wage, the same enemies to encounter and difficulties to contend with, but we have also the same God to be our shield and stay and salvation. What he was to them in their day, he will be to us in ours, with all the accumulated blessing and privilege of this later day superadded. Therefore let us confidently take up the language and resolution of the Psalmist, and say-O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee.

Then is sung PSALM ciii. 8-12.

[While it is being sung, the Communicants leave the Table, and their places are taken by others.]

SECOND TABLE ADDRESS.

"I am thine, Save me."-Psalms, cxix. 94.

INTENDING Communicants, let us meditate for a little on these words. The believer may apply them in the fullest sense to the Saviour. Happy are we, if now we personally so adopt them.

"I am thine," by creation and preservation. He hath made us and not we ourselves. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Also by him all things consist, and on him we are ever dependent. In him we live and move and have our being. To him, therefore, we belong, and gratefully we ought ever to own ourselves his, with all that we are and have.

"Thine" also in relation to Christ by donation and gift of the Father. Blessed be God! there is an election of grace. Every believer has been chosen in Christ Jesus before the world began. In the exercise of the Father's free sovereign love, he made choice of a portion of our guilty race which he gave to Christ to be by him redeemed. For them God's Son became incarnate, lived and died, and rose again, and reigns for evermore "that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him."

"Thine" by purchase. The people given to Christ by the Father are a purchased possession. They are bought with a price. He gave himself for them. himself for them. He died to save them. They are redeemed, not with such corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Herein is amazing and matchless

love, that when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

be

"Thine" by conquest. The disciples of Christ are not willing subjects, until they are made willing. Those whom he has purchased with his blood, he requires to subdue to himself by the power of his grace. By nature they are "enemies" of God-heirs of wrath-and children of wrath, even as others. The enmity may more or less latent, but in every case it is an actual thing and only slain in the day of the Redeemer's power. When by his Spirit he convinces the sinner of sin, righteousness, and judgment,-enlightens the mind, renews the will, and renovates the heart, this is the work of Christ's grace in the soul, subduing a people to himself.

"Thine" by voluntary self-dedication and service. Intending communicants, you are ready we trust for this act. Like the Psalmist, we must confess that other lords have had dominion over us. But now you make a different choice. Now you accept the Saviour freely offered in the gospel as your Saviour. You give yourself, with all your powers and faculties, to his service. You enlist under his banner, and engage to obey him as Lord and Master, to submit to him in all things, and follow him whithersoever he goeth. Openly this day you desire to own him, and to join yourself to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant.

I am thine, you are ready to say, unreservedly, making no exception, but surrendering your whole spirit and soul and body-faculties, time, talents and substance to be the Lord's. Saying this cheerfully also, owning his propriety in you, responding to his call, and rejoicing in his goodness and love. Hopefully also, desiring communion with God, to be like Christ, and having confidence in the

promises of his word. He never said to any of the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain, and if it is your resolution,-Thy face Lord will we seek, we shall be blessed indeed. Trusting that such is your spirit and such your sentiments we put into your hands the symbols of the Saviour's broken body and shed blood.

[The assisting minister having distributed the elements, repeating the words "of institution as before, proceeds with his address after all have communicated.]

Believing Communicants! after the declaration, "I am thine," comes the appeal-" Save Me." To Christ you may well now make this appeal. For he is able to save. He delights to save. He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Save me from sin. We know the penalty to which we are liable by having broken God's law. If that penalty is to come on us according to our desert, we die-we perish. By the deeds of the law no man can be justified. No man can perfectly keep the law of God, nor can he make any adequate atonement for his sin. Our plea and appeal must therefore be to the divine mercy. Save me! I am helpless. Hear my cry, and give me experience of thy forgiving love.

Save me from trouble. All men have it. Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. Christ's disciples especially have troubles great and manifold in relation to this world and also the world to come. Often they suffer because they are faithful to Christ. The divinely appointed law is that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom. Blessed indeed are the uses of adversity. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all. They cry, and the Lord heareth. He giveth more grace, and

they are led to set their affections more on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.

Save me from my spiritual foes. Fail not, O believer, to make this appeal. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. There are leagued against the believer all the hosts of hell, and the whole world that lieth in wickedness. But every soldier of the cross goes forth furnished with a glorious panoply. He takes the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the breastplate of righteousness, and for an helmet the hope of salvation—and has always his Master at his back. And the result of his warfare is that there ascends from him the victorious ascription-Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Save me" as to duty. Give me wisdom to discern the right path, and enable me to walk in it. Give a right perception of what should be done, and strengthen me to do it. May I not shrink from it, or fail in its performance. In great things and small, may we have grace given to be faithful unto death. May we show the Saviour's spirit in diligently doing the will of our Father in heaven. May we do our duty to ourselves, our friends, and all our fellowmen. Our duty to society, and to the Church which Christ hath purchased with his own blood. Save me, that I may ever be earnest and devoted to the Saviour's cause, and willing to spend and be spent in his service.

Finally, "save me in the hour of death. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. That foe we must all confront. There is no discharge in that war. But when we go through the valley of the shadow of death we are promised the presence of that Saviour who