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peafed, and provifion made for our pardon and juftification. The Holy Spirit is procured to enlighten our minds, and to fet us at liberty from the dominion of fin. We have comfortable accefs to God, and communion with him in his ordinances. The view of death is transformed; the Chriftian is taught to confider it as an afcending to his Father and his God. And, finally, to the Lamb that was flain, we are indebted for the glorious hope of the redemption of our bodies from the power of the grave, and of their being transformed into the refemblance of Christ's glorious body. For, if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, we may also believe, that those who fleep in Jefus, God will bring with him. Is he not then worthy to receive power, and glory, and bleffing? Does he not deferve our highest efteem, and moft elevated praises, not only on account of his perfonal dignity and excellence, but alfo on account of his aftonishing love, and the rich and precious benefits he has purchafed? Inftances of regard are fpurs to the grateful. Let, then, our fouls, and all that is within us, blefs and magnify his holy name. Let us, while on earth, anticipate the fong and the converfation of angels, and afcribe glory and praise to Him that fitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.

Lafly, I am to lead your thoughts to fome practical improvement of this fubject.

This perfon, whom the angels and the faints in heaven delight to honour, is confidered as poffeffing no form or comeliness by the world, and is too often treated with disrespect by those who rank themselves among his fervants. But, confider what an unworthy and ungrateful part you act. If you difcerned real worth in any of your fellow-creatures, you could not withhold your esteem; and you would justly blame yourselves, if you did not fecretly value a man of a benevolent and virtuous character; and yet you de

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fpife that infinitely excellent and glorious perfon, the Son of the living God, who is fo tranfcendently worthy in himself, and fo endearing in the riches of his grace and mercy. How inexcufable is this guilt! How ungrateful and disingenuous the behaviour! And how juft, as well as dreadful, will be the punishment! You expofe yourselves to the moft threatening danger. The confideration of your own ingratitude, and unworthy behaviour to Chrift, may perhaps, indeed, make little or no impreffon on your minds : But, think ferioufly, ye defpifers of the gofpel, what the end of fuch things must be; for, how can you efcape, if you neglect fo divine a Saviour? "If he," fays the apostle, "that defpifed Mofes's law, died without mercy under "two witnesses: Of how much forer punishment, fup"pofe ye, fhall he be thought worthy, who hath trod"den under foot the Son of God, and counted the "blood of the covenant an unholy thing?" If your infidelity fhould make you difregard your future profpects; yet, confider that it will not alter the purpofes and decrees of God: for, as fure as there is a God who ruleth over all, and as fure as this book is his facred word, the time is coming, when he will reckon, in the fiercenefs of his wrath, with all the defpifers of his Son. And what will the finner do when He rifes up? When He judges, what will he answer him? When He proceeds to execute his fentence, how will he efcape, or refift, or endure it?

Be perfuaded, therefore, I beseech you, as you love your own fouls, and would efcape everlafting mifery, to lay thofe things ferioufly to heart, and earnestly beg of God, that he would effectually difpofe you, by his grace, to honour and love the Redeemer, and cheerfully fubmit to his government.

With regard to you, who are the friends and followers of Chrift, and who are foon to commemorate his worthinefs and love, be careful,

1. To

1. To cherish in your minds the most honourable and becoming fentiments concerning him. Think of him, as the eternal Son of God, who, when you were loft and perifhing, undertook and accomplished your redemption, as God manifefted in the flesh, the compaffionate and powerful Mediator, who came into the world, on the generous defign of faving you from your fins. View him as the great Prophet of the Church, as the Light of this lower world, who came from the bofom of his Father, to give us the cleareft discoveries of his will, and the most gracious offers of his infinite mercy. Think of Him, as the great High-prieft of our profeffion, as fuffering, bleeding, and dying on the crofs, that he might make atonement for our fins, and obtain for us eternal redemption. Think of Him, in virtue of his meritorious obedience, as our perpetual and prevailing Interceffor at the throne of grace. And, in a word, confider the dignity of his perfon, and the excellence of his character, his early compaffion, the generous defign on which he came, and the wonderful friendfhip he discovered. Let fuch thoughts as thefe occupy your attention, that, while you are mufing, the fire. may burn, and you may remember his death with fuitable affection.

2. Be concerned to get your love to Chrift raised and inflamed: and, methinks, fuch an object, as he has now been reprefented, fhould engage your efteem, and raise your affection to the highest pitch. Detach your minds, then, from those empty fhadows, from this vain and deceitful world, which deferves not the thousandth part of that love you bestow on it; and give your love wholly to Chrift, who is fo infinitely worthy to receive it. Confider, not only the amiablenefs of his character as Mediator, but the greatness of his love. "He loved us," fays the apoftle, "and "washed us from our fins in his own blood." And is this a fufficient motive to recommend him to our

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warmeft and moft zealous regard? Let us, then, humble ourselves this day, under a sense of the coldnefs of our love to Chrift; and let us earnestly pray for the quickening influences of the Spirit, to blow up our little spark into a brighter flame.

To conclude: Let us, my dear Fellow-Chriftians, commemorate the Lamb that was flain, with high admiration of his wonderful condefcenfion and love; -with a fincere and lively faith in his death, as the great atonement, with which God is perfectly well pleased;-with broken and contrite hearts for our fins; and, finally, with the warmest fentiments of love and gratitude, for all the inestimable and important bleffings which he has procured. Let us, then, furround his table with joyful hearts, and there admire, and celebrate his love. Let our fouls magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour. And, fince he loved us, and gave himself for us, let us love him with our whole hearts, and refolve to live to his praife. And, for this purpose, may the bleffed Spirit breathe on us all, that, under his operations, we may anticipate the joy, as well as the work, of Heaven, in afcribing falvation, and glory, and honour, and praife, to Him that fits on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

SER

SERMON XVI.

ON HYPOCRISY, AND THE DANGER OF IT.

LUKE xii. 1.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharifees, which is hypog crify.

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S we have the near prospect of making a very folemn approach to God in the facrament of the Supper, it is of the laft importance for us to know what manner of fpirit we are of; whether we act from a good or a bad principle, and whether the ends we propofe to ourfelves be right or wrong. Many, it is to be feared, who attend our religious affemblies, and even fit down at the table of the Lord, are of a character altogether different from that which they aflume; they have a name to live, and yet áre dead; they profefs to honour God, while in worke they deny him; nay, they difguife themfelves after a

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ways; and, fometimes, even the prospect of death does not remove the covering which conceals their character from the view of their fellow-creatures. But, though such persons may easily deceive men, who can only judge by the external appearance, R

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