that towards the latter day, the people shall eat and drink, and be void of care, as in the days of Noah; and that destruction shall suddenly fall upon them. Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Many have been slain in the field, but many more have taken their deadly wound by surfeiting; many have been drowned in the sea, but many more have perished by the strength of wine. We are not informed that the rich glutton was an oppressor, an extortioner, an usurer, or that he came unjustly by his goods; but that he abused the same, that he fared sumptuously, and became unthankful and therefore was punished in hell fire. Saint Augustin says, “A drunken man doth not commit sin, but is altogether sin." And therefore his reward is death. Drunkards, says St. Paul, shall not inherit the kingdom of God: No-they shall drink at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury. Therefore, says Christ, Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life; and so that day come upon you unawares. The kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink. Our meat is to do the will of our heavenly Father. Let us not abuse the creatures of God. Let us eat and drink to the sustenance of our bodies; that, by the moderate and sober use of these things, we may be the better able to please God in discharging the duties of our respective callings. Let us think of the cup which Christ had on the cross. His cup was vinegar mingled with gall. At His hand let us take the cup of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. Whether we eat or drink, let us remember who it is that hath bestowed his gifts upon us and, whatsoever we do, let us do it to the glory of God. The second defilement is chambering and wantonness. Of this also the Apostle warns us for whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge: they shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. It is the will of God, that our bodies be kept in holiness. They are the temples of God. He hath called us to be vessels of honour, that we should be holy in body and holy in spirit; that we serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. one of The last is strife and envying. We are one body in Christ Jesus. We are endued with one spirit we are members one of another. The Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of peace. Let not you say, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos. The body of Christ is one: it is not divided. If there be envying, and strife, and dissensions among you, you are yet carnal, you savour not of the Spirit of God. You are but a little flock; the world hateth you : together, love one another, bear you join therefore one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, endureth all things: charity is the bond of perfectness. If we behold ourselves, and consider our own nakedness, we shall find, that by nature we are nothing but the children of wrath. I was shaper in wickedness, says David, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. Mine iniquities are gone over my head; there is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure: neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin. In thy sight shall no man living be justified. Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanse thou me from my secret faults. When the miserable and wretched soul boasteth itself, saying, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; the Spirit of God maketh answer, Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. The same Spirit in the Apostle giveth his counsel, that we put on Jesus Christ. Let him cover us with his body, and with his blood, as with a garment. His blood hath cleansed us from all our sins. He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. He is become unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Let God see nothing in us but the image of his Son; so shall he dwell in us, and we in him. To conclude. Let us look back to times past, and behold the night of error and of ignorance. All things were done in a strange tongue. The priest spake, and the people heard they knew not what. On the other hand, let us consider how mercifully God hath dealt with us. He hath restored unto us the light of his Gospel, and hath taught us the secrets of his heavenly will. We hear him talk with us familiarly in the Scriptures, as a father talketh with his child. We have the holy ministration of the sacraments; we all partake of the cup of salvation; we know the covenant of baptism; we know the covenant and mystery of the Lord's supper: we fall down together, and confess our sins before God; we pray together, and understand what we pray. This was the order of the primitive Church; this was the order of the Apostles of Christ. If we compare this with the former, we shall soon see the difference between light and darkness. The night is past: God grant it be past for ever; that we be never again thrown into the darkness of death; that the word of life, the truth of Christ, be never again taken from us. Let us cast away the works of darkness, and all the doctrines of superstition and ignorance. While we |