ated world never ceases to pour upon Him who died to save it." And, lastly, another would say; "I am going, because moderation in religious concerns, is my great maxim ;-because the claims of God upon my services and my heart, if not resisted somewhere, would proceed, and still advance, till they left me nothing that I could call my own, or that would enable me to secure the favour and friendship of the world. On this principle, then, I regulate my conduct, as it respects the holy sacrament. If I never attended it, I should give too little; but if I always attended it, I should give too much, to God.”

Now, though all this is but an imaginary picture, it is, I affirm, true to the life. It brings down to the stage of this visible world, scenes which are exhibited, in reality and substance, before the face of heaven, and in the sight of God. That Christ is present, not only in virtue of his ubiquity, but in fulfilment of his own specific promises, when you thus turn your backs upon his ordinance, you all know. And that the answers, which I have put into your mouths, are the actual responses of your lives, and hearts, and actions, you cannot but confess. All that I have done, then, is to give familiar form, and tangible substance, to the invisible realities of your case. I have done so, with the hope, and not, I will add,

without the fervent prayer, that the truth, thus exhibited, may reach your consciences, and come home, with living conviction, to your hearts.

But I must now, before I conclude, turn to a far different class of persons; namely, to those who absent themselves from the sacrament, on the principle that they are unworthy to be partakers of those holy mysteries. To such I would say, if this feeling be genuine, if it be not lightly urged, or adopted as a ready excuse, when there is some other, and some secret cause ;-if the notion that you are unworthy, be really a strong conviction of your minds, and a deep experience of your hearts, then, not only are you fit to present yourselves at the table of the Lord, but you, alone, are in a state to do so.

"The cup of blessing which we bless," inquires the Apostle, "is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? " When we partake, then, in a right spirit, of that most heavenly banquet, we approach it, as the representative of Christ offered, as our atonement, upon the cross-as the pledge of his love-a means which he has himself ordained, whereby all true believers become one with Christ, and Christ with them. Whatever qualifications, therefore, are suitable for him who comes to Christ, are pre

cisely those, which constitute the right preparatives for the holy sacrament. And, surely, it is not those who feel that they are worthy, who draw near with acceptance to the divine Saviour. No. It is the humble, and the contrite-it is those who know the plague of their own hearts-who mourn for the sins of their past lives-who plead guilty and self-accused, before the bar of justice :-these, and these alone, can lay hold upon the promises of the gospel, or receive the consolations which flow from Christ. These, and these alone, can, with sincerity, unite in those deep confessions of unworthiness, and of sin, which our sacramental service requires of all communicants. We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty; provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us." "We do not presume to come to this thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table."

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Which of you can, sincerely, before the searcher of hearts, take this pregnant language into his mouth? Talk not, then, of your unworthiness, as an impediment in your way but rather hear-for

to the contrite, and to the humble, and to them alone, do they apply-" Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith, unto all that truly turn to him.

Come unto me, all that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.'

'So God loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Hear, also, what Saint Paul saith.

This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received.

That Christ Jesus came into the

world, to save sinners.'

Hear, also, what Saint John saith.

'If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.'"

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SERMON XV.

PHILIPPIANS, iii. 20.

"FOR OUR CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN."

THE word which is here translated "conversation," may be rendered citizenship. The meaning of the passage, thus translated, would be, that all Christians should feel towards heaven, as if it were their own country.

It was customary amongst the ancient Romans, to extend the rights of citizenship, beyond the pale of their own territory. So that the inhabitants of towns, far distant from Rome, were ranked amongst the number of its citizens. And this was the case of Tarsus, that city of Cilicia, to which Paul himself belonged. In virtue of this, the apostle was a Roman citizen: and we find him, in the 22nd chapter of the Acts, both referring to, and asserting the privileges of that character.

St. Paul may be considered, then, as having in view, this right of Roman citizenship, when he uses the expression of my text. And the force of the comparison seems to be, that as one ever so far removed from the capital of that great empire, might, nevertheless, feel himself, in interest, in