would deferve reproach, who fhould even kifs his fovereign's hand with a dirty mouth; fhall they efcape condemnation who, with polluted souls, devoted to covetoufnels, fornication, pride, drunkenness,. and all manner of loofe and wicked defigns, breathe iniquity and falfehood on the bread and cup of the Lord? The most ignorant man alive cannot but understand this kind of unworthinefs to receive the Lord's fupper, nor avoid paffing fentence against Juch conduct; but, for the comfort and encouragement of all fuch as are only fo far unworthy, as the Jenfe of their offences renders them fearful of prefuming upon fuch favor, and confequently fee and feel the neceffity of growing better, and humbly defire fo to do: fuch unworthinefs (if it even deferves the name) will never rife up in judgment against them. They know that the very best fall short of any thing like perfection, and that the only way to obtain grace to mend, is to acknowledge our unworthiness of any favor. Therefore, let none keep away, but those who are determined to be filthy, and wicked ftill, and may the Lord open their eyes fpeedily, to fee their danger.

And now, to fum up the inftructions afforded you on this important fubject in few words; you have been informed in what fenfe you fhould, and may come, reverently, decently, and fafely to the Lord's table: you have had all neceffary knowledge of the thing itself explained to you out of God's holy word, and the fruits fet forth that it is intended to produce. You have feen that you must come with aftedfaft and lively faith, which is the root or fountain of all newness of life, both in giving acceptable praise to God, in working love towards our neighbour, and cleanfing our own confcience from all impurity. And if you have attended to this instruction, and will lay it to heart, you must own that you cannot now think lightly of this duty through ignorance of its defign; you cannot be at VOL. II. a lofs

Р

a lofs to comprehend the principle which is to render it fruitful. Nor will you be expofed to any plague or punishment from your attendance upon it; because wilful fin and impenitence, are the only caufes of thefe judgments. And to conclude, by this knowledge, by this faith, and by this fincere obedience, and reformation, you will become fo happily united to your Lord and Savior, in the ufe of his holy ordinance, that here you will experi-' ence a peace and hope that paffeth all underftanding; and hereafter you will be bleffed with the full enjoyment of his Divine Prefence, with that eternal and inconceivable blifs and glory, which the righteous Lord hath purchased and prepared for all who love his appearing: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, one true and ever living God, be all praife, honor, and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

DI SL

DISCOURSE XVI.

WHITSUNDAY.

Upon the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft, and the many Gifts thereby conveyed to Mankind.

JOHN iii. 6.

That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the fpirit, is fpirit...

B

EFORE we enter upon the main fubject of this difcourfe, which is intended to fet before you the many and great benefits derived to the church of God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, procured for it by Jefus Chrift, it may be ufeful to explain to you the origin of this feast, which we call Pentecoft, and Whitfuntide. First, then, you must be told, that Eafter was that great and folemn feaft of the Jews, wherein they cele brated the memorial of their miraculous deliverance out of Egypt, and this feaft of Pentecoft was always kept the fiftieth day after Eafter, in remembrance that the law was given to them on Mount Sinai, at that time. It was not an ordinance of man's invention, but was at first commanded to be kept holy by the mouth of the Lord himself, as we read in Levit. xxiii. 15, 16.

P 2

And

ye

ye fhall count unto you from the morrow after the fabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; feven fabbaths shall be complete. Even unto the morrow after the feventh fabbath, fhall ye number fifty days, and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. And the fame commandment you will find repeated in the 16th Deut. and 9th verse, and other parts of the law.

After the establishment of the Jews in the land whereunto the Lord had brought them from the wilderness, this feaft was appointed to be kept at Jerufalem, where there was ufually a great concourse of people from all parts of the world. Of this we are affured from the account in the fecond chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, wherein mention is made of the Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mefopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Afia, Phrygia, and Pamphilia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Lybia, about Cyrene, and ftrangers from Rome, Jews and Profelytes. And hence we may judge with what grand and awful folemnity this feaft was generally held. And as it' was commanded to the Jews in the old law, fo did ît receive the confirmation of Chrift's fanction in the gofpel, by his chufing that very time to appoint, in a manner, a new Pentecoft for his disciples it being on this fame day, that the Holy Ghost defcended upon the apostles and other chriftians, in the vifible form of fiery tongues, when those miraculous powers were conferred upon them, of which we read in the epiftle of the day. In perpetual remembrance then, of this aftonishing vifitation of Chrift's power upon his firft apostles and followers, the church hath judged it right to keep this day and feafon holy, which we commonly call Whitfuntide. It is worthy your obfervance, that as the law was given to the Jews on mount Sinai, the fiftieth day after Eafter, fo was the preaching of the Gofpel encouraged by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost inspiring the apoftles on

mount

mount Sinai exactly fifty days after Eafter; Whitfunday being obferved with the fame respect to that fcaft, as the jewish Pentecoft was to their Paffover. For the account of its original title we have also the teftimony of St. Luke in the Acts, who fpeaketh thus, ch. ii. 1ft and following verfes, And when the day of Pentecoft was fully come, they were all with one accord, in one place. And fuddenly there came a found from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were fitting. And there appeared unto them, cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it Jat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now this miraculous fign was undoubtedly intended to reprefent, both to the apostles and all present, and all fucceeding ages, that it is HE (God the Holy Ghoft) who giveth eloquence and utterance in preaching the pure gospel of Chrift. That it is HE, who inIpireth the minifters of God to declare the mighty works which the Lord hath done for the children of men.

By the fingular appearance of the fiery tongues, we are taught to understand, that it is the fame powerful Spirit, who ftirreth up that fervent zeal, fo neceffary to promote the word of God, who giveth to all men a tongue, that is, fuch a hearty difpofition for his fervice, fuch ftrength of reafoning, and energy of expreffion, that they may boldly and cheerfully profefs the truth in the face of the whole world, and be able, by the ordinary means of God's grace, (as the apostles of old were, by the more miraculous effects of his immediate infpiration) to be able to withstand, and convince the gainfayers, according to the declaration of the prophet Isaiah (lth. chap. 4th verfe). The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word is feafon to him that is weary. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Aud from this divine aid the prophet borroweth his P 3 further