the facrament of the LORD'S SUPPER,* where the strongest resolutions are required, the highest affiftances of grace are conveyed, and where every worthy communicant has the unspeakable comfort of renewing and confirming his title to the covenant of mercy and falvation. LET

THE perpetual obligation of celebrating the Lord's fupper is to be demonftrated in the following manner. It is the communion of the blood and body of Chrift. i. Cor. x. 16. As long then as it is incumbent on christians to keep up their intereft in his facrifice, fo long is this ordinance to be kept up in the church. It is also a perpetual memorial of his sufferings; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, (fays St. Paul) je do fhow the Lord's death TILL HE COME. i. Cor. xi. 26. And lastly, if we faw no other reason, we have the command of Christ himself. Mat. xx. 26. The command of a fuperior wants no reasons to give it authority. When we difclaim obedience to the command, we difclaim our title to the name and rights of fervants and disciples.

THERE is one thing urged againft this and all other christian rites, which, though it makes a great figure in declamation, may be refuted in a few words. The fabbath, it is faid, baptifm, eucharift, and the orders of the miniftry, are adopted with fome alteration from the

LET us now put all these things together; and, though they form too flight a view to do juftice to the important fubject, yet they give us better notions upon it, than many are acquainted with, in the giddiness of inattention and the peevishness of party contradic

tion.

CONSIDER then mankind obliged by the command of God to affemble and affociate together in amicable and friendly focieties, under certain modes of general utility, and nothing can be conceived better adapted to all the purposes of their being. Behold them affembling from their various occupations; from a difperfed, unconnected, and almost dif

cordant

Jewish worship, and belong not therefore to the fpiritual gospel. I answer, whatever Chrift and his apostles taught and practifed as a part of chriftianity must be received as such, if we allow their Divine authority. If we admit not this rule, we may disclaim one half of the gospel, I mean the moral precepts; for they were taught before, by Jews and Heathens.

cordant state, and recognizing themfelves as fellow-creatures,-as fellow travellers to one common happiness, in fubjection to a common mafter who knows no refpect of perfons-And what do you think is the genuine effect of fuch an act? Does it not wear off that referve, and favagenefs and afperity of manners, which folitude is apt to produce? Does it not remove the distastes and jealoufies, contracted in the competitions of life? Does it not soften the various paffions of rank and condition, the pride of greatness, and the envy of poverty? And in their ftead introduce mutual acquaintance, endearment, and all the generous effufions of benevolent affection? — A public fervice, properly conducted, inculcates virtue in all its offices. feffion impreffes a fenfe of the baseness of fin, of the weakness of nature, and the neceffity of Divine grace. Prayer petitions for every virtue we want, and against every fin and temptation we ought

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ought to fhun-by employing the wishes of the heart it tends to beget firm and lafting refolutions. Interceffion confiders mankind under the tendereft relations, and by this means ftrengthens and improves benevolence. Thanksgiving, reminding us of the Divine goodness, fixes duty upon the most generous foundation; that of gratitude. In fhort, a public service removes all the inconveniences of the prefent unequal ftate: the bufy are. called from their cares, and the gay from their amusements: the great are humbled, and the poor raised to the laudable ambition of rational creatures: the weak are encouraged, the virtuous confirmed; the ignorant are taught, the careless admonished, and the wicked reproved. The word of God holds up an impartialmirror to all men alike: it fpeaks one common language, without flattery, without paffion, without prejudice. It speaks to men under the happiest advantages in the abfence of temptati

ons

ons-in the ebb of paffion-in the calm. feafon of ftillness and recollection. It fpeaks, recommended by outward circumftances adapted to the gravity of fentiment and difpofition it means to excite.

IV. SINCE, then, outward inftitutions are of fuch ufe, what fhall we fay to thofe, who disclaim them, because they do not always produce their genu

ine effects?

HAVE rites and forms and all the machinery of bodily worship been multiplied in fome ages to the exclufion of true and substantial virtue? It is true, the Romish church, availing herself of that ignorance which the favage conquerors of the Roman empire introduced, did delude the world with infinite inventions of this kind. But what objection can this be, in an enquiring age, against a church, which fundamentally encourages enquiry, and pleads only for rites of Z 2

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