Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

I now address you in the following interesting words of one, whose richly-gifted and truly-devout spirit render all his words worthy of your affectionate acceptation :*" All Christian people must come. They indeed that are in the state of sin must not come so, but yet they must come. First, they must quit this state of death, and then partake of the bread of life. They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come,—that is no excuse for their not coming,-only they must not bring their enmity along with them, but first leave it, and then come. They that have variety of secular employments must come,-only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them, and then come and converse with God. If any man be well-grown in grace he must needs come, because he is excellently disposed for so holy a feast; -but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come, that so he may grow in grace. The strong must come, lest they become weak,-and the weak, that they may become strong. The sick must come to be cured, the healthful to be

* Jeremy Taylor.

preserved. They that have leisure must come,

because they have no excuse, they that have no leisure must come hither, that by so excellent religion they may sanctify their business. The penitent sinners must come, that they may be justified, -and they that are justified, that they may be justified still. They that have fears and great reverence for these mysteries, and think no preparation to be sufficient, must receive, that they may learn how to receive the more worthily, and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often to have it heightened."

Come, then, penitent, humble, broken-hearted, and believing men from all the ranks and from all the stages of life,-oh! come to it as the table where the emblems of divine mercy are offered to you, and let your song of praise, as you advance to the solemnity, accord with that of those angelic hosts, who once sung in the midnight heaven, at the birth of him whose dying love you are now to commemorate, "Glory to God in the highest, -on earth peace,-good-will to men." Amen.

THE SACRAMENTAL TABLE BEING NOW COVERED, AND THE MINISTER AND COMMUNICANTS HAVING TAKEN THEIR RESPECTIVE PLACES, THE FORMER, AFTER THE PATTERN LEFT BY OUR LORD, IS TO GIVE THANKS AND то CRAVE A BLESSING.

MATTHEW Xxvi. 26, 27. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it.-And he took the сир, and gave thanks.

THANKSGIVING AND BLESSING.

WE" thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that what many prophets and righteous men desired to see and were not permitted, our eyes have seen, and our ears have heard,"-that we know the great things which thou hast done for mankind, through Jesus Christ our Lord,—and that in the ordinances which he has given to his church, we are permitted, as from a pure fountain, to draw refreshment and support amidst the wilderness of

L

life, till we reach the promised inheritance of the better country that lieth before us.

How wonderful, O God, have been thy dispensations in all ages towards the children of men !— and how beautifully hast thou made it evident, by the progress of those religious institutions which thou hast successively ordained for their welfare, that at all times "thy delight over them has been to do them good!"

We look back this day, with sentiments of profound gratitude and wonder, to those early and preparatory manifestations of thy gracious purposes towards our race, by which thou didst usher in" that day-spring from on high which has" at last "visited us." We bless thee for the promise early given to mankind, and diffused among their families, while as yet they were "but few in number, and wandered from one habitation to another," that, in a future and more glorious age, a great deliverer was to arise among them. We bless thee, that from time to time thou didst send "prophets and righteous men,” and didst give thy word of inspiration to "holy men of old," who spake of the coming of this great One, and of the glories of that religion which he was to establish upon earth.

"full

We thank thee that thou didst give a law to Jacob, and ordinances to Israel,-and that Mount Zion became the joy of the whole earth, it being the place which thou hadst chosen to put thy name there, and to which the tribes went up with devout thanksgivings, to hear the promise of those great things which were to befall mankind during the latter days. And, above all, we bless thee that, when" the fulness of the times was come," thou didst send thine own Son to dwell among us, of grace and truth ;"-that at his birth a multitude of the heavenly host praised God, and sung "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good-will to men;"-that by signs, and wonders, and many mighty and gracious works, thou didst proclaim him to be "thy beloved Son ;”—and that at last, having fulfilled all that had been set before him, he bowed his head as the sacrifice for sins, and his life a ransom for many."

66

gave

Blessed be thy name, that, though we are sunk in guilt and in weakness, thou hast thus provided for us a sacrifice of infinite value, and with which thou art well-pleased;-and that, though he who thus loved us unto the death is no more seen upon earth, but has gone into the glory which

« AnteriorContinua »