the positive duty of Christians, who, in pious faith, adore the Holy Trinity, and place their hopes of salvation in the gra cious Atonement made by our blessed Saviour on the cross, to contend earnestly for these great truths, to prove that they are incontrovertible, and not to allow the cup of salvation to be dashed from the lips of the humble and uninstructed classes of our brethren, by subtle sophistry, and perverse and false interpretation. With respect to the clergy, it is allowedly a more imperative duty upon them, to exert whatever abilities they may possess in writing, in preaching, and in private explanation; but it must be highly praise-worthy in the laity, who feel convinced, that belief in these great truths is necessary to the salvation of mankind, to declare that belief openly, to make known to those who have less opportunity of study and inquiry, that these truths are no novelties, that the voice of Scripture declares that "they were

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from the beginning." Novelties in arts and sciences are usually improvements, but in religion the case is totally different. It is well known to many persons, that some of our present judges have published anonymously several religious pamphlets: of one of them I can speak from experience that, by the distribution of it, essential benefit has been produced. This fact must be consoling to the community in a general point of view, as well as in a religious one. A conscientious and firm sense of the truth of Christianity ever affording the highest motive for right conduct, the people may expect from such judges that justice will be impartially dispensed, and justice tempered by mercy. What respect does every true believer feel for the memory of a Lyttelton, a West, a Jenyns, and various other laymen, whose works,

An earnest Exhortation to a frequent Reception of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, by a Layman.

though the authors are in the grave, still conduce to the benefit and blessing of society! Living authors, among the laity, I will not name, their works are well known to have contributed to attract the attention of those, who had been previously little disposed to apply their minds to the subject, and have tended to check the licentiousness of free-thinking, and the levity of modern morals. Our Saviour himself has made a strong distinction between two different descriptions of persons, whom he calls "Children of this world," and "Children of light." As he has made this distinction, it must be one that is right and just: but the jealousy of "the children of this world" is awakened by this expression, and such are too apt to interpret those, who are really meant by our Saviour's denomination of "children of light," to be such as consider themselves to be righteous, and others to be worthless, and worthy of human censure and Divine wrath: from

this misconception, they denominate those who are fully impressed with faith in Christ by (what they intend as a sneer and a reproach) the name of "saints." The wise will never be led away by mere names on either side. I heartily wish every distinctive name, as to the religion of Christ, whether meant in praise or blame, were laid aside, except the one great name of CHRISTIAN. It is hardly necessary to observe, that the real distinction meant by the blessed Jesus, was between persons who only pursue worldly objects, and never think of religion, and those who deem worldly objects as worthy only of a secondary consideration, and make religion, or faith in Christ, the primary object of their lives, and in fact consider it as "the one thing needful." If the "children of light," by which is solely meant those whose humble minds are led and illuminated by the light of the Gospel, are vain of this belief, and

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'despise others;" surely the parable of

the Pharisee and the Publican will point out, that so far from their being approved of by their Divine Master, they are rather the children of presumption and selfrighteousness, of darkness rather than light, and, in one word, are Pharisees. Taking then the words of our Saviour in their simple and true sense, I exhort the laity, who are "children of light," to endeavour to open that light, and diffuse it, as far as human endeavours can do, on "the children of this world." Whoever regards his Own salvation must, if he is sincere, wish for the salvation of his fellow-creatures. Selfishness is incompatible with true religion. As the angels said to Lot, "Hast thou here any besides? Sons in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in this city, bring them out of this place." This will ever be the wish of those who are earnest respecting religion; they will exert their endeavours to bring their servants, their relations,