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ends of the earth. All who turn the eye of faith to Him are healed and live.

How wonderful is the declaration, Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. All are perishing, and will perish everlastingly, who do not look to Him. But every one who looks to Him in faith, or believes in the name of the only begotten Son of God, who believes in Him as the Saviour of sinners, and looks to Him for the salvation of his soul, shall not perish, but have eternal life. Let us then look and live. Let us behold Him who was delivered for our offences, suffering, bleeding, dying, and pouring out His soul unto death as the substitute for guilty man; and let us, confessing our transgressions unto the Lord, contemplate the desert of sin in the wrath which fell upon Him, that we may turn from all sin, and turn unto the Lord with all our hearts and with all our souls. It was "for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby, that the sacrament of the Lord's supper was ordained." If then we are desirous of receiving these benefits in our own souls, let us do as He hath commanded us in remembrance of Him. Let us behold by faith His body wounded, bruised, broken, pierced, torn; and meditate upon the sorrow wherewith the Lord afflicted Him in the day of His fierce anger. And let us, while we humble ourselves.

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at His footstool on account of our sins which were the cause of His pouring out His soul unto death, "feed on Him in our hearts," as the bread of life, "by faith with thanksgiving ;" and praise Him who shed His precious blood for our redemption.

The subject before us shows the debt of love and gratitude which we owe to the Son of God for His redeeming love and mercy, and to the Spirit of God for His regenerating grace. The verse that follows the portion of Scripture appointed for the Gospel of this day, declares to us that it was the love of God the Father which made this provision for the salvation of fallen ruined man. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This verse completes the reference to the Three ever-blessed Persons in the One Jehovah, contained in this discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we consider what is said respecting each of these Divine Persons in this discourse, we may well exclaim with the Apostle, God is love. The love of the Father of heaven provided

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a ransom for the deliverance of mankind from going down into the pit of destruction. spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for

41 Lamentations i. 12. 421 John iv. 8. 43 Job xxxiii. 24.

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us all. The Son of God in His love and in His pity condescended to become our Redeemer. He loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.* The love of the Spirit is manifested in His vouchsafing to come and abide in the hearts of sinful men, as the Witness for Jesus Christ, to be the Author and Giver of spiritual life to their souls, to strive with them, to convince them of sin, to endure grief from them, to guide them into all truth, and to be their Comforter and Intercessor.

When we behold the love of God to man, as it is thus described in His holy word, well may we say, What hath God wrought! How wonderful was it, that when He spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell46 at once, He should have compassionated the state of fallen man, and have sent redemption unto His people. May we love Him, because He first loved And may we manifest our love by obedience to His holy will in all things, by giving up ourselves to His service, and by walking before Him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life." Let us seek His grace to enable us so to do; and then we shall be enabled also to look forward in hope of being made partakers of His glory hereafter.

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44 Ephesians v. 2. 45 Romans xv. 30. 46 2 Peter ii. 4.

SERMON XXXVI.

FOR

THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

Luke xvi. 31.

AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL

THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

THE parable of which these words are the conclusion, is one of the most awful that our blessed Saviour delivered in the course of His ministry. It opens eternity to our view in a way that cannot but interest our feelings most deeply, if we give it the least attention. It exhibits a lively picture of the two states in the other world, to which we are all hastening. It sets before us unspeakable comfort and happiness on the one hand, and inconceivable misery and torment on the other. Oh! that the consideration

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of it may excite in every breast the solemn inquiry, Which path am I pursuing? If this night my soul were required of me, which of these two conditions would be mine for ever? When the difference is so vast between the two; and it is certain that one or the other must be our eternal state; what folly, what madness is it to shake off the concern which this subject is calculated to inspire, and to suffer other cares of infinitely less moment to absorb all our attention! We learn from this parable what is elsewhere plainly declared, namely, that riches profit not in the day of wrath, and that there is no repentance in the grave; or that when we enter on eternity our state is fixed for ever. We also learn here the only way in which we can be prepared for eternal happiness; and that is, by believing the word of God, which He has revealed to us for our salvation. May the statement here made be deeply impressed upon our minds by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit of God, that we may not hear it in vain!

The parable first represents the case of a man, who had his portion in this life,48 or was possessed of every earthly enjoyment. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. He possessed every thing that excites admira

47 Proverbs xi. 4.

48 Psalm xvii. 4.

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