an

enlightened communion with Christ and the countless hosts of blessed ones united with Him, both prepare us for unveiled fellowship with God and His glorified hosts above, and fill it with an engaging anticipation of the unspeakably delightful enjoyment therein experienced.

Hence a worthy participation of the Lord's Supper is the most effectual remedy for the fear of death. It even tends to excite in the soul an eager desire, an anxious "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God," "desire to depart, and to be with Christ" and His heavenly hosts in everlasting glory. The soul will not fear to leave the body if it is filled with a lively hope of finding itself thereupon in the presence of the Lord, waiting to receive it with open arms, to greet it with the blessed assurance of His divine favour, of the sweet and heavenly enjoyment of His eternal love. And having frequently approached the confines of glory in the holy Eucharist, and contemplated the grandeur and felicity of the vast society of heaven, it is filled with apprehension of the exalted nature of " the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him," and thus may be brought to long "for an entrance to be ministered unto us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."" Familiarised with communion with God, and habituated to intercourse with things spiritual and heavenly,

• 2 Peter iii. 12.

q 1 Corinthians ii. 9.

▸ Philippians i. 23.

r 2 Peter i. 11.

the Christian soul is in a state of blessed maturity ready to be gathered into the garner of God, prepared for being ushered into the immediate presence of the Lord, for enjoying the company and employments of heaven, and at this great crisis finds far more than it expected, salvation, grandeur, glory, felicity greatly exceeding its highest and most enlightened anticipation.

"Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." How beautiful is this representation of the gracious reception awaiting the soul of every saint upon its entrance into the realms of glory at the hands of this loving Saviour. We should often dwell upon it with deep, thoughtful, and devout meditation, especially when we partake of the Lord's Supper. Our thoughts may advance from our merciful reception at His holy table, which we approached by faith, to the analogous, but infinitely more glorious welcome at the everlasting banquet of heavenly joy. No language can adequately describe the condescension, the interest, the forwardness, the love with which the gracious Saviour receives His redeemed as they come to Him in His glorious kingdom. But endeavouring to realise more and more our meeting Him in the sacramental communion, with all the condescending love which He manifests to us, we may, by God's grace, be

s St. Luke xii. 37.

favoured with ever increasing knowledge of this blessed subject, with more enlarged and enlightened views of the happy meeting of the Saviour and the saved on the threshold of heaven, till the engaging prospect shall fill our soul with desire thus to meet the Lord in His kingdom of glory, and "be for ever with the Lord."*

From this general view of the holy sacraments it is proposed to proceed to the consideration of various particular topics connected with the Lord's Supper. Sufficient ground has now been laid for a devout and expansive study of this sacred ordinance. Let the mind continually revert to the important subject of this introductory lecture, the nearness of the Lord to the pious communicant in the celebration of the holy Eucharist. A current consideration of this most affecting truth attending the study of all the details connected with this sacrament, will both insure a deeply serious and reverent frame of mind, and also impart a vivid colour to every particular discussed, and excite a lively and impressive interest in it. It is apprehension of the presence of God which gives life to every branch of religion, to every spiritual exercise. It is a recognition of Christ, with enlightened views of Him, which most deeply interests the Christian mind in all duties peculiarly evangelical. Such apprehension of the nearness of Christ, and such spiritual contemplation of Him, is doubtless found in the greatest measure in the celebration of the

t 1 Thessalonians iv. 17.

16 SACRAMENts connecTING HEAVEN AND EARTH.

Lord's Supper. And most blessed are the effects resulting therefrom; the present experience of comfort, peace and joy, and growing conformity to the likeness of Him, whom we thus contemplate and admire. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.""

u 2 Corinthians iii. 18.

LECTURE II.

THE REMEMBRANCE OF CHRIST'S EARTHLY LIFE

AND OF HIS DEATH.

IT

ST. LUKE Xxii. 19.

"This do in remembrance of me."

It appears reasonable to lay the foundation of the whole edifice of our treatment of that most sacred and important ordinance, the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, in that which its Divine Author pronounced to be its object, "remembrance of Christ."

The superstructure which may be raised on this foundation is immense. To erect it in full and entire completion far surpasses the power of any finite mind. Its summit reaches to the heavens. Its lateral extent is lost in the distant horizon. No pen of man can adequately pourtray it. The utmost that any man can presume to attempt in drawing a description of it is to offer some outlines which pious meditation and religious study may in greater or less measure

fill up.

D