But still, some of the nicely scrupulous may ask, "why does the Church, in her exhortations in the communion service, dwell so much upon the importance of "worthily" receiving the holy sacrament, and "the great danger of receiving the same unworthily?" A few words on this point, will be sufficient. There is a great difference between being worthy to receive the sacrament, and worthily receiving it. The only difficulty arises from the sense in which the words worthily and unworthily are employed by the Church. That she does not use them in the commonly received sense, as implying the presence or the absence of merit in the attendants upon her services, will be manifest if we look at the collect for Ash-Wednesday. "Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent, create and make in us, new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now, surely the Church is not guilty of the absurdity of teaching her children to speak of themselves in the presence of the heartsearching God, as meritorious sinners: or, of their confessions of sin and lamentations of wretchedness, as having any thing in them to merit, or be worthy of, the divine forgiveness. She simply uses the word worthily, as expressive of what "is suited to" our

condition and character; which is a legitimate, though now almost obsolete, meaning of the term. She teaches us to pray that we may suitably lament our sins, and acknowledge our wretchedness.

So, when she "speaks of "worthily" receiving the holy communion, she simply means suitably receiving it; or, in other words, receiving it with those views and feelings which become us as penitent sinners, who have no hope but in the mercy of God, and the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. All who go to the Lord's table with impenitent, unbelieving, and carnal hearts, incur the guilt of "eating and drinking unworthily." But they who go there with "a true penitent heart, and lively faith: with gratitude for God's mercy through Christ, and love to all mankind," do "worthily receive the most precious food of the body and blood of Jesus."

SECTION V.

The fear of dishonouring the Christian profession,

noticed.

DOES any reader of these pages say, "my principal difficulties are removed: the blessed sacrament has been stripped of the greatest terrors with which my imagination had invested it: I know that it is my duty to receive it, and feel condemned whenever I neglect to do so: I do sincerely repent of my sins, believe in Jesus, and desire to follow him in newness of life: I am almost resolved to go to the Lord's table, and join myself to his people in a perpetual covenant; it would be my greatest pleasure to do so, but -I am such a weak and erring creature, that I fear I should afterwards fall away from God, and bring dishonour upon the Christian cause, as well as ruiñ upon my guilty soul?”

O, how great is the inconsistency and folly of the human mind! You have a distressing conviction of your weakness, and yet refuse to go to the strong for strength! You lament your own proneness to sin, and yet will not apply to Him who alone can subdue your corruptions and cleanse away your sins! You have a great fear of dishonouring the gospel after having received the sacrament; but have you not more reason to fear and tremble on account of the sin

you are constantly committing by habitual disobedience to the solemn dying commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ?

If you are a frail, sinful, perishing creature, "to whom can you go but unto Him? He alone has the words of eternal life."-You are certain that you commit sin in neglecting the communion, and yet you continue to neglect it, through a fear that you may commit sin after receiving it! But will you not be less likely to fall into sin, when restrained from the commission of it by sacramental vows and engagements, than before? Yes! after you have gone to the Lord's table, publicly professed his name, and attached yourself to his people;-You will feel very differently from what you now do. The remembrance of those sacred acts and associations, will constantly remind you that you belong to God; will prompt you habitually to watch and pray that you be not led into temptation; and powerfully stimulate your efforts to adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things.

You dread the idea of apostacy; and it is right to distrust your own heart, and refuse to rely upon your own strength. But you forget who it is that has said "my strength shall be made perfect in thy weakness: as thy day is, so shall thy strength be."-Have not thousands and tens of thousands, in all ages of the Church, lived as becometh the Gospel, and died in the triumphs of faith? And will not the same grace

be sufficient for you, which wrought so effectually in them? Yes! Jesus is able and willing "to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him.” Rely then upon his promises. Go to his table, consecrating yourself to him, and you shall find "mercy" to pardon, and "grace to help in every time of need." You should have no doubt, that He who has merit to procure the forgiveness of all your past sins, has grace enough to strengthen you for all your future duties. If you rely upon him by faith, he will enable you to "go from strength to strength" on your way to the heavenly "Zion." He will cause your "path to shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day." He will "keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of his Father's glory, with exceeding joy."