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and fcruples, I fpeak in a different language, and fuch perfons I can affure, that they who, after serious, and diligent, and mature preparation, ftill think themfelves unworthy, are not the leaft acceptable guests at the table of the Lord. Do you feel a grateful fense of the love of Jefus to mankind, particularly that amazing act of his love, in giving his life as a ransom for the world? Have you fuch a value for the covenant established by your Saviour's blood, that you are refolved to accept of it with gratitude, and adhere to it with all your foul? Have you fuch a regard to holiness and univerfal goodness, that you determine to lead decent, and pious, and exemplary lives? If you have thefe, come to express that gratitude, to accept that covenant, and to feal thofe vows at the foot of the crofs. Jefus breaks not the bruifed reed, nor quenches the fmoking flax. The humility of the heart will not banish the Eternal Spirit from taking up his refidence with you.

In the fourth and last place, We are to glory in the crofs of Chrift, by living to thofe purposes and for those ends for which Jefus died.

We glory in the Reformation from Popery, when we maintain and defend that pure religion which was then established. We glory in the Revolution, when we fupport the rights and maintain the liberties which were secured to us at that memorable period: and, in like manner, we glory in the cross of Christ, when we fulfil the intention, and answer the purpose for which Jefus died. Jefus died, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. In this view, Christians, your whole life is glorying in the crofs of

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Christ. When you fupprefs the motions of irregular defire, when you conquer the excess of paffion, and fubdue the vices which war against the foul, you are glorying in the cross of Chrift; for he, upon the crofs, crucified these your enemies, and died that you might be delivered out of their hands. When you check in yourselves the fpirit of animofity, when your heart relents towards him against whom your wrath was kindled, when you forego refentment, forgive an injury, and hold out the ready hand of reconciliation to your offending brother, you are glorying in the cross of Chrift; for he, upon the cross, displayed a most amazing inftance of forgivenefs, in praying for those who brought him to that accursed death. When your heart expands with benevolence to mankind; when you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and rescue the oppreffed; when you feel the distresses of your unhappy brethren and relieve them, or give a tear to the diftreffes you cannot relieve, you are glorying in the cross of Chrift; for he, upon the crofs, exhibited a moft illuftrious inftance of benevolence, in giving his life for the happiness of the world. When you yield to the fweet impulse of natural affection, when you indulge the tender fenfibilities of the heart, when you cultivate the spirit of a generous friendship, and join in the endearing offices of social life, you are glorying in the cross of Chrift; for he, upon the crofs, gave us a most amiable disOne of his last acts on earth was an act of natural affection and friendship; from the cross he recommended his mother to the care of the friend whom he loved.

play of these virtues.

In short, whenever you make advances in the di

vine life, and add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, patience, and temperance, and brotherly kindness, and charity; whenever you do a good deed, whenever you think a good thought, you are glorying in the cross of Chrift; for he, upon the cross, perfected this character, and finished the pattern of universal goodness for the world to ftudy, to imitate, and to admire.

SERMON XXXIV.

JOHN xix. 30.

-It is finished.

[Preached at the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.]

THESE are the laft words of Jefus. The

words which he uttered when his hour was come; when in the presence of a great affembly, he breathed out his foul in agony upon the crofs. It was ordered by the providence of God, that as Jefus by his death was the Saviour of the world, he should die publicly, when all Ifrael from Dan to Beersheba were affembled at Jerufalem,

There is something grand and awful in affembled multitudes of men, especially when convened on any great occafion, fuch as to pass fentence of life and death. In that filence of the mind, that awful paufe of thought, the human genius is agitated ftrongly ; it labours in expectation, and fills up the dreadful interval with emotions of terror and aftonishment. When, therefore, at this period, all Judea was prefent to celebrate the pafchal folemnity; when the great council of the nation, the chief priests, the fcribes and the elders, convened in Sanhedrim, added dignity to the multitude; when Pilate the Governor of Judea, and Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee, with their attending armies, difplayed the grandeur of the Roman empire, and sustained the majesty of the mafters of the world; when all these were af

fembled at the time of the death and crucifixion of a Prophet of the Lord, How great would be the agitations of the multitude! What aftonishing ideas would ftrike the mind, when they heard the expiring Prophet cry out, "It is finished!" When in a moment they faw that the face of nature was changed; when they felt the earthquake which shook the nations; when they were ftruck with the darkness which veiled the fun; when they were furrounded with the inhabitants of the eternal world who arofe from their graves, would not they then think, indeed, that all was finished, that the last hour of nature was come, and that the world was departing with its Creator?

Never from the time that the idea of creation rose in the Divine Mind, did an hour revolve that laboured with fuch vaft events. To this great point of view, as to the deciding hour in the annals of time, as to the crisis of the moral world, all the preceding ages looked forward, and all fucceeding ages looked back. The grand queftion was now deciding, Whether happiness or mifery fhould finally triumph in the universe of God? From this event the pow ers of hell dated the rife or fall of their dominion. The fate of the creation was now weighing in the scales. All eternity rested upon this hour.

Whilft we are now affembled to commemorate thefe great events, and to renew the memorials of thy death and paffion, be prefent with us most blessed Jefus! May we behold thy face, not as it was then covered with anguifh and tears, but fmiling upon us with heavenly complacence! Fill our hearts with love to thee, and lead us joyfully up into thine holy altar!