1.

That God regards the sincerity of the worshippers, not their number.

2. The happy experience of worshippers in all ages of the world. As a confirmation of the senti

ment,

3. The positive assertion of the text.

IV. THAT JESUS IS PRESENT WITH ALL THOSE WHO THUS ASSEMBLE TOGETHER.

How is Christ present in his worshipping assemblies ?

For what purpose is Christ present with his worshipping people?

1. To observe the manner of their worship.

2. To bless those who are earnestly seeking him.

REFLECTIONS.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is God, or he could not be present in all the assemblies of his people at the same time.

2. How inexcusable is the conduct of those who neglect public worship.

3. How great will be the happiness of the heavenly world, to all the sincere worshippers of Christ.

THE SECOND APPEARING OF CHRIST.

HEBREWS ix. 28. • And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin

unto salvation.

Let us contemplate,

I. THE GLORIOUS APPEARANCE OF THE SON OF GOD.

II. THE PERSONS WHO WILL BE HAPPILY INTERESTED IN IT. To those who look for him,

1.

With ardent love. 2. With earnest longing. 3. With patient waiting. With due preparation.

4.

From this subject permit me to make these re

marks.

What a great distinction among mankind will there be at the judgment.

Of what importance is it for us to know whether we are thus looking for him.

In what high estimation should we hold that Saviour who is the first and the last in a sinner's salvation.

THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA.

JOHN IV. 28, 29. The woman then left her waterpot and went her way, into the city, and saith to the men, Come see a man which told me all things, whatever I did; is not this the Christ?' From the text and its connexion we shall draw the three following plain observations:

I.

THAT JESUS CHRIST IS POSSESSED OF THE

GREATEST EXCELLENCIES.

We shall confine ourselves to those illustrated in his conversation with the woman of Samaria.

1. Profound humility. Though he was rich in the glories of his divine nature, he humbled himself and became a man, and so as not to be above holding conversation with a poor woman at a well. Let proud mortals contemplate this and be ashamed.

2. Consummate wisdom. He proceeds upon the plan established by the order of the everlasting covenant, and will not fail of converting all his chosen people. He knew where to find this woman -he knew all her circumstances-and what kind of conversation to hold with her.

3.

Ardent benevolence. It was for the instruction and conversion of this poor woman, that he exerted himself.

II. THAT THOSE WHO ARE ENABLED ΤΟ DIS COVER HIS EXCELLENCIES FEEL AN ATTACHMENT TO HIM.

The affection of that soul which has by faith contemplated and discovered the excellencies of Christ, is,

1. Reasonable. (Rational)

2. Fervent.

3. Influential.

III. THAT THOSE WHO REALLY LOVE HIM ARE ANXIOUS TO RECOMMEND HIM TO OTHERS.

1. By earnest entreaty.

2. By bringing them under the sound of the gospel. 3. By prayer to God for them.

4. By a holy life.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. We here see that there is no worthiness in the instrument employed in a sinner's conversion.

The Samaritan woman was made useful in directing her fellow citizens to Christ.

2. This subject affords us a test whereby we may try our own characters.

Are we really attached to Christ?

3. Are there any here desirous to see Jesus?

No. III.

CHRIST AT EMMAUS.

LUKE XXIV, 32. And they said one to another, did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us. the scriptures?"

The connexion of this text shews us, that after the death and resurrection of the great Messiah, two of the disconsolate disciples, who knew not that' he was raised from the dead, went to a village called Emmaus ; that on their way thither they

conversed, as was likely they would do, upon the wonderful events that had lately transpired in Jerusalem, and spake of him they loved. His person -his actions-his sermons-his prophecies-and, above all, his most extraordinary exit occupied their solemn attention, and afforded a subject for the most interesting discourse. Whilst they were thus engaged in conversing about him, with whom they had before been familiar, and from whom they had learned most excellent lessons, a third came up and joined them; this indeed was Jesus of Nazareth, who had been raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. But he chose, for wise ends, to conseal himself from them, and to cause that their eyes should be holden, that they should not know him, appearing to them as a stranger desirous of knowing the subject of their conversation, and the cause of their grief, and to sympathize with them under their sorrow-weeping with them that wept. They intimated to him their wonder that he, even supposing that he were but a stranger in Jerusalem, should be unacquainted with the things which were come to pass there in those days; then proceeding to tell him how Jesus, a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and the people, was condemned to death and crucified; giving him to understand at the same time, that the hopes they had entertained of him were most sanguine, for they trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and, finally, they informed him of some peculiar phenomena that had been witnessed by certain women of their acquaintance at his se- pulchre, where his body could not be seen, though they saw a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. The courteous and mild fellow traveller then began to speak and detain them with delightful converse; for he shewed them that Christ ought to suffer these things, and then to enter into his glory.' He spread before them the mysteries of the inspired page, and shewed how they were il

lustrated in the life and death of their best friend. Sooner than they thought they arrived at their journey's end, where he made as though he would have gone further; but they prevailed on him, by their great importunity, to go in and tarry with them with them he took bread, blessed it, brake it, and gave unto them-then first their eyes were opened to behold him as the same Jesus who was crucified, and to discover in him the lovely features of their Lord who had done all things well-when, lo! he vanished out of their sight, and was seen no more. -After which, we may reasonably suppose to have taken place a solemn silence; and then they used to each other the admirable expression we have selected as a text-" Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures ?"

Having, then, taken a slight glance at the whole account of this wonderful circumstance, in confining our attention more particularly to the words of the text, we shall view them as leading us to reflect on -the conversation of our Lord with his disciples -and the effects it produced upon their minds"their hearts burned within them, while he talked with them by the way." Behold

(I.) The conversation of our Lord with his disciples.

And here the passage presents us with the kind familiarity which he displayed, and the lustre that he cast on the divine word--the first remarkable thing in our Lord's conversation with the travellers to Emmaus, is-

(1) The kind familiarity which he displayedtheir own expression is," He talketh with us by the way." It is condescension in the Son of God, to notice the concerns and accept the worship of his holy angels; how much more must it be so to sojourn with mankind-to go where they go-and freely to tell them the secrets of his heart. The Saviour was now, you remember, even on earth, a most dignified