baptized, continuing to hear the word preached, receiving the sacraments, and joining in the public prayers offered unto God, being all of one heart and one soul.

“This,” continued the lady of the manor, "is the first description given in Scripture of the Church. And although the sacred writers, when speaking of any country into which the Gospel has been carried, mention, by way of distinction, the churches of that country-as, the churches of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee-yet the Scriptures afford sufficient evidence that the several churches or congregations of believers collected in great cities, were considered as parts of one and the same Church, united under one head, and forming together one undivided congregation in the sight of God. If therefore the sacred writers considered all the separate congregations of one city as forming only one Church; then all the Churches of all the cities and countries under heaven may properly be comprehended under the same single denomination in relation to the one supreme Governor of them all; so that the Church of Christ includes all regenerate persons whatsoever, belonging to any congregation or assembly of Christians throughout the whole world. Thus it appears that the unity of the Church consists not in the observance of similar forms and ordinances, but in this circumstance, that it hath no other foundation than that which is laid in the Scripture, even Jesus Christ. Whence it comes to pass, that all such persons as are true members of the Christian Church, are also fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord. (Eph. ii. 19-21.) This stone was laid in Zion for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation.

“We find then, my dear young people," said the lady of the manor, "that the visible Church on earth contains the true invisible Church of Christ. In looking round upon the various denominations and congregations of Christians among us, although we may approve of the doctrines and tenets of one more than those of an

other: although we may admire one minister and disapprove another; yet in every congregation so much corruption is to be observed, and so many things that might be improved, that when we hear the cry in the street, saying, Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there is Christ, we should not allow ourselves to be persuaded that the presence of our common Lord is confined to this or that Christian society. God is no respecter of persons, and an extensive acquaintance with his word can hardly fail to afford us the delightful conviction, that in every congregation where the Gospel of Christ is faithfully preached, and perhaps in some where the light of divine knowledge doth not so visibly shine, the Almighty has his hidden yet chosen ones; even as in idolatrous Israel he had his sincere and faithful thousands who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

แ

"But having detained your attention, my dear young people," proceeded the lady of the manor, a considerable time on this subject, I will go on to the next Article, only previously remarking that the word Catholic means universal."

The lady of the manor then proceeded to the next clause in the creed: viz. "The communion of the saints.'

"Now before this article can be rightly understood," said the lady, "we must consider who are properly called saints. In Exodus xxii. 31, they are described as holy men. But where are these men of holiness? Which of us can say, I am clean from my sin; I am holy and pure; for I have made myself clean? No man with propriety can adopt this kind of language. Are there therefore no saints upon earth? And if there are, where are they to be found, and what is their real description? I answer, Those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus; those to whom sin is not imputed; those, in one word, who have washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. These are they, who being reconciled to God, and having received the spirit of adoption, are enabled to call him Father, and to hold communion with him as with a friend or a brother."

Here one of the young people ventured to remark, that she was entirely at a loss to conceive what was meant by this communion, and expressed a hope that her excel

lent teacher would not be offended if she requested a fuller explanation of this matter than that which had been already given.

The lady of the manor instantly complying with this request, proceeded to this effect-"When man first came from the hands of his Maker, he was pure and without spot or stain of sin. At that period, while he remained in his original state, which we have reason to think was but a very short time, he held constant and close communion with his Maker. But the exact nature of this communion is not to be ascertained, since we can form but very obscure conceptions of a perfectly pure and sinless state. For if, in every imaginable scene of earthly happiness there is such a mixture of sin and sorrow, that the most lively narrative of earthly pleasure which fancy can devise, leaves us ready to ask this question-Is this all? and is there no more to be said or done, to be hoped or enjoyed?-It may well be imagined that in every description of the most lofty state of piety, holy love will be so imperfect, and religious fear so predominant, as to render our views of divine communion very incomplete and unsatisfactory. The lovely bowers of Eden were however at one time uncontaminated by sin; and during that blessed season the roses grew there without thorns, the newly created man lived there as a child at home in the presence of his heavenly Father, and divine love shed its sacred influence over the whole face of nature. But no sooner had sin entered those blissful regions than all nature underwent a fearful change: sentence of death immediately passed upon every living creature; and man instantly became alienated from his Creator so as to seek a hiding-place from his presence, just as a son conscious of having committed an unpardonable offence, shuns the presence of the most tender and virtuous parent. In consequence of some remains of this natural sense of guilt, the whole human race has from that time looked upon their Creator with fear and dread, instead of discovering that love and confidence which are due from the creature to his Maker.

"All idolatrous forms of worship throughout the world," continued the lady of the manor, have been, and still are, built upon the unconquerable fear and dread

of some avenging being whom the terrified worshipper desires to propitiate. Hence the gloomy rites of paganism, with the horrible views of death and judgment given in the Koran. Thus it may be proved, by the representations which these idolaters and infidels have given of the Deity, that their ideas of him were the produce not of filial love, but rather of trembling terror. Neither has the unregenerate man in Christian countries any more inviting views of God than the Mussulman or idolater.

naturally

66 Man," proceeded the lady of the manor, hates God. The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Rom. viii. 7.) The unrenewed soul has a sufficient sense of its own impurity to make it look on its Creator rather as an avenging Judge than a tender Father. Every reflecting mind in such a country as this, has light enough to know that the Supreme Being cannot be an unholy one: every conscious sinner, therefore, feels that he has much to dread from him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; neither can he, through the mere light of reason, discover a way to escape his avenging hand.

66 Thus," " continued the lady of the manor, "unhappy man has been separated from his heavenly Father, through the cruel devices of Satan; and no religion or system of morals on earth supplies the means of his restoration, but the religion revealed by Christ, who points himself out as the only way by which offending man can be restored to the divine favour-I am, saith he, the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me. (John xiv. 6.)

"And this way," said the lady of the manor, "is not pointed out to us in a mere cold, dull, formal manner; but we are invited, we are entreated, we are pressed to enter upon this new and living way, in order to secure our final salvation. The Scripture saith, Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John vi. 37.) Our Blessed Saviour is a friend, who when he has sent out his invitation, will not easily be denied. How sweet, how affecting, how tender are his addresses to his people! Thus, through the blessed Saviour, miserable and

lost creatures are brought back to their heavenly Father, and rendered meet to hold communion with him.

"If a king condescends to address a subject with affection and familiarity," added the lady of the manor, "how does that subject delight to make known to his friends and neighbours the honour conferred upon him! How accurately does he recollect all the gracious words of his sovereign, and with what satisfaction does he meditate upon their purport! How full he is of the praises of his king, and with what rapture does he speak of his comely appearance and his graceful demeanour! If then we consider it so high a privilege to hold intercourse with one who is but a man of like passions with ourselves, and who in a short time must lay aside all his glory to become food for worms; how much higher an honour should we count it to hold communion with the God of glory himself!”

Here the lady of the manor perceiving that one of her young pupils wished to speak, stopped a moment, and looked encouragingly at her. On which, the young lady ventured to say, that she still did not understand exactly what was meant by communion with God.

"Communion in general, my dear," replied the lady of the manor, "signifies any kind of intercourse maintained between two or more persons, either by word of mouth, or by letter, or by any other means: but the nature of the communion thus maintained, must of necessity be suited to the nature of the persons between whom it subsists. Our communion with any corporeal being must be through the medium of the senses; by the voice, by the hearing, by the sight, or by some other sense; but God being a Spirit, our communion with him must be of a spiritual kind, and wholly independent of the senses. Concerning the distinct nature of this communion, it is utterly impossible for me to give you any satisfactory idea, because this knowledge is hid in Christ. When you become experimentally acquainted with Christ, you will then understand what it is to hold spiritual intercourse with your heavenly Father; but until that period arrive, which I trust is not very distant, it would be impossible to make this matter clear to you, since the nature of this communion is a secret which a stranger