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An account of the paffover is next given, and of the inftitution of the laft fupper. There is fome difficulty in our Saviour's faying, I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. The best interpretation which I know of thefe words is this:-Wine was used among the Jews in the celebration of the paffover, to which Jefus's words feem to refer. As if he had faid, wine shall not be drunk by me-that is, by my difciples-on the occafion of a Jewish festival any more, but fhall be changed into a new inftitution in my Father's kingdom-that is, in the kingdom of Chrift, which God had eftablifhed. -After this follows the zealous profeffion of St. Peter, and our Saviour's warning to him. Jefus's agony in the garden fuceeds, where he was feized by the officers of the chief priests. There is fome difficulty in the expreffion, that all they who take the fword fhall perish by the fword. It is commonly interpreted, that all they who refift lawful authority fhall lay themselves open to the penalty which the fword inflicts.

Jefus's trial is next related. The words guilty of death mean, is fo guilty as to deserve death. Peter's denial is next related, and our Saviour's

trial before Pontius Pilate. As the Jews were under the goverment of the Romans, they could not themselves comdemn a criminal to death. The reason why Pontius Pilate condemned Jefus, though he believed him innocent, was this:-It was common for a governor, when he left his province, to be accufed to the emperor of bad administration, who was always ready to listen to fuch accufations, as they brought money into his treasury. Pilate therefore fearing this, was willing to gain the favour of the Jews, though at the expence of an innocent perfon.

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When Jefus was crucified, it was faid, the thieves who were crucified with him reviled him. But from St Luke's account it appears, that only one of the thieves reviled him, for the other was penitent. But the writers of the New Teftament, where no doctrine is concerned, in which no doubt they were guided by the fpirit of truth, were not very exact in matters of less confequence. And indeed nothing more fhews their truth than this; for if they had agreed in every minute particular, people would be apt to fay, they wrote their feveral gofpels by agreement together.

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The vail of the temple, which rent at our Saviour's death; was a curtain which was hung up before a part of the temple, where nobody but the high priest was allowed to enter. Its

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being now rent, was a fign that all mankind, as well as the Jews, were now called to the bleffings of the gofpel. This whole awful transaction concludes with, an account of our Saviour's refurrection, in the relation of which there is no difficulty.

I HAVE now, my brethren, gone over, in feveral discourses, the principal parts of the gospel of St. Matthew; and have endeavoured to make as plain to you as I poffibly could, fuch difficulties in it as have chiefly occurred.-What remains from the whole, is, that each of us fhould confider the holy life, and holy precepts, of our bleffed Redeemer, as our fureft guides to everlafting happiness. As to difficulties, they are of lefs importance. Many myfterious truths there are in fcripture, which are above our reason to comprehend: fuch are the nature of the bleffed Trinity-the manner in which the death of Chrift atones for the fins of the world-the nature of a future

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a future ftate of rewards and punishments; and some others. These we muft take on the authority of fcripture, just as we there receive them. We meddle not farther with them. Such difficulties, however, as are more obvious, and tend to explain fcripture, fuch as in the foregoing difcourses I have brought before you, may properly be the objects of our attention. Still, however, the grand points in which we are most interested, should be a holy life, derived from faith; the affiftance of God's Holy Spirit, to be obtained by prayer; and the hope of pardon, through the merits of a Saviour. On thefe great points. we should particularly dwell; and thank God for the information he has given us of them in the fcriptures.

Y 4

SERMON XXV.

JOHN, vi. 68.

WHITHER SHALL WE GO? THOU HAst the WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.

OUR bleffed Saviour had been discourfing upon fome of the fublime truths of the gospel; which his ordinary hearers, blinded with the prejudices of the world, could not comprehend. They were hard fayings, they faid, who could hear them? And their remark was juft; for the prejudices of the world, and the truths of religion, never agree together. In the end, these cool disciples left their Master; and listened no longer to one whom they thought fo fevere an inftructor. Jefus obferving this, turned to the twelve, and faid, will ye alfo go away? The

text is the zealous answer of St. Peter: Lord, whither fhall we go? Thou haft the words of

eternal

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