honour of his government, and his character as the supreme Magistrate of the universe: and his honour and glory are of more importance than the happiness of all created worlds: and therefore their happiness cannot be obtained in any way inconsistent with it. But through the mediation of Christ sinners may be saved, and in the mean time the honour of the divine perfections and government secured, and even illustrated. He has made atonement for sin, and answered the demands of the divine law and justice; so that God can now be just, and yet justify him that believeth in Jesus. Hence God is in Christ; observe, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. 2 Cor. v. 19. His heart is set on it ; and the success of this scheme affords him the greatest pleasure. It is not only your interest, but your duty to be sayed. It is as much your duty to enter into heaven, as to pray, or to perform any other part of religion. And your destruction will not only be your righteous punishment, but your sin; the most criminal selfmurder. God has been pleased to interpose his authority, to give greater force to the principle of self-love. Your interest has this additional recommendation, that it is your duty; and you sin against God in ruining yourselves. Here again my subject leads me to address myself to the united principles of gratitude and self-love. Will you not afford the Lord that made you this benevolent pleasure? Will you not gratify him in this, when it is your happiness he seeks? Has neither the pleasure of God nor your own immortal interest any weight with you? Is sin dearer to you than both? Alas! if you are not to be wrought upon by considerations drawn from the love of God, or love to yourselves, from gratitude or self-interest, from what topic shall I reason with you? If this be the case, you are no longer, to be dealt with as reasonable creatures, but as natural brute-beasts, made to be taken and destroyed.

This work of saving sinners, God has entrusted to Jesus Christ; and he has chosen a very proper person for so grand and difficult an undertaking. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, or under his management. He knows how to carry on the scheme to the best advantage. The work has been going on from Adam to this day, in spite of all opposition; and it is not now at a stand. O that it may prosper among you, my dear people! O that the sacred Trinity, and all the angels on high, may look down with pleasure this day on this guilty spot, rejoicing to see the grand scheme of salvation successfully going on!

A design so

My brethren, will you not fall in with the design? favourable to yourselves. Will you not all concur to promote it, and carry it into execution upon a child, a friend, a neighbour, and especially upon yourselves? Or will you set yourselves against the Lord, and against his Anointed, by refusing to fall in with this scheme? Will you join in the conspiracy against it with the malevolent powers of hell, who oppose it with all their might, because it tends to your salvation? You readily concur in any scheme for your temporal advantage, and why not in this? Is the happiness of heaven the only kind of happiness that you are careless about? Is the salvation of your immortal soul the only deliverance for which you have no desire ? Alas! are you be

come so stupidly wicked?

:

This subject affords strong consolation to such of you as have complied with the method of salvation through Christ, since the salvation of sinners in this way is the pleasure of the Lord and since it is entrusted to the faithful and skilful hands of Christ, under whose management it will prosper, you may be sure his pleasure will be accomplished with respect to you, and that the divine scheme shall be carried into complete execution, in spite of all opposition. Therefore rejoice in your security, and bless his name to whom you owe it.

I shall conclude with a few advices adapted to this solemn sacramental occasion.

The table of the Lord is just about to be spread among us. This is another instance of the grace and benevolence of Christ; for to remember him, who is the design of this ordinance, is not only your duty, but your privilege and happiness. The remembrance of him has virtue in it to refresh your souls, to heal your wounded consciences, and to revive your languishing graces. Hence it is that this ordinance is not only a memorial of Christ, but a feast for your refreshment and support; and consequently his making it a standing ordinance in his church is a standing' evidence of his good-will to his people to the end of the world. It is true it is an institution little regarded, even in the christian world to many the table of the Lord is contemptible, or they stand by and gaze at it as unconcerned, or curious spectators. But this does not depreciate it, nor is it a reason why you should desert it. Come, ye children, crowd round your Father's table today. Let Jesus see his seed feasting together in commemoration 63

VL. I.

of him, and in mutual love with one another.

Let him now see

of the travail of his soul, the children with whom he travailed as in birth; let him now see a goodly company of them around his that you have table, that he may be satisfied. Let me remind you caused him many an heavy hour, and much pain and sorrow; therefore let him in return have pleasure and satisfaction from you this day. O! rejoice the heart you have often broken, and let there be joy in heaven over you. Let the angels that are ministering to the saints, and that are no doubt hovering unseen over this assembly, viewing those humble memorials of that Saviour whom they behold without a veil in his native heaven, let them carry up glad tidings to their Lord this evening, and tune their harps above to higher strains of joy and praise. And O! that the lost sheep would this day return, that their kind Shepherd may rejoice over them: he came from heaven in search of you, and will you keep out of his way, and fear falling into his hands? Let wandering prodigals return, that there may be joy in your Father's house, whose arms are stretched out to embrace O let the you, and who is looking after you with eager eyes. pleasure of the Lord prosper among us this day, and it will be a day gratefully to be remembered to all eternity.

This ordinance is also a seal of the covenant of grace; therefore come to it this day to renew your contract with your God and Saviour; to take him for your God, and to give up your selves to him as his people, in an everlasting covenant never to be forgotten. Make a sure covenant; call heaven and earth, God, angels, and men to be witness to it, and seal it with the memorials of your dying Redeemer. You had need to make it firm, for much depends upon it; and you have much to go through to perform the duties of the christian life; to conflict with powerful temptations to die; to stand at the supremé tribunal; these are the things you are to go through; and you cannot pass through them with honour or safety, unless you make sure of an interest in God, and give up your all into his hands.

This institution is also intended to cultivate the communion of the saints; and therefore, as children, you are to sit down at the table of your common Father, with hearts full of ardent love to mankind, and especially to the household of faith. Let no angry or malicious passion pollute this sacred feast; but be all charity and benevolence, like that Redeemer whose death you celebrate.

Finally, You are now to renew your vows and obligations to
be the Lord's, and to walk in his ways all the days of your life.
See that you enter into them with an entire dependence upon his
strength and O! remember them afterwards, to carry them in-
to execution. One would think that all traitors would be for-
ever deterred from sitting down at the Lord's table, by the shock.
ing example of Judas, the first hypocrite that profaned it. And
O! one would think that vows, made in so solemn a posture, and
with the emblems of Christ's body and blood in your hands, would
not soon be forgotten as trifles. It is, methinks, an exploit of
wickedness to be capable of this; and none of you, I hope, are
hardy enough to venture upon it.

END OF VOL. I.