quently the same arguments*. Unhappy errors prevail to too great a degree with respect to this ceremony, to the very great prejudice of religion, and danger even of many well-disposed persons. Mankind were in a fallen state, overwhelmed with ignorance and wickedness, when Jesus Christ came down from Heaven to teach and to save them. His whole life was passed in the former of these employments, and he willingly encountered a most painful and ignominious death to compass the latter. It was just before he died, that he appointed to be observed, in perpetual remembrance of him, this participation of bread and wine: This bread (says he) represents my body; this wine represents my blood; when you eat and drink them, think of what I have undergone for you, and of the great advantages which you have gained by it :' " Do this in remembrance of me." Now there is nothing mysterious in this; nothing more than what all may understand: you are required to do a plain act, to shew your gratitude for the greatest instance of benevolence that ever was: do you, or do you not, believe that Christ died for us, and left us this command?

Arguments and persuasions to frequent communion were enforced by the author from the pulpit, in many sermons: these in his life time he took occasion to throw together into a small pamphlet, which he published under the title of "A Familiar Treatise on the Sacrament."—And it is for this reason that the ' repeated arguments,' to which allusion is made above, are not reprinted in this work, as the writer himself had given them to the world in another form.

If you do not, there's an end of the matter; but if you do, how can you stand excused in your own eyes for refusing to comply with his so earnest request? You will not tell me it is too much trouble! what! to pass one hour in celebrating the goodness of that friend and Saviour, who spent all the hours of his life, and lastly, sacrificed his life itself, in your service!

Besides it is my duty to tell you, that there is much reason to fear, that to those who wilfully shut their eyes against what they ought to do in this particular, and absent themselves altogether from the Lord's table, all which he has done and suffered will have been in vain..

But you are afraid, perhaps, you will say; the threats of St. Paul, which are again repeated in the communion service, terrify and alarm you; you cannot flatter yourselves that you shall be worthy partakers of the Lord's supper; and you therefore think it safer wholly to abstain from it! You are then resolved still to continue in your sins; you are determined not to examine yourselves and repent; not to have hope in Christ, nor to be in charity with your brethren ;-for unless this be the case, if you have but a desire to turn to God, and a wish to be in charity with your neighbour, with a firm purpose to endeavour both, you may with the greatest safety draw near unto the Lord's table. The threats of St. Paul are principally directed against those to whom he writes, the Corinthians, on account of some

irregularities, of which they had been guilty in celebrating this sacrament: as we celebrate it in a different manner, the same irregularities are not now practicable; therefore the Apostle's threats scarce seem applicable to the Christians of these days; and even to the Corinthians, the punishment denounced is not so great as we may suppose it. There is one word, which has been too strongly translated in our Testament; in the original, the sense of the word evidently is not “damnation," but condemnation."-" For he who eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh condemnation to himself;"-and the word does not mean eternal, but temporal condemnation; does not mean punishment in the next, but correction in order to amendment in this world: the very next verse explains it,— "For this cause many among you are weak, and sickly, and some sleep." Now this certainly can only relate to punishment in this life.

Not that I would be understood, that you should approach the altar with no preparation whatever, with no purposes at all of repentance and amendment; indeed, I think that is scarcely possible, but I would not have you think every little defect a sufficient reason to keep you away; I would persuade you to do what you can; and it may be, nay it will be, if you persevere, that you will acquire new grace and strength; you will grow in holiness and virtue; what you now look upon with terror, will become your delight;

and finally, having finished your earthly course, you shall, from partaking of the table of your Lord here on earth, be advanced to the enjoyment of his blessed society, in the mansions of his Father.

SERMON XXVII.

ON BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION.

ACTS XIX. 5, 6.

They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them.

I PROPOSE, in this discourse to treat of two of the ceremonies of our church-baptism and confirmation:-they are closely connected together, the one being only a completion of the other. Something perhaps, I may advance, which may be deserving of the attention of you all; but I more particularly request those to listen to me, who are shortly to be brought before the bishop.

I shall begin by explaining to you, in the plainest words I can fix upon, how baptism came to be necessary; what the nature of it is; and what are the advantages which we derive from it.

When our first parent, Adam, was created, he was (as you must remember) forbidden to eat of the fruit of a certain tree which grew in the midst of the garden where he was placed; he was told,