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tion, then who can take a part in it without a cordial faith in Jesus Christ, and yet be guiltless? Who that cherishes not some humble hope of his acceptance in the beloved, although this hope may be clouded with occasional doubts and fears; who that relies at all on his own merits, for the pardoning mercy of God, and trusts not, entirely and without reserve, to the all-sufficient righteousness of Christ; who that cannot say with some good degree of sincerity, "Lord, in thee I believe, help thou mine unbelief:" who that is thus faithless can eat the Gospel passover, and not be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord?

II. Having thus attempted to ascertain the nature of the offence against which we are cautioned in the text, let us, in the second place, consider what will be the awful consequence of this offence: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself."

Here it is necessary to observe, that the word in the original Greek, which our translators have rendered "damnation," does not in itself convey the idea of future and eternal punishment. It means punishment simply, or some judgment of God inflicted upon an offender, leaving it still indeterminate, whether the punishment is to take place in this life or in the next. The true import of this word, then, must always be determined by

falling into that state from which it is impossible to be renewed again unto repentance.

Thus it appears that an unworthy participation of the Lord's Supper, if it do not at first expose men to inevitable and eternal perdition, will, if persisted in, hasten on, and be finally followed by, this awful consequence. Our text, therefore, although it ought not, when rightly understood, to fill the weak and timid, yet believing, disciple of Christ, with needless scruple and alarm, still, on the other hand, holds forth a most solemn warning to the hypocritical professor of religion; and to that Christian, also, who so far declines from the service of his Divine Master, as to approach the memorials of his dying love with an ignorance of their proper and important meaning, with sin that is not repented of, with an unforgiving spirit, or with a self-righteous and unbelieving heart.

Lest this should be our unhappy case, it becomes us, my brethren, to institute a strict inquiry into the state of our own souls, and to implore Almighty God, that he would "search us, and know our hearts;" that he would "try us, and know our thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting." It becomes us ever to bear in mind the solemn warning of our text; to remember the awful declension

and suffering condition of the Corinthian Christians; and to fear lest we "fall after the same example of unbelief.” "God is just who taketh vengeance." He hath said unto the wicked, "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?" He hath said that the "hope of the hypocrite.... shall be cut off," and that his trust shall be "a spider's web." Let us, then, examine ourselves, lest, eating and drinking unworthily, we become "guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." Are we ignorant of, or do we pervert, the true spirit and meaning of the Lord's Supper? Do we approach this sacred ordinance with an impenitent or unforgiving spirit? Do we receive the testimonials of our Saviour's dying love, without a cordial faith in him, and an entire reliance upon his merits alone, for acceptance with God? -These are questions which conscience alone can answer. If its testimony be against us, it behoves us to "remember from whence we are fallen, and to repent; to turn unto the Lord with all the heart, with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning;" and to supplicate the aids of his grace, that we may be delivered from the condemnation of such as profane his holy ordinances.

If, on the other hand, the testimony of our conscience is, that "in simplicity and godly

sincerity;" with some humble hope of having been renewed in the temper of our minds; with some spiritual understanding of what is signified by the symbols of the Lord's Supper, we desire to approach its affecting solemnities as an expression of attachment to their Author, and of entire reliance on his merits; then let us feel encouragement and consolation. We may have occasional doubts and fears: our views of the doctrines of religion may be imperfect: we may discover remains of sin in our hearts; but these alone are not obstacles in the way of a worthy participation of the Lord's Supper. They prove, indeed, our lukewarmness and our guilt; they call for sincere and hearty repentance; they should teach us to be humble before God. But if thus penitent and humble, we need not hesitate to celebrate the dying love of Him who is the Friend of the lowly and the contrite, and of whom it is said, for our comfort and encouragement, that "a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory,"

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DISCOURSE V.

MATTHEW iii. 8.

Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance.

THE Pharisees and Sadducees were sects of eminent distinction among the Jews. They occupied the highest civil and religious offices, and were venerated by the common people for the supposed sanctity of their lives. By a strict observance of all the outward forms and ceremonies of religion; by a zealous defence of some idle traditions; by a perpetual warfare about speculative and erroneous doctrines, they would fain appear to be of all men the most holy. But very many of them, we have reason to think, were mere hypocrites. Nor will this judgment appear to be rash or uncharitable, if we only call to mind the severe rebukes which they so often received from our Saviour. He saw through their false

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