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fefted the love that he bore to mankind, it furnishes the moft proper opportunity of recollecting the love of Christ, and rejoicing in the confideration of the bleflings of his gofpel.

Since this rite is peculiar to chriftians, it likewife ferves as a public declaration of our being chriftians; and is, confequently, a recognizing of the obligation we are under to live as becomes chriftians. For no man' can say that he is a christian, and especially in a public and folemn manner, without acknowledging that he is obliged to live as becomes a chriftian. Joining habitually in public worship, implies very much the fame thing.

Laftly, as, in this rite, we more especially commemorate the death of Chrift, it ferves to remind us, that we are the profeffed difciples of a crucified mafter; and, therefore, must not expect better treatment from this world than our Lord met with from it: that we must lay our account with meeting with hardships, reproach, and perfecution,

as

as he did, and that we fhould contentedly and patiently bear them, rather than quit the profeffion of our faith, or do any thing unworthy of it; in full affurance that, if we "fuffer for Chrift, we shall also reign with him, and be glorified together."

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This rite having fuch excellent moral ufes, and the celebration of it being an exprefs command of Chrift, who faid, "Do "this in remembrance of me," I do not fee how any perfon, profeffing christianity, can fatisfy himself with refusing to join in it. In the primitive times, the celebration of the Lord's fupper made a part of the ordinary fervice every Lord's day, and every person who was thought worthy to be confidered as a member of a body of chriftians partook of it. Whenever, indeed, any perfon profeffing christianity behaved in a manner unworthy of the chriftian name, fo as to be in danger of bringing a reproach upon it, he was excommunicated; in confequence of which, he was cut off from joining in any part of chriftian worship, and from this among the reft; but there was

no

no diftinction made between this and other

parts of the fervice, especially the prayers of the church. An excommunicated perfon was one who was publicly declared not to belong to a christian society; and, therefore, the church would not confent to any thing that should imply their acknowledging him in the character of a brother, and declined afficiating with him. The reafon of this condu&t was most evident, because the good name of christians, and of chriftian focieties, was a thing of the greatest confequence to the propagation of christianity in those early times; and it ought to be confidered at all times as a matter of great confequence.

Confidering that Chrift abfolutely requires of all his disciples the most open and public profeffion of his religion, notwithstanding all the hazards to which it may expose them, and has declared, that unless we "confefs him before men," he will not acknowledge us before his heavenly father; it certainly behoves all chriftians to take this, as well as every other method, of declaring, in a public manner, their profeffion of

christianity.

christianity. Moreover, as baptifin is generally administered in infancy, and is not the act of the perfon baptized, it feems neceffary, that there fhould be fome public act, by which those who are baptized in their infancy, fhould openly, and in their own perfons, declare themfelves chriftians; and the moft proper manner of doing this, is certainly the receiving of the Lord's fupper.

According to the custom of the primitive church, a custom fo antient and uncontroverted, as, with me, to carry fufficient evidence of its having been an apoftolical one, all perfons who are baptized, children as well as others, fhould receive the Lord's fupper. It is nothing less than the revival of this cuftom that will fecure a general attendance upon this ordinance; and no objection can be made to it, except what may, with equal ftrength, be made to bringing children to public worship at all, fince they are as incapable of understanding the one as the other. Nor would this antient and useful custom have been ever laid afide, if it had not been for the introduction of a train of

fuperftitious

superstitious notions, which made this pla and fimple ordinance appear continual more myfterious and awful; till, at length, the monftrous doctrine of tranfubftantiation was completely established.

Indeed, it is not a little remarkable, that the cuftom of giving the eucharift to children, was not finally abolished in any place till that doctrine had obtained the full fanction of the church of Rome; and that it maintains its ground to this very day, in all those chriftian churches which were never fubject to that antichriftian power, whose fpiritual ufurpations and corruptions of the gofpel have been immenfe, and have extended to almoft every thing belonging to it.

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