fearchable ways of Divine Wisdom. The misfortune is that, not contented with their own opinions in private, they are taking pains, by publishing them, to rob the pious and humble Chriftians of all the comfort they used to receive, and fill expect, from the Holy Communion. God's grace muft certainly prevail when the difpofition of the recipient is good; but yet, as man's free agency is not deftroyed, many may be mifguided in their opinions by fophiftical reafons, and deviate in their practice, in confequence of an error in speculation.

SECTION XI.

Union with Chrift farther confidered.

GOD

OD is a Spirit; the foul of man is a fpirit, and the perfection of the foul of man, is its union with the Deity, the pure fountain of all that is GOOD and

BEAUTIFUL.

The Gofpel of Chrift has fhewn how this union is to be effected. A rité is eftablithed by the myfterious operation of which, man, duly qualified by faith and repentance, is to be one with Chrift and Chrift with him. The union may certainly be effected in any other way that God may in his wifdom choofe; but he has actually, as appears by the Gofpel of St. John in particular, chofen and appointed, the Euchariftical mode.

There is a natural union with God, and there is an evangelical. The Apostle probably means the natural union when he fays, "He is not far from every

" one of us; for in Him we live and "move and have our being*."

But of this union the animal and vegetable world partake with the rational. Man would derive no pre-eminence over the oak of the foreft, or the beast of the field, from this union alone; for they as well as he, live and move and have their being in God, who gave and fuftains all life.

God, therefore, has vouchfafed to hi rational creatures an evangelical union an union accomplished not by nature, but by grace.

It were profane and blafphemous in man to pretend to fuch a privilege, if he were not juftified in it by the written word of Revelation. We are taught that, fo far 'from prefumption, it is our duty to aspire at it; and that by the due ufe of the means prefcribed, we fhall not be difappointed.

Sacramental Communion is, without doubt, one of the moft certain means of

*Acts, xvii. 27, 28.

accom

accomplishing this union with the Deity, because it is the means inftituted by our Saviour. In compaffion to our infirmities, he has condefcended to take upon him the form of a man, fo that his approach to us might diminish that awful distance between a worm crawling on the earth and the Divinity; a dreadful distance which might have difcouraged us from entertaining a thought of partaking in the divine nature. Chrift, affuming the nature of man, formed an intermediate link in the vast chain which connects Heaven and earth. Chrift permits us in the Sacrament to be united to this link, by the operation of the Holy Spirit..

Our Saviour, during his affumption of the human nature, prayed thus for men: "That they all may be one, as thou Fa

ther art in me, and I in thee, that they

"may ALSO BE ONE IN US. That they may be one, even as we are one, I in "them, and thou in me, that they may "be made perfect in one*"" For we " are members of his body t."

John, xvii. 21.

E 5

† Rom. vii. 4.

But

But far be it from us to affirm that this union is effential, like that of the Trinity; or perfonal, like that of the divine and human nature in Jesus Christ. It is indeed an union, the nature and manner of which is too myfterious to be conceived by man in this mortal state. But it is declared to be real, whatever it is, and to be effected by Sacramental Communion. Thus much is enough for man to know. He believes the Holy Spirit's influence on his heart to be the bond of union with the Deity. He believes this great privilege is given him in the Eucharift, and he accepts it with pious gratitude. "It is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous "in our eyes;" but not at all the less credible because marvellous. Are not the greateft certainties around us marvellous? Is there any thing more marvellous than light ftreaming from the fun for ever with inconceivable velocity? The fun, absent at an immeafurable diftance, yet ever prefent în its vivifying effects; and bearing fome analogy to what we may conceive of fpiritual influence, continually flowing from

the