On the Sacrament, April 8, 1744

Having preached on those words in Jeremiah, “How shall I put thee among the children,” &c. Jer. iii. 19. I introduced the ordinance with a meditation on these: “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come:” 1 Cor. xi. 26; in which I mentioned two leading thoughts. There is a showing forth of the death of Christ to ourselves, to affect our own hearts; and to the world, both enemies and friends. To ourselves; we represent it before our own eyes, that our thoughts may be fixed upon it, and affected with it: that Christ died; and that he died thus: that his body was broken, and that his blood was poured out. So miserable were we as to need it; — so merciful was our God as to contrive it; — so gracious was our blessed Redeemer as to submit to it. Thus, were we ransomed: thus, our best services were purchased: thus a lasting obligation was laid upon us, an everlasting obligation, which we shall never outlive in this world or in the next. We show it to ourselves in this connexion, because we desire to answer this obligation. We show it forth to others; to all; to the greatest enemies of Christ. We are not ashamed of his cross. We do not desire that his death should be forgotten. It is the language of this action, that Christ died, and we would show it forth in the midst of Jews and Mohammedans, though they should deride it. We show it forth to his friends, hoping it will strike their hearts. We call on you, who are present, to look up to it, and to consider it. This was our Saviour; and not ours alone, but we trust yours too. Do you not believe it? Do you not consider it? We also show forth his death till he come. It is an ordinance always to be continued in the church; and the thought of his coming is to be connected with it. It is an ordinance always to continue in the church. It has continued a great many ages; was instituted probably before the Sabbath, at least belbre that illustrious one, when the Holy Ghost descended from heaven. It will continue to the end. If it be rooted out in one church and nation, it will continue in another until the Lord’s day belorc the re-appearance of Christ. The last day of the Son of man upon the earth! And O! what a circumstance will that be for Christians not aware of so sudden a change! Having been at the Lord’s supper on the preceding Sabbath, to see before the next our Lord Jesus Christ descending in the clouds of heaven, and to be caught up to meet him. Surely the pleasure of that interview will be augmented by the communion they have had with him on such an occasion as this. We are also to consider this ordinance in connexion with the view of his coming. He will surely and quickly come! Many of our fellow communicants he has come to take to himself. Their places are empty; or rather, we fill them. So will ours be emptied, and filled up, I trust, by successors. O that there may still be here a seed to serve Christ, when you and I are in our graves. Our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judgment, and we shall be “gathered up together to him.” It will, perhaps, be thirteen or fourteen hundred years or more before the millennium will be; — but Christ will then remember us; and remember his servants who have already been dead almost two thousand years; — nay, the people of God, who have been dead much longer. He will lose none, but raise up all; Christ cannot forget us, and although our names be forgotten in the church below, they shall live with him. O blessed day! In the expectation of this, let us, in obedience to his command, do our part this day towards worthily transmitting this blessed memorial.

I had afterwards many addresses to the spectators; praying for the absent, and especially for those who were either confined at home, or absent in foreign lands.