without food, without raiment, bereft of inftruction, and the means of its falvation, is a fubject of more tender heart aches, and will awaken every power of nature:—as we have felt for ourselves, let us feel for Christ's fakelet us feel for theirs: and may the God of all comfort blefs you. Amen. SERMON IX. LUKE xiv. 10, II. But thou, when thou art bidden, go and fit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have worship in the prefence of them who fit at meat with thee: for whosoever exalteth himself, fhall be abafed; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted T is an exhortation of our Saviour's to Hu Imility, by roun what he had said in the three foregoing verfes of the chapter; where, upon entering the house of one of the chief Pharifees to eat bread, and marking how fmall a portion of this neceffary virtue entered in with the feveral guests, discovering itself from their chufing the chief rooms, and moft diftinguifhed places of honour;-he takes the occafion which fuch a behaviour offered, to caution them against Pride; -states the inconvenience of the paffion; -- shews the disappointments which attend it; the dif grace in which it generally ends; in being forced, at laft, to recede from the pretenfions to what is more than our due; which, by the way, is the very thing the paffion is eternally promoting us to expect. When, therefor, thou art bidden to a wedding, fays our Savi our, fit not down in the highest room, left a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he, that bade thee and him, come and fay to thee,-Give this man place: and thou begin with fhame to take the lowest room. But thou, when thou art bidden, go and fit down in the lowest room :-hard lecture! -in the loweft room?- -What!-do I owe nothing to myself? muft I forget my ftation, my character in life? refign the precedence which my birth, my fortune, my ta lents, have already placed me in poffeffion of? give all up! and fuffer inferiors to take my honour? Yes; for that, fays our Saviour, is the road to it: For when he that bade thee cometh, he will fay to thee, Friend, go up higher; then fhalt thou have worship in the presence of them |