to the uttermost all that come to God through him. He will in no wise cast them out: for he is the same to-day, as he was yesterday. He comes now to finners, as well as formerly; and, I hope, hath fent me out this day to feek, and, under him, to bring home fome of you, the loft fheep of the house of Ifrael.

What say you? Shall I go home rejoicing, faying, That many like theep have went aftray, but they have now believed on JESUS CHRIST, and fo returned home to the great Shepherd and Bishop of their fouls? If the LORD would be pleased thus to profper my handy-work, I care not how many legalifts and self-righteous pharifees murmur against me, for offering falvation to the worst of finners: for I know the Son of man came to seek and to fave them; and the LORD JESUS will now be a guest to the worst Publican, the vileft finner that is amongst you, if he does but believe on him. Make hafte then, O finners, make hafte, and come by faith to CHRIST. Then, this day, even this hour, nay, this moment, if you believe, JESUS CHRIST fhall come and make his eter nal abode in your hearts. Which of you is made willing to receive the King of glory? Which of you obeys he call, as Zaccheus did? Alas! why do you ftand ftill? How know you, whether JESUS CHRIST may ever call you again? Come then, poor, guilty finners; come away, poor, lost, undone publicans: make hafte, I fay, and come away to Jesus CHRIST. The LORD condefcends to invite himself to come under the filthy roofs of the houses of your fouls. Do not be afraid of entertaining him; he will fill you with all peace and joy in believing. Do not be afhamed to run before the mul titude, and to have all manner of evil spoke against you falfly for his fake one fight of CHRIST will make amends for all. Zaccheus was laughed at; and all that will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, fhall fufter perfecution. But what of that? Zaccheus is now crowned in glory; as you alfo fhall shortly be, if you believe on, and are reproached for CHRIST's fake. Do not, therefore, put me off with frivolous excufes: there's no excufe can be given for your not coming to CHRIST. You are loft, undone, without him; and if he is not glorified in your falvation, he will be glorified in your deftruction; ifthe does not come and make his abode in your hearts, you must

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take up an eternal abode with the devil and his angels. O that the LORD would be pleased to pass by some of you at this time! O that he may call you by his Spirit, and make you a willing people in this day of his power! For I know my calling will not do, unless he, by his efficacious grace, compel you to come in. O that you once felt what it is to receive JESUS CHRIST into your hearts! You would foon, like Zaccheus, give him every thing. You do not love CHRIST, becaufe you do not know him; you do not come to him, because you do not feel your want of him: you are whole, and not broken hearted; you are not fick, at least not fenfible of your sickness; and, therefore, no wonder you do not apply to JESUS CHRIST, that great, that almighty physician. You do not feel yourselves loft, and therefore do not feek to be found in CHRIST. O that GOD would wound you with the fword of his Spirit, and caufe his arrows of conviction to fick deep in your hearts! O that he would dart a ray of divine light into your fouls! For if you do not feel yourselves loft without CHRIST, you are of all men moft miferable : your fouls are dead; you are not only an image of hell, but in fome degree hell itfelf: you carry hell about with you, and you know it not. O that I could fee fome of you fenfible of this, and hear you cry out, "LORD, break this hard heart; LORD, deliver me from the body of this death; draw me, LORD, make me willing to come after thee; I am loft; LORD, fave me, or I perifh!" Was this your cafe, how foon would the LORD ftretch forth his almighty hand, and fay, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid? What a wonderful calm would then poffefs your troubled fouls! Your fellowship would then be with the Father and the Son: your life would be hid with CHRIST in GOD.

Some of you, I hope, have experienced this, and can fay, I was loft, but I am found; I was dead, but am alive again: the Son of man came and fought me in the day of his power, and faved my finful foul. And do you repent that you came to CHRIST? Has he not been a good mafter? Is not his prefence sweet to your fouls? Has he not been faithful to his promife? And have you not found, that even in doing and fuffering for him, there is an exceeding prefent great reward ? Iam perfuaded you will anfwer, Yes. O then, ye faints, re

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commend and talk of the love of CHRIST to others, and tell them, tell them what great things the LORD has done for you! This may encourage others to come unto him. And who knows but the LORD may make you fishers of men? The story of Zaccheus was left on record for this purpose, No truly convicted foul, after fuch an inftance of divine grace has been laid before him, need defpair of mercy. What if you are Publicans? Was not Zaccheus a Publican? What if you are chief among the Publicans? Was not Zaccheus like, wife? What if you are rich? Was not Zaccheus rich also ? And yet almighty grace made him more than conqueror over all thefe hindrances. All things are poffible to JESUS CHRIST; nothing is too hard for him: he is the LORD almighty. Our mountains of fins must all fall before this great Zerubbabel. On him God the Father has laid the iniquities of all that fhall believe on him; and in his own body, he bare them on the tree. There, there, by faith, O mourners in Sion, may you fee your Saviour hanging with arms ftretched out, and hear him, as it were, thus fpeaking to your fouls; "Behold "how I have loved you! Behold my hands, and my feet! "Look, look into my wounded fide, and fee a heart flaming

with love love ftronger than death. Come into my arms, "O finners, come. wash your spotted fouls in my heart's "blood. See here is a fountain opened for all fin and all "uncleannefs! See, O guilty fouls, how the wrath of God. " is now abiding upon you: come, haste away, and hide "yourselves in the clefts of my wounds; for I am wounded

for your tranfgreffions; I am dying that you may live for evermore. Behold, as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the "wilderness, fo am I here lifted up upon a tree. See how I "am become a curfe for you: the chastisement of your peace "is upon me. I am thus fcourged, thus wounded, thus cru"cified, that you by my ftripes may be healed. O look unto "me, all ye trembling finners, even to the ends of the earth!

Look unto me by faith, and you shall be faved: for I came "thus to be obedient even unto death, that I might save that which was loft.”

And what fay you to this, O. finners? Suppose you saw the King of glory dying, and thus fpeaking to you; would you believe on him? No, you would not, unless you believe

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on him now for though he is dead, he yet fpeaketh all this in the fcripture; nay, in effect, fays all this in the words of the text, "The Son of man is come to feek and to save that which is loft." Do not therefore any longer crucify the LORD of glory. Bring thofe rebels, your fins, which will not have him to reign over them, bring them out to him: though you cannot flay them yourselves, yet he will flay them for you. The power of his death and refurrection is as great now as formerly. Make hafte therefore, make hafte, O ye publicans and finners, and give the dear LORD JESUS your hearts, your whole hearts. If you refuse to hearken to this call of the LORD, remember your damnation will be juft: I am free from the blood of you all you must acquit my Mafter and me at the terrible day of judgment. O that you may know the things that belong to your everlasting peace, before they are eternally hid from your eyes! Let all that love the LORD JESUS CHRIST in fincerity fay, Amen.

SERMON

SERMON XXXVI.

The Marriage of Cana.

JOHN ii. 11.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifefted forth his glory; and his difciples believed on him.

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Have more than once had occafion to observe, that the chief end St. John had in view, when he wrote his gospel, was to prove the divinity of JESUS CHRIST, [that WORD, who not only was from everlasting with GOD, but also was really God blessed for evermore] against those arch-heretics Ebion and Corinthus, whofe pernicious principles too many follow in these laft days. For this purpofe, you may take' notice, that he is more particular than any other Evangelift, in relating our LORD's divine difcourfes, as also the glorious miracles which he wrought, not by a power derived from another, like Mofes, and other prophets, but from a power inherent in himself.

The words of the text have a reference to a notable miracle which CHRIST performed, and thereby gave proof of his eternal power and Godhead. "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his difciples believed on him."

The miracle here spoken of, is that of our LORD's turning water into wine at a marriage feast. I defign, at prefent, by GOD's help, to make fome obfervations on the circumftances and certainty of the miracle, and then conclude with fome practical inftructions; that you, by hearing how JESUS CHRIST has fhewed forth his glory, may, by the operation of God's Spirit upon your hearts, with the difciples mentioned in the text, be brought to believe on him.