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they ftared at him in ftupid ignorance, having never heard of any of these things.In the last page the author tells us, the use of the fabbath was totally loft among thefe people.If he had told us this in the first page, we should have taken all the rest for granted.

We are not yet, thank God, reduced to fo low an cbb of depravity; but how foon we may be, if we neglect the fabbath ourselves, and neglect to bring up our children, and dependents in the obfervance of it, God only knows. We fee the light of the gospel may be totally loft.---Join therefore with me, my brethren, you who are better difpofed, and endeavour to make the fabbath as religiously observed, as it was in ancient times. Each of us may have fome influence on a neighbour---a kinfman---a fervant---on all at. leaft by his example. But above all, let the heads of parishes take care to fet a good example to those beneath them. If they even think the fabbath of no ufe to themselves, as many of these fashioned gentry may think, yet ftill as it is of the highest importance to their poor neighbours, it is a cruel thing to make them believe, (as far as the example of a fuperior goes, which is generally too far,) that the fabbath is of no ufe at all.-We hope how

ever, that all are not fuch. Great pains have been taken to infufe religion amongst us; and we may hope that the ftrict obfervance of the fabbath, among other things, may be established; and with it good order, and religion. For that happy time let us all devoutly pray to God, the author of all good order, and good works; to whom be honour, &c.

SERMON

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SERMON XXXI.

LUKE Xxii, 19.

THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.

FROM thefe words, I fhall first give you a

fhort account of the inftitution, and defign of the Lord's Supper; and fecondly endeavour to clear it of fuch difficulties, as may be apt to raise fcruples among you.

You have the account of its inftitution in three of the Evangelifts. In St. John's gospel it is not mentioned. St. John wrote long after the other evangelifts; and only alludes to the inftitution of the Lord's Supper, which had been long establish ed; and was fufficiently understood in his days.

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He rather dwells on thofe divine difcourfes, which our Saviour made about the time of its celebration. The other evangelifts record the feveral circumftances of the inflitution itfelf. The fum of their united accounts, which vary scarce in any particular, is this.

Juft before our Saviour fuffered, as he was eating the paffover with his difciples, he took bread, and breaking it, diftributed it among them, ordering them, (and in them, all chriftians) to eat it in a religious remembrance of his death. He then poured wine into a cup, and prefenting it likewife to each of them, ordered them to drink it in the fame religious manner, in remembrance of his blood, that was about to be fhed for the fins of mankind.

This is the plain account we have of the inflitution of the Lord's Supper: and comparing it with what is faid on the fubject in other parts of fcripture, we are cafily led to the real defign of it.

As baptifm is an introduction to the christian religion; by which we are confecrated, as it were, to God-promifing on our parts, to obey the gofpel; and receiving on God's part if we do obey it, the promise of everlafting life, through the merits of Chrift-fo the great defign of the Lord's Sup

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per is to preserve the remembrance of Chrift's death, and to fhew, that we ftill continue faithful difciples to that bleffed Saviour, who laid down his life for our fins. We receive the rite of baptism therefore only once, as we are only once made members of the chriftian church: but we receive the Lord's Supper frequently, as we ought frequently to commemorate the bleffings of redemption.

Thus then the facraments are a fort of feal fet by God to confirm the promises of the gofpelor, in the words of our church-catechifm, they are means, whereby we receive the fame; and pledges to affure us thereof-means of accepting on our part, and pledges of giving on God's.

But now, befides this end, the facraments are fo happily contrived, as to refer to the great truths of the gospel, which are in fact, the very foundations of our religion. Baptifm refers to the purifying of our nature, after the fall of our first parents; which is expreffed in the gospel by putting off the old man—by the renewing of our spirit---by washing off the filth of the flesh; and a variety of other phrafes, equally fignificant of all which our be ing washed, or fprinkled with water in our baptifm, is an outward fign.

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