of entrance to you, in whose souls by God's grace goodness is not a thing unnatural. When a man is swollen and puffed out by sin, no wonder he finds it a hard matter to squeeze through the strait gate he can only do so by leaving his bag of vices behind him. This however cannot yet be the case with you. It is but a few years since you were numbered among those innocents, of whom Christ says, that of such is the kingdom of heaven. Though no others can enter into the path of godliness without such pain and difficulty, that our Saviour likens it to being born again, yet as little children, we are told, we may enter into it easily. And you were little children so lately, that I doubt not you still may enter into it, and walk in it, if you only strive to enter in, and pray to Jesus to let you in. Never mind the thorns and the rough places you may meet with at first starting. Do not be discouraged by the labour of beginning to climb the hill of godliness, along the steep and narrow way. The higher you mount, the air will grow clearer, the light stronger, and your prospects wider and more beautiful. You know how delightful and cheering it is to stand at the top of a hill: where nevertheless you see only earthly things, and are braced only by common air. Judge then, how delightful must be the hill of godliness, where you will catch a prospect of spiritual things,

and be cheered and braced by gales from heaven. Moreover you will be fed with angels food. The Holy Ghost will spread out a plentiful table for you, of contented thoughts and heavenly desires, love, peace, joy, hope, comfort. These will be your supports. These will be your visiters. Do you meet with tribulations? they shall end. Have you sorrows to endure? they shall cease. For death will come, not the enemy, not the avenger, but that quiet peaceful death which receives the Christian into its arms, and carries him out of this life into a better.

And now, my dear children, I beseech the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will grant you to be strengthened by his Spirit, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that you may love him and obey him unto your lives' end.

You have al

Before I conclude however, let me turn for a moment to you who are older, and who were confirmed perhaps many years ago, You have already made this solemn promise. ready declared before God and the Church, that you were determined to be God's people. Have you kept your promise? It is registered against you. You may have forgotten it: but God remembers, and the devil remembers it. He who is now your tempter, will then be your accuser,

and will urge your promise against you before the throne of Christ. Yet fear not, ye who are pious, but timid: fear not on account of your backslidings, ye who truly grieve and repent of them fear not the malice of the adversary. Turn for mercy to your God and Saviour: throw yourselves at his feet: entreat him to forgive you, and to raise you up to a new and better life of Christian holiness: and he will bear your burthens.

SERMON XXIV.

WHO ARE INVITED?

OR,

CHRIST'S DISCIPLES.

MATTHEW xxvi. 27.

Drink ye all of it.

I AM going to speak to you about the blessed sacrament of the Lord's supper, and about the people who may and ought to come to it. This is a very important question, and one concerning which there are many sad mistakes and unhappy scruples. But though the question is important, it is not difficult: at least the difficulties in it are of our own making. Man, as usual, has sought out many inventions, and has lost himself in a wood of his own planting. Whereas God's command is plain. If we would only take that for

our rule, and follow the path he has marked out for us, we should find it straight and clear.

Such is our Lord's simple recorded in the text. For

"Drink ye all of it." command, as we find it so great is the merciful lovingkindness of our Saviour and Master, that he orders and would constrain us to do the very things which are most for our good. Human laws, generally speaking, are made to force us to do good, or to abstain from doing harm to others. The laws against murder, the laws against robbery, and the like, are made to prevent our injuring one another. The laws which oblige a man to pay rates and taxes, or, if need be, to be drawn for the militia, or to serve his king and country as a soldier,-all these laws are designed to make a man do his duty, according to his means, to his king and country, and to the aged and infirm poor. But God's laws have a different and a far higher aim. They command us indeed not to do any sort of hurt to others, but to render them every service, and to shew them every kindness in our power. And they threaten against all who shall dare to harm their neighbours, or who shall even be unready to assist them,-against all evildoers, all malicious, miserly, hardhearted, grasping, unfriendly, and uncharitable persons they threaten punishments so lasting and severe, that, compared with them, the worst a human judge