stirring up of our memories to remember Jesus Christ. "Do this in remembrance of me. "This is what it means and all it means, so far as Christ is concerned. Men that love the marvellous and mysterious-that desire to make it an instrument of priestly power-that are prone to imagination and superstition, have laboured hard to make it something more, and in the attempt have destroyed its beautiful simplicity, as a representative and commemorating ordinance. Hence they have exhibited it as the mysteries of our holy religion; the channel of sacramental grace; the unbloody sacrifice of the mass; and have so wrapt it in obscurity and surrounded it with superstitious ceremony, that while some have been repelled from it as what is peculiarly awful, others have observed it as the very means of salvation. But what says the intelligent Christian? "I believe in the sole authority of Christ to appoint rites and ceremonies. I believe that he has instituted this as a perpetual memorial to the world of his death, and to quicken my lively remembrance of this great event, in obedience to his command, I observe it for this purpose; and, according to his promise, I expect his presence and his grace in the observance," What more need any one want or wish than this. Is not the penitential, believing, loving, joyful, obedient remembrance of Christ, the highest state of mind to which a Christian can rise this side of heaven? For people that love the sentimental, the imaginative, the poetic, the mysterious, this will not be enough; but for those who understand the religion of the New Testament to be the influence of truth received through the aid of the Holy Spirit by faith, it is all that is necessary for a life of godliness.

V. Faith, and not fancy, is the proper state of mind at the time of receiving the Lord's Supper. There is much misconception on this subject in the minds of many good people. Instead of allowing their understanding, during the time of celebration of the Supper, to be conversant with the truth there represented, they are employing their fancy in conceiving of the

fact there set forth. What I mean is this, instead of the mind, and heart, and conscience being refreshed by faith in the death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin, they are all the while endeavouring to picture him personally to the imagination, nailed to the cross, with the blood streaming from his temples, his hands, his feet, and his side; and thus work up the emotions by this scene of sufferings. They bow in fact before a crucifix, though the crucifix is in the imagination instead of being suspended upon the wall. Every body is aware of that power of the mind to call up before it by conception an absent scene, or person, or object; and this can be done in reference to the crucifixion, as well as any other object. Now it is not the design of the Lord's Supper to do this, but to establish us in the belief of the truth that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” and to keep up our hope of his second coming; and our work of faith at the Lord's table is, to rest with blessed confidence and peace on this sure foundation.

VI. Faith in the Lord's Supper has special reference to Christ as our sacrifice for sin, not to the exclusion of other views of his person and work, but still it pre-eminently relates to this. This view implies other views. His humanity only died, or could die upon the cross, but without the Divinity to which that humanity was mysteriously and inseparably united, there could have been no atonement. The atonement, rather than the example of Christ, is the subject of commemoration; yet in making that atonement, Christ exercised the deepest submission to his Father's will, and the most exemplary patience; and it was these dispositions of his mind that united with the agonies of his body to make a propitiation for our sins. So that there can be no separation of one view of Christ's person and work from the other: they are all united and form one glorious whole. Yet they may, like the colours of the rainbow, be viewed separately, though thus combined. It is therefore the death of Jesus-the breaking of his body and the pouring out of his blood upon the cross, we are here called upon to commemorate. The Lord's Supper is a standing, glorious, delightful embodiment of the great doctrine of the atonement. It is the exhibition of that fundamental truth in a most impressive form to the senses. It is a visible, material comment upon that passage, "Whom

God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.” How sweetly does the Christian meditate in this ordinance, or should do so, on sin pardoned and God glorified. There, mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace embrace each other.

VII. Nor does faith leave out of consideration any of the other collateral objects and designs of the Lord's Supper. It is not only a memorial of Christ's first advent, but a pledge of his second. "Ye do thus shew forth the Lord's death till he come." The bridegroom and husband of the church has, for wise and ever gracious purposes, left his bride and spouse in the wilderness: but he has given her not only a promise, but a pledge of his return to take her to himself. He is gone away into the heavens, but he will come again without a sin offering unto salvation. "Meet," said he to her, "meet often at my table, and think and talk of me, and keep up the expectation of my second coming." This is one part of our business and object, to think of Christ's re-appearance. In this exercise of belief, both at the Lord's Supper and at other times, Christians are very deficient. We do not think enough of Christ's second coming. What would be said of the wife, who when her husband was away in another country, could be happy without him, and be contented to think rarely about him? On the contrary, how the loving wife longs in such circumstances for her husband's return. "O when will he come back," is her frequent exclamation. Wife of the Lamb, church of the Saviour, where is thy waiting, hoping, longing for the second coming of thy Lord? Is this thy blessed hope, as it was that of the primitive church? O Christian, art thou not wanting here? Every morsel of that bread thou eatest at the sacremental table; every drop of wine thou drinkest, is the voice of Christ saying to thee, "I will come again and receive you to myself," and should draw forth thy longing desires, saying, "Come, Lord Jesus; even so, come quickly."

VIII. And then it is a joint participation—hence it is called the communion of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are to believe in the Holy Catholic Church. "We being many are one bread, (loaf,) and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread," (loaf.) There, in that one loaf,

yet consisting of many parts, is the emblem of the unity of the church. The Lord's Supper exhibits this, and the believer receives it, and rejoices in it. To him it is matter of inexpressible pleasure to be able to say, “One Lord, one faith, one hope. We are all one in Christ.” He breaks through the barriers of sectarianism, and embracing all who partake of like precious faith, and the common salvation says, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” It is said, faith worketh by love: and never does it work more powerfully in this way than at the Lord's Supper. Who that really believes can indulge malice there?

heart can wrath dwell there?

In what truly regenerated

If this grace be in exercise at the Supper, it will produce joy; for it is a feast, and joy becomes a feast: penitential humility, for there we are reminded that though reconciled, we were once enemies to God by wicked works: love, for every thing says to us, "See how he loved you:” holiness, for there it is declared, "He gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works:” devotedness, for how forcibly and pathetically are the apostle's words addressed to us there, "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God with your body and your spirit which are his :" hope, for there we are reminded that when he who is our life shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory: brotherly kindness, for these are the members of the same body, redeemed by the same blood, the objects of the same love, and those who are to be our friends through eternity: charity, for there is represented to us the propitiation not only for our sins, but the sins of the whole world. Ye, what grace is not cherished, or what corruption is not mortified, by a believin observance of the Lord's Supper.

Such are the exercises of faith in the Supper of our Lord.

THE BIBLE.

THE best, because the simplest, argument for the divine authority of the Scriptures, I have met with, is this-they could not have been written by a good man, or men uninspired; for they would not have asserted so constantly, their divine origin, and thus incurred the penalties and curses denounced

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