et will I not forget thee, Behold I have graven thee upon the "palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." Hearken, 01 believers, to the declarations of him, who was "You fhall feed in the crucified and shed his blood for you. "ways, and your paflures fhall be in the high places. You shall not hunger nor thirst, neither fhall the heat, nor the fun fmite you: for he that hath mercy on you fhall lead you; even by the fprings of water fhall he guide you." Does the bleffed Jefus, thus remember his dear people, and are they unmindful of him? How fhould this awaken all their fenfibilities, and banish their ftupid inconfideration, and canfe floods of tears to guth from their repenting eyes? But for the fupport of poor, feeble and forgetful believers, hearken to this fweet declaration of your all fufficient interceffor. Like as a father "pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him,

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for he knoweth our frame: he remembereth that we are "duit." His remembrances in his life and death, and when his faving blood was flowing from every vein, are too numerous for a prefent recital, the whole of which is compressed in the ordinance we are now about to celebrate. This was his laft fupper on earth, and an illuftrious inftance of his infinite and dying love for his church. This he left as a last public gift, and a diftinguishing memorial of himself, by which in fymbo-. lical reprefentations, he is to be exhibited in all that he did and fuffered for apoftate man, until the confumption of all things. Chris intended this inftitution for the fupport, encouragement and comfort of bis Church, to quicken them in duty, to refresh them in their journey thro' the wilderness to be a pillar of fade by day, of light by night, to be bread in the wilderness, and water from the rock. Hence the great commandment in this ordinance is, "This. do. in remembrance "of me," How fweet the precept; how endearing the recollection of all his humiliation and fufferings, to accomplish the falvation of men and their reftoration to the peace, favour and enjoyment of God. The enjoyment of God, how great the

idea? a happiness, higher than heaven, broader than the earth, and more extentive than the fea. And this, O rememberer of Christ, and more than this, will be the portion of thy foul for

ever.

There is an awful refidue in the converted foul of proneness to a forgetfulness of Jefus; to alleviate and check this disease was one thing defigned in this facred inftitution. Our Lord, whe knew all things, knew how apt the hearts of his people would be to forget him amidst the throng of their corruptions and the croud of fenfible objects; their pleasures and worldly business; therefore he appointed and left this memorial of himself.Men do not ufually neglect the remembrances, the mortal rings and dying fignatures of their departed relatives and friends. Chrift has here left his church a token of his friendfhip and a dying memorial of all he did for the recovery of the fpiritual life they had loft, and their restoration to the favour of God and forfeited felicity.

It would be impoffible to enter into the nature, defigns, ufes, benefits and purposes of this holy ordinance in a single difcourfe; therefore all that will claim your attention at prefent fhall be only a few meditations on the duty enjoined, and the manner of performing it, agreeable to the commandment in our rext, "This do in remembrance of me."

First, with regard to the obligations of the duty itfelf, these can be fcrupled by none, who give any credit to the authority and power invested in our Lord. It was not intended as a temporary ordinance, fuch as wafhing of feet, and fome other things performed by our Saviour, but never afterwards practifed by his apoftles; but it was ordained to be of standing ufe in the Church throughout all generations. Hence it was a duty obferved by the apoftolic and all fucceeding churches down to the prefent day. I grant there have been fome in all ages and many in the present day, who have and do confider it as a

temporary institution which was adopted for the introduction of christianity, but not to be of perpetual order. To retail their various opinions, and their neglect of this ordinance, and their ftrange spiritual constructions concerning it might exhibit fome reading, but furely could not promote your comfort or edif cation.

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An attendance upon this facrament is plainly binding upon all christians; it was commanded by our Loid, practised by the apoftles and all primitive Churches, and in the faith and under the fenfe and affurance of thefe obligations we continue in all good confcience to celebrate the fame. It is honoring Christ Jesus, his fufferings and death, and he affuredly gives his blefling to all those who faithfully wait upon him herein. It is glorifying God in the recollection of his only begotten son, whom he gave and made a facrifice for the fins of men. To remember Jesus at the facred table is complying with the will of heaven. And to obey is better than all burnt offerings. Did God remember us from eternity, did he in time fet forth his dear Son to be a propitiation for fin, did he remember his promife to Abraham and the patriarchs, did Jefus bleed and die for us, and shall we not remember the author of our falvation with hearts overflowing with love, gratitude and praife? Did the bleffed Redeemer remember us, when we lay in our own blood, and there was no eye to pity us, nor hand to help us, and can we ever ceafe from remembering him? Was he crucified for our tranfgreffions; did he rife again for our juftifica. tion; did he procure for us, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins, life, immortality and a heavenly inheritance. Did he infitute this precious ordinance as a memorial of his whole mediatorial character, of all that he underwent from his leaving his Father's bofom, till his afcenfion to glory, and fhall we be fuch ingrates as not to remember him in this pledge of his love?" If I forget thee, O Jelis, let my right hand forget her "cunning; if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave "to the roof of my mouth." Surely to multiply reasons tor

the enforcement of a duty, where the commandments are e repeated and plain, that they can neither be evaded or denied, could anfwer no important purpofe. Wherefore I proceed,

Secondly, to confider the manner in which this duty ought to be performed. It is a matter of infinite moment that Christ be properly remembered at his table. This ordinance can hardly be celebrated by us without feme confideration of the Saviour; but to remember him in such a way as to be approved by him as worthy partakers, is not a matter of easy attainment.

Would we perform this duty in an acceptable manner, we are to engage in it with composure of mind,--with an holy reverence in our hearts,-with hungering and thirfting defires after greater measures of grace,-with exalted expectations, -in the exercise of faith,-love,-humility,-repentance, and purposes of future obedience.

Firft, we are to approach this holy table in remembrance of our dear Redeemer, with compofure of mind. Our hearts often prove like a deceitful bow, and our thoughts wander into a thousand impertinences. Scarcely any thing more difficult than to watch and keep the heart. Yet this we are honeftly to endeavour while we are employed in this folemn duty. We should be banishing all worldly, carnal, and trifling thoughts. When any of thefe vanities will intrude upon our devotions, we should repel them as Nehemiah did the meffengers of his enemies who where fent to divert him from the work of the Lord. "I am doing a great work, why should "the work ceafe, while I leave it and come down to you?" Thus let us expel all vain and improper thoughts from our fouls.

Secondly, we ought to remember to attend this ordinance with an holy reverence in our hearts. We should reverence God, reverence the bleffed Jefus, and maintain a due refpe&t

for the inflitution itfelf. We fhould bear upon our minds, that the king is prefent at his own entertainment, "Who is "greatly to be feared in the affemblies of his faints, and to be "had in reverence of them that are about him." Let us come before him in the celebration of this facrament, with "reverence and godly fear."

Thirdly, we fhould attend upon this duty with hungering and thirsting defires. "The defires of our fouls must be towards "the Lord and the remembrance of his name." To have communion with God, and to defire none upon earth befides him, is a fweet and comfortable state of mind. It brings heaven as it were into this world. And a special blessing is pronounced upon all fuch. "Bleffed are they who hunger and "thirst after righteousness for they fhall be filled." Let our defires be enlarged to-day. Let us feel fuch exercifes as poffelfed the Pfalmift when he faid, "I ftretch forth my hands "unto the; my foul thirfteth after thee, as a thirsty land. O "God, thou art my God, early will I feek thee; my foul thirst"eth for thee; my fiefh longeth for thee,-to fee thy power and "thy glory, that my foul may be fatisfied as with marrow "and fatnefs." Bleffed feelings, bleffed fpiritual breathings, and blessed experiences. O that ours may be of a fimilar nature, and that all the defires of our hearts may be gratified at this feafon.

Fourthly, let us approach this ordinance with elevated and exalted expectations. That faith in the beloved which enlarges the defires alfo raises hopes, and matures them like Abraham's to an holy confidence. You are not led to day to fummer brooks, which difappoint the weary traveller, and as it is faid in Job, "Corfumed out of their place." But this ordinance directs you to living fountains, which iffue forth unfailing ftreams to everlasting life.-Let each communicant fay to his foul; Draw near to the table of love, thy Redeemer has inftituted the feaft, and he has pron.ifed for thee, "abudently above

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