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plate the fulness of our portion in an infinite God, it will but the more bring back this reflection, and constrain us to confefs, that we are lefs than the leaft of all his mercies.

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In feveral paffages of the Pfalms, of David, we have very warm and fervent expreffions of the delight which the man after God's own heart had in the worthip of his fanctuary. There are few of thefe more beautiful and forcible than the paffage of which my text is a part, O fend out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy.' That which feems to have brought the Pfalmift to this ftriking and beautiful thought, was, his being under the preffure of heavy affliction; and, particularly, in a ftate of dif tance and banishment from the temple fervice. This led him to flee for refuge to God, his almighty friend and unchangeable portion. Did the Pfalmift then go to God as his confolation in diftrefs? What reafon is there for every Christian to go to him as his Father and his God, not only for fupport under the various trials of this mortal ftate, but for happiness and peace after he hath feen and felt the inherent vanity of every created enjoyment?

All I fhall further add upon the words is, that what David is here praying for, is to be brought to the temple of God, to have accefs to his courts, and communion with him there. This he plainly looks upon as a fource of exceeding joy; and, furely, to thofe who are duly difpofed for it, there is not, there cannot

be, in this world, a more delightful employment than the joint celebration of our Creator and Redeemer's praife; than the united voice of his fervants in his temple. It is the nearest approach we can make to the employment of heaven, and the most fenfible foretafte we can have of its happiness in this foreign land.

But, my brethren, I must limit the subject to what is the particular and diftinguishing employment of this day, the holy ordinance of the Lord's fupper, commemorating our Redeemer's dying love. This was called by the antients the Eucharift, or Sacrifice of Praife. And, indeed, no difpofition is more proper or neceffary, in attending upon it, than a joyful and thankful frame of fpirit. This will be like a precious perfume, which will fill the houfe with its fragrance, and will greatly strengthen every other gracious difpofition; and, therefore, my intention is, through the affistance of divine grace,

I. To fhew you what matter of joy and fatisfaction there is to every fincere Chriftian, in what is represented to our view in the facrament of the Lord's fupper; or, for what reasons we ought, in this folemn fervice in a particular manner, to go to God as our exceeding joy.

Having done fo, I fhall make fome practical improvement of the fubject for your inftruction and direction.

In the first place, then, I am to fhew you what matter of joy and fatisfaction there is to every fincere Chrif

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tian, in what is represented to our view in the facrament of the Lord's fupper; or for what reasons we ought, in this folemn fervice, in a particular manner, to go to God as our exceeding joy. I am deeply fenfible, my brethren, that I have entered on a task to which I am very unequal, to raise your minds to that fublime temper, of joy in God, and to disclose that fountain of joy there is to every believer, in what his Redeemer has done, and is still doing for him., It is fo great a fubject, that we ourselves may fee how unfit a mortal tongue is to fpeak of it: and therefore, I fhall, in the entry, pray that God may shed abroad his love in our hearts; that he may fend forth his light and his truth, that they may be guides to us;' and accompany the word fpoken with the powerful energy of the spirit of confolation. But a little of that real communion with God which is the work of his Spirit, and which he sometimes vouchfafes to his people, will give them fuch a lively fenfe of his love and joy in him, as they themfelves know may be felt, but cannot be expreffed: and I cannot forbear already obferving to you, that the meaneft real Chriftian fhall, one day, in the higher house, have fuch a fulnefs of joy, and fuch conceptions of God and his Redeemer's love, that he fhall look down, with wonder, at the weak and imperfect stretches of our imagination after it now. But fo long as we are here, let us patiently content ourfelves with what is given us as neceffary to fupport our weary fteps in this defolate wildernefs; with what this ordinance, inftituted for enlivening our faith, fupplies us for our comfort and joy.

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For this purpose, let me beg your attention to the following confiderations.

1. You ought to go to God, in this ordinance, as your exceeding joy, because, in it, you have the fullest affurance, and the clearest evidence of the forgiveness of your fins, and peace with your offended Maker. This is the preliminary mercy which, with open the way to erefpect to fallen creatures, must very other bleffing. Nothing fo much damps our joy in God, and leffens our fatisfaction in addreffing him, as consciousness of guilt. This it is that makes religion fo unpleasant to the carnal worldling; even the fecure finner, who feems to walk without fear, is yet deterred by natural confcience from drawing near to God. He does all in his power to rid his mind of the thoughts of God's ordinary and conftant prefence with him in every place. A horror of his Maker poffeffes his mind at all times; he cannot love him as a gracious Father, because he hates him as an enemy, and fears him as a righteous judge. Nay, the fame thing it is that makes us all feel fo frequently an averfion at the duties of religion. The cold hand of a fpirit of bondage freezes up the affections. Trembling and fear taketh hold upon us. An inward dread and jealousy of our own ftate throws a gloom and darkness, as it were, through the temple of God. And, with whatever ftrength or beauty the promises or privileges of the faints may be fet forth, there is a fecret restraint upon us, and as a voice discharging us from touching Were we but as pure, them, as forbidden fruit. and free from guilt, we fhould, with as much joy

and fatisfaction, draw nigh to God, as the angels do in heaven.

I have been the more full in opening this to you, that you may fee the foundation there is in nature, and in fact, for the leading doctrine of the gospel, Christ Jefus fet forth as a propitiation for fins, through faith in his blood.'

His bleffed body was broken, and his precious. blood was fhed, for the remiffion of fins. Are you to commemorate this? are you to receive the vi sible signs and the appointed feals of it? does not this affure you, that your fins are forgiven for Christ's fake? Are your fins very great? are they many in number, and heinous in their aggravations? Confider the infinite value of this facred blood. It was no lefs than that of the eternal Son of God, who chearfully undertook our caufe: and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Ifa. liii. 5. He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, he was bruifed ⚫ for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace ⚫ was upon him; and with his ftripes we are heal'ed.' O unfearchable myftery! O the infinite holinefs of God! O the tremendous juftice of God! How well may the exhortation be preffed, Ifa. i. 18. • Come now, and let us reafon together, faith the Lord: though your fins be as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimfon, they fhall be as wool.' Well may we fay with the apostle Paul, 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world, to fave finners, of whom I am chief. Are you afraid of the condemning

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