vows now in the presence of all his people: in the courts of the Lord's house, even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem." And that she may enjoy the richest act of thanksgiving to which the Church can admit her, she is invited to the Eucharist, for" if there be a Communion, it is convenient that she receive the Holy Communion." Nothing that can happen to the baptised or his family, is foreign from her regard; that baptised person is a saint, and every saint is entitled to the sympathy of the whole blessed communion to which he belongs.

This interest remains undiminished throughout the whole of the earthly pilgrimage of the baptised. Is he "any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate?" if so, he acquaints "the Communion of Saints" with his malady, and requests their prayers for him; and the Church prays" especially" for him "for whom" her

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prayers are desired;" for "if one member suffers," so intimate is her communion, that "all the members suffer with it." Has he been visited with mercies? he requests the Church, as partaker of his joy, to unite with him in thanksgiving; and the Congregation offer to God "most humble and hearty thanks for all" his goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men, particularly to "him," who desires. now to offer up "his praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed to him; " here

"if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it." 1

And if he be detained from the public " Communion of the Saints " by sickness, the Church does not forget him, but as she is desirous to preserve and continue this sick member in the "unity of the Church," she sends her minister into the chamber of sickness to prepare him for his latter end. Of all our formularies, this is the one which I have heard stated to be least worthy of the piety and judgment of the Reformers; and more especially on this account, that it makes no provision for diversity of character; that it is only adapted to the case of the real Christian, and that the unregenerate man seems to have no share in it. But is not this objection the distinctive character of the formulary? and does it not show its perfect consistency with all the other formularies, which uniformly assume the regeneration of their subject, and treat him as one of God's elect? It is to the baptised, regenerate, and elect, that the Church sends her minister to comfort him under his sickness, and to prepare him for that solemn change, into which he may be about to pass. Immediately that "he comes into the sick man's presence," he asks God to "spare" his people whom he has redeemed with "his most precious blood;"

1

11 Cor. xii. 26.

and shortly after, he prays, save thy servant which putteth his trust in thee:" and in this spirit assuming the regeneration of the sick member," the prayers proceed. "Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy, give him comfort and sure confidence in thee-keep him in perpetual peace and safety-extend thy accustomed goodness to this thy servant-sanctify this thy fatherly correction to him, that the sense of his weakness may-not give him faith as a new thing, or repentance as a new thing; but may strengthen and confirm them-"may add strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repentance.' In these expressions the Church gives no hint of her "member" not being regenerated, on the contrary she assumes the fact, and her minister prays for the growth and establishment of grace in him who already possesses it. So in the "Exhortation" to the sick man, the Church does not hint that his "sickness is sent" to regenerate, but to sanctify him, and that it may 66 turn to "his "profit," and help "him" forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life." The "sick member" is exhorted "in the name of God to remember the profession which" he "made unto God in " his

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Baptism" it was at that time that he was regenerated, and whether his present sickness be" to try" his "patience," to illustrate his "faith," or "to correct" whatsoever is offensive to "the eyes of" his "heavenly Father," his

whole course from the font to the grave is but an exhibition of his Baptismal profession, which is shortly to be consummated in glory.

Let us say then that the closing scene has arrived and that this "member of Christ," and this "child of God," not being suffered "for any pains of death to fall from him," has entered into his rest, is now in possession of his inheritance, and as Bishop Hall calls him, is now a "Glorious Comprehensor" in the kingdom of heaven. The Church cannot forego her communion, so long as any vestige remains of him who has so long enjoyed it. He has come to his end like a shock of corn in his season, rich in grace, and ripe for glory and the Church, while she commits his body to the ground, "in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life," rejoices over the happy tranfer of the glorified spirit, now "delivered from the burden of the flesh," and admitted into the mansions of "joy and felicity." With what genuine and sacred joy, do the smiles of grace irradiate the tears of human infirmity, 'when the Church can calmly terminate her earthly communion with her departed member in these heartfelt thanksgivings, "We give thee hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching thee that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom, that we, with all those that

are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!" This Brother was recognised as one of "God's elect," at his introduction into the Church by Baptism; as an elect of God, he has been uniformly recognised throughout all his pilgrimage in all the formularies of the Church, which express his various communion with her; and now when his earthly course is run, and his mortal remains are brought to receive the last affecting token of her regard, she consigns them to the ground as those of an elect of God, beseeching" him "of his gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of his elect, and to hasten" his "kingdom;" when this troubled scene of sin and sorrow shall for ever cease, and when all those who witness his interment, together with all that are "departed in the true faith of" God's "holy name," may be perfected both in body and soul, “in his eternal and everlasting glory."

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And here, my Dear Friend, can it be necessary to draw your attention to the intelligible symmetry, the harmonious consistency, and the exquisite beauty of our Church, when viewed in the cheering light of this interpretation. What a rich and ample provision is here made for " the Communion of the Saints!" what an extension of charity to the bodies and souls of men from