wings; and thou would'ft not! Behold your house fhall be left to you defolate: and I fay to you, You fhall not fee Me, till the time come when you fhall fay, Bleffed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord.

Refp. Mercy, Sweet JESU! Mercy: how often haft Thou call'd us, and we refifted Thy Voice? how often haft Thou pred forth Thy Wings, and we neglected Ty Charity? Pardon, O dear Redeemer! our ftrange ingratitude, and leave not defolate, to be ruin'd by our follies. De liver us from the difmal ftate of those,whe So long enure themselves to fin, that at laft they have no fenfe of finning but one enormity is the punishment of another. *Pardon, O dear

Leffon 179.

And, it came to pafs, as He went into the house of the chief Pharifees to eat bread on the Sabbath, they watcht Him. And, behold, there was a certain man before Him, who had a Dropfic. And JESUS, answering, fpake to the Lawyers and Pharifees, faying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? But, they held their peace. And, He took him and heal'd

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him, and let him go: And, answering them, faid, Which of you fhall have an Afs or an Ox fallen into a pit; and will not pull him out on the Sabbath-day? And they could not answer Him to thefe things. And, He fpake a parable to those who were invited, when He mark'd how they chofe out the chief rooms; faying to them, When thou art bidden to a Wedding,fit not down in the highest room, leaft a more honourable then thou be bidden; And, he that bad thee and him come and fay to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with fhame to take the loweft room. But, when thou art invited, go fit down in the loweft place; that, when he who invited thee comes, he may fay to thee, Friend, go up higher then halt thou have hononr in the prefence of them that fit at meat with thee. For, every one that exalts himself fhall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Then faid He alfo to him who invited Him, When thou makeft a Dinner or a Supper, call not thy friends nor thy brethren, neither thy kinfien nor thy rich neighbours; leaft perhaps they alfo N 3

invite

invite thee again, and recompence be made thee. But, when thou makest a feaft, call the poor, the feeble, the lame, and the blind. And thou shalt be bleffed, because they have not to recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the refurrection of the Juft. Refp, Lord, make me humble in mine own eyes, as I know I am worthless in this let me not proudly prefer my felf before Others, nor enviously murmur they are prefer'd before me: * But count upon Thy promifes in the Refurredin of the Just. Rather let me feat the innocent poor, and make their hearts fometimes rejoyce a little; let me not Spoil my bounty by defigns of Intereft, nor lofe my reward, by receiving it here:

* But,

Leffon 180.

When one of them who fat at meat with Him heard these things, he faid to Him, Bleffed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God, But, He faid to him, a certain man made a great Supper,, and bad many: and fent his fervant at Supper time to fay to the Invited, Come for all things are now

now ready.

And,

And, they all at once began to make exufe. The firft faid to him, I have bought a Farm, and I muft needs go forth and fee it; I pray thee have me excus'd. Another faid, I have bought Five Yoak of Oxen, and I go to prove them, I pray thee have me excus'd. Another faid, I have married a Wife, and therefore I cannot come. So, that Serant returning, told his Lord thefe hings. Then the Mafter of the house, being angry, faid to his fervant, Go out quickly into the Streets and Lanes of the City, and bring in hither the poor, and the feeble, and the lame, and the blind. And the Servant faid, Lord, it is done as thou haft commanded; and yet there is mom. And the Lord faid to the Servant, Go out into the high-ways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled: For, I fay to you, none of those who were bidden fhall taft of my Supper.

Refp. 'Tis thou thy felf, dear Lord, that madft this Supper, and call ft and preffeft us to come to it 'tis Thou Thy felf that art the Feast, and wilt refresh and fit us with thy fweetness. Blessed are Tbey, * N 4

OH. JESU, who feed on Thee in this barren defart, but far more blessed they, who feed on Thee in the Kingdom of Heaven. Think, O my Soul, who it is invites thec, and what it is to which He invites thee. think of his pure and generous love, that aims at nothing but Thy happiness; and, be fure let nothing divert thee from embracing that love. *Blessed are

Leffon 181.

And great Multitudes went with Him; and He turning Himself, faid to them, If any one comes to me, and hates not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sifers, yea even his own life alfo; he cannot be My Difciple. For, which of you, intending to build a Tower, fits not down firft and reckons the charges that are neceffa ry, whether he have to finish it? Leaft, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, faying, This man began to build, and was noi able to finish. Or, what king, going to make war against another king, fits not down firft and confults whether he be able, with

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