V. But among the things of which the Lord's Supper puts us in remembrance, and which we are there called upon to celebrate, is included, not only that love which prompted him to come into the world and lay down his life for our sakes, but also that love with which he still continues to regard us. In other words, we have to contemplate and show forth, not only the love which was manifested in his humiliation but the love also which, in his state of exaltation he continues to manifest. Of this continued love toward his people, we have abundant evidence in the repeated interviews which he vouchsafed to the disciples during the forty days which he spent on earth after his resurrection from the dead-in the manner in which he took leave of them at the moment of his ascension into heaven-in the effusion of his Holy Spirit on them not many days after, according to his previous promise, that he would thus be with them "alway, unto the end of the world" -in the nature of that sovereignty which he exercises over his people, and of that continual intercession which he employs on their behalf,-and, lastly, in the administration among them of the word and ordinances, and of that ordinance especially, in which, while he calls on them to remember him, he so strikingly shows the value which he puts on their affectionate remembrance, and the concern which he feels for affording them that spiritual fellowship with himself, by which the best interests of their souls may be promoted.

Now, if the love of Christ in working out the redemption of his people, is well calculated to inspire them with gratitude and love to him in return, surely his claims to these feelings must, if possible, be strengthened, by the consideration that his love is not less unequivocally shown in the means which he has provided for applying to their souls that redemption which he has purchased. The love of Christ toward his people is not a principle which, having led him to con

fer on them one high and distinguished favour, has afterwards left them to their own unaided efforts and their own imperfect wisdom. On the contrary, it is not only "from everlasting," but "to everlasting." It has not spent itself all at once. He who came into the world to lay down his life for them, came also "that they might have life"-spiritual life" and that they might have it more abundantly." "He giveth grace to the humble," and " he giveth more grace.'

"The

Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." And all this corresponds most strikingly with the language of the apostle, where it is said, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ?"-all things "that pertain unto life and godliness." Although, then, we may not, like the Apostle Peter, have at any time openly disowned out Lord, yet, taking this view of the subject, can we fail to acknowledge the propriety and importance of having put to us the searching and emphatic question which He put to that individual,

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"Lovest thou me? lovest thou me?" And if we think that we are fully prepared to reply with that humbled yet ardent disciple, " Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee," (John xxi. 15, 16;) let us consider that we are then called upon to demonstrate our love by a faithful and zealous discharge of the duties which he has assigned to us; and that it becomes us not only to labour, but also, if need be, to suffer for his sake. He may never require us actually to lay down our life for his sake; but he does require us to lay down our sins-to "crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts"-to" mortify the deeds of the body-and to exercise a holy violence in resisting, renouncing, and subduing our besetting sins, although this should be like plucking out a right eye,

or cutting off a right hand. He requires us, in short, to be "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

VI. We have now to remark, in the sixth place, that in the Lord's Supper there is a representation of the union and brotherly love which ought to subsist among those who partake of it. They sit at the same table they are guests of the same Entertainer-disciples of the same Master. They partake in common the same elements-and they do so in compliance with the same injunction, and professedly with the same intention, namely, that of gratefully remembering him -of proclaiming their engagement to be his servantsand of seeking to share in the blessings of his salvation. These circumstances are evidently calculated to awaken in our minds, when we find ourselves in such a situation, the tenderest emotions of brotherly love. It is a situation in which, if we are agreed on the grand fundamental points of Christian doctrine, and on what are held to be Scriptural forms of worship and Scriptural terms of communion, and if, in the judgment of an enlightened charity, we can regard each other as possessing the leading features of the Christian character, we must feel disposed to forget all other distinctions. It is a situation where the rich and the poor, the young and the old, parents and their upgrown children, masters and their servants, friends and neighbours, ministers and people, are accustomed to meet together in the most solemn act of religion in which they shall ever engage, till they all meet before the throne of judgment. Under the deep sense of their common obligations to Christ, all ordinary distinctions are, for the time, forgotten. The idea, that whoever be the worshipper nearest us, that individual may also be nearest us in the glorious mansions of our Father's house in heaven, is so peculiarly touching and sublime, that we cannot help feeling that it has a powerful effect

in awakening and enlivening our benevolent and brotherly affections. We feel that every one of those around us has been specially commended to our love by the Divine Master of the feast; and to experience any thing like indifference or dislike to them, would be like declining the honour which that Master himself had graciously offered us—of leaning on his bosom. We cannot but be, at such a moment, peculiarly alive to the reflection, that if the last commandment which he gave to his disciples as to the duty which they owed to himself, was embodied in the very words which have brought us together" This do in remembrance of me," -the last which he gave to them in regard to their brethren, was embodied in these, not less affecting and memorable words: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." It is by living and acting under the influence of this love, that, as he himself reminds us, we afford to the world the best evidence that we are his disciples, and that we employ one of the most intelligible and effective means for convincing mankind of the divine origin of that gospel which they are called upon to embrace. It is thus, also, that while we exhibit a blessed conformity to one of the most attractive features of the image of the Son of God, we obtain one of the safest and most satisfying evidences in regard to our own spiritual state. "We know," says the Apostle, "that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death," (1 John iii. 14.)

Connected with this part of this subject we may further observe, that the circumstances which are thus peculiarly calculated to awaken our special love toward our brethren in Christ Jesus, are also calculated to fill our hearts with unfeigned good-will toward all our brethren of mankind. Of all this vast community, there are none in a more guilty and helpless condition

than we ourselves once were, when we might justly be described as "having no hope, and without God in the world." If we have indeed been "called out of darkness into his marvellous light"-if we have indeed been made members" of the household of faith"- --we cannot but reflect that it is his own grace alone which has made us to differ from others; and that we are indebted for all our privileges and prospects solely to that love which we assemble to celebrate at a communion table. In the special tenderness of the endearments which Jesus bestowed on those whom he had converted from enemies into friends, we have not a more captivating and constraining example of the love which we ought to cherish towards one another, '- than, in the "great love wherewith he loved us" when we "were dead in trespasses and sins," we have, of the disinterested, active, and persevering good-will which it becomes us to exercise toward those who still have their conversation in the world, and are living as the children of disobedience and of wrath. We cannot, in common with our fellow-communicants, adore and celebrate the love which he has manifested towards our own souls without feeling our hearts melted, and our compassions kindled together in behalf of the souls of others, and without earnestly desiring and endeavouring that they may speedily be brought under the enlightening and renovating influences of his grace.

VII. The only other circumstance, connected with the Lord's Supper, which we have to notice for the purpose of pointing out the feelings which it is fitted to awaken, is the circumstance of his second coming. Now, what are the feelings which the contemplation of this event is fitted to awaken in our minds? It is evidently fitted to remind us that he is not forgetful of us during his absence. "I go," said he, "to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you