though it ought not to be neglected by true believers, yet is neither essential to salvation, nor necessarily connected with it; and many will perish, who are admitted to it, even in the purest churches.

But our Lord, undoubtedly refers to that spiritual disposition, without which, no one has a right to the Lord's supper in the sight of God, and without which, no one can be benefitted by it. Cordially believing God's testimony concerning his Son; setting, as it were, our seal to it, as worthy of all acceptation. Fully realizing the need of his mediation, and truly entering into the import of his death; viz. that sin is exceedingly sinful. We are worthy of death: nor did it become a holy God to pass by our transgressions, without fully displaying his utter disapprobation and abhorrence of our sins. Hence, there was no remission without the shedding of blood; nor could any blood expiate our guilt, but that of God's own Son. Sincerely relishing this whole plan of salvation, and truly coinciding in design with the Redeemer. Entirely depending on the blood and righteousness of Christ, as sufficient for our salvation, and suited at once to pacify the conscience and purify the heart. Continually finding, that Christ and his atonement is that to our souls, which food is to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty; not only pleasant and gratifying, but supporting and nourishing, influential and invigorating, the means of strengthening and invigorating every holy disposition, and rendering us active and unwearied in the service of God.

I am,

THIRDLY, To show what are the blessings promised and insured to those, who eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ.

He hath eternal life, and he shall live for ever. i. e. He is redeemed from death, freed from condemnation; having in Jesus Christ, redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. As no end could have been answered by the death of the sinner, but what was answered by the death of the Saviour. He that believeth not, is condemned already; the wrath of God abideth on him. But Jesus saves from the wrath to come; he has redeemed his people from the curse of

He

the law; and there is now no condemnation to them that are in him. The Christian is already a partaker of a new spiritual life, which is supported by the daily exercise of faith. has life in him. Gal. ii. 19, 20. Being vitally united to Christ, the love of Christ constrains him to live unto God. While he relies on Christ for pardon, he depends on him also for strength, and for the discharge of every duty: feeling his obligation to be wholly the Lord's; and to live, not to himself, but to him that died and rose again.

He dwelleth in me, and I in him. 1 John iv. 16. He is in Christ and Christ in him. He looks to Christ. Christ watches over him. Christ dwells in his heart by faith, is in him the hope of glory; indicating, that he as truly lives by Christ (though not as perfectly) as Christ in his state of humiliation, lived by the Father; constantly trusting in him, delighting in him, regarding his glory: as Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He is certainly an heir of eternal life; for him, the Forerunner has taken possession of heavenly mansions. As soon as absent from the body, he shall be present with the Lord. Where I am,

there shall my servant be, to behold my glory.

I will raise him up at the last day. Ver. 39, 40. 44. 54. How often does Jesus claim this! "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

But if we are strangers to this mental feeding on Christ, we have no spiritual life in us: we are dead in sin, and exposed to eternal death. He that does not relish the gospel is alienated from the life of God. He that loves not the Redeemer is accursed.

LXXV.

CHRIST THE ONLY SOURCE OF ETERNAL HAPPINESS.

JOHN vi. 68.

Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. It seems to me, that in this day of avowed infidelity, this reply of Peter to our Lord's question, when, upon the

apostacy of some, he asked the twelve-"Will ye also go away! ? may be considered with advantage, by all who feel themselves assailed with any temptation to slacken their regard to genuine Christianity.

We may consider the words as containing a striking question, and a strong assertion. We will begin with the former, as calculated to show the folly of giving up Christianity, even if its evidences were weaker than they are, and the importance of examining its claims; and then ascend to the latter, and maintain that no desirable evidence is wanting in its favor.

FIRST: A striking question: Lord, to whom shall we go? Before a man renounces Christianity, let him be assured he has found a better religion, or else be assured that irreligion is better than any religion. But if a man wish destiny, to obtain nature, the hope

to know God, know his duty, know his the pardon of sin, the sanctification of his of eternal life, to whom shall he go?

The Jews professed

Shall he go to modern Judaism? to be the peculiar people of God. Peter was a Jew by birth, and had been strongly attached to the leaders of that church; though now he had become a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they rejected. The chief temptations to which he and his brethren were exposed were from this source. But they had then little weight, and they have now still less. The Jewish doctors were evidently prejudiced against Jesus. His doctrine was too pure and humiliating for them. But it corresponded with the Old-testament prophecies, and they could bring no proof against Jesus from the scriptures. The time was expired, or very nearly, and if Jesus were not the Messiah, none of them could tell him where or when to look for another. This argument is stronger now, since the death and resurrection of Christ, and success of his gospel; and the destruction of Jerusalem, and consequent calamities on the Jewish nation, above two hundred years more than the time they were in Canaan; or, allowing for the Babylonish captivity, near three hundred years longer. If Jesus be not the Messiah, it is vain to hope for the prophecies of the Old Testament ever to be accomplished.

Shall he go to Mahomet?

Will any one pretend

that his religion is more credible than the religion of Jesus? That it was spread in a manner more worthy of God; is of a more pure and benign tendency; reveals a more perfect standard of duty, or a more sure way to a more glorious heaven? The revolution he effected was not near so great, nor of so good a tendency; nor did it prevail against such obstacles; it was not confirmed by miracles; and what tales some of the commentators have related are highly ridiculous. He accommodated himself to men's lusts. His religion first spread in a dark age, and has prevailed among the most ignorant nations. It neither tends to glorify God, nor to promote goodwill to men; but encourages war and despotism. He admitted the mission and miracles of Christ; but if Christianity be true, Mahometanism is false; and if Christianity is false, so is Mahometanism too.

Shall he go to modern paganism? In which of the pagan nations that now exist, can a religion be found preferable or comparable to the religion of Jesus? Will he, with the Africans, worship the tiger and the shark, as king of land and of sea? Will he adopt the human sacrifices of of the South Seas? or the various modes of self-torture among the Hindoos?

And attempt to

Shall he go to ancient paganism? revive the worship of adulterous Jupiter, and his jealous and revengeful consort; of thievish Mercury; of the lustful Venus, and savage Mars, &c.? Or, attempting to separate the fables of the poets from the writings of the philosophers, who never made any complete reformation themselves, will he hope to learn a purer morality from them than from the scriptures? or more consistent views of a future state, and the way in which a sinner may be entitled to eternal bliss, and prepared for it? Varro says, the philosophers had two hundred and eighty-eight opinions concerning the chief good! Then whom shall we follow ?

Shall a man go to deism, in preference to Christianity? What can modern unbelievers of Christianity do for him? Are they agreed among themselves? By no means. Some deny a moral government and the immortality of the soul;

and consequently approach very near to Atheism. And those who admit both, what information can they give as to the standard of duty, the way of forgiveness, or preparation for future bliss ? Will you then prefer the deists? or, to make thorough work of it, Now you

Will you take refuge in atheism itself?

get rid of a moral governor, but what do you gain? If there is not any being to inspect you, neither is there any one to protect you. If there be none to control your conduct, there is none to console you in trouble. If there is no hell to dread, there is no heaven to hope for. You must shift for yourself in life, and die like a dog at last. But Peter follows his striking question with,

SECONDLY, A strong assertion.-Thou hast the words of eternal life.

Peter had nothing to awe him or to allure him to make this acknowledgment, from the fear of temporal penalties, or hope of worldly advantages. It was the dictate of cordial conviction; and though he once denied his Lord in the hour of temptation, he soon recovered, and his attachment remained firm till he sealed his testimony with his blood. And thousands have done the same. Yea, millions besides the martyrs have been influenced by this confidence through life, and transported by it in the very pains of death. To whom but Jesus can we go for a satisfactory account of the the divine nature, the origin of the world, the first and present state of man, the rule of duty, the clear revelation of a future state, a title to future happiness, meetness for eternal life, assurance of obtaining it? On these latter subjects we will enlarge, and show Peter's ground for his

assertion.

Well might he say to Jesus, Thou hast the words of eternal life. Thou hast fully revealed eternal life. Jesus came from heaven, and he assures us there is a heaven. Heathens could guess but little. Even Jews had very partial discoveries. Christ has brought life and immortality to light by his gospel. Thou hast procured eternal life. Hast rendered it perfectly consistent with all the divine perfections for eternal life to be bestowed upon sinners. Though the