voluntarily come, by partaking of " the Last Supper" in commemoration of the death of their Saviour. This then is what I have called the Sacramental character of the Solemnity. It is an oath taken, not indeed in words, but by the holiest of all symbols, namely, by holding in our hands, and par -- taking of the symbols of the body and blood of our Redeemer,-that we will be true to his service, or acquit ourselves during all the rest of our lives as becomes his followers,-that is to say, that we will avoid all known sin,-practise all known duty, take the example of our Lord as the model of our lives, and endeavour in all things to obey the pure and charitable precepts which he has given us. And here again we see a beautiful adaptation of this solemnity to the wants and welfare of men. For it is evidently a matter of great moment, that there should be times to every man during the course of life, when he may recall his thoughts from their wanderings, and solemnly devote himself to the service of that Being who has given him his place in life, and made him capable of offering unto him a reasonable service. And what time so proper for this solemn vow,-what service so likely to impress it upon our hearts, and to give it every awful and touching sanction,-as that in which we thank God for his great mercy in sending his Son to be a partaker of our nature, and to die for our sins,-in which we appear as supplicants for that pardon which we all feel ourselves to need,—and humbly hope, through Christ, for that eternal life, which is not denied, for his sake, to any that come to him with true purpose of heart? There was, therefore, much divine propriety in the institution of a ceremony which is so admirably adapted for giving effect to this vow, and for inducing us to take it;—and here also, as in the former instance, we see the profound wisdom of the Founder of our faith most significantly and affectingly pointed out. CHARACTER OF THE SOLEMNITY AS A FEAST OF BROTHERLY LOVE. A name very generally given to this solemnity is "the Communion;"-and this name, though it, perhaps, like the corresponding word Communicant, was chiefly intended to have a reference to the act of partaking of the elements as symbols of Christ's body and blood, seems also to have passed, by a natural transition, into a greater latitude of meaning, or new modification of signification, in which it came to denote the fellowship which those who partake of the solemnity have with each other, and with their Divine Master in this holy rite. The solemnity, accordingly, soon came to be considered as a love-feast,—and was usually distinguished by this appellation during the primitive ages of the church. And every person must see how naturally this idea is suggested by many circumstances connected with the ceremony itself. For it is a feast,-and those who sit down at the same table are understood to pledge themselves by that act to kindly feelings and good offices to each other. It is a feast at which rich and poor,-wise and ignorant, -great and low,-meet at the same board, and partake of the same bread, and drink of the same cup, to remind them that all distinctions are for the time lost in the recollection of some higher and more interesting relations,—and that, conse quently, the same feelings of good-will ought to be carried into all the scenes of familiar and active life. It is, more than all this,-a feast in which we commemorate the great love of God manifested through Christ, in forgiving the offences of men, and proclaiming free pardon to all who bear the sinfulness of this our human nature;-and as there is no man who can plead exemption from sin, and the purest minds, indeed, are commonly most aware of their many weaknesses and failures,-the duty of universal pity and charity to the human race, is evidently the lesson that comes from the ceremony itself and from all our preparation for it, with peculiar effect to every human heart. Hence it is that forgiveness of enemies, and reconciliation with those whom we imagine to have done us wrong, have always been taught as a necessary preparation for a becoming participation of this service ;-hence the character and title of a love-feast, by which the solemnity was known in early times not only to the Christians themselves, but to the Heathens who witnessed their usages; -and hence also the most untutored heart must feel, that one of the most inconsistent of all things would be the provoking or indulging of a grudge against any human being, immediately after having come from the act of communicating. Hence also the custom continued from the earliest ages of making the season of partaking of this solemnity, a time of ministering to the necessities of the poor. Here, again, we see another beautiful feature of this solemnity pointed out,-and its adaptation to some of the most pressing wants of human nature made evident. For it is of great moment, that there should be times, when the duty of mutual forgiveness, of being reconciled to enemies, ➡of silencing every angry passion in our bosoms,— and of indulging the sublime and purifying feeling of love to the whole human race,-should be conscientiously performed by every human being;and what season so fit for this, or what service so likely to dispose the heart to perform it,-as that in which we prepare ourselves for appearing before God to thank him for the pardon of our manifold offences, and to commemorate his boundless pity, and truly-divine "love, in sending his Son in the likeness of man, that through him we might have strong consolation, and good hope through grace?" - |