he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us," Eph. ii. 14.

"He was wounded for our transgressions, and was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed," Isa. liii. 5.

And shall thy blessed body be mangled, and bruised, and broken; and mine, that deserved to be ground to powder, remain sound and whole? Lord, break in pieces my heart; that while thou hast so many proofs to produce of human cruelty, I may have, at least, one mark to show of thy power and grace. It matters not who are our accusers: if Christ be our Advocate, "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us," Rom. viii. 33, 34.

He first prays God to be reconciled to us, and now entreats us to be reconciled to God. Is it not strange that we should need entreaty? Is it not still more strange that he should entreat in vain?

"After the same manner he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as ye drink

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For as often as ye eat cup, ye do show forth

it, in remembrance of me. this bread, and drink this the Lord's death till he come," 1 Cor. xi. 25, 26.

See, christians, see here this new covenant. ratified and confirmed by the precious blood of Christ. What could he do more to give you strong consolation and hope? O, the unfathomable love of Jesus! His name is love, his nature is love, his words were love, and his actions were love, he preached love, he practised love, he lived in love, nay he died for love. Behold, what manner of love was this! That the Physician should die for the patient, the Master for the servant, the Shepherd for the sheep, the Innocent for the guilty, the Just for the unjust, the Prince for the rebel, the Lord of glory for the children of disobedience, the righteous Judge for the condemned malefactor!

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Let this be a sign between me and thee. cept of thee according to the tenor and terms of the new covenant. O, remember him who remembered you in your low estate, and is still remembering you.

My Lord and my God! How shall I express my love to my loving and lovely Jesus, who loved me and gave himself for me?

Were we under the law, or a covenant of works, we were undone; but, blessed be God, we are un der the tenders of a covenant of grace, that admits of repentance, and a surety for a guilty criminal, and

graciously promises pardon to the penitent believer : nay, promises repentance to the hard-hearted, faith to the unbelieving, and earnestly invites and presses backsliding children to return to God through a Mediator.

Deep calleth unto deep. The depth of our misery to the depth of thy mercy. What means this trembling and doubting?

The mountains

may depart, and the hills be removed, but the loving-kindness of the Lord shall not depart, neither shall the covenant of his peace be removed, Isa. liv. 10. The blood of Christ, which satisfied the justice of God, may satisfy the conscience of an awakened sinner.

O! blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Lord, whatever thou deniest me, do not deny me this.

Behold, how evidently Christ crucified is set forth before your eyes. Behold the Lamb opening the seals, the seals of God's covenant, the seals of God's treasure, the seals of the foundation of life, and the seals of heaven's gates; all which were shut to us, till Christ came to open them.

And now, christians, have we once more subscribed with our hands unto the Lord, and are bound by our own act and deed to be his for ever. No renouncing our covenant with God, no going back from it without horrid impiety, ingratitude, and perfidiousness. No evil in this world that can

befal us, nothing that the worst enemies we have can do unto us, have we cause to fear so much as we should dread declining from God, and dealing falsely in his covenant. If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. You will not only incur the wrath of God, but the displeasure of a merciful Mediator.

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Alas! christians, that such cautions as these should be necessary. How ready are we now, when our hearts are warm, and our affections moved at the sight we have seen, to say, as Hazael did, Is thy servant a dog, that I should do such things?" Can I ever prove such a base and ungrateful traitor, as to betray my Master after all the unspeakable favours I have received from him? Can I ever be that hardened wretch that shall crucify the Lord of glory afresh, when I have so lately seen him bleed and expire in the greatest agonies for my sake? I do not say that you will do this; but if you should, you will remember, and it will be no small satisfaction to remember, that it is a new covenant that you have been this day sealing; a covenant of grace, in which provision is made, through the blood of sprinkling, for the pardon of unallowed and lamented failings.

Were this a proper time, I would ask those elder brothers, those that can content themselves sacrament after sacrament to stand without, when there is such a feast prepared within; whom the

most importunate and repeated invitations from the Father of mercies will not prevail upon to come in to partake of his feast. I would ask two questions only-How do you approach to God in prayer? and, How do you support yourselves under the accusation of conscience?

Dare you venture into the presence of God, not introduced by Christ? And will the Mediator undertake to plead for you, if you do not come to him and put your case into his hands? Will hearing that there is balm in Gilead heal your wounded spirit, if it be not applied? Will the new covenant profit you, if it be not yours? And can you plead it as your own, if it be not signed? Will it be any satisfaction to you in the other world to reflect that you were not far from the kingdom of heaven? That the covenant of grace was proposed to you, and pressed upon you, and you approved it, and fully intended, one day or other, to accept of it, and solemnly testify your approbation of it, and consent to it; but that you were so long in resolving upon it, till God, highly resenting the affront you thereby offered to the Mediator and himself, swore in his wrath that it should never more be offered to you? How many refusals more the long-suffering of God may take from you is uncertain; to us, I mean, for they are all numbered above; and when the measure of them shall be completed, either the table shall be removed, or