repent, are in charity with their neighbours, and mean to walk henceforth in God's holy ways." But first," meekly kneeling on their knees, they are to make an humble confession," in which, " acknowledging and bewailing that they have sinned in word, deed, and thought, and justly provoked the wrath and indignation of Almighty God, they implore him, for the Saviour's sake, to forgive all that is past, and to grant that they may ever hereafter serve and please him in newness of life." This confession was composed by our reformers, and is most suitable to those who expect to receive the remission of their sins in this Sacrament. The Absolution, which is pronounced by the priest, has been long in use, but the introductory sentence is new. Though called an Absolution", it is

b Many protestants are offended with the Absolution in the Visitation of the Sick, which seems to them to concede to our ministers the high authority claimed by the Romish priest, as it is pronounced in the same words. But the introductory sentence shews that it is not judicial but ministerial, which latter sense the Church of Rome anathematises, and it is only to be said after a special confession, when, if made in sincerity, the penitent may be considered entitled to it; and it is guarded from abuse, by the limitation of sinners who truly repent and believe in Christ. To the real penitent few would

strictly speaking only a prayer, that Almighty God, who hath promised forgiveness to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, would pardon and deliver these communicants from their sins. As an encouragement to the scrupulous and timid, and that no doubt of their pardon may remain upon their minds, the priest follows up the Absolution with the comfortable words, as he justly calls them, of Christ our Saviour, inviting all who are weary and heavy laden to come unto him for refreshment, and declaring that all who truly believe in him shall be saved. And lest any should despair, conceiving themselves to have sinned beyond the reach of mercy, a sentence from St. Paul is read, which was first exemplified in his own person, that it is a truth worthy of all men to be received, that Jesus Christ came into the

refuse absolution; and if the sick man acts the hypocrite, he can receive no benefit from a declaration, that is suspended upon the condition of repentance and belief. This absolution is the only one we really have; for that in the Communion service we see is precatory, and that in the daily prayers is no more than the declaration that God has given power to his ministers to declare the remission of their sins to those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe the Gospel.

world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i. 15. This is shewn to be compatible with the holiness of God, as accomplished, according to St. John, by the propitiation made by our Redeemer, and applied through his intercession with the Father as our advocate; and he is called righteous, to satisfy us that his merits enable him to fulfil that office.

Being now, as it is presumed, freed by absolution from the burden of sin, which we had confessed to be intolerable, the priest calls upon the congregation, in words taken from the Bible, Lam. iii. 40. Ps. xxv. 1. and which are used in all the ancient Liturgies, "to lift up their hearts unto the Lord," and to give thanks unto God, as "very meet and right, and their bounden duty, specifying on each of the great festivals the peculiar reasons which the events thereon commemorated suggest for thankfulness. The invitation is welcomed by the congregation, who break forth into the hymn of praise of the whole company of heaven, called Trisagion, or thrice holy, being that threefold ascription of honour and glory to the Lord of hosts, which Isaiah (c. vi.) heard from the Seraphim when he saw Jesus on a throne in the temple.

Jesus, I say, for that he was the glorious Being who was seen by the prophet, and addressed him, is affirmed upon the indisputable authority of his beloved disciple. John xii. 41.

The preparation being now completed by confession and thanksgiving, the minister proceeds to bless and consecrate the elements: but first, he disclaims for all, the presumption of trusting in their own merits, and prays that 66 we may so eat the flesh of God's dear Son and drink his blood, that our bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood." The prayer of consecration, as it now stands, consists of little more than a repetition of the very terms in which our Saviour instituted this perpetual memory of his precious death; and these seem to be the most proper, and the most material, though some regret the omission of the prayer for the Holy Ghost to sanctify the elements. When the words, This is my body, is fully spoken, Transubstantiation, according to the Roman Catholic divines, has taken place; but our reformers here excluded this interpretation, by making the minister pray, at the time of consecrating, that we, receiving

these God's creatures of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus Christ's death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood. The notion of a sacrifice is also opposed by the declaration, that Christ's one oblation of himself once offered is a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; which is justified by the Epistle to the Hebrews, ix. 26. x. 10-12.

As in our Church the bread and wine are given to communicants individually by the minister, who accompanies the delivery with a prayer, there will be always an interval, and sometimes a considerable one, which must be left to their discretion to fill up in a profitable manner. There are manual, of devotion especially designed for this periods and some persons use them during the whole service, even taking them with them to the table. I do not mean to question their utility to many, perhaps to almost all, when the interval is very long, for few can continue in prayer and religious meditation for a considerable period, without the assistance of a book; but I conceive it desirable that all should, for a time, however short, throw aside the help of others, and pray and meditate