you have now seated yourselves at this sacred table, I proceed, in obedience to the dying commandment of your Redeemer, to put into your hands these consecrated symbols of his broken body and shed blood.

Then follows the distribution of the Elements, -the Minister at the same time pronouncing the words of Institution, as they are given by the Apostle, 1 Cor. xi. 23.

"The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And, when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said," &c.

"After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup," &c. "And as often as ye eat bread, and drink of this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he

come."

ADDRESS AFTER THE ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN

DISTRIBUTED.

You have thus, Communicants, performed what ought, to sinful beings, to be the most interesting of all services, by celebrating a feast in honour of divine mercy,-in honour of that lovely attribute of the divine nature, and of all its consequent provisions for the salvation of mankind, which adapt the character of the Deity and the course of his dispensations to the peculiarities of the frail and fallen nature with which we are endowed, and you have considered this forgiveness as extended to man, according to the beautiful representation of Scripture, through the propitiatory death of him who himself bore our human nature, as "a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief,”—but who was also honoured with the high distinction of being proclaimed, by a voice from heaven, to be the "beloved Son" of God, " in whom he was well-pleased."

You are now then called to consider yourselves as the "Redeemed of the Lord,"-" as not your own,

M

but as bought with a price, not of corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Son of God, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Yes, Communicants, you are the Redeemed of the Lord; this is the interesting title which the sacred writings have chosen to adopt in addressing mankind upon this subject,-this, and phrases synonymous with this, run through the whole of the Apostolical writings, and it is upon this idea that the inspired writers have founded that truly-affecting style of exhortation to the practice of every duty, which also pervades all their pages.

It is thus that they address us," I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."-" We are not our own, we are bought with a price."-Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having been made a curse for us.- —" We ought, therefore, to glorify him with our spirits and our bodies, which are his." "The love of Christ constraineth us,-because we thus

judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, -and that we who live, should not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto him that loved us, and gave himself for us.

This is the true style of the Apostolical writings, and this is the affecting argument which these writings employ, when they wish to awaken in men every grateful feeling, as an incentive to the performance of all duty, and to a patient endurance of all labour. And there is no strain of exhortation, no style of argument, that has in it such irresistible force, when properly apprehended, -or that has, in fact, so often awakened the deepest and tenderest feelings of the human heart, and made all other arguments appear of little power, when compared with the grand idea of the boundless mercy of God, as displayed in the plans of his "redeeming love."

Let this fine and Christian idea, then, be made familiar to your hearts, and obtain its proper influence on your lives and conduct. Walk through life as "the redeemed of the Lord;"-consider yourselves as "not your own, but as bought with a price" of inestimable value;—and let the "love of

Christ constrain you thus to judge," that as he died for you, you are bound, henceforth, to "live not unto yourselves, but unto him who loved you, and himself for you."

gave

Every day, by fervent supplication, ask the directing and strengthening grace of God to fix this idea in your minds, and to enable you to "walk worthy of so high a vocation." Flee from every species of sin, as the bane of your peace in this world, and the ruin of your prospects in the life that is to come. Strive to become "men of God," and followers of him who counted not his own life dear to himself, that he might work out salvation for his people;—and never forget, that though the trial of your faith may be hard, and many seductions may assail you in this deceitful world, the prize to be gained is of inestimable value,— and that a few years at the farthest will conclude the strife, which is either to place you among those who have failed, or to release your victorious spirits from "the bondage of corruption," that they may join him who is the Captain of Salvation, and that innumerable company whom he is now gathering, as his Redeemed, from among men, into the