doing a work in its kind as acceptable to God, as he that is at his prayers.

And is this all that is required?

You will be fatisfied it is fo, when I have put you in mind of the direction which the holy fcriptures (which are always our best guide) afford us concerning this matter.

St. Paul and Silas" are caft into prifon; the keeper of the prifon, being terrified by an earthquake, begins immediately to think of a world to come, and asks the apostles, Sirs, what shall I do to be faved?

The apoftles tell him what he must do; that he must believe, and repent of his fins, that he might be faved. He profeffes his belief in Christ, and immediately he was baptifed and all his house.

Now, here is a man and his family, and fuch a family as is not commonly the most orderly; here they are admitted to one facrament, upon a good purpose of living like Chriftians.

And why may not we come to the other facrament as worthily, if we have but the fame good difpofitions as this man had? No doubt of it, we may.

And the conclufion of all this will be, that the best preparation for the facrament of the Lord's fupper, is an honeft purpose of heart of ferving God to the best of one's power.

Acts xvi.

But

But then the cafe is not the fame with those who have often renewed their vows, and often broke them. Something more is required of them; they ought to confider feriously, what it is to break their vows; that the guilt and the danger is exceeding great; that therefore they ought to be very careful for the time to come not to fall into fuch relapses. With these purposes they ought to come again to the holy communion; and God, who is very merciful to those who fincerely purpose to lead a new life, will graciously pardon them.

And now you fee what a bleffing it is, that we have always a cure ready at hand for the forrow that arifes in a heart fenfible of its corruptions, and thoughtful of what may come hereafter.

And God Almighty grant, that none of us here present may ever defpife the means of grace fo mercifully provided for us.

And the good Lord fit us all, by his facraments here, for heaven hereafter, for Jefus Chrift's fake.

To whom, with the Father, &c.

SERMON

SERMON LXXVIII.

A CHARITY SERMON.

GOD'S GOODNESS TO MEN THE FOUNDATION OF THE LOVE THEY OUGHT TO HAVE FOR HIM, AND, FOR HIS SAKE, FOR THEIR NEIGHBOUR.

LUKE vii. 41-48.

There was a certain creditor, which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him moft? Simon answered and faid, I fuppofe that he to whom he forgave most. And he faid unto him, Thou

haft rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and faid unto Simon, Seeft thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gaveft me no kiss: but this woman, fince the time I came in, hath not ceased to kifs my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.Wherefore I fay unto thee, HER SINS, WHICH ARE MANY, ARE FORGIVEN; for the loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the fame loveth little. And he faid unto her, THY SINS ARE forgiven.

T

'O have this fentence from the mouth of

the Son of God, and Judge of the world, -what a furprifing comfort must it needs have been to this poor penitent! And yet this is our happiness, and we do not confider

it;

it; this is the very cafe of every penitent finner, who goes to God with an heart full of love and gratitude for the mercies offered us in Jefus Chrift. The very fame fentence, Thy fins are forgiven thee, as certainly paffes in heaven upon every penitent fo difpofed, as if we heard it from our Saviour's own mouth: the only question is, Who is it that may expect fo happy a sentence?

In order to give a more fatisfactory answer to this question, we shall confider the occafion of thefe words, and the reafon upon which this fentence was founded.

The occafion was this:-Our Lord was invited to dine with a certain pharifee: while they were at meat, a woman of that neighbourhood, who was (not only in the opinion of that pharifee, but in her own judgment) a great finner, came to Chrift, and in a most affecting manner, instead of washing his feet with water, (a common civility in those hot countries) fhe did it with her tears, discovering by this, and her other behaviour, a great respect, and an unusual affection. The pharifee, who would have been very uneafy to have had a person of this woman's character fo near himself, is surprised to see our Lord fo little concerned at it; and faith within himfelf,-If this man were a prophet, as it is faid he is, (that is, if he be the great prophet, whom God by Mofes promised to fend to his people) he would have known who and what manner

of