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3. But there is another reason why this duty should be considered as imperiously binding on every Christian soul. It is a standing and inexpugnable proof of the authenticity of the Christian religion. An able writer of our own country has observed, that a matter of fact, however remote, is rendered incontestable by the following criteria: 1. "That the matter of fact be such as men's senses, their eyes and ears may be judges of. 2. That it be done publicly. 3. That both public monuments be kept up in memory of it, and some outward actions be performed. 4. That such monuments and such actions or observances be instituted and do commence from the time that the matter of fact was done." Now all these criteria, he demonstrates, concur in relation to the matters of fact recorded of Moses and of Christ. The miracles of our Lord were done publicly, and in the face of the world. Three thousand souls at one time, and five thousand at another, were converted to Christianity on the evidence of these facts. Baptism, and the Lord's supper, were instituted as perpetual memorials of these things, at the very time in which they were said to have been done; and these have been observed in the whole Christian world from that time until now. Therefore, the administration of these sacraments is an incontestible proof of the authenticity of the Christian religion. See LESLIE's Easy Method with the Deists.

It is not, therefore, merely for the purpose of calling to remembrance the death of our blessed Lord, for the increase and confirmation of our faith; it is not merely that the church of Christ should have an additional mean, whereby God might communicate the choicest influences of his grace and Spirit to the souls of the faithful, that Christians should conscientiously observe, and devoutly frequent the sacrament of the Lord's supper; but they should continue conscientiously to observe it, as a public, far-speaking, and irrefragable proof of the divine authenticity of our holy religion. Those, there

fore, who neglect this ordinance, not only sin against the commandment of Christ, neglect that mean by which their souls might receive much comfort and edification, but as far as in them lies, weaken those evidences of the religion they profess to believe, which have been one great cause, under God, of its triumphing over all the persecution and contradiction of the successive ages of infidelity, from its establishment to the present hour. Had all the followers of Christ treated this divine ordinance as a few have done, pretending that it is to be spiritually understood, (from a complete misapplication of John vi, 63,) and that no rite or form should be observed in commemoration of it, where had been one of the most convincing evidences of Christianity this day! What a master piece was it in the economy of Divine Providence, that a teaching like this was not permitted to spring up in the infancy of Christianity, nor till sixteen hundred years after its establishment, by which time, its grand facts had been rendered incontrovertible! Such is the wisdom of GOD, and such his watchful care over his church.

Sincerely I thank God that this sentiment has had but a very limited spread, and never can be general while the letter and spirit of Christianity remain in the world.

The discourse which our Lord held with the Jews, John vi, 30-63, concerning the manna which their fathers ate in the wilderness, and which he intimates represented himself, has been mistaken by several for a discourse on the holy sacrament. The chronology of the gospels sufficiently proves, that our Lord spake these words in one of the synagogues of Capernaum, at least twelve months before the institution of the eucharist. Nor has it any reference whatever to that ordinance. No man has ever yet proved the contrary.

To multiply arguments in reference to the same subject, would, I apprehend, be absolutely needless. All who truly fear God, and whose minds are not incurably

warped by their peculiar creed, will feel it their highest duty and interest to fulfil every command of Christ, and will particularly rejoice in the opportunity, as often as it shall occur, of eating of this bread and drinking of this cup, in remembrance that Christ Jesus died for them.

It has often been inquired, "Who are they who should administer this sacred ordinance? May not any truly Christian man or woman deliver it to others?" I answer, the ministers of the gospel, alone, should dispense the symbols of the body and blood of Christ; and to act differently would necessarily produce confusion in, and, ultimately, contempt of this blessed institution. The minister alone consecrated the elements in all the periods of the Christian church, though sometimes the deacons delivered them to the people: but even this was far from being a common case, for, in general, the minister not only consecrated but delivered the elements to each communicant.

Another question of greater importance, is the following:-"Is the ungodliness of the minister any prejudice to the ordinance itself, or to the devout communicant?" I answer-1. None who is ungodly should ever be permitted to minister in holy things, on any pretence whatever; and in this ordinance, in particular, no unhallowed hand should be seen. 2. As the benefit to be. derived from the eucharist depends entirely on the presence and blessing of God, it cannot be reasonably expected that he will work through the instrumentality of the profligate or the profane. Many have idled away their time in endeavouring to prove, that the ungodliness of the minister is no prejudice to the worthy communicant: but God has disproved this by ten thousand instances, in which he has in a general way, withheld his divine influence, because of the wickedness or worthlessness of him who ministered, whether bishop, priest, minister, or preacher. God has always required and ever will require, that those who minister in holy

things shall have upright hearts and clean hands. Those who are of a different character bring the ordinance of God into contempt.

"But supposing a man has not the opportunity of receiving the eucharist from the hands of a holy man, should he not receive it at all?" I answer, I hope it will seldom be found difficult to meet with this ordinance in the most unexceptionable way; but, should such a case occur, that it must be either received from an improper person, or not received at all; I would then advise, Receive it by all means; as you will thereby bear a testimony to the truth of the new covenant, and do what in you lies to fulfil the command of Christ: if, therefore, it be impossible for you to get the ordinance in its purity, and properly administered, then take it as you can, and God, who knows the circumstances of the case, will not withhold from you a measure of the divine influence. But this can be no excuse for those who, through a blind or bigoted attachment to a particular place or form, choose rather to communicate with the profane, than receive the eucharist, according to the pure institution of Jesus Christ, from the most unblemished hands; and in company with saints of the first character! Of all superstitions, this is the most egregious and culpable. Profanity and sin will certainly prevent the divine Spirit from realizing the sign in the souls of the worthless ministers and sinful communicants: but the want of episcopal ordination in the person, or consecration in the place, can never prevent Him, who is not confined to temples made by hands, and who sends by whom he will send from pouring out his Spirit upon those who call faithfully upon his name, and who go to meet him in his appointed ways.

But even serious Christians may deprive themselves of the due benefit of the eucharist by giving way to hurry and precipitation. Scarcely any thing is more unbecoming than to see the majority of communicants, as soon as

they have received, posting out of the church or chapel, so that at the conclusion of the ordinance, very few are found to join together in a general thanksgiving to God for the benefits conferred by the passion and death of Christ, by means of this blessed ordinance. All the communicants, unless absolute necessity obliges them to depart, should remain till the whole service is concluded, that the thanksgiving of many may, in one general acclamation, redound to the glory of God and the Lamb.

In many congregations, where the communicants are very numerous, this general defection is produced by the tedious and insufferable delay occasioned through want of proper assistants. I have often seen six hundred, and sometimes one thousand communicants and upwards, waiting to be served by one minister! Masters and heads of families are obliged to return to their charge, mothers are constrained to hurry home to their children, and servants to minister to their respective families. And who, in this case, could blame them? Religion was never intended to break in on family obligations, nor to supersede domestic duties.

In all large congregations, there should be at least three ministers, that hurry may be prevented, and the ordinance concluded in such a reasonable portion of time, that no person may be obliged to leave the house of God before the congregation is regularly dismissed. Those who have no such calls, and indulge themselves in the habit of posting off as soon as they have received the sacred elements, must answer to God for an act that not only betrays their great lack of serious godliness, but borders, I had almost said, on profanity and irreligion. JUDAS, of all the disciples, went out before the holy supper was concluded! Reader wilt thou go and do likewise? God forbid !

CONCLUSION,

I HAVE already remarked, p. 238, that the eucharist may be considered as a fœderal rite; for in this light the

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