the devout observance of the Sacraments, the mind is lifted up from earthly things, and is more abstracted from the world; on which account, these duties are preferable, as forming in us dispositions proper for a heavenly state."

The lukewarm and disputatious still argue against the value and importance of positive duties; that is, of duties of divine. appointment; duties instituted by revelation only, and such as would not have been suggested to the human mind by reason undirected or unassisted.

Such are Baptism and the Eucharist. These are positive rites, and peculiar to Christianity. But human nature requires positive rites, both as memorials, and as excitements of devotion. Our Saviour, knowing human nature by his divine intuition, and likewise by his assumption of it, complied with its feelings, expectations, and prepossessions. But in the place of the numerous ceremonics of Heathenism, burthensome in themselves, and apt to turn the attention from the business of devotion, rather than promote it, Christ established but Two, both of them strongly significant;

significant; Baptism, significant of cleansing from polution by water, and the Eucharist, of expiation by a sacrificed victim. The minds of men, in every part of the world, were prepared for the reception of such rites by previous notions, habits, and forms of SACRIFICIAL Service.

When thus instituted by divine authori ty, though not suggested by reason, who, without presumption can say, that they are not of universal obligation; or, that they are inferior in value and importance to moral duties *?

The Christian who depreciates the Sacraments because they are positive, or instituted rites, depreciates obedience

L'Euchariste nourrit et fortifie toutes les Vertus Chretiennes; elle donne une Idêe vive et sensible de la Peine que merite le PECHE: ainsi la douleur d'l avoir çommis doit etre profonde.

L'EUCHARISTE EST LE PLUS GRAND BIEN QU'ON PUISSE RECEVOIR SUR LA TERRE.

Enfin, il n'y a point de Faveur si precieuse, que ce Sacrament ne nous confere. Toutes les Graces qu'on peut souhaiter sont les fruits de la Mort de Jesus Christ. En recevant le Sacrament, on participe a la Mort de Jesus Christ: on est donc in droit de pretendre a la possession de TOUTES LES GRACES, et de tous les Tresors de Glorie, qui sont inseparable de cette Mort, et de ce Sacrament. BASNAGE.

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to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. Let him beware lest, instead of serving the cause of morality, which he professes to honour, he should weaken the ties of all moral obligation; for he who treats obedience to an express command of God, as a duty which may be slighted in any instance, will, I should think, be very apt to disregard his duty to man, when the neglect is consistent with worldly interest, and with temporal impunity.

Positive duties have a tendency to bind all other duties upon us more closely; because they recognize a living supreme GoVERNOR, while the moral duties, according to some among the modern philosophers, originate from the dictates of reason and nature, (interpreted by themselves) without the immediate interference of the Deity. Morality becomes a flexible rule to many, when it is left unfixed by a divine sanction.

Both positive and moral duties must be held in high veneration by every sincere and consistent Christian. Both must be observed with a conscientious punctuality. The observation of the moral

will not excuse, in a professed Christian, the neglect of the positive.

To every Christian the Sacraments must appear positively commanded; and will disobedience to a divine command be compensated by prudential and virtuous manners in the common conduct or intercourse of life? on the contrary, will not this disobedience to positive commands vitiate a course of behaviour, in other respects, as far as men can see, pure and good? We must not form our conduct solely with a view to the world's approbation, but the approbation of the Deity; and the Deity, it is probable, must be particularly offended with disobedience to a direct order, like that which enjoins the Sacrament. "This do in remembrance of me!" To be capable of disobeying God, when the command is clear, argues a mind very little inclined to morality, I should think, in the ordinary transactions of human life.

But it is unjust to affirm that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is merely a positive duty unconnected with morality. It requires great virtues, faith, hope,

charity

charity, and humility, for its worthy re ception. It requires a frame of mind favourable to every virtue which improves and embellishes society. It cannot be received without an abhorrence of every injurious quality, without a disposition to every thing virtuous and laudable. The worthy reception of it is not merely a means of virtue, but a virtue in itself of the highest order. Wranglers may dispute on the comparative value of positive and moral duties; but the man who is a worthy Communicant will act in such a manner as to leave his goodness and virtue in social life, as the result of his Communion, a matter which admits of no controversy.

For the sake, however, of those who puzzle themselves with the intricacies of disputation concerning positive and moral duties, instead of acting in obedience to a divine command, from the sentiments of a good and simple heart, I will add a passage from Dr. Waterland; from which it will appear that the obligation to positive duties is as strong as to moral.

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If," says he, God's command in

moral