pleasure which he takes in our happiness. He was not won by our deferts; for alas, we were his profefled enemies, who had nothing to fhew but highest provocations. He was not wearied out with the importunity of our intreaties; for it came,—as undeferved, fo altogether unasked, whatsoever he did for us. He was not moved by the mediation of friends; for whom, alas, had we to intercede for us?

And shall not fuch amazing love and goodness, fo freely fhewed, without any respect to self ends or private interests, without intreaties or deferts, nay, in spite of all difcouragements and highest provocations, be entertained with the greatest joy, and grateful acclamations?

He hath been an infinitely endearing and intire friend to us, without any inducement but his own most generous kindness; and against all discouragements; and beyond all bounds; and under the moft frightful hazards; and at the highest expences, giving his own fouleventodeath, for a ranfom to redeem ours.

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And whenfoever we hear or think of this, furely it will not be difficult for any to embrace him with hearts full of love and

holy defires, and to pay him most entire thanks, and burft out into fongs of praise, and find it a moft joyful business fo to do.

2. When we come to the holy facrament, we must fhew our felves reconciled to all thofe who have any ways offended us, and that we are in peace and charity with all perfons.

And this we fhall not think much to do, if we confider how highly our bleffed Lord is concerned for them, and how earnestly he fues in their behalf; for then we fhall be readily brought to it on his account, tho' we might be more averfe to it on their own. He has loved them fo well, as to fhed his precious blood for them; and can we find in our hearts to hurt any perfon, when we see him giving his own life to save him? He owns them as his friends and brethren; and is not that enough to make us kind, to fee that he is so near akin to them? He hath made them members of his body, and thereby parts of his own felf; and can we study revenge against them, when he comes in at last to bear the stroke, and give up his life in fo doing? He becomes a petitioner

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to us in their behalf, and intreats us by virtue of all that he hath done for us, to be friends again; and can we have the face to deny him, who hath fo infinitely obliged us, and ought to command us in every thing? Shall we refuse so small a fuit to him, who died for us; or stick to throw away a finful refentment for his fake, who has parted with his own heart's blood for ours? Tho' they are most unworthy to be pardoned, yet he is most worthy to have their pardon; so that when he intreats for it, we must not be backward to grant it.

Nay, we stand daily in a thousand times more need of his pardon, than they do of ours; fo that we block up the way to our own forgiveness, if we refufe at his fuit to forgive them. For what if they have injured us? Have we been altogether innocent, and have offered him no injuries? What if they have moft ungratefully abused us, after they had received the most endearing kindneffes at our hands? Have we been duly thankful unto him, and never offended against all his mercies? Do we not owe him, as the scripture expreffeth it, ten thoufand talents; whereas their debt to us, is

but a trifle of an hundred pence? And fincè we are daily afking him the forgiveness of these vast sums; can we at the fame time ftick, at his inftance, to remit thefe fmaller matters to our neighbours? Have we the face to afk pardon, whilft we have not the heart to grant it? Or can we hope that Christ should give it to us, for the moft heinous fins, at our request; when we deny it to our brother, for the fmalleft trefpaffes, at his? Or rather, fince he moft freely forgives us, and that too, without upbraiding us; fhall not both our own neceffity, and the example of his mercy, engage us to forgive our offending neighbours also?

3. When we come to the holy facrament, we must also refign our felves up to our Saviour's ufe, that he may difpofe of us as be pleafes.

And what man can flick at this, who confiders that he has bought us, and would put us to no use, but what is infinitely for our own advantage? Has any perfon a better claim to us, than he who bought us with his blood, and gave his own life for the purchase? Should not he have the be

nefit of all our fervice, who hath paid fo dear for it, by dying himself in our stead? But if we were at liberty, and he had no power over us; is there any better way to dispose of our felves, or could we defire to be in other hands rather than in his? Can we hope for more wisdom in any one to direct, or for more power to bring our happiness about, than in him who knows and governs all things? Durft we truft more to the faithfulness and affection of any heart, than of that which died for us! Or can we think our selves happier in any hands, than in his, who is in all things ftudious of our advantage?

For our bleffed Lord feeks no other ends by us, but our own eternal happiness; he impofeth no duties upon our confciences, but what he has done himself before us, nay, what, had we the understanding to difcern it, we should all have impofed upon our felves. So that in committing our felves to his conduct, we do not give, but feek a benefit, and difpofe of our felves in that way, which is incomparably our highest intereft. We are abfolutely his own right, and it is infinitely our own intereft to be

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