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"It will be granted me, that from the very nature of a feast on a facrifice, it was a pledge and earnest to the Communicant of all the benefits of the Sacrifice to which it belonged; whence I infer, that the feaft on the Sacrifice of the Death of Chrift doth hold out to the faith of a Christian ALL which that Sacrifice, could we fuppofe it capable of repetition, would, from time to time, convey to the Communicant.

"To the question, therefore, in which the whole force of the objection to this notion of the Sacrament lies; does it as totally and perfectly acquit from guilt as the Sacrifices under the Law did? or rather more accurately stated with a view to the neceffary conditions ;-Does the Lord's Supper, received with faith, convey a TOTAL PARDON of fins duly repented of? I anfwer, IT CLEARLY DOES; and that it does, from the very nature of the infti-. tution; not as an act of atonement or expiation, but as an application of the atonement made by Christ, comprife and convey all the benefits of it. i

"These

"These benefits in the prefent cafe, as they influence our happiness in this life, and are means conducive to our happiness in the next, I fhall comprise under the leading articles of pardon and fanctification.

"The Lord's Supper, therefore, when duly received, doth convey a FULL PARDON, and TOTALLY acquit from guilt, or the obligation to punishment, fo long as the condition upon which its benefits are declared to reft, fubfift in the mind of the Communicant; that is, it leaves the finner in a state of acceptance with God, so long as he be careful not to forfeit this fituation by fubfequent inftances of mifconduct."

I have thus briefly reviewed the momentous doctrine of remiffion of fins, as a prefent benefit of the Sacrament, taking into confideration the analogy of Baptifm with the Eucharift, and. the opinions of the ancients and of our church upon it; but I return with fatiffaction to the opinion I have already advanced, which is independent of autho

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rity, and founded on the firm basis of reason and common fenfe; namely, THAT REMISSION MUST ACCOMPANY GRACE. I venture to repeat, that, in theological language, fanctification implies juftification, or, in plain terms, that, as grace is confeffedly given in great plenitude in and by the Eucharift, remiffion of fins must follow grace, becaufe grace would be incompatible with the retention of guilt, and the confequent continuance of God's difpleasure.

SECTION XIII.

The Dottrine of Remiffion of Sins, in and by the Eucharift, not an Encouragament to Vice, but an Incitement to Virtue.

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T has been apprehended, with fome appearance of reafon, that the doctrine of repeated remiffion of fins by a repeated participation of the Eucharist may be favourable to perfeverance in vice. It certainly would be fo, if it taught men, that by merely remembering an historical event, or merely performing a formal rite, an act of implicit obedience, they could be cleared from all paft guilt, however enormous, and delivered from all dread of punishment, however well deserved.

But no fuch doctrine is maintained by any Christian society, nor by any individual, whofe mind is in the leaft degree improved by reading, by hearing, and by due reflection.

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The Sacrament is no Sacrament to those who receive it without repentance, and a firm purpofe to lead a new life; a life of holiness which, together with piety, includes all moral virtue. No man, though he may eat the bread and drink the wine, can receive the Sacrament, properly fpeaking, while he has a fecret intention to run into the fame fins which he profeffes to relinquifh with abhorrence, declaring, in the most folemn manner, in the Communion Service, "That he earnestly repents of his paft offences, is heartily forry for them; that the remembrance of them is grievous unto him, and the burden intolerable."

The difpofition of the worthy receiver is fo much improved by a participation in the folemn rite, that it is impoffible that he should leave the Altar Table with a defign to relapfe into fin, under the encouragement of repeated remiffion. He cannot but confider fuch conduct as diaboical, and calculated to provoke most justly the wrath and indignation of that God whom he has just endeavoured to propitiate.

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