birth for them again, that Chrift might be formed in them. Reft not in ordinances as your fecurity; make them not a substitute for holinefs; but improve them as the means of holiness. Gofpel finners will be fhut out of Chrift's kingdom, not because they have eaten and drunk in his prefence, and heard him teach in their streets, but because they have ftill been workers of iniquity.

But does not the apoftle fay, "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himfelf?" Yes: This man brings guilt, or judgment on himself, because he difcerns not the Lord's body. So did the Corinthians, who took one before another his own fupper, and one was hungry and another was drunken; and fo do all who eat in a profane and impious manner. It is not in this manner, that I advise you to eat. But examine yourselves, and fo eat of this bread and drink of this cup. The apoftle does not warn thefe diforderly partakers to partake no more, but exhorts them to repentance of what is past, and amendment for the time to come.

If Jefus has appointed this ordinance efpecially for your benefit, there is a peculiar ingratitude attending your neglect of it. The Redeemer, in his whole work, feems to have had a particular and distinct regard to the young. He himself became a child, that he might exhibit to children an example of early piety; and one branch of piety, which he early exemplified, was an attendance on divine ordinances. At the At the age of twelve. years we find him at the paffover. He has invit. ed the young to come to him; he has expreffed his high approbation of youthful religion never did he appear better pleased, than when he met children in the temple at the paffover, and heard them fing, "Hofanna to the fon of David." He

has cautioned his difciples, that they offend not his little ones, nor caft ftumbling blocks in their way. He has represented them as under the guardianfhip of angels. In the view of the general deftruction of Jerufalem, the diftreffes which would come on children, affected him with fuch deep fenfibility, that he almost forgat his own. While he was going to the place of execution he faid to the fadly fympathizing women," Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." He has given it in folemn charge to the paftors of his flock, that they pay particular attention to his lambs.

What think you of all this, my children? Are you not bound to come to this ordinance ?-an ordinance which Jefus has appointed for you, and in which he exhibits himself as dying for youdying to purchase a falvation, which you needand need no less than others? Do you not think, that he will be pleased with your attendance at his table, as well as with the fongs of the youths in his ancient temple? Do you not think, that this Saviour, who in the days of his flesh was fo attentive to the young, and fo delighted with early indications of piety, will accept your pious and humble approaches to his ordinances?

There are fome who, in their tender age, have felt their minds impreffed with a fense of religion, and have thought, that they foon would openly dedicate themfelves to their Saviour, and come to his table. But by delay their ferious thoughts and refolutions have languished and died away. Ah! I have known fuch inftances. Are there not now among you fome of this defcription? What think you of thefe early impreffions? Were they not the kind invitations of your Saviour to come and take a place in his family, and eat at his table?

Did he not ftand at your door and knock? Was not this his call to you?" Hear my voice and o pen the door, and I will come in and fup with you, and you fhall fup with me? What a pity, that you did not attend? What an advantageyou might have gained by complying with his firft call? Ac. cept his invitation now. It is not yet too late. Hear his voice while it is called to day. It is ftill a day of falvation.

How beautiful is the church in which our fons are as plants grown up in their youth, and our daughters as corner ftones, polifhed after the fimilitude of a paiace? How pleafing the profpect, when we fee children devoting themselves to God taking hold of his covenant, and youths walking in his ways and encouraging one another in his service? We then anticipate the virtue and felicity of many generations, and promise ourselves, that we shall see the good of Jerufalem all the days of our life, and that our children's children will fee the church in peace.

III. We may farther obferve, that we ought to attend upon divine ordinances with a rational view of, and a ferious regard to their proper use and defign.

Mofes fays, "When your children fhall afk, what mean you by this fervice? ye fhall fay, It is the facrifice of the Lord's paffover, who paffed over the house of the Ifraelites in Egypt, when he fmote the Egyptians."

Mofes here fuppofes it to be agreeable to the common fenfe of mankind, and even to the early ideas of children, that there is fome meaning in every service which we perform to the deity. God never requires of us any useless and unmeaning ceremony. In our attendance on his inftituted fervice, we should well understand what it means.

All positive inftitutions are intended for the promotion of real holiness; and our obfervance of them is no farther acceptable, than they are made fubfervient to this end.

The ordinance of the fupper is defigned to fhew forth Chrift's death; and to call up in our fouls the devout remembrance of him. We are, there. fore, to attend upon it with a pious regard to him-with a fenfe of our guilt and unworthinefs-. with repentance of, and refolutions against every known fin-with faith in his righteoufness to juf tify us, and in his grace to fanctify us with gratitude for his condefcenfion and kindness in giving himself for us-with love to the brethren, and benevolence to all men, to which we are called by his example exhibited to us, and recognized by us in this ordinance. As we eat at the fame table and partake of the fame bread, we are to confider ourselves as members of the fame family, and to study the things by which we may edify one another. The apoftle fays, "The cup of bleffing is the communion," or joint participation" of his blood; and the bread which we break is the communion of his body; for we being many are one bread and one body, as we are all partakers of one bread;" or of the fame loaf. "The things which the gentiles facrifice, they facrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that ye fhould have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; nor be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of devils."" Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God; giving no offence, even as I please all men in all things, not fecking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be faved."

I would obferve once more,

4. It is incumbent on parents to inftruct their children in the nature and defign of God's ordinances, and to encourage their attendance upon them. "When your children fhall enquire, What mean you by this service, then fhall ye fay, It is the facrifice of the Lord's paffover."

In like manner parents are to teach their children, what is meant by the Lord's fupper. It is a fymbol of his facrifice for the fins of men.

There are fome who deter their children from this ordinance by too awful reprefentations of it, as if it fealed the guilt and deftruction of those who received it in unregeneracy. It would be more agreeable to the fweet and benevolent fpirit of the gofpel to represent the ordinance as a token of God's grace and mercy to finners, and as a mean of accefs to him through the Redeemer. It was not instituted to perplex and enfnare, but to edify and comfort humble fouls. It was not intended to terrify and affright, but to ftrengthen and encourage the tender and fearful.

While we warn the young not to approach it with thoughtless temerity, or with the indulgence of known iniquity, let us invite them to come humbly and penitently. Let us lead them to view the ordinance, as defigned no less for their ufe than for ours. Let us affift them in gaining a good knowledge of the gofpel, and exhort them to use this and every divine ordinance as the means of spiritual improvement. Let us recommend to them the religion of Jefus by our own holy example. Let us fimile on any hopeful difpofitions, which we difcover in them, and contribute all in our power to their fpiritual nourifhment, that they may grow up in all things into Chrift, and come to the ftature of perfect men in him.