The text joins together the Holy Spirit, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. They are three witnesses for the truth of the Gospel upon earth, and they will either. speak for or against every Christian at the day of judgment. They are parts of one great scheme, and what Christ has brought together we must not attempt to put asunder.

It is in vain to say that you mean no affront to Christ, that you have a high respect for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and that you draw back because you are not prepared to receive it. Why then do you not set about the necessary preparation! When Christ calls you, will you tell him that you are not ready? and, though again and again invited, will you still refuse to come? This surely is not the conduct of a true Christian; this is not the conduct of one who would present himself before God" with a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart."

Shew therefore your reverence of your Saviour, your gratitude towards him, your love of him, not by words, but by deeds. Hold back nothing from him which he

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requires at your hands. Say with Samuel, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth"." And with David, "In the volume of the book it is written of me that I should fulfil thy will, O my God; I am content to do it, yea, thy law is within my heart."

h 1 Sam. iii. 10.

Psalm xl. 10.

SERMON V.

TO BEAR OUR CROSS, A NECESSARY PART OF
CHRISTIAN DUTY.

LUKE xiv. 27.

Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

THE Gospel, while it holds out to us the greatest blessings in the present life, and the hopes of everlasting happiness in the next, requires of us, at the same time, that we be prepared to give up some things for which we may feel an inclination, and submit, at times, to other things which are against our will. But then we are neither called upon to give up what is agreeable to us, nor submit to any thing which we dislike, without good reason. It is enough indeed to be told, that such is the command of Jesus Christ: for we cannot doubt, that he who loved mankind so well as to die for them, would not ex

act from them any thing which might be for the present painful, unless it were for their own future benefit.

Now this readiness to do the will of Jesus Christ, at all times and under all circumstances, is the great law of the Gospel and they who would be Christians indeed, must be prepared to prove themselves such by keeping the commandments which are there laid down.

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This is declared in the chapter from which the text is taken, by means of a parable. "Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish ita?" In other words, whoever is willing to become a faithful servant of Christ, must carefully consider what is expected of him; what he is required to do, in order that he may reap the benefits of Christ's death, by obtaining forgiveness of his sins, and a treasure that fadeth not away in the heavens.

It is in vain to set about the performance of our duties once or twice only, or

* Luke xiv. 28.

now and then, we must make this our daily study, and be ready to give up every wish and every pleasure, rather than fall short in doing the will of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ.

And they who are resolutely bent on doing their duty in that state of life to which they are called by him, will, as I said before, find themselves often obliged to thwart their own inclinations; for duty and inclination do not always go together. And this is the meaning of the text, "Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." "To bear the cross," relates to the custom of obliging persons, led out for crucifixion, to carry their cross, as Christ was himself compelled to do: the expression is here employed to signify, that we should be prepared to suffer hardships with resignation, in obedience to the will of God.

When we reflect how much depends on the faithful discharge of our duties, no less than happiness for ever and ever, we ought not to complain if we have to undergo sufferings for the sake of the Gospel: you all know, that many of those advantages,

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