speakably great, and that, in order to the reception of its benefits, peculiar care should be taken in the preparation.

SECTION II.

The Sacrament in general, and the word Sacrament in particular, considered.

THE all-wise Governor of the universe, knowing what is in man, and condescending to his infirmities, has not accommodated his holy Ordinances to the intellectual improvements of a few only of the human race, but adapted them to the great mass of mortals, immersed in sensual things, prone to acquiesce in mere animal life, and with difficulty perceiving and admitting the pure and exalted truths of religion. The rites which he has instituted are accompanied with sensible images, with objects visible and tangible, in order to conduct the carnal mind, by gentle gradations, and in the easiest manner, to the sublimity of a pure and spiritual state.

For this purpose, he has appointed two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, in which the elements of water, bread, and wine are constituted, under the operation of his Spirit; both signs and means of sanctification and pardon. In these mysterious institutions something is done as well

as spoken; some palpable emblems are introduced; and the language of actions and signs is a language more impressive and universal than any mode of oral utterance.

The word," Sacrament," which distinguishes these Holy Rites, is certainly not a scriptural term, neither is it classical; for I do not accord with those who derive it from Sacramentum, the military oath of the Romans. It evidently comes from Sacramentum, as used by the early translators of the Bible, in the edition called the Vulgate, whenever they had occasion to render into Latin the Greek term Mystery.

The very name Sacrament implies Mystery. In the language of theologists, who, more intent on things than words, did not always study the purest diction of the Augustine age, Sacramentum is adopted as the appropriate name for the Holy mysteries of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; and accordingly our Church, in the communion Service, announces, "that our Master and only Saviour hath instituted and ordained Holy Mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort."

Of the Sacraments, it is my present purpose to consider the second; the second in order of time, but the first in importance; I mean the Eucharist;

that Sacrament which is occasionally to repair, while life continues, whatever is lost by sin and infirmity, after the initiation of Baptism; and to supply the Christian Pilgrim, in his journey through life, along the path of piety, with food for his growth in grace, with medicine for his maladies, and with a never-failing cup of spiritual consolation.

The Sacrament, for so the Eucharist is usually called by way of eminence, is both in its name and nature, a mystery; and as a mystery, contains something in it above, though not contrary to, human reason; something supernatural, which can be nothing less than, as the Church expresses it, an inward and spiritual grace; the consequence of which must be pardon.

Sanctification and the remission of sins, are, with out doubt, the greatest favours that a human being can receive, and these are offered in the Eucharist to the worthy receiver, by the Founder of our Religion and of this rite. With the lowliest prostration therefore of mind and body, man, wretched as he is by nature, ought to approach the Holy Mystery, and accept its annexed blessings. Not that he is to worship any created thing in performing this solemn act; but that the deepest humility, as well as gratitude, is the proper sentiment of so weak a being, when he prepares to supplicate, ac

cording to a rite, ordained by his Saviour, for grace and pardon, at the throne of the Most High.

SECTION III.

The Sixth Chapter of St. John, contains Passages (from verse 25 to verse 36, and from verse 46 to verse 64) which refer to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

IN the present discussion, I think it very material, that the passages respecting eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of Man, in the sixth chapter of St. John, should be generally understood (as they were certainly meant) to point out, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the Eucharistical Feast on the one great Sacrifice.

I shall therefore, for the sake of establishing so important an opinion, call in a powerful auxiliary on my side, the present Bishop of Bangor; whose sermon on the subject, is not more admirable for elegance of composition, than perspicuity and force. I am myself convinced that the passages in question refer to the solemn feast of the Eucharist, which our Saviour afterwards instituted, and for which he gradually prepared the minds of his disciples, by this discourse :

"With regard," says Bishop Cleaver, " to the objection to the sacramental construction of these passages, drawn from the non-institution of the Sacrament at the time when this discourse was delivered, I will only oppose to it one plain fact, which is this; that the same Evangelist, St. John, has, in the third chapter of his Gospel, preserved a discourse of our Lord's with Nicodemus, which expressly mentions the sign and the thing signified, the necessity, and the good effects of Baptism, long before that Sacrament was instituted.

"There can therefore be no presumption drawn against the application of this chapter to the institution of the Lord's Supper, from the time when this discourse was delivered, which would not cqually militate against the application of the third chapter to the Sacrament of Baptism; an application which is, notwithstanding, universally allowed. It should likewise be remembered by those who urge this objection, that the institution of Baptism, however early in the course of our Lord's ministry it was described and explained, was not enjoined till after this of our Lord's Supper.

"So much for the objection by itself considered; but I would make a further use of this discourse upon Baptism, between which and that under consideration, there is more than an acciden tal resemblance.