As for the meaning of it: to explain a mystery which God has not revealed, is a thing impossible with men; but to exercise our judgment concerning things given by inspiration of God,-to test or prove our faith and our obedience, is necessary, in order that we may render unto God a reasonable service. Wherefore, when treating of the offerings made to idols by the heathens in their temples, and the spiritual communion of Christians at the Lord's table, St. Paul says, I speak as to wise men, judge ye what I say. So do I appeal to your judgment, as to a wise and understanding people, gifted with the privilege of searching the Scriptures for yourselves, and with spiritual grace to understand whether the things we say agree with them or not.

Judge ye then, Christian brethren, for yourselves of the simplicity of the service. I have received of the Lord, saith St. Paul, that which also I have delivered unto you: that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it and said: Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me.‡ Saint Paul's narrative is cited, instead of St. Matthew's, merely because the apostle was entering into a full explanation of the manner of celebrating the Lord's Supper, to persons who had not rightly observed the holy ordinance; and it is hard to believe he would have omitted any instruction concerning the manner of Christ's presence in the eucharist, had there been any thing new revealed to him, over and above that which is implied in the words of Christ himself. The only addition, in St. Paul's account of the matter, assigns a very good reason for frequent communion, but none whatever for the supposition of any change + 1 Cor. x. 15. 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24.

* Deut. viii. 2.

in the elements; for, saith he, as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show, or commemorate, the Lord's death till he come.*

When the Holy Jesus first instituted the Lord's Supper, it is not pretended that he took any thing into his hands, but the bread then upon the table; and now, that the apostle is explaining every particular to the Church at Corinth, although he says, in the Words of Christ, This is my body, still he implies no change in the bread they were to eat, or in the cup of which they were to drink, in order to show the Lord's death, till he come. There is, indeed, a mighty change in the design and purpose of the paschal supper, but so far from any change in the elements being indicated, by which the memorial of it was to be preserved, the apostle still designates them as bread and wine.

The Lord's passover was ordained, as we read in Holy Writ, to preserve the memorial of Israel's deliverance from the destroying angel; and the very allusion to that service as a commemorative ordinance, in conjunction with the words, Do this in remembrance of me, may suffice to teach us how we are to receive the Lord's Supper, as a memorial of our greater deliverance from Satan, the destroyer of our souls. But this solemn service is not a bare memorial of Christ's death. For, the apostle says: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?†

The communion of the body and blood of Christ signifies the communication of them to the faithful; and what can this signify, but the act of communicating to the believer's soul, a deep sense of all the benefits derived from the sacrifice of the death of Christ, the Lamb of +1 Cor. x. 16.

* 1 Cor. xi. 26.

God that taketh away the sins of the world? Yea, brethren, it is more! It is a witness of the depth of human guilt, in which we are all by sin involved, which made that spotless sacrifice the only means of its expiation. It is even more! It is the seal of our redemption,-of the pardon of our sins, purchased for us by the blood of Christ. It is more still! It is a perpetual memorial of the unspeakable love and mercy of God the Father and God the Son combined for the deliverance of our souls from sin, and death, and hell. It is more! It is a standing testimony of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, together with a pledge of our own resurrection, and of all the awful threatenings of a day of judgment, and of the vision of those glorious mansions opened to the eye of faith, which sees in death the gate of everlasting life. Yea; it is a memorial of God's unerring wisdom, which contrived the means,-of his almighty power, which brought to pass the salvation of the world; and of his all-sufficient grace to sanctify our hearts, and save our souls alive. It is, moreover, an instrument of charity, uniting the whole Christian family into one body; for, saith the apostle, we, being many, who participate in these spiritual benefits, are one bread and one body, because we are all partakers of that one bread.*

When Christ said, It is finished, and gave up the ghost, "the debt of man was paid: our happiness was purchased: our peace with God was made. In this great sacrifice, we behold the justice of God satisfied-transgression pardoned -the curse exhausted-the law magnified-God reconciled-death overcome."+ Who, then, when he communicates at the Lord's table, where these things are all brought to his remembrance, can reflect upon the grievous weight of guilt accumulated, which required such a Horsley's Sermons.

* 1 Cor. x. 17.

sacrifice, without shuddering at the dreadful nature of sin in the sight of God? Who can think upon the remission of the sentence of condemnation for sin, thus sealed by outward Testimonies, without feeling inward joy at his own deliverance, and gratitude to Jesus Christ our Lord, for his love, by which it was obtained? Doubtless, it is a great mystery, that the Son of God should stoop so low, as to take upon him our nature-that by death, he should overcome death-that the cross of his humiliation should raise him to his throne of glory-" that the highest pitch of human malice should be made to complete the purpose of God's mercy-that Satan should be made the instrument of his own ruin."*

These are deep mysteries, which Divine grace has not enabled man to fathom. But they are mysteries which are all realized to the soul of the devout and humble believer, as often as he communicates at the Supper of the Lord. They are, indeed, the vital doctrines of the Gospel, in which we all have fellowship, or common interest; because, of all the spiritual benefits, derived from them by faith in Christ, we are made partakers at the Lord's table; although the manner of communicating the Divine grace, by the Spirit of Christ, is a mystery beyond the reach of man's capacity. It is, moreover, a mystery, (but it must not be denied) that when these truths are established in the heart by faith, its evil propensities are subdued, its desires are sanctified, the sense of condemnation due to guilt is so far removed, that the conscience is purged from dead works, and the repentant sinner is set free to serve the living God.

Thus all men may see what is our fellowship in the Lord's Supper-this mystery of our Holy Religion, as a Sacrament. Hereby we all may comprehend, that when Horsley's Sermons.

*

we receive the outward signs of bread and wine, we do also receive the spiritual food, which Christ communicates; that is to say, we receive the doctrine also, which sustains the soul in holiness, and in the joyful hope of life eternal, which are benefits communicated by faith in the precious body and blood of Christ, who died for us; we receive the pledges which Christ ordained to assure us of his love, and of our participation in it.

This is our reasonable service; and when we thus show the Lord's death in remembrance of Him, as he commanded, in testimony of our faith, of our obedience, and of our trust in Him, we think we offer "true worship to the true God," and this has been defined to be "religion."

We must, in the next place, declare the broad distinction between the Lord's Supper, as a Sacrament, which is our reasonable service, and the error grafted thereupon.

Our adversary, on the Roman part, makes "Transubstantiation" to be the "touchstone" of religion. The meaning of the term is this: it signifies that the bread or wafer, after being consecrated by the priest, is, by his act, converted into the real body, the corporeal substance of our Lord's body.

We protest against this "dogma," because it is both contrary to "the nature of a sacrament,"* and to common sense; and this is the very matter about which our judgment must be exercised, in order that there may be nothing of superstition in this act of our worship. I will not perplex you with sophistry, my Christian brethren, but guide you to the Source of Truth for instruction, and then put the case plainly to your understanding, and if the Spirit of grace shall give His blessing on this humble effort to establish Truth, so that the simple may have joy * Art. XXVIII.