SERMON XII.

ON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

MATTHEW Xxvi. 26-28.

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

In these words we have a plain and direct account of the institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. St. Mark and St. Luke also give a description of it in their Gospels; the former in language nearly similar to that of the text. St. John is silent on the subject; probably because, having seen the other three Gospels previous to his writing his, and it being his intention for the most part to describe only such circumstances, and events in our Saviour's life, as were omitted by the other sacred historians, he

might, not for that reason, think it essential to allude to it.

It was during the celebration of the Passover, at which our Divine Lord condescended to be present with his disciples, the night before his crucifixion, and which therefore has been designated the last supper, that the important event, we are now considering, took place. Now that he was on the eve of consummating all that he had so lovingly and marvellously begun for the salvation of mankind, by yielding himself up to a cruel and ignominious death; as a further token of his deep regard for the everlasting welfare of those, for whom he was about to suffer, "he instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort."

The mighty Redeemer of the world would leave nothing undone, by which his ransomed people might obtain the full benefit of his cross and passion. Well knowing, therefore, how apt we all are to allow the impression of any benefit, that we may have received from a fellow-creature, either in part to lose its force, or altogether to pass away from our recollection,-in the fulness of his mercy he devised this gracious method,

by which we might ever keep in mind all that he did and suffered "for us men, and for our salvation;" and thus, in appointing the observance of this holy festival, he added this solemn injunction: "this do in remembrance of me '."

And what, I would ask, could be more appropriate for the institution of this memorial, than the time of the celebration of the Passover? At this feast the Jews were wont to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage; when the angel of the Lord, who was commissioned to smite all the first-born of the Egyptians, passed over the children of Israel. By the blood of "a lamb without blemish," sprinkled on the door-posts of the houses, were the Israelites to be saved. It was to be to them "a token where they were,” in order that the Lord might not destroy them, when he should smite the land of Egypt. The blood of Jesus Christ, sprinkled on the heart, was to be the token, and the cause, of salvation to all mankind. By it were they to be delivered, not from the bondage of a temporal prince, but from the far more grievous tyranny of a spiritual oppressor ;--not from present cala

1 1 Luke xxii. 19.

mity, but from an eternal weight of misery. Thus Jesus Christ, the "Lamb without spot or blemish," that was about to be offered up on the cross for the sins of the whole world, was clearly typified and prefigured by the Jewish Paschal Lamb.

Well then did the Saviour direct his disciples to extend the object of their ancient festival, to yet higher and more noble views, even to a perpetual memorial of their deliverance from sin, and death, by the sacrifice of Christ their Passover, slain from the foundation of the world; whose blood will never cease to flow in the hearts of all true believers, but will retain its saving efficacy, till that momentous period shall arrive, when the immolated victim of man's transgression shall be converted into his judge; and when the final destination of the myriads, for whom he died, shall be determined according as they shall have sought an interest in, or rejected, the mighty atonement of his cross.

Such, my Christian hearers, is the foundation, and the design of this holy ordinance, which, together with Baptism, is received by our Church; and, by reason of its sacred origin, entitled a Sacrament; and therefore binding on, and neces

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*i Cor. x. and xi.