to show you it is a poor man that is set before you-broken bread, to show that he is a crucified Saviour. Ah! sinners, whilst you gaze on these simple elements, remember the sufferings of him who was Lord of glory, and who died for sinners. "This do in remembrance of me."

III. For what end? 66 For your sakes that ye through his poverty might be rich." The persons for whom :

"For your sakes." Corinth was one of the most wicked cities that ever was on the face of the world. It lay between two seas; so that luxury came flowing in from the east and from the west. These Corinthians had been saved from the deepest abominations, as you learn from 1 Cor. vi. 11: "Such were some of you;' and yet it was for the sake of such that the Lord of glory became "for pooryour sakes." In like manner, Paul, writing to the Romans, says (v. 6): "When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Ah! see what names are here given to those for whom Christ died: "Without strength "”—unable to believe, or to think a right thought; "ungodly"-living as if there were no God; "sinners"-breaking God's holy law; "enemies "-hating and opposing a holy God of love.

Oh, brethren! this is good news for the most wicked of men. Are there some of you who feel that you are like a beast before God-or all over sin, like a devil? Some of you have lived in the abominations of Corinth. Some of you are like the Romans-without strength-ungodly-sinners-enemies; yet for your sakes Christ became poor. He left glory for souls as vile as you. He left the songs of angels, the love of his Father, and the glories of heaven, for just such wretches as you and me. He died for the ungodly. Do not be afraid, sinners, to lay hold upon him. It was for your sakes he came. He will not, he cannot cast you out.

Oh, sinners! you are poor indeed; but he will make you rich. All the riches he left he is ready to raise you to. He will make you rich in the love of God-rich in the peace that passeth all understanding, if you truly lay hold on him. The wrath of God will pass away from you, and he will love you freely. The love wherewith God loves Christ shall be on you. He will make you rich in holiness. He will fill you with all the fulness of God. He will make you rich in eternity. You will behold his glory-you will enter into his joy-you will sit with him on his throne.

IV. The grace in all this: "Ye know the grace." There is much to be seen in this amazing work. There is deep wisdom-"the wisdom of God-the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory;' there is power-the power of God unto salvation; but most «Ye of all, grace is to be seen in it from beginning to end : know the grace of the Lord Jesus."

When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, when he came to Peter, Peter said: “ Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" Three things amazed him:-1. The glorious being that knelt down before him: "Thou." 2. The lowly action he was going to perform: "Dost thou wash?" 3. The vile wretch whose feet were to be washed: "My feet." He was amazed at the grace of the Lord Jesus. So in this amazing work you may see a threefold grace:-1. The glorious being that undertook for sinners: "He who was rich." 2. The depth to which he stooped: "He became poor." 3. The wretches whose souls were to be washed: "For your sakes." Ah! well may you be amazed this day, and cry out: "Dost thou wash my soul?"

Lastly, The sin and danger of not knowing.

1. I would speak to those who do not know the grace of the Lord Jesus. I fear the most of you are still ignorant of Christ: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him." Ah, brethren! think this day who it is you are lightly esteeming. Did you ever see the son of a king lay by his robes, and his glory, and become a poor man, and die in miseryand all this for nothing? Do you think the Lord Jesus left his Father's love, and the adoration of angels, and became a worm, and died under wrath, and all for no purpose? Is there no wrath lying upon you? Have you no need of Christ? Ah! why, then, do you not flee unto him?

"Ungrateful sinners! whence this scorn
Of God's long-suff'ring grace?

And whence this madness, that insults
Th' Almighty to his face?"

Ah! remember, as long as you come not to Christ, you are despising the grace of the Lord Jesus, and sinning against the love of God. What though you make a show of coming to Christ? What though you pretend it by coming to his table, and doing honour to the poor bread and wine? The poor Papist adores the bread, while he denies the

Saviour; and so you may waste your honour on the bread and wine, while you are all the time rejecting and despising of the Lord Jesus.

the

grace

He

2. I would welcome poor sinners to Jesus Christ. became poor for such as you. He did not come for those "who are rich and increased in goods, and stand in need of nothing." Do not say you are too vile for such a Saviour. If you have all the pollutions of a Corinthian-all the wicked heart of a Roman-he came on purpose for such as you. You are the very souls he came to seek and save. His salvation is all of grace. Free favour to those that de

serve hell! Do not deny the grace of the Lord Jesus. It is false humility that keeps any back from Christ; for, "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come: let him buy wine and milk without money and without price."

him more.

3. To you that know Jesus, and his grace. Oh! study You will spend eternity in beholding his glory -spend time in beholding his grace. That you may know your own vileness, that you may abhor yourself, that you may see what a poor hell-deserving creature you are, oh! study the grace of the Lord Jesus. That your peace may be like a river, full, deep, and lasting, learn more of the grace of the Lord Jesus. Come and declare with joy at the Lord's table all that he has done for your soul. Oh! learn more. Few know much of Christ. You have infinitely more to learn

than

St Peter's, April 18, 1841.-(Action Sermon.)

SERMON XXV.

ENEMIES RECONCILED THROUGH DEATH.

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel."-COL. i. 21-23.

I. The past condition of all who are now believers: "You that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works." When two families have quarrelled with one another, they become alienated from one another; they do not visit one another any more— -their children are not allowed to speak together as formerly-if they meet in the street, they look another way. So it is with unconverted sinners and God; they are alienated from God-they do not visit God-they do not seek his presence they do not love to meet his children—they do not like their words nor their ways. When God meets them in a pointed sermon or providence, they try to look another way, that they may not meet God's eye.

12.

1. Alienated. This word is used three times: "Ye were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.”—Eph. ii. "Alienated from the life of God."-Eph. iv. 18. And again here. In all, it paints to the life the true character of every unconverted man. It is vain to conceal it, dear unconverted brethren. You may pretend the greatest love to ministers-to sacraments-to meetings of Christians; still the true state of your heart is estrangement from God. Ah! I fear there are many of you come to the church, and even to the sacrament, with the name of Christ on your lips, and a cold, estranged heart in your breast: "They did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues; for their heart was not right with God.”—

Ps. lxxviii. 36.

2. Enemies in your minds. This is more than estrangement. You may be strange to a man, and yet not hate him; but unconverted souls hate God. The whole Bible bears witness that all unconverted men hate God. In Rom.

i. 29, it is said: 66 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge;" so that God gave them up to a reprobate mind, so that they became "HATERS OF GOD." In Exod. xx. 5, God says: "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." And again: "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity against God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, must be the enemy of God."-James iv. 4. Would God say this if it were not the case? God knows best what is really in the heart of man. not show this hatred in your words, or in your manner— you may not curse God, not even in a whisper; but God says it is in your mind. It is at the bottom of that muddy pool. In hell, where all restraints are lifted away, you will curse God through all eternity.

It is true you may

The most amazing trial of this that could be, was when God came into this world. God was manifest in the flesh. In him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. All the perfections of God flowed through his bosom. There was not a feature of God but it was shining through his glorious countenance, yet softened to human eyes by all the perfections of his manhood. Did men love him when they saw him? Let Isaiah (liii.) answer: "He is despised and rejected of men." Or, hear his own words: "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil.”—John vii. 7. And again: "He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin; but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father."—John xv. 23, 24. How did they deal with him? They slew him, and hanged him on a tree-they buffeted him and spat on him - they scourged and crucified him-they nailed and pierced him. They were no worse than other men-men of like passions as we are; and yet the opportunity showed what is in man. It is vain for you to conceal it, dear unconverted brethren, that your heart is full of enmity to God-that you are haters of God. Although it is fearful to think of, yet it is true, that all of you who are friends of the world are enemies of God; and though I believe in my heart there is not one of you here present that would wantonly kill a fly or a worm, yet I fear there are many who, if you could, would kill God.