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SERMON X.

ANNIVERSARY SERMON AT THE ASYLUM.

St. JOHN, chap. xxi. latter part of the 15th verfe.

Feed my lambs.

THESE words are part of the charge Preached

delivered by our Lord after his refurrec

tion to Peter, and are the more important,

as they contain his last instructions for the care of his church, and are repeated with unusual earneftnefs. Our Lord's command was principally of a fpiritual nature; but as it related to an infant church, at present imperfectly established, and subject to the most furious ftorms of perfecution,

at the

Afylum,

on the

Anniver-
May 19,

fary,

1790.

- SERMON his benevolent intention was probably not

X.

confined to one branch of duty, but embraced all the wants and neceffities of its members. When a Chriftian suffers, all Christian men are called upon for his relief. But when poverty, neglect, or desertion almost impel the infant members of our church to courfes of life unworthy of that religion into. which they were baptized; when no teacher is at hand to enlighten their dark ignorance, with the knowledge of God, and his laws; with the knowledge of a Saviour, and the conditions of their falvation; then the command is indifpenfable upon us to exhort, and upon you to be ready, to feed these -lambs with natural food, that they may be prepared to receive the bread of eternal life

The duty of charity is frequently inculcated, and well understood; I fhall there

fore,

17

X.

fore, at present, rather give the heads of SERMON
fome motives to this duty, than enlarge
and infist upon them,

I. It is the command of God, laid down
in every page of his word, and urged under
every form of his religion. It is to be
found in the motives which brought down
our bleffed Redeemer from the glories of
his Father in Heaven, to become man on
earth. Throughout his life it was his
moft bright and diftinguishing quality;
fhedding bleffings upon all who came
within its reach; more invaluable than
the light and heat which fall from the
glorious fun in the firmament: it was the
divine precept which flowed from his
lips, and is made the leading condition
of our justification before the throne of
his judgement at the last day.

II. It is the temper of heaven, of which we all hope to become members,

SERMON when the church is diffolved on earth. To

X.

use the words of an elegant writer, in that " place where vanity and competi"tion are forgotten for ever, we shall find "a cup of cold water given for the relief "of a poor brother; a prayer uttered for "the mercy of God to those whom we "want power to relieve; a word of inftruc❝tion to ignorance; a smile of comfort to "mifery, of more avail than all those

accomplishments which confer honour " and distinction amongst the fons of folly *"

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III. It is laying up treafures, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, above the viciffitudes of fortune, and beyond even the defolating grafp of death; secure against the hour when we fhall launch into that state, where nothing will remain

* Johnfon's Sermon on the death of his wife...

with