Christ, and never are they diverted from that sublime object for a single moment: day and night their harps of praise are tuned to devotion: day and night are they singing, in strains of celestial melody, " to him who loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood;" and though the blessed angels, those happy spirits who never fell, are less interested in the subject than the saints, yet do they join the happy chorus, and with unceasing adoration, "Ascribe honour and glory to him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever."

Again; The Gospel forms a ground of the greatest joy, as it respects that information by which life and immortality have been brought to light; the grave, through its cheering influences, is divested of its horrors; the parent, when called to part with a beloved child, no longer shrinks back with horror at the idea of separation; he realizes the blissful hour when its dust will be reanimated, and the peaceful slumberer arise to everlasting day; when its happy spirit, reunited to its incorruptible body, will ascend into the third heaven, and take its mansion near the throne. Yes, when standing at the tomb, he considers it only the receptacle of its body for a season; with the tear of parting affection rolling down his cheek, he thus addresses the gloomy mansion:

"Think not, Grave, that we resign

This treasure as forever thine:

We only ask a transient stay,

"Till Heaven unfolds the eternal day."

With tidings and consolations such as these, we revive the widow's heart; we calm her throbbing bosom with the recollection of eternal joys, and direct her eyes to heaven. The orphan also receives encouragement from Zion's messengers; we proclaim to the defenceless mourner that rest which is provided for the people of God; we assure the trembling sufferer that her parent, if a believer in the Lord Jesus, is not dead, but sleepeth: that the day

is at hand which will usher her into the presence of that father, who once folded her in his arms; into the presence of that mother, at whose bosom she was nurtured, and who taught her lips to lisp the praises of the great Eternal.

To conclude; The Gospel contains a full and free offer of salvation through the merits of the Redeemer; it brings a pardon to every penitent-a pardon sealed with the blood of Christ—a pardon presented to him without money and without price.

How sincerely should we rejoice at those tidings which proclaim to us an inheritance in heaven, a city which hath foundations; whose pillars adversity and sorrow can never shake; whose builder and maker is God.

Let all who hear the joyful sound improve the opportunity. Let them consider the conditions upon which the blessings of the gospel are suspended; repent of sin, and believe on the Lord Jesus. Let them meet the messengers of the cross with grateful hearts, and let their lives bear witness to the sincerity of their religious profession. Let duty to God form our paramount consideration. "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us; looking to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith," for grace to carry into effect our virtuous resolutions, and for strength to persevere in Christian holiness.

Living in the discharge of our duty to God and to man, believers have every thing to hope, and nothing to fear. What! shall the heirs of a better and an eternal world, despond? Shall those who sincerely love God and delight in his commandments, tremble under momentary trials? Shall those whose treasure is in heaven, be discouraged on account of temporal evils? Believers, remember that there is a rest provided for the people of God; a rest from all your labours and all your difficulties; a rest where all is happiness and joy; a heaven in which no privations will await you; a heaven in which you will meet with those believing friends for whom you have mourned, and from

whom you will no more be separated; a heaven whose felicity is never interrupted by the sigh of sorrow, where the voice of mourning is never heard, but joy unutterable and full of glory will be your portion for ever.

Take, gracious God, take my congregation into thy holy keeping preserve them from sin, and let that mind that was in Christ Jesus be in them!

SERMON XIII.

"I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread : And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner, also, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood; this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."--1 Cor. xi. 23 to 26.

In this chapter, from which I have selected the subject of our present meditation, the Apostle exhibits to our view the nature and design of that holy ordinance, to which our attention is particularly called at this time. To correct the erroneous opinions which the Corinthians held respecting it, and to reprove them for that levity and inconsideration which marked their conduct in the observance of it, appears to have formed his chief object.

In the course of his observations upon the important subject, he discovers to us the reasonableness and propriety of the institution; he shows us how admirably it is cal culated to preserve in the human mind a sense of our obligations for the mercies of redemption; to awaken the sensibilities of our hearts to the tender recollections connected with it; and to excite our gratitude to that Saviour who died for the salvation of a lost and ruined world.

By a careful perusal of the whole chapter, the attentive Christian will discover that the condemnatory clause which it contains, can have no possible bearing upon any individual whose intentions are sincere; who, from motives of gratitude to heaven, commemorates the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, and whose desire it is to conform his life to the divine precepts.

The Corinthians, instead of observing the institution as an ordinance purely spiritual, as a mean by which their virtues might be invigorated, their hearts softened into contrition, and their minds renewed by divine grace, had made it a scene of revelry and confusion; employed it to feed their lusts; changed a feast of charity into a debauch; converted a religious rite into a common feast; and thus evidenced their gratitude to God, as men too often do on days of public rejoicing, by a violation of moral duty in acts of riot and intemperance. To correct this glaring evil, and to bring to their view the heinous nature of their offence, the Apostle thus addressed them :-" What! have ye not houses to eat or to drink in, or despise ye the Church of God? When ye come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for, in eating, every one taketh before other his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." After these remarks, he enters into an explanation and statement of the origin and intent of the ordinance, reminding them of the time in which it was instituted, and the solemnity with which it was ordained. "I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and, when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of After the same manner, also, he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in rememberance of me, for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till he come."

me.