eat with such brethren as live in allowed and wilful sin. His words are: "I wrote to you not to keep company with fornicators; yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world:"-that is, I do not mean that you should break off the intercourse of common life with the fornicators of this world,-with those who professedly are of the world, and make no pretensions to religion; for then you must needs go out of the world. "But if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." Cultivate no friendship with such a man as this; do not even keep company with him; have no conversation with him; do not so much as eat with him. This seems to be the primary meaning of the words; and therefore they imply nothing to keep individuals from the table of the Lord. At the same time, we cannot speak in terms sufficiently awful of the conduct of persons, who live in the practice of any such sins, and yet presume to approach the Lord's table; and if the discipline of the church were kept up, all such characters would be excluded. By their admission the holy sacrament is profaned; they are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord; they eat and drink judgment to themselves; and they are an offence to others, who sometimes make their conduct a plea for absenting themselves from the holy communion.

7. Finally, there are those who decline to communicate, because they are unwilling to bind themselves to a life consistent with the gospel.

They do not like the idea of walking in the way of holiness; the gate is too strait, and the path too narrow, to admit of their sins, and they prefer the broad road that leads to destruction. This is the worst case which we have noticed. This is indeed a sufficient reason for declining to partake of the precious memorials of the Saviour's unutterable love, and thereby openly professing themselves to be his disciples. But, alas! it is the worst reason that could be given. Let me ask, if any of you are so unhappy as to indulge so unholy a determination? Can you suppose, that by disobeying this command of Christ, you release yourselves from the obligation of obeying all his other commands? Because you refuse to comply with the requirements of your Maker, Preserver, and Redeemer, are those requirements no longer binding on you? Rather, are you not adding sin to sin, filling up the measure of your iniquities, and saying, in the language of open rebellion, "We will not have this man to reign over us." O consider the danger of such conduct, and flee for refuge to the covenant mercy of God in his beloved Son, before the door of hope is for ever closed.

By way of conclusion, allow me to ask, who among you are willing to commemorate the sufferings and death of Jesus? Where are the penitents? where are those who believe and trust in him? where are those who desire to live to his glory? O come and refresh your souls, renew your strength, and confirm your faith, with the remembrance of your Saviour's love; and feed upon the living bread which came down from heaven.

But let not those venture to approach His table, who have no regard to the glorious object of the worship and desire of the church. Shall the enemies of Jesus presume to wear the livery of his servants? God forbid! Remember, sinners, He cannot be deceived, He will not be mocked.

mis

And

But methinks I hear some say-if we come unprepared, we sin, and if we stay away, we sin! What then should we do? My brethren, if you are in this dilemma, your only wisdom is to look to God to prepare you for a worthy approach to his table. Examine well the state of your hearts; recollect your sins; look back with shame and sorrow upon а spent life; look forward to death, judgment, eternity. Look to Jesus in the agonies of crucifixion: and through him look to God in for prayer mercy. O may he grant you mercy and grace! be assured he will do it; and thus make you fit for communion with himself and his people here, and that blissful and perfect communion, which his church will enjoy in his presence and glory, hereafter. Will you not then be persuaded to join the people of God? He himself invites you; Jesus, the compassionate Saviour of sinners, will welcome you; angels will rejoice over you; the church will gladly receive you. Seek ye the Lord while he be found; may call ye upon while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Let the christian value his privileges, and be

him

careful to walk consistently with his holy profession. Partakers of the heavenly calling, and numbered among the people of God, be holy as God is holy; be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect; as his children be blameless and harmless, and without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, "Pass among whom shine as lights in the world.

ye

the time of your sojourning here in fear; forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot."

SERMON XXVI.

MATTHEW vi. 33.

BUT SEEK YE FIRST, THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.

My beloved brethren and friends, the God of our lives, in his kind and gracious providence, has brought us to the commencement of a new year,— another of those boundaries which mark our passage from time to eternity. "Hitherto the Lord hath helped us." At this stage of our progress, to which the mercy of our God has led us, may we erect an Ebenezer to his praise! But while, through the distinguishing goodness of God, we are thus spared, let us reflect how many thousands--how many millions of our fellow-mortals, who like us were living at the commencement of the last year, have been hurried down the rapid stream of time, into the immense, the immeasurable ocean of eternity. It is computed, that the globe, which we inhabit, contains nearly a thousand millions of human beings. It is likewise computed, that human beings, on an average, do not live beyond the age of thirty years. Admitting these