The existence of this society no Christian can consistently deny, who repeats with sincerity the Creed of the Apostles; for he says, "I believe in the Holy Ghost, and the holy Catholic Church;" and as it appears necessary to salvation, that every man should be a member of the Church; the only question of importance remaining is, how we shall secure a continuance in the Church, after being admitted into it unconsciously by Baptism in early infancy? The answer is, by the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

"Within the notion of the Church ate comprehended," says Bishop Pearson, "good and bad, being both externally called, and both professing the same faith. "For the kingdom of Heaven is like unto a field, in which wheat and tares grow "together till the harvest ;"-"like unto "a net that was cast into the sea and "gathered of every kind;"-" like unto "a floor in which is laid up both wheat -" and "chaff;"_" like unto a marriage"feast, in which some have on the wed"ding-garment, and some have not:"

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it is the ark of Noah in which were preserved beasts clean and unclean. This is that great house in which there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour and some to dishonour. There are many called, of all which the Church consisteth; but there are few chosen, of those which are called, and thereby with in the Church." If any are not chosen, or are rejected after they are chosen, it is from their voluntary apostasy, or revolt, their own obstinate return to the WORLD. It is a DESERTION.

Our first great business is to be among those who shall be chosen. The breach of the vow in Baptism may perhaps exclude us; and who has not been guilty of such an infraction? What remains then but the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which is peculiarly calculated to reunite us to the Head of the Church; and to all the members by Communion? It is not safe to neglect these offered means of preserving ourselves, during life, in the holy society, in the king

dom

dom of Heaven, of which Jesus Christ is the Lord or Govenor. We read, that the "Lord added to the Church daily such 86 as should be saved. There is no other

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name given under Heaven among men whereby they must be saved but the "name of Jesus Christ:" and the benefit of his name cannot be given but to those in his kingdom; that is, in his CHURCH. As none were saved in the deluge but such as were within the ark of Noah," so none," says Bishop Pearson, "shall ever escape the eternal wrath of God, which belong not to the Church of God. This is the congregation of those persons here on earth, who shall hereafter meet in Heaven." They are the Ecclesia, the Evocation.

The Communion of Saints, which in the Creed we profess to believe, and so often and solemnly repeat; or the Communion of good men, accepted members of the Church of Christ, is best promoted by Eucharistical Communion, or the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In that holy rite, we have a mystical union with Christ ;" and,"

as

as the same great prelate observes," the spiritual conjunction of the members to the Head is the true foundation of the Communion which one member hath with another; all the members living and increasing by the same influence which they receive from him."

In the transcendent polity of the kingdom of Christ, the Sacrament forms not only the bond of allegiance to the King; but of love, amity, and confederation among all the SUBJECTS, thus united in peace with each other, as well as in obedience to their Prince, by the law of Christian love.

"If we walk in the light, as God is in "the light, we have fellowship one with "another." When Christ sent St. Paul to the Gentiles, it was "to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgive"ness of sins, and an inheritance among "them which are sanctified by faith that "is in Christ +." Those who are not

:

1 John, i. 6, 7.

+ Acts, xxvi. 18.

of

of the Catholic Church of Christ are STILL GENTILES, though called Christians and living in a Christian country: St. Paul, by his preaching, has not opened their eyes; they are not "turned from darkness to light, nor from "the power of Satan unto God." Consequently they have not received forgiveness of sins; but have voluntarily renounced the inheritance which they might have possessed, had they become or continued adopted children of Christ by union and Communion.

Nothing that is here said on the Church can give just cause of offence to Dissenters of any denomination; for I mean by the Church, as I have already said, the Catholic Church, that comprehensive society, which takes within its pale ALL who sincerely believe in Christ, whatever be their form of worship, or their mode of government, and ecclesiastical discipline. By the WORLD, in its scriptural sense, I by no means understand the sects which, believing in Christ, differ from a National Church; but the professed men of the world, as they are called, who give themselves no concern at all about either the Church