"do this in remembrance of thee," as if no penalty were due to such disobedience? Will they go to rest, night after night, when the darkness sets in, not knowing whether the destroyer shall approach their houses, and thou come to judgment, and yet disregard thy blood, thy saving blood for ever? Daring and presumptuous man! faithless and disobedient!

And then the benefits which thou dost provide for us, good and gracious Jesus, how suitable are they to our need, how grateful to our souls! Yet these men also disregard. Nay, they for whom thou didst show such especial love; they amongst whom thou didst choose thy birth; they with whom thou didst associate; they for whom thou didst work so many miracles; they whom thou didst heal of their infirmities; they whom thou didst feed miraculously in their hunger; they whom thou didst select for thy first ministers; they to whom thou didst first preach, and enjoin thy ministers to preach the gospel; they,

S 2

thine own, thine own poor, disregard thy benefits, as if thy covenant were one of no mercy; as if they never sinned, and needed no remission; as if they valued not thy friendship; as if they wanted not thy grace to refresh their souls, and sanctify their bodies; as if they looked not for salvation through thee; and the life eternal. Though poor, yet proud and ungrateful man! O, Gracious Saviour, one more boon we crave of thee; with penitence and love affect their hearts, or with thy persuading terrors lead them, that thy mercies be not cast away, thy people die not neglecting thee.

And to us who hear thee, to us who obey thee, imperfectly we know, in the way which thou hast appointed; to us who thank thee, unworthily we feel, for thy body broken, and thy blood shed; to us, Gracious Saviour, communicate thy blessed Spirit, and all the benefits of thy passion. O, let the vision of thy heavenly bounties be ever present to our minds, that we may survey them one by one, and step by step,

even as thy servant, in the Land of Promise, that glorious ladder set between heaven and earth, with the ministers of grace descending, and thee the Lord God of Abraham, dispensing from above.

Preached at Hawkhurst,

March 17, 1839.

SERMON XII.

1 COR. XI. 28.

Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

You will perceive from the text

which I have chosen, that it is my intention to revert to the subject of the Lord's Supper, although on two preceding Sundays I have already treated of it at some length. You will suppose, therefore, that I consider it one of no ordinary importance and if what I have already delivered has produced any such feeling on your minds as I intended; if it has led those to serious reflection who have either totally neglected, as many of you have done, this solemn rite of our religion, or those who have done so of late years only, as is the case with others (for I am acquainted with the circumstances which are said to

have given rise to this), if you have perceived, from what has been advanced concerning the sin which you both have incurred thereby, the danger you are in, or concerning the benefits which would have resulted from a contrary conduct, the hope that is still set before you, then you will not be sorry to hear of this subject once more. Certain I am that no person who is himself impressed with the conviction of its importance, and who gives practical effect to that conviction by his obedience to it, will think his time mispent in giving his attention to arguments, of which he individually has no need, but of which his almost Christian brother has every need, to confirm him in the faith which he professes.

But, if there be those amongst my auditory-and I confess I fear it-who turn from this topic with annoyance, who have already felt, at the delivery of my text, a sort of mental distaste, with them I can hope to do no good. It is evident that they have no relish for their religious offices;— they are too carnal to enjoy a spiritual feast;