racters of our church who have written and defended the term. However it is now pretty generally agreed that to take the sacrament as a qualification for office, and often by persons who do not usually appear to pay reverence to religion, is a very awful abuse and perversion of a sacred institution.* To me it appears that the Lord's Supper is purely a commemorative ordinance, and that the end in view on the part of our Saviour was to perpetuate his love in dying for us. "Do this in remembrance of me." This is inclusive of every thing we ought to do; it has all the force of moral obligation as well as of gratitude, and is exclusive of every thing else, even by way of amendment. In this case, as though our Lord foresaw how the future zeal of his people might go beyond his injunctions, he would impose a timely check to it in these expressive words, "Do this in remembrance of me,"-this do and no more this being properly done will answer the purpose designed. It is officious to go beyond this plain precept, or to make it any thing else than commemorative. We must neither add nor diminish; for if we do either we indirectly cast a reflection upon the wisdom of the institutor. Other divines call this ordinance eucharistical, and certainly I like this notion better than the sacramental. An eucharistical ordinance, or this notion concerning it, is adopted from the thank-offerings of the Jewish church. Most certainly a "thankful remembrance of Christ's death"+ is very proper, but thankfulness is only an adjunct which ought to stand connected with all we do (Col. iii. 17); the ordinance itself is, and ought to be, memorative. Its type, the paschal-feast, exactly answers this idea. The Hebrew nation were ordered by the passover to preserve God's wonderful deliverance in their minds to all generations. Others, to be quite sure, unite the sacramental and eu

:

*The act of parliament imposing the sacrament on taking certain offices is happily now repealed.

+ Church Catechism.

charistical ideas, but here is no predominant point on which to fix the mind; comprehending so many ideas, the whole is weakened or destroyed. However, every one must think for himself; and I shall give presently a sketch of a discourse that treats of three distinct ideas. I think our national church, though she calls the ordinance a sacrament, yet fully admits the commemorative and eucharistical ideas; and, when it is considered how many there were to please at the Reformation, it is not wonderful that distinctness was lost to the view.

Fifthly: The purpose of God in calling his people out of the world, is worthy of your attentive consideration; you will have frequent occasion to refer to it in the course of your ministry, and it is a topic replete with instruction and encouragement to yourselves as "workers together with God." The end proposed by the Almighty is to save his people through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Hence it is declared that Christ " gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." In strict accordance with this the apostle Peter, addressing his Christian brethren, says, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;" 1 Pet. ii. 9. Though it is the people's care to exemplify this character, and to the people it was addressed, yet the formation of the character is instrumentally committed to the preacher; for it is he that is "to feed the flock of God" with such wholesome truths as are calculated to produce the character intended; by example, by precept, by representation, by excitement, by vigilance, to be always aiming at the end proposed. The faithful, anxious minister will sometimes be consulting with himself in some such manner as this: "What additions have I brought into Christ's church? What solicitude has been manifested to preserve them, to

strengthen their graces, to increase their knowledge, to improve their holiness, to caution and arm them against danger? What increase of piety, of Christian love and zeal, has been produced by my discourses to them? Are the people more spiritual and heavenly in their conversation?" Now this is no small charge upon a preacher; it carries with it great responsibilities, so much so that thinking, conscientious men often cry out, "Who is sufficient for these things?"

Now if their sanctification is the end proposed by Christ in calling his people out of the world, then this end will go with the preacher into the pulpit or desk, will suggest to him his duty there, it will direct him to topics of discourse, that he may be a helper together with Christ, the chief Shepherd, in bringing home his wanderers, and in supporting and cherishing the weak of the flock. He will thus be concerned to show himself a faithful servant at every hand; he will be eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, wisdom to the simple, and a friend to all. Here a reference may be made to the preface to these volumes.

I am aware that the preacher has, on entering the pulpit, a great many things to think of; still the claim before us, the end proposed, cannot be waved or lost sight of. This would be like the barrister abandoning or forgetting the interest of his client, or the ambassador omitting the main point of his instructions at a foreign court. Let therefore this thought be habitual, and the main point will be secured. The end in view, in preaching the gospel, was and is the calling of sinners to make them saints.

In the two preceding sections I have endeavoured to point out the usefulness of this Topic in assisting us to discover the true sense of Scripture, and, for the sake of illustration, have briefly considered the end proposed in the appointment of the Christian ministry, in the positive institutions of the gospel, &c. In what follows I shall proceed

to lay before you some examples in which the Topic forms the ground-work of division. Much, however, as I love variety in the construction of a sermon, and much as I have endeavoured to promote it, I would not add this form to the rest, if I were not satisfied that it is well worthy of your attention; the following examples will, I think, be sufficient to show you that "the end proposed" will suggest the best mode of treating many subjects; while the particular end which you have in view must of course always regulate the form of division.

No. 1. Mr. Davies, of America, in treating on the subject of the Lord's supper, to which we have already referred, divides upon our Topic. The text is 1 Cor. v. 8: "Let us keep the feast," &c. The author insists on the end proposed in the ordinance in three particulars, viz.:

I. This ordinance was intended as a memorial of the sufferings of Christ for his people.

II. It was appointed as a badge of our Christian profession, and of our being united to him.

III. As a seal of the covenant of grace, both on God's part and also on ours.

These points he treats rather propositionally. The first part contains my sentiments; as to the second part, I always thought that it was baptism which stood for the badge of our profession, and I also think that baptism has more to do with the covenant alluded to than the ordinance of the Lord's supper. Baptism is, I think, the proper initiatory ceremony, and more fitly so the more public it is; but the Lord's supper was first celebrated with closed doors.

No. 2. Claude gives you the ends which the apostle Paul had in view in insisting on evangelical justification, viz. ; I. To preserve men from pharisaical pride.

11. To withdraw them from ceremonial observances. III. To bring them to the true and only atonement for sin.

No. 3. Blair, on Matt. xiii. 30: "Let both grow together until the harvest," treats of the mixture of bad men with the followers of God in the present state, and justifies the wisdom and equity of Divine Providence in permitting it, by showing that the real benefit of his people is the great end proposed in this permission. This he amplifies by considering the several subordinate ends which could not be so well answered if the tares were all rooted out by the vengeance of heaven. The following is an abstract of the doctor's sermon :

The end proposed by Jehovah, in permitting the mixture of good and bad in the present state, is the real advantage of his people, which is thereby promoted.

I. In a way of discipline; for it constitutes a state of trial well calculated to improve the character of God's people.

1. As it exercises their passive graces.-Were there no bad men in the world to vex and distress the good, the good might appear in the light of harmless innocence, but could have no opportunity of displaying fidelity, magnanimity, patience, fortitude. In our present imperfect state, if goodness constantly proceeded in a smooth and flowery path; if, meeting with no adversary to oppose it, it were surrounded on every hand with acclamation and praise; is there no ground to dread that it might be corrupted by vanity or sink into indolence? This dangerous calm must therefore be interrupted; and wicked men are employed as instruments in the hands of God to rouse his servants from dangerous slumbers, to form them for the day of adversity, and to teach them how to suffer honourably.

2. As it serves to improve their active powers.-It gives occasion for their graces to shine with conspicuous lustre, and makes them appear as σε the lights of the world" amidst surrounding darkness. Were it not for the dangers that arise from abounding iniquity, many of our active