just been preaching to you. He sware the most sacred oath, he sware by himself, in the twenty-third chapter of the prophecies of Ezekiel, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, from your evil way, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?'

Oh! how delightful must be the service of so merciful a God, what a motive have we for energetic exertions for the conversion of men, when we have such a security for its success. How must they be infatuated, who rush into the abyss of despair, when their Judge himself has declared, that he is willing

to pardon our guilt. But how blind must they be, who, on the other hand, do not find abundant reason for love and gratitude towards him who has made us such rich offers of grace, and who are not willing to devote themselves to his service. Let us then, my brethren, let us say in the words of the psalmist, O Lord there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared,' Ps. cxxx. 4. 'I will hear what God the Lord will speak; for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, but let them not turn again to folly,' Ps lxxxv. 8. May God grant to us this pardon, and to him be all honour and glory, both now and ever. Amen.

SERMON CI.

THE ADDRESS OF CHRIST TO JOHN AND MARY.

Joux xix. 26, 27.

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, Behold thy mother; and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

the prophet. We hear him now saying, 'I am acknowledged by my brethren, and recognised by my mother's children. They who love me stand round me, and my friends

'I AM become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children,' Ps. Ixix. 9. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar off,' Ps. xxxviii. 11. The prophets who pre-pity my sore.' And experience shows us, that dicted the coming of the Messiah introduce him to our notice, uttering the foregoing language of complaint, in which is depicted one of the bitterest circumstances of his life of sorrow; and this affecting lamentation, we find fully justified, when we view our Divine Lord and Saviour, surrounded by an unfeeling crowd, nailed to his cross, enduring all the agonies of his dreadful sentence, and deserted by his disciples; abandoned by the very persons, who had solemnly pledged themselves to serve him faithfully, even to death. This added a poignancy to every pain he felt, and pointed every thorn. For whatever may be the acuteness of the torments we suffer, they become comparatively light when shared and softened by friendship. How delightful is the affectionate sympathy of a kind father, into whose bosom we can pour our grief, or of an affectionate mother who wipes away every tear.

how difficult soever to bear, how appalling soever to the mind, may be the preparations for death, how agonizing the thoughts of a patient who perceives the countenance of his physician change, a preacher announce to him the approach of his last hour, or a cold sweat, the precursor of death, spread itself over his whole body, there is still a more heart-rending pang which he feels when bidding adieu to the objects of his affectionate solicitude and care. In perusing the history of those who have suffered martyrdom, we see many who have borne with courage and firmness the view of the executioners about to take away their lives, the stake to which they were shortly to be bound, and even of the flames ready to devour them, and put an end to their mortal existence in the most excruciating torinents, whose constancy has yielded in the presence, and sunk under the embraces, of those who were dear to them.

But, my brethren, if the Saviour of the Jesus Christ is presented to our view this world felt so acutely this desertion of his dis-day, my brethren, as called to suffer such a ciples, and those for whom he had shown such a lively interest, he felt still more the presence of his near relations, and even in the moments of death mani ested a tender concern for their welfare. We now hear language from him quite opposite to that put into his mouth by

trial. He saw, standing at the foot of the cross, Mary his mother, overwhelmed with the most violent grief that the imagination can depict, called to witness the most cruel spectacle that could be presented to mortal eyes, borne down, and almost sinking under

2. The conflict, or rather the triumph of our Lord himself, while expiring in their sight. The first suggested by these words in our text, now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.' The next we find in the following words, When Jesus threfore saw his mother, and the disciple stand-rounded her. He considered, that as Joseph ing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother; and from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home.'

of St. John, whose brother Christ raised from, the dead, on whom, and on her family, he had wrought so many miracles, and who was nearly related to him But these are questions which do not concern us, and which we have no means of deciding.

the fountain where Philip was baptized; and many other places, which are all separately shown, and regarded with veneration.

But even this is not all, they pretend, that the afflictions of the Virgin overpowered her, and she fainted away and fell to the ground. Cardinal Cagison says, that they formerly kept a festival in the church, called, The feast of the fainting,' in memory of this event. And if any one inquires into the history of this fainting, the reply they receive is from the works of a visionary, who published eight volumes of his speculations, and whom the popes canonized by the title of St. Brigite, or the seraphic cardinal Bonaventura, whose letter is so carefully preserved at Lyons, or one named Mallonius, and other authors of this sort, who lived in the fifteenth century. But still this is trifling, compared with the signification which superstition has attached to the words,' Woman, behold thy son. Behold thy mother.' They include, according to the opinions of the doctors of the Romish Church, the greatest mysteries of religion, they afford the strongest proof of the powerful protection which the Virgin affords to the church, and the religious worship due to her from the church St John, they say, represents, in this place, all the faithful. Christ put in his person the whole human race under the government and protection of Mary. 'Woman, behold thy son,' or in other words, I delegate to thee, all the power and authority, that my divinity and quality of Mediator give me over the church; from henceforth, be thou its firmest pillar, its strongest support and defence; be to its children a light to lighten their darkness, be their counsellor in all difficulties, in persecution itself, their guide in all their wanderings, their consolation in trouble, and life to them even in the last agonies of expir ing nature. In the words, Behold thy mother,' he says, Mortals attend, while I point out to you the most worthy object of your worship and humble adoration; here you behold the fountain of all my favours, and it is through her alone that you can hope to attain to my glory. Cease then to weep for my death, regret no longer my absence from you, I compensate for it all, by leaving Mary with you. In accordance with this opinion, the Virgin is addressed as 'the help of the weak, the tower of David, the arch of the holy alliance, the door of heaven, the queen of the apostles, confessors, and martyrs, the coadjutrix with God in the work of salvation;' and these titles are given, not in the writings of individuals, for which they were personally responsible, but in the public offi

These, and many other inquiries, may be not improperly started, and pursued to a certain length, provided they are proposed, not as points of importance in themselves, but as all that concerns the history of our Sa viour's life and death should be deemed interesting to us. But after all, as I remarked before, there is no event in the sacred volume narrated in a manner so simple, so intelligible, and on that account so little open to contradiction, as that now under consideration. But, my brethren, it is scarcely credible, that superstition has been more than usually busy in fabricating misrepresentations on this subject Superstition has multiplied the minute details of this afflictive event, and has given a more particular account than our evangelist. Some pretend to have ascertained the exact distance between Christ and the spectators of his crucifixion, to have measured it, and found it fif teen cubits. They say, that even the lapse of seventeen centuries does not prevent their clearly discerning even now, the spot where St. John and the three Marys stood. They maintain, that there are still remaining vestiges, which they show to those who visit the Holy Land, and which they call the way of bitterness. For, my brethren, what do not they see, who view things through the medium of superstition, and do they not find in every object, nourishment for their chimerical and false devotion, which amply repays them for all the fatigues and difficulties they may have undergone. Is there any event so trifling, any recital so simple. any place mentioned in sacred history so obscure, as not to be traced by them? The house of Joachim, father of the virgin, the room in which she was born, the stone on which she sat when the angel saluted her, the place where our Saviour was born, the seat on which she received the wise men from the east, the grotto where she suckled our Lord, the figtree that he cursed, and which up to this time, produced no fruit, the place where he stood when Mary said, 'Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died;' where he composed the Prayer still distinguished by his name. The dungeon where he was shut up when they led him before Pilate; the arch through which Pilate showed him to the people; the street in which he was scourged; the spot in which Judas betrayed him with a kiss; the room in which he inces and services of the church. stituted the holy sacrament; the room in which he appeared to his disciples, the doors being shut; the form of his left foot, which was made on the rock when he ascended into heaven; the pedestal of the coluan on which the cock crowed; the place were Judas hung himself; the apartment in which the apostles were when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost; the place in which they composed the creed; the abode of the wicked rich man; the door through which the angel led St. Peter out of prison;

We see solemn vows paid to her in all ages. Among many thousands of them was that of Louis XIII, who consecrated to her service, his person and kingdom, by an inviolable oath. From this source spring all the blasphemies of those who have dared to maintain, that the Virgin created all the universe; that her influence with God, is almost equal to authority and sovereign power; that she apof a servant, but as his equal; as a goddess; proaches the throne of Christ, not in quality

riance with all common and received ideas; he thereby persuades them to refuse obedience and worship to him, whom even the angels obey, in whose presence every knee shall bow, both of things in heaven and of things on the earth; or is his concern with those weak minds who are led astray by every appearance of wonder, any thing new? To them he represents, that many creatures partake of the glory of God; he persuades them to worship together with God, beings of an inferior order. Thus some refuse to pay any homage to God at all, while others adore him in a wrong and ineffectual way; thus he succeeds too well in his wicked plans for the ruin of mankind.

that all in heaven, even God himself, acknowledge her sway and submit to her power; that the authority of Christ is founded on justice; that of the Virgin on love. They argue, that if the foolish virgins had called on her, instead of God, and had substituted the invocation of her name, for the words, • Lord, Lord,' the doors of heaven would have been opened to them. In the psalter of St. Bonaventura, the name of Mary has been substituted for that of God, in all the psalms of David, and to her are ascribed all the names, perfections, worship, and works of the Deity, and all the passages cited by the apostles from the Old Testament, to prove the Divinity of Christ, are likewise applied to the Virgin. We find also the following prayer, 'O Virgin, exercise your parental authority over your Son. Who can understand, O blessed and holy mother, the extent of your mercy. Who can comprehend the height,the breadth,or the depth of it. It extends itself even to the day of judgment, it is wide as the universe, it reaches up to the heavens, and descends to the deepest abyss. It is your presence that forms the joy of heaven, your absence the torments of hell; by your counsel the new Jerusalem is edified and sanctified. Intelligent beings all pray to you; some to be delivered from the torments of hell, others, who have attained eternal happiness, for an increase of their felicity. To your power, angels themselves bow, and these behold fresh sources of pleasure; the just implore a share in your right-histories, well known to be entirely fabulous, Superstition has also invented numerous eousness, the guilty look to you for pardon.'

But praised be God, we need not fear the inroads of superstition in our time: the only feelings that it is likely to excite in our minds, are those of pity and indignation. church of Rome, if thou wouldest re-establish thy sway amongst us; arm afresh thy inquisition, equip thy galleys, light up again thy fires, prepare new tortures, open thy dismal dungeons, erect more gibbets, and devise more cruel martyrdoms. With such arguments as these, thou mayest perhaps, prevail on some feeble professors of our reformed religion, through the influence of fear, to become thy proselytes; but all thy reasonings, thy specious tales, and false arguments, only serve to sap the foundations of an old building even now in ruins.

which have been added to that given by St. John of the virgin The evangelist relates, that from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home; and we find, both after the death of our blessed Lord, and after his res

Some persons have had the courage to protest against these erroneous doctrines, even among the Catholicks, and to desist from the worship of the virgin. O my God,' cried feebly, one of their most celebrated preach-urrection, that she continued with the apostles ers, is it necessary, in this age, so strenuously to defend the homage that the Christian world pays to the Holy Virgin. Must it fall to my lot to fight against the false scruples of those who tear to praise thee, and dare to complain of the honour given to thy name. But notwithstanding the enterprises formed by the enemies of religion to destroy thy worship; through all these ages it still remains. O blessed Virgin, never shall the gates of hell prevail against the zeal of real Christians.' Alas, how many persons feed on this unsubstantial food. What a deplorable example of prejudice and bad education. How do those minds deserve pity, which are enveloped in the veil of superstition, and blinded to vent them from discerning the truth. It is thus, my brethren, that the enemy of our salvation suits his attacks to the dispositions of every man. Does he wish to deceive those lofty spirits, who would lead captive to their will, even the oracles of God, instead of submitting themselves to them, those rebellious souls who bring down the most sublime mysteries of religion to the level of their own capacity? To them he represents the doctrine of the divinity of our glorious Redeemer as confused and contradictory, persuading them, that this wonderful and incomprehensible mixture of grandeur and misery, of glory and ignominy, of divinity and humanity, is at va

pre

constant in prayer and praises; after this we lose, in the sacred writings, all farther trace of the life of this holy woman; and we find nothing which could serve for the materials of a complete history of her life and death. The books written in the first century are also silent on this subject, and do not present any thing to fill up the void in the sacred writings. A letter from the council held at Ephesus in the fifth century, affords some very slight grounds for supposing that she might be buried in that city; and one who lived a considerable time before that period, acknowledges his ignorance on this subject. He says, that he cannot be sure whether she is really dead, or whether she received the gift of immortality, and remained alive at that terminated her life by a natural and easy time; whether she suffered martyrdom, or death; no one knows any thing of her latter end. So general a silence, unanimously preserved at a time when particulars relative to the death of the Virgin might have been so easily procured, should teach succeeding ages to beware of speaking positively on this subject. But when an author is so infatuated, as to be intent on endeavouring to fix the particulars of events, in themselves quite uncertain and unimportant, what difficulties does he find too great to overcome, what obstacles of sufficient magnitude to arrest his progress. Thus, we see in succeeding ages,