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beforehand, they would not be exposed to such judgments. He had before, in the 28th verse, given a rule, which by attending to it, would prevent the sin of unworthy receiving, and he here again enforces it, as a means which would prevent their being visited by the Lord with diseases, sickness, and death, as signs of his displeasure with them as unworthy receivers. "If we would judge ourselves," examine, search, try and prove ourselves, before we eat and drink at the Lord's table, solemly bewail, confess, and accuse, condemn ourselves and mourn before the Lord on account of what we are as fallen creatures, what we have been, and done, and are still liable to through sin which dwelleth in us," we should not be judged.

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If in matters relating to the worship of God, and as it respects the administration of this ordinance, and the receiving it, we regulated the whole according to the rule and standard of the divine word, we should not be judged by the Lord. He would not inflict those diseases, sicknesses, and death on receivers. It follows

from hence, that some of the Corinthian believers, because of their carelessness, fell under God's stroke, had weakness, sickness, and death sent amongst them, as a chastisement, a temporary judgment, by way of rebuke. What for? I reply, not merely for their receiving unworthily. A sin I am unwilling to charge upon them, unless it be in a very low manner and degree. But principally in their conniving at, holding fellowship with, and continuing in church-fellowship with such persons whose lives were truly shocking and infamous.

Their not separating from such, not cutting them off, and disinheriting them from all church-privileges, may be looked upon as their sin, and which by consequence was polluting, and a means of rendering the table of the Lord contemp. tible. The apostle in the 32nd verse, speaks by way of consolation to real saints in this church state. "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." Informing them hereby, that God intending by this means to re

duce them to their duty, and a proper reverence and estimation of this his sacred institution, chastised them as a father, agreeable to his everlasting kindness and goodness towards them, being ever mindful of his covenant, of every article in it, and promise of it; in which for his own glory and the real spiritual good of his chosen, he hath inserted this clause, “If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments: then will I visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes," (Psalm lxxxix. 30, 31, 32.) In the performance of which part of the covenant God's free grace, his holiness, truth, and justice shine forth in his providential dealings with his people. Which is a method and dispensation by which he instructs his people, and brings them to an amendment of their lives in an outward carriage and behaviour, by which they are saved from being condemned with the world, viz. worldly men and contemners of God, profaners of his word and insti

tution, who are fore-ordained to eternal destruction.

I conclude, that the apostle seems to direct our thoughts thus: That some persons among these saints had sinned so grievously, and were visited so sorely by the Lord, as a punisment for their sins, that the spiritual part of the church were ready to interpret their afflictions as punishments also, proceeding from the vindictive justice and wrath of God; which he endeavours to guard and preserve them from, by styling the afflictions which befel them, chastisements, suggesting they were fruits of God's fatherly love and good will to them. "For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth: as many as I love (says Christ) I rebuke and chasten."

May the Lord bless what hath been delivered from the scripture before us, as far as agreeable to his truth, and as it may serve to be useful to us. Amen.

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SERMON VII.

SONG OF SOLOMON, II. 10,-13.

MY BELOVED SPAKE, AND SAID UNTO ME, RISE UP, MY LOVE, MY FAIR ONE, AND COME AWAY. FOR LO,

THE WINTER IS PAST, THE RAIN IS OVER AND GONE. THE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH, THE TIME OF THE SINGING OF BIRDS IS COME, AND THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE IS HEARD IN OUR LAND.

THE FIG-TREE PUTTETH forth her GREEN FIGS, AND THE VINES WITH THE TENDER Grape GIVE A GOOD SMELL. ARISE, MY LOVE, MY FAIR ONE, AND COME AWAY.

Ar this season of the year, we are presented with a most glorious display of the power, wisdom, and goodness of God. By the return of the sun, and by its benign influences upon our earth, we see nature emerging out of its barren situation in which it lay during the winter-season, and it is renewed and puts on a most delightful, and beautiful appearance. The power of God in it is very conspicuous, and it is ascribed unto him in the 104th Psalm, verse 30. "Thou renewest the face of the earth." And the wisdom of God is displayed in the glories and beauties

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