expect in this world and what in the world to come. Nothing has been left undone on his part to secure our eternal salvation. Every one is invited to accept the "unspeakable gift." No exception is made whatever. The *halt, the maimed, the blind, the rich and the poor, bad and good, are all invited to the great feast. To comfort, to strengthen, to encourage us, the Holy Spirit is promised to all who ask for His help. All Three Persons in the Blessed Trinity are concerned in this great work, and hosts of angelic beings are ready to minister to them who shall be heirs of this mighty salvation.

Surely, brethren, you cannot hitherto have been sufficiently alive to your privileges as the children of God! If you were sufficiently alive, could the wretched. husks of this world's pleasures have such charms from you? If you had the glory of heaven before your eyes and the wonderful price paid for your share of it, could you think it hard to deny yourselves for the short space of seventy years, it may be, (life is so uncertain), only for seventy days? What a lesson is taught by the fate of him who said to his soul, "†Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; eat, drink and be merry." Here was an absence, a total absence of all self-denial. Here pure, unmixed selfishness, here was an instance of an individual giving himself up to his own vile low desires, to eating, drinking and making merry, merry for a few minutes, miserable through all eternity. What did the God of wisdom say to the selfish wretch? "Thou fool, thou fool, this night

* Luke, xiv. 21. † Luke xii. 19.

shall thy soul be required of thee."

Did ever any one

obey the Lord, take up his cross and follow him and

regret having done so ?
not obtaining his reward?
the contrary is equally true. Never did any one give
way to self and serve this world without being dis-
appointed and bitterly disappointed too. How common
is it to meet with people who have set their hearts upon
some particular object, it may be the making of a
fortune under the excuse of providing for old age; or
the educating of a child, that he may get on in the
the world, as it is usually said; or the improvement of
an estate to found a family, or make his own family
conspicuous in some way, or even the prosecution of some
art or science with such enthusiasm as to shut out all
regard to everything else, the concerns of the soul or
any other weighty consideration; and then to find this
man, who must indulge his own peculiar taste at any
cost, lamenting and bemoaning his own folly, expatiating
freely on his own disappointments, and making general
observations about the unsatisfactory nature of everything
in this world. I have no doubt some here have heard
of or seen instances of this dissatisfaction. And what
did it all arise from? From seeking happiness where it
was not to be found; in the creature instead of the
Creator, from not denying themselves and living unto
God. This you cannot do by your own strength but the
Holy Spirit is ready to lead you into all truth. Ask
your God to give you the help of this blessed Spirit,
ask earnestly in faith. Devoutly implore the Lord Jesus
Christ to remember his promise to send the Comforter,

Was he ever disappointed in
No. This is as certain as

the Holy Ghost, to help you in your efforts. It is His special office to take of the things that are Christ's, and show them unto men, to display all the excellencies of Christ before the eyes of his people. Are your sins of a grievous character? He will show you that Christ is a Saviour able to cleanse from sins of the darkest dye. Do you feel the weariness of the conflict, that to deny yourself and take up your cross is an endless struggle, that you cannot do the things that you would? The Holy Spirit will show you that Christ is your Advocate with the Father, and that He ever liveth to make intercession for you, and that His grace is sufficient for you under all your temptations. It is only with the help of the Holy Ghost that we can form any adequate idea of the greatness of that salvation which Christ has wrought out for us, and of his wondrous unparallelled love. And O! when the Holy Ghost does take of the love of Christ and discover unto men "*its length and breadth and depth and height." What joy and transport does He impart! Truly it is "ta joy that is unspeakable and glorified;" a very heaven upon earth. Such manifestations of the Saviour's glory cannot be made to the world, because the world has no dispositions suited to them but to the believer they are made; and they produce in him a determination of heart to consecrate himself wholly and for ever to the Lord.

* Eph. iii. 17, 18.

+ See Simeon's John xvi. 14, P 48, vol. xiv.

SERMON IX.

ON THE LORD'S SUPPER.

St. Luke, Chap. xiv. v. 16, 17, 18.

Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many : And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse.

IT

T has often been observed that our Lord frequently took up His discourses from things just occurring at the time, but so deep and exhaustless is the Word of God that what our Lord was led to observe, apparently often from incidental causes, is found wonderfully applicable not only to the hearers then present, but to persons in all ages and in all countries. Thus the words of the Text doubtless were addressed to the unbelieving Jews who would not listen to the Gospel when the Son of God was preaching it to them. But how applicable are they to all of us! Who is there amongst us that has received the glad tidings of the Gospel, the invitation from the King of Heaven, with that joy and gladness that he ought to have shown? Who is there that has not made excuses to be absent from the feast of the Lord? How often have our thoughts wandered to the things of this world, even when we were in the courts of the Lord's house? It is to be feared also that too many of us have drawn near with our lips while our

hearts were far from Him.

Even the common duties of religion we must confess before God that we have not discharged as we ought, and if we were called to a strict account what could we expect? But with regard to some of the leading ordinances of religion, especially the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, there is reason to fear that the state of many is still worse. Let me then seize the present occasion to inquire into the causes of our neglect, and then after having made some observations upon these heads, let me like a good physician not only point out the cause and nature of the disease, but show you a remedy.

I take it for granted that as I am addressing a body of Christian people you all freely confess that you ar sinners. If you believe your own Scriptures you must confess this much, but doubtless your own consciences bear testimony to the truth of St. John's declaration, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Beloved brethren, one grand cause of all this sin and neglect on our part is doubtless that sinful nature which we inherit from our great forefather Adam. From our earliest infancy we go astray. Gladly do we find or make excuses even to disobey our earthly parents, and much more do we transgress as regards our heavenly Father. * Vain man would be wise," as Job says, though man be born like a wild ass's colt." Always is it more agreeable to our carnal nature if left to its

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* Job xi. 12.