it is to "receive the grace of God in vain." They "receive the grace of God in vain," who are not at all affected with it; and so do they also, who, though they may be brought under some transient affections, yet do not embrace it with a full consent of heart and obedience of life. 1. Those most evidently receive the grace of God in vain, who are not at all affected with it. If a man hears the message of salvation by a Redeemer, but is not at all sensible that he stands in any need of this Redeemer; nor solicitous to inquire what is this salvation which he proposes, what is the method in which it is offered, or to examine whether he has fallen in with that method; if he hears of the being and government of God, and his obligations to love and serve him, but will yet "live as without God in the world," and cast off fear, and restrain prayer before him; if he hears of eternal happiness and misery, which God will "render to every man according to his works," but utterly disregards the unchangeable world which he is going to, and entertains not any serious thought of the reception which he shall meet with there, but goes on in a course of sin, earnestly pursuing his worldly designs and entertainments; while God, and Christ, and eternity, are forgotten; surely, such a man has "received the grace of God in vain." The grace of God was intended to accomplish some end; but it can have no end at all with a person who will not take any notice of it, but will overlook it as if it were only a cunningly devised fable."

2. Those do as really "receive the grace of God in vain," who, though they may be in some transient manner affected by it, yet do not embrace it with a full consent of heart, and sincere obedience of life. There are many such persons who have heard the great truths of religion very plainly proposed, and cannot be utterly unaffected by them, who are ready to acknowledge, that they are naturally in a CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 301.

very miserable state; that Christ is a suitable Saviour; and, it may be, to rejoice in the news of salvation by him; who yet, possibly, rest here, and conceive that knowledge, and conviction, and some transient affections, to be sufficient to entitle them to the Gospel salvation; though, while they profess to know or to love Christ, they in works deny him. Or, perhaps, they form some instant purposes and resolutions, that hereafter they will return to God, and break off their sins; though, for the present, the violence of temptation prevails upon them, and their worldly affairs are so urgent as not to allow them sufficient leisure to attempt a change of so great difficulty and importance. These are the persons whom our Lord speaks of under the character of the "stony-ground hearers; who when they had heard the word, received it with joy; but had no root in themselves, and so in a time of temptation fell away." Now, it is very evident, that such persons "receive the grace of God in vain;" and this will appear, if you consider what is the end of the Gospel. It is plainly intended to restore fallen man to the favour of God, and so to everlasting happiness in heaven. Now it is evident from the whole tenor of Scripture, that those who rest in a transient affection, without sincere, constant, practical obedience, will never be accepted by God, and made happy in heaven. Christ is the "author of eternal salvation," but it is only "to all those who obey him." "Not every one who says, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of the Father."

III. I now proceed to propose some arguments to dissuade you from "receiving the grace of God in vain." And here consider, both the excellency and the freedom of it, your own need of an interest in it, and the consequences of finally rejecting it.

1. Consider the riches and excellency of this grace. The inspired Ꭰ

penmen to whom it was committed say, it is "an unspeakable gift, an instance of the great love wherewith God has loved us." "This redemption is given us according to the riches of his grace:" it is "the riches of the glory of his inheritance." And that the grace of God, proposed to mankind in the Gospel, is indeed so exceedingly valuable, and deserves to be spoken of in such exalted language, may be shewn from a great variety of considerations. We may conclude it from the pomp and solemnity with which God introduced the declaration of it. The Apostle argues it to be a "great salvation;" because it was at "first preached by the Lord Jesus Christ, and afterwards confirmed by them who heard him, God also bearing them witness by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles." And to raise your ideas of it, look into the word of God, and see, in what exalted language the Holy Ghost speaks of this Gospel salvation; and what contempt it pours on every thing in life that is great and illustrious, when once it comes in competition with it. For this, says an inspired Apostle, "I have already suffered the loss of all things; and for this I count them but loss." And is this " grace to be received in vain ?" Consider also the nature of this salvation, as described in Scripture; and then judge of the excellency of it, and of the manner in which it is to be received. The grace of God, in the Gospel, offers you the pardon of ten thousand aggravated offences, which you have committed against the Majesty of heaven; and for which God may most righteously subject you, not only to some present pain and uneasiness, during your abode in this mortal life, but to everlasting misery. But further, it does not only deliver you from this abyss of misery, into which you were sinking, but it raises you to the hopes of the most solid and substantial felicity. By it we are enabled to lift up our heads to Heaven with hope, and with joy; and to behold that God as our unchange

able Friend, whom our sins had armed with vengeance against us. It has also opened the prospect of a future state, and "brought life and immortality to light." Let us survey the description of heaven, as contained in the word of God; and then say, is it not rich grace that is proposed to us? To be surrounded with all those scenes of beauty, and of glory, which God has prepared for the riches of his magnificence and his love, and for the reception of his most favourite creatures: to have our faculties brightened and enlarged to the capacities of angels; and then, for ever entertained with the contemplation of the most important truths, and the most surprising mysteries: to feel in our breasts an entire conformity to the Divine likeness; the perfection of holiness, without the least interruption of a forbidden thought or irregular desire: to live in the most intimate friendship with the brightest and most glorious creatures; but, above all, to dwell before the throne of our exalted Redeemer, and behold the face of our reconciled Father; for God to shine upon our souls with the mildest beams of his grace and love: to be breathing out our souls in devotion to him, and employing all our enlarged capacities in tendering him the most worthy and excellent service: to be graciously accepted by him, and continually rewarded with new accessions of glory, and new capacities of further service: and to be secure of the enjoyment, and the increase of this happiness, throughout the endless ages of eternity; this is the happiness proposed to us in the Gospel; this is that which is given us by Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. Consider the freedom, as well as the riches of this grace, as a further argument against receiving it in vain.

We are told, that we "are justified freely by his grace." All the favours that God bestows upon his creatures must be freely bestowed. The degrees of favour that he bestows on the brightest angels are

free; much more those that are imparted to us "who live in houses of clay, and whose habitations are in the dust." The freedom of this grace will further appear, if we consider that, as we were mean, so we were sinful creatures. We had reason to expect a messenger of vengeance, when God sent his Son as the messenger of grace. And the argument will be further illustrated if we consider the methods in which salvation is imparted by this Redeemer. It is proposed, not only in a possible, but in a most equitable and delightful, way. God does not insist upon a variety of burdensome ceremonies; no, "the yoke of the Redeemer is easy, and his burden is light." In the whole system of the Gospel, nothing is required but what is wholly reasonable, and, to a pious soul, exceedingly delight ful; and nothing forbidden, which is not mean and despicable; and therefore, in its immediate or its remote tendency, pernicious both to ourselves and others.

3. Consider the need you have of this grace, as an important argument against receiving it in vain. When Christ speaks of his being sent into the world, as the minister of it, he represents the world as in a wretched condition. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Consider your own circumstances, and you will see the propriety of that representation. You are poor, indigent creatures, entirely at the disposal of God; and sink into nothing, if you are left destitute of his grace. You are also guilty creatures, who are justly obnoxious to his displeasure. By your own confession, then, you need this grace, and are undone without it. And will you yet receive it in vain? Shall it be in vain that mercy and everlasting salvation were offered to guilty creatures, who are about to leave this world, and to enter helpless upon another; where, without this mercy which is

now offered, inflexible justice will seize and destroy them?

4. Consider the dreadful consequences of your refusal of this Gospel grace. You see the time will come when you will need it.. But if you will go on to neglect it, you will then be excluded from all benefit by it. Nay, it will serve to aggravate your condemnation and misery. For, says our Redeemer, he who knoweth his Master's will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes."

I conclude with a few words of application. And here I would advise,

1. That we every one seriously inquire, whether we have received the grace of God, or not. And, considering the infinite importance of the question, we should prosecute it with serious, diligent examination. If we have been hitherto utterly unaffected with the Gospel, the answer will be sufficiently plain and obvious. But we must remember, that we are not to rest in any transient impressions that have been made now upon our minds; but are to judge of the safety of our state, by the resolution of our hearts for God; and to judge of the sincerity of that resolution, by the prevalency of it in the general course of our lives.

2. If, upon an inquiry, you find you have received the grace of God in vain, consider your guilt and danger, as it has now been represented. Urge the arguments that have been pleaded with you; and, knowing on the one hand the terrors of the Lord, and on the other the mercy of our God, be prevailed upon no longer to trifle; but, in the strength of that grace which God is already communicating to you, seek him for further degrees of it, till you are led on to a saving conversion, and so entitled to everlasting happiness.

3. If we have received the grace of God to saving purposes, let us admire the goodness of God, who has so happily distinguished us from

by Wheatley, seems altogether incapable of being sustained.

The only remaining rubric to be considered in the morning prayer, is that after the suffrages, which follow the Lord's Prayer, in which the collects are ordered to be said "all kneeling :" and this direction (from all the foregoing notices it would appear) must be understood to include the reader, especially as he had been standing just before. In the corresponding part of the evening prayer this direction is omitted. But as the two services bear an exact and uniform analogy to each other, that analogy must be held a sufficient reason for supplying it.

The next question to which I shall advert, relates to the words, "and oblations," in the prayer for the church militant before the communion.

This phrase is naturally connected in our minds with the sentences at the offertory, which prescribe a suitable maintenance for those who serve at the altar; and hence, as our clergy derive no emolument from the sacramental offerings, it is usual to omit the sentences which relate to that subject, and also the words, and oblations, in the prayer.

This practice, however, proceeds on the presumption that the term, oblations, refers to the sacramental offerings; and that these offerings are intended by it to be consecrated to God, for the use, in part at least, of his ministers. In opposition to this construction of the word, it is contended that it actually refers to the bread and wine, which are placed en the table in order to be offered to God, and to be accepted by him for this sacred use in the eucharist. Of this meaning of the word, the prayer of oblation, which was introduced into the Scotch Prayer-book in 1637, is cited as a proof. It is added, that the first prayer-book of Edward the Sixth, mentions neither alms nor oblations, but provides for offering up the body and blood; that the Scotch Prayer-book mentions

only alms, but contains a prayer of oblation; and that the revised prayer-book of 1661, as we now have it, introduces the words, and oblations, but omits the prayer.

These are no doubt strong reasons for believing that the word, oblations, has in this passage a reference only to the bread and wine. Nevertheless there are not wanting considerations of an opposite tendency: for it has been observed, that in the unrevised prayer-book, the rubric before the prayer of oblation relates to two subjects; the poor man's box, and the due and accustomed “ offerings" to the curate; from which phraseology it is natural to infer that the word, alms, was in the revision intended to supply the place of the poor man's box, and the word, oblations, that of the due and accustomed offerings to the curate.

Without undertaking to determine this question, it may be sufficient to remark, in conclusion, that whichever interpretation be adopted, the words may be properly retained. If by oblations be meant the bread and wine offered up to God, the expression of course ought not to be omitted. If, on the other hand, the pecuniary collection which always accompanies the administration of the Lord's supper be intended, even in that acceptation of the word, there may still be a propriety in reading it; for in most, if not in all, instances (I believe) the clerk and verger, or other inferior officiating minister, is held to be entitled to a share of it, and in some the price of the bread and wine is defrayed out of it, although no satisfactory reason can be assigned for this practice, except that offerings, made in the house and during the worship of God, are offerings to himself, and may fitly be laid out in his service. Hence it appears that the words, "and oblations," should be retained whenever there is a communion, although there is a propriety in omitting the sentences, which relate to the maintenance of the clergy.