focially rejoice in the benefits of christianity and its bleffed effects and fruits. Here will we praise God, the father, and his fon, Jefus Chrift, for every good, pious fentiment, by which we have been actuated during the prefent year, for every good, pious act that we have performed in it, for every refined fatif faction that we have enjoyed, and for every advance we have made on the path of wisdom and virtue. For, without the aid of christianity, without the influence of the divine doctrine and the fublime temper of our lord, we should not have had these good fentiments, not have performed these good actions, not enjoyed these refined fatisfactions, and not have fo proceeded onwards to perfection. Without the aid of chriftianity we should probably have been the despicable flaves of error and fuperftition, flaves of low paffions and cupidities, wretched, hopeless mortals. Yes, to him, our deliverer, who has fet us at liberty, and through whom we are become wife, good, contented people, to him will we here with united hearts prefent the offering of joy and gratitude, which he has fo just a right to expect from us, his redeemed. - Here will we however likewife bind and encourage ourselves to a continually faithfuller ufe of that christianity, the power and felicity whereof we have fo fignally experienced. Yes, let us unanimoufly declare: Chrift, whofe merits in behalf of us and of the whole human race we here extoll, whofe difciples and followers we here profefs to be,

- VOL. II.

fhall conftantly live in us. His fpirit and his temper fhall be uniformly the vital principle of our's; his precepts and his example fhall be the rule of our whole deportment. To him, the captain of our falvation, will we steadily look, in his footsteps with ever increasing alacrity tread, be ever endeavouring to gain a clofer refemblance to him and by greater affimilation with him be continually more qualified for the happiness which he has prepared for us in his heavenly kingdom. So fhall we both here and hereafter have communion with him, and in his communion be for ever bleffed.

Communion.

Amen.

SERMON LXIII.

Caution against Thoughtleffnefs during our Attendance.. at the holy Supper.

GOD, who though infinitely exalted above us

and all created beings, yet lookeft down upon us as thy children and knowest and approvest every good defire of our hearts, we are met together in thy house, to celebrate the memorial of thy love and the love of thy fon, Jefus Chrift, publicly and focially to thank thee for the greatest of all bounties, to fill our minds with fuch fentiments of gratitude, of reciprocal love and of obedience as may render this folemnity falutary and reviving to us. What an honour, what a happiness for us, that we can raise ourfelves in thought to thee, the Eternal and Infinite, that we can revere thee as our father, that we can have communion with thee and with thy dear fon! Oh might we all fo employ this honour and this happinefs, as is adequate to their exalted worth! Oh might the hearts of us all be fo actuated and pervaded by fincerity, ferioufnefs, devotion, fervour, as to render us truly qualified for the lofty occupation in which we now purpofe to engage! Father of fpirits, in whom we live and think and are, do thou thyfelf infufe into our fpirit, fo oft overborne by fense,

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fenfe, new ftrength and vigour to foar aloft above all that is terrestrial and visible, to converse alone with thee, its creator and father, and with Jefus Chrift its deliverer, and that in fuch manner as becomes weak, finful, guilty creatures, but creatures by thee highly favoured and called to never ending happinefs. Blefs to that end the confiderations we shall now enter upon. Let us perceive the truth of them, not refift their influence but willingly and incontinently comply with their demands. We pray thee for thefe gifts and graces in the name of thy fon Jefus, and trufting in his promises, addrefs thee further as Our father, &c.

I CORINTH. xi. 20, 21, 22.

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's fupper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own fupper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houfes to eat and to drink in? or defpife ye the church of God, and fhame them that have not? What fhall I fay to you? fhall I praise you in this? I praife you not.

REGARDING the celebration of our religious

rites in general and in keeping the ordinance of the holy fupper in particular there are principally two aberrations into which we are liable to fall. One is fuperftition, the other thoughtleffnefs. The former, fuperftition, induces us to expect more from a religious rite, than we are reasonably warranted to expect, or to afcribe powers and efficacies to it which

it has not. The latter, thoughtlessness, perfuades us to deem lightly of the whole matter as of less importance than in fact it is, to confider it as an infignificant ceremony, to lofe fight of its defign and its utility, and therefore to act towards it without attention and seriousness, with coldness and indifference. Both of thefe deflections are dangerous: in both we deprive ourselves of even those advantages, which a rational and devout obfervance of the duties of religious worship might procure us. Against the former of these two deviations we have already fome fhort time fince cautioned you, my pious hearers, To-day we will in the fear of God endeavour to guard you against the other, or reclaim you from it. We will namely caution you against levity and thoughtlessness in your attendance on the holy fupper. Accept this caution with docility, with obediential fubmiffion of heart, let every individual think that it is delivered to him in particular, and not solely to the rest, let every one apply it to himself, and not feek to deny or excufe failings, which must be extremely danger. ous and injurious to him, if he wilfully perfift in them.

The Corinthians, whose conduct the apostle Paul so severely reprehends in our text, were guilty of fuch thoughtlessness at the facred fupper. They forgot the defign of this holy inftitution. They con. fidered this religious repaft as they did any ordinary meal. They provided for the gratification of their fenfual appetites, their hunger and thirst, but not