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thority and dignity and power never so great, if we abuse it to God's dishonour and the people's injury, he that exalted us knows how to bring us down again, and will do it effectually at first or

last.

But then, if superiors and governors are to be thus meek and lowly, and gentle and good, how much more does it become those of inferior rank to be so, both to those above them, and to one another!

St. Paul says, they must needs be subject to the higher powers, not only for wrath, but also for conscience saker; and exhorts them to know those which labour among them, and are over them in the Lord, and admonish them; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And likewise, in lowliness of mind to esteem each other, in some regards, to be better than themselves; and accordingly to be ready to do their brethren all good offices with an affectionate respect, not every one, with a stingy selfishness, looking on his own things, his own interest and advantage only, but every man also on the things, the good, the benefit, the happiness, of others.

This is Christianity in this respect, and how lovely is it! how noble and how generous is this meekness! and how public-spirited is this lowliness of mind! How much more honourable is it, thus in honour to prefer one another, than to overlook every body that we think below us, with a supercilious scorn and neglect! What an ornament is it to be thus clothed with humility, and so nearly to resemble the meek, the lowly, the beneficent and t Phil. ii. 3, 4.

r Rom. xiii. 5.

SI Thess. v. 12, 13.

condescending Jesus! how far does the glory of such abasement excel all the vain pomp, and state, and glitter of the world!

And when the time of future recompense shall come, and that heavenly glory shall be revealed, which is prepared for those that followed their great Master's steps here below; then the nearer they came to him in meekness and condescension while upon earth, the nearer shall they come to him in the inexpressible glories and beatitudes of heaven.

There humility will receive its utmost exaltation, and those that took the lowest room here" shall have the honour to be called up higher, and seated nearest the throne of their humble, glorious Redeemer. When those haughty wretches who made it their business to despise and undervalue others, and raise themselves by trampling upon their brethren, shall be forced down with shame and confusion, and horror inexpressible, into those dismal abodes prepared for proud, aspiring Lucifer, and his apostate legions, in the lowest hell.

One thing more I shall observe upon this remarkable passage of our Saviour's washing his disciples' feet, and so conclude; and that is the time of his doing it, immediately before his instituting the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, in perpetual memory of those bitter sufferings and that cruel death, which he was then just ready to undergo for the redemption of sinful mankind, as the true paschal Lamb, which was offered to take away the sins of the world.

And therefore it not obscurely shews us, that purity, humility, and charity are requisite to our peru Luke xiv. 8, &c.

forming that holy duty worthily, so as that the blessing of God may go along with it, and we may receive the benefit he designs us in it.

Our feet must be washed before we approach that holy table, our affections purified, and our souls cleansed by godly sorrow, from those defilements we have contracted by our evil conversation. Our faith must work by love, and be attended with meekness, temperance, patience, brotherly-kindness, and charity, which covers a multitude of faults, and is the fulfilling of the Christian law.

And our intentions too must be pure and uncorrupt, such as become the gospel of Christ, and will be approved of by the great Master of this heavenly feast, who knows our hearts. That is, with sincere devotion, and joy, and praise, and gratitude, to dedicate ourselves entirely to his service; that so we may receive the happy influences of his presence in our souls, and become one with him, and he with us, and thereby enabled to continue faithful to him to the last moment of our lives.

But he that partakes of those sacred mysteries, to serve the vile designs of ambition and avarice, and as a blind to conceal the base intrigues of hypocrisy, is got into the way of Judas, and is a traitor, not a disciple. And let him have a care, lest Satan enter into him with the morsel which he eats to such wicked purposes, and bring him to the portion of that miserable wretch, who of all men living had the greatest reason to curse the day of his birth.

It would be very happy if effectual care was taken to prevent this evil practice, which is now but too common, and likewise justified, which makes it worse; whereas nothing can tend more to the disBRAGGE, VOL. I.

M m

honour of our great Master and his holy religion, nor is more destructive of the public good, and also of the best, the eternal interest of those that are guilty of so great a piece of mockery; which is too manifestly so, to admit of any tolerable plea or defence.

Wherefore let us all take up David's resolution, I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord, and so will I go to thine altar". And may the very God of peace sanctify us wholly; so that our whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Amen.

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X.

Our Saviour's last sufferings and death.

MATT. XXVI. 36-39, &c.

Then cometh Jesus with his disciples unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto them, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

UPON so copious a subject as the last sufferings

and death of our blessed Redeemer, all that can be done in so narrow a compass as I have allotted for these observations is briefly to lay the story together, and give some short hints as we go along, to be improved by every one's own meditations.

Now after our Lord had eaten his last passover with his disciples, and instituted his holy supper, or a sacramental remembrance to be perpetually observed in his church, of his bitter sufferings and death, which then were just at hand; with a noble resolution we find him going to meet those who he knew were coming to betray him to them. And when it was late in the evening, he walked with his disciples to a garden in Gethsemane, discoursing all the way upon that mournful subject; and the gloominess of the night we may suppose was an accidental addition to the horror of that dismal scene,

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