Imatges de pàgina
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diftinction; to this feaft all are invited, high and low, rich and poor, one with another. There are indeed but too many of those, whom fortune has placed in a fuperior rank, who affect to despise it; thofe whom gratitude calls on to be most thankful for benefits received, are most forgetful of their benefactor; those whofe example could most influence the rest of the world, are too carelefs of their behaviour; or if we do now and then fee them at the holy table, it is because they cannot avoid it; they are drawn by interest to a place where devotion could not carry them, and readily comply with human laws, though they have neglected the divine.

It happens in this, as in that feast mentioned by our Saviour, that the rich who are bidden, will not come; they have farms, they have wives, they have pleafures, they have vices, they pray the Lord of the feast to have them excufed; whilft from the streets and lanes of the city come in the poor, and the houfe is filled with guests.

This is indeed the only table, where all men, of all orders, ranks and degrees, can be admitted together, where none but merit can gain us admittance, where none but innocence can infure our welcome, and where all are fure to meet with that reward which they deferve. Let the confideration therefore of the ufe, the importance, the excellency of this injunction, induce us to reflect seriously on what I propof ed, fecondly, to lay before you,—the obligations which we lie under to perform it. And I i firft

first then, This is the abfolute and pofitive command of our great Lord and Mafter, Jefus Christ, whom we all pretend to acknowledge as our fovereign, that general under whom we fight, and who hath therefore the undoubted right to rule over us: to refufe to obey his commands, is treafon and rebellion, flying in the face of him whom we have fworn to ferve; him who hath power to punish or reward us: but his commands, however eafy to be complied with, feem harth and disagreeable to our perverfe and obftinate difpofitions; let us fet the precept in a milder light; let us confider it as the last request of a dying friend, who after a wearifome and wretched life spent in our fervice, begs us but now and then to think of him, to call to mind his endeavour to oblige us: but this image, as indeed all must be, is far beneath what it would represent, because our bleffed Saviour did more for us, for every one of us, than any one man could poffibly do for another, and has therefore infinitely more right to our obedience. Can we forget a friend whofe wifdom is always ready to counfel, whofe power is always exerted to defend us? Can we forget a friend who lived but to ferve, who died but to redeem us; whofe knowledge alone can make us happy here, and on whofe interceffion we muft rely for eternal blifs hereafter? Shall we not then fet apart a few hours to a grateful remembrance of that bounty to which we owe our whole lives? Can any table furnifh us with fuch entertainment as the table of the Lord? Can any feaft give us fuch refin

ed,

ed, and fuch exquifite delight? If two or three of us come together on this occafion, our Saviour will be in the midst of us; he will prefide over the feast, he will receive his guests, he will promote every good thought in us, banish every evil one, enliven our charity, and make us worthy vifitants.

In the purer ages of Chriftianity, the eucharift was always a daily part of the common prayer; they who lived then never omitted an opportunity of partaking of it; and though I am far from thinking it neceffary to falvation, that we should exactly follow them therein, yet furely fuch their zeal was infinitely preferable to the coldness and infenfibility of these our days.

What are the most frequent causes of this, it is perhaps very difficult to determine: fome I believe are unwilling, fome are afraid, fome are ashamed to communicate; the foolish man fets light by it, the weak man dreads it, the wicked man prophanes it. By daily converse with an idle, felfifh, luxurious world, we contract fuch a levity and diffipation of thought, that we cannot without great difficulty bring back our wandered thoughts to any thing fo folemn and fo ferious; that, befide the felf examination required, is a difagreeable work: nothing is fo irksome to an unjuft fteward, as to be forced to look into, and give up, his accounts; he would fain put it off, and promise by and by to settle once for all; or perhaps he fays, he knows his own weaknefs; if he repents now, and communicates, he fears he fhall

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fin again, and receive to himself greater damnation. Some again are of jealous, bad, and unforgiving tempers; they would approach the holy table, but they have been greatly injured, unjustly provoked, and they cannot fo readily pardon.

Men, in fhort, never want excufes either for doing what they ought not to do, or leaving undone what they ought; but thofe things which appear right in our own eyes, may not do fo in thofe of God. If he gives us the opportunity of reconciling ourfelves to him, and we will not accept of it, doubtlefs, as the Scripture expreffes it, he will repent him of his goodnefs toward us.

Caft away then all unneceffary fears and frivolous excufes, all malice and hatred, all wicked and carnal defires, repent ye truly of all your fins, and refolve to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways. Let us but make the refolution, and God will ftrengthen it it is better to come imperfect and finful as we are to the altar, than not to come at all: God, we may reft affured, will pardon our infirmities, and compassionate our weakness: let us give him our hearts, and he will clean and purify them. If any of us then, my brethren, here affembled, are defirous, as many of you I hope are, of receiving the holy communion, let us, I befeech you, prepare and fit ourfelves for this folemn occafion; for as God loveth the cheerful giver, fo he will animate our lifelefs faith, invigorate our luke

warm

warm zeal, remove all our doubts, and strengthen all our good refolutions; if we once approach his table, he will then confider us as his guests, and will receive us with tenderness and affection; and if we behave ourselves there with becoming zeal, piety, and devotion, will one day admit us to a nobler feaft in the kingdom of heaven, where all his faithful children and fervants fhall meet to partake of one bleffed communion, in a ftate of uninterrupted joy and everlasting happiness.

ON MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

SERMON

LUKE VI. 38.

XLIX.

With the fame Meafure that ye mete withal, it fhall be meafured to you again.

AMONGST all thofe glorious attributes which confpire to form our exalted idea of the Supreme Being, there is not one which the mind of man contemplates with more wonder and adoration, than the divine juftice; as it is that which doth eminently prefide over and direct the reft, and without which, omnipotence itself could only be pernicious, and omniscience of no effect; to be convinced of which, we need but turn our eyes on our own imperfect

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