when I come to you, I will instruct you further." Timorous and ignorant Christians may, therefore, rest assured that if they have taken the Sacrament unworthily through infirmity and frailty, and not wilfully, there is room for pardon through repentance and prayer, in the name and through the merits of the Deity who instituted this supper, as a testimony of his love, and an invitation to his brethren (as he was graciously pleased to call mankind-"my mother and my brethren are those which hear the word of God and do it.” -St. Luke, c. viii. v. 21.) to approach bim in the spirit of love to him and to each other; and, by their concord, affection, and charity, teach mankind that his is a merciful religion; that his " yoke is easy and his burthen is light," and that he will receive all who come to him, and “in no wise cast them out:" consequently, it is scarcely rational to suppose that he included, reservedly, (for he expressed none) in that gracious invitation any austere or

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rigid condition; (because there is no such attached to any other of his commands !) or any overbearing terror to alarm the timorous so as to make them fearful of approaching his table. He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; therefore, to him and to his table sinners are welcome, provided they approach him with faith, sincerity, and love. They may rest assured they will be pardoned if they repent; for "he knows our infirmities," and "whereof we are made;" for, he "took our nature upon him," and therefore he will pity and spare the penitent sinner. Timorous Christians may also recollect that there is but ONE unpardonable sin-the sin, or blasphemy, against the Holy Ghost;-St. Paul does not accuse the Corinthians with having committed that sin in their profanation of this rite; and, according to all interpretations of it, the profanation in question is not that sin. How far a wilful profanation of the rite may partake of that sin, when the

profaner is not ignorant of the nature of the rite, is worthy of consideration ; since it is not only sinning against the law, but striving with the spirit, of God and setting the holy ordinances at nought; (see the comment on the first commandment at the latter part of this work) but those who are fearful to offend God cannot profane this rite wilfully; and as God judges of the deed by the will, and pardons penitent frailty, he will pardon this sin against the Son when frailty, having offended, is penitent. I am the more earnest in this matter, because I much fear many, many are driven from this table through severe misconstructions ("burthens upon men's shoulders") put upon the true meaning, intent of, and preparation for, this "comfortable Sacrament;" whereas all ought to be taught to love instead of dreading it, and true love acts not lightly. If there be any thing grievous in this rite, then is there that which is grievous in our religion, which no man

can say and speak truth. If a man fear to come to the Lord's table because he must part with some darling sin, then it is grievous for him" to come;" but the fault lies with himself; he wants to "serve two masters," which is absurd, since he cannot love both; he must "hate the one and love the other;" for it is palpably clear that he who would fain serve Christ and the devil too cannot; unless he give Christ all his service and all his soul he has "no part with him,”—therefore, his temporizing with Christ is only loving, and giving his soul to, the devil.

SECTION IV.

OF PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENT.

Much has been said, and much insisted upon, in regard of this subject; and, although part has been suggested by good

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sense and well regulated piety, much has been dictated by bigotry and superstition. Such manuals as are published upon this subject, called Companions to the Altar; Week's Preparations, &c. are always put into mourning, (i. e. not only bound in black, but the leaves edged with black) which dress conveys to the mind a kind of prefatory notion of gloom and severity, operating prejudicially upon the weak and timorous: for, it is well known to those who are versed in the science of the human mind that trifles have more concern in giving the tone to our conclusions than is generally imagined; they are as much, if not more, the subjects of contention than truth itself; we are indebted to them for most of our prejudices and all our fopperies; and of all fopperies the gravest are the most absurd and deteriorating.

I do not mean to aver that no preparation for the Sacrament is necessary; far from it: I merely object to the multiplying