only refuge of an awakened conscience,-of a sinner who has nothing else to depend on for pardon, but the sacrifice of the death of Christ,-nor any hopes of amendment but by the assistance of that Holy Spirit which Jesus Christ has obtained for us, by His sufferings and resurrection.

Now, therefore, let us consider, what are the uses Christians ought to make of this knowledge of the death of Christ, and of His resurrection.

And in the first place, let us be assured, that we cannot truly understand, how very much God is displeased with sin and sinners, but only by looking upon Jesus Christ upon the cross; when we see that God would not spare His own Son, when He had put Himself into the room and place of sinners, but made Him to suffer what they by their sins had deserved to suffer.

That sin deserves death, this we must be assured of, because the righteous Judge of all the earth pronounced that sentence upon our first parents, in case they transgressed the law He had given them. And they had most surely died the moment they sinned, but that the Son of God undertook to satisfy His Father's justice, by undergoing the punishment which they had deserved. And it was on that account their lives were continued, and a time of trial granted them, to see what use they would make of this favour.

In the next place, we learn, by the sufferings of Christ, the exceeding love of God for us His poor creatures; that He would suffer His own Son to take our nature upon Him, and to be so sadly used, rather than so great a part of His creation should be utterly lost and ruined.

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten [John 3. 16.] Son, to the end that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This being the greatest token of the love of God should lead us to love God with all our soul, and mind, and strength.

And the infinite obligations which we Christians have to love Jesus Christ for what He suffered for us, obliged St. Paul to give this standing rule to the Church: "If any man [1 Cor. 16. love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha;" that is, leave him to the judgment of God, and do not own him for a Chris tian.

22.]

SERM.
LXVI.

[Heb. 12. 14.] [2 Cor. 5.

15.]

15, 23.]

Now let us consider the end of all this, and why our knowledge and belief of Christ's death is so much pressed upon us by the Holy Spirit of God. Is it not because this is the very foundation of that holiness, without which no man must ever see the Lord in peace?

"Jesus Christ died for all, that they who live should not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again." Nothing being more just and reasonable, than that we should consecrate our lives to Him, which He has redeemed from the power of the devil, and saved us from death eternal.

The end of Christ's suffering was to save us from our sins, [Tit. 2. 14.] that He might "purify unto Himself a people zealous of good [John 14. works." "If a man love Me," saith Christ,-if he values Me, and what I have done for him," he will keep My commandments." And for our souls' and for God's sake, let us often remember, that it is utterly impossible that any man should be happy without being restored, by an holy life, to the image of God: that alone can make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in heaven.

And I would to God that every Christian, who hears (and understands) me, would make this (as I bless God I do) one part of his daily prayers,-that God would restore us to His image, and that the image of Satan may be destroyed in us. Jesus Christ, who has declared, that whatsoever we ask the Father in His name, He will grant it us, will certainly grant this, if we ask in faith,-to be restored to the image of God, in which our first parents were created, and before they fell into sin.

Now, Christians, you see the true reason why Jesus Christ appointed the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It was, that we might keep up the remembrance of His death; that we might never forget His love and mercy in dying for us; that, in a grateful remembrance of what He has done and suffered for us, we might dedicate (devote) ourselves, our spirits, souls, and bodies, to His service, to the service of our Creator; and that by so doing, we might by Him be made happy for ever and ever.

And in truth, every Christian, who receives this holy Sacrament as he ought to do, does it in token that he pur

poses, through the grace of God, to continue Christ's faithful servant unto his life's end; which if he doth, the divine justice cannot punish him for his former sins that he has repented of, no more than if he had never sinned or done amiss. So very great is the mercy obtained for us by Jesus Christ!

It was not for nothing that Christ, when He appointed this Sacrament, commanded, Do THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME; that is, of the holy example that I have set you; of the holy doctrine I have taught you; of the sorrows and bitter death I have suffered for you. A sacrifice of love that passeth all expressions and acknowledgments on our part. All that we can do or promise is this: that we will, by the grace of God, sin wilfully no more, nor crucify to ourselves the Son of God [Heb. 6. 6.] afresh, by putting Him to an open shame.

And, O God! grant that this may be the resolution of every one here present, when he goes to the Lord's Table,to sin no more, lest a worse thing follow, than what has yet happened to any of us.

As to the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST mentioned in the text, it is a blessing for which we ought to be exceedingly thankful; forasmuch as by this, God has given us all the assurance that our hearts can wish, that He is reconciled to us by the death of His Son, since He hath raised Him from the dead; and that whatever He hath said, or taught, or done, was agreeable to His divine will, and ought to be believed, and attended to, and followed, as the will of God, at the peril of our souls.

3, 4.

Let us therefore conclude, and we cannot do it better than in the words of St. Peter, "Blessed be the God and Father 1 Epist. 1. of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us."

And indeed a true Christian lives on earth in this hope of an inheritance in heaven.

This life is short; the inheritances of this world are uncertain, its blessings are uncertain, and may, and often are, taken from us while we live; and when we die, part with them

SERM.
LXVI.

we must but the goodness of God, and His blessings, and inheritance, endure for ever.

The good Lord grant that we may think much of these things, and that our conversation may be in heaven, where our Lord Jesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, our mediator and advocate.

To Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, for ever.

SERMON LXVII.

THE SIN OF JUDAS PRACTICALLY EXPLAINED AND APPLIED.

LUKE Xxii. 21.

Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on

the table.

See Ps. 41.
9; Jer. 7.
9; Matt.26.
23; Mark
14. 18;

6. 1; Tit.

BоTH Judas, and his crime, are spoken of by Christians Luke 22. with the greatest abhorrence; and we cannot think of his 48; 1 Tim. punishment without trembling. Well:-let us all take care 1. 16. then not to imitate him in his sin, that we may escape his punishment. Why; is there any need of such a caution? Truly, our Church seems to think so, when she exhorts all such as intend to come to the Lord's Table to repent themselves truly of all their sins, before they presume to eat of that bread, or drink of that cup; lest, after the taking of that holy Sacrament, the devil enter into them, as he entered into Judas, and fill them full of all iniquity, and bring them to destruction both of soul and body.

And indeed, it is a thing too plain to be concealed, that too many, who come to our Lord's Table, do betray their Saviour and His religion, and expose them both to shame and contempt. I cannot therefore, when I read this sad account of Judas, and the warning which the Church gives us upon it, I cannot but be concerned, both for myself and you that hear me, lest we should (as Judas did) go to the Lord's Table with any bosom sin unrepented of, and without full purposes of amendment of life.

I pray you, therefore, consider with me the nature and circumstances of this sin of Judas, that, by the grace of God, we may all avoid that rock upon which he was lost.

I. And first; it was not this one sin that ruined Judas.