The word translated damnation, is, in the margin of our Bibles. rendered judgment, and, indeed, those who are skilled in Hebrew lore, inform us, that this terrific word damnation, ought always to be so rendered. The question is, who are they that do not discern the Lord's body? We have proved that the body of our Lord is the gathering together of the many individuals who constitute the family of man. He, then, who does not discern this divine mystery, does not discern the Lord's body, and consequently makes a distinction, (although it is affirmed the middle wall of partition is broken down,) exclaiming with much exultation, stand off, come not near, for I am holier than thou; thus it appeareth he doth not know that his Redeemer hateth putting away, nor is he aware that in thus thinking he eateth and drinketh unworthily, that he eateth and drinketh damnation or judgment to himself: since by the same rule by which he condemneth his neighbour, he himself is condemned. Had he discerned the Lord's body he would have acknowledged that he ought to have measured the same measure to his brother that he measured to himself.

There is too an error respecting time and manner. The apostle Paul affirmeth, "as oft as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we do shew forth the Lord's death until he come." 1 Corinthians xi. 26. It is impossible for the disciples of Jesus, while under the influence of the holy spirit to eat of this bread made of an innumerable multitude of once separate grains all constituting one piece, without recurring to the substance of this expressive figure, a figure which preaches to him the eternal union of the many scattered grains of the great harvest, every single grain of which, while growing in a natural state until cut down by the Lord of the harvest, is enrobed in a coat of chaff, but now in the substance of the figure, the chaff of every grain being driven away, the whole appeareth a new lump.

Thus the person taught of God, while duly impressed by the spirit's teaching whenever he drinks of this cup, a cup made of the juice of many grapes, which although they all sprang from one root, yet as they grew, appeared sufficiently distinct each one from the other, and were viewed according to the appearance they then made, authorizing a preference wholly lost in this cup; where we find it impossible to discriminate, and where one is really as good as the other, there being no difference, but Jesus Christ, in whom they are thus gathered, bearing all the glory. I say the disciple

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who is thus taught of God, whenever he eats of this bread, or drinks of this cup, does shew forth the death of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven; and, even if he should not revert to the substance of the figures, the bread and wine will still continue striking and standing emblems, will still shew forth the death of our Lord.

The first disciples of our Lord were uniform and frequent in their observance of this institution. Acts, ii. 4, "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Again, verse 46 of the same chapter, "And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness, and with singleness of heart."

"This do in remembrance of me," saith our blessed, our sacred, our Almighty Friend. Thus is a motive added to the magnitude of that mystery which is contained in the expressive symbols. The bread and wine may be regarded as affectionate mementos, as standing memorials of redeeming love, which reference, according to the Apostle, will remain coeval with the use of bread and wine.

Every Christian will view this ordinance with thankful gratitude, holy love, and devout adoration of that God, by whom it was instituted. He hears the Redeemer say, "do this in remembrance of me," and the Apostle assures him," that as oft as he eats this bread, and drinks this cup, he does shew forth the Lord's death until he comes. Unconfined therefore, by time or place, he will hasten to make use of whatever serves to shew forth the death of Jesus as the head of every man, or, in other words as the death of every man; for, as the death of the first Adam, was the death of the fulness of the human nature, the fulness of that nature dwelling in him, so the death of Jesus, as the second Adam, in whom it pleaseth the Father all fulness shall to eternity dwell, is the death of that fulness.

Thus the Apostle. We are crucified with Christ, and he affirms if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all is sufficiently confirmed, by that spirit which testifies of Jesus, pronouncing that he gave himself a ransom for all, that he offered himself once for all, with a variety of similar testimonies from the same spirit, all which serve to establish this momentous truth.

We have said that the Christian beholds all this in figure, whenever he eats bread and drinks wine; and we repeat, whenever he

loses sight thereof, he loses sight of his Redeemer, and while thus forgetful, for the time being, ceases to be a Christian-Yet the truth and grace contained in this precious figure, will never know a period. The Christian we believe, cannot consider it absolutely necessary he should convey himself to any particular spot, in order to his obtaining a faithful view of the death of Jesus, or of the gathering together of the fulness of the lost nature; nor does he view it as the business of any stated time, because he is certain there is no time in the which, he ought not thus to look unto Jesus as the author and finisher of his faith.

Nor can he imagine he ought to receive these symbols in any particular attitude, setting, standing, or kneeling. The Christian conceives that the Supreme Being regardeth the heart, more than the posture. Nor will the Christian reject these elements, if he cannot receive them in any select company, or from the hand of any particular person, but as he can live on the substance of these shadows without recurring to forms, so he can view the shadows which direct to the substance without being compelled to submit to any particular form, for well he knows, that bodily exercise profiteth little, but that the godliness which he beholds in these figures, viz. God manifest in the flesh, this great mystery of godliness is profitable for all things. Acquainted with this important truth, he joins issue with the Apostle and exclaims, "yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

Yet, attached to his fellow men, the Christian will derive additional satisfaction, consolation, and support by uniting in social worship, and collected round the table of the Lord, the joy of his heart will be manifested by the brightness of his countenance.

I have noted the foregoing particulars, relative to an evening on which I can reflect with pleasure, for the purpose of giving you as faithful an account of a part of its employment, as my memory, which you know is not very tenacious, will admit. I have not done thus to inform you, I well know God himself hath informed you. But you may some time or other cast your eye over this paper, and your eye may affect your heart. You may be led to a fresh contemplation of the wonders of redeeming love, and thus obtain a feast of fat things. May the great master of the feast keep you ever near himself, ever satisfying your spirit with the manifestation of himself.

May you be more and more under the refreshing influence of the spirit of truth. May God your Saviour forever bless you.

I am just returned from delivering my last message, at this time in this place. My audience has been large, and I will endeavour to describe to you a part, if not the whole of the entertainment which our God prepared for us. Our subject is contained in the cxxxiii. Psalm, 1st and 2d verses.

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

"It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments."

I had, blessed be God, great freedom of spirit and liberty of speech, while, as I trust, to the satisfaction of many, I considered the following heads of discourse :

First, What are we to understand by the brotherhood?

Secondly, The beautiful propriety of the clause, "how good, and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

Thirdly, and lastly, Where this good may in perfection be found. First, The character brother or brethren is, strictly speaking, only applicable to the children of one Father. Laying aside therefore all distinctions of a civil, political, or religious nature, I shall confine myself wholly to the account which the holy scripture gives of this character. In these sacred writings, we shall find in the primary sense of this word no distinction, and in the secondary but one, of which one we shall before we leave the subject discover the utter destruction.

In the first place with respect to the bodies of all mankind, they had but one Creator, and every individual of the human race, may with propriety say, Lord we are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture; however we have gone astray, each to his own way, yet we are thine. It is thou who hast made us, and not we ourselves. So saith the prophet Isaiah lxiii. 16, "Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father, our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting.

Thus in this sense, as the workmanship of God we are brethren. But secondly, With respect to our spirits. God is the Father of the spirits of all flesh. Hence the wise man with propriety affirms: The spirit returns to God that gave it.

Thirdly, The soul, that most noble part of this triune Being. It was, it is the breath of God, of Jehovah, he who made all mankind living souls, when he breathed into them the breath of life, and they became living souls, or he became a living soul.

Thus are all mankind in body, soul, and spirit, brethren.

Secondly, They are brethren as having but one general head, or father, Adam. There is but one hole of the pit from whence we are digged, but one rock from whence all mankind are hewn. Hence they are all contaminated, so that every child of Adam may say, In sin did my mother conceive me, and I was brought forth in iniquity for all have sinned, and have therefore come short of the glory of God, all have corrupted their ways, all are abominable; yea, verily, in all these senses all mankind are brethren.

But fourthly, As redeemed by Jesus Christ the second Adam. Interested in the love of God, who so loved the world as to give them his Son; in the love of the Son, who gave himself for the life of the world. As blessed in the Son according to that grand discovery God made to the patriarch Abraham, and through the same word of his grace, a few evenings since to us, where God swares by himself, because he could sware by no greater, saying, In blessing I will bless thee, and in thee, and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Thus in each, and every of the foregoing senses the scriptures assure us, all mankind are brethren.

But God made a distinction between the families of the earth; he called Abraham out from the rest of mankind, and made of him a great nation, which nation he called his peculiar people. When Moses saw two of the descendants of Abraham striving with each other, he said, why do you thus? ye are brethren.

But, I observed to you that ere we closed our subject, we should be called to attend to the destruction of this secondary distinction; and this destruction is recorded at the close of the Abrahamic dispensation, when the middle wall of partition was broken down, which so long separated between Jew and Gentile; and Jesus reconciled this division in one body on the cross, thus of the twain making one new man. Hence the Apostle declares, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

Secondly, There is a beautiful propriety in that clause of our text, which calls upon us to behold how good, and how pleasant it is for