we are, and yet we are called to sit at his table, being, through Christ, reconciled to him, and brought into covenant with him. Justice might have set us as criminals at his bar; but, behold, mercy sets us as children at his board; and it is a miracle of mercy.... mercy that is the wonder of angels, and will be the eternal transport of glorified saints. See how much we owe to the Redeemer, by whom we have access into this grace.

Let me, therefore, set myself, and stir up myself, to admire it: I have much more reason to say than Mephibosheth had, when David took him to eat bread at his table continually-11 Sam. ix. 8.... What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?" I am less than the least of God's mercies, and yet he hath not withheld the greatest from me : I have forfeited the comforts of my own table, and yet I am feasted with the comforts of the Lord's table: I deserve to have had the cup of the Lord's indignation put into my hand, and to have drunk the dregs of it, but, behold, I have been treated with the cup of salvation. Were ever traitors made favorites? G....such traitors made such favorites? Who can suf@ficiently admire the love of the Redeemer, who received gifts for men, yea, even for the rebellious also, upon their return to their allegiance, that the Lord 3 God might dwell among them ?...Psal. lxviii. 18. And have I shared in these gifts, notwithstanding my rebellions? This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous. Whence is this to me, that not the mother of my Lord, but my Lord himself, should come to me?-that he should thus prevent me....thus distinguish me with his favors? Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to me, and not unto the world?'

Secondly, We should come from this ordinance lamenting our own manifold defects and infirmities in our attendance upon God in it. When we look back upon the solemnity, we find, that, as we cannot speak well enough of God and of his grace, so we cannot

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speak ill enough of ourselves, and of the folly and treachery of our own hearts. Now, conscience, thou art charged in God's name to do thine office, and to accomplish a diligent search; review the workings of the soul in this ordinance distinctly and impartially.

And, (1.) If upon search thou findest cause to sus pect that all hath been done in hypocrisy, then set thy soul a trembling; for its condition is sad, and highly dangerous. If I have been here pretending to join myself in a covenant with God, while I continue in league with the world and the flesh....pretending to receive the pardon of my sins, when I never repented of them, nor designed to forsake them, I have but deceived myself, and have reason to fear that I shall perish at last with a lie in my right hand, While this conviction is fresh and sensible, let care be taken to mend the matter; and, blessed be God, it may be mended. Have I reason to fear that my heart is not right in the sight of God, and that therefore I have no lot nor part in the matter, but am in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity?...I must then take the advice which Peter gave to Simon Magus, when he perceived that to be his condition, after he had received the sacrament of baptism-Acts viii. 21, 22, 23....' Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee.' Let that be done with a double care after the ordinance, which should have been done before.

But, (2.) If upon search thou findest that there hath been, through grace, truth in the inward part, yet set thy soul a blushing, for it hath not been cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. When we would do good, evil is present with us: our wine is mixed with water, and our gold with dross: and who is there that doth good, and sinneth not, even in his doing good? We find, by sad experience, that the sons of God never come together; but Satan comes also among them, and stands at their right hand to resist them; and that wherever we go, we carry about

with us the remainders of corruption, a body of death, which inclines to that which is evil, and indisposes us to that which is good. If the spirit be willing, yet, alas, the flesh is weak, and we cannot do the things that we would.

O what reason have I to be ashamed of myself, and blush to lift up my face before God, when I review the frame of my heart during my attendance on this ordinance! How short have I come of doing my duty according as the work of the day required? My thoughts should have been fixed; and the subjects presented to them to fix upon were curious enough to engage them, and copious enough to employ them; and yet they went with the fool's eyes, unto the end of the earth, and wandered after a thousand impertinen-. cies. A little thing served to give them a diversion from the contemplation of the great things set before me. My affections should have been raised and elevated, but they were low and flat, and little moved : if sometimes they seemed to soar upwards, yet they soon sunk down again, and the things which remained were ready to die. My desires were cold and indifferent...my faith weak and inactive; nor were there any workings of soul in me proportionable to the weightiness of the transaction. Through my own dulness, and deadness, and inadvertency, I lost a deal of time out of a little; and slipt much of that which might have been done and got there, if I had been close and diligent.

This thought forbids us to entertain a good conceit of ourselves, and our own performances, or to build any confidence upon our own merit. While we are conscious to ourselves of so much infirmity cleaving to our best services, we must acknowledge that boasting is forever excluded; we have nothing to glory of before God; nor can we challenge a reward as of debt, but must ascribe all to free grace. What good there is in us, is all of God, and he must have the honor of it; but there is also much amiss, which is all of our

selves; and we must take the shame of it, lamenting those sad effects of the remainder of sin in us, which we feel to our loss when we draw nigh to God in holy ordinances.

This thought obligeth us likewise to rely on Christ alone, for acceptance with God in all our righteous duties: he is that great and gracious high Priest, who bears the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow in their holy gifts, that, notwithstanding that iniquity when it is repented of, the gifts may be accepted before the Lord'....Exod. xxviii. Of his righteousness therefore we must make mention, even of his only; for the most spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God, only through him'....I Pet. ii. 5.

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Thirdly, We should come from this ordinance rejoicing in Jesus Christ, and in that great love wherewith he hath loved us. From this feast we should go to our tents, as the people went from Solomon's feast of dedication, joyful and glad in heart, for all the goodness that the Lord had done by David his servant, for Israel his people.... Kings viii. 66. They that went forth weeping must come back rejoicing, as they have cause, if they bring their sheaves with them.... Psal. cxxvi. 5, 6. Hath God here lifted up the light of his countenance upon us?...that should put gladness into our hearts....Psal. iv. 6, 7. Have we here lifted up our souls to God, and joined ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant?...we have reason, with the baptized Eunuch, to go on our way rejoicing....Acts viii. 39. The day of our espousals should be the day of the gladness of our hearts....Cant. iii. 11. This cup of blessing was designed to be a cup of consolation, and its wine ordained to make glad man's heart...to make glad the heart of the new man; having therefore drunk of this cup, let our souls' make their boast in the Lord, and sing in his ways, and call him their exceeding joy.'

Let this holy joy give check to carnal mirth; for

having seen so much reason to rejoice in Christ Je sus, we deceive ourselves if we rejoice in a thing of nought: we are not forbidden to rejoice; but our joy must be turned into the right channel, and our mirth sanctified, which will suppress and silence the laugh. ter that is mad. The frothiness of a vain mind must be cured by a religious cheerfulness, as well as by a religious seriousness.

Let it give check also to the sorrow of the world, and that inordinate grief of outward crosses, which sinks the spirits, dries the bones, and worketh death. Why art thou cast down, and why disquieted for a light affliction, which is but for a moment, when even that is so far from doing thee any real prejudice, that it works for thee a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory? Learn, my soul, to set down upon the ruins of all thy creature comforts, by a withered fig-tree, a fruitless vine, and a blasted crop, and even then to sing to the praise and glory of God, as the God of thy salvation. When thou art full, enjoy God in all; when thou art empty, enjoy all in God.

Let this holy joy express itself im praises to God, and encouragement to ourselves.

(1.) Let it express itself in the thankful acknowledgment of the favors we have received from God. As spiritual joy must be the heart and soul of divine praise, so divine praise must be the breath and speech of spiritual joy. Whatever makes us joyful, must make us thankful: Do we come from this ordinance easy and pleasant, and greatly refreshed with the goodness of God's house?...Let the high praises of God then be in our mouths, and in our hearts. This is a proper time for us to be engaged with great fixedness, and enlarged with great fluency in this service. If we must give thanks for the mercies we receive, at our own table, which relate only to a perishing body, and a dying life, much more ought we to give thanks for the mercies we receive at God's table, which redate to an immortal soul, and eternal life. When