М མམ་༦ དཔས པསས

you believe with all your heart? Then the and you will go on your way

e is open to you,

it is not so with most. If some of you had been andace's treasures, you would not have gone the he street to find the way to be saved. Some of read your Bible as that Ethiopian did-never ruction. You dare not say that you have beall your heart. Why, then, would you sit down 7 table? You may come; but, alas! you will our way rejoicing.

very dangerous.

are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. sin less thought of on earth-there is no sin it of in heaven and in hell, than unworthy com

Those who commit it are sharing with those d and murdered the Lord Jesus. They share In two respects.-(1.) In pretending love and ward him; (2.) In real hatred to him in their ontempt for his Gospel. When Judas betrayed sus, he pretended great love for him. He had n during all the years of his ministry-had his name. He sat very reverently at the Lord's ed his hand in the same dish with Christ. His moother than butter; but war was in his heart. me to betray Christ he said: "Hail, Master!" and yet all the while there was awful hatred in deadly enmity at Christ and his Gospel. h priests and Pharisees pretended great zeal for his cause they pretended to be very sanctified n; and yet they hated and condemned Christ - soldiers of Herod pretended great respect to they kneeled to him and said: "Hail, King of but all the time they mocked and hated him. ded much to be a friend of Christ : he washed d said: "I am guiltless of this innocent blood;" ondemned him to be crucified.

th unworthy communicants. You come to the with a great show of respect. You appear

deeply solemnized. You take the bread and wine, pretending that you have been converted-that Christ is your portion. You appear to be under deep emotion. Yet all the while you despise Christ and his people-ridicule conversion, and the life of grace. "Woe unto that man! it had been good for him that he had never been born."

You have the same heart as Judas, as the high priest, as the soldiers, as Pilate. You are guilty.

2. Eat and drink judgment. This is true in two ways. (1.) It is adding another sin-heaping another mountain on the burdened soul, and so bringing heavier condemnation -sinking the soul deeper. (2.) It is always hardeningall sin hardens, but especially sinning in holy things. Öne who makes jests out of the Bible is hardly ever saved, it is so hardening. But of all sins against holy things, unworthy communicating is the most hardening; so that an unconverted man communicating does often literally eat and drink damnation to himself. Just as a child of God drinks life, so he drinks death, out of that cup.

Some of you may be saying: Though I be unconverted, I will go; for though it do me no good, it will do me no harm. Is it no harm to add another sin to your soul? Is it no harm to harden and seal your heart unto perdition? Is it no harm to eat and drink judgment to yourself?

Some may be saying: I hope I shall cover the sins of my past six months by it. Some of you, who have only been once or twice at church all that time, will be saying: I will make up for past neglect, and cover my sins. Will it cover your past sins, to add another to the heap? Will it atone for your broken Sabbaths, to come and profane the sacrament too? Will it cover sins to eat and drink judgment?

3. Many weak and sickly, and many sleep. There are some sins which God visits with temporal judgments, as weakness of body, sickness, and death. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost, they fell down dead at the apostle's feet. When Herod gave not God the glory, he was eaten up of worms, and died upon his throne. So it is especially in profaning the Lord's table. This is God's word, who knows best: "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." The Lord Jesus, the master of the table, has all providences in his hand, and he can, and does, make use of them to bring down those who insolently profane his table. Just as God has provided

a real hell of material fire that never will be quenched, in order to affect some gross sinners, who would not be moved to flee from anything but bodily pain; so in the Lord's supper it pleases God to make use of sickness and death to keep off profane hands from that bread and wine. I have often observed God doing this. I remember three deaths which took place in such a way and at such a time, that I could not doubt it was the fulfilment of this verse. Watch and see, beloved!

your

Take heed, then, O beloved, lest when the bread is in mouth you should fall down dead. Ah! it is an awful thing to die profaning the Lord's table; for you will sink lower than the grave.

"Therefore, let a man examine himself." What are your real motives for coming to the Lord's table? Is it because you are come to a certain time of life?-But are you born again? Is it because your family are coming? Is it for a name? Is it for money? Ah! Judas over again. Is it to get baptism for your child? That is to commit one sin to help you to commit another.

-Ps. cxvi.

Is it to praise him for what he has done for your soul? Is it to show the world whom you have Come, then, and lean Amen.

chosen? Is it to get near to Jesus? on his breast, and never draw back.

Dundee, 1841.

SERMON LVI.

MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."-ACTS xx. 35.

THESE words form part of a most touching address which Paul made to the ministers of Ephesus, when he parted with them for the last time. He took them all to witness

that he was pure from the blood of all men: "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." It is deeply interesting to notice that the duty of

giving to the poor is marked by him as one part of the counsel of God; so much so, that he makes it his last word to them: "I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” These words, which he quotes from the mouth of the Saviour, are nowhere to be found in the Gospels. It is the only traditional saying of our Lord that has been preserved. It seems to have been one of his household words-a common-place-uttered by him again and again; "It is more blessed to give than to

receive."

I am glad of having this opportunity of laying before you this part of the counsel of God-for God knows there is no part of it I wish to keep back from you—that you ought to labour to support the weak; and the only argument I shall use with you is that of our blessed Lord: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

I. We should give liberally to the poor, because it is a happier thing to give than to receive.

It is happy, because it is like all happy beings. All happy beings are giving beings-their happiness consists not in receiving, but in giving.

1. Angels. The whole Bible shows that the angels are happy beings-far happier than we can conceive. (1.) They are holy beings-ever doing God's commandments. Now, holiness and happiness are inseparable. (2.) They are in heaven-always in the smile of their Father. They "do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" they must be happy-no tear on their cheek -no sigh in their bosom. (3.) They are represented as praising God-one crying to another, "Holy, holy, holy," and singing, "Worthy is the Lamb." Now, singing praises is a sign of mirth and gladness. "Is any ? let him sing psalms." Now, I want you merry see that the happiness of these happy spirits consists in giving. 1st, They all give: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of salvation?" Upon the earth very few people give-most people like to receive money-to keep it to lay it up in the bank-to see it becoming more and more. There are only a few people that give-these often not the richest; but in heaven all give. It is their greatest pleasure.

to

Search every dwelling of every angel-you will not find one hoard among them all. They are all ministering spirits.

2d, They give to those who are far beneath them. They are not contented to help those that can help them back again, but they give, hoping for nothing again. There were some poor shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem; yet a great angel did not hesitate to visit them with kind and gentle words; nay, it would seem that there were many more that would fain have been allowed to carry the message; for no sooner was it done than a multitude of the heavenly host were with him praising God. You remember, too, how kind the angels were to the beggar Lazarus. The dogs were the only ones that ministered to him on earth; but the angels stooped on willing wing, and bore him to Abraham's bosom.

3d, The highest love to give most. There is reason to believe that the highest angels are those who go down lowest, and give up most in the service of God. Jesus expressly says so: "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." The angels that see the face of God, stoop to serve the meanest children of God. It is the happiness of the happiest angel that he can give up more, and stoop lower down in sweet humble services, than the angels beneath him.

Dear Christians, you often pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?" If you mean anything, you mean that you may serve God as the angels do! Ah, then, your happiness must be in giving. The happiness of the angels consists in this. If you would be like them, become a ministering spirit.

2. God.

We know very little of God; but we know that he is infinitely happy. You cannot add to his happiness, nor take from it. We know also many things that enter into his happiness. Everything he does must afford him happiness. As when he created the world, and said, "All very good"-God was happy in creating. But the Bible shows that his happiness mainly consists in giving, not in receiving. (1.) His giving food to all creatures is very wonderful-not one sparrow is forgotten before God. The whole world has been cursed, and God could justly cast the whole into destruction; but he does not-he delighteth in mercy. The young lions seek their meat from God. He feeds the ravens when they cry. (2.) He gives