sense of the nature of this holy Sacrament_, _who has sincerely repented of his past sins_, _who is desirous of leading a good life_, and in general does so, can ever be unprepared for the Lord’s Supper; no man, _who leads a bad life_, can ever come _properly prepared_ to that, or to any other Christian ordinance whatever. As to previous, _special_ preparation, this is all well, and ought never to be omitted, where men have opportunities for it; and it is quite clear that we cannot take too much pains in self-examination, or in raising our affections to God. But to think that by these preparations _alone we are_, and that _without them_ we _cannot be_ prepared, is a grievous and dangerous error. Even our _preparatory_, or our _ordinary_ prayers, _if we hold fast any darling sin_, _or adhere to any habitual vice_, are an abomination and a mockery of God. Prayers, _when added to a general good life_, are, indeed, an admirable preparation; and nothing can be depended upon as a security against vice, but a _frequent_ and _reverent_ reception of the Holy Sacrament, and endeavouring _to live every day_, as if we were _daily_ to communicate. This is the true, this is the only preparation; and he that with such impressions communicates, though at a minute’s warning, will never be rejected by Him, who was touched with a feeling of our infirmities. On the contrary, such a man will find this holy rite to be, what its all-bountiful Author intended it should be to all faithful Christians, a support and a comfort in every situation of life; it will confirm his faith and good resolutions, elevate his hopes, and increase his charity; it will bring to his mind assurances of forgiveness and acceptance, in that tremendous hour, when we are taught most _earnestly_ to pray that no pains of death may make us fall from God: it will enable him to support those pains with Christian fortitude, because he will feel that they are to be his introduction to eternal joy. A great master in the art of holy living, the most excellent and pious Bishop Jeremy Taylor, has, in so pointed and convincing a manner, enforced this duty upon all descriptions of Christians, and his reasoning so strongly confirms what I have already advanced, that I cannot deny myself the pleasure of transcribing the passage.