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rather may he give you his preventing and assisting grace, that you may become and continue worthy partakers of Christ's body and blood; in which if you do not worthily partake," you have no life in you;" but if you do, " you have in you eternal life," and Christ" will raise you up at the last day."

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SERMON XXVII.

THE
THE DUTY AND ADVANTAGE OF CHURCH COM-

MUNION.

ACTs iv. 32. and ii. 46, 47.

And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and of one soul:

And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gludness and singleness of heart,

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.

How delightful is the picture, here drawn by the Evangelist, of the spirit of unity, which prevailed among the members of the Christian Church at the season of its first establishment! How truly did they exemplify in their conduct that beau

tiful exclamation of the Psalmist," Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity a!"

But this truly Christian spirit, which made men" of one heart and of one soul;" this truly Christian practice of "all believers being together, and continuing daily with one accord in the temple," was but of short duration. It was to no purpose, that our blessed Lord had commanded his disciples, to "love one another;" and had earnestly prayed his Father "for them that should believe on him, that they all might be one:"-it was to no purpose, that his holy Apostles most fervently enforced the same affection and union; that St. Peter exhorted the Christian converts to "greet one another with a kiss of charity ";" that St. John cautioned his followers against such as would "seduce them from the truth" that St. Jude warned believers to beware of " those who separate themselves ;" and that St.

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Paul more particularly in the most earnest manner repeatedly insisted upon the same point; "beseeching" the Corinthians "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they would all speak the same thing, and that there might be no divisions among them;" intreating the Ephesians, that they would" forbear one another in love, and endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" and praying to God, in behalf of the Romans, to

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grant them to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus; that they might with one mind and one mouth glorify God." The corrupt and perverse propensities of human nature too soon prevailed, in opposition to the exhortations of the Apostles, and to the commandments of their Lord. 60 Despite was

done unto the Spirit" of truth and love. Heresies and schisms; unsound opinions, and unreasonable divisions too soon broke the unity of the Church; and the prediction of our Saviour was too fatally fulfilled,

1 Cor. i. 10, 11.

* Eph. iv. 3.

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Rom. xv. 5.

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