viour as we ought, and to obey them and serve them to the best of our power all the rest of our days.

Ye, therefore, who intend to partake of this holy supper, ye who intend to take the sacrament, as we call it, that is, your oath to be faithful servants to the Lord Jesus Christ, ye must ask yourselves, whe ther ye really intend to be what a Christian ought to be. Do ye believe, and believe with all your hearts, that Christ died to save you? Do ye, in consequence of such belief, mean to act as persons, whom God has pardoned for the sake of Jesus Christ? Do ye mean to live soberly, righteously, and godly? Do ye forsake every thing that is wrong and wicked? Do ye try to keep your bodies in soberness, temperance, and chastity? Do ye resolve, as far as ye can, to live in love and peace with every body? Are ye ready to cut off the right hand, or pluck out the right eye, rather than disobey Jesus Christ

in any thing that he commands? If so, ye are fit to come. None of us are worthy, truly, actually, and altogether worthy. But Christ will receive all who sincerely endeavour to make themselves worthy. And from all who come, he expects better and better conduct every day. He expects from them, that they will be examples to others in every good word and work.

This life is extremely short. None of us can tell, how few, or how many, may be his days in this world. Every one of you, therefore, should use no tarrying to make his peace with God, before he departs hence, and is no more seen. Every one of you should try to make this peace in the way marked out to you, even by the precious blood of your Redeemer. And whenever you are so serious and sincere as to approach his holy table with the dispositions that become you, you will have the comfort of knowing, that for you better

things are prepared in the heaven of heavens, when the glorious day shall come for Jesus Christ to make himself manifest and known to all true believers.

And now to God, &c.

VOL. II.

LECTURE LXXVII.

ST. MATTHEW XXVI. 39.

And he (that is Jesus) went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

WE have come to a very distressing period of our Lord's life. The time was drawing near for him to die on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. But, my friends, what a death, and what a sacrifice! By his death he has saved us from death everlasting by the sacrifice of himself he has made God our friend.

In my last Lecture, we left our adorable and blessed Redeemer appointing the sacrament of the last supper in remembrance of his body and blood. We left him distributing the bread and giving the wine to his twelve disciples, his companions and friends, and bidding them to take both in remembrance of Him. And who can refuse to take them in remembrance of so kind a friend? Who can ever think seriously of what Jesus Christ has done for him without loving Him to the utmost of his power. O Lord Jesu Christ, the greatest friend and the kindest benefactor to us thy poor creatures, we deserve to cease to live, when we cease to love thee.

After our Lord had finished this last supper with his disciples, they sang a hymn, and went out to a hill in the neighbourhood, called the Mount of Olives. This hymn is thought to have been made up