ligion demands of us are all slavery and gloom: and they spread this evil report of the good land to check inquirers especially the young. But if you are willing to enter in, let no man's heart fail him. The scripture assures us that "her ways are ways of pleasantness, and "all her paths are peace." And "wisdom is justified "of all her children." Those who have tried, and these are the only competent witnesses, instead of complaining of bondage find the Saviour's service to be perfect freedom, and own-especially compared with the yoke of their old master--that "his commandments are not "grievous."

Secondly. Let us try ourselves by this rule. A man may want assurance, and still be in a state of safety; but if he be habitually a stranger to pleasure in divine things, and can pass through all the services of religion as a mere formalist, it is an awful proof that "he "has no part nor lot in the matter: his heart is not right in the sight of God." A number of speculative opinions, cold ceremonies, cheap moralities in which the affections have no share, can never constitute real devotion. "The Lord looketh to the heart." He does not value those exercises which are performed from necessity; unwillingly; grudgingly. He abhors the sacrifices of those who are glad of excuses to keep them from his worship; who would be thankful were he entirely to dispense with their services; who feel him as a task-master while they are performing the drudgery of his work. The question is-are spiritual things your pleasant things? If not, you are destitute of the mark of a real christian, and you have a poor prospect before you in eternity. God will not drag you into heaven to make you miserable; but miserable you would be, even in heaven, in your present state. The nature and duration of its employments-an eternal sabbath- —a temple in which you shall serve him day and night an intercourse only with those who are perfectly pure and holy--all this would be intolerable to an un

renewed mind, who is "saying to God, depart from us, "we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."

Thirdly. What an affliction do christians sustain when they are deprived of their pleasant things! This may be done two ways. First by removing these privileges from them. Thus persecution has sometimes forbidden them to assemble together, and has silenced. their preachers, destroyed their sanctuaries, and banished all religious ordinances from a neighborhood. God sometimes inflicts his judgments upon a place for neglect and abuse of gospel privileges. He can send a more dreadful dearth than a famine of bread, even a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. He can as easily convey an evangelical ministry from one country to another, as we can carry a candle from one room into another :-" I will remove thy candlestick out of his "place, except thou repent." Or, secondly, by removing christians from these privileges. Thus business may call them away from a favored situation; accidents or sickness may detain them prisoners from the courts of the Lord. And though in these cases he does not leave them comfortless, still they feel their loss,-and say, "when I remember these things, I pour out my "soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I 66 went with them to the house of God, with the voice "of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holiday."

Let us, fourthly, be very thankful that these pleasant things are within our reach-that we have been so long favored with them-that we have them in rich abundance-that we have liberty to partake of them, and strength to go forth, and enjoy them--surely “the "lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, yea we have a goodly heritage. Let us enter his gates with "thanksgiving, and his courts with praise."

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And finally, let us raise our thoughts and desires after the pleasant things of heaven. Philip Henry often said when he had finished the delightful exercises of the sabbath, "well, if this be not the way to heaven, I "know not what is." Yes, these are introductory to

the glory that shall be revealed: they are foretastes to endear it, and earnests to insure it. And when you come to die--if you can say in sincerity, "Lord, I have "loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where "thy honor dwelleth"--you may plead with confidence gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with "bloody men.' He will not gather you in eternity with those you never loved in time--being let go you shall join your own company, and be for ever with the Lord.--And if the streams be so sweet, what will the fountain be?" In his presence there is fulness of joy, "and at his right hand there are pleasures for ever "more." Let us sing-

"These are the joys he lets us know
"In fields and villages below;
"Gives us a relish of his love,

"But keeps his noblest feast above."

"In paradise within the gates,
"A higher entertainment waits;

"Fruits new and old, laid up in store,

"Where we shall feed, but thirst no more."

DISCOURSE XIII.

NEARNESS TO THE CROSS.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, be

hold thy mother.

And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.-John xix. 25, 26, 27.

THIS

HIS is one of the most remarkable passages in the history of our Saviour's passion. The language is peculiarly simple and affecting. The scene is exquisitely tender. The characters are in the highest degree interesting--and the circumstances in which they are placed, altogether new and wonderful. O for a class of feelings becoming the subject!--Let us fix our minds on three things. First. The situation of the mother. Secondly. The address of the Saviour. Thirdly. The obedience of the disciple.

Women are more than once brought forward in the gospel, and the notice taken of them is always to their honor. Thus while others have forsaken him and fled, we here find three females rising above the fears of their sex, braving the horrors of the execution, piercing through the crowd, and approaching the foot of the cross--there to testify their sympathy with their suffering Lord--to shew how willing they are to die with him--to admire his patience, and his meekness--and to secure his dying words. "Now there stood by the "cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister,

"Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene." What were the feelings of these three Marys! But-

I. The mother of our Lord in this situation demands a larger share of our notice. I admire in her the efficacy of divine grace. She is able to stand near the cross she does not faint away, and drop down. She keeps her feelings within due bounds--here are no outrageous exclamations, no bitter complaints flung at heaven for not avenging him of his adversaries, no bitter imprecations on his murderers, no rending of garments, no wringing of hands, no plucking off the hair. She feels as a mother, she endures as a christian, and submitting to the mysterious designs of providence, suffers with all the dignity of an angel.

The people of God know not what they can bear till they are tried. When the time of need comes, then comes the grace to help, and it is always found to be sufficient for them. I shall never despair of the sup port of a christian in any situation however distressing, after beholding Mary standing near the cross of her dying son.--Ye tender mothers, who may be called to part with beloved children! religion allows you to feel --but forbids you to faint you are not to be swallowed up of over-much sorrow, but to preserve a calm of mind favorable to the exercises of reason and of grace. You are to endeavor to say "it is the Lord, let him do "what seemeth him good: The Lord gave, and the "Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the "Lord." Think of Mary--and say, "what can my "affliction be compared with her's."

For who can adequately imagine her anguish !-When old Simeon saw the infant Messiah, he said to his mother, "yea and a sword shall pierce through thy "ówn soul also !" And now the prediction is accomplished.--O! to see her son enduring such a death! Suspended in torture! O! how would she agonize when she saw the nails driven through his hands and feet! And then for such a son to endure all this extreme of anguish!--A child foretold by prophets, an