that I speak to you as I do. Believe me, I am not willing you should abide in death; cannot endure that any of you should perish. But,

Thirdly, and that more directly to the ordinance before us, do you love the brethren? If you do not, you are not fit for this act of communion with the saints, and will be spots in the feast of love. If you do, I beseech you to remember to whom you owe it. If you "love the brethren, you know that ye are passed from death unto life." But remember to whom you owe that love, to whom you owe that life. Remember what you were when that love sought you out; how lying in wickedness, how living without God in the world, how serving divers lusts and pleasures! Then, what did his love for you? "He took you out of the mire and clay, and set your feet upon a rock, and ordered your goings." Remember, that it was Jesus alone who brought you back unto God, who taught your hearts to love; and remember what it cost him; what wrath of God, what rage of men, what pain, shame, death it cost him. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied," saith the prophet; in all his sufferings he shall be satisfied, if you are saved; this is all the return he expects, that you be saved.

Come, my brethren, ye that love one another, let us go and thank him. Come, his disciples indeed, let us go and praise him together. Let us remember together, with thanksgiving, him that died for us all. Let us thank him with loyal hearts, with hearts de

1 The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

X

voted to his service; that is, as he will interpret it upon his illustrious day, to the service of our, and as he condescends to call them, his brethren.

I am very sensible how apt the remembrance of a dying Master is to draw forth the flames of love towards him and our brethren; but ye must beware that those flames be not quickly suffered to be extinguished. Let the solemn action abide with you, the seal of your Master's favour, and the pledge of your love. Recall it from day to day for consolation and correction. Be cautious over the rebellion and worldliness of your hearts, and look to yourselves that ye lose not those things ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.

Oct. 6th, 1754.

SERMON II.

Above all these things, put on charity: Col. iii, 14.

CHARITY, i. e. brotherly love, is the ornament of man. Things that do but look like it are held in the highest estimation. Good nature, affability, an open hand, and a humane heart-things that are but the shew of love are qualities, without somewhat of which, we reckon a man intolerable. What an ornament, then, must love itself be, if courtesy and liberality, the distant imitators of it, be so desirable?

Distant imitators I call them. For if courtesy hath no higher an original than good breeding and sweetness of temper, and liberality arises only from the compassionate feelings and regards of mere humanity— they have not the least spark of Christian love; and though they ought to be esteemed as virtues useful to society, yet they must not be reckoned Christian graces. In such an age of politeness and distribution, it is peculiarly needful to make this distinction; and you know the apostle made it long ago-"if I give all my goods to feed the poor and have not love, I am nothing."

What then, you may reasonably ask, is love, this highest ornament of the mind, this note of a Christian, this witness of a child of God, and heir of glory

this best of all graces, greater than faith and hope, and which shall outlive them both, nor ever fail through all the ages of eternity? The inquiry, you must own, is of importance, and it behoves us all to see what title we have to it; for " we know that we are passed from death unto life, if we love the brethren;" and we are plainly told that "he that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

Now that Christian love might be seen as it is, and distinguished from all things that are too commonly mistaken for it, it was necessary to lay the foundation of this inquiry in a consideration of the rise of real Christian charity, whereby its true nature may be discovered. To this end, it is fit you should remark, that the devil hath wrought into the very nature of fallen man, even every one of us, these two great principles of all manner of enmity and dissension, wilfulness and love of the present world. Man is now naturally, nor can all the good breeding and philosophy in the world make him otherwise, wilful and worldly. Wilful, i. e. set upon having, and doing all things according to his own humour. Worldly, i. e. intent upon the enjoyments the world offers. While things remain in this state, what can ensue but what we see every where-a prevailing selfishness, full of inward disgusts, jealousies, fears, envyings, as men's humours are thwarted, and their interests interfere? All wilful, all worldly, how can they love one another as themselves? How bear, forbear, rejoice, mourn for one another, or, in short, do the least of all these things which love easily does! But now, would not all this strife be removed, were there one supreme will to

which they should all joyfully submit and be directed by; one infinite portion which were enough for them all? If, having no will of their own, to obey God's will were their one desire, and to enjoy his favour their only happiness, would not this take away all possibility of contention? I beseech you, what could they contend about? The wilfulness, therefore, of our nature as opposed to God's will, and the natural love we bear the world, as opposed to the love of God, must be first subdued, ere there can be any such thing as Christian brotherly love. We must obtain an obedient heart towards God, before we can forbear one another in love; must love God before we can love our brother.

But this is not the work of man. How vain were the attempt to turn the whole bias of our nature, to reform the very constitution of our souls! Vain indeed, seeing the Son of God was manifested to destroy these works of the devil, to turn us from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God! Yes, it was a work worthy the great Redeemer; and every faithful subject of the Redeemer's kingdom will own, that by the alone influences of the word and Spirit of Jesus Christ, he hath seen the sinfulness and danger of his natural estate, discovered the disobedience and worldliness of his depraved heart, and the eternal ruin, such a sinful disposition of soul must end in; that invited alone by that mercy which the blood of Christ hath purchased, he is returned to God; that now by the alone power of divine grace, his delight is in keeping God's commandments, and submitting to his dispensations; not in following his own wayward will,