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drink with the drunken; and to take no thought of his immortal soul? His faith will prevent him from thus running headlong into perdition, by speaking to him these dreadful truths: "They that count "it pleasure to riot in the day-time, shall "receive the reward of unrighteousness; "wells without water; clouds that are car"ried with a tempest; to whom the mist "of darkness is reserved for ever." "Work "out your salvation with fear and trem"bling ;" and "walk honestly as in the day, "not in rioting and drunkenness; not in "chambering and wantonness; not in strife "and envying; but, put ye on the LORD "JESUS CHRIST, and make not provision "for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof;' for "they that have done good shall go "into everlasting life, and they that have "done evil into everlasting fire." Lastly, does the world endeavour to frighten him from his duty by the laughter of the scorner, or the ridicule of the wicked man, his faith holds him to it, both by its promises and its threatenings: "Be then faithful unto death, "and I will give thee the crown of life." "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and "of my words, in this adulterous and sinful "generation; of him also shall the Son of "Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the

"glory of his Father, with his holy angels." It directs his eye to the scenes in Pilate's hall, and on the top of Calvary; to the contradictions of sinners, endured by his everlasting Saviour; to his buffetings and Scourgings; his mockings and revilings; to his crown of thorns, and purple robe; to the nails that pierced his hands and feet, and the spear that wounded his precious side: And, while his faith shews to the christian this most affecting sight, it whispers to his soul these blessed words of encouragement and upport: "Be not afraid of their terror, "neither be afraid of their words; though "briars and thorns be with thee, and though "thou dost dwell among scorpions'; be not "afraid of their hard speeches, nor be dis"mayed at their looks, for I am with thee, "and will save thee, saith the LORD GOD "ALMIGHTY."

Such, my friends, is the sincere christian's shield and defence against all that the world can do unto him. By the means of his "faith working by love," and shewing itself forth in a good life: by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, obtained by earnest prayer; and through the efficacy of the blood of the 'atonement; he goes on conquering, and to conquer; overcometh the world; and, finally, saves his soul alive.

SERMON XXV.

[For the Second Sunday after Easter.]

JOHN X. 16.

And there shall be one fold under one shepherd.

W

HEN the officers were sent by the Scribes and Pharisees to take our blessed LORD, they returned without fulfilling their errand; and told their masters, as an excuse for not bringing him with them, that he spake as man never spake." They were so struck with the dignity of his manner, and the divinity of his discourse, that they were afraid to lay their hands upon him convinced that he must be more than ; man, who could do what he did, and speakR as he spake. But, though the gracious "words" which CHRIST uttered, must have had great additional force, when heard from

his own mouth, yet they are very powerful and affecting as delivered to us by the holy evangelists; and it is impossible to read them, or to hear them read, without being struck to the heart, and feeling love and reverence to him from whom they proceeded. To his disciples, and the Jewish multitude, to whom he delivered his discourses in his own person, they must have been particularly impressive; because, he always took occasion to allude in them to some circumstance, or object, which was at that moment before their eyes; and by these means, awakened their attention more powerfully to what he was saying, and to the instruction which he meant to convey. Thus, for instance, it was in the temple that he was teaching, when the Jews asked of him a sign from heaven to which demand he made the following answer, "destroy this temple (pointing to his own body, in which dwelt "all the fulness of the Godhead,") and

in three days I will raise it up." Again, when he said to the chief priests and elders, "the stone which the builders refused, the

same is become the head of the corner. Whosoever shall fall on that stone shall "be broken; but on whomsoever it shall · "fall, it will grind him to powder;" he was then in the same temple, which the evan

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gelist tells us was remarkable for the size of its stones; "see what stones, and what "buildings, are here." When CHRIST was at the well in Samaria, and asked of the. Samaritan woman some water to drink ; alluding to the object immediately before her eyes, he went on to describe his doctrine, as" living" water; that is, water constantly springing up, and flowing; and added, whosoever shall drink of the water that I "shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him "a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." And when Nicodemus had come unto JESUS by night, for fear of the Jews; CHRIST took occasion to refer to that circumstance in the following words, " Men "love darkness rather than light, because "their deeds are evil." You will find these remarks, my brethren, to hold good with respect to most of the discourses of our blessed LORD, which either arose out of the occasions or scenes that were before him at the time, or had at least some allusion to them; and, by carrying this in your minds. when you read or hear the scriptures, you will receive additional pleasure from the many beautiful parables, stories, and divine conversations, of JESUS CHRIST, which they contain.

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