way from all kinds of fins, and endeavour to fubdue every propensity to them, or habit of committing them. Being thus ftedfaftly refolved to ftrive, with the affiftance of God, againft all iniquity, and to bring under fubjection your paffions and affections to the dictates of confcience, and the laws which God hath given for the regulation and government of them, you may fatisfy yourfelves, that you will not be unacceptable guests at the Lord's table.

OF YOUR CHARITY.

You must next examine yourselves, candidly, with respect to your benevolence and charity towards all men. This grace is the diftinguithing badge of Christianity. "A new commandment. I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you. This is the laft will and testament of Chrift Jefus to all his difciples. Unless you find your hearts really disposed to forgive the offences and injuries of others, and are inclined to do all the offices of beneficence to your neighbours which are in your power, you are by no means qualified to partake of this holy Sacrament. We must not pretend to offer ourselves as living facrifices to God, till we first of all "be reconciled to our brother." The more that fincere worshippers love God, the more

their love to one another will increase, And this principle of charity, not only will restrain us from all perfonal and private violence or revenge, but will difpofe us to forgive, even the multitude of repeated offences. Nay, it commands us to exercise real acts of kindness to our greateft.enemies, even "to do good to them that hate us, and to pray for them which despitefully ufe us, and perfecute us." It therefore is incumbent upon all those who would thus folemnly dedicate themfelves to God, to examine the receffes of their hearts, and to be certified," that they live in charity with all men, before they presume to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup."

OF THE MOTIVES WHICH INDUCE YOU TO PARTAKE OF THIS SACRAMENT.

ARE you fenfible, that the strongest ties of love, of duty and gratitude, which you owe to the Almighty, influence you to obey the exprefs commandment of Christ, to preserve the memory of his love to mankind, by partaking of this Sacrament? Are you impreffed with this important conviction, that all your prefent bleffings and future hopes of eternal life, are purchafed by the meritorious death of Chrift Jefus? Do you trust that your Faith will gather ftrength, by meditating upon the love of God in Christ Jefus, who lived and died to enlarge

the

the charity and love of mankind, both to God, and to one another? Is your purpose at this holy Supper, to engage, that you will ftrive, by his grace helping you, to bring your hearts and lives to a nearer conformity to the example of Chrift? Filled with forrow for your offences, are you refolved to look upon him whom your fins have pierced; and, being filled with contrition, do you determine to forfake all iniquity, and to renew your covenant-engagements, for a better life and converfation, in view of his Crofs? Do you firmly believe, that this Sacrament is appointed as one of those means by which Chrift Jefus would repair the ruins which the fraud of the Devil, and our evil wills and affections have made in our fouls, either as to our fafety or comfort, that, when we behold him upon his Crofs, we may have ground to hope, that our paft fins thall be pardoned, because of his fufferings, and our fouls washed and purified, because of his blood? And do you, upon this account, intend to commemorate his death, as the alone propitiation for fin, and to plead forgiveness from God, of all your offences at his facred table? If these are the motives which influence you to a defire of partaking of this facred Supper, you verily may expect that Chrift will confider you as the children of his Father, and members of his body. He will grant you additional fupply of further grace and affiftance, to unite you more clofely

closely to himself. He will communicate to you his holy Spirit, which will influence, enliven, and actuate you, that you may derive strength and nourishment from him, who is your head, "That you may grow up to him in all things, till come perfect men in Chrift Jefus."

ye be

Thus may the Eternal and ever-bleffed God, who is to all beings the universal Father, fo direct you by his Spirit, to examine yourselves, that, when you come to eat of the fymbols of Chrift's body, that was broken, and to drink of his blood, which was shed for the remiffion of your fins, you may have cause to rejoice in all his benefits, and with your fouls to magnify his holy Name. May the unfearchable riches of the grace of God in Chrift Jefus, be ever present to your thoughts, that you may ever live to his fervice, who died for your falvation, and rofe again for your juftification. May he so strengthen all your pious refolutions, that they may end in fincere and constant obedience to the divine will; may he work in you, and confirm a lively faith; may he excite your hearts to a generous love to himself, and a glowing charity to all mankind; may you, trufting in his merits, find mercy from God, and, conducted by his gracious Spirit, may you be preferved blamelefs to the day of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

ON THE

CARDINAL AND CHRISTIAN

VIRTUES.

WHEN we obferve human life from its

infancy, alas! what do we behold? Feeble Man, entering upon a precarious courfe, proclaiming with cries, and demonftrating with tears, what a forry dependant he is upon the affiftance and fympathy of others? Weak, naked, and helplefs, what a variety of untaught arguments he brings from Nature's. flores, to claim our pity. Thefe complaints of thine, little innocent, are but the preludes to thy future forrows. For, whether born under the aufpices of fober humility, or under the influences of fmiling, but ca-. pricious fortune, none of our mortal race are exempted from pain and fuffering. In the morning of life, thy friends are fondly hoping that every gale will waft its frag-. rance unto thee; that thy mind will be unruffled with anxiety: No thorn, they think, will beftrew thy path; that the fun of profperity will ever fmile on thee with fond regard; and the earth will pour forth her treasures to feed thee; her ftores to enrich thee. But these are the delufive toys

of