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venly Canaan opened, at the Expence of our Leader's own Life, without Impreffions, as Grateful, as Human Hearts can admit? If the Prophet confefs, that after all thofe extraordinary Appearances of Almighty God in their behalf, his People's difingenuous Behaviour turned him to be their Enemy; how greatly ought We to fear, how carefully to avoid, any unworthy returns, to One who hath Loved us fo tenderly, which may juftly alienate his Affection from us, and be at once our eternal Ruin and Reproach? If He again thought the former Favours of God, and the remembrance of his Covenant, proper Inducements to Incline his Mercy; With what Confidence may We be allowed to approach him, in the Anguish of our Souls, in Diftreffes and Temptations, when we plead his Son's Name and Merits for Acceptance, and depend upon the Goodnefs, which hath not only done, but endured, fo much for our Sakes, for all proper Succours and Comforts? 'Tis true, our Difficulties are many, our Enemies mighty, our felves Impotent to the laft degree. But let it be remembred, for our Support; that more are They that are with us, than All that are or can be againft us: That the Heat of the Action is over, and we march against a Force already difcomfited. He that is mighty to Rev. xix. 15. Save, He that hath trodden the Wine-prefs of his Father's Wrath alone, hath broken them in kis Anger, and trampled them in his Fury. And all the Reprefentations of his bitter Sufferings, which we are now especially converfant with, are not only fo many Intimations, how much this Conqueft ftood him in: But certain Evidences withal, that the Bloody Field is won. And all the Prayers and Tears, the Faftings and Mournings, that now humble our Souls, and exercife our Bodies, are not the proper and efficient Caufes of this Conqueft, but the Inftruments of applying, and fecuring it to us. They are Acts of Repentance

pentance and Obedience, which hope to be accepted in the Beloved; not in any Virtue of their own, abftracted from Him: Decent Expreffions of Gratitude and Love, to a Saviour, fo liberal of himself for our Salvation. Thus we may die after his Example, die to the Sins, which pierced his Soul to Death; And, rifing again to righteoufnefs, conquer, as he hath done; conquer our vicious Appetites effectually, and trample down every unruly Paffion. So fhall we be qualified to attend, to bear a part in, his Triumphs; And, in the midst of our Religious Sympathies, when melting away in Sorrow, for his Agonies and Death, have a Right to fuftain our Spirits, with the Profpect of a part, in the Glories of his Refurrection.

1.

"A

The GOSPEL.

St. Mark xiv.

Fter two days was the feast of the paffover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the fcribes fought how they might take him by craft, and put bim to death.

2. But they faid, Not on the feast day, left there be an uproar of the people.

3. And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he fat at meat, there came a woman, having an alabafter box of ointment of spikenard, very precious, and fhe brake the box, and poured it on his bead.

4. And there were fome that had indignation within themselves, and faid, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

5. For it might have been fold for more than three hundred pence, and bave been given to the poor and they murmured against ber.

6. And Jefus faid, Let her alone, why trouble you her? fhe bath wrought a good

work on me.

7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whenfoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye barve not always.

8. She bath done what she could: fhe is come aforehand to antint my body to the burying.

9. Verily I fay unto you, Wherefoever this Gospel fhall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that he hath done, shall be spoken of, for a memorial of her. 10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief pricfts, to betray

bim unto them.

11. And when they beard it, they were glad, and promifed to give him money. And be fought bow be might conveniently betray him.

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12. And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, bis disciples faid unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayeft eat the pallover?

13. And be fendeth forth two of his disciples, and faith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water, follow him.

14. And wherefoever befhall go in, fay ye to the good man of the boufe, The mafier faith, Where is the gueft-chamber, where I shall eat the Paffover with my difciples? 15. And be will fhew you a large upper room furnished and prepared, there make ready for us.

16. And his difciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the pallover.

17. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.

18. And as they fate, and did oat, Jefus faid, Verily I fay unto you, One of you which eateth with me, fhall betray me.

19. And they began to be forrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another faid, Is it I?

20. And be answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

21. The fon of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by ruhom the fon of man is betrayed: Good were it for that man, if he had never been

born.

22. And as they did eat, Jefus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and faid, Take, eat: This is my body.

23. And he took the cup, and when be had given thanks, he gave it to them : and they all drank of it..

24. And be faid unto them, This is my blood of the new teftament, which is shed for

many.

25. Verily I fay unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

26. And when they had fung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

27. And Jefus faith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night : for it is written, I will mite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

28. But after that I am rifen, I will go before you into Galilee.

29. But Peter faid unto bim, Although all fhould be offended, yet will not I.

30. And Jefus faith unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

31. But be fpake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wife. Likerwife also faid they all.

32. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane, and he faith to bis dijciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

33. And he taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be fore amazed, and to be very heavy,

34. And faith unto them, My foul is exceeding forrowful unto death: tarry ye bere, and watch.

35. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed, that if it were poffible, the bour might pafs from bim.

36. And be faid, Abba, Father; all things are poffible unto thee, take cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.

away this

37. And be cometh, and findeth them fleeping, and faith unto Peter, Simon, fleepest thou? Couldeft not thou watch one hour?

38. M'atch ye and pray, left ye enter into temptation. The Spirit truly is ready, buz

the flesh is weak.

39. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the fame words.

40. And when be returned, be found them afleep again, for their eyes were heavy } neither wif they what to anfwer him.

41. And

41. And be cometh the third time, and faith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your reft: it is enough, the bour is come, behold, the son of man is betrayed into the hands of finners.

42. Rife up; let us go, Lo, be that betrayeth me is at hand.

43. And immediately, while be yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with fwords and ftaves, from the chief priests, and the fcribes, and the elders.

44. And be that betrayed him, had given them a token, faying, Whomfoever I fhall kifs, that fame is he; take him, and lead him away fafely.

45. And as foon as he was come, be goeth ftraitway to him, and faith, Mafter, Mafter, and killed him.

46. And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

47. And one of them that flood by, drew a fword, and smote a fervant of the bigb prieft, and cut off bis ear.

48. And Jefus answered, and said unto them, Are ye come out as against a thief, with fwords and with ftaves to take me?

49. I was daily with you in the temple, teaching, and ye took me not; but the Scriptures must be fulfilled.

50. And they all forfook him and fled.

51. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linnen cloth cast about his naked body, and the young man laid hold on him.

52. And be left the linnen cloth, and fled from them naked.

53. And they led Jefus away to the high priest, and with him were assembled all the chief priests, and the elders, and the fcribes.

54. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he fat with the fervants, and warmed himself at the fire.

55. And the chief priests, and all the council fought for witness against Jefus, to put bim to death, and found none.

56. For many bare falfe witness against him; but their witness agreed not together. 57. And there arofe certain, and bare falfe witness against him, saying,

58. We beard him fay, I will deftroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without bands.

59. But neither fo did their witness agree together.

60. And the high priest food up in the mids, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which thefe witness against thee?

61. But be held bis peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and faid unto him, Art thou the Chrift, the fon of the blessed?

62. And Jefus faid, I am; and ye shall fee the fon of man fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of beaven.

63. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and faith, What need we any farther witneffes?

64. Ye bave heard the blasphemy, what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

65. And fome began to spit on him, and to cover bis face, and to buffet him, and to fay unto him, Prophely: And the fervants did strike bim with the palms of their hands. 66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the bigh priest.

67. And when he faw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou alfo waft with Jefus of Nazareth.

68. But be denied, faying, I know not, neither understand I what thou fayeft. And he went into the porch, and the cock crew.

69. And a maid faw him again, and began to say to them that food by, This is one of them.

70. And be denied it again. And a little after, they that food by, faid again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy fpeech agreeth

thereto.

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71. Bus

71. But be began to curfe and to fwear, faying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72. And the fecond time the cock crew: and Peter called to mind the word that Jefus faid unto him, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice: And when be thought thereon ke wept.

TH

COMMENT.

HE Vilenefs of Judas his Treachery, in delivering up his Mafter to the Will of thofe Bloodthirsty Enemies, whofe implacable Malice fought his Life, we have had occafion, in fome meafure, to confider, when treating of Yesterday's Gofpel. The next thing, in order of Time, is our Lord's Celebration of his Laft Pafchal Supper, and the Inftitution of that Bleffed Sacrament, which he defigned to be a constant

Gofpel for
Wednesday

next.

Memorial, of his Body broken, and his Blood fhed, for us. Of This it is my purpofe, particularly to treat hereafter. Let us at prefent therefore attend him to the Garden, in company of his Three Choice Friends; and thence to the High Prieft's Hall. And fo we shall employ the Meditations of this Day, partly on his Sufferings and Behaviour there; and partly on the unhappy Circumstances, into which one of thofe Beloved Companions fhortly after fell. The Former will inftruct us, how much he was content to endure for Our fakes: The Latter, will put us in Mind of our own Weakness, when content (and, as We think, able) to fuffer much for His. Upon which occafion, we will farther confider, what Reparations are fit to be made, for any Failures of Duty, which fuch Trials of our falfely fuppofed Strength thall, for our Humiliation, be permitted to drive us into.

First then, What more lively Reprefentation can we poffibly defire of our Lord's willing Sufferings for Our lakes, than this, which the Tragical Scene in the Gar

den

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