friendship to him, therefore the least degree of preponderating evidence, that you love Christ, and wish to honour him, ought to encourage you to attend on the supper of the Lord. If you are indeed fearful of dishonouring Christ, it is a hopeful evidence that you have a spirit of friendship to his cause; and this ought rather to embolden, than discourage you: Have you! not greater reason to expect to be accepted in going forward, than in remaining in your present state of neglect? "By waiting on the Lord," have you not reason to hope, "that you shall renew your strength?" In what way are you to gain evidence that you love Christ? By neglecting duty, or performing it? If you tremble at the threatenings against unworthy communicants, have you not equal reason to fear the doom of that servant "who prepared not himself to do the will of his Lord ?" If Christ will say to some who call him, Lord, Lord, Depart from me for I never knew you; will not those, who never professed "to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ?" Where then is your safety in neglecting this duty? Are you desirous of remaining in a situation, where you hope to sin at the least expense? You "know your master's will, and if you do it not, neither prepare yourself to do it, you will be beaten with many stripes." Therefore expect no safety on this ground. The great design of the bible is to point out the way of duty and safety, not how and where, men may sin with the least guilt.

Suppose you cannot say with the confidence of Peter, "Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee," yet upon careful examination, if you find preponderating evidence, that you love the honour of Christ, and the interest of his kingdom, you ought to profess it, and remember Christ in this institution.

The low and declining state of Zion in this place, should awaken your attention to her interest. The professed friends of Christ in this place, have been called away in rapid succession, and it is with you to determine whether their places shall be filled or not, and the name of Christ be kept here in remembrance. You will consider that the cause of Christ here, calls loudly upon you to afford a friendly hand in building the walls of Zion, by appearing for Christ, against evil doers. You well remember, that woe which is pronounced against those "who are at ease in Zion," and "who are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph,' or the visible church of Christ. Be then persuaded, if you have any regard for the honour of Christ, to realize the importance of openly and steadfastly espousing the expiring cause of Christ in this place; and while the open enemies of the cross, are longing to see the end of gospel institutions, are seeking for objections and stumbling blocks, and are glad when the cause of Christ is betrayed by the miscarraiges of those who profess to be his friends, as the Jews were, when Christ was betrayed by Judas; and while some are falling away, and others rejoicing thus to see Zion laid waste; while every thing which should be dear to you so loudly calls, be convinced of the importance of your

coming to a decisive determination in this matter, and like Joshua resolve, that you "will serve the Lord."

Remember, you must not come to this ordinance unprepared, neither must you stay away. In Jesus Christ, there is safety for the sinner, but destruction and misery await him every where else.

This subject will be closed by an address to professors and non-professors.

1. Let professors be admonished to attend upon this holy ordinance according to its divine import. Remember, that your profession is an acknowledgment, that "you are bought with a price; not with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." You are therefore bound "to glorify God in your bodies, and with your spirits which are his." O be careful so to live, that it may appear, that Christ is precious to you, "as he is to every one that believes." This will render your profession honourable in the view of the world, and Christ will be honoured in the house of his professed friends. True love to Christ will render his ordinances, and his memo. ry precious to you. This will make you a welcomę guest at his table, and render this ordinance both profitable and pleasant to you. Friendship to Christ will assure you of his gracious presence, whenever you assemble at his table. He has declared, that he will be in the midst of those who meet together in his name. In the exercise of friendship to Christ, you may expect to hear him whisper to your hearts in the melting language of love, saying, "Eat O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly O beloved." By remembering him

in his ordinances with a friendly heart, you will be more and more prepared to meet him, "when he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation, to all them who wait for his appearance." You will then receive a joyful welcome into the blessed society above, where you shall have no more need of such memorials of the love of Christ, but shall be with him, and forever enjoy the fruits of his sufferings in "an exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

But remember, that the mere outward form and profession of religion will not ensure these happy fruits of Christ's death. Calling Christ, Lord, Lord, or making the highest professions, will avail nothing without real love to him in heart. It is real friendship to Christ, which unites the heart to him, and which through grace, gives a title to the glorious benefits of his sufferings and death. By a sympathetic heart, you must be made partakers of Christ's humiliation, in order to become partakers of his exaltation. "If you

suffer with him," in this way now, "you shall also reign with him.”

2. Let non-professors be admonished, by this subject, of their duty. If Christ has instituted the supper to perpetuate the memory of his love, death and sufferings; and you need, and are in fact daily reaping the benefits of his death in ten thousand common favours; and over and above all these, you have salvasion offered to you, through his atoning blood, are you under no obligations to Christ? How can you excuse yourselves in neglecting so reasonable, so plain a duty? Christ has already done great things for you;

and

you doubtless hope that he will still do greater, and bring you to heaven at last; and can you be ungrateful? Can you forget his death? Can you, from one season of communion to another, turn your backs on this melting expression of his love, and contract no guilt; discover no ingratitude, no wickedness? Let conscience decide this question.

You may perhaps say, that some who profess Christ before men, give the world reason to believe they are hypocrites, and instead of honouring, do but dishonour him by a profession. It must be acknowledged, that this is a melancholy fact. But does this make your obligations to Christ one degree less? Ought this ever to come into your consideration, as an objection to duty? Ought it not rather to be considered as a reason, why you should, by a christian profession and life, heal the bleeding cause of Christ? Ought you not to show the world the inconsistency of their conduct, by a sincere and hearty adherence to the doctrines and duties of Christ? The death of Christ is as deserving of your remembrance, according to his appointment, as it would have been, had all the world beside ever been the professed followers of Christ, and acted up to their profession. The sincerity or hypocrisy of others, alters not the nature, nor importance of duty. The only question, in this case, with you is this, does Christ require me to remember his death with love and gratitude? Joshua determined, whatever others did, "he and his house would serve the Lord." Because other nations and families worshipped idols, would