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deftroying another; and it is no less monftrous and unnatural for one member of Chrift's myftical body tobe at variance with another; to fee thofe who partake of the table of the Lord, at the fame time partaking of the table of Devils, by entertaining hatred or malice in their hearts, by doing, or purpofing to do, or even by wishing, any hurt to their brethren in Chrift.

Would we then claim the Divine prefence and bleffing in this folemn action? Do we expect or defire that the King should fit at his own table, and impart to us the fruits of his favour and love: let us be of one mind; and let us put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meeknefs, long-fuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; remitting to others their hundred pence, whilft we plead with God' for the discharge of our ten thousand talents. But the unity here fpoken of, feems more immediately to refpect their harmonious agreement in the great fubject of their praife. They made one found to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, faying, For he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever. And when they thus concurred with heart and voice in extolling the mercy and goodness of God, the houfe was filled with a cloud. That agreement in prayer has a mighty efficacy, appears from that gracious promife, I fay “unto you, that if two of you fhall agree on earth, "as touching any thing that they shall afk, it fhall be "done for them of my Father which is in heaven (a).” And my text affords a convincing proof, that agreement in praise, has an equal efficacy to bring the glory of God into the affemblies of his people. We may at least take encouragement from it to make the experiment. We have been afking the Divine prefence by prayer; let us go a little farther, and feek it by praife and thanksgiving.

(a) Matth. xviii.

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The Eucharift was the ancient name of this facrament, which name informs us, that the facramental devotions of the primitive chriftians, confifted chiefly in the exercifes of praife which I am recommending; and certainly their example ought to have confiderable weight with us. Let none fay, I am a guilty creature, and therefore, fighs, and tears, and lamentation, become me better than the voice of praife. For, if you are penitent, believing finners; if, defpairing of relief from any other quarter, you have fled for refuge to Chrift, and taken fanctuary in his atoning blood and facrifice, praife is not only lawful, but a neceffary part of your prefent duty. The defign of your redemption, the tenor of the gofpelcovenant, the glorious privileges to which you ftand: entitled, all loudly demand this grateful return. "Ye "are a chofen generation," fays the apoftle Peter, "a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar peo"ple; that ye fhould fhow forth the praises of Him "who hath called you out of darknefs into his mar"vellous light (b)."

But, alas, fays one, what is all this to me? my harp muft ftill hang upon the willows; for how fhall a wretched captive prefume to fing the fong of Zion? On my heart no evidences of grace are legible; grief and fear have fo thoroughly poffeffed it, that no place for the love of God remains. How then fhall I lift up my voice, whilst my foul is caft down and difquieted within me?

Now, to fuch I would anfwer in general, that let your cafe be as bad as you fuppofe, yet ftill you have caufe to blefs the Lord. If you cannot thank him for his fpecial grace, yet furely you ought to praife him for his unwearied patience, and thofe offers of mercy which are daily tendered to you. Blefs him that you are ftill on earth, in the land of hope, and not confined to the regions of everlasting despair. But I

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(b) 1 Pet. ii. 9.

muft

muft not stop here. Come forward to the light, thou dark, difcouraged foul; and, in the prefence of God, give an ingenuous answer to the few following queftions.

Thou complaineft of want of love to God, and thy complaints indeed fhow, that thou enjoyest not the immediate favour of God's countenance. But, is it not still a proof of your love to God, that you feel the want of his prefence, and earnestly defire the communication of his love? A man who keenly purfues the things of this world, difcovers his love to them as convincingly as he who rejoices in the full poffeffion of them. The tendency of the heart, appears as truly in an anxious pursuit, as in delightful enjoyment. But, as the weaknefs of hope is often miftaken for the want of defire, it is proper to confider, that your mourning for the abfence of God is a proof of your love. You evince your love for your friends, by grieving for their death, no less than by delighting in them when alive. If, when you think God has forfaken you, you heartily lament it as your greatest unhappiness and lofs, and believe that you are void of grace, and cannot love and honour him as you would, this is an undoubted evidence, that your hearts are not deftitute of the love of God.Farther, Would you not rather have a heart to love God, than all the pleasures and riches of the world? Would it not comfort you more than any thing elfe, to be affured that he loves you, and that you could perfectly love and obey him? If fo, it is not the want of love, but the want of affurance, that caufeth this difquiet. And therefore,, I charge thee in the name of God, to render unto him the tribute of praife which is due. To be much employed in this heavenly exercife, has an evident tendency to vanquifh all hurtful doubts and fears, by keeping the foul near to God, and within the influence of his love and goodness; by dissipating mistrustful vexing thoughts,

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and directing the mind to more delightful employment; by keeping the Tempter at a distance, who is ufually least able to follow us, when we are highest in the praises of our God and Saviour; and especially by affording evidence of our fincerity.

Come, then, and make the experiment. Obey that voice which proceedeth out of the throne, faying, Praise our God, all ye his fervants, and ye that fear hìm, both small and great. Let no voice be wanting on this folemn occafion; but let us all be as one, praising and thanking the Lord, whilft we commemorate his goodnefs and everlasting love. And then we may hope, that he will grace our communion table with his prefence, and fill all his guests with the fulnefs of his houfe.

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SERMON XXVIII.

ON THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE ORDINANCES OF RELIGION.

MATT. Xviii. 20,

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

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HESE words are our Lord's promise to his difciples, of his prefence with them, when employed in focial worship.

In the preceding verfe he expressly affures them, that if any two of them fhould agree together on carth concerning any thing which they fhall ask in prayer, it fhould be done for them by his Father in heaven. This affurance, though it evidently refers to a miraculous anfwer of prayer, is, however, a powerful encouragement to Chriftians in every fi tuation, by joint prayer and fupplication, to make their requests known to God. And this plainly appears from the general promife fubjoined in the text; "For where two or three are gathered together "in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

In thefe words we have an explicit appointment of public worship. It is here evidently fuppofed, that

Chriftians

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