of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

When the time was fully arrived for the introduction of the New Covenant, God, through Christ, abolished the Ceremonial Law, the peculiar purposes for which it was appointed being now accomplished. The substance being come, the shadow was to pass away. The things themselves being manifested, their types and figures were to cease. But although the Ceremonial Law was abrogated by the fulfilment of its grand purpose, it was not intended, that there should be no Outward. Acts of Piety at all, that God should not be worshipped with any external service. It was meant, that such ritual performances only, should be annulled, as were imposed upon the Jews as a peculiar people, and instituted as types and shadows of good things to come. external worship, which internal piety, would naturally suggest, and without which internal piety would decay, was still to be observed. God was to be worshipped in his House of Prayer, not

That

*

with so much formality and ceremony as before, but "in spirit and in truth," together with a certain degree of outward solemnity, so that "all things" might "be done decently and in order."

God has at various times instituted peculiar Acts or Rites, to be at stated periods observed, in order to preserve in the minds of mankind the memory of some remarkable instances of his goodness towards them. Of these the following are the most important; the Festival of the Holy Sabbath, which was to be a continual memorial of the creation of the world, and of God's resting on the seventh day and hallowing it; the Rite of Circumcision, which was appointed for the purpose of admitting the sons of Jewish Parents, and all those who wished to become Proselytes of Righteousness, into the Jewish Religion; the Feast of the Passover, which was instituted to commemorate the preservation of the first-born of the Israelites, and the deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and

* John, iv. 24.

+1 Cor. xiv. 40.

which was intended as an emblem of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, and of the release of a fallen world from the captivity of sin and death the Feast of Tabernacles, designed to keep alive in the minds of the Israelites the remembrance of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness, under the manifest and special protection of the Lord their God, and to excite their gratitude and praise for the fruitfulness of the land, of which he had given them the inheritance; and the Feast of Pentecost, or Weeks, appointed for the purpose of commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and of offering up thankful acknowledgments to Heaven for the possession of the promised land, and for the bounties of the Harvest.

These were instituted by the Almighty, as I just observed, to preserve in the minds of mankind the memory of some remarkable instances of his goodness towards them. Now the most remarkable instance of his goodness towards his sinful creatures was, his permitting his onlybegotten Son to die for their sakes, and in

their stead. To keep up the remembrance of this great sacrifice, to prevent the memory of so inestimable a blessing from being lost among men, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained. A's the continual revolution of the Sabbath-day causes us to think of the duty of religious worship, so does the frequent participation of the Holy Communion remind us, in a particular manner, of that important Event, the Death and Passion of our Saviour Christ. And it is evident, that that circumstance will be fixed in our minds with a more effectual and lasting impression, the commemoration of which is constantly recurring. Moreover, every one must be well aware, how soon any event would pass into oblivion, if it were not kept up from generation to generation by some Outward Act or Memorial. Hence, then, we see, which was the first point I proposed to consider, that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained for the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ.

I am to show, Secondly, That it was ordained for the continual remembrance of

the Benefits which we receive thereby. That these Benefits may appear in all their value, it will be right previously to examine into the Occasion and Nature of Christ's Sacrifice.

Satan was once a glorious and happy Spirit, a pure servant and minister of God. But by disobedience he fell from his blessed estate, and became an Apostate Angel. At his instigation Man of his own free will was guilty of transgressing his Maker's command, and became an Apostate also. For Satan there was no redemption, his offence being for ever unpardonable in the sight of God. But for Adam, God in his mercy provided a means of recovery, considering that, although he of his own free consent had chosen the transgression, he had committed it at the suggestion of an insidious and powerful tempter. Yet even this recovery could not be effected without an Atonement, and that a sufficient and meritorious Atonement, such as would at once satisfy the Justice, and vindicate the Honour of God. It was necessary, before any restoration to favour could