MM* i-iAJ LIBRARY OF THE University of California. GIFT OF Mrs. SARAH P. WALSWORTH. Received October, 1894. Accessions No. $ff 33 Class No. ► 1 I * SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS AND ADVICES, GROUNDED UPON SCRIPTURE TEXTS; PROPER FOR COMMUNICANTS, PREPARE THEIR HEARTS, EXCITE THEIR AFFECTIONS QUICKEN THEIR GRACES, AND ENLIVEN THEIR DEVOTIONS, ON SACRAMENTAL OCCASIONS: AND LIKEWISE USEFUL fO PROMOTE GRACIOUS DISPOSITIONS AND RESOLUTIONS IN CHRISTIANS, AT ALL TIMES, UPON THE REMEM- BRANCE OF AXRUCIillLD JESUS. TOGETHER WITH A SHORT CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY; AND A VARIETY OF SCRIPTURE SONGS, FOR ZION's TRAVELLERS. APPENDIX i. a lecture concerning the institution of the lord's supper: on 1 cor. xi. 17, to the end. II. A preparation sermon: FROM JOSH. 111. 5. III. AN ACTION SERMOM : FROM CANT. II. 4. BY THE REV. JOHN YVILLISON, LATE MINISTER AT DUNDEE. PUBLISHED EY SYBRANT QUACKENBUSH, Jun. ?M. 5. PARKER, PRINTER, TROY. £2 isai. \|v STI1Z recommendations: Stillzvater, May 8, 1821, DEAR SIR, I am pleased at the idea of your publishing Willi- son's Meditations and Advices ; in doing it you will confer a benefit upon the church. I have often read it, I trust with profit. I know of no work better calculated to en- liven the graces, excite the zeal, and promote the faith- fulness of God's people. Like the sun it communicates light and heat. While it animates, it instructs ; while it searches, it encourages. The author had the happy art of so mingling the oil and wine, as to meet the various cases found in the church. This treatise ought to be in $mm hamm or every communicant. I wish yon success i'rom God in this attempt to subserve his cause and 'peo- ple. Yours affectionately, MARK TUCKER, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Scillwalcr, MR. Q.UACKENBUSH. Troy, May 9th, 1821. srR, It is with pleasure that 1 learn, that you are about te cepublish the Rev. Mr. Willison's Sacramental medita- tions and Advices. It is a work of great worth, admira- bly calculated to enlighten the understanding, and warm the hearts of the followers of Christ ; and prepare them for an acceptable approach to the holy communion. Un- der a full conviction that it will be of great use to the Christian Community, it is hereby recommended to their pious patronage. JONAS COE, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Troy. Mr. Quackenbush. 4 RECOMMENDATIONS. Lansingburgh, May 9, 1.821. TO THE CHRISTIAN PUBLICK, Every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves his master, will thank the Publisher of this little volume, as an instrument in the hand of God for spreading before him, so great a treasure as Willison's Sacramental Medi- tations and Advices. Let all who have the opportunity, make a copy their own. SAMUEL BLATCHFORD, Pastor of the Presbyterian Ckureh, LansingburgTi* Mr, Qua ckenbusb. Juhj Ut f 182L DEAR FRIEND, I have read with pleasure and with profit, Willison's Sacramental Meditations and Advices, and think it well calculated to improve the mind, and warm the heart of lh#» U#*Mtitf**i' in Christ. I ^i?h von ^v****** in its reoub* lication and more general diffusion. The work is highly esteemed, and is indeed worthy the serious perusal of every christian. With esteem, your friend, J. D. FONDA, Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, Greenzvicfu Mr, Quackekbusu- I PREFACE, X HE eternal Son of God, when taking his leave of an ungrateful world, instituted the sacrament of the Supper, as a lively resemblance and memorial of his bloody suf- ferings and death in the room of his people ; and also to be a bright and lasting evidence of the amazing- love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to perishing sin- ners. As God once sent his Son into the world in a lowly ha- bit, clothed with human flesh, to save sinners, so now he sends him in a homely dres3, clothed with the elements of bread and wine, to assure us of his love, and to en- gage us to come to him. Kings expect that their chil- dren will be respected, though their officers be neglected. Sorely (;saith Goo) They will reverence my Son ; they will make him welcome, and hearken to him. In this most august ordinance of the New Testament the great God approaches very near to us, and we to him ; and yet it is to be deeply regretted, that many who pro- fess to believe this, come to it with so little thought and preparation, and with so much iudttTerency and careless- ness of spirit. Oh, shall we venture so near the great God, who is infinitely holy, in who;«e sight the heavens are not pure, and in whose presence the sun and stars are dimmed, arrd the brightest seraphims do gather in their wings, and account themselves as little Hies before him ! and shall we, who are creatures so mean and so vile, be careless and unconcerned, when we make the nearest approach to this great and holy God, that we can make on this side heaven. Ought we not to go blushing, ashamed, and deeply humbled on many accounts, and particularly for our in- gratitude for redeeming love, that love winch passeth knowledge, and for our contempt of God's unspeakable gift, the greatest sin in the world ; yea, we should go wondering that we are out of hell, for many thousands 6 PREFACE. are burning 1 there who have not sinned so heinously, in making light of precious Christ, as we have done. Moreover, Header, consider, if you go to this ordi- nance unpreparedly, or with indifference, you not only make light of the Lord Jesus Christ, but you are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, 1 Cor. xi. 27. Surely that word may cause you to quake and tremble ; blood- guiltiness of any sort is a dreadful sin, and especially to be guilty of the blood of the Lord. Murder is a sin that cries for vengeance on the actor, and gives God no rest till he punish it, Gen. iv. 10. The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth. If it be a crying sin to murder a common person, what must it be to murder a king ? Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and he guiltless ? 1 Sam. xxvi. 9. O then, what a crime must it be to murder the eternal Son of God, who is thy exalted King, thy everlasting Father, thy dear Re- deemer, and thy God who gave thee a being. Child murder is a heinous crime, but what Christ-murder is, no tongue can tell ! If on him that slew Cain (that wick- ed man) vengeance should be taken sevenfold, what ven- geance will be taken on him that crucifies afresh the Lord of Glory ? This consideration should make ail of u^ afraid of careless and unworthy communicating. If we would communicate worthily, we must be ear- nest, not only for the life of grace, but also for the live- liness of grace ; not only for the truth and sincerity of grace, bui likewise for the activity and vigorous exercise «f grace. So that believer himself doth not eat and drink worthily, unless the grace that is in him be excited and exercised at this ordinance* There must be not only faith in the truth of it, but there must be fahh realizing, applying, appropriating, and making use of Christ's death and purchase in this ordinance. Not only must there be a disposition of soul to be humbled for sin, but there musfc he actual mourning and melting of heart for sin, and for particular sins, when we look on him we have pierced by {■hem. Not only must there be a principle of love to Christ, but also an exciting of love to flame out to Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. Worthy communicating 1 being a work of such impor- tance, the following Scriptural Meditations and Advices are humbly offered to Christians, as an help in their preyr» PREFACE. 7 aration for it. Reading and thinking much on the sub- jects here proposed,, may through God's blessing be use- ful to promote their habitual preparation for the holy supper. Christ's body and blood herein exhibited are pure and holy things, and should be received in prepar- ed and cleansed hearts. His body never saw corruption in the grave, nor will be mixed with it in hearts where corruption is allowed. It lay in a virgin's womb, and in a virgin sepulchre, and will still be entertained in virgin souls and affections; in hearts purified and consecrated to God. In these Christ chuses to reside, and not in those where sin and the world, with the lusts thereof, are harboured. Oh, had we grace to maintain and cher- ish the fear of God, and the love of Christ habitually in our souls, we might, without much pains, be prepared for coming to him at his table. Did we always bear in our minds, that sacramental oc- casions are solemn appointments, and Bethel meetings with God, for renewing covenant, and entertaining fel- lowship and communion with him, we would guard more against formality creeping in upon us in our preparations for, and in our attendance upon this ordinance, than, alas, we do. Oh, such formality will provoke the Master of our solemn feasts to withdraw from them, and then what poor, dry, melancholy, and lifeless things will they be ? What are sacraments without Christ's presence in them ? O let us never be satisfied with communion sabbaths, with- out communion with Christ in them. On the other hand, if we would keep up communion with Christ in these ordinances, let us beware of relying on our previous pains or preparations, either for our right performing of our duty, or for our acceptance in it : For we are never more ready to miscarry, and to be disap- pointed, than when we are guilty of this resting. Sundry go to the Lord's table with great humiliation for sin, and yet come away without comfort: Why? because they make a Christ of their sorrow. O what worth can we see in our best preparations, confessions, prayers, tears, humiliations, &c. if we compare them with the law of God? We have more cause to be ashamed of them, than to lay any stress on them. Could we renounce all self- confidence, and disclaim all our provision, in point of de- pendence, and cast ourselves wholly onChrist for strength. 8 PREFACE. through-bearing, and acceptance, we would have better success at the Lord's table, than. commonly we have. We are never more fit for this holy table, than when we are most humbled, and most ashamed of ourselves, because of our unfitness for this solemn approach ; and we are never less fit, than when we think ourselves most fit and prepared for the duty. A holy deniedness to all self-sufficiency, and a deep sense of unworthiness and un- fitness, is the best preparation we can attain to for this solemn ordinance. Let us make holy David our pattern, when going to partake, Psal. Ixxii. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God : 1 will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. And let us pray with the spouse, Cant. iv. \6. Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the snices thereof* flow out. Amen. Dps$>EE, August., 1747. CONTENTS. SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. JVlEDlTATION i ft.— Heb. xi. 7. A crucified Jefus the Page Believer's Ark, 13 id. — 2 Pet. ii. 4. Fallen Angels puniflied, and fallen Men fpared, 17 3d. — Pialm cxlvii. 20. Britain's Gofpel mercies Subject of Praife, *© 4th. — 1 John in. r. The amazing love of tke Father and of the Son to U9, 24 5th. — Pfalm viii. 4. The condefcenfion of the great God to Man admirable, . 27 6th. —1 Cor. x. 4. Chrift our Rock, fmitten and ftrea.ming> hiiihly ufcful. 3* 7th. Zech. xii. xo, Chrift pierced for our Sins, a Heart affect- ing fiV.hr, zs 8th. — Luke xxii. 61, 62. Chrift's lock to Peter melted his heart in tears, 38 9th. — Matth. xv. 27. Often trials are fharp where Faith is ftrong, 42 10th. — 1 Cor. ii. 24. Chril.l's fuflferings worthy to be remem- bered at his Table, 46 nth — Phil. 1. 23 Communicants oft in ftraits betwixt two which of them to chufe, 50 12th. — Phil. iv. 19. Rich Supplies in Chrift for all our Needs, 54 13th. — Eph. iii. 19. The Dimtniions of Chrift's Love pafs knowledge, 58 14th. — Luke xxii. 44. A view of Chrift's Agony and Bloody Sweat, 62 15th — Ifa. liii. 7. The lamb of God filent, and flaughtered for us, 66 1 6th. — Eph. i. 7. Amazing things to be feen in Redeeming Blood, 70 17th— Pfalm Ixxii. 6. Chrift's coming to his Church like rain on dry ground, 1$ 18th.— Matth. viii. 8. The lowly Believer, or Faith a Self- abafing grace, 79 19th — 2 Cor. ix. 15. Chrift i3 God's unfpeakable gift, with Marks of thofe who are thankful for it, 84 20th. — Luke ix. 22. A view of the manifold fufferings of Chrift, 88 x CONTENTS. 2ift.— John xviii. 4. Chrift's willingnefs to fuffer for us view- ed and improven, 22d.— John xvi. 7. The expediency of Chrift's going away from his Difciples conGdered, 23d-— Hos. ii. 19. An aftonifliing match betwixt lovely Chrift and ioathfome creatures, 34th — Ifa. liii. 8. A view of Chrift ftricken by many hands for our many Sins, 25th. — Gal. ii 20. A particular and appropriating Faith in Jefus Chrift both our Duty and Ihtereft, 26th— 1 John iv. 19. God's preventing Love the Caufe of our Love to him, 27th— Pfalm exxvi. 5. Sowing in Tears brings a joyful Reap- ing Time, 28th. — Rev. i. 5. Chrift's Love in pouring out his Blood for us, calls for Songs of Praife to him, 29th.— Luke xv. 18, 19. The Humble Confeflions and Plead- ings of a penitent returning Prodigal, 3Cth.— Song i. 4. Our remembering of Chrift's Love at his Table fhould fill our fouls with wonder, love, and gratitude, 31ft— Ifa. mi. 5. Chrift's Wounds by our Sins {hew the evil Nature of Sin, and call for Revenge upon it, 3»d.— John vi. j 1. Chrift crucified our heavenly cc!s the Ifraeiitts' Maaca, Bread, cx- SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. ADVICE 1 ft — Gen. vi. 1. A Cull to perifliing finners to come into the Ark of a crucified Chrift for faftty, with di- rections how to get into it, 2d — Rev. iii. 20. Chrift's Handing and knocking at the door of the Heart, affords powerful arguments for Sinners open- ing to him, 3d. — Rev. iii. 20. A view of the Extenfivenefs and Solemnity of Chrift's calls to open to htm, and the bleffed Provifion he brings in with him, 4th — Prov. ix. 5. Chrift the Bread of Life, excellent foul- food, with directions how to come and eat it, 5th. — Gen. xlv. 4. Chrift our loving Brother typified by Jo- feph, with directions, how to come near him in the Sacra- ment, 6th! — Matth, xxii. 2. A Call to come and fign the Marriage Contract with Chrift at his table, with directions in. doing it, 7tb. — Lam. i. 12 A Call to view Chrift ? s dreadful fufferings under God*s fierce anger, 8th — M3tth. xxvi. 22. Communicants called to be zealous over their Hearts, to fearch out their Sins, and ibrrow for them, and to do it after a godly fort> with marks of it, CONTENTS. ii 9th.— Heb.vi. 18. Chrift our only City of Refuge, with di- rections how to flee to it from the Avenger of Blood, 171 loth. — John iii. 14. A call to view Chrift nailed and lifted up on the Crofs, with fuitable thoughts and affections, 174 xith. — Exod. xiv. 15. A Call to Communicants, under doubts and fears, to go forward to the Red fea of Chrift's blood, 178 1 2th. — John xii. 32. Chrift lifted up on the Crofs, a noble Engine for drawing fouls to him, with directions to look for his drawing power, 18 1 13th. — John i.36 — xix 5. A call to behold the Man Chrift Jefus under various fufferings, 186 14th. — Job xxxvii. 14. Directions to ftand ftill and confider GodY wondrous Works difplayed in the Sacrament, 190 !5th.-^Rev. xxii 2. Chrift our Tree of Life, infinitely pre- ferable to Adam's tree in the earthly Paradift, with direc- tions to view and make ufc of this blefled Tree, 194 16th. — Ifa. xxxii. 2 Chrift our only Hiding place and Covert from ftorms of wrath, with directions to get into it, 199 17th — 1 Kings xix. 9. Communicants fhould be ready to ac- count to God of their errand at the Lord's table, 203 l8th. — John v 6 Communicants must come fenhble of their Difeafcs, with Faith in Chrift's healing Power, and Marks of a healing Faith, 307 39th — Exod. xii. r4. How to improve a Communion Sabbath as a Memorial of Chrift's Death, Refurrection, and Bene- fits obtained thereby, 111 fioth. — Jer. iii 19. A Sinner's taking hold of God's Cove- nant, furmounts all the Hindrances and Difficulties in the Way of his Salvation, 216 31ft. — Luke v. 26. Communicants 3re to recollect and confi- der what ftrange things they have feen at the Sacrament, and be fuitably affected, 220 22d. — Luke vi .21. The BlefTcdnefs of true fpiritual Hunger, with the good things provided to fill the Hungry, 224 23d — Pfalm cvii. 2. Redeemed Souls are under fpecial obli- gations to give thanks and fing praife to their Redeemer, 228 A fhort Chriftian Directory; confifting of forty Scripture Di- rections, proper for all Chriftians intending Heaven, 231 Scripture Songs for Zion's Travellers, 254 APPENDIX. I. A Lecture concerning the Institution of the Lord's Supper, 290 II. A Preparation Sermon, 305 UT. An Action Sermon 3 32.0 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATION S MEDITATION I. From He3. li. 7. £y Faith Noah prepared an Ark U the saving tf his House. 1 HOUGH the flood that drowned the old world wa^ at many years diftance, yet Noah was moved with fear at God's warning him of it, and prepared an Ark for his fafety : and fhall not unconverted, unbelieving din- ners, who have a far more terrible flood threatened againft them, and may only be a few days diftant, rake warning, and provide with all fpeed for their fafety r Oh ! (hall I, a wretched guilty finner, take reft, while I am within the flood-mark of God's wrath, and not arife in time to provide an Ark to flee for my fafety !— But, O good news, I have not the Ark to provide, it is pre- pared to my hand ; God, in his infinite wifdom and pity, hath made ready an Ark long ago for loft flnners of Adam's race to flee to, and now is completely furnifhed and fmifhed, and all things are ready, fo that I have nothing to do but go and take pofTeflion. O what had become of me and other periihing fin» ncrs, had we the Ark to build ourfelves ? Nay, the whole creation had not been able or funicient for this purpofe- How foon would the raging flood of divine wrath fvveep away all the arks of men or angels building! But thanks be unto God forever, for the excellent well built Ark of God's deviling, for the many fpacious rooms and fafe lodging places within it, for thefuitable accommodation and plentiful provifion laid up therein, and for the door opened in the fide thereof for perifli- B 14 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. ing fouls to enter' by. The falvation of finners by a crucified Chrift, is a well ordered fcheme, a beautiful contrivance i Bleffed be the infinitely wife contriver for it. I fee all things in Chrift crucified neceflary for me : He is made of God to men, wifdom 9 right- eoufnefjy fancHfication, and redemption. There is in him infinite wifdom to guide me, a fpotlefs righteoufnefs to cover me, precious blood to wafli me, the Holy Spirit to fanclify me, his good word to direct me, his juft laws to govern me, and his infinite fulnefs to fupply all my needs : Safe and happy then wculd I be, were I found in him. O that, upon trial by fcripture marks, I could conclude myfelf to be within the Ark, to wit, a Crucified Jefus ! Can I fay, I have been warned of God, and moved with fear, to fly to this Ark ? Have I difcovered my fhelterlefs ftate -by nature, the waves and billows of wrath rifing and rolling againft me ? Have I feen my own inability to provide an Ark for myfelf, and the excellency and fitnefs of the Ark of God's providing? Have J been made willing to abandon all falfe arks, and earneftly inquifitive how to get into the true Ark-? Have I been made willing to ufe all appointed means for this end, to read, hea This is my reft for. ever, here will I dwell P Come what floods will, Chrift fhall be my Ark, his righteoufnefs alone my refuge and hiding place. Alas, upon impartial fearch, have I not caufe to fear that Ihavenot yet fled to. the Ark, but am ftill expofed to the devouring flood ? ^nd can I be eafy or quiet in fuch a cafe ? Can I forbear crying, What fhall I do to get into the Ark Chrift ? Nay, What would I not do to get into it ? Lord, what wouldft thou have me to do ? Wouldft thou have me to humble myfelf, con- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS* l# tefs, mourn, part with fin, clofe with Chrift in all his offices ? Prefcribe, Lord, what thou wilt, I will not fcrupie what thou enjoins me, but obey thee without referve ? I am refolved upon it, whatever it coft me, that the folicitations of the flefh, the temptations of Satan, the feoffs, reproaches, or perfecutions of the world, fhall not flop me from flying to the Ark •, I would break through all thefe to be found in it : Lord, increafe and ftrengthen my faith for that end, and help my unbelief. O how fuitable is the Ark Chrift to my deftitute and miferable condition : In myfelf I want all things, but I fee fupply for all my wants ifi the Ark, I am poor, but I fee pold in the Ark to make me rich ; I am wound- ed by tin, but I fee balm in the Ark to heal my wounds : I am blind, but there is eye-fa! ve in the ark tc-make me fee : I am perifliing with hunger, but I fee bread in the Ark to fatisfy me : I ?.m naked, but in the Ark there is white raiment to clothe me : I am polluted, but in the Ark there is a fountain to wafti me •, I am expofed to more terrible floods than Noah was, but f fee the Ark Chrift can fave me from them all. Noah's ark faved him only from a flood of water, but the Ark Chrift faves from a flood of the curfes of the law and the wrath of God, which will fweep away all the unbe- lieving world. This flood rofe, fwei!ed high, and darn- ed furioufly againft our Ark; but the Ark was proof againft it, and fheltered ail the elect world from the flood, fo that not one drop did light on them. O how excellent is this Ark 1 for it can fave me from being overwhelmed or carried away with any flood, and par- ticularly it can fave me from being carried away with a flood of Satan's temptations which fweeps away many, or with a flood of indwelling corruption, with a flood pf error, with a flood of profanity, or with a flood of neu- trality and indifFerency about fpiritual concerns ; by which floods, multitudes are deftroyed. Let me then by faith fly to this blefled Ark, where all believers are 10 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. preferved from thefe deftroying floods. Behold, I run, I fly : May Jefus draw me, and help me in ! BlefTed for ever be the God of heaven, for providing fuch an Ark for fallen finners upon earth. I defire to count all things but lofs and dung, that I may be found in this Ark among the preferved in Chrift Jefus, whom no flood can reach. However this Ark be flight- ed by the world, I will prize it above all things, and count them for ever happy who get into it, feeing God declares it, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Cbrift Jefus. The Ark was flighted by the old world, and Noah ridiculed for preparing it for himfelf and his houfe •, but it foon appeared that Noah was the wifeft man that then lived upon the earth. Few there were who entered with Noah into the Ark, and no doubt were reproached and mocked for their Angulari- ty y but foon was the world perfuaded that they were ' the only wife and happy men in it. Better furely it was to have followed the eight perfons that went into the Ark, than to have joined eight millions of thofe who were drowned in the flood. Should I be fo fool- l(h as to follow the old world in undervaluing the Ark, I mud lay my account to be fhut out and perifh with them too : Wherefore I will not fear the reproach of men for being Angular in my efteern of glorious Chrift. May I be numbered among that happy company (how- ever few they be) who love the Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity, and will blefs God eternally for providing this Ark for drowning men ! May I be one that will ever blefs my lovely and loving Jefus, that pitied me and took me in, when others were warned off from the fides of the Ark, as adhering only to it by a dead and for- mal profeflion ! May I be one that will ever flng to his praife. O amazing free love ! that pitied and dis- tinguifhed me, when the flood came - 9 that gracioufly drew and determined me in fuch a manner, that I got into the Ark and was fafe, when many others were wafhen off and pcrifhed for ever ! SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 17 MEDITATION II. Fffm % Petxr, ii. 4. God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them doivn to Hell. How admirable, free, and diftingui filing is the love of God to mankind finners, in pitying them in their low and loft eftate ? O how different is the cafe of fallen men upon the earth, from the cafe of fallen an- gels in hell, and that of damned fouls there! Manna is rained down upon us, while an eternal fhower of fire and brimftone falls down upon them. They are bound in chains of darknefs, whilft thou, Lord, art drawing us with cords of love. Thou didft not fpare angels, nor take on their nature ; but thou haft f pared us, mar- ried our nature, and exalted it to the heavens. They continue without hope under the deluge of God's wrath, while the pleafant Rainbow of the facrament appears to us, as a token of God's covenant of grace, and of his willingnefs to fecure us from that overflowing flood, by the interpofltion of his dear Son in our nature. O how wekome fhould we make that gofpel Rainbow ! Lord, thy wrath foon broke out againft the angels that fell ; thou didft punifh them immediately upon their finning againft thee. Thou didft not wait for their repentance, nor make any offer of mercy to them ; but, prefently upon their flrft offence, didft condemn them to everlafting chains of darknefs. O how far dif- ferent is thy manner of dealing with us ! Long haft thou waited upon us after we have finned ; yea, thou haft followed us with thy mercy after many refufals of it, and even after our trampling the precious blood of Chrift under our feet ! Marvellous and peculiar is thy mercy to fallen men in refpecl of fallen angels. ! Glory to fovereign free mercy, that thou didft not caft us off forever without a parley, as thou didft them ; but waits to be gracious to ur, long ftretching out thy hand, and calling us to repentance, facing, I urn ye, turn ye \ why will you die ! B 2 13 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. Againft the (inning angels God was fo provoked, that he relolved within himfeif, and hath kept his refolu- tion ever fince the beginning of the world, and will keep it to all eternity, that he will not fo much a? en- ter into a parley with thefe creatures, hov/ever glorious they once were, nor be reconciled to them upon any terms j yea, that he will hear of no terms, but will re- venge himfeJf upon them to all eternity. May not then the hearing of this caufe us to quake and tremble ? for why might not the Lord have dealt with us in the fame manner, who were far more wretched and miferable creatures than angels ? Surely if a king be fo angry with an offending nobleman, that was once his fpecial favorite, as to banifh him from court, and afterwards hear of no terms of reconciliation with him ; would not a footman, or mean fervant, that had offended, when hearing of this, begin to dread and fay, O what will become of me a poor man, when the king treats his peers fo feverely ? I may furely defpair of remiffion or reconciliation with him. So, in like manner, we poor clay worms, upon hearing of God's feverity to fallen angels, might have bee? overwhelmed with fear, if the Bible had not told us, that the Son of God his delights were ivith the fons of men ; that verily he took not on him the nature of angels^ but he took on him the feed of Abraham, Heb. ii. 16, and that he gave himfelf to be a fin offering and facrifke for men ! Aftonifhing news ! Glory to God for thefe glad tidings of great joy ! O admirable love to Adam's rebellious offspring ? Hih thou, Lord, part, by angels, and remembered us in our low eftate ! and in thy infinite companion become our furety, to appeafe divine juftice for our heinous fins, v^hen no other facrifke could do it ! O what fhall we render to thee for this diftinguiming love ! Surely our condition in Adam was no better than that of the angels who left their firft eftate. By nature we were in a moft dreadful cafe, lying, like Ifaac, bound on the altar, to t>e a facrifke to the juftice of God, and the fword of juftice lift up to give the killing blow, until the Son of SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 19 God difcovered himfelfas the ram caught in the thick- ets, and calling to juftice, hold thy hand, loofe them 3 and bind me in their room ; I will be the facrifke for them. In choofing fallen men, and not angels, God gave an amazing inftance of the fovereignty of his grace* that he would be merciful to whom he would be mer- ciful ; would pafs by the fuperior nature and choofe the inferior ; prefer vefTels of clay to vefTels of gold ! What can we fay ? Nothing, but wonder at God's free grace ! — Unfpeakable love ! Lord, it had been much if thou hadft provided an angel to mitigate our fufferings in hell, by giving us drops of water to cool our tongue ; but that thou ihouldft have condeicended to come and change rooms with us, lie in hell for us, and fufTer the very pains and agonies due to us, is love that paffeth knowledge. Lord, when I confider thy diftinguifhing pity, and low ftoop, to purchafe and recover fuch clods of earth and iin with thy blood and agonies, I am amazed at thy love, confounded at my own ingratitude, and afhamed at the coldnefs and hardnefs of my heart ! Oh ! was Chrifl willing to change rooms with the like of me, and {hall not I be willing to change rooms with him, and at his demand to part with the filthy rags of my fins, and take on the robe of his righteoufnefs ? O ihali not this amazing love of Chrift conftrain me to love him again, and live to him that died for me ? fhall it not conftrain me to think on him ? conftrain me to clofe with and truft in him ? conftrain me to commend him ? conftrain me to hate and avoid his enemy, fin ? conftrain me to adhere to Chrift's truths and ways ? to perfevere in prayer, praife, and holy walking ? Are fallen angels left, and fallen men pitched upon to be the monuments of free grace, to fill up the vacant rooms which angels fell from ? What fhall I fay to this, but, even fo, Father, for fo it pleafed thee ; let thy fovereign free grace be the eternal fong of both men and angels. Not unto us, not us, but unto thy name be the glory. — BlefTed be God, that I hear this joyful found of 20 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. reconciliation with fallen men, and of a treaty of peacs carried on with them : The devils never heard, and never fhall hear fuch news. But Oh, if I come not in, and accept of the terms and offers made to me in the gofpel, Til put myfelf in a worfe cafe than the de- vils : For it cannot be charged upon fallen angels, as on fallen men, that God was willing to be reconciled to them, and they would not. Now then, when the gof- pel treaty is proclaimed, God forbid I be found guilty of refufing his terms, fcorning his offers, and defying his threatnings. O how Jhall I efcape, if I neglect fo great and wonderful falvafion as is tendered to me ? Neglect it, Lord, I dare not, I will not. Lo, I come, I accept, I embrace, I take hold of thy covenant, and the feal of it tendered to me : I renounce the old cov- enant, I break league this day with all thy enemies, I proclaim war againft them \ I clofe with Chrift Jefus, both as my righteoufnefs and ftrength : I make a full and free furrender and refignation of myfelf unto the Lord, to be his and his only, in all I am, and in all I enjoy, to be ordered and difpofed of for his glory and fervice. Lord, I am thine ; I will not be my own, I will not be the world's, but I'll be thine, thine only, and. thine wholly; thine to love thee, ferve and obey thee without referve ; fince thou wouldft: have no na- ture but mine, I will have no will but thine. I re- nounce my own will, and take thine for my rule. Lord, I am thine, O fave thou me \ and I will trumpet forth the praifes of free grace and redeeming love for ever. Amen. MEDITATION III. From PsALM cxlvii. 20. He hath not dealt fo tvtth any nation. The nation of Ifrael was Angularly privileged above others *, they were taken into covenant with God, they had God's word and ordinances, the means of conver- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 21 iion and falvation ; they had the gofpel revelation, the knowledge and promifes of the Meffiah. — But we under New Tcftament times, and in Britain, are yet more pe- culiarly privileged with clearer light and difcoveries of the Meffiah than the nation of Ifrael had. They lived under a darker and harfher difpenfation of the cove- nant of grace by Mofes, whofe firft miracle was the turning of water into blood •, but we live under the clearer and fweeter difpenfation of it by Chrift him- felf, whofe firft miracle was the turning water into wine, that cheers the heart. The nation of Ifrael were called a people near unto God ; but in gofpel times we are allowed yet nearer accefs to God than they had. The children of Ifrael were not allowed fo much as to touch the mount on which the Lord came down ; the men of Bethfhemifh had not liberty to look into the ark the place of his refidence : — But, be- hold, we are allowed to take a near view and fteady look of a crucified Jefus in the facrament, who is the image of the invtftble God> the brightnefs of his Fathers glory, and the exprefs image of his per/on > yea, we have liberty not only to look to him, but alfo to touch him, handle his wounds, embrace his perfon, and lodge him in our hearts. The advantage of a clear revelation of a crucified Chrift in the gofpel ordinances, and particularly in the Lord's fupper, is an invaluable privilege. If the royal Pfalmift admired the divine goodnefs in caufing the fun, moon> and ftars to fhine in the firmament for man's behoof, and therefore cries, what is man that God is thus mindful of him P How far greater caufe have we to fay fo, when we obferve how God caufes the Sun of Right- eoufnefs to fhine fo brightly in the firmament of gofpel ordinances, and the day fpring from on high to vifit us with the light of faving knowledge, and of eternal fal- vation through him ? — Again, if the Pfalmift exalts God's goodnefs fo much in his giving the beafts of the field, fowls of the air, and fifties of the fea, to be food for man •, what ground have we to admire and praife ffi 22 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS, God's infinite mercy, in giving us the flefh and blood of his own dear Son, to preferve the lives of our fouls I O what rare gofpel feafts are thefe which God allows us in the land wherein we dwell ? and, O ! how won- derfully are they preferved and continued with us, from time to time, by the miraculous working of God's mer- cy and power ? while others are vifited with cleannefs of teeth, and a famine of the word of God. He hath not dealt with every nation as with us. And, Lord, how difringui filing is thy goodnefs unto me a mo ft unworthy creature ! By thy mercy I was born in a valley of vifion ; and I dwell in a lightfome Gofhen, when multitudes of others, in Pagan and Po- pifh nations, are covered with Egyptian darknefs, and lit in the region of the fhadow of death. I hear hea- ven's free market days of grace proclaimed, when oth- ers have fHent Sabbaths ; lam invited to a rich ban- queting houfe, when others are ftarving for want of the bread of life. O that I could value my mercies aright ! It is a great privilege that I am allowed to fpeak to the great God in prayer, and to hear hirn fpeak to me in his word ! But {till he puts a greater honour upon me, by calling me to enjoy intimate communion and fellow- {hip with himfelf ; yea, inviting me to fit down with him at his table, and feaft upon the fruits of Chrift's death *, and benefits of his purchafe ! — Oh, I am not worthy of the 1'ea-ft crumb that falls from the chil- dren's table, and far lefs of being fet down at the table with the children to eat of their bread, and mare of the dainties provided for them by their heavenly Father. If Peter, after having ktn Chrift's glory and his own vilenefs judged himfelf unworthy to be in the fame fhip with Chriit, and therefore cried, Depart from me y for I am a finfid man j how mould I, the chief of fin- ners, adventure to fit at the fame table with him, and feed upon his flefh and blood ? Amazing condefcen- flon ! O what diftinftion doth God make among nations, In fending the gofpel to them with clear views and SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 2o prefling offers of a crucified Jefus to perifhing fouls ! And what caufe have we, in thefe nations, of admiring the diftinguifhing goodnefs of God to us in this refpecl beyond others ! Would we not admire his goodnefs, if he caufed the fun to fhine only in our horizon, as he did on Gofhen, when other nations were covered with darknefs, as the land of Egypt was ? yet furely the gof- pel fun is by far a greater mercy. The gofpel is, in- deed, a joyful found, Pfalm lxxxix. J5. fo called, with aliufion to the filver trumpets made ufe-of under the law to call the people to the folemn a(!emblies 3 and to intimate to them the feaft of the paflbver, which rep- refented the love and fufferings of the Mefliah. A joyful found the gofpel is indeed, if we compare it with the found of the law's curfes and threatnings thunder- ed from mount Sinai againft finners. But, behold, this joyful found, bringing falvation, comes from heaven 5 even to heaven daring finners, who had openly rebelled again ft the God of heaven ! Glad news ! BlefTed are they who know this joyful found ; know it fo as to be- lieve it, admire it, entertain it, and comply with it, fo as to receive Chrift offered therein to loft finners. :Lord, I make this joyful found welcome ; it is mufk to my ear, and a cordial to my heart. I reckon their feet beautiful who bring fuch glad tidings to rny fouL O how welcome would men make them, who fhoukl bring them an invention that would fecure their eitates from confuming, their houfes from burning, or their bodies from dying !— But here we have the fure news ©f an invention that doth much more for us than all this, even a device that fecures us from hell, and en- fures us of heaven. Ought I not then cheerfully to comply with this joyful found, and fall in with the call thereof ? God forbid that I fhould (top my ears at it ; it had been better for me then never to have heard of it at all : How dreadful would my cafe be at the judg- ment day ! How would devils, Turks, Heathens, and my own confcience, upbraid me in hell to all eternity far my folly in flighting this joyful found ! furely God 24 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS, may flight the mournful found of their prayers in tunc of diftrefs, who flight the joyful found of his gofpel in time of health. But, Lord, I blefs thee for it, I love it, I receive it, I welcome it, I fall heartily in with it, and will admire it for ever. MEDITATION IV. From I John in. I. Behold ivbat manner of love the Father bath be* Rowed upon us. In the amazing work of our redemption, we are call- ed to behold and admire both the love of the Father, and the love of the Son. Unfpeakable love of the Fa- ther, that contrived our redemption, pitched upon and gave the Redeemer. O how readily accepted he of the Son's offer to fufrer and fatisfy infinite juftice for fin in our room ! Upon our fall, he might juflly have faid, No, the foul that fins fhall die perfonally, I'll admit of no surety. But, glory to the blefled Father, -fuch was his love to us, that when the dear Son faid, Father, I will be furety for the finners of mankind, let my blood be fhed for theirs, let the blow light on me, let me die in their room ; fuch was the love and pity of the Father to us, that he prefently accepted the offer, held our Re- deemer at his word, faying, Be it as thou haft faid : Awake, O fiuor d, agmnji the Man that is my Fellow ,- fmite the Shepherd^ and f:>are the fheep. I'll glorify my juftice upon my own dear Son, rather than upon them. Amen, faid the bielTed Son of God : I will be the fac- riflce. O love unfpeakable, both in the Father and the Son ! Human love, angelic love, is nothing to it! O what is the love of creatures one to another, to this love of God to man ! Aftonifhing love ! that the eternal Son of God, intreated by no man, but hated of all men, fhould in his love and pity intreat for men •, yea, un- dertake and die for them, when enemies to God and all SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS 25 that is good ! O the breadth, O the length, O the depth, the height of this love of Chrift> which paffeth knowledge ! I may pofhbly feel it, but I cannot fathom it. The love of creatures is nothing to the love of Chrift. It was great love that Jacob bare to Rachel, that he en- dured the heat of fummer, and frofts of winter, for her : But all that was nothing to the winter ftorm which Chrift fuffered for us. It was extraordinary love that Jonathan had to David, that he would peril his life to avert his father's wrath from him: But, what was that to Chrift's love, that took on his eternal Fa- ther s wrath, which was infinitely greater than Saul's,, and actually laid down his life to avert that dreadful ftorm of wrath from us ! What love was it that made him ftand before the mouth of hell furnace, and fuller himfelf to be fcorched with'it in the moft terrible man- ner, that he might. flop the flame from breaking out onus ! Behold him receiving the fword of juftice into his bowels, to prevent its being fneathed into our hearts ! Behold, when the fea of God's wrah raged and was tempeftuous, threatening to fwallow us all up, Chrift came, and faid, like Jonah, fpare thefe poor fin- ners ; take me up, and cait me into the fea in their ftead, that the ftorm maybe appeafed againft themt Chrift was willing to be caft into the fea of wrath, to be a blefTed plank of mercy for fhipwrecked fouls to grip to-, and be fived. Admirable love of the Father of our Lord Jcfus Chrift, who would give his dearly beloved Son, out of free love and pity to man, to die and fuffer wrath for him ! and would chufe rather to fee his dear Son ago- nizing and ftruggHng under infinite wrath for a time, than to fee an el eel world ftruggiing in hell among de- vils for ever ! O who can utter the mighty ads of the Lord ! who can (hew forth all his praiie ! O Father of mercies, from all eternity thou forefaw our fall and mif- ery, and, in thy wifdom and love, didft contrive a no- ble remedy for us : Thou even didft provide a fu*-ety for man before the debt was contracted, a Saviour for C $6 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. him before he was loft ; and by this glorious furety thou haft found out a noble way to fatisfy both the de- mands of juftice and .intreaties of mercy, and glorify both thofe divine perfections at once. — By this. Lord, we know thou loveft us, that thou haft not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from us, to be facrificed in our room; and gracioufly called us to commemorate thy love, in providing this facrifice at thy holy table — In- stead of this,, thou -mighteft juftly have called multi- tudes of us together, to make us a facrifice to thy jus- tice for our heinous fins and rebellions again ft heaven. But behold, thou called us together to thy table upon a quite other deflgn, even to intimate to us a facrifice of thy own providing, fufficient for us all .5 -and actu- ally to behold the bleeding victim of the innocent Lamb of Gad, who willingly, at his Father's call, gave him- felf to be (hin to take away the fins of the world ! Lord, what didft thou fee in fuch creatures, to make thee love us after this manner ? Nothing, but much to make thee loathe us ; yet the time when we were moft loarhfome thou madeft it the time of love ! Surely ihy thoughts arc not as -pur thoughts, nor ihy ivays ar our ways. How aftonifhing was thy conduct in redeeming us when loft ? And worfe.are we than: devils, if we be not raviftred with the love of the Father in projecting our redemption, and with the love of *his eternal Son that made him leave his glory in heaven, and even wade through hell to {zvq the dregs of the creation. G what manner of love is this, that theyFather did give his eternal Son, to die for thofe who deferved eternal wrath for their rebellion and treafon again ft himfelf ! When notice was lirft given in this lower world, that the-Son of God was coming down to it from heaven ; what could have been expected, but that 'his bufinefs here would be to condemn the world, and haften the execution of thofe he found in arms again-ft him ? But O ! who can think, and not wonder, that he fhould have fent him to fuffer and die for fuch as forfeited their lives, and deferved to be ilain ; yea. for SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. £7 * i lack as were alienated from the life of 'God,, and full of enmity againft him, unworthy of any place of abode upon earth, and by th*ir wickednefs fully prepared for hell ! O how furprifing it is, that God : would, in this our miferable ft ate, fend the Son of his love to die for us, to refcue us from defeived wrath, and purchafe a new title for us to life and glory ! Behold what manner of love this is, that the juft ihould fuffer for the unjuft, the juft prince for the unjuft rebels that were in arms againft him, the king of glory for the children of- dif- obedience, the obedient Son for mortal enemies ? O this is fuch a manner of loving, that the bigheft tranf- port of wondering cannot reach: For fcarcely fcr a righteous man will one dare to die > but God commends his love to us, in- that, nvhile ive were yet finners> Chrij} died for us. Rom. v. 7, &. O how am I able to hear, fpeak, or think of this love, and my heart not burn with an admiring icnk of the freenefs and riches of God's grace-, and with a vehe- ment hatred and indignation againft my fins, which .contributed to pierce and crucify my glorious Redeem- er ! Can I be but raviihed with love to him, when he comes to communicate his Jove to me at his tab e, and fay, beheld how I have loved you, and given myfelf for you ! I was cut of, but not for tmfelf ; I was wounded for your tranfgrejfons, and brmfed for your iniquities. It was for ycu I was betrayed, reviled, condemned, and crucified -, for you my hands and feet were nailed to the tree, my head crowned, with thorns, and my fide pierced with a fpear : And all this I fuffered, that you might be faved from hell, and get fiir forgiven, and God reconciled to you forever. MEDITATION V. From Pfalrn viii. 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him ? When David beheld the heaven, with its glorious t«minarie? 3 the fun, moon, and ftars, and the mighty 28 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. works cf God in the creation, and confidered what a mean figure man made amongft them ; he admired God's condefcenilon and goodnefs in his concern and pains about him, in his works of providence and re- demption. Lord, what is man, fallen man, that thou QiGuldft notice him fo much ? a poor, vile, finful worm ! And yet how fingularly minded and honoured is he, in God the Sen his undertaking to be his cautioner and ranlbm ! Had he done it for angels, it had not been fo marvellous ; but what is man, that Gcd fhould vitit him in this manner ? fhould pay him a homely viiit in human nature, to fee what ailed him, to hear his com- plaints, and know feelingly his wants and miferies, that he might the better fympathize with him, relieve and fupply him. But, who is this that cosies to pay this vifit to man ?. liven he that is King of kings, and Lord of lords, who is infinite in majefty and power, in riches and glory. How awful are the defcriptions given us of him in the Bible ! Great is our Lord, and of great power, his under* %nding is infinite. He calls the Jlars by their names, Whatfoever he plmfith, that doth he in heaven and in earthy : n the feas and all deep places. And it is faid of his com- ing to judgment, Dan. vii. 10. A fiery fir -earn ijfiied forth from before him, thoufand ihonfands mimfiered unto him, and ten thwfand times ten thoitf and flood before him. And yet this almighty perfon, the great God, conde- scends to clothe himfelf with our nature, and ftoops to the very ground, in the moft lowly manner, to pay 3 kind viiit to his rebellious creature, man, even man that is a worm •, and when he gets not accefs to him at firfh, he continues to frand and knock at his door— O how marvellous is this, that he, who is Omnipotent, that could, by a word, have annihilated fallen man, and cre- ated a more amiable creature in all refpecls in his room, mould ftoop fo low to him ! that he who is omniscient, and perfectly knew man's unworthinefs, his enmity, his ingratitude, and what unkind returns he would make for the greatefl kindnefs, fhould court him fo earneft- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 29 3y ! that the Judge of heaven fhould come down from the bench, and put on the pannel's clothes, that he might anfwer and fatisfy the law for him ! that the great general of the armies of heaven fhould put him- fdf in the room of a poor condemned deferter, to fuf- fer for him ! that the creator fhould floop to die for the creature, even the great God for a worm, man, is love that fwaliows up our thoughts and language ! What can we think, what can we fay of it ! It is love that paffeth knowledge ! the mod penetrating angel mot fathom its height, its depth, its breadth, or its length ! Why ? for its height, it is intinitely higher than the higheft. heavens. For its depth, none can fee its bottom, for it made him floop as low as hell. For its breadth, it is as broad as the whole earth, and the whole heavens too; it comprehends all his people, even the pooreft cutcafls on earth, as well as the highefl faint in heaven. For its length, it never ends, but contin- ues without interruption, notwithstanding of provoca- tions ; nay, it is drawn out parallel with the longeft line of eternity. Lord, what is man that thou fhouldeft have minded him, viiited him,, and loved him fo ! a creature molt unlovely, ugly, and black as hell *, that had got the im- age of God razed out, and the image of fatan pictured in its room- A creature lame and impotent, that could not rife but as Chrift lifted him, could not ftand but as he upheld him, could not walk but as he led him, nor move but as he drew him — A rebel that was in league with hell, that hated his fovereign, and was plotting with the devil to pull the crown olf his head. A crea- ture made loathfome by fin in God's fight ; yea,, more loathfome than Job when full of boils, than Lazarus full of fores, or a dead carcafe crawling with worms. A creature that was undcfirous of God's vifit or help, and unwilling to accept of it ; that laid to him, Depart from us, iue deftre not the knowledge of thy ways. A crea- ture that contemned his love, rejected his offers, and trampled his blood. Who would have pitied fu*h a C 2 OV SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. creature ? one fo poor, fo vile, fo miferable \ It had been much to have given him an alms-, but for the Son of God to give his life for him* may ftrike men and angels with aftonifhing furprife for ever. Lord, what is man I a poor feeble crawling worm, that thou Pijouldejl be mindful of him after this manner ? And, what are we, that we fhouM ftill have the offers of this love continued to us f Oh, fhall we ever make light of this love any more ? / believe. Lord, help my unbelief There is a parallel text Pfal. cxiiv. 3. Lord, 'what is man, that thou take/} knoivledge of him I or the f on of man, that thou makefl actount of him ! What a poor little thing is man, that thou fhouldeft make fo great account cf him, put fuch refpect upon him above all other crea- tures, fo as to condefcend to Hand in a nearer relation to him, than to any other, as that of a father, a broth- er, a hufband, a friend, &c. yea more, thou haft digni- fied this poor thing, a man, fo much as to afTume his nature into an ineffable perfonal union with the fecond perfon cf the ever glorious trinity, whereby the nature of man is exalted above ail the angels of heaven. It is not the angelical, but the human nature which God hath chpfen to tabernacle in \ and now it is honoured fd hr as to be fet on the right hand of the majefty on hlgfiu The great account God hath of this little thing, trian, appears further in the great coll he hath laid out t'or hirn. Why ? God not orJf gives his creatures to 4le for man, to yield him food, but he alfo gives his * hrift to die for him, to procure him eternal life. '\g;virr, hex great is the goodneis which God hath laid np for him hereafter ? Eye hath not fctn it, ear hath vot heard it, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive how great it is ? O what a favourite of n-rvrn rhuft this little creature, man, be ! Lord, who can but wonder at the honour thou haft already put upon man, and at the favours thou ftill de- %jis for hirn 1 Great things haft thou laid out, and' greu things haft thou laid up for man. I admire thy yi'w fvor^ in :h? ;'-Cit thou madeft man, in the mcarna- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 31 tion of thy dear fon, and in thy vifit in the gofpel proclamation, and offer of pardon through him ! but let me dill plead for another vifit in the effufion of thy Holy Spirit : This other vifit thou knoweft is neceffary to make the former effectual to my falvation. May then thy Holy Spirit work faith in me, to fall in with thy glorious device for the redemption of man in all points, to accept of thy love offers, and reft upon thy free promifes of falvation through Jtfus Chrift, and his moft perfect righteoufnefs, Amen. MEDITATION VI. From I Cor. X. 4. And that Rock was Christ. How ufeful was that rock in the wildernefs to thp Ifraelites fojourning there, after it was fmitten by Mo- les' rod : When they were ready to perifh in that dry defart, the rock fent forth ftreams of water to them in great abundance ; ftreams that followed them up hill and down hill, in all their turnings and windings^ marches and counter-marches through that weary land, That rock was to them a lively type of Chrift, who be- ing fmitten by the rod of the !aw*s curfes, whofe min- ister Mofes was, fends forth plentiful fuppiies to his people, while travelling in the wildernefs of this world. There are two principal ftreams of ble flings which he fends forth, mo ft ufeful to U3, to wit, aftream of blood for our juftification, and a ftream of the Spirit for our fanctification. The channel or conduit pipes, for con- veying thefe ftreams to us, are the ordinances and pro- mifes of the gofpel •, and through thefe pipes thefe blefted ftreams run freely to all true believers, from the Rock Chrift, which was broached for them. Oh, how coftly was our redemption to our dear kins- man Jefus Chrift ? dear did our fouls coft him ! The rock of our lUlvation was cleaved afunder, rent and pierced to the very heart, to let out the waters fef life 32 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. to us, by which only we can be preferved from eternal death, and obtain eternal life. How coftly and precious are the ftreams of Chrift's blood and Spirit, his mercy and grace, which flow from the fmitten Rock, and follow us through the wildernefs in the free offers of the gofpel ? They are life giving ftreams, fire quench- ing, heart foftening, foul cleanfing, healing, and fruc- tifying ftreams : Welcome then mould we make thefe ftreams to our fomls in this dry and thirfty land. — Likewife the rock was to the Ifraelites a fhadow from the heat, and a covert from tempefts and ftorms : So Chrift, our Rock, fcreens us from the fcorching heat of vindictive juftice, and from the waves and billows of God's wrath. — How neceflary and ufeful is the Rock Chrift to the fouls of fallen men I Oh, let me never, Jefhurun-like, lightly efteem this Rock of our falvation. O let me never go to faife rocks, or faife ftreams, for fhelter or fupply in fteaits, when the true Rock is fo near, and the faving ftreams run elofe by my door ; yea, follow me daily in the channel of the word and facraments : Streams appointed by heaven to anfwer all the cafes and ailments of loft finners. O fhall God in his tender mercy provide fuch a wonderful remedy, fet the Rock a broach for me, and caufe its ftreams to follow me \ and fhall I be f o foolifh as to turn my back upon them, and refufe to apply or make ufe of them ? O fave from fuch curfed ingratitude and madnefs •, / believe^ Lord> help my unbelief. O how much fhould my heart be affecled at thy ho- ly table, when I fee the Rock of my falvation fmitten by the rod of Juftice, and behold the bloody fpear pierce into his heart ? O Rock of ages, what made thee to rend and cleave fo ! O Brightnefs of thy Fa- ther's glory, who has disfigured thee fo ? O River of life, clear as cryftal y who hath troubled thee fo ? Oh, it was my fins, my pride,my pan r ion,my unbelief, my world- linefs, my hardnefs, impenitence, &c. Thefe were the caufe of my Redeemer's fufFeringSc The iniquities of finful men were laid upon him. When he was pierced, SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 33 it was I that fhould have been fmitten. When he groaned and Aveat blood, I fhould have howled and roared in hell. Harder than the rock is my heart, if I can fee my dear Saviour fmitten and pierced, and not mourn. O can I fee his fide and heart ftreaming out blood, and mine eyes not pour out tears ! Can I be- hold the Rock fmitten for the fins of men, and not adore the holinefe and juftiee of God manifefted there- in ? Can I fee my innocent Saviour wounded and flain for my fins, and my foul not hate them ; yea, fhall I not be filled with horror and trembling at temptations to fin ? Let me, at my Saviour's call, approach to his table, and come near to the Rock of my falvation, and heark- en to the raging billows of infinite wrath, dafhing againft. ihe Reck for my fins, and even making the Rock to t^roan, fweat, and tremble under the preffure. O what a dreadful hurricane of wrath did he endure, to keep the iwelling ocean of divine wrath from overflowing guilty men * Surely my glorious Emmanuel's groan- ing and Aveating blood under the ftrokesof God's ven- geance, is a greater evidence of the implacable wrath and indignation of God againft fin, than if he had hurl- ed all the rocks of the creation into the midft of the- Jea, yea or a thoufand worlds of men and angels into hell. O that while I am beholding this fight I may ?remb!e at fin, come by faith under the fhadow of thb Rock, and run into the clefts of it for fafety. Here I would be out of the reach of the law's curfes, and threat- enings of wrath \ and though I hear the roarings and dafhings of the feat upon the Rock, yes a drop of it could not touch me. O that I could imitate Mofes, when I am at the ta- ble, and fmite the Rock by the rod of faith, that tfee itreams of ChrilVs blood and fpirit may flow out to me What was his error will be my wifdom, to fmite the Rock oftener than once, to put forth many acts of faith on Jefus Chrift, fuch as the difcerning, afTenting, ap- proving, deriving, receiving, doling, embracing, trull 34 SACHAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. Ing, pleading, applying, and appropriating acts of true faith. May I, like Ifrael of old, Deut. xxxii. 13. be helped by faith to fuck honey out of the Rock, and oil out of the flinty Rock: Honey and oil, fweetnefs and fatnefs, quickening and comfort. How fhall I come at this honey and oil ? Only by fucking : And how fhall I fuck, but by the mouth of faith ? There is no fucking without it. Neither can I fuck by faith un- lefi God make me do it : for it is faid, Deut. xxxii. He made them to Jack honey oat of the rock. It is God that muft give me beth a mouth and ftrength to fuck, faith in the habit, and faith in exercife. It is only the blow- ings of the north and fouth winds on the garden, that make the fpices to flow out. A%vake y O north tuind y come thtfu Jbuthy blow upon my garden ; bring faith to life, that I may fuck honey from Chrift in the facrament. ChrirVs breafts are now full •, O let not faith be wanting, for if it be wanting, I can fuck nothing : BJciTed be God, Jefus Chrift, my Redeemer, is the author of faith. Lord, increafe my faith, that I may fuck honey from the Rock. But what honey may I expect from it ? Ans. The honey of pardon of fin. O how fweet is this honey ! The honey of peace and reconciliation with God ^ the honey of a law biding righteoufnefs ; the honey of accefs to, and communion with God ; the honey of enlargement of heart, and loofing of bands, &c. O let me ever fuck from this Rock, the Rock that anfwers all my needs, and richly fupplies all my wants. Let me alfo, under all my raits, fupport my- felf with the PfalmirYs cordial, Pfal. xviii. 46. The Lord itvethy and blejfed be my Rock. Why fhould be- lievers in Chrift droop in any condition, or look like dead men, while their Lord liveth, and their Rock ftandeth ? BlefTed be God, my Rock is a living and lading Rock ; my hopes may die, my comforts die, my frames die, my gifts, my wealth, and my relations, they may all die •, but I rejoice in the news, that my Lord will not die, nor my Rock fall. He once died for me, but he is rifen again •, good news ! Now he is alive, and will die no more. SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 35 ■ MEDITATION VII. 'From Zgck. xli. to. They shall look upon me ivbom they have pierces and mourn. This promife hath a refpect, not only to the Jews when converted, but to all finners when brought to re- pentance. We have all pierced Chrrit, in as much as our fins were the caufe of his death ; He was wounded for our tranfgrejjlons. Now a believing light of a pierc- ed Saviour, is the beft fpring of fo rrow for fin ; it is faith's look to a crucified ChriiT, that will fet us a mourning after a godly fort. Othat this promife may be made good to me at this time, that I maybe helped to look believingly upon Chrift as pierced for my fins, my pride, my paflion, my unbelief, my carnality, my d if obedience, my impenitence, my fins of the heart, of the tongue, and of the life, that I may confefs and be- wail them, mourn and weep-over them before the Lord. Gh ! when fhall I mourn and weep if not now, when I am called to look upon my dear Lord and furety at his tab!e, all red with blood for my red and fcarlet colour- ed fins ? I will not now ftand afar ofF, and look to my Saviour on the crofs, as thefe women who followed him from Galilee, -Luke xxiii. 49. No, I will come clofe to him, take a near look, and a narrow view of his wounds and piercings by iriy^&QS, that I may fee how wide andtleep they are, that my eye may afreet my heart with godlv forrow for fin. When I look on him, 1*11 confider the dignity of the perfan pierced by and for me ; he is the Almighty Crea- tor, the gloriou Emmanuel, the Plant of renown, the Prince of the kingsof the earth, that is pierced and nailed l:o a crofs. Jeremiah laments in the captivity, that prin- ces were hanged up by the hands, Lam. v. 12. But what were the princes of-Ifrael to the Prince of Peace, the King of Glory, whom I fee hanging nailed through the hands on the crofs, and his blood poured out like water upon the earth ! O it is royal blood, the blood 1>o sacramental meditations. of God, that I fee running down to fatisfy juftice far my fins \ and will not fuch a fight caufe me to mourn for them ? Can I look on my lovely Redeemer, ftript naked, mounted up, and fixed with nails to a torment- ing crofs ? Can 1 fee his head pierced with thorns, his back pierced with fcourgings, his hands and feet pierced with big nails, his fide pierced with a fpear, and his heart pierced with forrows for my fins, and my heart not mourn for them ? Yet all the piercings and wounds of his facred body were but fmall, to the piernings and agonies of his foul, when he drank the cup of his Fa- ther's wrath for me, which t made him cry out, My foul is exceeding forronvful, even unto death ; my God ', my God, why haft thou forfaken me P Can I bebold this loving Je- fus, ftanding in my room, bearing the wrath of a Deity for me, and my heart not bleed ? Can I fee him, when the fword of juftice was drawn to fmite me, opening his breaft to receive the ftroke into his heart, and my heart not melt within me ? Lord, grant me fuch a fight by faith, of a wounded, bleeding Saviour, as to make me a melting and mourning finner. How can I leave this fubject until my heart be more affected ? Had I been personally at mount Calvary, and with my bodily eyes had feen my dear Redeemer rack- ed and nailed to the tree ? Had I feen him lifted up between heaven and earth, that the nations might be- hold hin, with his arms ftretched out to embrace iin- ners ? Had I beheld his dying looks, and heard hrs dying groans ? Had I feen his precious blood for ma- ny hours run from his wounded hands and feet to the earth ? Could I have flood by with dry eyes, or an unconcerned heart, efpecially when I h^ad thought he was fuffering ail this out of love to me, for my fins, a.nd in my room ? Why then mould I not be as much concerned, when I come to his table to celebrate the memorial of that fearful tragedy, and look upon the outward figns which reprefent the lame ! Lord, give me faith's eye to behold the things fignified thereby, even the bleeding and dying of the glorious Emmanuel SACRA MEKTAL MEDITATIONS. S7 +\nd what kind of blood is it I fee running down ? It is innocent blood ! precious blood ! royal blood ! heart blood ! Nay, the blood of the eternal Son of God, one drop whereof is worth an ocean of our blood, and is of infinite value ; and yet behold all this blood is fhed for fuch worms as I am ? O can I think long upon this fubjedc, and not find my heart pained with love, and be ready with Jofeph, to feek a fecret place to weep in ? Had an ordinary man been executed for my crime, it would have affected me all my days ; how much fhould it touch me to fee the Son of God put to death for me ! The fun fainted, the heavens mourned in black, the earth quaked, and the rocks rent, when this black trag- edy was acled ; how much more fhould my heart rend and mourn at the reprefentation of it before my eyes ! Surely my mourning fhould be great, deep, and bitter mourning, as in the text, like the mourning of a parent for the death of an only fon •, or like the mourning of Haddadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo ! O what was the death of king Jofiah to the dearh of King Jdus, the eternal Son of God ! O my dear flain Lamb, ihaii I not mourn and weep over thee ! Oh ! can I fee his blood run down in ftreams, and my eyes not pour out fome drops ! Did Chrift f V. eat b and weep blood for my fins, and (hall not I weep tear:. for them ! Shall I not give drops of water for itr. of blood 1 Alas ! 1 am more fparing of my rears for Chrift, than Chrift was of his blood for me ! How fail did the blood trickle down Chrift's cheeks-in the day he wore the crown of thorns for me? But how flowh do the tears fall from my eyes whem I commemorate his dying love ? Can I fhed tears in plenty for a dead child ! and have I referved none for a flain Saviour ! Yea flain by my fins ! How fad is it to fee fo many weeping eyes at a funeral, and fo many dry eyes at a communion table ? Alas ! this is a fad fign of few looking by faith to him we have pierced ! few fenfible of the evil of their fins, that were the hammers which drove the nails into his body. O for a realizing acl of D 3$ SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. faith, reprefenting all that the Lamb of God fuffereci, in the greateft certainty and cleareft evidence, that it is no devifed fable. O for an applying and appropriating act of faith, to bring all home to myfelf, and fay, He loved me y and gave hlmj'elf for me I What a hard heart is this I have beyond others ! Can I fee others weeping and mourning over a {lain Saviour, that fit at the fame table, eat the fame bread, and drink the fame cup with me, and cannot I get one tear ! Is God come with his bottle, waiting for my tears ? Do others pour into it plentifully, and have I not one tear to drop into God's bottle ? Lord, what means the hardnefs of my heart, and the drynefs of my eyes, at the fight of my Saviour's bleeding and dy- ing for my fins ? When ihould I mourn and weep, if not now ? Was there ever fuch an occafion for tears ? Oh ! doth God intend to referve weeping for me in hell, where tears ihall never be dried up ! this is what I deferve, if I be hard hearted and dry-eyed now. But, Lord, pity my hardnefs, and give me fuch a look as thou gaveft Peter, that may caufe me to weep, and weep bitterly, at the remembrance of my fins which pierced ihee. MEDITATION VIII. From Luke xxii. 6l, 6*. $7u Let 3 looked upon Peter— And PcU* ivent out and •wept bitterly. Lord, fince my looks to thee are To flight, fo waver- ing and inconftant, that they make little or no im- preffion upon my hard heart, do thou vouchfafe to look upon me with pity and with power j for thy looks are efficacious, and melt down the hardeft heart. O give me fuch a look as thou gaveft Peter, when he denied thee, and btgan to curfe and f\vear : A look that. may bring me to myfelf, and caufe me to weep, and weep bitterly at the remembrance cf my fins, my unbelief, SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 39 my pride, my pafiion, my difobedience, which pierced thee, my deareft Lord and Saviour. Look thou upon me, and be ?nerclful unto rm\ Pfal. cxix. 132. Chrift's look to backfliding Peter was merciful, and full of compaf- iion •, his bowels yearned for his poor difciple, when ready to fall into the devil's arms by total and final backfliding, and prevents him fpeedily. He would not let him lie long m that difmal (late he fell into, as it were on the very brink of hell, but prefently plucks him back, and recovers him. In like manner, Lord, look on me, and recover me fpeedily when I fall into fin, left my next (lep be into hell. Chrift's look to Peter was a preventing look ; he looked on Peter before Peter looked to his Saviour for mercy, and before he looked on himfeif, or upon his fin, and the danger he was expofed to by it. Glory to my Redeemer that watches over his people, fees and minds their danger, wnen they themfelves are little thinking upon it j he is more careful of them than they are of themfelves. How marvellous is Chrift's love, that would be Co concerned about Peter at fuch a time, when he himfeif was amidft his bloody enemies, and upon trial for his life ? Even then, as it were, he for- gets his own danger, and takes notice of the danger of his fervant ; He being the great Shepherd cf the fbeep, ventures all to refcue one of his flock out of the mouth of the Host) and front the panvs of the bear. O who would not deiire to belong to the flock of fuch a faithful, lov- ing, and companionate Shepherd ! The look Chrift gave Peter was a convincing look ; it laid open his fin to him with all its aggravations, which made it very bitter to him. It fpoke fuch lan- guage to him as this ; " O Peter, what haft thou done ! Lord; yet the dogs cat cj rumbs. This woman was a Canaanite, and lived among hea- ' hens, yet flbe had greater knowledge and faith of the Mefliah than the moft of the jews. Her faith, humili- ty, patience, and refoIution 3 amidii the greateft dis- couragements, are here recorded for a pattern and en- couragement to defponding believers in all ages. This woman was fo fenfible of her misery, that fhe addrefies Chrift with great earned nefs for help : She doth not ip^Cik calmly or coldly to Chrift, but ihe cried unto him, and followed him with her cries, ver. 22, 23. Surely, if I were duly affected with my fpiritual wants and rniferies, I would fpeak to God in no other lan- guage than that of cries and tears. O what caufe have I to bewail my ecldnefs and indirTerency in prayer, and the little ferife I have of my dangers and neceffities, which are great beyond expreffion ? This woman, notwithstanding her great earneftnefs and ftrohg faith, met with very great trials and dif- cimragements in her addreflfcs to Chrift, SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 43 I. Her firft trial is Chrift's filence to her, when cry- ing to him ior mercy, ver. 23. He anfnvered her not a %u$rd. Strange ! not a word from a meek and merciful Saviour, that never put a poor flnner, feeking mercy, away from him before ; but ftill invited all to come to him for it. That is a fore temptation. Lam. ii. 8, When I cry and flout, he foutieth out my prayer. Believ- ers are apt to think that God fhuts out their prayers in wrath, when it is not fo. Chrift heard this woman, accepted her, was pleafed with her, and ftrengthened her to hold on in prayer, though he did not immedi- ately anfwer her. He enrertained her with filence to draw her on to be more importunate, and to try her faith, patience, and perfeverance, and thereby to teach us to be followers of thofe who thro' faith and patience do now inherit the promifes. Chrift keeps the door bolted for a time, that we may knock the harder, Matth. vii. 7. Ask> feek, knock. The choked mercies come to us after the greateft wreftlings. Likewife I fee here, that there is love in Chrift's heart to wreftling fouls, even when frowns appear in his looks ; where- fore let me take encouragement from him, though he flay me, yet to truft in him. 1. Another fore trial the woman met with, was the anfwer Chrift gave his difciples when interceding for her, whereby he feems to exclude her out of his com* miflion, ver. 24. / am not feni but to the loji peep of the houfe of Ifrael. The Jews were called fheep, but the Gentiles, dogs. The Jews were indeed to have the firft offer of Chrift's grace and purchafe. Though the wo- man might have taken Chrift's words as a plain repulfe, yet fhe ftudies to put the bed fenfe on them (he can, and continues her importunity. Which teaches us never to leave the Throne of Grace for any difcouragement. 3. She gets a repulfe yet more fharp than the two former, even after fhe had come clofe up to him, and fallen down at his feet, faying, Lord, h^p me. Then it is Chrift ranks her among the dogs, thefe that were without the covenant, profane and unclean. Now one 44 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. might think fhe is cut off by that word, and will itffift no more after it. Nay, fhe takes hold of that word of reproach, and pleads upon it in the text, Trttfh, Lord, I am a dog, vile and unworthy ; yet let me humbly afk the dog's room and privilege, even to creep beneath the children's table, and gather fome crumbs of mercy. O how much rs contained here for our inftruclion and imitation ? ift, What caufe have we, O Lord, to blefs thy good- nefs, that we Gentiles, of dogs are now become chil- dren, and allowed to come to thy table ! And, at the fame time to fear thy juftice, fince the Jews, of children, are now become dogs, and fhut out as unclean ! If they were cut off who crucified thee in thy low eftate, what may we expecl, if by our fins, we crucify thee in thy glory ? Let us not be high minded but fear. 2dly, Chrift puts the ftrongeft faith of his people upon the fharpeft trials \ He thinks fit, for his own glory, where he gives much grace to try grace much. 3dly, Thofe who are eminent in faith are moft hum- ble \ this woman was fo. O how humbly did fhe plead with Chrift ? She threw herfelf on the ground, lay low at his feet, and from the duft, cried for help ; fhe claimed nothing, only begged for mercy. And when Chrift fpurned her from his feet, calling her a dog, fhe doth not murmur nor complain of his harfh carriage, but humbly takes with the charge ; Truth, Lord, thou doft not mifcall me, nor call me fo bad as lam ; / am a dog, a moft vile and unworthy creature, and have no right to the children's bread, and muft ftarve if thou haft not mercy upon me. She can bear any thing, the worft frown or chaftifement from Chrift, only fhe can't bear being excluded from his mercy and grace \ fhe would have fome token of it, though never fo fmall : She claims not a Benjamin's meal, nor a child's portion, only let her have a dog's crumb. Lord, I take patient- ly the ftripe from thee ; give me but a crumb after it, and I'll go away fatisfied. Surely the more humble any fupplicant is at a throne of grace, he comes ft ill the bet- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 4J ter ipeed ; for the Lord refifis the proud, but gives grace- to the humble. 4thly, God's ufual method of difpenflng his mercy and grace to finners, is firft to caft them down before he raife them up ; he fir(l humbles and lays them low in a fenfe of their unworthinefs and vilenefs, before he advances them to his favour. We rn^ift firft fee ourfelves to be as dogs, lefs than the leaf of all G:d's mercies, before we are fit to be dignified with the privileges of children. 5thly, When unbelief draws difmal conclufions from every thing, and tempts us to quit our grips and hopes, upon any darkdifpenfation, and to fay with that wicked king, 2 Kings, vi. 33. This evil is of the Lord : What JJjould I wait for the Lord any longer ? Behold, faith is a valiant and importunate grace, it puts the bed con- ftruftions upon ail Chrift's actions ; it is fharp fighted, to fee and take hold of all advantages to ftrcngthen it- felf, and finds encouragement even in that which isdi£ couraging. That which feemed to cut off this believ- ing woman's hope, fhe improves it as a ground of hope, and an argument in prayer, Truth, Lord ; yet the dogs eat, &c. q. d. Even the worthlefs dogs belong to the family, and though they may not feaft with children at the table, they may creep under it and gather crumbs, thefe off fallings that would be fwept to the door : this will not wrong the children. Let me ftand in relation to Chrifr, though in the meanest ftation, even that of his dog ; I'll be thankful for it, or for any thing, if he do not turn me out of the houfe. 6thly, When our difcouragements are greateft, we fhould learn from this woman, never to give over the exercife of faith and prayer ; but to look on all our dif- appointments in the fuccefs of prayer, as excitements to greater earneftnefs in prayer. Faith will not fet li- mits to the Holy One ; though fpeedy anfwers be not given to our prayer, it becomes us to wait God's time, who is the beft judge of the fitted: feafon ; He that be> lieveth ivill not make hafle. Why ? he knows his extre- mity is God's fit. opportunity. •iti SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 7thly. A refolute adhering to Chrifb by faith under trials, is mofr. pleafing and acceptable to him ; as when we perfevere in the ufe of means when fuccefs is fmall, when we depend upon his promife, and look to his power j when under the darkeft difpenfation we watch over our hearts and fteps, that they do not decline from his ways, as thefe in Pfal. xliv. 17, 18. And glory to him that gives us fuch encouragement for this refolute adherence to him, as the mercifulneis of his nature^ and his faithfulnefs, which affure us there is more good will in his heart than is viflble in his dealings : and that his providence will never give his word the lie. He gives in fecret flrength to his people to adhere to him, when he feems moft oppollte to them, as he did to this woman. He loves to bring about his people's mercies by means improbable and contrary, to glorify his wif- dom. He delights to bring light out of darknefs. 8thly, Great will the reward at laft be of the believ- er's faith, humility and perfeverance in prayer ; for, faith Chrifi: at length, v. 28. O woman great is thy faith ; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. MEDITATION X. From I Cor. ii. 14. ?lis do in remembrance of me. O my foul, here is a folemn ordinance inftituted for keeping up the remembrance of a crucified Jefus ; and behold it was appointed by himfelf, when he was jufr. a going to do more for us than all the angels in heaven could have done, even to make atonement for our fins by hi* death and furrerings : and he twice repeats his dying charge to us, v. 24 and 25. This do, this do y. Men ufed to regard the commands of their dying friends, and perform their wills religioufly •, and fhali not I with pleafure obey the will and commaad of a dying Redeem- er, when the thing is fo eafy and agreeable, to eat and drink at his table in remembrance of him ? If I forget: SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 47 thee, O friend of finners, let my right hand forget its cunning, &c. Our loving Redeemer well knew the treachery of our memories, the worldlinefs of our hearts, and inconftancy of our affections^ that we would be ready to let his death and love flip out of our thoughts, and therefore he would have the figns of his fufferings frequently prefented to our eyes. Alas ! for the curfed ingratitude of my heart, that is fo apt to forget him that remembered me when there was none to pity me ; but glory to him that takes fuch pains to cure my forgetful- nefsj by fetting forth Chrift crucified fo evidently be- fore my eyes in the broken bread and poured out wine in the facrament. I look upon this ordinance as a viii- ble reprefentation and commemoration of my Saviour's death and fufferings for his people, which he will have continued till he come again to judgment. It is like a marble pillar fet up upon his grave, with an infcription bearing account of his glorious achievements and migh- ty deeds, his glorious bufferings, conflicts, and victories for his people. Wherefore, as oft as he calls me, I will go thither, and put all the honour and refpect I can upon my kind benefactor : I will remember his love, proclaim his worth, and publifh his praifes. Til here- by own myfelf before the world to be -one of his difci- ples, and a follower of the Lamb. Til declare my ab- horrence of fin that pierced him, and my gratitude to the Lamb -for the atoning ficrifice he offered up for me upon the crofs. I'll triumph in this as the only ground of my hope. I'll put the crown en his head, and caff all my crowns down at his feet, and cry Worthy is the Lamb that was JJain, and has redeemed me from my fins by his blood j worthy is he to receive all honour ■, power, glory > and dominion, for ever and ever. Glory to my dear Saviour, that feeks no greater re- turn for all his labour of love, than a thankful remem- brance of it at his table. Oh, mould I grudge to give fuch a (mail return to him that fuffered the pains of •death and hell for me ! Had he bid me facrifice my fir ft born, and give nS! I have to the poor, or go in pi!- 4S SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. grimage to the Holy Land to vifit his fepulchre, or go to the top of Mount Calvary where the crofs flood, as a token of thankfulnefs for his love, could I have refufed it ? But he puts me to no fuch hard talk. Lord, thou bids me not go to a bloody fcaffold to remember thee, but to a well covered table to do it. Thou bids me not go there to bleed or burn for thee, but to eat and drink •, not the bread of affliclion, or water of adverflty, but bread that ftrengthens the heart, and wine that cheers the drooping fpirit, bread and wine which thou hafl fancYified and bleiTed for me. Surely, O dear Saviour, I owe my life to thee, nay a thoufand lives if I had them ; but it is not my life, but my memory and thoughts thou art calling for ; it is not to die for thee, but to remember thee. Didft thou drink the cup of wrath on the crofs for me, and will not I drink a cup of blefling at thy table for thee, nay for myfelf, and for my eternal falvation ? Let me go then to this holy table, with faith, love, and thankfulnefs, to remember Chrift and his dying love; as he commands me. And while I remember him, let me alfo receive and embrace him as my bleed- ing High Prieft in the arms of my faith, and at the fame time throw my guilty foul into his wounded arms, for faving me from wrath. Let me go and remember the woundings and piercings of my Redeemer, with a pierced and wounded heart for the fe curfed fins, which nailed and killed the Prince of Life. Let me hence- forth be the death of iin, which was the death of my dear Saviour. Oh, fhall I fuffer fin to live any longer in me, that would not fuffer my Redeemer to live in the world ? But let me confide* my High Prieft beforehand, and what of his fufferings I fhouid remember at his table. Til remember how the glorious heir of all things denud- ed himfelf of his riches and glory, how he left his throne of majefty to lodge in a virgin's womb : yea, to be born among beafts, and cradled in a manger, for fuch a worm as me ! I'll remember how he was attacked by SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 43 the devil, contradi&ed by finners, and reproached by the world for my fake ! I'll remember how forrowfu! his foul was in the garden, when the bitter cup was put in his hand ; and how he fweat, how he prayed, how he fell to the ground, till he was quite overwhelmed with wrath, and covered with his own blood, for my fake ! I'll remember how he was fold for a fmail price, and bafely betrayed by Judas ^ how he was taken by the foldiers, tied as a malefactor with cords, denied by Peter, forfaken by a!! his difciples, and left alone among his cruel and infulting enemies. I'll remember how he was blindfolded, mocked, fpit upon, buffeted, and af- fronted by ruffians a whole night, and patiently fuffep- ed all for my fake. I'll remember how his lovely countenance was disfigured with blows, and the pluck- ing the hair oft his cheeks 5 and how the fweeteft face ever the fun law, was all befmeared with blocd and fpitting for my fake. I'll remember how he that clothes the liilies of the field, v\as himfelf ftripped na* ked. bound to a pillar, and cruelly fcourged, till the pavement of Pilate';? judgment-hall, was all bedewed with his precious blood. I'll remember how the crown of thorns was plaited with the (harp points turned in- ward, put upon his head, and driven into his temple, with a reed, till they pierced his fkull in many places, and a new fhower of blood run down his bleffed neck. I'll remember how the heavy crofs-trec was laid upon his fcourged and bleeding fhoulders, anil he made to carry it through the ftreets of Jerufalem, forth of the gates, and up mount Calvary, to the place of execu* tion, until his ftrength was fpent, and he foundered under the burden. I'll remember how the croft-tree was laid down and my Saviour ftripped naked, and ftretched out upon it as a rack ; and how he was fas- tened to it with four big iron nails through his hands and feet, and the crofs lifted up and let fall into a deep hole digged for the foot of it, to the violent rending and widening of hL facred wounds, by which he hung, E !>0 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. until all his blood dreamed forth at them, and he ex- pired amidft the moft exquifite itortures. I'll remember alfo the fufferings of his foul at that time, when the Lord ran upon him as a giant, and made his foul the butt of his envenomed arrows, the poifon whereof drank up his fpirits, until his ftrength was dried up like a potfherd. Pil remember how his foul was troubled and nonplufled at the diilant prof- peel of this cup ; and how fore amazed he was foon after when it was put into his hand. I'll remember how the tafting of it caft him into a bloody fweat and agony, which dyed his garments red, and bedewed the ground where he lay. Pil remember how he was bro- ken with breach upon breach, till all the fea- billows of divine vengeance went over -him, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah was made to ro?r under the ftrokes and bruifes of the flaming fword, Pfal. xxii. i. Til remem- ber the dreadful hidkigs of God's face he lay under, until he was made to cry, My God, my God> why haft ihou forfcAen me ? Fll remember the inexorablenefs of divine juftice, that would not fpare him one {tripe, bate him one farthing of the debt, nor one drop of the cup, ib that he drank till he cried, It is fintjhed, and gave jp the ghoft. Glory to him for his love in finifhing <&e work. MEDITATION XL From Philip, i. 33. For I am in a strait betwixt Iivg. As the Apoftle was in a ftrait whether to chufe to -die or to live, fo am I in a flrait whether to go to the Lord's table, or to (lay back. Now, thou calleft me, Lord, to celebrate the memorial of thy death, yea, to feaft with thee at thy holy table, and I know not what to chufe ; I am in a ftrait betwixt two. My heart is Co unholy, and my unworthinefs fo great, I tremble to go forward to feaft with a God fo holy, and whofe purity SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 51 15 infinite ; and yet my wants are fo many and my ne~ ceffities fo great, that my cafe is hopelefs if I ftay back : Lord, I can go to none elfe in all the world to fupply my needs, but to thyfelf alone. But oh, when I think of going forward, my guilt flops my mouth, and fills me with biuming. Lord, if the holy angels, theie pure and unfpotted feraphims who burn in zeal for thy fervice, muft even cover their faces before thee *, how (hall I venture into thy prefence, I whofe zeal is fo Ian- guifliing, whofe love is fo cold, whofe mind is fo earthly, and prayers {o dull ? Shall I approach fo near a holy God in fuch a cafe ? But what then fliall I do ? Shall I join with thefe worldlings who were bidden to the feaft of the great King, refufe, and make my ex- cufe ? Then I fear the King will be angry, declare me unworthy to tafte of his fupper, yea,fvvear in his wrath ■that I fhall never enter into his reft. Lord, I abhor myfelf for my unworthinefs and vile- nefs, my guilt and pollution •, but where fhall I go to get help and remedy for it, but unto thee alone ? Haft thou not bidden me come, though my fins be red as crimfon ? Have not many fuch come to thee, and found relief and help ? Surely, O Lord, thy goodnefs is greater than my finfulnefs, and thy mercy furpafletli my mifery ; for though my fins reach even to the clouds, yet thy mercy is above the heavens. O merci- ful Father, extend thy free, boundlefs mercy to a mis- erable, helplefs finner r Surely mifery is the proper ob- ject of mercy. Holy God, if thou help me not for the fake of my miferies which I have deferved, yet help me for the fake of thy mercies which thou haft prom- ifed in Chrift, thy dear Son. "Wherefore I plead for ChrifVs fake, that thou wilt hear the cry of my mife- ries, and not the cry of my fins. O doth not his pre- cious blood cry louder for pardon, than my fins for punifhment ? Lord, hear the cry of that blood, and let it not be as water fpilt upon the ground. For the fake of that prevalent blood, pity, pardon, and accept a poor unworthy creature, that defires to obey thy call, 52 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. and prepare his heart to feek thee, though he be no! cleanfed according to the purification of the fan&uary. O Lord y though I may be afhamed to come to thee, ^iy needs are fo preffing and pinching that I cannot ft ay away. To whom fhall I go hut unto thee », for thou haft the tvcrds of eternal life? The whole creation cannot fupply my wants. Thou only art mv fun, from whofe beams I mull: receive favmg light ! Thou art my head, from whom I mull get fpiritual life , thou art the root, from which I muft receive fap and growth : Thou art the fountain, from which I mud draw living water : Thou art the treafure, from which I mult obtain the riches of grace. So that without thee I am nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing. To thee then mufl I go for all my ftipplies, and out of thy fulnefs receive grace for grace. Lord, thou haft enough to fupply many worlds of needy fouls *, for the fun is not fo full of light, nor the fea fo full of water, as thou art full of grace and mercy to needy creatures : And as thcu art full, fo I am allured thou art free, and willing to com- Tumicate thy fulnefs. In fpite then of all objections and difficulties, forward to thee I will go, and caft my- felf down at thy feet j If I peri/h, J peri/h. Oh ! did ever any perifh at mercy's door ? Lord, I have heard of thy mercy to the very chief of iinners, and cannot this mercy reach the like of me ? Surely the viler {inner I am, thou haft the fairer op- portunity to {hew the riches of thy mercy, the freenefs of thy love, and the efficacy of thy blood ; and if I be allowed to fhare therein, the fweeter and louder will the eternal hallelujahs be, that will be fung to the Lamb of God on my account. O that he would glorify his mercy, his love, and blood, in my relief. O where ihall a poor heavy laden {inner go, but to him that can free him of his burden ? Where fhall I go with a mul- titude of fins and miferies, but to thee who haft a multitude of tender mercies ? Where fhall I go with my deep and heinous guilt, but to thee who haft a deep fountain to wafh it away ? Behold one deep calleth to SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 53 another, the depth of my mifery to the depth of thy mercy ! My wound is great, but thy balm is excellent ! My fore is broad, but thy plafter is anfwerable ! Lord, be merciful unto me, heal my foul, for I have finned again/1 thee. Lord, is not the gofpel-feaft I am invited to, a feaft of charity, to which thou called not the rich but the poor, maimed, halt, and blind, who cannot make any return for thy bounty ? And may not fuch a miferable object as I am take encouragement from fuch a free ex- tenfive invitation, Luke xiv. 21. My bleffed Redeem- er, while he was on earth, did not difdain to eat with publicans and finners, nor to dine with Simon a leper. And though he is now exalted in the higheft heavens* yet he ftiil retains the bowels of a man, and all the pity and charity to periming finners, he had while here in this (late of humiliation. Wherefore, fenfible of my unworthinefs, loathing myfelf for my vilenefs, and trufting to my Saviour's companion to the miferable, I defire to go forward to his holy table : i that he would direct and ftrengthen me to go about fuch a weighty work ! Let not that ordinance, which God hath initi- tuted for a bleffing, be made a curfe to me through my unworthy partaking. Lord, rebuke all unfeafonable thoughts and wanderings that would mar the duty •, excite and actuate in me every proper grace, and enable me to manage fo, that I may not difhonour, but glorify thee ; I may not increafe my guilt, but augment my grace ; I may not bring more hardnefs, but foftnefs in- to my heart. Lord, defcend thou into my heart by the influences of thy Spirit, that I may afcend up to thee by the actings of grace ; and when the King fits at his table, let my fpikenard fend forth the fmell there- of. Lord, I look to thee for ftrength, conduct, and through-bearing, in every ftrait. I truft not in my preparations, but in thy free mercy, for acceptance ; I truft not in my faith, but in thy faithfulnefs, who haft promiied to give power to the faint ; I truft not in my repentance, but in thy free pardoning mercy; I truft E St 34 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. not in my doings, but in Chrift's doings. O take away my filthy garments, and clothe me with the beft robe, The Lord our Righteoufnefs. / will go in the flrength of the Lord God y I will make mention of thy right ecufnefs y even of thine only, Awake y O north windy and come y thou fouthy blow upon my garden that the fpices may fjow out. If thy prefence go not with me, ca-rry me not up hence. The Lord made a breach upon the Ifraeiites, for not feeking him after the due order, i Chron. xv. 13. He fmote 50,000 of the Bethfhemites for an irreverent look into the Ark, which typified Chrift ; and what caufe then have I to fear a ftroke, mould I rafhly touch the fymbols of his body and blood ? Seeing this ordi- nance is intended for doing honour to the King of Zi- on, O fave me from doing indignity to him, by betray- ing him with a kifs, or by throwing his picture, or great feal into a puddle. May I fo prepare for this feaft* that the bleffed matter of it may fee I am watchful of his eye, tender of his honour, and fearful of his anger* Lord, awake my heart, ftir up my graces, and prepare me for a meeting with my Saviour ; and let not my icul, whofe only hope is to be faved by Chrift's blood* be fent away from his table with the guilt xnftead of the benefit, of that blood upon k. MEDITATION XII. From Philip, iv. 19. But my God fiall fugply all your need, acco-A' ding to bis riches in glory, by Cbriji 'Jefus. Heavenly Father, out of thy rich bounty thou waft pleafed once to lay up a great ftock for. me in my proge- nitors hands, but they very foon fquandered it all away,. fo that I am become extremely poor and needy. O ! what can I do in this indigent condition, but come back to thee for pity and new fupplies ? For ever blefT- ed be thy name, for the reviving news thou haft pub- ";lfhed in the gofr>d ; that thou haft now laki up a new SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 55 flock for bankrupt fmners in the hands of a furety that cannot fail, and haft erected a throne of grace for fuch as I am to come to in time of need, where Chrift Jefus my furety fits as commiffioned by thee, with glorious riches to fupply my wants. Many are the needs which thou thinks fit to leave upon me, that I might have the more errands unto this throne, and that thou mayeft the oftener hear my voice. O pour out upon me a fpirit of grace and fupplication, and caufe me to delight in approaching to thee, and pouring out my wants be- fore thee. Behold, Lord, a needy creature, an object of pity^ approaching to a liberal Saviour, whofe fulnefs is infi- nite ! O how fuitable is it to my wants, which are great and innumerable ! I am ftarving, and have no bread £ I am naked, and have no clothing ; I am wounded, and have no cure ; I am in debt, and have no money ; I am polluted, and have no fountain \ I am burdened, and have no reft \ I have deftroyed myfelf, and can find no help in myfelf. But yet there is help for me elfe where ; I have heard of the mercy of the King of Ifrael, and of the remedy he hath provided for thofe who are helplefs, loft, and miferable. Wherefore* though I be poor, I will not defpair, for thou art the Lord of the whole world, and haft opened thy trea- fures to the needy : Though I be polluted I will not defpond, for thou haft the fountain of falvation : Though I be naked, I will not with Adam run from thee and hide myfelf, nay I will run to thee to cover me with the wool and fleece of the Lamb of God, even the fpotlefs righteoufnefs and innocence of my Saviour : Though I be hungry and ftarving I'll take encourage- ment from the glad tidings thou haft proclaimed in the gofpel of a rich feaft for the poor and needy. — Lord, I come to thee as the hungry to be fed, as the naked to be clothed, as the wounded to be healed, as the cold ftarving creature to the fire, as the unclean to be wafhed in the fountain that is opened, not to the houfe of David only, but even to the pooreft inhabit 56 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. tant in Jerufalem. Glory to God, that it is fo free and open to the poor and needy. Lord, I come not to thy table becaufe I am worthy ; but becaufe thou art rich in mercy, ?nd doft promife that the needy fhall not be forgotten, and the expectation of the poor Jh all not perijh ? And that 'when the poor and needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue failtth for thirfl, thou the Lord wilt hear them, and open rivers in the wildernefs, and fountains in the midft cf the valleys. O come, do as thou haft faid ; pity a poor, needy, perill- ing creature, and fill my narrow veffel out of the ocean of thy mercy, where it will not be miffed. Come to the feaft of thine own appointment, and difpiay thy fulnefs and liberality. Caft open the doors of thy treafures, and allow me accefs to Chrift's unfearchable riches. Thy word, Lord, affure me, that in all ages thou haft beftowed thefe riches upon the poor and nee- dy, without money, and without price. And this doth warrant me to plead with thee to come to thy houfe, where many needy beggars are gathered, and fcatter thy bounty among them, and admit me to gather with them. O let not fuch a miferable object go from thy door without an alms, without a crumb of the chil- dren's bread, feeing there is bread enough in thy houfe, and to fpare. O let none return afhamed from the fountain who come expecting water. Thou haft prom- ifed to pour water upon the thirfty and floods upon the dry ground. Oh, is there any more dry, more poor, more needy, than I am ! Lord, make me as thirf- ty as I am dry, as humble as I am poor, and as fenfible as I am needy. Alas, that I have fo little fenfe of my wants ! Oh, deal not with me, according to my fenfe of need, which is fmall, but deal with me according to my real need, and thy royal bounty, which is exceed- ing great. O that I were poor and needy in my own eyes, and truly fenfible of my own wants ; that I am drowned in debt to the law and juftice of God, owe many thou- fands, and have not one farthing to pay \ that I am SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 57 Jeftitute of every thing that is good, can do nothing to pleafe God, and am unworthy of the leaft of his mercies. O that I were made willing to quit all confi- dence in my own righteoufnefs, duties, frames, or at- tainments ; and well content to go entirely out of my- felf to Chrift, for righteoufnefs to juftify me, and for his Spirit or grace to renew and fanclify my nature. Lord, I am poor, but I fee God has treafured up unfearchable riches, and infinite fulnefs in Jefus Chrift to anfwer all my needs : I am naked, but I fee in Chrift a robe of righteoufnefs, that is fufficient to cover me, and a whole elect world ; I am a ftarving creature, but in Chrift there is the bread of life, and the waters of life for my foul : I am foolifh and ignorant, but Chrift hath infinite wifdom to teach and guide me; I am laden with guii!, but ChrihVs facrifice is fufficient to atone for it ; I have ftrong lufts and corruptions, but Chrift hath a kingly power to fubdue them ; I am un* der much darknefs, but Chrift is the light of the world ; I am under fears and difcouragements, but Chrift is the confolation of Ifrael ; I am wounded and fick, but Chrift, my phyfician, hath excellent balm for me; I am under a burden of debt, but Chrift, my furety, is rich, and fully able to pay it ; I am in prifon, and under bonds, but Chrift opens prifon doors, and loofes them that are bound ; I am fatherleis by Adam's fall, but Chrift is the Everlafting Father, in whom the fatherlefs find mercy ; I have many enemies to purfue and accufe me, as law, juftice, Satan, and confcience ; but Chrift my advocate can anfwer them all : Therefore I flee to him for refuge, I clofe with him in all his offices, and put my whole confidence in him. It gives great encouragement to my poor needy foul, that I have a Saviour fo full of goodnefs and pity to look to, a mighty Agent in heaven to plead my caufe, and to prefent my bills, petitions and fupplications, to the Father. I put all my requefts and concerns in his hand, and commit them to his care and management ; he knows the fitteft time to prefent them, and to fend 53 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS* me an an Aver. In the facrament I fvvear allegiance to thee, as my Sovereign Lord and King, ever thy broken body and ihed blood, I engage to be a true and faithful foldier in thy army, and to take the field againft thy enemies. Many pieces of furniture do I need for this warfare ; I need the girdle of fincerity, the fliield of faith, the helmet of hope, the fword of the Spirit, the breaftplate of righteoufnefs, and to have my feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace. But glory to thy name, my Redeemer and captain of falvation hath provided a noble armory and ftorehoufe to anfwer all thefe my neceffities and wants. Lord, fupply all my needs out of thy infinite fulnefs, and furnifh me with every thing requifite and neceffary for the work and warfare thou called me unto. Oh, my enemies are lievely, and they are flrong : But I look to my glori- ous captain to gird me with ftrength for the battle, and to teach my hands to war. MEDITATION XIII. From Eph. iii. 19. And to knew the Uve of Christ, which fas ieth htoxvledpe. ■ Where fhail I begin my thoughts upon this fubjec"l of the love of Chrift to men ? And when begun how fhall I make an end ? It hath a breadth and length, a depth and height that pafTeth knowledge. If the Apof- tle Paul, that had the brighten: difcoveries of this love, owned this, much more may I. I may fooner find out the height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, or the depth of the fea, than meafure Chrifl's love. It is an unfathomable ocean that hath neither bank nor bottom. O whither did his love carry him ! From the height of glory to the depth of mifery. How low and deep was our fall that nothing could recover and raife us up, but the low abafement of the Son of God, the King of glory ? How low was the ftep he made to help us up ; SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 59 even to put on our nature, and fufFered himfelf to be pierced for our tranfgrcffions, and bruifed for our ini- quities ! Bleffed Lord, thou tookeft not on thee the nature of angels, but the feed of Abraham ; thefe are fait bound up from thee with chains of darkneis, whilft thou draweft us to thee with cords of love ! How dif- tinguifhing was thy love to man, that brought thee from heaven to earth, from the throne to the manger, from the manger to the wildernefs, from the wildernefs to the garden, from the garden to the judgment-hall, from the judgment- hall to the crofs, from the crofs to the grave ^ yea, from the glory of heaven to the very tor- ments of hell, and all for creatures that were black and ugly as hell ! How wonderful is the fight thou called me to fee at the Lord's table ! Even to fee him fuffer- ing for fin that never committed fin ! To fee him made fin for us y that knew nofm> that ive, who knew no right- eoufnefs, might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him ! An amazing fight indeed ! Lordy ivhat is man that thou art mindful of him J O what is he that thou fhouldft magnify and fet thy heart on him ! And what am I, the worfl of men, and vileft of finners, that thou fhouldeft ftoop fo low to exalt me I That thou fhouldeft endure the poverty of this worlds that I might enjoy the riches of heaven ! Be content to live in the form of a fervant, that I might have the adoption of ions \ Be willing to bow thyfelf unto death, to raife me to eternal life ! Be content to be numbered among tranfgrefTors,that I might have a room among the bleffed ! To be crowned with thorns, that I might be crowned with glory ! To be condemned before men, that I might be juftified before God ! To drink the bitter cup of wrath, that I might drink the pure river of life ! To cry out in forrow upon the crofs, that I might triumph with joy upon the throne ! To (land before the mouth of hell furnace, to keep its flames from breaking out on me ! O Lord Jefus, thy love hath overflown all banks, and thy companion knew do bounds ! Can I think on it, and my heart not burn ? GO SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. Can I fpeak of it, and not be overcome, fo as to feek, with Jofeph, a fecret place to weep in ? O love that pafTeth knowledge ! How fhall I think of it and not ftand amazed ! That the general fhould die for the foldier, the phyfician for the patient ! I hat the righteous Judge of Heaven fhould come to the bar, put himfelf in the malefactor's clothes, and be condemn- ed for him ! That the btefled Son of God fhould in- terpofe his innocent breaft to receive the mortal ilroke for us ! That God all-iufEcient fhould be expofed to hunger and thirft, to grief and wearinefs, and the vileft reproaches and indignities, for worms like us ! Behold the Creator of the world wounded, mangled, and killed, by ungrateful creatures, whom he came to fave ! Be- hold his bowels yearning towards them who raked in them with their bloody hands ! Behold his heart burn- ing with affection towards them that cruelly pierced it ! Surely a believing view of this love of Chrift is fufR- cient to molify a heart more cold and frozen than ice itfelf! O love unfathomable ! Who can meafure its dimenfions ! It hath a height without a top, a depth without a bottom, a breadth without a fide, a le^th without end ! Aftonifhing love ! that my exalte*, ^ord fhould floop fo low as to become a man ; nay, a poor man, a man of forrows, a deferted man, a dying man, and alfo a dead man, for fuch a wretch as me ! Nay, more, that he {hould ftoop to be made a curfe, and lie under a dreadful load of wrath upon his innocent foul, infinitely more heavy than what is laid upon any damn- ed foul in hell ! O what a fea of wrath did my loving Jefus fwim through to fave me from perifhing ! Behold how that raging fea wrought and was tempeftuous, roared moll terribly, and threatened to fwallow me up with the reft of the elec~t world; till once my Kedeemer ftept in, and undertook to be the facrifice for calming the fea ! Take me up, (faid he, like Jonah) and throw me into the fea, and ye fhall be all fafe. In this Red fea our blefTed Jonah was content to fwim for thirty-three SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 61 years, without feeking deliverance, till once the fea was perfectly calm, and every elect foul out of danger. Marvellous loving-kindnefs ! Oh that I could, with a fuitable frame of heart, both remember and admire re- deeming love, and redeeming blood, when I go to fit down at my Redeemer's table. O that I may there get faith's fight of the various inftances of his love* that pafTeth knowledge. Let me there view Chrift in the womb, and in the manger * in his weary fteps and hungry bowels ; in his proftrations in the garden, and clotted drops of bloody fweat. Let me view his head with a crown of thorns, and his face befmeared with the foldier's fpit. Let me view him in his march to Calvary, and his elevation upon a painful crofs, with his head bowed down, and his fide ftreaming blood ! O unparalleled love ! It had been wonderful love to have fent one of the lofty feraphims to fufFer for us ; but to give him whom all the feraphims ferve and adore, is love that pajfeth knowledge ! Let me view the fcrip- ture designations and titles of him that loved us, and gave himjelffor us, that he might wafh us in his blood. He is our Emmanuel, the Wonderful, tfo Counfellor, the mighty God, the everlafling Father, the Prince of 'Pea- e, the King cf kings, and Lord of lords, the Prince of the kings of the earth, the Lord of glory, the rofe of Sharon, the plant of renown, the bright nefs of his Father's glory, the exprtfs image of his perfon, the bright and morning far, the fun of right- eoufnefs, the light of the world, the head of his church, the beginning and firfl born from the dead, the appointed heir of all things. This is he that loved us, and gave h'vnfelf to die for the redemption of a crew of rebels, grace- abuf- ing, and gofpel- flighting flnners ! Oh, what am I that thou fhouldeft fpare,yea,ranfemandfeaft me in fuch a manner ! Long ago mighteft thou have fhaken oft* the hand of thy providence fuch a viper as I am into fire unquenchable ; and there made me to know to fad experience, what it is to abufe free grace, by the lofs of eternal glory. — But, inftead of that, thou haft pitied me, loved me, become my furety, to appeafe juftice for F 62 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. my heinous ilns by thy blood, when no other facrifice would do. Lord, I welcome thy love feaft ; I lay my hand on the head of the facrifice, and reft upon it ; I believe^ Lord, help my unbelief. O that I may henceforth live under the continual fenfe of my infinite obligations to my glorious furety, that would make his foul an offer- ing for my fn. O what return fhall I give him for all his foul-travail and agonies for me ? O that I could fpend my whole life, and each day of it, in magnifying his love, and living to his praife. Now, bleffed be his glorious name for ever and ever : let the whole earth be fill- ed with his glory. Amen and Amen. MEDITATION XIV. From Luke xxii. 44. And being in an agony — his ttveat ivas as it vsre great drops of blood* O my foul, this text affords thee great fubjecl of thoughts, when thou goeft to remember thy dear Sav- iour at his table. Here I fee him in a bloody agony ! And firir, let me obferve the place where his agony be~ gan, the garden of Gethfemane, which lay in the valley of Jehofhaphat, on tbe eaft fide of Jerufalem, at the foot of the mount of Olives. Now, it was in the val- ley of Jehoihaphat that God did plead with the nations in Chrift their furety, Joel iii. 2. The word Gethfem- une fignifies a mill or prefs for olives, as being probably the place where they preiTed the olives that grew on the mount, and there fqueezed the oil out of them. In this place it pleafed the Father to bruife Chrift our true olive, that fo out of his fulnefs the frefh oil of his merit and grace might flow cut abundantly to needy fouls. Never was there fuch an olive prefsed there be- fore, tlnce the firft planting of that mount ! Never was there fuch precious oil feen as Jefus's blood ! O that I may partake of the root and fatnefs of that good olive which was preffed here, and of that oil, which will make my grace to grow and my face to fhine ? SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 63 As it was in a garden that man's fin and mifery fir ft began, fo it was in a garden that our bleffed Surety be* gan his laft expiatory fufferings for fin, which caft him into a fearful agony. As the garden of Eden produced man's mifery, fo the garden of Gethfemane provided a remedy. O that when I walk and retire myfelf in a garden, I may have grace to think ferioufly, and with fuitable affeclions, upon the fins of men, and the fuf- ferings of my Saviour for them •, and, at the fame time, to {end up my ejaculations to God, for an intereft in his agony and atonement, and for the comfortable inti- mation thereof to my foul. When my dear Redeem- er was in his agony of foul, I read of his offering up prayers and /applications , to God, with ft rang crying and tears, Heb. v.- 7. and have I no prayers or tears to offer up to God at the remembrance of his agony ! especial- ly when I conflder how much my fins contributed to throw him into it. O how ftrong and bitter were my Surety's cries at this time, when God bruifed his foul, and poured down a flood of his wrath upon him ? He cried till he was fpent with crying ; he grew hoarfe with it, and his throat fo dried, that he could cry no more, Pfal. lxix. 3. Now was his foul in travail, and j^reat caufe had he for his ftrong crying and tears. He was fllent under all the pains of his body, and under his fufferings from men ; all that time he is dumb, as ajheep before herfocarers : But, behold, when fierce wrath from God alighted on his foul, he cries vehemently ; and he prayed moil: earneftly and importunately for fupport and through-bearing under this terrible ftorm. O that, from my Saviour's example, I may learn, when under foul-trouble and inward difrrefs, to make my prayers to God more earneft and fervent, and to perfevere with- out fainting ; which I have encouragement to do from this, that my Saviour's fervent prayers and tears have made way for mine. I obferve alfo in this paffage,that the agony of Chrift's foul increafed fo much, that it produced a fweat of blood over his body •, yea, great drops or clots of blood, 64 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. which, by his violent agony, burft through his very clothes, and watered the ground where he lay. O what trouble and anguish, pangs and forrows, defertions and ftrugglings, muft his foul have endured at this time, under the burthen of God's wrath for his people's fins, which put his facred body and blood into fuch a dread- ful commotion and ferment ! O what a prodigious and preternatural fvveat was this ! Never was the like heard of fince the world began ! According to the courfe of nature, Chrift lying in the open air, in a cold night, upon the cold ground, with the greatnefs of his confter- nation, fhculd have drawn all his blood inward from the external parts of his body : But Chrift's fweating and bleeding was altogether preternatural. He fweat without external heat, he bled without external wound. The fire of divine wrath, now kindled in his foul, was fo very hot and raging, that it made the blood about his heart to boil, and burft through both flefh and gar- ments. He had received at this time, no wound nor external violence from any hand > no Judas, no foldier, no tormentor, had yet attacked him ; no fpear, no nail, no thorn or fcourge had yet touched his facred body, and yet he bleeds mo ft plentifully ! Oh, but the fword of Juftice had reached him, and made a deep wound and wide gafh in his foul ; at which breach a fea of wrath brake in with fuch violence, that it overwhelm- ed him ; made him fall flrit on his knees, and then flat on the ground, where he lay agonizing and crying, till ail the waves and billows of divine vengeance went over him. Oh, what a dreadful preffiire was my Saviour's foul under at this time ! What fqueezing anguifh had he about his heart, that made his Dody to ftruggle, and fweat in fuch a manner, fo that every pore of his body became a bleeding wound ! O how awfully fhould I be affecled with this tragical fight ! How thankfully fhould I remember my Redeemer's love, when he calls me to do it at his holy table ! In my Saviour's agony I may fee, as in a glafs, the malignant evil and curfed nature of fin, that no left SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. G5 could atone for it, than the foul travail and agony of the dear Son of God ! Can I ever make light of fin, when I view the great drops of blood (landing above his garments, while he lay grovelling on the earth in the anguifh of his foul ! Shall I not henceforth abhor fin, and ftandinawe of offending a just and holy God, feeing it is fuch a fearful thing to fall into his hands : If fuch things were done in the green tree, what Jha/I be done in the dry ? Was the cup of wrath fo terrible to the innocent human nature of Chrift, when prefented to him, that he fhrinked and cried O ! what will it be to guilty finners ? Here I may fee how coftly the re- demption of fouls is ; ere this could be compafTed, God muft be made man, Eternity muft fufter death, the Lord of angels mud: weep in a cradle, the Creator of the world muft hang like a fla\*£ ! He muft lie in a manger at Bethlehem, cry in an agony at Gethfemane, die on a crofs at Calvary ! UnfpottedRighteoufnefs muft be made iin, and unblemifhed Bleflednefs muft be made a curfe ! O did Chrift value fouls at {o high a rare, and fhall men be fo foohfh as to throw them away for a thing of nought ! Here I may fee the great difficulty of making peace with God, when once his law is broken ; no lets could do it than the blood, and foul-agony of the Son of God : even an infinite ranfom muft be paid ere God would be reconciled to man. O how much am I beholden to Chrift that undertook the reconciliation, that prevent- ed my ruin, by taking the cup out of my hand ! O the cup he drank for me was mingled with wrath and curfes, a cup full of vengeance preiTed down, heaped up, fhaken together, and running over •, a cup, vvhch if men or angels had but tafted, they had reeled, dagger- ed, and fallen headlong into hell : Yet, faid Chriit, ere any of my elect ones drink it, I will do it for them ; reach it hither to me, bitter as it is. O how ready was Chrift to engage for men ! and how willing was he to perform ! how ready, full, and free was the fountain of his blood to wain the defiled ! Behold how freely it F 2 66 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS hTued forth before a wound was opened ; all his veins and pores poured forth, without waiting for the tor- mentors Lord, make me as willing and ready to ap- ply it. Did Chrift wreftle in an agony to obtain the redemption of loft finners, and (hall not I wreftle as in an agony to get an intereft in this redemption, and the evidences thereof cleared up to my foul ! O for faith and fervency in prayer, that I may wreftle without ceafing for affurance of his love, that I may go with ioy to his table. MEDITATION XV. From Is A. liii. 7. He opened not his mouth ; be is brought as a lamb to the Jlaughtt •■; » ■ It becomes me to read and confider thefe words with great attention, feeing they were the occafton of the Ethiopian Eunuch's converfion ; for it was while he read and thought on thefe words, that God fent Philip to join him, Acts viii. 29. O that God would, in like manner, fend his Holy Spirit to join me while I am meditating on them. 1. I obferve that Chrift is the great facrifice pro- vided by God to make atonement for our fins : He is rhe great anti-type and fubftance of ail the lambs and beafts that were offered up in facrifice under the law, und therefore he is often in the New Teftament called the Lamb, the Lamb of God, and the Lamb Jlain. The Spirit of God feems to have a peculiar delight in dwell- ing upon this type of the lamb, more than on any other of the Old Teftament types ; and mould not I delight in it too, and often with pleafure make mention of the Lamb, the worthy Lamb, that will be the objeel of the praifes of faints and angels through all eternity. 2. Chrift is reprefented by a lamb to point out the '•nnocence of his perfon, the meeknefs of his nature, ♦he ufefulnefs of his benefits, and patience under fuf- SACRAMEXTAL MEDITATIONS. 67 ferings. How patient is the lamb under injuries. It is filent both before the (hearer and butcher ; it parts with its fleece in {hearing time, and with its life in flaughter time, without any noife or refinance. Dogs and fwine howl and cry when violence is offered to them, but the lamb is quite filent. So Chrift the Lamb of God opened not his mouth, under the greateft revil- ings, mockings, bufferings, fpittings, piercings, and the moft cruel death, which he fuffered from men, i Pet. ii. 23. and hence it is faid in the text, when he was led to the flaughter, he opened not his mouth : He opened not his mouth, unlefs it was to blefs, teach, or pray for thofe who injured him ; yea, he not only did pray, but alfo plead an excufe for them, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And after his reiurreclion, how ready was this meek Lamb to forgive all that wronged him ! When giving orders to preach remiffion of fins to a loft world, he bids begin at Jerufalem, Luke xxiv. 46. where they mocked and pierced him, becaufe there they had greateft need of his blood to wafh them from guilt. How meekly did our bleffed Lamb carry to Peter, when he denied him in his own hearing ? He did not turn and frown upon Peter, as he well deferved, though he might have frowned him into hell ; it is faid only, He turned and looked on Peter, Luke xxii. 61 • not with an angry look, but with an affectionate melt- ing look, which recovered him to a penitent frame : Neither did he afterwards upbraid him with his car- riage. O meek Lamb of God ! Can I remember thee at thy table, without being filled with remorfe and grief for my impatience under injuries, and the prone- nefs of my heart to refent them ? Shall I not be afham- ed of my unchriftian temper, when I fee my meek and loving Jesus willing to be the fport and derifion of men and devils, that he might be the author of falvation to perifhing fouls ? Oh, how aftonifhing is it to fee the Creator affronted by the creature, the potter by his clay, the King of Glory by worms of the earth, and yet hold his peace ! Now, is the head fo meek and pa- 68 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. tient, and fhould not the members be fo too ? O how unfeemly is it to fee a company of fierce lions following a meek lamb ! O that I could learn more of him that is meek and lowly in heart. 3. Here I fee the greateft inftance of divine love that ever the world faw. Behold an offended God willing to fpare wretched criminals, and take fatisfa&ion from a furety in their room ; and he himfelf finds out the lamb to be the facrifice, even his eternal Son, who will- ingly undertook to affume a body for that end. How aftonifhing are the Lamb's words, Heb. x. v. Sacrifice and offering thou ivouldeft not> but a body haft thou prepared me : as if he faid, " Father, fi nee all the legal facrifices " are inefficient to fatisfy thy juftice, atone for fin, " and ranfom precious fouls •, even take the body thou €i haft prepared for me, let that be the facrifice to juf- c< tice ; it is more valuable than any other, being the " tabernacle of my divine perfon ; it will bring glory " to thy offended juftice, and fatisfy it to the full. I " yield myfelf willingly to be the prifoner of juftice, and heavens darken, and will not my rocky heart rend for fin that caufed all ? — Since thou, Lord, comeft to me, in ftreams of blood, let me go forth and meet thee with ftreams of tears. Oh I fhall I be more fparing of my tears for Chrift, than he was of his blood for me ? Can I fee this precious blood run blood more ! Lord, accept of it as a full fatisfaction for all my fins, and an SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 70 all fufficient price for my foul's redemption. Is not one drop of thy Son's blood of more value than a fea of mine. My fins, alas ! have fhut me out of Paradife, but, O let this blood open Paradife to me again ; and let me, through this Ked fea, enter into the heavenly Canaan •, I know I can have no other paflage into it. Lord, impute not the guilt, but the merit of this blood to me. MEDITATION XVII. From PhALM lxxii. 6. He Jhall ccme dotvn like rain upon tie motta grafi i as jK-wen thut water the earth. This is fpoken and promifed of Chrift, and ferves to teach us, that Chrift coming to his church and people, by the gracious influences of his Holy Spirit, is moil ufeful and refrefliing to their fouls, like (bowers of rain to the dry ground, or a meadow newly cut to make it fpring again. Chriftlefs fouls are like the dry ground, without the moifture of faving grace, their hearts are hard ; neither rods, mercies, nor fermons, make any impreflion upon them : Why ? they are without Chrift, the fountain of grace, and fpiritual influences. Before the fall, man's foul was like a well watered garden, beautiful, green, and fragrant ; but, by his apoftacy from God, in Adam, our firft head, the fprings of grace and holinefs are quite dried up in his foul \ and there is no curing this drought but by the foul's union with a new head, to wit, Chrift our fecond Adam, who has the Spirit given him without meafure for the ufc of his members. Now, when we are united by faith to Chrift, our head of influences, the dry larid is turned into ivater-Jprings ; Chrift comes down as the rain by his fpirit of regeneration, and brings the fprings of grace into the foul. He is the firft and immediate re- ceptacle of the Holy Spirit, and all regenerating and fan&ifying influences, and out of his fulnefs we mufl 76 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. by faith receive them. And, when at any time the fprings of grace are interrupted in the foul by fin or unbelief, fc> as the ground turns dry, the plants wither, and the things which remain are ready to die ; the foul hath need to look up to Jefus Chriit to come down with new fhowers upon the thirfty ground, and decay- ed plants. i. As the rain is the frte gift of God to the dry ground, it comes fret and cheap to poor and rich, fmali and great, and colls them nothing : So Chrift, with his bTefRrigs, is God's free gift to a dry periihing world, for which we (hould concinually be thankful. 2. As nothing can ftop the falling of the rain, fo nothing can hinder Chrift's gracious influences, when he defigns to awake, convince or foften a hard heart. When thefe ihowers do fall on imners, the molt obflinate will muft yield, and cry, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do P 3. As the rain is moft neceffary and fuitable to the dry ground, and to the various plants it produceth, and al- io to the different parts of every plant or tree : fuch as the root, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit : So Chrift is abfolute'y necefTary, and his influences moft fuitable to all his people's fouls, and to every faculty of them, the underfranding, will, memory, and affections ; and to all their different graces, faith, love, repentance, Sec. to root and eftablifh them, ftrengthen and confirm them, quicken and increafe them, cherifh and preferve them. 4. As the rain comes down in diverfe ways and manners to the earth, fometimes with cold winds and tempefts, thunders and lightnings, and at other times with calmnefs and warmth : So Chrift comes to finners, fometimes with fharp convictions and legal terrors, and fometimes with alluring invitations and promifes. 5. O how pleafant are the effects of rain to languishing plants, to make them green and beautiful, lively and ftrong, fragrant and -fruitful ! So the effects of Chrift's influences are moft defirable to drooping fouls, for en- lightening and enlivening them, for confirming and ftrengthening them, for comforting and enlarging them. SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 3 » for appetiting and fatisfying them, transforming and beautifying them. A fhower from Chrift would foon make the church, though withered, turn green and beautiful, and to fend forth a fmell as of a field that the Lord hath bleiTed ; and likewife fome drops of this fhower, falling down upon the languishing graces of communicants, would foon make them vigorous and lively in Shewing forth their Saviour's death at his table. Here I may fee the reafon why many fouls continue as dry ground in their parched natural condition, while others near them are flourishing and fruitful ; Chrift V. fhower hath come down upon the one, and not upon the other ; one piece is rained upon, and another piece is dry and withered, according to that word in Amos iv. 7. Oh, what caufe is there to bewail the evident fymptoms of this continuing natural drought in multi- tudes of fouls ! Why ? their hearts are hard, impene- trable, and unaffected with the miferable ftate they are in by nature, and with the woeful plagues of their hearts. They have no fenfe or feeling of the evil of iin, notwithstanding of all the reproofs and threaten- ings of the word, or the rods and firokes it brings up- on them ; or of the fufferings of Chrift for fin. And though God affures them, that the end of dry ground is curfing and burning, they are impenitent and uncon- cerned under all. O i£ parched fouls in their natural eftate were made fenfible of their mifery, and brought to bewail their cafe, and fay, " Oh, I am as the heath " in the defart that fees no rain : 1 am a dry tree -, if " I continue in this Hate, I'll be cut down as cumber- :i ing the ground, and made fuel to hell fire. I fee the ** axe of juftice laid to my root, every hour I am in " danger of the blow. O if Chrift would interpofe to « f fpare me, and come down upon me as the rain, an4 u bring the moifture of grace into my foul." How lamentable alfo is the cafe of thofe who once feemed to be watered by this heavenly rain, and now are parched by a long confirming drought and wither- g 2 78 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATION. ed wind ! They have loll: their former greennefs and moisture, their fpirituaiity and iivelinefs, and their du- ties are quire dwindled away into a hfelefs carcafe and dead formality. They have loft their wonted freedom and enlargement in prayer, and are fallen under fad bonds and ftraitenings of fpirit, which make them count holy things a wearinefs, and frequently neglect fecret prayer. Surely fuch have great need of Chnft coming down upon them as the rain, to make them fpring up as the grafs, and revive as the corn. Alas, we have a finful hand in bringing on fuch a fpiritual drought, by quenching the motions of the Spirit, indulging flefhJy lulls, giving the world Chrift's room in the heart, and neglecting to live by faith on the Son of God, who is rhe rain and dew of Ifrael. How happy are thofe who live under the droppings t)f tliis rain ! They are like trees planted by the waters, their roots fpread forth, and their leaves are green, Jer. xvii. 8. Have I the iigns of fuch perfons ? " Is my M heart ready to melt at the fight of a crucified Jefus *< fet before me in the facrament ? Do I mourn for my if fins that pierced him? Am I ready to think worfe u of myfelf than any other perfon can ? Is my heart " foft and pliable to the will of God, both in his pre- cc cepts and providences ? Do the world's good things if bulk but little in my eye ? Is it my defire to meet u with Chrift in every duty and ordinance? Do I ftill u look on fin as Chrift's enemy ? Am I afraid of pro- " voking him by fin to withhold the fhowers, and make u the heavens as brafs to me ? Am I defirous to bring " forth fruit anfwerable to the waterings he gracioufly n can. That I am jealous of my wicked heart, and afraid left I betray or wound the Son of God, and contract blood-guiltinefs ;' and therefore I adventure to his table with much fear and trembling. Lord, beftow upon me fuch a humble heart* 82 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. O can fuch an ill-deferving creature appear before God, and expect mercy, who hath fo long abufed mer- cy ! Lord, inftead of ftretching forth a fceptre of mer- cy to invite me to. thy table, thou mighteif, with the rod of thy juftice, juftly dafh me in pieces as a potter's veffel. Inftead of entertaining me with the bread of life, and the cup of bleffing, thou mighteft give me the bread and water of affliction ; yea, caft me into that pit, where I fhould cry in vain for a drop of water to cool my tongue. O fhall fuch a wretched dog as I prefume to come to thy table, and eat of the children's bread, who am not worthy to gather the crumbs that fall from it ! But I have heard of the mercy of the King of Id rael, that he delights to (hew it to the unworthy that, humble themfelves before him. Oh, I am vile and un- fit to appear before thee ; but, furely they are undone that keep away from thee, I am come to thee not be- caufe I am fit or worthy, but becaufe thou art rich in mercy, and haft contrived a way for faving the like of me. Lord. I am not worthy to come within fight of thee, but far lefs that thou fhouldft come under my roof to lodge with me ! Will God in very deed come and dwell with men ! This is a wonder, though all men were as innocent and righteous as once Adam was ! But will he lodge or feaft with me that am a leper ? Will he come under the roof of my foul, a houfe fo ru- inous, fmoky and defiled, where he has not a fit place to lay his head ? But, O my humble, condefcending Saviour, did not difdain to lie in a manger among beafts, nor to dine with Simon a leper ! O Lord Jefus, come in thyfelf and furnifti the houfe, prepare an upper room in my foul, large, fwept and garnifhed, and there abide, and keep the paffover with me. Lord, I am not worthy to eat of the crumbs that fall from my own table, much lefs thofe that fall from thine. I deferve not a room to ftand among thy fervants, far lefs to fit down with thy children. I am unworthy of my daily bread from thee, and fhall I be allowed to eat of the bread of life ? Shall I, who deferve not the SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS, 83 bread of men, be admitted to eat the bread of angels ? Shall I fit down with him, at vvhofe feet they fall ? If - John the Baptift (one of the greateft that was born of women, who was filled with the Holy Ghoft from the womb) thought himfelf not worthy to loofe Chrift's fhoes, how unworthy am I, the meaneft of creatures, a tranfgreflor from the womb, to be admitted to. touch, nay, feed upon Chrift's broken body and fhed blood ? If Peter, after feeing Chrift's glory, and his own vile- nefs, judged himfelf unworthy to be in the fame (hip with Chrift, and cried, Depart from me ', for lam a fitful man : How fhall I, the chief of finners, adventure to fit down at the fame table with him in a familiar way ? If the woman with the bloody iflue was afraid to come and touch the hem of Chrift's garment, how much more may I, who am full of the running ifTues of fin, fear to touch the fymbols of his body and blood, or put my hand into his fide ? If the pureft angels mull cover their faces when before him, how fhall I, who am fo impure, appear openly in his prefence ? But glory to God for the blefled covering provided for my guilty foul, under which I may appear and be accepted. I come to thee wrapt in it, Lord, accept of me. O how diftinguifhing are thy favours to me an un- worthy creature! Thou mighteft juftly have put in my hand a cup of trembling and unmixed wrath, a cup filled with horror of conscience and fearful defpair : But, inftead thereof, thou giveft me the cup of bleffing, filled with the hope of pardon and eternal life. I might have been in hell, drinking the damned's cup of wrath, into which juftiee is ftill pouring in as faft as they drink out : But, glory to free grace, thou called me to drink the cup of falvation, which my Saviour hath purchafed with his blood, and fweetened with his bleffing- Thanks be to God for it for ever. 84 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. MEDITATION XIX. From % COR. ix. 15. Thanks be unto God for bis unfpeahable gijL Many give thanks to God for meat and drink to their bodies, which indeed is the duty of all : but, alas \ few give thanks to God for Jefus Chrift, the only food of precious fouls, and God's unfpeakable gift to men ! Many are fond of temporal gifts and earthly riches, which are nothing but vanity ; but, ah ! they are eafy about this Pearl of great price, this matchlefs gift, whofe value no tongue can exprefs, nor open up what is con- tained in it. the apoftle tells us a great truth, Eph. i. 3. that God bleffes us with all fpiriiual bleffings in Chrift. In this gift of God we have innumerable gifts beftowed on thofe who believe on him, fuch as the gifts of fpi- ritual illumination, pardon of fin, a law biding right- eoufnefs, reconciliation with God, adoption into his fa- mily, reftoring of his image, fauctifying influences, fpi- ritual ftrength for work and warfare, looling of bonds, witnefling of the Spirit, unftinging of death, conduct through the dark valley, and a title to the manfions of glory, and the eternal enjoyment of God. Chrift is the mo ft necefTary and molt enriching gift ever was gi- ven to the world. God gave him to be a plank of mer- cy, to fave our fouls when fhipwrecked. He gave him to be our phyllcian and balm, to heal us when our wounds feemed incurable. He gave him to be the Lord our right eoufnefs, when we had no righteoufnefs. He gave him to be our Advocate to plead for us, when we had many accufers, and none to take our part. He gave him to us to be, wifdom, righteoufnefs, fancfification 9 and redemption. In this gift there is infinite fulnefs and unfearchable riches. Well may the fpoufe call Chrift a bundle of myrrh and a clttfter of camphire, Cant. i. 13, 14, becaufe fo many gifts and blellings are bundled up in this one gift. Oh, what can I conceive, or what can I exorefs of this gift ? He that would defcribe or fpeak of this gift, would need to have his tongue dipt in hea- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 85 yen. Should an angel come down from it to tell us of this gift, he would ouufpeak all the men on earth ; yet when he had faid all he could, the gift would be far above his expreflion : Whv ? becaufe he is unfpeakable. Thanks be unro God that gave us not a fervant, not an angel, not a friend, but his Son. Not an adopted Son, but his own Son by eternal generation ; a Son, who is the bright nefs of his Fathers glory, and the exprefs image of his per [on. Yea, he gave us his only Son, to die as a facrifice in our room ! How bitterly did Jacob bewail the parting with one fon, when he had eleven behind ! But God gave his only begotten Son, and the Son of his love for us ! It is recorded as an admirable inftance of Abraham's obedience, that he was willing to part with his only Son at God's command, Gen. xxii. 12. Now I know that thou farcft God, feting thou haft net withheld thy fon , thine only fon^ from me. But what was Abraham's fon to God's eternal Son, the fecond perfon of the glorious Trinity ! a Son that was his equal ! a Son in whom his foul delighted ! a Son that never dif- pleafed him at any time i How bitterly did David mourn at parting with a rebellious fon ! O Abfalom, my fon, my foil} would tc God I had died for thee, &c. But what are all the fons of men, or ten thoufand worlds full of men, or as many heavens full of angels, to the beloved Son of God, whom all the angels worfhip and ndore ? And yet this is the gift that G.xl gives us In giving this gift, divine bounty hath ftretched irfelf to the unermolV: He could have created a million of hea- vens more bright, and millions of angels more glorious for us ; but a more glorious Son he had not, nor could have ; a greater gift he had not in all his rreafures, than his own co-eternal and con-fufrftantial Son, vet he makes a free gift of him to us ! O who would not give thanks unto God for this his unfpeakable gift ? And, who would not part with all the world to have an in- tereft in this gift fealed to him at the Lord's table ? This is the gift that fweetens all other gifts, and with- out which nothing in the world hath any fvveetnefsin it. H 8G SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. This gift of God is mod: free ; it was impcflible that the world could have Chrift any other way than as a free gift. A man, like old Jacob, may be bereaved of his children, but it was not poffibte that God could be bereaved of his dear Son. Neither could we have hira by purchafe ; we were fo poor, we had not wherewith to purchafe the leaft bleffing. And, what though all the riches of the world had been ours, though all its mountains had been gold, pearls, or diamonds, they wou muft be made equal to robbers and murderers. He muft not only fuffer death, but defertion alfo, from God, from man, and the whole creation. He gave himfelf not only to fuffer the pangs of death, but the pains of hell ; not only the fcrrows of dying men, but the forrows of damned fouls, O unfpeakable gift ! MEDITATION XX. .'i'rom Luke ix. 2 2. Tie Son of Man must svffer many things. C ur Lord oft fpoke of his fufferings to his difciples, becaufe he would have them deeply imprinted upon the hearts of all his people, that they might always think upon them, and carry about with them the dying of the Lord Jefus. As Chrift foretold his fufferings be- forehand, fo they came exaclly to pafs. He faid he muft fuffer many things for his people, and accordingly he did Yo : Let me view his fufferings before I go to commemorate them at his table. SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 89 i. I muft confider him that fufFered many things for us *, the Spirit of God requires us to confider the High Prieft, who he is, Heb. iii. i. Though he calls himfelf in the text the Son of man, as to his human nature, yet he is alfo the Son of God as to his divine nature •, yea, God equal with the Father, the great God our Sa- viour : This G od-mau, the Wonderful, is our high prieft, that fufFered many things for us. He is our glorious Emmanuel, the innocent and immaculate Lamb of God, that had not the lead fpot or crime of his own to fufFer for. He is the brightnefs of his Father's glo- ry, the exprefs image of his perfon -> he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He that fufFered is he that went about always doing good to perfons of all forts, and deferved well of thofe who perfecuted and crucifi- ed him. He is the great lover of mankind, and friend of finners ; our glorious benefactor, who remembered us in our low eftate j one that comes under the moil: endearing characters to us, as that of our father, our brother, matter, phylician, ranfomer, &c. Now, will not a fon be fenfible of the fufFerings of his father, or a wife of the fufFerings of her hufband ? Or one broth- er touched with the fufFerings of another I This is the great High Prieft that fufFered many things for us. 2. I am to confider the many things he fufFered. Ah, they are fo great, fo various, and manifold, I cannot re- count nor comprehend them t I may fay he fufFered in both natures : Though his Godhead could not proper- ly fufFer grief or pain, yet it fuffered an eclipfe for thirty three years, except a fhort time it fhone forth at mount Tabor. He fuflered many things in his human nature, both in foul and body \ he was perfecuted, tempted, calumniated, b-strayed, bound, mocked, fpit upon, buffeted, fcourged, wounded, crowned with thorns, and crucified. He fufFered in all his offices, he was mocked as a Prophet, and bid prophefy who fmote him ; as a Prieft, he was bid lave himfelf, feeing he pretended to fave others ; as a King, he was n racked with an old purple robe and thorny crown. He fuf- H 2 04) SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. iered in his honour and reputation, being difgraced and reproached by men, called a Samaritan, one poffefFed of the devil, a biafphemer, a glutton, a drunkard, a fedu- cer, &c. He was even overwhelmed with calumny. He fufFered as a biafphemer againft God, as a traitor to Csefar, and an enemy to Mofes' law, though he was en- tirely free from them all. He was wounded and pierc- ed in all parts of his body, in his head, hands, and feet -, in his cheeks, back, and fide. He fufFered in his outward good?, being fpoiled of all things, and even ftript of his clothes to his very fkin, and nailed to the crofs naked. He fufFered in all his five fenfes ; his fight, with the fpiteful carriage of thofe that pafFed by, wagging their heads ; his hearing, with their blafphe- mous talk ; his fmell, with the noifome favour of the fculls of the dead ; his tafte, with vinegar and gall ; his feeling, with thorns and nails piercing his head, hands, and feet. He furrered in the moft tender and iinewy parts of his body, by the tormenting nails, efpecially being violently ftretched out, and probably disjointed, to make them reach to the holes ; therefore he faith, Pfal. xxii. 16, 17. They have digged my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones, the\ look and ft are upon me. lie fufFered moft of all in his foul, and its noble facul- ties : How great was the agony and travail of his foul, when he fweat blood in the garden through all the pores of his body ! O how great was the anguifh of his mind upon his heavenly Father's deferting him, which made him fend forth a dreadful cry to heaven for re- lief* My God, my God, tvhy haft thou forfaken.me P Then it was he cried and groaned under his preffure, but no relief appeared ; there was no anfwer, every door was fhut againit him : For at this time his own fun, his own heaven, his own Father, his own Godhead, did all hide their faces and confolations from him ! O the many things he fufFered for us,, they cannot be num- bered ! 3. I am to confider from whom 'the Son of Man fufFered. He fufFered from all hands, from earth, from SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 91 hell, from heaven ; from men, from devils, from infi- nite juftice. He fuffered from all forts of men •, from king Herod and his men of war, who mocked him, and fet him at nought ; from the Jewifh priefts and rulers, who did cruelly ufe and profecute him to d^ath ; from governor Pilate, who fcourged and condemned him to be crucified : He fuffered from the Jews and from the Romans, from the clergy and from the law- yers, from foldiers and fervants, from great ones and commons, and even from thofe he had done much good unto. He fuffered from thofe whom he came to fave and wafh by his blood ; for there were three thoufand of thofe who crucified him, or were active in his fuf- ferings, that were converted to him by Peter's fermon. A£ts ii. He fuffered not only from enemies, but from profefled friends and difciples ; one of thefe betrayed and fold him, another of them denied and abjured him, and all the reft forfook him, and left him alone to differ in the midft of devils and ruffians infulting over him. He fuffered from devils, and all the powers of hell ; thefe dogSy and bulls of Bajhan> were all let loofe to tear and gore him in his laft fufferings ; for this, he faid, was their hour and power of darhiefs. But, which was worft of all, he fuffered alfo from heaven ; for he being fub- ftituted in the room of finners, a juft and holy God acted as an inexorable judge towards him, he frowned terribly upon him, fmote him with the fword of juftice, and withdrew all the feeling of his loving kindnefs from him, and all thofe divine influences which might any way refrefh his troubled foul in the hour of his greateft need : And thus he fell a facrifice to incenfed juftice for our heinous guilt and provocations. At this time a fearful black cloud was fpread over the glo- rious Sun of Righteoufnefs, never was there any fuch eclipfe feen or heard of as this ! For a candle to be put out is no great matter, but for the fun to be darkened is very uncommon : But though fun, moon, and ftars, had all been blown out at once, it would be no ways fo amazing as the darkening of the eternal Sun of Right- 92 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. eoufnefs upon the crofs — A ftrange and marvellous light ! What meant the heat of this great anger ? Muft even the Creator himfelf fuffer for the creature's fins ? Muft he fuffer fuch a load of wrath, as make him cry out to the aftonifhment of angels and men ? 4. I am to confider the High Prieft, and for whom it was he fuffered thofe great and many things. He fuffered not for himfelf, for he never offended either againft God or man, and deferved no punifhment. He fuffered none for fallen angels ; they muft ail fuffer for themfelves : It was only for men of Adam's race, that were debtors to jufticeand prifoners or wrath \ he fuf- fered for creatures moft undeferving, for rebels, and for many that were his greateft enemies •, and even for thofe who were his murderers and executioners, for he both prayed and was heard for them, when they were pouring out his blood. 5. Let me confider with what affection he fuffered all thofe things for us, It was his ardent love to per- ifhing fouls, which many waters could not quench ; with fervent wifhes and longings for the hour of his pafiion. I have a baptifm to be baptifed with, and how am IJlraitened until it be accomplijhed ? With great liberali- ty ; it is not the blood of his finger, or a part of his blood, that he would fhed for us \ no, he would needs pour out all his blood, and even his heart-blood too r and with that he poured out his foul alfo, Ifa. liii. Why would he be fo liberal ? — that with him there might be plenteous redemption Pfal. cxxx. 7. He fuffer- ed with great meeknefs, patience, and refignation : when he fuffered he threatened not, but was led as a fheep to the {laughter, dumb, not opening his mouth : With great humility and felf-denial, content to be as a worm and no man, to bring glory to his father : With a thirfty zeal for the falvation of fouls, and for complet- ing the work of our redemption ; and hence it was he cried on the crofs, / thirfl y and glad when he could fay 5 It is jinifoed. O what caufe have I to obey his dying charge, to go SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 93 to his memorial feaft, and to think upon and wonder at the matchlefs love of Chrift, that made him wiliing to differ fo many things for fuch wretched creatures as I am. He knew well enough before hand what our fal- vation would coft him, yet he willingly undertook it, faying, upon the very fir ft motion of it, Lo y I come. But faith God to him, If you will engage in this work, you mull bear my wrath, and be handled as if you were the {inner in law : Well, faith Chrift, / come to do thy ivill, God : I am fatisfied with the terms : Let the cup be never fo bitter, I'll drink it, ere thefe miferable [creatures do it. O loving High Prieft, how fhalJ I I think of thy fufferings without raptures of love and ad- miration ! I had been in hell if thou hadft not been in an agony here ; I had been forever fcorched there, if thou hadft not fweat here ; yea, not only I, but all the pofterity of Adam had perifhed, if thou hadft not fuffered thofe many things for them : Surely the weight of wrath which made thee heavy, and caufed thee to fall to the ground, fweat, groan, and cry, would have funk all mankind into hell for ever. O what ingratitude muft it be to refufe Chrift's offers and terms of falva- tion, after what he has fuffered to purchafe it ! Was he at fo much pains to obtain redemption for us, and will we be at no pains to get an intereft in it ? Did he fhed blood, and will not I drop tears ? Lord, pity this heart of mine. MEDITATION XXL From John xviii. 4. Jefus knowing all things that jbould come u pen b:m> ivent forth , fejV. Christ foreknew all his fufferings, with all their in- gredients, before they came upon him ; yet he willing- ly and refolutely went forth to meet them. He will not flee, nor hide himfelf from his perfecutors, but caft himfelf in their way. He faw the cup of wrath mixed 04 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. and ready for him, and now, as it were, he reaches forth his hand to take it. When the people would have forced him to a crown, he hid himfelf from them* John vi. 15. But when they would force him to a crofs, he offered himfelf to them, knowing that his hour was come to fulfil his furetyfhip for us, and com- plete our redemption. Upon this account he made his fuffcrings welcome, and the paflover that introduc- ed them, Luke xxii. 15. With de/ire have I dejired to eat this pajfover. He abhorred all counfels that tended to hinder him, and rebuked Peter as fmartly f >r diffuad- ing him from fuffering, as he would have done Satan himfelf, Matth xvi. 23. And though all his difciples would have diffuaded him, John xi. 8. he marched with great forvvardnefs to Jerufalem, where he foretold the bloody tragedy was to be acted •, he haftened to the field of battle and place of fuffering : Yea, he went fo faft to it, that his difciples were amazed at it, and afraid to follow him, Math. xx. 18. Mark x. 32. They were behind him, and would have fallen behind alto- gether, had it not been for (ha me, and let him go alone ; they were amazed to fee a man haften fo faft: to a bloody death. But he would not ftop, though they had all left him, as they did afterwards. And when his time was come to be apprehended, he would neither let Pe- ter defend him, nor angels refcue him, though there were twelve legions at his call \ One angel would have been fuiEcient to do it, or one word from his own mouth ; but, faith he, The cup my Father hath given me to drink, Jkall 1 not drink it ? Wherefore, when they accufed him of blafphemy againft God, and of enmity againft Cefar and Mofes' law, and things he was per- fectly innocent of, he would make no legal defence to fave his life before Pilate, but held his peace, inforhuch that Pilate marvelled greatly. He might think it was eafy for him to anfwer all they faid, but he knew not the reafon of our Lord's filence, viz. that he would do nothing to hinder the elect's redemption, which he had undertaken. And, as he was filent before Pilate, fo was SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS, 95 he before divine juftice, and would do nothing to di- vert the ftroke : Soon might heliave refcued himfelf when juftice drew the ftroke, by faying, " Father, thefe *■* fins are not mine :" No, he is filent, and takes with the charge, as if he had committed them all. On me, fahh he, be the curfe ; I will be the facriiice for thefe loft: fheep. O love unfpeakable ! The reafons of my Saviour's willingnefs to fuffer are obvious; he knew it was his Father's will he fhould fuffer, and therefore he faid, Pfalm xl. I delight to do thy willy O my God. He knew it would greatly difplay the glory of the divine attributes, that was fullied by our fins ; it would highly magnify his love to his fheep, John x. / lay down my life for myjheep ; I do it of my- felf, freely, without compulsion': It was neceffary to make his facriffce acceptable and well pleafing unto God. The heathens would not offer a facrifke to their gods that came Struggling to the altar ; fo every facrifice offered to the true God muft be a free-will of- fering, if we would have it of a fweet fmeliing favour unto him. This Chrift hath taught us by his example, und upon this account God hath twice proclaimed from heaven, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well ' pleafed. O, was Chrift's willingnefs to Suffer for Sinners fo well pleafing to the Father, and Shall it not render him rnoft amiable and lovely to us ? Surely the Mediator's frank and cheerful undertaking to fuffer fo much for us, when unrequired by us, is a favour infinitely kind and obliging, and doth command raptures of love and praife from us when we celebrate his holy fupper. What a moving fight is it to the eye of faith, to behold our glorious Emmanuel voluntarily Stating himfelf in our law room, without the foliciting of any creature, and engaging cheerfully to go through Satan's buffet- ings, death's pangs, and helPs flames for us ! With what elevated thoughts and raifed affections, fhould we admire, love, and praife a crucified jefus, who did all the greateft provocations from wicked men, yet he patiently bore them .-: taking all as out of his Father's hand, who had mingled the cup for him. Therefore, when he was reviled, he reviled not again ; he could have told Pi- late, Caiaphas, and his other perfecutors, what fort of men they were, yet he opened not his mouth, but went willingly as a lamb to the {laughter. O that we could imitate the meeknefs, patience, and wiliingnefs of the Lamb of God in all the fufferings he calls us to. O did Chrift delight to do his Father's will, and go willingly through the moft hard and difficult tafk of SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. V? fweating, bleeding, and dying for us ? and fhall we find fo little delight in doing his will, and performing the duties which lead to communion and fellowfhip with him ; as prayer, praife, reading, hearing, or communi- cating ? Did Chrift come fo cheerfully to die for us, and fhall we go fo backwardly and unwillingly to his table to enjoy fellowfhip with him, when he invites us to it ; O what a fliameful requital is this ! May not Chrift fay, Is this thy fondnefs to thy friend ? When the Father called me to fuller, and drink the cup of trem- bling for thee, how readily did I echo back, I come, lo f I come, to do thy ivill I take delight £ But when I call thee to pray or communicate, how backward and dead hearted art thou in that work ? I did not weary fo ibon in the garden, as thou doft in the church ! I did not fo foon weary on the crofs, as thou doft in thy clofet ! I was longer in my agony, wreftiing under the wrath of God for thee, than ever thou waft in wreftiing in prayer for thy foul. Did Chrift offer his facrifice fo willingly for us, O then let me go to God my Saviour, with the facrifice of myfelf and my duties, with a ready and cheerful heart : God loveth a cheerful giver. As Amaziah offer- ed himfelf willingly unto the Lord, 2 Chron. xvi. 16. and David faith, Accept of the jree will offerings of my mouth, Pfal. cxix. 108. O that with the like willingnefs I. could offer myfelf, my heart, and my facrifices of prayer and praifes, unto the Lord : And when I feel any re- lu&ancy and backwardnefs of fpirit to duty, let me ftill call to mind how willingly Chrift offered himfelf a fac~ rifice to God for us, and chide my heart for its unwil- lingnefs. — Surely it is much for the honour of God 3 and the credit of religion, as it is moil juft and reafon- able in itfelf, to ferve God with joyfulnefs, who has willingly given us the unfpeakable gift of his dear Son to die for u v . The wicked and profane are ready to reproach religion as a four and melancholy thing, when we ferve God in a dead hearted manner ; and God him- felf is highly difpleafed with us for it, as is evident from I 98 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. that long and terrible chapter, the 28th of Deuterono- my, that is full of curfes and threatened judgments, ver* 47. where the caufe of ail is given, Becaufe thou fervedfl not the Lord. thy God with joyftdnefs and gladnefs of heart. Since the facrament is called the Eucharift or Thanks- giving, let me go to it with a joyful and thankful heart, bleffing God for Chrift. thanks be to God for his uti- fpealable gift. Amen. MEDITATION XXII. From John xvi. 7. // is expedient for you thai I go atvay. « +• No wonder that forrow filled the difciples' hearts at the intimation of Chrift's departure from them : They had enjoyed a fweet time with him at the communion table ; his prefence with them was their heaven, and they cannot think of parting with him : They are greatly troubled, that he will neither flay ftill with them, nor take them away with him : Neverthe!efs y faith he, it is expedient for you that I go away. — Lord, faith the foul, how is it expedient for me to be left behind thee in a ftate of corruption, with indwelling fin that dark- ens my mind, deadens my heart, diforders my affections, and indifpofes me for fpiritual work ? How fhail I ftay behind thee, amidft Satan's temptations and fiery darts, flying thick about me ? J he was bruifed fir onr iniquities ; the chaftifement of our peace was upon him> and with his ftripes we were healed> ver. 5. O who can think on that verfe without forrow, or fpeak of it without tears ! He was wounded and bruifed to deaths to lave us from deadly wounds and bruifes : And when dying, he left us his portrai- ture, with the maris of his wounds, that we might look upon it at his table, and mourn for our fins which gave him thefe wounds. Oh, can I fee my dear Saviour all wounded and mangled by my fins, and not be deeply affected for the tranfgreffions for which my dear Jefus was ftricken ! Stricken he was many ways, by many hands, by many rods, by many ftripes : He was ftrick- en by the hand of God, by the hand of men, by the hand of devils : Stricken by the rod of Mofes, the rod of juftice, the rod of the Jews, &c. O how. early was Jie ftricken by the ill ufage he met with from men, be- ing thruft out, to be born in a foul (table, and laid in a manger j and foon after was he ftricken by the rod of perfecution and banifhment, be ; ng made to flee his na- tive country for fafety from Herod. All this he fuffer- 103 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS ed for us, becaufe we deferved to be deprived of ail earthly accommodations and comforts, and to be ban- iiliecl from God and heaven for ever. He was ftricken by the rod of poverty, and pinching ftraits. Though he was the King of the univerfe, and poffcfTed all the riches of it, yet for our Jakes he became j>oor, that we through his poverty might become rich, 2 Cor. viii. 5. He was not born of a rich emprefs, but of a poor virgin ; not in his own houfe, but in another man's : He had no houfe nor foot of ground of ! b own to live or lodge in : Though the foxes had holes, and the birds nefls, yet he that created them had not where to lay his head. His diet was oft a feeking, and commonly very mean, barely bread and fmall fifties. He had no money to pay his tax, but mull borrow it cf a fifti of the fea. He travelled ftill on foot, except once he rode to Jerufalem to fulfil a prophecy -, and then he had neither horfe nor afs of his own, but muft borrow another man's afs. He had no fine mounting, but the clothes of them that followed him. He had no burial place of his own, but was laid in another man's ; and all this he fubmitted to for our fakes. He was alfo ftricken by the rod of fore labour and toil, by working at a mechanic trade, till he was thirty years of age ; therefore they faid, Mark vi. 3. Is not this the carpenter ? Man having eaten the forbidden fruit, was doomed to fore labour, that he fhould eat his bread with the fweat of his brow, Gen. iii. 19. and to this doom our furety fubmitted for us. Man broke God's covenant by eating of the tree, therefore his furety muft: die on the tree. Man idolized a tree, and preferred its fruit to God's favour, therefore his furety muft: la- bour in cutting and hewing trees moft of his time. Man lived a life of finning, and therefore Chrift muft: live a life of labour and forrow ; he even became a man of forrows, Ifa. liii. 3. that we might obtain ever- laftmg joy and confolation. He was ftricken by men's reproachful tongues, feoffs, and mockeries, being called a glutton, wine-bibber, de~ SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 109 reiver, Samaritan, blafphemer, a devil, and one in com- pact with Beelzebub, the prince of devils. They de- rided him in all his offices \ as a prophet, by bidding him prophefy whofmote him ; as a prieft, bidding him fave himfelf, fince he pretended to fave others *, as a king, by putting on him a purple robe, a crown of thorns, and giving him a mock fceptre. Yea, he en- dured the moft cruel mockings, and, that in the midft of his fharpeft fufferings and foul-agonies, when he cried out on the bloody crofs, Eli, Eli, &c. O, fay they, this man calls for Elias, playing on the word Eli. It was not out of ignorance or miftake they faid fo, but out of malice and derifion ; for they underftood the Hebrew language well enough, and knew he called on God, and that Eli fignirled my God. But, in their ipite, they would reprefent him as an idolater ; and, when dying, that he prayed not to God but to faints for help. He was ftricken by the mod open affronts and indignities from men, by {'pitting in his face, con- demning him to die for blafphemy againft God, and treafon againft Crefar : By preferring Barabbas, a mur- derer, before him, and pofting him between two thieves. Thus the King of Glory was defpifed and rejected of man for us, Ifa. liii. 3. He was ftricken by the fcourges of plaited cords on his back, and with the thorns they drove into his head : That thorny crown was designed for torture, as well as derifion ; for, if it had been only to mock him, a crown of ftraw would have ferved the purpofe as well as one of thorns. He was ftricken by the pincers that plucked the hair off his cheeks ; and by the heavy ; crofs tree laid on his bleeding fhouiders, which he muft: carry to Calvary. He was ftricken with four big iron nails through his hands and feet, on which his whole weight muft hang. He was ftricken with a burning heat and thirft, which the wrath of God for our fins created in him, and dried him up like a potfherd : This made him cry out, I thirft, yet no wine, no fountain, 10 creature that he made muft relieve him at this time. K 110 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. He was ftricken by a fpear thru ft into his fide to let out his heart blood, to be Aire that ao life remained. Well, (faid our dying lamb) let my deareft blood, my heart-blood, go for tKefe loft finners, that their fouls may live and fing for ever. He was ftricken by the ungrateful behaviour of his own difciples to him : By Judas his betraying and fell- ing him for a fmali fum, the price of a flave : By Pe- ter's denying him, and (wearing he knew him not, at the temptation of a poor damfel : By all of them for*- faking him, and leaving him in the midft of his ene- mies. Befides all this, he was ftricken in his foul, by the terrible glittering fvvord cf jufKce, by the curfes of the law, by defertion from God, by the vials of his wrath poured out en him, which made fearful bruifes, deep wounds, and wide gafhes in his foul. Oh, our dear furety was ftricken till he fell to the ground ; was overwhelmed with wrath, and covered with blood. With thefe ftrokes our mighty Redeemer was thrown down, and broken with breach upon breach, till all the fea-billows of divine vengeance went over him. Oh, never was there any forrow like my dear Saviour's for- row, which he fufFered when ftricken for my fins ! Lord, I am aftiamed of the hardnefs and unconcern- cdnefs of my heart at this moving fpeftacle i O did the dead earth tremble, the hard rocks rend, the graves open, the heavens turn black at the fight of a dying Je r fus, ftricken by the fword of juftice ? And fhali not my rocky heart tremble and quake, rend and melt for my fins, that were the caufe of it ? Shall the hiftory of Jofeph in the pit move me more than that of Chrift upon the crofs ? Shall the news of the tragical death of a friend, or the fufFerings of an acquaintance among the lurks, move me more than the death and fuffer- ings of the innocent Son of Cod on my account ■? Alas, my heart of ftone will neither break nor melt, till Chrift turn and look on me as he did on backfliding Peter. Lord, one look from thee can turn the rock into jfanding water* One blink of the Sun cf Right eouf- SACRAMENTAL MEBITATIONS. Ill nefs can melt the molt frozen and icy heart in the world. O how lovely is my ftricken and bleeding Jefus : Even when bleeding and mangled by my fin?, I fee him to be 'white and ruddy, and the chief/} among ten thoujaniL Every wound and ftroke he got doth flili beautify him the more to me, and make my foul to cry, O my lov- ing and lovely Jefus ! O how can I fee htm fubftituting himfelf in my room, and making himfelf the butt of the envenomed arrows of juftice, and not be raviilied with his love to me, and with the warmed affection to him ! And at the fame time filled with forrow for my fins, which brought on all his flrokes and wounds ! Oh my fins were the thorns that pierced his head, the nails which pierced his hands, and the fpear that pierced his heart. My fins prefled him down, and made him fweat .blood in the garden. My foul being exceeding finfu), made his foul exceeding forrowful. May I always hate fm 3 and forrow for it. MEDITATION XXV. From v>al. ii. 20. / Uvi h tie faith cf ffo Son of God, title kvta , .'j and gave himself for me. O how deilrable an attainment is the exercifc of true faith upon the great Saviour Jefus Chrilr, with an ap- propriating perfuafion, or fpecial application to a man himfelf, fo as to fay, " I believe and admire his love to •'« the elect in general, and to me in particular ; I truft €i him with my foul, and my eternal falvation •, I em- " brace him, and put my whole confidence in feim, who " loved me> and gave himfelf for me /" Surely this is the faith, that every one that defires to obey that great com- mandment, I John iii. 23. fhould aim at, and prefs for, as a thing of the lad moment and confequence : Lord, I believe, help thou tny unbelief Lord, I will not red in a general belief and perfuU* J 12 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS* lion of the mercy of God in Chrift, and of Chrift*fc ability and willingnefs to fave all that come unto him ; * but I will apply his blood and righteoufnefs to myfelf in particular, and reft on him as one that loved me y and gave h'nnfelf for me. This appropriating faith is necef- Jary to my ju ft in* cat ion -> for every juftified perfon ap- plies Chrift's righteoufnefs to himfelf, faying, as in Ifa. xlv. 24. Surely in the Lord have I righteoufnefs. As the church in general calls him the Lord our righteoufnefs ; fo I, in particular, call him the Lord my righteouinefs. I make it my daily practice to wrap up my naked foul in this robe, and live by faith upon it. I make perfon- al and particular application of the remedy to my foul's maladies, and draw virtue from it. This particular ap* propriation in the actings of faith, is moft needful for clearing up a believer's evidences, and for filling the foul with joy and peace in believing \ for overcoming the fears of death, and giving comfort at a dying hour. And particularly, it contributesjgreatly to the foul's com- iortab'e approach to the holy table of the Lord, when it can fay, " I receive a crucified Chrift as my Saviour \ S{ I go to him as one who loved me, and gave himfelf iC for me ; I take the fymbols, and feed upon his body " as broken for me, and on. his blood as fhed for me ; r - : and I accept of thefe as an earneft and pledge of my M living and feafting with my Saviour for ever." A crucified Chrift, with all his purchafe, is offered to all the hearers of the gofpel : For Chrift in the word, and by his minifters in the gofpel-offer, fpeaks to all and every one of them ; yea, fpeaks to every {inner, man and woman in particular, as though he called them by name and furname. And every man is bound to take the call and offer home to himfelf, as if he were fo named, and believe that Chrift ftands at his door and knocks, faying, if you or any man i\ ill open to me, I will come in. The promt fe is to you> and to all that are afar eff ; even to all the ends of the earth, and to the ftout-hearted ; to all the fons of men, to every creature, to them that have no money, to the poor, maimed, SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 113 blind, naked, wretched, and miferable, and to whofo- ever will come, 21? you is the word of this falvation fent. Chrift doth befeech you to be reconciled, and to beware of coming fhort of the promife, by unbelief 5 fuch a promife as that, Whofoever believcth in the Son fhall not perijhy but have eternal life : And that, Him that cometh to me, I will in no wife cajl out: Befides many others ; John iii. 16. — vi. 37. Rev. iii. 17, 18, 20 — xxii. 17. Prov. viii. 4. Ifa. xlv. 22. — xlvi. 12. — lv. 1. Mark xvn 15. Luke xiv. 21, 22, 23. Acls ii.39. — iii. 26 — xiii. 26. 47. 2 Cor. v. 20. Heb. iv. 1. Now, feeing the gofpei call and offer is given to ev- ery one, faith, which is the echo of the gofpei call, muft needs receive an offered Chrift, and falvation through him, with particular application to the foul that believes. As Chrift offers himfelf, and his pur- chafe, to every foul in particular; fo faith appropriates Chrift to the foul itfelf in particular. And indeed, the life and fvveetnefs of faith lies in this appropriation and applicatory ac~l, when the foul is helped to fay with Thomas, Thou art my Lord, and my God : and with the fpoufe, My beloved is mine, and I am his : and with Da- vid, Thou art my rock, and the God of my falvation. Un- belief would tempt me to put away the gofpei offer from me, faying, it doth not belong to me, I am not elected, nor defigned to fhare of ChrifVs purchafe : he did not love me, nor die for me. But in regard fecret things belong to God, my falvation is at flake, my need of a Saviour is unfpeakable, and the offer is made to me ; I have no time to loofe in difputing with the devil and unbelief, but I will go to Chrift on the ground I have. He tells me he came to fave fnners, I am fure that is my name \ he loved enemies, that is my name •, he re- ceived gifts for the rebellious, that is my name ; and now I hear the mailer calling and inviting me in par- ticular : Therefore, in fpite of the devil and unbelief, and all my guilt, I'll go forward, and accept of Chrift as my Saviour and my King ; I'll truft him with my fal- vation, and believe he loved -me, and gave himfelf for 114 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. vile and guilty as I am. This effay to believe, Lord, £ make in thy firength, and in obedience to thy com- mand : Bur, oh ! my mints are weak and fecklefs ! It is only the Spirit enlightening my mind, and opening up the gofpel call and prcmife to me, faying, To you is the word of this falvation fent ;• that determines me to snake particular application of thy love-offer, by an ac- ceptable appropriating faith : Let my help come from thee. O Lord, my fins are great and numerous ; but, fhould I add to them this fin of refusing the remedy, and putting away Chrift's love and blood offered to me in the gofpel, this would be greater than all the reft ; for fo I would bring not only my own blood, but the guilt of the blood of God upon my head. This I dare not do : now my foul is at the (lake, now the remedy is in my offer, my need of it is great, I cannot delay doling with it, yet a little while and my opportunity is gone* and I muft change my dwelling for ever ; and how can I go any where without my Saviour ? Chrift I muft have to teach me, to j u ft i f y and fanclify me, none ejfe can do it, on him all my help is laid. How fhall I go to a communion table without him ? How will I go to ■death wirhout him ? How will 1 go to a judgement feat without him ? Lord, my cafe is defperate without thee ; wherefore I accept of thy offer, I believe thy love, I truft in thy merits, I apply thy blood, I appropriate thy purchafe, and cry, My Lord, and my God. I confide in a fin-pardoning God, and reft on his promife to me, through Chrift's blood and merits, for life and falva- tion. And though clouds arife, and he fheuld threat- en even to flay me, yet I will truft in him as one that loved me 3 and gave himfelf for me. Object. But doth not the calling finners to fuch ap- propriating acts of faiths encourage the prefumptuous confidence of hypocrites to call God their God, like Balaam, Numb. xxii. 18. and to continue in fin ? Anfvj. No ; thefe gofpel calls do encourage finners to love Rod, to repent ?,nd h^ve their fins ; for, till we believe., SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. H$ and tafte fomething of God's love to us, we cannot love him, nor turn to him, i John iv. 19. We laved hlm^ be- caufe he firjl loved us. And the abufe or prefumption of hypocrites mull: not hinder the publifhing of free gofpel offers and promifes. Again, the appropriating faith of believers humbles the creature, deftroys feif-confidence, purifies the heart, draws forth the foul in love to God, and hatred to fin : Whereas the prefumption of hypocrites hafs no fuch effects. It is the duty then of every man, that hath ChriiYs love offers tendered to him to repent and believe the gofpel, to fee his loft ftate in Adam, and his need of Chrift, to be well pleafed with his gofpel device, re- ceive Chrift in all his offices, to truft in him as his Sa- viour, and thereupon believe that his fins are forgiven through Chrift's blood ; and fo perfuade and affure kimfelf that Chrift is his, that he died for him^ and that he fhall have life and falvation through him. This perfuafion and affurance being moft neceffary to the fpiritual life, it is the great duty of every one to prefs forward in the acts of faith, until they attain it, faith being ftill weak and lame without it. But feeing many believers have it not always, through prevailing doubts and unbelief, it mull furely belong more to the perfec- tion of faith, than to the effence of it : Their cafe is like that of a fhipwrecked man that has got hold of a plank, he believes the plank is furEcient to bear him up, and keep him from finking, but the blowing ftorm^ and his own weaknefs, make him doubt if his grip be faft enough to hold by it. Indeed, Lord, if thou didft not take farter grips of me than I do of thee, my weak and flippery fingered faith, would foon let thee go ; but I truft not in my faith, but in thy faithfulnefs ; I truft not in my promifes to thee, but in thine to me ^ that thou wilt never leave me, nor forfake me. Lord, do as thou haft faid 5 be it to me according to thy word, 116 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS MEDITATION XXVI. From I John iv. 19. We love him> because be first loved us. No reafon can we give why God loved any of Ad- am's race, but only becaufe he loved us : But good rea- fon can be given why we love God ; both becaufe he he is infinitely lovely in himfelf, and becaufe he firft loved us, and before we had any thoughts of love to him. O what is our love, but a fmall ftream that flows from and returns again to the ocean of his love ! God's love to us is the fource, the incentive, the motive, and moral caufe of our love to him. We can never love God, until fome rays of his everlafting love break out to us ; for confcience of guilt, and fears of wrath, do rather incline us to hate him, and flee from him as an enemy, than to love him, and draw near to him : But the breaking out of the beams of God's ancient and preventing love to us in Jefus Chrift, makes way for breaking the enmity of our hearts, and bringing in the heavenly fire of love to him. The ferious consideration of God's eternal free love to us, poor, wretched, and unlovely creatures, and his loving us at fuch a rate, as to feek and court oar love at the expenfe of his Son's blood, is the moft powerful motive in the world to en- gage and draw out our love to him ; and the more we have of the faith or feelings of this love, the warmer ftill will our love to him be. God's redeeming love difplayed to men doth obfcure all the feeming glories of this world, as much as the meridian fun doth darken candles or frnaller fires y and foon convinces us, that there is nothing that deferves our affeclions but God and Chrift. No man that ever tailed the fweetnefs, but finds his heart warmed with love to him again. A forgiven foul cannot read his pardon but with tears of love and joy ; and ftill there is much love where much is forgiven. We love him> becaufe he firjl loved us. Lord, at thy call, I go to thy table to admire and SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 117 give thanks for God's preventing love vented to man in the councils of peace, the covenant of redemption, in the incarnation, the death, the blood, and rlghteouf- nefs of our God Redeemer. O amazing love ! I ad- mire it in the antiquity of it : God's love is from ail eternity ; his thoughts were long let upon man before he had a being. I admire the freenefs and undeferv- ednefs of this love ; there was nothing in man to en- gage his love \ he faw nothing in him but poverty* debt, irnpotency and deformity ; yea, man was fo far from deferving any love from God, that he deferved all hatred, as being loathfome and full of enmity ; hav- ing razed out the image of God, and got Satan's fet up in its room ! Yet, even then, God loved him fo, as to give his deareft beloved Son to die for him ; O, did God love man when utterly unworthy of his love ! and fhall not we love God, who infinitely deferves all our affe&ion, as being in himfelf entirely amiable, and al- together lovely ; and likewife as affectionate to us, as he is lovely in himfelf ! Lord Jefus, I admire the ftrength and ardency of thy love ! Many waters of af- fliction did not quench it, and the floods of wrath that went over thee could not drown it ! Strong was that love that made thee engage, and carried thee through in fufFering the pains both of the firft and fecond death in our ftead I Oh, I am afhamed and afHicled for my little love to thee ! I marvel at the conflancy and fled- faftnefs of thy love, that it continues Arm to thy peo- ple from everlafting to everlafting : and that it is never altered by all the unkind returns, provocations, and in- gratitude thou meeteft with from them. I wonder at the fruits and effects of thy love ! O how great ! how fweet ! how numerous ! Who can value or fet them forth : Such as, " quenching the fire of juftice, dif- k arming the law of its curfes, bruifing the ferpent's " head, paying believer's debt, obtaining for them re- ",generation, pardon of fin, peace with God, peace H with confcience, peace with angels, adoption into w God's family, j unification, fanctification, ail the gra- 118 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. u ces of the Spirit, audience of prayer, growth in grace, u comfort in affliction, a bleffing on all providences, " perfeverance in holinefs, the miniftry of angels, vic- u tory over death, a happy refurreclion, acquittance at u the tribunal, the beatific vifion, and everlafting life P* Who can declare the loving kindnefs of the Lord ? Who can utter his mighty acts ? Who can (hew forth all his praife ? I may fooner fathom the depth of the fea, the breadth of the earth, or the height of heaven, than meafure the love of God in Chrilt, for it paffeth knowledge ! O, how little do we love him, that loved us firft, and loved us at fuch a rate ! Nay, how unthankful are we for ail the inftances and fruits of this matchlefs love ! How unkind are the returns we make to him for it ! Be ajionijhed, ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, at the ingratitude of men. How little do we think on redeeming love, and upon the propitiation provided by God for our fins ! How little do we fpeak of this love, or recommend it to ikofe who know it not ! How do the fmall trifles, and little nothings of this world get more room in our hearts, thanChrifYs glorious purchafe ! How little pains are we at to fecure an ratereft in the bleffed fruits of his love ! How unwilling are we to go into the terms of redeeming love, to renounce a covenant of works, felf-righteousnefs, darling fins, be* loved idols, &c. How averfe are we to renounce the world, deny felf, and to be debtors wholly to free grace ! How inclinable are we to fatisfy conference after com- miffion of fin, by our own doings, confeffions, mourn- ings, refolutions, &c. without going to the propitiation provided by the love of God ! How great is the liking we have to fin that killed the Lamb of God ! How can we fay, we love God that loved us fir ft , when we hug his enemy in our bofom ! O that my head were waters^ and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the ungrateful requitals of the fons of men for the preventing love of God in Chrift, and the ama* sing inftances of it ! SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 119 O that I could fay on good ground, and from the bottom of my heart, I love him that firft. loved me. Surely a fincere love to God and Chrift would be a fure evidence of God's eternal love to me ! O that I had the marks of this love, and could lay, " My medita- tions of him are fweet .:" I place my happinefs in his favour, and the comfort of all ordinances in his pres- ence : I rejoice in the flourifhing of his kingdom, and abhor every thing that is injurious to him : 1 ef- teem Chrift the Mediator and gift of God, as moft pre- cious, with every thing that belongs to him ; I fall hear- tily in with the device of redeeming love for faving ilnners, and ftudy the life of faith on the Son of God. I renounce my own righteoufnefs and ftrength, and de- fire always to fay, 7>z the Lord J ejus have I tny righteouf- nefs and Jlrength, Were this the language of my iiearr, J might appeal to himfelf, and fay, Thou that knoiuejl all things, knoiveji that I love thee, and defire to render thee love for love. It would be a great fliame for believers, if they did not love him that firft. loved them, when they were en- emies to him ! Surely they cannot be believers with- out love to him. O for greater and warmer love to him that firft loved us ! Love is the great qualifica- tion of the faints above ; the more love we have, the liker heaven we are, and the meeter to dwell in it. Were it pcffible there could be a man in heaven with- out love, he would reckon the place a hell, and the work a torment to him. It is love that make? a fpirit- ual and heavenly work delightful ; hence love is faid to be the fulfilling of the law. If the love of God be in fhe heart, the law of God is there alfo, and the foul is inclined to all holy obedience. O may the love of God in Chrift conftrain me to live to him that died for me. Have I feen the aftonifhing love of God in parting with his dear Son to fave me ? O let that love conftrain me to part with all my fins and idols for him. Have I feen the dear Son's amazing love in bleeding to death on the curfed tree^ to fave me from lying in hell for cv- 1'20 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. isr ? O let me never again wittingly walk in the road that leads to it. Have I feen him flruggling in an agony to open heaven's gates for me ? O let me never turn my back on heaven, and tell him thereby he might have faved his labour.' O let his boundlefs love warm my heart more and more with love to him ! May the charms of his love triumph over all the charms of fin's pleafures and Satan's devices, and kindle fuch a fire of love in my heart, as will burn up all my lufts like ftub- ble. Amen. MEDITATION XXVII. From Psalm cxxvi. 5. Tfey that foiv in tears >Jha!l reap in joy. The fowing time of God's people is all here, but their reaping time is but partly here, and far more ful- ly hereafter. Here they fow very much in -tears ; there is need for it: this feed-time is the moft promifing of any. Men love a dry feed-time, b«t God loves wet feed-times be ft 5 a wetibwing-time dothpromifea har- veft of joy, whereas a dry one portends a harveft of for- row. Wo to them that laugh ncnu, they Jhall weep. If men do not begin with tears, they (hall end with them ; if they w^ep not now, they fhall weep and wail, and gnafh their teeth hereafter. Godly weeping is a good fign of fpiritual life. If a child, when born, was heard to. cry, it is reckoned a legal proof of its living ; but if not, it is accounted ftill-born or dead. Alas, the num- ber of ftill-born children in the church is great ! few are heard cry or feen weep, in a godly fort, if compared with thofe who do not* There be many who pour euit tears on worldly occafions, but few on fpiritual ac- counts. If a child die, we can mourn and weep over him, but who mourns for Chrift as for an only fon ? Who weeps for fin that pierced him ? Oh, how little are we affected with the fufferings of our dear Redeem- er ! Our ears are fo accuftomed to the hearing of SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 121 Chrift's love, his agonies, his wounds, his blood, his death, that they are become words of a common found, and make little impreflion on us, though they be the moft: awful and moving things tha: ever the world heard of. Thou, Lord, art prefent at facraments, thou ob- ferveft our tears, and corned with thy bottle to receive and preferve them ; but, oh, how empty is it of tears, for the moft part, of gofpel hearers ! and how few are the tears which are dropt in it by communicants them* felves ! Lord, I am afhamed of the hardnefs and unconcern- ednefs of my heart, and the woful drynefs of my eyes ! Shall the rocks about Jerufalem rend fooner at Chrift's fufferiags than my rocky heart ? Shall otlurs weep and fow in tears, when Chrift's wounds and blood are fet before them, and I continue ftupid and hardened ? Shall the hiftory of Jofeph in the pit, move my heart more than that of Chrift upon the crofs ? Lord, look upon my ftony heart with pity, look it into ftreams of penitential tears ; give me fuch a look as thou gaveft Peter when he denied thee ; a look that may caufe me to weep and weep bitterly at the remembrance of my {ins that pierced thee. If I have not openly denied my Saviour, furely I have fhamefully forgot him, and for- faken him in my heart : I have had a deep hand in all his iufferings. When my dear Lord was in the garden fweating blood, neither Jew nor Gentile, Judas nor Pilate, were there to caufe it : but oh, my unbelief, my pride, my carnal iry, my hypocrify, my finful words and actions were there, and with their weight preffed him to the ground, and brought that fearful agony and fweat upon him. My •diffimulation was the tractor's kifs, my ambition the thorny crown, my drinking up iniquity like water, the portion of gall and vinegar; my want of tears caufed him to fhed both tears and blood : my forfaking God made him to be forfaken of God ; my foul's being exceeding guilty made his foul exceeding heavy ! Oh, what means then the hardnefs of my heart, and drynefs of my eyes, when thefe things L 122 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. are fet before me ! Is it that weeping is defigned for me hereafter, where tears fhall never be dried up ? Lord, fave me, for Chrift's fake, from hell's tears, and give grace to prevent them by fowing tears now in the proper feafon. So long as I am in the valley of tears, there are ma- ny reafons for fowing the feed of tears. I fee many grounds for them, may a glance of them be a means of melting my heart,, and filling my eyes with tears. Tears for my woful apoftacy from God in Adam, whereby I am banifhed from God, have loft his image and countenance, and am fallen under his wrath and curfe. Tears for the woful corruption of my nature, my enmity againft God, and the manifold plagues of my heart, as atheifm, ignorance, pride, unbelief, hardnefs, hypocrify, formally, &c. Tears for the fins of my life, open and fecret, of omiflion and commiffion, of light and ignorance, which are more in number than the hairs of my head, and many of them very heinous becaufe of feveral aggravations ; of all which I may have an affccYing view, by reading our Larger Cate- chifm upon the ten commandments. Tears upon the remembrance of Chrift's love, in fuffering and dying in my room, to wain, away my fins and fave me from hell. Surely the thoughts of this love may inflame the ccldeft breaft, melt the hardeft heart, and make the drieft conftitution run down with tears. It was this that made Mary Magdalen's eyes gufh out fo plentiful- ly with tears of love and joy, as were enough to wafh her Saviour's feet. Tears for the abufe of God's fa- therly goodnefs, mercy, and patience towards me, a iinful hell deierving creature. This confederation, melted the Prodigal's heart, and made him cry, Father, I have finned agairfl heaven , and in thy fght, and am no nw'e. worthy to he called thy Jon. David's undeferved kindnefs made even a hard hearted Saul to lift up his voice and weep, and will not God's kindnefs, which is infinitely greater and freer, make me drop fome fi'ent tears at his holy table ? Tears, becaufe of the frowns SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 123 of my heavenly Father, the tokens of his difpleafure, liis chaftifements, and even his chidings, and ihaking the rod at me : fhefe will melt the heart of a child, whofe nature is kindly and ingenuous, while the ftub- born will ftand it againft many ftrckes. David, though a man of the greateft valour againft his enemies, yet, when he faw God was angry vvirh him in Abfalom's re- bellion, he wept like a child before the enemy while going up Olivet, 2 Sam. xv. 30. and feemed to have no courage at all. Again, I ought to low in tears for the dishonours done to God by the fins of others, and es- pecially when damnable hereiies and blafphemies afe vented againft God. And like wife tears for the mi To- ries and perifhing condition of ethers. And efpecialiy tears of fympathy with God's people in affliction. For I read of Chrift himfelf, David, llezekiah, Joflah, Jer- emiah, and other faints fowing fuch tears. Well then may this world be called a valley if tears. Befides all thefe, it is well pleallng to God when Chriftians fow tears of tendernefs in renewing covenant with him, in prayer, in hearing the word, in commit* nicating and commemorating the death and fullering*; of Chrift for their fins. This lait is a fpecial feafon for fowing tears, according to Zech. xii. 10. O fhall Chriftians be more fparing of their tears for Chrift, than Chrift was of his blood for them ? We cry out againft the Jews and Romans as hard hearted men for piercing Chriit, and being unconcerned at his fufTer- ings. But what fofter are our hearts, if we can fee how our fins puts him to death, and not be grieved nor weep ? Lord, fend thy Spirit to touch my heart, and then it will melt into a ftream of tears for iin, that curfed thing that butchered the Lamb of God. O let this be my weeping time, and feed time of tears, that hereafter I may reap in joy. Alas, my feed time is fcrimp and infignificant, O let not my harveft be pro- portioned to it. Lord, though I have not tears enough with Mary to wafh thy feet, yet thou haft blood enough to wafh my feet, my heart, my hands, my tears, and ail 124 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. my duties, "and to make me and them acceptable and favoury to God, fo that I may reap in joy with his peo- ple above, and ftand there as a monument of free grace for ever. Many, after fo.wing the precious feed of tears at communion feafons, have even had their reaping times here below, as an earneft and firft fruits of the full har- veft above. Lord, make me acquainted both with the lowing and reaping of penitent believers in this world, that I may have good hope, through grace, of fharing with them in the harveft of glory hereafter, even the full enjoyment of God in heaven, eternal communion with the glorious Trinity, with the faints and holy an- gels. Let me know what it is, after a feed time of tears, to reap even in ordinances here below, the clear- ing of my evidences of grace, and the evidences of my intereft in Chrift, and in the well ordered covenant. Let me reap the lifting up of the light of thy counte- nance upon me, which will put more joy in my heart than worldlings have when they reap corn and wine in the greateft plenty. Let me fee my name written in heaven before I go thither, that my paffage may be joy- ful in the midft of tears. Let me reap even here new fupplies of grace, flrength to bear croffes, and refift temptations; give me gracious returns of prayer, and victory over my corruptions, that I may fing with the Pfalmift, Pfal. cxxxviii. 3. In ih* day when I cried thou anfiveredfl me ; and ftrengthenedji me with Jhength in my Joul. MEDITATION XXVIII. From Rev. i 5. Unto him that loved us , and washed us from our sins in his oiv n blood. The love of Chrift in becoming man, and fhedding his blood to ranfom and fave finners of mankind will be the eternal fong of the redeemed above, and why SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 125 fliould they not begin this fong here below ! Never was there fuch matter for fongs of praife as the unfath- omable love of Jefus. His name is love : and therefore it is to me as ointment poured forth. I'll remember his love more than wine. His nature is love, his words and actions were love, he preached and praclifed love ; he lived in love, was fick of love, and died for love. O what thoughts fhould I have of this free and undeferved love of the glorious Son of God, who was intreated by no man, and even hated of all men ; yet in his free love intreats and undertakes for man ; fay- ing, Though he be my enemy, I'll be both his furety and facrifice, I'll drink the cup of wrath, be made fin and a curfe for him. I'll pour out all my blood and die for him. O how fhall I fpeak of this aftonifhing love to thy enemies ! To have fpared our lives had been great mercy, but to give thy life for ours is love unfpeakable ! Oh ! Lord, thou haft found me in my enmity, and loved me ! When my hand was lifted up againft thee, thy arms were open to embrace ! Nay, thou haft opened thy loving heart to fhelter rebels who trode thee under foot ! Thy heart burned with love to them who cruelly pierced it ! Thy bowels yearned to- wards thofe that raked in them bloody hands ' Surely eternity itfelf will be fhort enough to celebrate the praifes of our glorious Emmanuel, who loved us, and warned us from our fins in his own blood. Worthy is our flain, bleeding Lamb, of eternal Hallelujahs from men and angels. Lord, fit my heart for thefe new fongs. O never was there fuch a miracle of condefcending love to the fons of men, as this of the eternal Son of God ; his becoming man to fuffer hell for them, and pour out his blood to walh them from fin, that kindles hell fire againft them. Glory to the Lamb for his fire quenching blood, and for his preventing love that kept me from feeling of this fire ! O how would this love have affecled me, if juftice had fent me to hell, and kept me there one year, or one month, or but one flay I h 2 126 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. Surely, one day in hell would have made me prize and prail'e redeeming love and redeeming blood at another rate than now I do. Or had I feen the damned in their milery, defpairing and without hope ! Or had I feen my agonizing Saviour in the garden fweating blood for me ; or feen him dying on the crofs, pouring it out at five big wounds to the very laft drop, to wafh away fin ! O would not I then have valued the great remedy and falvation he now tenders to me ! And is not all this which I now hear in the Word, and fee reprefented in the facrament, as true, as real, and cer- tain, as if I had feen it with my eyes ? And now when I go to behold Chrift dying and bleeding in this holy reprefentation, even the Lamb of God facrificed and flaughtered for my fins ; Lord, touch my heart that it may be fuitably affected with the fight, fo as intenfely to love my bleffed Saviour, and to hate my curfed fins. O how fhould I, at this occafion be covered with fhame and loath myfelf, who have both procured the death of Chrift by fin, and finned againft his death, by flighting his blood and neglecting his great falvation. Oh ! I am chargeable both with the guilt of Chrift's blood, and of murdering my own foul. O pardon and deliver me from blood guil- tihefsy O God, thou God of my falvation. My fins have indeed fhed the blood of Chrift, but, Lord, impute not the guilt, but the merit of this blood ro me. Lord, what profit is there in my blood ? Sure- ly the leaft drop of thy dear Son's b!ood is of more value than a fea of mine. A whole fea of it cannot wafh away one fin, but, Lord, thou calieft me to look into the Lamb's blood that taketh away the fins of a world. Oh, is not this blood more powerful to wafh me, than my fins are to defile me ? Is not its virtues as frefh Mill as when it dropped from his wounds on the tree, or in the day when it cleanfed 3000 at once ? Is not thy Son's blood a fufficient fatisfaclion for all my fins, a full price for my redemption ? O my foul, thou art now near the Wefled remedy for thy guilt and poI- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 127 lution ; this is the only well of falvation, and fountain of life ! O canft thou fee Chrift's blood running, and not defire to be bathed in it ! Now the cleaning and healing ftreams run on both fides of the table ; now let me apply and live, let me bring all my fores and plagues to the ftreams, my blind eyes, my deaf ears, my weak hands, my feeble knees, my hard heart, my cold affections, my unbelieving and doubting mind, my leprous and unclean foul. Lord, this blood has wafhed away the plague fpots, and ftains of many thoufands, who are now praiiing the Lamb for it : Oh, let me be joined to the number, that I may alfo fing to him that loved and wafhed me. O bleeding Lamb, if thou wilt) thou canjl make me clean ; O let that blood, which gufhed from thy heart and fide, but drop on my foul, and it will cleanfe me from ail fin. And when thou art pleafed to come to me in the facrament in ftreams of blood, O raife me up, that I may meet thee with fireams of tears, tears of repentance, love, and gratitude. O let me not be more fparing of my tears for Chrift, than he was of his blood for me. David's kindnefs made even a hard hearted Saul lift up his voice and weep, and will not Chrift's kindnefs, which is infinitely greater, make me drop at leaft fome filent tears ? O how dreadful a thing muft it be to reject this remedy ! Surely juftice will not fpare them that tram- ple under foot the blood of the Son of God : If juftice was inexorable when he himfelf prayed, if it be poffibk) let this cap pafs ; how will he fpare me, or hear the cry of thofe who reject his blood and facrifice ? How is it poflible that the cup of wrath can pafs from them who do it ? No, they muft drink it for ever themfelves ! Lord, fave me from rejecting this blood. I believe^ Lord) help my unbelief 128 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATION?. MEDITATION XXIX. From LUKE XV. l8, 19. Father, I have finned againjl heaven, and be* fore thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Father : Ah, I may be afhamed to call thee fo, confidering what a difobedient and unthankful child I have been. I am a moft wretched prodigal, I left thy houfe and prefence, and went into a far country ; far from thee, my blifs and happinefs. But now, Father, behold me deiiring to come back as a poor penitent, mourning, and returning prodigal. I come from a far country indeed, I come from the land of fin and dark- nefs •, I come from the frontiers of hell, from the very borders of the burning lake ! Ah, foolifli creature that I am, How have I forfaken thee the fountain of living waters. How fond have I been of broken cifterns, and in love with filthy puddles ? O the bafenefs, the dif- ingenuity, the ingratitude that I have been guilty of. I have refitted thy power, defpifed thy wifdom, under- valued thy goodnefs ! Father of mercies, I now fee what an evil thing and bitter it is to forfake the Lord. Holy Lord Jefus, I now fee what indignities I have done againft thee ! Thy blefTed body was dreadfully torn with nails upon the crofs, and thy precious blood inhu- manly fpilt by thy crucifiers ! But oh ! have not I oc- cafioned more grief and forrow to thee by my mani- fold fins againft light and love ? They crucified thee but once, but I have crucified thee day after day ! They crucified thee becaufe they knew thee not ; but I have known thee what thou art in thyfelf, the Lord of glo- ry, and what thou art to me, a tender and merciful Father ; yet I have continued to crucify thee afrefh. O Holy Spirit, I have refifted thy ftrivings, quenched thy motions, demolifhed thy work, and put thee away grieved. But, Lord, I condemn my folly, and fee my mifery. Oh, what have I gained by offending thee ? nothing but fhame and confufion, fear, trembling, and SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 129 horror r O what fruit had I in thofe things whereof I am now afhamed ! But, Father, I have heard of thy companions to the guilty when they confefs, and forfake, and turn to thee : Wherefore, though I am afhamed, like the publican, to lift up my eyes to heaven : yet, let me with humble Magdalen, come behind thee weeping, and wafh thy feet with my tears, and kifs them. And let me hear the news of pardon from thy mouth. Thou earned, Lord, not to call the righteous, bur finners to repent- ance ; and of thefe I am chief. Lord, I am full of dif- eafes, full of wounds, full of plague fores, full of weak- nefs and infirmities, full of fins and pollutions. Here, Lord, is work for thy ftrong hand, work for thy won- der working blood : O ftretch out thy hand and hve. Father, I am no more worthy to be called thy fon> make me as one of thy hired fervants ; and thoujuiowed no hire, no wages will fatisfy me but thyfelf \ Lord, give me thyfelf, be thou my exceeding great reward. Lord, I am fo vile a creature, that I may fear to come and prefent a petition to thee upon the knee, and far more to come and fit down with thee at thy holy ta- ble : If John Baptid, a faint of the fir ft magnitude, thought himfelf not worthy to doop down and loofe the latchet of thy fhoes, fhall I, who am laden with fins, adventure to that holy feaft, where angels wait as miniftering fpirits ? But, Lord, in thy companion re- ceive me, that cometh not to excufe, but to accufe my- felf, with eyes cad down, fmiting on my bread with the publican, 'Lord, be merciful to me a firmer. Thou didft gracioufly accept of the publican's prayer, of Mary Mag- dalen's tears, the faith of the thief on the crofs, the re- pentance of Peter, and thofe that crucified thee. By 1 thefe indances of thy mercy, I am encouraged to draw _ near to thee : O fend me not away empty, led I faint bythe way ; but fatisfy my needy foul with the food of thy heavenly banquet, that I may receive fpiritual ftrength and nourifhment to eternal life. Lord, hear my cry, and hide not thy face from me : 130 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. When ManafTeh cried to thee, thou hadft refpecT: to his prayer : When the Ninevites humbled themfelves before thee, thou waft intreated ; yea, thou inviteft the moft crimfon and fcarlet coloured finners,*to come and reafon with thee, and allures them, thou wilt caft out none that come. Many thoufands, who have experi- enced the truth of thy word, are, at this hour, finging thy praifes, and exalting thy free grace. Lord, do thou make me alio a monument of thy free grace to all eter- nity. Ah, I may be afhamed to fpeak of mercy and grace, who have {q long abufed thy grace, and trampled on the blood that fhould fave me. O that I could mourn and weep all my life for it. Oh, what (hall I do with my ftony heart that will not break and melt for abuf- ing God's mercy, and trampling Chrift's blood ! Oh, (hall I mourn and weep for a dead corpfe, or departed friend, and not mourn for a dead heart, or for God's departing from me ! Shall the dear Son of God weep, fweat, and bleed for us, and we not weep for ouri elves, or for our fins, that pierced his head with thorns, his hands with nails, and his fide with a fpear, and his heart with forrows. Lord Jefus, I look to thee for a penitent heart, feeing thou telieft me, thou art exalted for this very end, to give repentance to Ifrael. Lardy 'what is man, that thou art mindful of him P and what am I, the unworthiefl of men, that thou fhouldeft call me to fit with thy children at thy table, who am unworthy as a dog to creep under it ; yea, called me to eat the bread of angels, who am not worthy to eat the bread of men ? Amazing love ! that God fhould court thofe to obedience, whom he can peremptorily command to it ; and, in cafe of difobedience, punifh inftantly in hell ; that he fhould take poor flaves, con- demned to the prifon of hell, and make them crowned kings in heaven, that he fhould not only be willing to dwell in flefh, but alfo to give us this flefh for our food ; that he fhould not only fave us from hell, but even kave his throne in heaven, and lofe his life on earth, to SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 131 enthrone us in his kingdom ! Thefe are prodigies of love, which fhould engage us to love our Saviour, and mourn for fin while we live. Lord Jefus, pity a relent- ing, returning prodigal ; take him home, and make him thy fervant for ever. It is highly juft, that I fhould offer up myfelf a living facrifice to my Redeem- er, who offered up himfelf a dying facrifice for my re- demption* , MEDITATION XXX. From Song i. 4. We will remember thy lovt. go, bleffed Jefus, at thy call, to remember thy love at thy holy table ; thy words have an awful found in my ears, Do this in remembrance of me. I fee much in them ; in obedience to them I'll do this;in remembrance of thy dwelling in fielh \ in. memory of thy love that carried thee to the manger, to the garden, and to the crofs, for me ; in memory of the infinite price of thy blood which thou didft fhed ; in memory of the viclo«r ry obtained by it over the enemies of my foui ; in me- mory of the deliverance from wrath, and the immortal glory thou hair purchafed by it for me : Though thou didft: die, and lie in the grave, yet thy love fhall ever live in my heart. Glory to thee, thou art now alive in in heaven \ O come and live with me ; let thy love ne- ver be one moment out of my view. I blefs thee for this laiting memorial of thy love. I look on this facrament as no real or properTacri- ficce, as many do, but only as a reprefentation or com- memoration of the real facrifice Chrift offered on the crofs. I do no more at the Lord's table, than what Chrift did at it : Since he offered no facrifice at the table, neither do I. He only did commemorate that facrifice he was going to offer ; and the fame, and no more, do I. If any fhould fay, that Chrift offered a real facrifice, when he inftituted this facrament, then 132 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. the oblation on the crofs would have been fuperfiuous, becaufe finners would have been redeemed by that of the fupper which went before. Now is the time for a folemn commemoration of thy love ; Oh, fhail I be unmindful of thy love at this feaft, when thou waft fo mindful of me at it, made thy teitament, put me in it, and left me precious legacies to caufe me to remember thee; fuch as, life and light, pardon and peace, righteoufnefs and ftrength, grace and glory. O how heroic, how generous and free, is thy love to finful worms ! We had done nothing to oblige thee ; nothing faweft thou in us to engage thy love to us ; but much didft thou fee in us to incenfe thee a^ainft us. When we were without ftrength, un- god'y iinners, and enemies, thou lovedft us, and diedft for us Greater love hath no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends ; but far greater love hath God- man, who laid down his life for his enemies ! O what fhall I think of this love ! It had been wonderful love in an angel to have ftooped to be united to a lump of earth, and therein fuffered for us, though it could not have paid our debt. Bit, O my foul, here is one more valuable than all the angeis in heaven, that has ftooped to do it ! The Word was made fiefh, and dwelt am ng us ! When I was, ?ike Ifaac, bound on the altar, he freely offered himfelf to be made a facriiice to fat»sfy juftice for me *, Father, faid he, Lo I come, to do thy will I take delight ! Remember this love, O my foul, the Son of God is become the fon of man for thee, that thou mighteft be raifed to the dignity of the Con of God \ He that was infinitely rich, for my fake became poor, that I, a poor naked creature, might become rich and well clothed. How can I look on the incarnation and birth of my Redeemer, and not remember his love with wonder ! Can I behold the manger his bed, and not adore the love that brought him to lie in it ? O how low were the circumftances of the heir of heaven, when he came to fojourn on earth, who had neither a houfe to live in, SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 133 sor an eftate to live upon, but muft be fubflfted by the hofpitality of others, and frequently his fare was very mean. Amazing prodigy of divine love ! God {loops to dwell in fle'h, and gives us his flelli to feed upon in the facrament ! He not only pardons our fins, and faves us from hell ; but leaves his throne in heaven, lofes his life on earth, and wades through hell to enthrone us in his kingdom, and make us crowned kings for ever. Bleffed be the Lord that gives me a commun- ion-fabbath to remember this love. What fhali I ren- der to thee for it ? A day of glad tidings ! Thou haft often on fuch a day, vifited the earth and watered it, and made it rich with thy fhowers. May thy grace and Spirit drop on us this day, like rain on the mown .grafs. Lord, I am not worthy to touch the threfhold of thy houfe, and yet thou calleft me to thy table. Not wor- thy to ftand among thy fervants, and yet thou wouldft have me fit with my Redeemer. Not worthy to lie at thy footftool, and yet thou woulft make my heart thy throne. Not worthy to eat the bread of men, and yet thou calleft me to eat the bread of angels ! O love worthy to be remembered to all generations ! Lord en- lighten my eyes, and give me a clearer view of thy love, than ever I got j and while I am mufing on it, let the fire burn ; O make my heart burn within me with love to him that loved us. O my foul, confider the greateft of ChrifFs love in the c up he drank for thee ! How legible is it in his tears and prayers, his groans and cries, his agony and fweat, his wounds and blood, and all for us ? Q let this matchlefs love beget in me the warmeft love and affec- tion to him that loved us ! O let the fire of ChrihYs love burn up my lufts and worldly love like ftubble 5 and remove the coldnefs of my heart to him ! Oh, that I could weep bitterly, that I cannot bring this vile heart of mine to love the Lord Jefus more 1 Oh> fhail I throw away my affections upon every wonhlefs ob- ject, and yet have none for the lovelieil: object of the M Yte SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS, whole creation of God ; and yet one that would needs die for me, to become my ranfom, facrifice, and atone- ment ? Is it the character of thofe who are Chrift's fpoufe ? Is it the character of the whole army of mar- tyrs, and of every believer, to love Chrift, and fhall not I love him too ? Oh, the virgins love thee, the up- right love thee , and every one of them cry, O thou whom my foul loveth ; and fhall not I join thofe chafte lovers ? Or fhall I be expofed to the terrible fate of thofe who want love to Chrift ? i Cor. xvi. 22. if any man love not the Lord Jefus Chri/l y let him be Anathema y Maranatha. O that 1 could exprefs my love to him in adorations and praifes, in defiring his prefence, loving his members, promoting his kingdom on earth, and longing to be with him for ever. MEDITATION XXXI. From Tfa. liii. 5. He 'was wounded for out transgression:. How amazing is the love of God to fallen man, ic taking a body to be pierced and wounded for him. Man did caft off the image of his Maker, and became a rebel and Tun away from God : And, behold, his Maker takes on him man's image, to reftore him again to favour : Yea, he affumes our nature, when at the loweft, that fo he>might figh, groan, grieve, weep, for- row, fweat, bleed, and die -for undone man ; and he did this, to raife him from his miferable ftate, to a hap- pier condition than he was in before his fall. Had not God become man, we could not have enjoyed him fo nearly, fo familiarly as we may do now. The enjoyment of God as a Redeemer, a hufband, a brother, is another manner of enjoyment of liim than of God as a Crea- tor. Though we ruined .ourfelves, and fell under wrath, yet God, by the incarnation has recovered us, and made us up far above all we had to lofe. Bur, ere this be done, he mufl not only be man, but he SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. I&3 mail be wounded for and by man's fins ; yea, wound- ed to death, and crucified, before man could be raifed up to live with God. Many, yea innumerable, were the wounds my God Redeemer received for me j as by the thorns that prick- ed his head, by the pincers that plucked his hair, by the fcourge that tore and furrowed his back \ befides the five big wounds made in his hands and feet by the four nails, and in his fide by the fpear ; and the many wounds given his foul by the curfes of the law. Now, all thefe wounds are opened as fo many mouths to call as to flee into them for fafety from the Iword of jus- tice. Now thefe wounds were unfpeakably painful, be- ing envenomed by our fins. Crucifying, in- itfelf was an exceeding painful death ; the four big nails where- on the body hung, pierced the mod finewy and nervous parts of the body, and confequently mod fenfible of pain : And hence the Romans exprefTed torment by a word borrowed from the crofs ; and make cruciate fig- nify to torment. Thus was our innocent Saviour wounded on the crofs, cruciate or tormented* and all to fave us from eternal torments. Aftoniftiing fight ! The eternal Son of God, whom all the angels worfhip, wounded to death, hung by nails on a crofs, tortured and racked for feveral hours, and, in the mean time, loaded with reproach and fcorn fronvthofe he died for J Never fuch a fight as this ! it (truck terror in the whole creation. The fun hid its face, and could not behold it, the vail of the temple rent in twain, the earth quaked, the rocks rent, the dead were moved, and their graves opened : And even his enemies were ftruck with amazement, and made to fhrink and fay, Truly this was a righteous perfcn ; this was the Son of God. O my foul, employ all thy facul- ties, all thy thoughts, to ftudy, pore, and penetrate in- to this awful fubjedi *, it defer ves the profoundeft re- gard and clofeft attention : Hence the great apoltle de- termined to (tudy and know nothing but it. This amazing tragedy ought to create in me the 136 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. greateft abhorrence of fin, the caufe of it. Never can iin appear more exceeding finful, and hateful, than in the wounding and crucifying of the Son of God. Our tranfgreliions were the nails and fpear that wounded his facred body, and the fword that pierced his foul. Thefe were the Judas that betrayed him, the foldiers that bound him, blindfolded, and mocked him, the Pi- late that condemned him 3 the executioners that nailed him to the curfed tree : It was our fins that put the fword in his enemies' hands. He became a curfe for us. All the deriiion, mockery, and contempt ; all the pain, iufFering, and forrow he endured, did proceed from our fins : thefe brought him to the crofs, and to the grave. Let us then turn our hatred, and difcharge our fierceft indignation again ft our fins, let them be our averfion and dread for ever \ let me always look on fm, that crucified Chrift, with horror and trembling. Never fuch an inftance of the ftri£tnefs and feverity of God's juftice, and of his abhorrence of fin, as here. He would not fpare his dear Son, when he ftood in the room of finners, nor fpare him one ftripe or wound when he cried 5 but let him bleed and die, till fin was fully atoned for. Can I fee this and not cry, O curfed fin ! murderer of the Son of God 5 away with it, away with it ; crucify it, crucify it. O my foul, fee the evil of fin in the glafs of Chrift's wounds and fufferings in his body and foul. Say, O (in, what haft thou done ! Thou haft provoked the God of heaven to fiery indignation : Thou haft killed the Prince of life, turned angels into devils, filled the earth with troubles, and hell with precious fouls ! If any body had killed my father, would I embrace the murderer, or love the dagger that was beimeared with his blood ? But what are all my relations to my Lord, my love, that was crucified ! O that my eyes were foun- tains of tears, that I might weep day and night for my fins that Hew my Saviour. Oh, ftony heart, for fhame, become now like wax, and be melted in the midft of my bowels. Woes me, that I can grieve no more for SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS.. 137 my fins. Let me at leaft revenge my Saviour's death upon my fins, and fuffer them no longer to live in me. How dreadful mud the guilt of thofe be who wil- lingly harbour fin, and delight in the murder of the Lord. It is no lefs than to kifs the nails, or hug the fpear that pierced him. They make that their joy which made Chrift a man of forrow. They make light of that which made his foul heavy unto death. Oh, have I feen my Saviour bleeding to death by fin, and {hall I live any longer in fin that wounded him ? When a temptation to fin is prefented, (hall 1 ever difpute any more, whether Chrift or Barabbas fhall be preferred ? My lufts denied, or my Lord crucified ? Whether thefe fins fliali be forfaken by me, that made Chrift to be forfaken of God ? Whether that (hall be fweet to me, that was fo bitter and deadly to him ? Oh, was' my lovely Jefus a man of forrows all his life, and fometimes made to fay, My foul is exceeding forrowful ; and fhal! not I be forry for, and abhor thefe fins that caufed all his forrows ? O may the believing view of Chrift's wounds ajad fufferings which he endured for my fins, and to fave me from that wrath which they deferved, kindle ijie fire of love in my foul to Chrift. Lord, thou art the God that was wont to anfwer thy people by fire ; O pity me, and anfwer my meditations and prayers, by kindling the holy fire of love in my heart, and let thai fire put out the impure fire of lufts and corruptions*, and infpire me with holy zeal and activity in thy fer- vice. O did Chrift freely give himfelf to be a fin- offering for me *, and fhall not I give myfelf a thank- offering to him ? Surely it is highly reafonable that I fhould offer up myfelf a living facrifice to my ttedeem- er, who offered up himfelf a dying facrifice for my redemption. M 2 138 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. MEDITATION XXXII. From John* vi. 51. J am the living bread that came doivn from leav- en : If any man eat of this breads he Jhall live for ever. Christ crucified is our manna, our heavenly bread that preferves the life of the foul, and it is only by faith it muft be received and eaten. Bread is a comprehen- Hvc word, including all things neceiTary for this life ; fo Chrift, our fpiritual bread, is a moft comprehenflve bleffing, including all we want, feeing he is made of God to us, ivifdom* right eoufnefs, fanclif cation, and redemption* Again, bread is the moil neceiTary thing for our life, and the want of it brings the greateft mifery ; fo Chrift is the moft neceiTary bleffing to the foul, and the want of him makes a man miferable in time, and through eternity. It is a greater mifery to have no Saviour for the foul, than to have no bread for the body. Chrift alone is the bread that preferves us from foul famine, and nouriftieth us to eternal life ; he is the bread of Lift, the living bread. Lord, give us evermore this bread* Bread is called the ftafFand flay of man's life; fo Chrift is the ftaff and flay of our fpiritual life, he upholds our fouls in life. He is the ftaff that faint and weary fouls muft lean to, in going up through this wil- dernefs : Yea, Chrift our living bread is a ftafFto de- fend us, and to beat off our enemies, and to put all the hellifh hoft to flight. That was a ftrange dream of e of the Midianites, Judg. vii. 13. Behold a cake of barley Ire ad came tumbling into the hoft of ' Midian, and f mote a tent. Strange ! a piece of bread to overturn a tent ! Behold this dream made good in the facrament. The bread there which represents Chrift, when received •with faith upon him, will tumble into the hoft of Sa- tan and his lufts, thefe Midianites who vex us with their wiles, (kike down their tents, and put them all to eight. Chrift is the bread that came down from heaven, of which the IfraeKtes' manna, that God fent miracu- SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 139 loufly from heaven, was an eminent type. That man- na was God's free gift to the murmuring and rebellious Ifraelites, to preferve them from ftarving in the des- erts, where bread could not be had : This manna was a curious grain, that made fine bread, with which God furnifhed them plentifully every morning from the clouds, fufficient to fatisfy fix hundred thoufand men. But Chrift, our fpiritual manna, doth far excel theirs, though he was refembled by theirs*in fome things. Manna was firft grinded and beaten, and baken in ov- ens, before it was bread to them *, and fo the grain which makes our ordinary bread muft be threfhed, and grinded betwixt two millftones, and baken by the force of fire, before we eat it : So Chrift the antitype, was threfhed and bruifed, and grinded betwixt the miil- ftones of divine juftice and our fins, and alfo roafted by the fire of wrath, that he might be fit bread for faving the lives of our fouls ; and all this we fhould call to mind, when we fee and make ufe of the bread in the holy fupper. The Ifraelites' manna came down to them with the dew •, fo Chrift, with the benefits of his purchafe, comes to us by the dews and influences of the Holy Spirit. Their manna fell round about their tents, and every man was free to gather it ; fo every man is at freedom to gather our heavenly manna. The Ifraelites behoved to go out of their tents to gather theirs ; fo God will have us to go forth, and be at pains to get our fpiritu- al food. God, who rained manna about their tents, could have rained it into their mouths ; but he loves not to encourage floth in his people, but would have them at all pains to make fure of Chrift for their por- tion. As the Ifraelites gathered daily, fo we muft be daily going to Chrift, and making ufe of him. As they gathered early in the morning, fo God would have us feeking Chrift in the morning of our lives. O how far doth our heavenly manna excel that of the Ifraelites ! Theirs but fed the body, and could not preferve them from death at laft •, but our manna feeds 140 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATION3. the foul, and nourifhes to eternal life, and preferves all that eat of it from eternal death. Theirs fell not on the Sabbath day ; nor durft they go to feek it on that day ; but ours falls every day, and double on the Sabbath ; and therefore God calls us to double our dil- igence, in gathering it on the Sabbath. Their manna continued only in the wildernefs, and ceafed when they came to Canaan ; but ours continueth forever, and our fulled enjoyment of it is in the heavenly Canaan : and therefore all true Ifraelites long to be there. O how lamentable is their folly who fpend all their time and thoughts in ieeking bread to their bodies, and are carelefs and indifferent about the bread of life to their fouls ! All their care is to fupport the clay houfe, but let the foul ftarve that inhabits it. Oh, it is but a fhort time they can enjoy the bread they are fc con- cerned for ; the bodies they mind fo much muft be meat for worms, and the fouls they negleft a prey to devils ! But, whatever others do, may I be wife to provide the living bread for my foul, and learn to eat it, and make ufe of it by faith, and efpecially when I go to the Lord's table ; for without faith we can get no nourifh- ment, no life, nor ftrength from this heavenly bread : Faith is the mouth that eats the bread of life, and fucks honey out of the rock .Now, the fpirit of God calls faith or believing, an eating, becaufe by it we tafte the fweet- nefs and excellency of Chrift, and have great fatisfac- tion in partaking of Chrift and his benefits. As by eating, our bodies increafe in ftrength and ftature ; fo, by believing, our fouls grow in grace and fpiritual ftrength, to run in God's ways. As by eating, the bread incorporates and becomes one with us ; {o y by our receiving and applying Chrift's broken body by faith, he is made one with us, and we one with him. As by eating bread, men live upon it, and get fupport and ftrength for working or journeying •, fo believers, by looking to, and trufting wholly in the righteoufnefs of Chrift, and the merit of his blood, they feed and SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS. 141 receive fpiritual nourifhment, and ftrength for theh' work and warfare* and fo make a progrefs in their jour- ney to Canaan. that I had a fpiritual hunger and fharp appetite for this bread of life, and were defiring and longing for it, for the fupport and nourifhment of my foul, more than a hungry man doth for bread to his body. A hungry man perifhing for want of bread, would pre- fer a piece of bread before many bags of gold, if both were fet before him, and he allowed to make his choice : So the awakened foul that fees his need of Chrift, prefers him to a whole world ; give him never fo much of the world's comforts, he is ftill diflatisfied without Chrift, and fays, What will all thefe things avail me, if my ftarving foul perifh without Chrift the bread of life ? 1 have many arguments to plead with God for this bread ; Lord, do not thy free calls and promifes bind thee to give me it ? Thou haft faid, The needy Jhall not be forgotten. Is not Chrift, the bread from heaven, the free gift of God to perifhing fouls ? And doft thou not invite thofe to come and eat of it, that have no money nor price to give for it ? Lord, thou hadft companion upon the bodies of men, when they had no bread to eat, and didft provide bread for five thoufand of them, by a miracle ; and haft thou not as much com- panion to ftarving foulf , that are far more precious £ Lord, thou giveft natural affection to earthly parents, and makeft them pitiful to their children, when they cry for bread, fo that they cannot fhut up their bowels againft them when hungry, nor will they give them a ftone inftead of bread : And will my heavenly Father, who is infinitely more compaflionate than the moft ten- der parents, refufe the bread of life to ftarving fouls, who cry earneftly for it ? Lord, I truft in thy mercy, and depend on thy pro mi fe, I believe thou wilt not let a poor hungry beggar ftarve and fall down at thy door, when there is bread enough in thy houfe, and to fpare. caufe me to ling with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xiii. 5. But 1 have trujled in thy wercy> my heart JJiall rejoice in thy fa!- vation, SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, ADVICE I. From GEN. Vj\ I. Corns thou and all thy houfe into the ark. J\S God, in his mercy, called Noah to come into the ark prepared for hi-m and his houfhold, to fave him from drowning in the great deluge, fo God, by the go£ pel, calls you, O man, to come into the ark, Chrifl cru- cified ; which he hath provided for perHhing finners, to fave them from the deluge of wrath that is coming. God hath long forewarned you of it •, nay, the flood is beginning to rife, it is time for thee to flee to this ark ; believe it, there is no other way for thy fafety : The ark of thy prayers, or of thy tears, convictions, or re- formations, will not fave thee from it 5 nothing will do it but the ark Chrift. As all who were out of Noah's ark periflied in the flood, fo will all periih who are out of Chrift. Thofe of the old world, who only came near to the ark, or touched the outfide of it, they perimed if they did not enter into it \ to in like manner will thofe perifh, who only come near to Chrift by an outward profeffion, and are not found in him by a true faiths As the ark gave a good account of all that entered into it, not one of them was loft in the flood ; fo will Chrift give a good account, at the laft day, of all that fly to him by faith : None ihall pluck them out of his hand, not one of them ihall perifh in the deluge of wrath ; Chrift will prefent them all fafe to his Father: Behold here am I, and the children nvh&tn thou haft given we. SACRAMENTAL ADVICES* 143 As Noah's ark was acceffible, and had a door In it for people to enter, fo in a crucified Jefus there is a door of accefs opened, even a door of faith, whereby poor finners of the Gentiles may have accefs to Chrift, and to God in him, Acts xiv. 27. As Paul and Bar- nabas rehearfed it as glad tidings to the church, that God had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles, fo we Gen- tile finners fhould gladly receive the news. Glory to God in the higheft for opening this door of faith, and keeping it (till open to perifhing finners. Come then, t * Gentile finner, enter in by this door to the ark, and lodge thy foul within it, that thou may- eft be fafe from the flood of wrath that is coming upon the ungodly world. God forbid you be found hover- ing without the ark, until the flood come and wafh you off from the very fides of it. O how difrnal and cut- ting will the thought be to you through all eternity, that you was fo near Chrift, and within a ftep of the ark, and fometimes touching it, and yet never entered into it ! How fad will it be to perifh, like the thief up- on the crofs, with a Saviour at your fide, and to fink into hell betwixt the arms of mercy ftretched forth to fave you ! Now, poor foul, the ark is near you, flee to it with fpeed ; behold, for your encouragement, there is a window opened in the fide of the ark, and mercy's hand is put forth to take in fhelteriefs cloves who come to it. Now is the time to beftir yourfelves, to come into the ark without delay, and fo prevent your perifh- ing in the flood for ever. 4J. What fhail I do-to get into the ark, viz. a cru- cified Jefus ? A. 1. Be like Noah's dove which he fent forth, fee that you find no reft for the fole of your foot any where elfe ; turn your back upon all other arks of man's de- vifing, they are all infufficient to fave you from the ifiood : Make not an ark of the abfolute mercy of God out of Chrift, feeing he declares a crucified Jefus to be the only channel of his mercy. Make not an ark of church privileges, as your good education, admiflionto i44' SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. fealing ordinances, &c. for the ark did not fave Shiioh., nor the altar's horns fave Joab, nor the temple fave Je- rufalem. Make not an ark of your gifts, knowledge, prayers, duties, moral honefty, or felf-righteoufnefs, for the flood, when it comes, will dafh all thefe in pieces. Suppofe thofe of the old world had built other fhips as like the ark as poflible, or had fled to high towers of their own contriving, the deluge would have deftroyed them all ; there was no fafety for them but in Noah's ark alone. So whatever arks you devife to fave you from wrath, if a crucified Chrift, the ark of God's build- ing, be flighted, the flood will fweep away all your own arks, as the refuge of lies, Ifa. xxviii. 17. 2. Labour to be thoroughly convinced of your mi- fery while out of the ark \ and in a deep fenfe of your neceflity of getting unto it ; break prefently over all the bars and hindrances which the devil cafts in your way to flop your entry into the ark, as unbelief, flnful pleafures, worldly cares, prefumptuous hopes, carnal company, diveriions, &c. break refolutely through all thefe to the ark, as David's three mighty men brake through the hoft of the Philifiines to the well of Beth- lehem 5 furely your arguments for fo doing are far flron per than theirs. a 3. Approve heartily the whole contrivance of God's ark in all its rooms and ftories : Approve Chrift cruci- fied in his perfon, natures, offices, apd relations, in his fi:ate of humiliation and exaltation : Accept of him in them all, fubferibe to the whole new covenant fcheme, as a device worthy of God and of infinite wifdom ; confent to the great end and defign of it, namely, that felf be debafed, and free grace eternally magnified. 4. Be frequently efTaying faith's flight unto the ark, and to the window in the fide of it ; make earneft mints, like Noah's reftlefs dove, to get in; fay oft, like David, Pfal. lv. 6. O that I had wuings like a dove ', for then ivoula I fly away, and be at refl. I would haften my efcape from the flood, and lodge my foul this minute in one of the rooms of the ark. Believing is a work you SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 145 fhould be often efTaying, and though you cannot believe with faving faith, yet believe as you can, looking to God for more ftrength. You cannot pray, praife, or fancti- fy the Sabbath aright, yet you aim at thefe duties as you can ; fo 9 in like manner, make honeft mints at believ- ing and flying to Chrifb ; and aim, in his ftrength, to apply his blood, every man to his own foul in particu- lar, by an appropriating faith (correfponding to the free gofpel offer) and taking home the remedy as his own ; depending dill upon the Spirit's grace who will not fail thofe who truft in him, but affift them in ma- king faving application. 5. Be willing to part with every thing that would compete with God's ark, however fpecious or plaufible 3 fhew it may have. Renounce the old covenant, and all lurking places about mount Sinai, for in none of thefe you can find fafety, Abhor your own righteouf- nefs for an ark, whatever fhape it may appear' in, and embrace him alone for it, w r ho is the Lord our Righteous- nefs. His Righteoufnefs only is fpotlefs, perfect, and law-biding. 6. Make a furrender of yourfelf, and all you have, to Jefus Chrift, to be difpofed )f by hi n as he pleafeth : Be wi'ling to fuffer the lofs of all things for him, yea, count all things lofs and dung that y >u may win to the ark, and be found therein when the flood cometh. ADVICE 11. From Rev ih. SO. Behold 1 Jiund at the duor and knock. Lost fmner, I bring you good tidings ; the eternal Son of God hath undertaken a long journey, and en- dured great fufferings to purchafe falvation for thee ! A dear purchafe it is, dear hath it coil: him to obtain it ! and now he hath brought it the length of thy door, and there, O man, Chrift is (landing knocking, and N 146 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. faying, This day falvation is come to this houfe-door> open and take it in. Now, can you refufe, O firmer, to take in Chrift's purchafed falvation, when Chrift hath come with it to thy very door, even the door of thy heart? Behold he ftands at it, and knocks for entrance ! Open, open, &c. The arguments for your opening are ftrong and many : — i. Confider at whofe door Chrift doth ftand, even at the door of a creature infinitely below him. Oh, it is at a beggar's door, that hath nothing to entertain Chrift with when he enters ! yet faith he, Open to me, and I will bring in provifion with me, and make thee a rich feaft. It is at the door of a poor Lazarus, that is all full of ulcers and fores ; yet, faith Chrift, open and I will bring in the balm of Gilead, a plaifter of my blood for healing all your fores, and for as coftly as it is, it fhall coft you nothing. It is even at the door of an enemy, a mortal enemy, that Chrift ftands : You have fpoken ill of him, thought ill of him, and done ill to him ; you have affronted him, wounded him, and lodged his traitors and murderers •, yet, faith Chrift, Open, and hearken to the offers and terms of reconcili- ation which I have purchafed for you with my blood \ they are moft furprifing and fafe, eafy and honorable. It is at the door of Satan's flaves that Chrift ftands, thofe who have been long drudging at his work and feeding upon his hufks ; yet, faith Chrift, Open to me, and I will fet you at liberty, and make you God's free men and children. Why then will you not open and receive him joyfully ? O finner, ftand amazed at Chrift's condefcending goodnefs, in ftanding at the door of fuch a fmoky cottage, fo ill fwept, and out of order ! Good reafon have you to cry out, Lord, I am not worthy thou Jhovldeft come iindsrjny roof ; but, feeing thou humbled: thyfelf to viilt the unworthy in fuch ?. manner, come in, and but fpeak the word, and the houfe fhall be cleanfed, difeafes healed, grievances redrerTed, and the foul nude happy. It is highly your intereft then to 5ACRAMEN.TAL ADVICES. 147 open the door, and welcome in your Saviour, who Hands and knocks for accefs. 2 Again, coniider who it is that {lands at your door : It is even the King of Glory, a King of infinite power and majefty ! And will ye not lift up the gates of your fouls to this King! Were it but an earthly king that knocked at your door, you would ibon open and receive him, yea, count it a great honour that you had fuch a perfon in your houfe ; but, what ^re clay kings to the King of Glory ? To the Prince of the kings of the earth ? To our great Emmanuel y the glorious Plant of renown) the Head of the elect world ? Who then would not call: the gates wide open to fuch a glorious King ? Again, he is the everlq/itng Father^ and the Father of all believers, that Hands and knocks ! A Father full of pity, that follows after his prodigal children and invites them to return to him ! And wilF not a child open the door to his father ? Can you find in your heart to keep your companionate Father Handing at your door ? Nay further, it is your hufband that knocks, a loving hufband, that hath frffered much more for your caufe : And will not an affectionate fpoufe open and let in her hufband ? Moreover it is your phylici rt u rhar knocks, who brings healing medicines for all your difeafes, by which he hath cured many thoufands before now ! And will not a fick and dying man let in fuch a phyllcian ? Open, O fmner, why will you die ? 3. Coniider Chrift's patience and long fufFering at your door, he doth not knock and then go away as one indifferent whether you open or not -, no, he knocks .and ftands ftill ; he (lands and knocks again, and that after many repulfes ! No beggar wanting an alms would (land fo long at our doors, as Chrift (lands at a beg- gar's door, not feeking to take from him, but wanting to give unto him. O wonder at his goodnefs and long patience ! Behold he that hath a throne of glory to fit upon, and ten thoufand times ten thoufand to bow be- fore him, is willing, O finner, to fband at thy door ! yea, he ftands whilft thou doil lie in the bofom of thy 148 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. lufte. He ftands without, whilft his enemies are let in and allowed to poffefs the belt feats ! He (lands at the door, while Satan is let in, and gets theeafy chair ! Owon- lerful patience ! That Chrift after fo many affronts and repulfe^, and after feeing enemies preferred before him, iliouki continue to ftand at your door and knock ! But, O finner, do not try his patience too much, nor provoke him too long ; for, obferve the text, he now {lands, he is on his feet ready to go away •, the knock will be given that will prove the lair, and thou knoweft not but the prefent knock may be it, do not then de- lay to open one moment longer. 4. Confider Chrift's earned defire to be let into your heart. He not only lianas at the door, but he knocks ; yea, knocks loud and knocks often, to convince you of his earneflnefs. Many a loud knock doth he give, by his calls and invitations in his word, Come imio me, open unto me } I:ck unto me. Many a knock gives he by his promiks to you, I will come in, I will fup with you, I will eafe you, heal you, enlighten you, manifelt myfeif to you, &c. Many a knock give- he by his threaten- ings cf wrath and vengeance againft thofe who fhut their doors againft him. Many a knock gives he by your own confcence, and by his own Spirit, raiting convictions, inclinations, deiires and purpofes within your heart, to bring you to a Saviour. And many a rap and knock doth he give at your doer on facrament occafions. Then it h he knocks aloud with his nailed hands and pierced feet, and ftands at your door with his wounds open, his biood ftreaming, and his garments dyed with blood : And all this to fhew his earneftnefs to be let into your heart. Open then to Chrift, O tin- ner, while he is knocking; be allured he will not knock always & this may poilibly be the laft day of the Spirit's knocks and ftrivings with thee : fo that if you refufe to open at this prefent knock, God may ftnke you dead and fenfelefs all your life, clap a feal on the door that it fhall never open ; you may hear minifters knock after this, but never hear God's Spirit knock SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 149 again ; and, Wo untoyon % if he depart from you. Remember, O man, for as many knocks as God gives at your door, he keeps an exact account of them all, and will reckoa them up all at the judgment feat. And can you think lie will open heaven to you then, who will not open your heart to him now ! No, no ; his ear will be as deaf to you hereafter, as yours is to him now. Read and believe that terrible word, Prov. i. 24, &c. ADVICE III. From Rev. iii. 20. If any man hear my voice , and open the doOr % I toili come in and sup ivith h'un. Great and precious are the promifes which Chrift makes to them who hearken to his voice in the gofpel offers, and open their hearts to receive him, as offered to them in all his offices \ I will come in, and bring all the benefits of my purchafe with me to entartain and feaft that foul, even pardon, peace, light, life, grace, and glory. 1. Obferve, the duty called for, is to hear Chrift's voice, and open the door to him, that is, to accept and embrace his free gofpel offers, and heartily to acquiefce in the gofpel method of a flnner's reconciliation and juftification through the righteoufnefs of our glorious Emmanuel, and willingly receive and fubmit to him as our prophet, prieft, and king. What is the preach- ing of the gofpel, but Chrift's charming voice calling loft finners home to himfelf ? What is it, but Chrift's following them with invitations and intreaties to come to him and live ? This is Chrift's voice which he would have finners to hear, come and live \ though they ge- nerally refufe to do it ! Oh, what condemned male- factor would refufe to hear the voice of his fovereign offering him his life, as condemned finners do ? John v. 40. Te will not come to me that ye might lave life. Yet behold, after many refufals, he follows his offers with N 2 I5S SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. arguments, ftrong arguments to prevail with finners, and after the greateft obftinacy he is loth to break off his treaty with them, Hof. xi. 8. H.w fhall I give thee up, Ephraim P Why will ye die? What reafon can you give for refilling life, or for chuling death ? 2. Obferve, who it is that Chrift calls to hear his voice, and open their doors to him ; it is not this or that man only, or any particular fort of men ; it is any man, every one that lies under the gofpel. If any man will hear my voice, and open the door, faith Chrift, I will come in, if any will open, be he old man or young man, / will come in. If the greateft fintier, the moft crimfon- coloured finner will open, / will come in. Any man ; if the fwearer will open, if the fabbath- breaker, if the murderer, if the drunkard,. if the unclean, if the thief, if the cheat, if the liar, if the mocker, if the pray- erlefs man, if the man that hates God and godlinefs will open to me, / will come in and ftp with him. O what encouragement doth this word, If any man, give to every iinner to fly to Chrift! If any man, who* ever he be, whatever he hath done, if he will welcome me, receive me in the gofpel- offers, I will come in to him. 3. Obferve, Chrift requires ftnners to open the door, that he may come in to teach them ; however unable they be, this is their duty, they muft mint, and ufe alt means to do it, and look up to him for ftrength. He will have the finner's confent, and the foul made will- ing to receive him. O then caft open the door, open it wide, receive Chrift wholly, receive him without re- ferve, open before him the two leaved gates, not the wicket, or one leaf only, but both leaves of the door. 2,et Chrift have the full and free confent of the foul, and abundant entrance into it. There are fome re- folving to open the door to Chrift, others, perhaps, are beginning to open it : O let them not halt in doing. With fome the door is half open, and there they flop. They are almoft but not altogether, Chriftians. O a!- moft Chriaian, why do you halt ? Why would yon SACRAMENTAL AftVICEiic 151 Iofe all the pains you have been at ? A little more would caft the door wide open, and make you an alto- gether Chriftian. Go then a little further, O iinner, to fave your foul. Open to Chrift all the powers and faculties of your foul. Open to him fully here, as you would have him to open freely to you hereafter. Oh, what mean you to open to Chrift only by halves ? the half open door will be ready to go to again ; and, alas ! if fo, it may never open for the future. Let it be your concern then to go a little further than the almoft Chriftian, and reft not in fair beginnings. 4. Obferve, how great the advantage is of opening the door to Chrift ? Why ? I will come into the houfe, faith he, even the friend of finners, the King of Glory will come in, the beft gueft that ever came in to a poor man's houfe : How honourable, how profitable, how happy and blefled muft fuch a vifit be ! Q^For what end will Chrift come in ? A. He will come in to en- lighten the houfe : for the foul is a dark dungeon while Chrift is fliut out : He will come in to adorn and enrich the foul with the ornaments and treafures of his grace ; he will come in to reign in the foul, and pull down the tyrant that hath long oppreft you : As in the text, he will come in and fup with you, and caufe you to fup with him ; And becaufe you have no fitting pro- vifion in the houfe, he will bring it with him. And O how rare are ChrirYs dainties, his hidden manna, the fruits of the tree of life, the grapes of Canaan, the bread that comes down from heaven ! How excellent is the water of life ! One drop of it would be an ever- lafting fpring in thy foul, that would keep thee from thirfting after the creature any more. What a rich feaft are the graces of the Spirit quickened to a lively exercife ! What bleffed feaft is pardon of fin, peace with juftice, peace with the law, and intereft in Chrift's purchafe, intimations of Chrift's love, gofpei promifes applied, communion with God, views of eternal life, well grounded hopes of immortal glory ! &c. O how precious and delicate are thefe gofpei rarities which are 152 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, fet before you on the communion table, and freely ten- dered to every one that opens the door to Chrift ! Who would not welcome fuch a gueft that brings fuch glo- rious provifion with him ? Had poor finners fpiritual appetites fharpened for Chrift's feaft, there would not be fo many fhut doors againft him. 5. Obferve, how folemnly Chrift offers thefe gofpei bleffings to you, with a Behold IJland, &c. Chrift takes witneffes upon it, witneffes againft the refufers : Behold ye angels, and witnefs for me how kind and bountiful my offers are to Adam's rebellious children ! Behold, ye minifters, and witnefs againft thofe who fhut me out. Behold, ye ftones and timber of the houfe, ye elements and communion tables, bear witnefs for me and againft them ! Behold, ye fellow communicants and hearers, bear witnefs one againft another that I knocked, I call- ed, I knocked loud, I knocked long, but ye kept your doors bolted againft me. It is a melancholy thought for thofe who are minifters to entertain, that they will one day be brought in as witneffes againft thofe who fhut out their Saviour ; but when called, they mud witnefs againft fuch, though never fo dear to them now, that Chrift called, but they refufed ; he made kind and large offers, but they regarded them not. O then let every foul fet about fweeping and wafhing all the rooms, and caft open all the doors, as wide as they can, to the King of Glory, and receive him with accla- mation and praife. Take the crown off the head of felf, and put it on the head of Chrift, afcribi ng all the glory of your falvation to him, and nothing to free-will or your own doings. ADVICE IV. From Prov. Ix. 5. Come, eat cf my bread, and drh.k of the toine y \Zfc, Christ is the wifdom of God, who hath made rich provifion for entertaining his people, and hath fet it before them in the ordinance of the Lord's fupper, even SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 153 Chrift crucified, with all the fruits of his purchafe. His fe/h is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed. The fruits we feaft upon are pardon and peace, righteoufnefs and grace, the alfurance of God's love, the confolations of his Spirit, the promifes of the go/pel, and all the earnefts and pledges of eternal life. To this feaft ftarving fouls are invited, to feed by faith upon thofe provifions Chrift hath pre- pared for them, applying them to themfelves, and ta- king the comfort of them. Bread and wine are chofen as fit refemblances of his fpiritual feaft. As bread and wine ferve to preferve our natural life, and to ftrengthen and cheer us when weak or fainting ; fo Chrift crucified, apprehended by faith, prefcrves our fpiritual life, and procures eternal life, ftrengthens weak believers, and cheers drooping fbul§. As bread and wine incorporate with our bodies, fo Chrift by his Spirit dwells in u>, and we by faith and love dwell in him. As bread and wine fatisfy our hun- ger and thirft, fo thofe, who by faith lay hold and par- take of Chrift's flefh and blood, fhall no more hunger or thirft after earthly things. Bread is the mo ft necef- fary thing in the world, hence called the ftafTof bread, it upholds our lives ; fo Chrift is the mercy of mercies^ the moft ufeful and necefiary hi effing to preferve our ftarving fouls. Chrift is the ftafF of bread indeed to believing communicants, a ftarT that fupports you, a ftaff that defends you, a ftaft'that will beat off all your enemies: If you take hold of this ftaff by faith, it will rout and put all your foes to flight. There is ho bread like this ! 1 am the bread of life, iaith Chrift. We read, Judges vK, 13. of a dream of one of the Midianitiih hoft •, he dreamed, when Gideon was com- ing upon them, that a cake of barley bread came tumb- ling into the hoft of Midian, and fmote a tent that it fell to the ground. Strange ! a piece of bread overturn a tent ! Behold the interpretation of that dream in the holy facrament ! Here a piece of bread, if eaten by faith, that will invade the Midianitifh hoft of the devil, and the lufts of the flefh, ftrike down all their tents, 154 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. and put them to flight. Come then, eat of this bread believingly, and take faith's view of Chrift's body rep- refented by it, as bruifed and broken by your fins ; this will weaken their power, and turn your heart againft them", and make you refoive that thefe enemies of Chrift fhall not live in your foul. If the fight of Caefar's bloody robe incenfed the Romans againft the murderers who flew him, much more a fight of Chrift's wounds and bruifes in the facrament, fhould excite you to hate and kill fin, and revenge Chrift's death upon this cruel murderer. Again, would you have ftrength for your wildernefs journey, and for the temptations and trials you meet with, before you have occafion of another facrament ? come, eat of this bread that ftrengtheneth the hearts of men. Here is food more fubftantial, durable, and nourifhing, than Elijah's cake baken on the coals, and his cruife of water provided for him by the angel j and yet it is feid, he went in the Jlrength of that meat forty days and forty nights, until he came to Hortb, the mount of God, i Kings xix. 7, 8. There we find Elijah twice wakened by the angel, that he might take a dou- ble meal : Arife and eat ', for thy journey is long : So God may be faying to thee, O Chriftian traveller, arife and eat \ awake, O faith, awake, O fpiritual appetite, thy journey may be long •, take a good meal, you know not what hills you have to climb, what winds and ftorms may blow in thy face, before another occafion of this fort ; Satan's ftorm may blow, and death's ftorm may blow, fo that you may not fee another table like this, till you come to the mount of God above. This is the fame bread the glorified faints do £c&d on in heaven. Chrift is the manna that came down from heaven to feed perifhing fouls. The Ifraelites' manna was a type of Chrift, and hence called fpiritual bread, 1 Cor. x. 4. The manna was freely given to them, and fell every morning round their tents, and all of them were at freedom to gather it, and there was enough for the whole camp *, fo Chrift is God's free gift, and in him is SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, 155 fulnefs of grace for the whole believing world, and every gofpel hearer is free to gather it, though indeed the morning of our lives is the moil proper gathering time. There was a memorial of this manna preferved in the ark ; fo is there of Chrift in the Lord's fupper, as the food of our fouls. Manna was ground in a mill, or beaten in a mortar, and baken in an oven, before it was fit for food -, fo Chrift was bruifed and ground by his fufferings, and fcorched in the fiery oven of his Father's wrath, that he might become a fit Saviour and fir food for our fouls. But Chriit crucified infinitely excels the Ifraelites' manna : Theirs was peculiar to themfelves, bur Chrift is free to both Jews and Gentiles •, theirs ceafed when they came to Canaan, but ours continues for ever, and is enjoyed moft fully in the Canaan above ; theirs only preferved a natural life, but ours gives a Spiritual and eternal life. O come then, eat of this heavenly bread, when fet before you in plenty, with hunger and uefire, ble fling God for it, faying, JLord, evermore give us this bread : Come with ipirituai appetites and purified hearts. The Ifraelites' manna was laid up in the ark, and kept in a pure golden pot, to teach you to cleanfe your hearts from fin and .corruption, that they may be fit to lodge Jefus Chrift, our heavenly manna. If the vefTels which contain the facramental bread were foul or polluted, •you would cenfure it as mod indecent ; but much more unbecoming is it, to receive Chrill: into a foul heart. Come to this table with humility, and a deep fenfe of your ill defervings, acknowledging, that the leaft crumb of this bread will be a great mercy to fuch an unworthy creature ! Truth, Lord, I am a dog, vile and polluted, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fill from the chiidrens' table ! May I plead for a crumb for thy free mercy's fake. Oh, I am unworthy of the com- mon bread that is fet upon my own table, much more of the heavenly bread that is fet upon thine ! Inftead of bread thou niayelt give a ftone ; inftead of a fmile, a frown •, inftead of the cup of the New Teftament, \ob SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. fealed pardon of all your crimes ; I will give you all the good things of the land, far excelling the richeft fruits of Egypt, even my own body and blood, with all the fpiritual and eternal bleffings purchafed thereby. Objecl. But alas ! I have dealt fo bafely and treach- erously with my brother Jofeph, I have no confidence to go and meet him, I am afraid he frown on me. Anf. He has indeed good ground to do it, but he is full of bowels, tendernefs, and pity to penitents, and moll rea- dy to forgive. Let me advife you to imitate Jacob when going to meet his brother Efau, whofe wrath he very much dreaded : He carried prefents along with him to his brother. In like manner do you take pre- fents along with you, fuch as, i. A broken, contrite and humbled heart, a broken heart he will not defpife. 2. Take faith with you, and the ftronger it is, it will be the more agreeable prefent to Chrift ; put a firm truft and confidence in his blood and bowels, bode and threap kindnefs on him, like the woman of Canaan, Truths Lord) I am a dog ; but dog as I am, I may plead for a crumb, feeing thy faithful word warrants me to do it ; this prefent from that poor creature was fo accep- table to Chrift, that he immediately anfwered, O woman^ great if thy faith >• be it unto thee even as thou ivilty Matth. xv. 28. 3. Take with you a firm purpofe and refolu- tion ? in the ftrength of your brother, not to betray or wound him any more, and feal a covenant with him upon thefe terms. 4. Take with you a fincere heart and purpofe of imitating your brother, and ftudying Conformity to him. Learn of me> faith he, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Thefe prefents would be mod acceptable to your grieved and offended brother. But feeing you have nothing of your own, cry, Lord, give them firft to me, and I'll offer them unto thee. What condefcenfion is this, that Chrift, the King of kings, fhould fay to all believers, Ye are my brethren and fi fters : Who would not defire fo ftand in this honourable relation to an earthly king, and far more to the King of Glory \ Would ye have him then for ^> SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, 353 our brother to own us, fuccour and fympathife with us in all our troubles, let us forthwith embrace and clofe with him by faith, as he is tendered to us in the rich, large, and free offers of the gofpel, and then the rela- tion is prtfently made up. O how inviting and allur- ing is that word, I am Jefus your brother ! It fhould conquer the moft ftubborn will, and make every unbe- lieving heart to receive him like Thomas, and fay, My Lord and my God. Let every believer in diftrefs come like the bee, and fuck honey from this flower, I am Jefus, your brother ; Be not afraid^ it is L Do not miftake me for an enemy in any of my dealings with you ; it is I, your brother, that means you no harm. It is I that loves you, and laid down my life for you ; it is I, who by my blood purchafed and fanclified afflictions to you, to work for your good. It is I that doth all things well, and hath infinite wifdom and love to order and direct every dif- penfation for your intereft and benefit. It was I that fweat blood for you in the garden, was fpit upon and buffeted in the high prieft's hall, and nailed for you to the crofs, and all to purchafe eternal happinefs and glory for my afflicted brethren. I am Jefus your broth- er, Behold my hands and my feet. It is I that died and rofe again for ycu, and have afcended to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God ; and have gone up to prepare a place for you. It is I that fit at the helm, and have all power given to me. It is I that am faithful and true, I have the fame tender heart and yearning bowels for you I had on earth. It is I that never failed any that trufted in me. It is Jefus your brother, who am ftill the fame yefterday, to-day, and for ever. Be not afraid in trouble, it "is I your dear friend and brother; come near to me in the daily ex- ercife of faith. Come near and clofe to me at my table, and take a narrow look to my five big wounds, and draw confolation from them. Behold the two wounds in my hands, and the two wounds in my feet, which were made to bring ycu back from hell to hea- ven. Behold a fifth wound in my fide, and look into 160 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. my heart, and fee it panting with love, and do not ques- tion your brother's love to you any more. ADVICE VI. Trom Matth. xxii. 2. A certain king made a marriage for lis Jon* The gofpel covenant, or covenant of grace, is a marriage covenant betwixt Chrift and believers ; a fur- priiing marriage this is, and yet a marriage of God's making. Wonderful ! The great God is content to give his dear Son in marriage to fallen Adam's daugh- ter, that was become a flave to the devil ! Yea, he hath drawn up the contract, and all the articles of it. Chrift the bridegroom hath cheerfully fubferibed the contract, he dipt the pen in his own blood on the crofs, and put his hand to it in the view of God, angels, men, and all the world. Now the bridegroom wants your con- tent to the marriage contrail, and he hath long been courting you to fubferibe it : Some of you have often been purprfing to do it ; yea, taken the pen in your hand ; but, upon fome fmall temptation, have ftopt and thrown by the pen. This day Chrift hath fet a tryft with you to conclude the bargain, and his ambaiiadors are come, in his name, to fpread the contract before you with all its articles. Well then, Will you go with this man ? Will you put your hand to the* contract ? O fmners, you have no reafon to be fhy in this mat- ter, you have nothing to be vain of, you are mean born, of low extract ; you are loathfome lepers, you are de- formed, black, and have no beauty *, you are cripples, cannot walk, unlefs Chrift lift you \ you are drowned in debt, many old fcores hath Chrift to clear for you, if he match with you. O, who could make love to fuch a wretched creature. Yet, behold, here is one that is fairer than the fons of men, of the blood-royal of heaven, the heir of all things, courting you. Be af- tonifhed, O ye heavens, at this match ! One infinitely SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 161 rich with a beggar, the heir of heaven with the heir of hell, the beauty of heaven and earth with a deformed negro ! But if the bridegroom be content, why ihould you flick ? Can you give any reafon for your refufai or delay ? Now the God of heaven is fetting try ft with you to conclude this bleffed bargain with you at his t?.- ble, and calling you there to (ign and feal a marriage contract with his Son, and that before all the peribns of the glorious Trinity, before the elect: angels, before ChrifVs ambaffadors, and before all the congregation, witnelTes thereto. There have been many meetings heretofore, about this grand affair, to no effect : The world, Satan, and the fleih have formerly broke off the treaty ; forbid it, Lord, that they do it this day. O, that the long fpoke of match, betwixt a crucified Jefus and loft fouls, may hold at laft. This may be the laft tryft, the laft offer Chrift will make •, it may be now or never with you. Lay your hand to your heart then, and conflder well before you refufe. Come, take another view of this beautiful bride- groom, that is in your offer. Behold how delicate bis complexion is, He is white and ruddy* white in regard of his innocence, ruddy in his bloody pafiion. O how peerlefs is his perfon ! how raviihing his beauty ! how charming his voice ! how ftately his goings ! how fra- grant his garments ! They fmell of aloes, myrrh, and caffia ! Search all the world, you cannot find his equal. One glimpfe of him is enough to ravifh men and an- gels : His locks arc black and bitJJjy as the raver. ', his lips are like lillies, dropping ftveet fmcUing myrrh * his legs a r pillars of marble, fet upon fockets of fine gold ; his counte- nance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars ; yea he is al- together lovely I Now, can you refufe fuch a lovely per- fon, efpecially uhen you think he loved you, fo as to fuffer a cruel and bloody death for you, and to fend his portraiture with the marks of his wounds to be put in your hands at his holy table, and all to win your heart ! Come view, and remember the many wounds he received from you, by the thorns which picx o 2 IG2 SACRAMENTAL ADVIl- head, by the pincers that plucked his hair, by the fcourg- es that tore his back, by the nails that pierced his hands and feet, and by the fpear that opened his fide ! Sure- ly thefe wounds do not mar his beauty to the eye of faith ; nay, though he be all over wounded, mangled, and bleeding, yet to a believer he is (till white and rud- dy, the chief Jl among ten thouj and, fairer than all thefons of men, nay than all the fons of God too. Certainly the bridegroom mud be in earned:, when he comes in his marriage robes to win backward hearts ; when he puts on his dyed garments, and is red in his apparel ; when he difplays his glory, brings the mar- riage contract in his hand, fpreads it on the commun- ion table, and calls all who love him to fign it. O that many were made willing in a day of his power, to go into all the articles of his marriage covenant, faying, My heart is now content to go with the man Chrift* that wonderful man ; I confent to all his terms, he is my Lord and my God; my glorious Emmanuel; my be- loved is mine ; and I am his. Queit. I would know par- ticularly what he requires on my part of the contract, that I may diftinctly clofe with him ? Anf. He would have you, I. Convinced of your finking and perifhing (late, while you fland upon the old bottom of a cove- nant of works, and willing to leave it, and leap from it, •and cleave to a covenant of grace, and a borrowed i ighteoufnefs, for all the ground of your hope. 2. He would have you humbled and grieved for your long flighting his kind offers by your unbelief, and for your preferring Satan's drudgery to his fervice. 3. Give up with all other lovers, and thofe that would rival it with Chrift, fuch as fin, the world, and the law ; feif-right- r oufnefs muft be renounced and parted with ; you rauft break league with all Chrift's enemies. 4. Accept of Je- fus Chrift. as your hufband, receive him in all his offices, reft and depend on him alone for righteoufnefs, ftrength, and falvation. 5. Give away yourfelves, foul and body o Chrift, refign your will to his will, and furrender all -on have to his difpofal. 6. Refolve and vow, in SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, 163 ChrifVs ftrength to crucify fin, and walk with him in all the ways of new obedience. 7. Engage to be true and faithful to your hufband, and never to retracl. 8. Keep up the remembrance of your hufband* s coming at the laft day, to folemnize the marriage and take you home to himfelf ; and be always in readinefs to go forth to meet him. The bridegroom is ready long fince, and will foon rend thefe clouds to meet you in the air, and fend his angels to bring you up to him : Therefore, be ye alfo ready, O why doth he delay his coming ? What ftops the wheels of his chariot i Surely it is not becaufe he is unready, but becaufe you are not ready. All the elecl: are not yet brought in to him, and he is determined not to want one of them. O then be providing for the marriage day all proper furniture, robes, jewels, rings, and ornaments, againft the time that Chrift and you take up houfe together in heaven. Be fure to go to Chrift for every bit of your plenifhing, for righteouf- nefs, and all the graces of the Spirit. In the mean time, take home with you the marriage contract, the precious promiles which Chrift hath fubfcribed with his blood, Be often looking into it, and viewing your bridegroom's hand-writ and engagement. His writing is fair and beautiful ; let not Satan or unbelief caft blots upon it to deface it *, keep it fair and legible, and draw all your comforts from it j your hufband is faithful, and will keep his word. ADVICE VII. From Lam. i \%. Behold and see, the Lord haih afflicted me in the day '-f his jierce anger* . With far better ground may Chrift make ufe of thefe words of his church, and call us to behold his fuf- ferings for us under the fierce anger of God, in the day when it pleafed the Lord to bruife him, and put htm to 164 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. grief in our ftead, Ifa. liii. 10. Many things did he fuffer from men and devils ; but his afflictions and bruifes from the immediate hand of God, taking ven- geance for the e'ect's fins, were far more heavy. His foul fufferings were the moft afflicting of all others. Let every communicant behold, fee, and confider thefe with fuitable affections. Behold not only the buffetings, fcourgings, wound- ings, and cruel mockings your lovely Jefus endured from men, the inftruments of God's juftice, but efpecially what he fuffered in his foul by the defertion or dere- liction of God the Father, whereby the gracious influ- ences and comforts from the divine to the human na- ture of Chrift were fufpended for a time, and a black cloud of wrath overwhelmed him, fo that no light ap- peared to him ; which made him cry out, My Gpd, my God, why haft thou forfaken me P Nay, at this time he had a torrent of wrath flowing in upon his foul, and the moft dreadful impreffions of his Father's anger, and the law's curfe, which fell upon him for man's fin, when he was made a curfe for us, that it caft him into a fit of fore amazement, confternation, and terrible agony, and into a fweat of blood. The fire of wrath raging in his foul affected his body fo, that it dried up his ftrength and moifture as a potfherd, and made his tongue cleave to his jaws. He held his peace under all his fufferings from men, and opened not his mouth *, but when God's immediate wrath fell heavily on him, then he cried out. It is faid, He put up prayers and fupplications, with Jlrong crying and tears, Heb. v. 7. Yet God would not fpare him, nor abate him one ftripe or farthing of the debt \ let him cry never fo loud, juftice was inexorable \ he muft fatisfy to the full. O ! can you fee the great Emmanuel fubftitute in your room or ftead ; God acting againft him as an in- exorable judge ; Jehovah running upon him as a giant, not only withdrawing his countenance, and all feeling of his loving kindnefs from him, but making him the butt cf his envenomed arrows, and not be filled with SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 165 admiration at ChrifVs love, and forrow for your fins, which brought fuch a florm of wrath upon him ! O how fad were the bruifes ! How deep were the wounds ! How wide the gaihes ! and how heavy the blows he got from the fword of juftice for our fins ? 1 he fword was not dull or fleepy, but furbifhed and awakened by jullice to the execution. O how heavy were the blows our furety got from this awakened fword in the garden of Gethfemane, which made his foul exceeding forrowf ul, and put him in a dreadful agony and bloody fweat ! Behold and fee how patiently he drank the bitter cup of God's wrath for you, the poifon whereof drank up his fpb'itSy and made his blood to boil in his veins, and burft though his body, clothes and all ! He fweat without any outward fire or heat, and bled without any exter- nal wound ! Behold his garments dyed red, and the ground and grafs where he lay all bedewed with his precious blood ! Behold him broken with breach up- on breach, till all the fea billows of divine vengeance went over him, fo that he fell to the ground, was cov- ered with blood, and overwhelmed with wrath ! Be- hold and fee, if there be any forrow like his forrows ! It is faid, Mark xiv. 33. He began to be fore amazed and very heavy ! Which fhews what a load and pref- fure of wrath his foul lay under, that put him in an ag- ony that ftill increafed more and more, like the waters in Ezekiel's vifion, ftill deeper and deeper, from the an- cles to the knees, till they became waters to fwim in ; yea, fwellcd into an ocean that would have overwhelm- ed the whole elect world. Into this ocean our blefTed Jonah was willing to be thrown for our fake, and in it he continued to fwim until he brought every elecl foul fafe afhore. It is recorded of Abraham, when offering his facrifice, Gen. xv. 12. That in the evenings to! an horror of great darhiefs fell upon him. This was verified much more of Chrilt in the evening before his paflion in the garden : There a terrible horror of great dark- nefs fell upon Chrift's foul, which made him exceeding heavy and fore amazed, at the profpecl of the fea of 166 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. wrath that was coming rolling upon him, while the Fa- ther was hiding his face from him. O how great was the anguifh of ChrifVs mind at this time, when he found himfeif preflcd and bruifed^betwixt the millftone of God's juftice and our fins ? Which preffure made him fweat without heat, and bleed without wound ! Ah ! the fire, the heat, the wounds were inward, even in his foul ! communicants, behold and fee Chrift's forrows for you, nothing can be more acceptable to Chrift than often to meditate thereon with admiration and love. If any of you had loft a hand, or even a fin- ger, in defending or refcuing your friend from an ene- my, you would expect he would be ever mindful of the favour, and never forget you. But, O ! what is that to the fufferings of the Son of God for you ? He hath loft not a hand, but his heart's blood : yea, the favour and countenance of God for you for a time. He left his glorious throne in heaven, and ftooped to become a man, a poor man, a man of forrows, a deferted man, and a dead man for you. Nay, he was willing to be made a curfe for you, and to take on a dreadful load of wrath upon his innocent foul ; yea, infinitely more than any damned foul in hell can bear •, and to fwim long in a fea of wrath, to fave you from perifhing in it. Let the furprifing love of Chrift fill your foul with won- der, and kindle a flame of love in your foul to him. Again, meditate on Chrift's forrows, with deep for- row for iin the caufe thereof. Believe that amazing word, Ifa. liii. 6. He was wounded for our tranfgrejjwns^ he was bruifedfor cur iniquities. Let the found of it ne- ver go out of your ears •, fay, Oh ! my fins were the the thorns which pierced his head, the nails which pierced his hands, and the fpear which pierced his fide. My curfed fins put the Lord of lffe to a cruel death, they wounded him more than all his other enemies. When my dear Lord was in the garden, no Judas, no Pilate, no Jew nor Gentile was there, to caufe his ama- zing horror of foul, and his fearful fweat of blood ; but, Oh ! my unbelief, my pride, my carnality, my hy- SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 16? pocrify, and other fins were there, and with their weight prefTed him to the ground, and brought that agony and fweat upon him. Oh, that my head were waters, that I mi^ht weep a flood of tears for my fins. Laftly y abhor fin as the greateft evil, and never have flight thoughts of it any more ; can you behold your agonizing Saviour under a burden of wrath, and hear him complaining of the burning heat and thirft which the fire of juftice created within him ! Can you fee the great drops of blood ftanding above his garments ! Can you hear his cries and roarings under the bruifes and anguifh of his foul, and not be .convinced of the evr and demerit of fin ! Can that- fit light upon your foul, which fat fo heavy upon Chrift's foul ? O what defperate malignity mult there be in thar, which could not be expiated without fuch a cofHy farririce ! Look on them as fools who make a fport of fin, which coft the Son of God -fo much foul travail and inward hor- ror : Never yield any more to the temptations of fin<> which coft fo dear before it could be forgiven. advice VIH. From Matth. xxvi. 27. They ivere exceeding firroivfui % and began every one tofay.L^rd, is it I? It was a commendable exercife of Chrift's difciples before partaking of the holy fupper, to be fearching themfelves, and looking inward with a holy fuspicion upon their own hearts, efpeciaily when Chrift had told them, there was a traitor among them, and at the fame time looking up to him that is omnifcient, to affift them in the fearch, faying, Lord, is it I ? Am I the traitor ? Will I betray my dear Lord and Saviour ? Ah ! eve- ry one of us have within us traiterous hearts to Jefus Chrift, and have reafon to fufpect ourfelves as they did, and acknowledge we have many enemies of Chrift lodg- ed in our bofoms. fuch as unbelief, hypocrify, pridc ? 168 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. malice, envy, ambition, worldlinefs, atheifm, wanderings from God, backwardnefs to duty, &c. by which we have betrayed Jefus Chrift. And as the difciples when Searching themfelves, were exceeding forrowful, fo ought we before we partake; and good reafon have we for it, when we reflect upon our former guilt and treacherous dealing with God, and when we confider the prefent deceitfulnefs and defperate wickednefs of our hearts, and that they are as ready to betray Chrift as ever ; yea, that there is hypocrify and treachery in our hearts againft Chrift, which we have not yet dis- covered. Upon all which accounts, we have ground with the difciples to be exceeding forrowful. ■ Now is the time, O communicants, to fearchand ex- amine yourfelves, and to be exceeding forrowful for the many traiterous wounds you have given Chrift by break- ing both tables of the law, and every command thereof, by finning againft light and confcience, againft mercies and judgments, warnings and reproofs, confeffions and prayers. By unthankfulnefs for redeeming love, neg- lecting gofpel offers, not loving and refting upon a cru- cified Jefus, not accounting all things lofs and dung for him ; not delighting in attending his ordinances, and in remembering his love in the holy fupper. O how treacherous have your hearts been to Chrift! how blood- thirtiy have your fins been againft him, in prefting him down in the garden, in nailing hi in to the curfed tree ! How are you able t*> look to Gethfemane or Golgotha, ■with unconcerned hearts or dry eyes ! Were not your fins the principal actors in that horrid tragedy ? Thefe, to be fure, were the traitors, which, by the hands of Judas, delivered up Jefus to be crucified : What were Pilate, the Jews, or Romans, but the executioners of your fins ? Who put the fword in Juftice's hands ? Who raifed the tempeft of wrath againft your furety ? Gh ! it was your fins. Blame none fo much as them •, they were the Judas that betrayed him, the Herod that mocked him, the Pilate that condemned him, and the foldier that pierced him ; will you not then be exceed- SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 161) Iiig forrowful for your traiterous heart, and bloody fins ? Could they ever have been guilty of a more horrid crime than murdering the Lord of Glory ? O fhall the rocks about Jerufalem rend afunder, the earth tremble and fhake, the fun veil its face, and the whole heavens put on a mourning habit, when Chrift fuffered for your fins ? And (hall you the criminals, who de~ ferved all this punifhment, ftand unaffected ? O what ftupid hearts mu(t you have, if they do not mourn for your fins which brought on fuch agonies upon the Son o£ God, before they could be expiated. Had you in your paflion given a deadly wound to any poor inno- cent man, your heart would have bled for it all your days ; and will not your hearts much more relent for Slaughtering the innocent Limb of God ! One that never wronged you, but was always interpofing for you Lnd doing you good ! Remember what David faid to the Lord, when he faw the people deftroyed for his fin, 2 Sam. xxiv. 17. Lo, I have finned and done wickedly, but as for thefe peep r.uhat have they done? In like manner fay you, Lord, I have finned, I have done wickedly, but as for this fpot- lc(s Lamb what hath he done ? I have eaten the four grapes, but his teeth were fet on edge. O when will your heart melt, and your eyes weep, if not now ? Ne- ver was there fuch a moving fight fet before your eyes, as the Lord of Glory pierced and flain by your fins. Now it is, that deep calLih unto deep y deep fuffefittgs in Chrij'i for deep forrow in thee. O faith one, I deiire to be grieved for my hypocrify tmd treacherous dealing with Chrift, and for fin that crucified him, bur how fhall I know if my forrow be of the right fort? Anf. Examine it by fuch marks as thefe. 1. Godly forrow is accompanied with fome view of the mercy of God in Chrift, which fupports the foul, and keeps it from defpair. Judas's forrow, however deep it was, wanted this neceffary ingredient. 2. If true, it will be univerfal, both for your own fins, and the fins of others ; for $he tins of :he place where P 168 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. malice, envy, ambition, worldlinefs, atheifm, wanderings from God, backwardnefs to duty, Sec. by which we have betrayed Jefus Chrift. And as the difciples when fearching themfelves, were exceeding forrowful, fo ought we before we partake; and good reafon have we for it, when we reflect upon our former guilt and treacherous dealing with God, and when we confider the prefent deceitfulnefs and defperate wickednefs of our hearts, and that they are as ready to betray Chrift as ever ; yea, that there is hyporrify and treachery in our hearts againft Chrift, which we have not yet dis- covered. Upon all which accounts, we have ground with the difciples to be exceeding forrowful. • Now is the time, O communicants, to fearch and ex- amine yourfelves, and to be exceeding forrowful for the many traiterous wounds you have given Chrift by break- ing both tables of the law, and every command thereof, by finning againft light and confeience, againft mercies and judgments, warnings and reproofs, confefiions and prayers. By unthankfulnefs for redeeming love, neg- lecting gofpel offers, not loving and refting upon a cru- cified Jtrfus, not accounting all things lofs and dung for him ; not delighting in attending his ordinances, and in remembering his love in the holy fupper. O how treacherous have your hearts been to Chrift! how blood- thirtty have your fins been againft him, in prefling him down in the garden, in nailing him to the curfed tree ! How are you able t*> look to Gethfemane or Golgotha, with unconcerned hearts or dry eyes ! Were not your fins the principal actors in that horrid tragedy ? Thefe, to be fure, were the traitors, which, by the hands of Judas, delivered up Jefus to be crucified : What were Pilate, the Jews, or Romans, but the executioners of your fins ? Who put the fword in Juftice's hands ? Who raifed the tempeft of wrath againft your furety ? Oh ! it was your fins. Blame none fo much as them ; they were the Judas that betrayed him, the Herod that mocked him, the Pilate that condemned him, and the foldier that pierced him ; will you not then be exceed- SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. WJ ing forrowful for your traiterous heart, and bloody lins ? Could they ever have been guilty of a more horrid crime than murdering the Lord of Glory ? O fhall the rocks about Jerufalem rend afunder, the earth tremble and fhake, the fun veil its face, and the whole heavens put on a mourning habit, when Chrift fufFered for your fins ? And (hall you the criminals, who de- ferved all this punifhment, ftand unaffected ? O what ftupid hearts mu(t you have, if they do not mourn for your fins which brought on fuch agonies upon the Son of God, before they could be expiated. Had you in your paftion given a deadly wound to any poor inno- cent man, your heart would have bled for it all your days ; and will not your hearts much more relent for flaughtering the innocent Lamb of God ! One that never wronged you, but was always interpofing for you tnd doing you good ! Remember what David faid to the Lord, when he faw the people deftroyed for his fin, 2 Sam. xxiv. 17. Lo, I have Jlnned and done wickedly, but as fir thefe Jljeep ^.vhat have they done? In like manner fay you, Lord, I have finned, I have done wickedly, but as for this fpot- lefs Lamb what hath he done ? I have eaten the four grapes, but his teeth were fet on edge. O when will your heart melt, and your eyes weep, if not now ? Ne- ver was there fuch a moving fight fet before your eyes, as the Lord of Glory pierced and flain by your fins. Now it is, that deep calLlh unto deep y deep fufFering r , in Chrift for deep forrow in thee. O faith one, I defire to be grieved for my hypocrify nud treacherous dealing with Chrift, and for fin that crucified him, bur how fhall I know if my forrow be of the right fort ? Anf. Examine it by fuch marks as thefe. 1. Godly fDrrow is accompanied with fome view of the mercy of God in Chrift, which fupports the foul, and keeps it from defpair. Judas's forrow, however deep it was, wanted this neceffary ingredient. 2. If true, it will be univerfal, b:nh for your own fins, and the fins of others ; for *he fins of the place where P 170 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. you live, and for thofe of the whole land. 3. If it be right forrow, it will bring you to confider the aggrava- tions and heinous circumftances of your fins, as being againft light, againft love, and againft folemn engage- ments and profeftions of friendfhip, fo as to mourn and cry how traiterous hath my heart been to fo kind a mafler ! 4. It will produce thefe feven happy effects mentioned, 2. Cor. vii. 11. There it is faid, godly forrow for fin works, 1. Carefulnefs, that is, a care to recover peace with God for what is paft, and to pleafe God for the time to come, by amending what is amifs, and avoiding all temptations and occafions that lead to fin. 2. Clearing of yourfelves, by mourning over the fins of other men, diftenting from them, and fhewing your deteftation of them. 3. Indignation againft fin, as the abominable thing which God hates. The heart of a true penitent rifes, fwells, and boils againft fin. Then it is you are angry and fin not, when you are angry at tin, and at yourfelves for fin. 4. Fear ; the true penitent fears to offend God as he hath done ; and that he may not do it, he nourifheth a holy fear and awful imprehion of the holinefs of God, and alfo a fear of holy jealoufy and watchfulnefs over himfelf, left fin furprife him at any time. 5. Vehement defire, to wit, after reconciliation with God through Chri ft, and after reformation of every thing amifs, and to be entirely rid of all fin. 6. Godly forrow produceth zeal, which is an affection or grace compounded of love and anger, to wit, love to God and duty, and anger againft fin, and every thing oppofite to God. 7. Revenge, by feeking the utter extirpation of iin, by fafting, mortifying the He ih, and denying yourfelves in fome things lawful for a time. A good way to execute this revenge againft fin, is for penitents to take frequent views of the deep and bloody wounds which fin hath given to your dear Redeemer. It is written of the Emperor Julius Crefar, that after he was murdered in the fenate, they brought forth his robe all befmeared with his blood to the mar- ket phce, and expoied it to open view, in order to SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 171 awaken his friends, to take revenge upon his enemies. This is furely one deflgn of the holy facrament to awaken your zeal againft fin, which murdered the Lord of Glory. La illy, Godly forrow for fin, will drive you to Chrift for help againft fin y it will make you flee to Chrift for deliverance from an ill heart, as well as from the wrath that ftn deferveth : hence the apoftle cried, O wretched man that I am / who Ji hall deliver me from of this death ? Rom. vii. 24. ADVICE IX. From Heb vl. 18. IVbo ha-vs Jied fir refoge % to faj} bold upon tbehtft :et befir; us. We have here a two fold defcription of true believ- ers, which come to one: 1. They are fuch as have fled to Chrift as the true city of refuge, to fhelter them from avenging juftice. 2. They are fuch as have by faith laid hold on Chrift fet before them in the gofpel promife, as their only hope of falvation. Chrift is our refuge city from the curfes of the law which hang over us, from the avenger of blood, divine juftice rhar purfues us, and from the devils which lie in wait for us. The cities of refuge under the law were fix, but under the gofpel we have one better than them all. Theirs only protected the body from the wrath of man, but ours doth protect both foul and body, from the wrath of an angry God. The way to it is made plain and patient, pillars are fet up, Chrift's minifters to direct finners in the way to it. In this bicffed city there is protection, inftruction, proviiion, and ful ^efs for all that flee to it. Here is all our hope of falvai : . n, and it is in vain to hope for fafety any where elfe. Now, communicants, this bleffed hope is fet before you *, come lay hold on it, and cleave faft to it. Now the city is fet on a hill, the way to it prepared, and the gates open : The gofpel trumpet is founded, and pro- 172 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. clamation made, whofoever flies to the city, be his cafe what it will, fhali in no wife be caft out. Under the law he that faw his danger, and fled to the city of refuge, did firmly believe there was fafety and fecurity for him by public authority in that privi- ledged place, if he could but get into it in time before the avenger of blood did overtake him : Therefore he earnestly deilred to be once within the gates of it, and for that end, put forth his utmoft vigour in running. He did not linger, halt, nor fit down by the way ; nor would he turn ailde to any crooked by-path that might lead him about, but kept the ftraight and neareft way to the city, as the pillars fet up directed him. No per- fuaflon of any man could make him look or flee to any other city, cattle, or hiding-place for fafety, but to the city authorifed by law. In like manner let every con- vinced finr.er, learn from this to flee to Jefus Chrift our fafety from wrath, as the only refuge appointed by God for him. Look, defire, and pant earneftly to be within the gates. O flnner, run with fpeed, now the gates are wide open in the Word and in the facramenf. Put forth your utmoft vigour, and efcape for your life : Do not linger nor delay, but flee as one that fees juf- tice dcfe at your heels. Avoid all other fhelters and by-ways for relief; away with carnal company, finful pleafures, worldly mirth or diverfions : Nay, take no (belter in your own duties and performances ; believe that none of thefe can fcreen or protect you from the fword of ju ft ice ; and that none elfe can, but he who is The Lord oar righteoufncfs. Of old, nothing couid itop the man when flying to the city of refuge : Had his wife and children hung about him, or his own heart fuggeiled to him, will you leave your houfe, your garden, lands, relations, and many accommodations, and go to a ftrange city and fpend your days ? He would have flung them all from him, and taken flight, faying to wife and children, bet- ter part with all things than part with my life ; if you will not follow me, I muft leave you all behind. So SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 173 let awakened fouls flee with fpeed and refolution to Je- fus Chrift 5 fay to the world's profits, fins, pleafures, Satan's allurements, and whatever would tempt you to flay behind, get you hence, away with every thing that would hinder me from Chrift. My Saviour and my foul are more precious to me than all the world \ take all things from me and give me Chrift. How great was Jerome, one of the ancient fathers, his love to Chrift \ how ftrong was his refolution, when he faid, " If my father was weeping on his knees before me, M my mother hanging about my neck behind me, my " brethren, fifters, and kinsfolk howling on every fide " to retain me from Chrift, I would caft my mother to " the ground, run over my father, and defpife all my " kindred, tread all under my feet, and run to Chrift." O awakened foul, behold how Chrift difplays his love to thee in the facrament, he opens his wounds to be a refuge and hiding-place to thee, and calls aloud to thee to come and flee in thither, Turn ye, turn ye y why will ye die ? To whom will ye flee for help, when the aven- ger of blood is at your heels, if ye fi^t not to Chrift the only refuge from wrath ? Hills and mountains, feas ,ind depths, heaven and earth, cannot hide thee from the ftorm, if Chrift do it not. Now you have a noble opportunity* while the clefts of Chrift's wounds ftand open, and the blefTed hope fet before you in the iacra- ment, and Chrift ftretching out his hand, and waiting to fee who will rife and flee to him. O to fee fouls rifing in flocks, and flying as doves to their windows : What a pleafing fight would this be. O, faith one, I cannot rife, my wings are dipt, my foul clogged, I cannot mount up. Anfw. If you can- not mount up as with eagle's wings, fee if you can run to Chrift, and kneel before him, like that young man, Mark x. 17. Object. I find myfelf fo burdened and heavy laden, that I cannot run. Anf. Then fhew a willingnefs to run to Chrift, and cry, Draw me, and I will run after thee ; even a deiire to run will be accept- ed, as of thofe in Nehemiah i. 1 1. Object. Bat, fa 174 SACRAMENTAL ADVICE3. one, my heart is fo dead and fhggifh, I have neither ftrength nor will to run to Chrift. Anf. If you can- not run, then fee if you can but "go towards him ; for we read in Jeremiah ii. 2. thofe who went after him in the wildernefs were accepted of him. Object. Alas, faith one, I am fo weak and feeble, 1 cannot go. Anf. Then endeavour to creep and move towards him as you can. Object. But I am fo lame and impotent, both in hands and feet, that I cannot creep or move. Anf. If you cannot/ move to Chrift, then look to Chrift, as the Ifraelites did when ftung with fiery ferpents. Chrift calls every feeble foul to do it, Ifa. xlv. 22. Look unto me, and be ye faved y all the ends of the earth * and would you have Chrift come any lower than a look ! O look up to Jefus as lifted up upon the pole of the crofs, for all nations to behold him. Object. My eyes are dim, the crofs far off; Jerufalem, where it was fet up, is out of fight. Anf. The pole of the gofpel, and of the facrament, on which Chrift is now lifted up, is near at hand ; look up to him thereon, and be faved. Object. Saith one, I am {0 burdened with guilt, I can- not lift mine eyes. Anf. Then He lew before him, like the humble publican, who was fo burdened, that he was aihamed to lift up his eyes to heaven, and, under a deep fenfe of his vilenefs, cried, God be merciful to me a frmer, and fo doing was accepted. In like manner ;,uuVe ^rirfelves before a merciful Redeemer, and ad his promife, Matth. xi. 28. Truft his word for ..b and reft to your burdened foul. ADVICE X. m John iii. 14. Even jo must tie Son of man be lifted vp % The lifting up of the brazen ferpent upon a pole, to lieal ferpent- ftiing Ifraelites, was a type of the lifting up i f Chrift on the crofs, to heal convinced finners of their wounds by fin. As there was but one brazen ferpent for healing the whole camp of Ifrael, fo Chrift rfucified is the ovJv remedv and Saviour for a loft SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 175 world. He muft be lifted up ; his dying on the crofs was necefTary to fulfil his engagements from eternity to be our furety ; he muft be offered up as a facrifice to fatisfy divine juftice for the fins of men, feeing nothing elfe could do it. Though Chrift's engagement to fuf- fer for us, was entirely voluntary at firft, yet having once undertaken, it became neceffary for him to be lift- ed up. And glory to him that would not go back from his word, however great his fufferings were. Come then, O communicants, behold and confider, with fuitable thoughts and affections, your lifted up Je- fus dying on the crofs. After he had borne the heavy crofs on his bleeding fhoulders up mount Calvary, this crofs muft next bear him upon the top of the mount, being firft nailed to it, and lifted up with it. Come, fee how this was done : Behold the crofs-tree laid down upon the ground, and the Lord Jefus ftript naked, laid on his back with hands and feet ftretched out upon the tree, that they might take the meafure of his body, and mark the holes for the nails ! and lo, they take the meafure longer than the truth, that they might both crucify and rack him at once, till his bones fhould go out of joint : So the crofs was a rack as well as death. Our firft parents ftretched forth their guilty hands to take the forbidden fruit from the tree, therefore our glorious Saviour did willingly ftretch forth his inno- cent hands to be nailed to the tree, to fatisfy for their guilt. Come fee four big nails driven into his hands and feet, the moil finewy and fenfible parts of his bo- dy, and faftened to the tree ; apply your ear, and hear the hideous found of the hammers knock in thefe nails ! Oh, your fins were the hammers did it, mourn for them. Come next and fee the Lord of Glory, when nailed faft to the tree, lifted up with it on high, and made to ftand upright to the view of all the world. And then the foot of the tree let fall down with violence into the deep hole they had digged to faften it, which fall did unfpeakably increafe his torments, and rend the four 176 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. wounds made by the nails. Thus his own weight be- came his torture, ftill widening the wounds more and more, till all his precious blood ftreamed out of them. Behold your great Emmanuel lilted on a crofs betwixt heaven and earth, as if he had been unworthy of a place in either, hanging betwixt two thieves, as if he had been the greateit. malefactor of the three. O what a fpectacle was your Redeemer to both heaven and earth when thus lifted up ! An aftonifhment to angels ! A derifion to the wicked ! Compunction to believers ! but a facrifice acceptable to the juftice of his eternal Father ! Look on this moving fpectacle with deep for- row for fin that fattened him to the tree, and made him hang on thefe tormenting nails for feveral hours without comfort inward or outward. No way could he turn for eafe being fixed to the tree ; if he ftirred his blefTed body at all, he was tormented afrefh by the wounds of his hands and feet, on which the whole weight of his body did hang •, if he had moved his head, which had the crown of thorns on it, the thorns would but pierce into it deeper, yet for all this he com- plained not ; no figh or groan was heard from him, but what he offered up to God for your fins. When the Son of Man was thus lifted up, obferve how the ftreams of his precious blood run down to the ground, and flood in a little pool at the foot of the crofs, until the earth drank it up. Let this fight affect your hearts, and open all the fprings of forrow for fin that pierced him. Sit down at the foot of the crofs, and receive the facred blood, as it falls, upon your hard hearts ; let it drop on them, until it make them as foft as the ground it fell on. Let it drop on all the fores and wounds of your fouls, for it is the balm that muii heal them. Obferve alfo the great extent of Chriffs fufferings at this time, they reached to all the parts of his body, and to all the powers of his foul : He fuffer- ed in all his fenfes, his feeing, with the fcornful gef- tures of his enemies ; his hearing, with their feoffs and blafphemies •> his fmell, with the noifome flench of SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 177 Golgotha - 7 his tafte, with gall and vinegar ; his feeling, with the piercing nails and thorns. Behold his hands, that were ftill bellowing blefliiigs, now fixed with nails ; his feet, that walked in God's ways, now digged through ; his bowels, that yearned for dinners, now fhrunk and dried up ; his lips, that fpoke as never man fpoke, now fwollen with blows. Now he fuffered on the crofs till his Jirength was dried up /ike a pot/herd, and his tongue cleaved to his jaius ; the fire of God's wrath fcorched him inwardly, which made him cry out, I thirj}. His enemies mingled, at this time, a cup of vinegar and gall to him, which he refufed ; but, glory to him, he refufed not the cup which his Father min- gled to him, though filled with wrath and curfes j This he drank for us, though it filled his whole foul with anguifh and made him roar and complain of his Father's deferting him : The arrows of the Almighty were within him, the poifon whereof drank up his fpirit. Amidft thefe fearful fufferings, our lifted Jefus expired willingly offering up himfelf, on the crofs, a propitiatory facrifice for us. O believers, did Chrift lift up himfelf as a willing facrifice for you on the crofs, fee then to lift up the gates of your fouls to receive in this Saviour •, let him have a joyful welcome into your fouls, and give him the beft entertainment, the heft affections, and the heft fer- vice. Did he willingly ftretch out his arms to be nail- ed to the crofs for you ? Then be not unwilling to ftretch out the arms of faith to embrace him ; but fee to embrace him wholly in all his offices, of prophet, prieft, and king ; be willing to be taught, faved, and ruled by him. Was Chrift lifted up on the crofs (as the brazen ferpent was lifted up in the wildernefs) for healing all the flings and wounds given us by fin and Satan ? O then look up to him with the eye of faith for healing. This is the great remedy of God's con- triving and providing, put ftrong confidence in it, and look to it with hope and expectation : Never diftruft ihe virtue of God's remedy, nor defbair of healing from 178 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. it, however deep your flings, or large your wounds be : For Chrift was lifted up to be a remedy for the chief of finners, i Tim. i. 15. and none ever perifhed that looked to him. Was Chrift willing to be lifted up to fufFer for you ? Then let your hearts be lifted up to ferve and obey him, like King Jehofhaphat, whofe heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord, 2 Chron. xvii. 6. Lift up your heart with your voice in his praife ; fpeak of the glorious honour of his Majefty, and make known his mighty a£h : Obey his commands, and par- ticularly his dying command : to remember him at his table with activity and delight : Go with lifted up hearts to a communion table to remember him, that went fo willingly to be lifted upon a bloody crofs for you. The ancient exhortation to communicants was Surfum Cor- da, " Lift up your hearts to meet with a lifted up « Jefus." ADVICE XL From Exod. xiv. I J. Sprat unto the thildren of Israel, thai ibey go foriuard. This is the anfwer of Mofes' prayer for Ifrael when in a great (trait at the Red fea. It is faid, he cried to God, yet we read not of one word he fpake : He only lift up his heart to God, who well underitands the lan- guage of the heart. Mofes* filent prayers of faith pre- vailed more with God, than IfraeFs loud outcries of fear. A believing communicant may, in a ftrait, cry to God, in prayer, without fpeaking a word \ fo did Mo- fes here for fainting Ifrael. When they came out of the land of bondage, and fled from Pharaoh's tyranny, the Lord ordered them to march towards the fea j but now when they are near to it, and fee Pharaoh's migh- ty army purfuing, and ciofe at their heels, they are in a great ftrait what courfe to take, they think certainly they muft tarn either to the right or left hand to make SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 179 their efcape from Pharaoh ; no, faith God, fpeak to them to go fiill forward, as frraight towards the fea, as if they faw a fleet of tranfport fhips there waiting to take them in. O, might they think, " This is a hard " command, go forward, when we fee nothing but the « deep devouring fea before us ; as good go back to " the Egyptians, or (land ftill until they come up and " put us to the fword, as go forward into the fea and u be drowned : Will the deep fea have any more mer- « cy on us than the cruel Egyptians." But faith the Lord, make no objections, afk no queftions, let the peo- ple go forward, obey my command, and truft me with their lives. Obferve here, O timorous communicant, O doubting believer, when you are in fears and ftraits with refpedt to the management or fuccefs of your duty, you are to let yourfelves to obey God's command, go forward in the ufe of means, with a iincere heart, and leave the event to God. You may poffibly, at this time, be brought to the ftraitening cafe of the children of Ifra- el, when at the brink of the Red fea, and their hearts in great perplexity, ready to fink within them for fear. Some may be faying within themfelves, How fhall fuch a vile black unworthy creature go forward to the Red fea of Chrift's blood, who hath both fpilt it and defpif- ed it ? How fhall I, after all, venture to go forward, to wafh or barhe my unclean foul in it ? Well, it is God's plain command to you to go forward to it, however heavy laden you be with guilt, fee i John iii. 23. Mat. xi. 28. John i. 29. others as vile and black have obeyed his command, have gone forward to this Red fea, and bten wafhed in it, fee 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 1 1. yea, we read, A£ts ii. 36. of three thoufand of thofe who actually embrued their hands in this blood, who were wafhed by it. How wonderful is its virtue ! It is able to take away the fins of a whole world, and much more the fins of a few ; therefore d > not, O fmner, rebel againft Cod's command any longer. Again, confider what is God's fpecial command to 180 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. thee at this time, namely, Do this in remembrance of me , his precept is plain and exprefs to keep up the memory of his love to loft men. Can you think to look on his face with comfort at the laft day, if you have no plea- sure to remember him now : Surely his prefence will be terrible then to thofe, to whom his memory is not delightful now. But you may have ftraits and difficul- ties about this duty. O, faith one, " My ftrait is great, *< I know not what to do \ whether to flay back from «* God's holy table, or go forward : If 1 flay back, I " difobey'my dying Saviour's command, to fhew forth c< his death in this manner : If I go forward unwor- st thily, I contracl the guilt of his body and blood, and " eat and drink my own damnation. Alas, what fhall u I do ? my need of Chrift and his blood is fo great, •! I cannot think of flaying back ; and yet my prepa- •" ration is fo little, I know not how to go forward. — - ci Ah, my unworthinefs is great, how fhall I go to the " table of fo great a king in the ftate and cafe I am in, " fo v ; le, fo finful, fo indifpofed, fo hard hearted ? If M the woman that had the bloody ifTue feared fo much " to come and touch the hem of ChrifVs garment, how c< much more may I who am full of the running if- u fues of fin, fear to go forward to touch the facred Ci fymbols of his body and blood, and put my hand in- « to his wounds, and feel the print of the nails ?" Come then, unworthy as you are, obey Chrift's com- mand., and venture your foul in his hand : Go forward with all the preparation you can attain to, deeply fen- Qble of your own vilenefs, and humbled for your fhort- comings, trufting in the worthinefs of the Lamb that was {lain to anfwer for your unworthinefs, in his blood to wafh away your pollution, and in his ftrength to help your weaknefs. Venture forward, faying, like Jehofhaphat, " Lord, I have no ability, no might for € < this great ordinance, neither know I what to do ; but c < my eyes are unto thee, it is in thy name, in thy " ftrength, and at thy command, that I go forward to (t remember a dying Jefus at his holy table. Lord, put SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 181 <* on me the wedding garment, prepare, receive and " welcome me." Object. Some may fay, they are only the children of Ifrael, who, in the text, are bid go forward \ and we are afraid we are none of thefe. Anf All are bidden, without exception, come to Chrift ; yea, even the ftout hearted are called to go to him. Now, if you come to Chrift, it will be a lure proof of your being Ifraei's children, and among thofe who are bid go forward. Minifters indeed have a fpecial commiffion to fpeak to the children of Ifrael, that they go forward to his ta- ble ; whoever flay back, they ought not. Queft. Who are thofe that mav be numbered among Xfrael's children, or the feed of Jacob ? Ans. The chil- dren of Jacub or Ifrael, if they be of the true kind, will be like their, father, particularly in thefe things ; firft, Jacob was a great wreftler with God in prayer, and hence he got the name of Ifrael, he wept and made fuppiications at Bethel, and prevailed as a prince with God, which is the meaning of the name of Ifrael. Now, if you be wreftlers with God, you are Ifraei's 'children, and called to go forward. Second, Jacob was a plain man, fo he is called, Gen. xxv. 27. that is, a (ingle hearted man : It was by this character that Chrift defcribes a true Ifrael ite, John i. 47. Behold aft Xfraelite indeed \ in vjhom is no guile. Now, if you itudy godiy fincerity, and plain dealing in your behaviour both to God and man, you are Ifraei's children, and called to go forward. Third, Jacob had faith in Chrift, and believing views of him as the glorious Shilch \ he waited for his coming, drew his comfort from it, and rejoiced in the gathering of the people to him : If it be fo with you, then we bid you <f fcattered fo)- diers unto it, but it is feen by few ; but a crucified je- fus lifted up in the gofpel, is an enfign to draw great multitudes in different nations under the banner of his love, Ifa. xi. 10. The firft experiment that was made of its virtue in Jerufalem by the apoftle Peter, three thoufand fouls were drawn to Chrift at once, and after that many nations, that knew him not, did run unto 184 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. him. Come then, O finners, admire and experience the power of this lifted up enfign ; let your ircfn hearts be drawn by this loadftone ; it hath loft nothing of its virtue to this day. Thoufands of hearts in other pla- ces do ftill feel its power : We are fometimes refrefhed with the welcome news of their being drawn off from the vanities of time, and the love of iin, to glorious Chrift : Why then do not your hearts alio yield to the power of this blefTed loadftone, Chrift crucified, lifted up in the word and facrament ? It hath the fame virtue here as elfe where, were but the eyes of faith opened to behold it, according to that alluring call, Ha. xiv. 2Z. When Chrift was lifted up on the crofs, his face was turned to the Gentiles, for the Jews, out of malice, (as leveral write,) would have him crucified with his face towards the weft, as reckoning him unworthy to look to the temple and the holy city, that flood on the eaft iide of mount Calvary ; but Chrift had a loving defign in it to us Gentiles, and to accomplHh that word, Pfal. Ixvi. 7. His eyes behold the nations. Behold, O iinners, Chrift turned his face to you on the crofs, to draw you unto him \ there he bowed his head towards you to draw you •, there he opened a cleft in his fide to draw you ; there blood and water flowed from his heart to draw you to him ! And now he hath fent his word and Spirit to draw you j now he difplays his blood and wounds in the facrament to draw you •, now he is caft- ing his cords of love about your heart to draw you to him ; now the devil is holding and Chrift is drawing : Chrift and the devil are now ftruggling for your hearts ; the eyes of many are on you, the eyes of the glorious Trinity, the eyes of angels, the eyes of minifters and faints are on you, to fee what the iflue of the combat (hall be, which of them fhall gain the prize. Satan indeed is the ftrong man, but, glory to God, Chrift is ftronger than he. O that he may prevail, the heart is his by right, furrender it to him without delay. He will not enter without your confent ; his people muft all be made willing in the day of his power. Oh 3 if the SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 1B5 will were cnce conquered, the day were ChrifVs, and the field were won for ever. Would you then have Satan's defeat, your biafed will overcome, and your fouls favingly brought to Chrift, O look up and cry for a draught of Chrift's power. You have neither ftrength nor will to come to a crucified Chrift, unlefs he draw you. Ordinances or providences cannot draw you, the word cr facra- ments cannot draw you, judgments or mercies can- not do it ; yea, neither minifters nor angels can draw your dead and heavy hearts. O then look beyond them all to a lifted up Emmanuel, draig me y Lord, and I wilt run after thee. The ordinance you have in view can never be a drawing ordinance, if Chrift put not forth his virtue with it ; the facrament will be Hftlefs, and the adminiftrators lifelefs, if Chrift draw you not. The moft powerful fermons, the moft alluring calls r will all be loft, if he draw not, You will fit ftill in the Sodom of a natural and a wrathful ftate, if he draw not : you will be eternally damned, if Chrift draw you not to him. Ycu can never overcome the ftrong and fubtle temptations Satan cafts in your way, you can ne- ver deny felf, forfake beloved lufts, renounce juftifica* tion by works, quit all confidence in your own doings, go naked and empty to Chrift, be content to live whol- ly upon his righteoufnefs, and receive grace, life, ftrengih, and glory, as a free gift from Chrift, without the drawing virtue of a lifted up Saviour. Oh, if you were once acquainted with this drawing power, you might go with comfort to his table, and feed upon hij purchafe. Queft. How fliall I know if I have yet been drawn effectually to a lifted up jeius. Ans. Try it by thefe marks : Have you difcovered his matchlefs excellency fo as to draw off your heart from fin, and the perifliing things of the world ? Have you felt the cords of his love about your heart and wiil, conftraining you to yield yourfelf wholly to him ? Is Your heart drawn out in love and affection to a feeing grace 192 SACRAMENTAL ADVICLS. laying fiege to the heart of rebels, fummoning them by the gofpel trumpet to furrender, and uling the moft prevailing arguments with them to do it, taken from the mediation, fufferings, blood, righteoufnefs, and fatisfadtion of the Son of God. Behold and conftder the wondrous works of God in fur- nifhing and fitting the Mediator for our miferable cir- cumftances, joining the divine and human natures in one perfon for our relief ! Obferve how well he fuits our exigencies ; he is man, that he might die for us •, and God, that he might overcome death ! Man, that he might combat the devil ; and God, that he might vanquiih him ! Man, that he might take on our guilt and punifhment ; and God, that he might fupport un- der it ! Man, that he might offer a facriiice for us,; and God, to make it infinitely meritorious I Man, that he might fympathise with us in trouble ; and God, that he might deliver us ! a wondrous work indeed ! Again, obferve the Mediator's fulnefs, how exactly it fuits our miieries and wants ! In our wonderful Em- manuel there is life for our deadnefs, light for our darknefs, beauty for our deformity, ftrength for our weaknefs, health for our ficknefs, balm for cur wounds^ raiment for our nakednefs, riches for our poverty, mer- it for our guiltinefs, righteoufnefs for our juftification, a fountain for our pollution, grace for our fanctiikation, bread for our hunger, water for our thirft, and deep mercies for our deep miferies ! a wonderful work, to make one depth fo exactly to anfwer another depth! This is the doing of the Lord, and wondrous in our eyes. Stand Jlill and fee God's wondrous work,, in fending our Emmanuel, the Prince of the kings of the earth, to go up and down the wildernefs fee-king after the loft fheep, calling and inviting them in the moft tender manner to come unto him for life and falvation, willingly fubmit- ting to be bufFetted by Satan, contradicted by finners, to fufTer all manner of indignities, a curfed death, and the r rath of G >d, and all that he might be a facrifice to fatisfy juftice for our fins : And after he had fub- SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 19S mitted to death and the grave for a time, he conquered them and rofe again ; and gave commiflion to his am- baffadors to go through all the earth, and call periihing iinners to come unto him, and offer them falvation in his name ; and having done fo, he afcended into heav- en to intercede for them. Now, it is incumbent upon al) communicants to remember thefe amazing works of God's at his holy table, with wonder, thankfulnefs, and praife. Come here, and fee the fountain of the great depths of infinite love broken up, and ilreams of the waters of life running therefrom to the ions of men. Come, fee Ja- cob's ladder fet up, that reaches from earth to heaven, and God the Father at the top of it calling you to climb to heaven by the fteps of it, viz. Chrift's wounds, offices and promifes ! Come, fee the manna coming down in plentiful fhowers, and falling about your tents, and every man invired to gather. Come, fee the rock broached in the wildernefs, to fupply the necefll ies of your fouls ; fee the rock fmitten by the rod of Mofes, and bearing the curfes of the law for you. Come, fee the city cf refuge opened for poor manflayers, that {loners, who have flain their fouls by fin, may flee to it for fhelter. O then flee for your live?, and do not linger by the way. Come, fee God bringing his right- -eoufnefs near you who are guilty criminals, and bid- ding you put it on for your fafety in judgment ; it is a robe that will fit every one of you. Come, fee the fruits and /eaves of the tree cf life fhaken and fcattered among ftarving wounded fouls : Gather and feed on the fruits ©f his purchafe for your nourifhment ; apply the leaves of his promifes for your healing. Come, fee the we/I effa/vation opened, bring the chain and bucket of faith, and draw water. The great medicine well is here, come with all your difeafes and ailments to it, come with your hard hearts, blind eyes, weak hands, feeble knees, lame feet, and cold affections, to get them healed. Come, fee Chrift's teftament opened, and ev- ery man allowed for to put in for a fhare of the lega- 194 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. cies therein contained. This you are to do by believ- ing, claiming, laying hold, and embracing the promif- es. Come, fee itraying prodigals returning to their fa- ther's houfe, and fee their father embracing them, and the whole family rejoicing at their return : See their filthy rags taken off, and the white robe of the Son of - God put on them, and the fatted calf killed for them. Come, fee the King of Glory entering in at the ever- lading gates of men's fouls, dethroning iin and felf, ta- king pofTlflion of their hearts, and fetting up his throne and kingdom in them. Come, fee King Solomon both crowned and married in one day ! An aftonifhing match concluded between the Prince of Life and the heir of hell ! All the daughters of Zion are called forth to behold the fight, Cant. iv. 1 1. All thefe are great and wondrous works of God to be feen in the word and facraments, which all communicants ought to ftand ftill •and confider. Confider thefe marvellous works fo as to be fuitably affecled with them, make them the fubjecl of your me- ditations ; entertain high and admiring thoughts of God, and of his infinite love and wifdom manifefted in them. Give firm credit to the record and teftimo- ny God hath given us of his wondrous works, and glo- rify the great Author of them in your hearts, tongues, ?nd lives. Embrace the gofpel offer, and be afraid of offending that God who has humbled himfelf fo low for our fakes, and has wrought fuch great and wondrous works for us. Be careful to ferve him and pleafe him in all things, and abhor fin his grand enemy. ADVICE xv. From Rev. xxii. %. Xn the midst of the street ivas the tree oft It was a fad day to mankind, when God banifhed Adam from the earthly paradife, and from the tree of \ik that grew therein, and alfo fhut the entry to it ? SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 193 But behold God, in his free mercy, is now opening an entry, and inviting Adam's banifhed pofterity back again to a better paradife, where there are purer de- lights, and neither fin nor Satan can enter ; and where there is a tree of life, Jefus Chrift, infinitely preferable to that in Adam's paradife. This tree of life far ex- cels that in its leaves, fhadow, fruit, and virtues ; it animates, yea, refto. es and preferves life for ever •, nei- ther is there any flaming fword to hinder our accefs to it: Adam's tree endured but a fhort time, but ours laftS: f >r ever. Other trees decay, fade, and wither, but Jefus Chrljl is the fame yijle relay, to-day > and for ever. O come then, fit down under the fhadow of this tree, eat of its fruit, and live for ever. Though the tree be now planted in the heavenly paradife, yet its branches, fha- dow, and huh 9 extend to every believer on earth, as well as to the faints above. Thoufands of communicants at the lower table have fat down under his Jhadoiv with great de- light \ and found his fruit fiveet to their tajle. Chrift is a tree that bears fruit at all times, every month, and even in the fharpeft winter months of ficknefs and death. There are iome very ufeful trees in the world, that afford all neceiTaries to men, fuch as meat, drink, phyfic, and clothing. Behold God hath provided fuch a tree for us. Jefus Chrift affords us all thefe. i. Meat : He tells us, That hisjlefh is meat indeed ; that is, his flefh wounded and dying, yields ftrengthenin^ food for the foul in refpecl of its fruits and effects. It is food well prepared : the Holy Trinity fpent a whole eternity in preparing it. It is meat well feafoned •, it is feafoned with the love of God, fauced with the blood of Chrift, and fpiced with the graces of the Spirit. 2. Drink : Chrift's blood is alfo drink indeed to the foul, in res- pect of its comfortable effects ; fuch as pardon, peace, light, life, ftrength, &c. The ftreams from the Rock are moft refrefhing, cordial, and favoury drink •, fa\oury to God, favoury to angels, and moft favoury to every foul that hath tafted it. It is a fweet cup that is to be - put into your hand, if you have faith, but it is poiibn- 1 9G , SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. ous to any unworthy communicant that wants faith : But, if you be worthy, the drink will poifon fin, quick- en grace, and refrefh the foul. Fear not, O believer, to take a good draught ; faith will make the cup me- dicinal and reftorative to thy foul, and it will only kill and deftroy thy lulls. 3. Phyfic : The leaves of this tree are for healing of the nations : Chrift hath many healing promifes, which when applied by faith, are moft ufeful to purge out fin and corruption, and to heal all the foul's wounds and difeafes. 4. This tree •affords clothing alfo. Poor fallen Adam, when naked, went to the fig-tree for leaves to cover him •, but, O let his pofterity go to the tree of life, where they (hall get infinitely better clothing, even ChrifVs perfect right- eoufnefs, which is fpctlefs and law biding. Behold a rich robe, fet with the pearls and diamonds of heaven. A large robe, fo broad as to cover a whole eleft world. It all the ends of the earth. The ac- cefs is declared free, and the way patent, to all who turn to this ftrong hold for fhelter, and never was any excluded that turn to it. A crucified Jefus, O communicants, rcprefented to 200 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. you in the facrament, is the ftrong hold and hiding place to which you are called to turn by faith for fhel- ter and fafety, from the fword of juftice. In him there are excellent clefts for fhelter, Cant. ii. 14. and which you ought to be well acquainted with. There are the clefts of his wounds and merits, which all ChrifVs doves flee to when ftorms arife. There is alfo the cleft of his power, the cleft of his wifdom, the cleft of his love, and the cleft of his faithfulnefs j many a ftorm have they efcaped in thefe clefts. In this hiding-place there are alfo chambers of fafety, to which you may retire when the tempeft blows, Ifa. xxvi. 20. There are chambers of ChrifVs offices and fweet relations, which he hath affumed for the fafety and comfort of believers \ in each of thefe many of them have found fhelter when ftorms have blown. There is alio the pleafant cham- ber of his covenant, with the clofets of its promifes, which afford fweet retiring places in tempeftuous times. O ftudy to be acquainted with them. David was well acquainted with the well ordered covenant and its pro- mifes, and had his recourfe thereto in troublous times, and particularly when he was threatened with the ftorm of death, 2 Sam. xxiii 5. Although my houfe be not Jo with God, yet he hath made me an everlasting covenant , ordered in all things and sure ; this is all my salvation. And he pleads the promifes of this covenant for his fafety, Pfalm cxix. 49. Remember thy word to thy fervant, upon which thou caujed me to hope. Come then by the exercife of faith, and fhut yourfelves up in thefe fweet chambers at the Lord's table, and take complacency in viewing and walking through them. Chrift crucified is a covert and hiding-place to be- lievers, and to every thing that belongs to them : He is even a covert to their bodies in time of danger, fo was he to his difciples when the ftorm was breaking upon himfelf, John xviii. 8. If ye feek me, let thefe go their way. But more efpecially he is a covert to their fouls, thefe he accounts precious as his jewels •, he hides them in his wounds, and keeps them by his power, through faith. SACRAMENTAL -ADVICES. 201 unto falvation* He is alfo a covert to their graces, and keeps them in life when ready to die, and laves them from being overwhelmed in the day of temped. What had become of David and of Peter's grace, under vio- lent (iorms of temptation, if he had not been a covert to them. Many a ime hath he preferved the fmoking flax, and the bruifed reed, under the moft dangerous ftorms. L^kewife, Chrift is a covert to their evidences and marks of grace ; he preferves them, and keeps them legible, after many blots which fin and Satan do cart upon them : He hath the blefied art of recovering and clearing up their evidences, when they are fre- quently given up for loft in times of backiliding. Let all confider how miferabie they are who have no intereft in this hiding-place \ ycu that areoutof Chrift, have no covert from the tempeft, you can neither have fafety nor comfort in times of trouble. Nay, when any ftcrm blows from without againit you, a guilty con- science will be ready to raife a florm within ; and alfo fhew you a more terrible florm gathering againft you, even the wrath that is to come*, wrath ftilJ coming, but never all come - 9 a ftorm that will ftil! be blowing, but never will blow over. O what will become of you, if death come upon you in this fhelterlefs ftate, when out of Chrift the only hiding-place ! to be iure then hell will follow the pale horfe. To whom, then, will ye flee fur help or fhelter ? The rocks or hills will not be hiding-place to you, if Chrift do not hide you. No creature will fcreen or pity you, if Chrift do it not. All the creatures will take part with their Creator againft you, and, inftead of hiding you, they will be ready to divulge and accufe you to the purfuer, the jujlice of God. If you cry to the heavens, O cannot the vaft expanded heavens afford me a hiding-place from the tempeft ? No -, will they fay, there is no refuge, no entrance here for the flighters of Chrift, we will open only to rain fire and brimftone, and furious ftorms, upon their heads. If you look to the air, and fay, Is there no hiding-place through the vaft regions of the air for me? 202 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. No ; the air is tranfparent, and will difcover the crimi- nal, and will raife a whirlwind of wrath to blow you into hell. If you cry to the lea, Is there no hiding- place in all the depths of the fpacious fea to fheiter me from the Lamb's wrath ? No ; the lea will give up her dead to be judged, and will rage furioufly againft you. If yoc look to the earth, Is there no cave nor pit in all the earth to hide me from the dreadful ftorm ? No ; the earth, inftead of hiding you, will open its mouth, and let you go quick down to hell, for flighting the wounds of Chrift, that were opened to fheiter you. O let every finner then flee now, while it is time, to thefe blefTed wounds of Jefus for fafety: Be of good com- fort. O finner, rife y he calleth thee ; rife and come, for there is yet room \ forfake all falfe fhelters and lying refuges. Abfolute mercy, a biamelefs walk, convictions, refolutions, prayers, tears, ordinances, minifters, will not be a hiding-place to you, if Chrift be neglected. Nothing can fatisfy juftiee, or ikreen from wrath, but the wounds and blood of the Redeemer ; therefore fee to make thefe only your covert and Hiding- place. It concerns all to try if they have got into this hiding- place, and if they be among Chriit's hidden ones ; fo be- lievers are called, Pfal. Ixxxiii. 3. If you be among the hidden ones, you will have a hidden life, and be acquainted with a life of fecret prayer and correfpond- ence with heaven, and a life of faith and leaning upon the Son of God ; you'll have hidden food, meat the world knows not of, the hidden manna of communion with God. You'll have hidden clothing, and be ac- quainted with putting off your own rags, and putting on the hidden garment of Chrift's righteoufnefs. You'll have hidden ftrength, and be acquainted with borrow- ing ftrength from Chrift, both for work and warfare. You will live upon hidden fupports in dark and calami- tous times, and draw comfort from the promifes, and make thefe the ground of your hope. If you be in Chrift as your hiding-place, you will be among Chrift's poor and needy ones, for it is to fuch he is a refuge, SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 20$ Ifa. xxv. 4. Do you fee your own emptinefs, ill de- fervings, and infufficiency, and depend upon free mer- cy for every crumb ? Are yi>u ftill begging at a throne of grace, and inclining to exalt free grace ? Saying, Not unto us, but unto Chrijibe the glory ; he is all our fal~ vation, and all our de/tre. Happy are they who can lay claim to thefe marks. ADVICE XVII. From T KiNGS lix. 0. The Lord /aid unto him, What dojl thou here % Elijah t It is the concern of every man, to be always in cafe to give account to God of his errand and defign in every piece of work he is employed in : and fo ought communicants at the Lord's table, when God or his minifters afk them, as the Lord did Elijah, What doft thou here, communicant ? What is your bufinefs and errand at this table ? Can you fay, I have many errands here ; I come upon my Saviour's call, to cele- brate the memorial of his dying love, "that his name may be remembered to all generations ? And worthy is the Lamb that %vas Jlain, to be admired, adored r and praifed for ever I come alfo to fubfcribe and feal a marriage contract with him in the moft folemn man- ner, before all the perfons of the glorious Trinity, be- fore the elect angels, and before all the congregation. Seeing O.rift doth once more call roe to it, after many a broken tryft, and hath put on his marriage robes, his dyed garments, to win and engage my heart, I come to join hands with him before God, angels, and men, and take them all witneffes to the bargain. Surely this is a good errand : O that the long fpoken-of match may now hold ! i Can you fay, I am come to a rich and liberal Sa- I viour, to fupply my needs out of his fulnefs. I come j on a good day when he ufes to deal bountifully with 204 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. the poor and needy, and to fay to them, as the King to Efther, What is thy petition P and what is thy requejl P Well is thy petition ready ? Dott thou come with the publican's petition, God be merciful to me a finner P Or with David's petition, Lord be merciful to me ;• heal my foul for I have finned again/I thee? Or with that p :inon r Purge me with hyjfop and I /hall be clean ; ivajh n;e y and I Jhall be whiter than the /now P Or with that, Let my foul live, and it Jhall praife thee P Or do you comtf with the fpoufe's petitions and requefts, Draw me, and we will run after thee P Awake, O north wind ; and come thou fouth ; bhw upon my gar den , that the f pices thereof may flow out P Surely thefe petitions are agreeable to your Redeemer > fee that you infift upon them, and prefs for an anfwer. Study to have a lively feeling at this time of all your wants. Would you have them all fupplied at once ? Then come and embrace a crucified Jefus in the arms of faith, and he will ful- ly anfwer them all. Would you have all your five fenfes fatisfied at once? Behold Chrift invites you to come to him to get it done. Would you have the fenfe of feeing fatisfied ? Then he fays to you ! Look to me, and be yefaved. Behold me, behold me, Behold King Solomon, with the crown on his head ! Would you have the fenfe of hearing fatisfied ? Then faith he, Incline thine ear ; hearken to me ; give ear to my voice. Would you have the fenfe of taking fatisfied ? He faith, O iafle and fee that God is good. Would you have the fenfe of touching fatisfied ? He fath, Reach hither thy ha?id, thrufl it into myftde* feel the wounds made by the fpear and the nails. Would you have the fenfe of fmelling fatisfied ? Come then to Chrift, whofe name is as oint- ment poured forth ; and whofe garments fmell of alloes f myrrh, and cafjia. Come here and get all your fpiritual fenfes fatisfied at Chrift's full feaft. Objedt. But I am afraid I am not among thefe in- vited guefts that Chrift will make welcome Ans. Have you any of the fcripture characters of thofe that Chrift invites ? Are you among his friends ? Do you SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. ZOd wiih well to his caufe and intereft ? then Chrift faith to you, Eat, O friends, Cant. v. i. Is your heart open to Chrift's offers, and willing to accept him in all his offices ? I hen he faith to fuch he will come and f up with them. Rev. iii. 20. Doth your heart love him ? I hen he faith, He will manifejl himfelf to fuch, John xiv. 21. Are you poor and needy ? Then he faith, The needy lhall not be forgotten, Pfal. ix. i3. Do you fee yourfelr a loll finner ? Then he faith, He is come to feek and call fuch, Lukexix. ro. Match, ix. 13. D » you feel fin ro be a heavy burden ? f hen he bids the heavy laden come to him, Maith. xi. 28. Do you hunger and thirft af f er Chrift ? He faith, He fills the hungry with good things^ Luke i. 53. Are you feniible of backfhdings ? He in- vites fuch to come to him, Jcr. iii. 14. Are youdcfir- ous to put on the wedding garment of' imputed right- eoufnefs ? Then, to be fure, you (hall neither be ex- cluded, nor neglected. Do you earnestly feek for his Holy Spirit ? He affures you, he is more wilting to give the Spirit to them that ajk it, than loving parents are to give bread to their hungry children. What is man's companion to their children, in comparufon of Chrift to his ? Well then, you may reft on ChriiVs wpr^t* for he is not more free in making promifes, than faith- ful in making them good. He is a G:ui that keeps -cov- enant to a thoufand generations. Venture then upon his word, and come to his table with hope znd expe&atiun to get ail your wants fupplied. Let me again afk you, as God did Elijah, What dajl thou here, communicant ? Can you fay tha: you are come to get a heart- affecting fight of the blood and woujus of the glorious Redeemer, fo as you may love Chrift, and hate fin more than ever? That is a good errand, and what God will furely approve. Come then, draw near, as it were to the foot of the crofs, and take a nar- row and clofe view of his wounds, and of the blood that ftreams from them. Obferve how faft the blnod runs down from his hands to the ground, fafter than er tears rap down from your eyes for fin, that cauied S 206 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. the fhedding of his blood ? Chrift is not fparing of his blood for you, however fparing you be of your tears for him. Draw yet nearer, and lay your ear to his wounds, efpecially his five big wounds in his hands, feet, and fide y which like fo many mouths are wide opened to fpeak to believing communicants. Liften and hear what they fay : What is the language of the two wounds in his hands ? " Come to me, and caft « your guilty foul into my bleeding out-ftretched Ki arms," and Til fave you from the fword of juftice. Lay your ear to the two wounds in his feet, and hear what they fay, " Run to me, and caft yourfelf down " at my feet," and YVi protect you from the avenger of blood. Hearken to the deep wound in his fide, faying, " Flee to me," C) trembling dove, "and I'll (helter thee H in this cleft of the rock :" Thou haft now free accefs to the ark, behold the window opened in the fide of it : ook in at it, and fee my heart burning with love : Yea, thruji in thy hand to my fide > unbelieving Thomas, and feel my bleeding heart how warm it is to you, and be no more fait hie f^ but believing. O communicant, can you come to the foot of Chrift's crofs, and fee his wounds, and hear fuch language, and your heart nor be affected with love to Chrift, and ha- tred to fin -? Can you behold Chrift thus cruelly ufed, railed to the tree, bleeding and dying in your room r Can you fee the heavens turning black, the fun draw- ing in its head, the earth quaking, and the rocks rend- ing at the fufFerings of the Son of God, and your heart not quake for fin, that awakened the fword of ju&ice againft him as our furety ? O what caufe have you to be afhamed of the hardnefs and unconcernednefs of your hearts at fuch a fight, and to cry to God that the heart of ft one may be changed into a heart of flefh, and that the fire of Chrift's love may defcend and kin- dle fuch a flame in your foul, as may melt your frozen affections, and confume the Rubble of your lufts and corruptions. Of old the Lord ufed to anfwer his peo- ple's prayers and facrifices by fire from heaven : Pray SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. £07 that he may anfwer yours in like manner, by kindling a holy fire in your foul, as he did in the heart of the two difciples going to Emmaus ; even a twofold fire, to wit, a fire of love to Chrifr, and a fire, of indigna- tion againft.fifl. O love the Lord Jefus as your trea- fure and portion \ let your thoughts be mainly upon him, and your foals breathing after him. Be much concerned for his intereft and caufe, and for the fpread- mg of his kingdom and glory in the world. And be looking out, and longing for the full and perfect en- joyment of him. Like wife, keep up a (trong averfion to fin, and to what is oppofite to Chrifr, and injurious to his intercft and kingdom ; look always upon fin as the grand enemy and murderer of Chrifr, and therefore do not fpare it. ADVICE XVIII. FrOfA John V. 6. Jesus saitb unto lim> Wilt thou he made vfholt .' This miraculous healing pool of Bethefda, at which the impotent man had lain thirty-eight years, was a type of the Mefliah, and the fountain of his blood opened and fet forth in gofpel ordinances, for healing all our fpiritual difeafes. And ChriiVs method of healing this man teaches us, that if we would be heal- ed, we mult be willing to wait at the pool of ordinan- ces, till the Spirit come to ftir the waters, apply the blood, and erTec~r the cure. And in the mean time, we muft be fenfibie of our difeafe, and look up to Chriil owr great phyfician, with earned: defires for healing. This is imported in ChriiVs queftion, Wilt thou be mack ivhole ? O communicants, you are difeafed by fin, and the plagues of your hearts ; thefe hnve bla&ed the primi- tive beauty of the foul, and brought on it a ghaftly de- formity, with much pain and weaknefs. Your difeaf- es are manifold ; atheiftical thoughts, misbelief, and ig- 208 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. norance of God's truth?, are woeful plagues ; hardnefs of heart, and earthly mindednefs, formality, and heart wanderings in duty, trufting to your own righteoufnefs, Ingratitude, and backfiiding from God ; thefe are dif- eafes you ought all to be fenfible of. God would have every man to kn&w the plague of his own heart, i Kings viii. 38. in order to his being made whole. Thefe are the tick that Chrift is ready to come to heal, Matth. ix. 12. •Chriit fir ft makes men flck and fenfible before he makes them whole. Have you then any acquaintance with this healthful, preparatory ficknefs ? Have ycu hetn made fenfible of the dangerous nature of your difeafe, and thoughtful and folicitous about the ifTue of it ? Have you been made to groan and moan under the burden of your difeafe, faying, / am troubled and bowed down greatly j 1 go mourning all the day long ? Have you feen there is no healing in yourfelves, or in your con- victions, prayers, tears, or reformations ? and that it is only in Chrift, who hath an infinite fulnefs of merit and fpirit to fuit your defberate malady ? Are you will- ing to fubmit to the phyfician's prefcriptions for heal- ing ? Be the pill or potion never fo bitter, you will fwaliow it : Is it your cry, Lord, what wilt thou have me ta do ? Thefe are tokens of a right preparatory fick- nefs. -May the Holy Spirit work them in you. The great meritorious means of your healing is the bipod of Jefus Chrift, which is fet before you in the facrament, for you to look to and apply by faith. As the Ifraelites were made fenfible of their flings before they looked to the brazen ferpent for healing, fo muft ye, in order to your prifing of Chrift, and looking to his blood for healing your fpiritual plagues. Now the fountain is open, and the healing ftreams run freely on both fides of the table : Come then, with a feeling of your difeafes, and bathe in them for curing your hard hearts, your blind eyes, your weak hands, your feeble knees, your lame feet, your cold affeclibns. O impo- tent man, are you lying at the fide of the pool while the waters are ftirring ? Have you no ftrength to move SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 209 forward, and is there none to put you in ? O then, look up to Chrift, that healed the impotent man after many years waiting : Look to him by faith, as he calls you, Ifa. xlv. 22. Look unto me a fid be ye faved> all the ends of the earth. As I offer myfelf to every difeafed foul in particular, as well as to all in general, fo let every foul embrace me as his Saviour, and apply my blood to his particular difeafes. Faith is a healing grace, not only its touches, but its very looks are healing ; hence Chrift faid to feveral who were healed, Thy faith hath -made thee whole. O fee then if you have got this healing faith. Chieft. How may I know if my faith be of this kind ? Ans. A healing faith will make the foul heartily ap- prove the gofpel method of falvation, embrace God's teftirnony, and clofe with his gofpel offer in all refpeeb. And it hath in it, an appropriating truft and confidence in the merit and virtue of Chrift's blood, oftered to rhe firmer in particular for his pardon and healing, which makes him reft upon Chrift as his Saviour, and venture his foul and falvation upon his merit and promife. In this healing faith of a difeafed tinner, there is a partic- ular acceptance of, and confidence in a crucified Chrift, correfponding to that free gofpel oifer which he makes to the diftrefied foul. This faith brings him to a fixed refolution to lie at the phyfician's door, and depend up- on him alone for healing. And it makes him caft open all the doors and rooms of his foul to receive and entertain his phyfician. Now, O poor impotent foul, if there be fuch a faith as this wrought in thee, then thy faith in Chrift makes thee whole. The healing balm is applied, the cure begun, and fhall ihortly be perfected. Be of good cheer, thy fins are forgiven thee ; jfefus Clyrifl maketh theeivhole. It concerns you alfo, to try if the happy fruits and effects of his healing faith in you appear in you, where- by you may conclude, that the ftrength of your difeale is broken by virtue of the blood of Chrift ; and that you have got it applied for curing your heart atheifrr\ s 2 -10 sacramental advices hardnefs, unbelief, pride, carnality, and particularly your weaknefs of hands and feeblenefs of knees : So that, though formerly they were fo weak and feeble, that you could not lift up the one, nor bow down the other in prayer with any fervency and livelinefs, yet now it is otherwife : Then this is a good token, the ftrength of the difeafe is broken, Chrift has taken you into his hofpital, and has you under cure, by the daily application of his blood and Spirit, and you are on the way of recovery. Can you fay further, That your drought is greatly abated, your thirft after fin and the world •, and that your appetite for foul food, commun- ion with Chrift in ordinances, is happily increafed ? Can you bear the light betrer than before ? Do you love fearching fermons ? Ail thefe are good figns. Have you a high edeem of your phyiician, and do you entertain him kindly when he vifits you ? Have you re- covered more ftrength and willingnefs to ferve him in the way of commanded duties ? And have you a holy fear and jealoufy of every thing that might bring on a relapfe into your old diftempers ? Then there is good hope, through grace, that your faith is a healing faith, work of healing is begun, and fo far carried on. ChriPc is our rock, and his work is perfect. O then ftudy to be thankful to your great phyflcian, ing, What [hall I render to the Lord for all his benefits te :' BUfs ike Lcrdy O my foul \ and for get not all his beptfiU : IV h:- frgivf/h all thine iniquities , healeth all ..• l:\weth thy foul from defl ruction : tnakeih thee run and not u \& and not faint. Bleffed he the God and father •ord Jfus Chri/l, ivho y according to his abundant 7, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the refurrec- fiop cf J ejus Chrift from the dead, to an inheritance incor- ■ok and undepled, and that fad eth not aivay, referred in heaven for us. Then the cure thall be fully perfect- ed, and we fhall always dwell befide our phyikian, and y perfeel and uninterrupted health for ever and ■-* Expref" your tbankfulnefs while you are liere^ SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, 211 by being witnefles for Chrift, mining as lights before others, commending Chrift and his ways to them, hat- ing all (in, abftaining from it, reproving fin in others, and teftifying againft it. Be meek and lowly in your carriage, deal uprightly with all men, love all that bear Chrift's image, be zealous for family religion, for fanc- tifying the Sabbath, and attending God's ordinances. Pray earneftly for the coming of Chrift's kingdom upon the earth, and do all you can to promote it. Watch and pray againfr. backflidings and relapfes in- to old diftempers, and for that end be humble and felf- diffident, be denied to your own ftrength and conduct, and be always jealous of your corrupt and deceitful hearts. Live by faith upon tie Son of God, looking to him both for righteoufnefs and ftrength. And becaufe you are environed with enemies, put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to Jland again/} the wiles of the devil. It is not the armour of your own refolutions, it is the armour of God, even th* graces of the Spirit. It is not fome graces or parts of that armour, it is the whole armour, all the Chriftian graces. It is not enough to have the armour in the houfe, or grace in r the habit ; no, it muft be put on, daily worn and exer- cifed. God hath proved different pieces of armour for ycu, the fword of the Spirit, the fhield of faith, the helmet of hope, the breaft plate of righteoufnefs •, but there is nothing for the back, for God difowns run- aways, Heb. x. 38. If any man draw back, £sV. ADVICE XIX. From Exod. xil. 14. And this day shall it unto you for a mtmotial. As the Paflover feaft was a memorial both of the deliverance from Egypt, and the redemption of Chrift, fo a communion Sabbath is a memorial of (undry re- markable things, and ought to be held as a moft mem- 212 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. orable day by every believer, as it brings to our remem- brance the greateft events and bleffings. 1. A communion Sabbath is a lively memorial of Chrift's death ? for the facrament adminiftered that day by breaking of bread, and pouring out of wine, is a vifible reprefentation of Chrift's death, by the break- ing of Chrift's body, and pouring forth his blood on the crofs ; an event which God will have remembered till the end of the world, and through all eternity. Why, becaufe by it God's perfections are highly giorified/and the elect world redeemed from hell. Chrift did infti- tute the ordinance to be a {landing monument of his death while the world (rands, i Cor. xi. 26. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do Jheiv the Lord's death till he come. And a monument of the wonderful love of God in giving his Son, and of the Son in giv- ing himfelf to be a facrifice for our fins, who were ut- terly unworthy of his love. By this memorial God would teach us the vla ftimable value of Chrift's death, as the greateft obligation he ever put upon the world, and that we ought to declare our gratitude to God for the favour in the moil open and public manner, and re- ly upon Chrift's death and facrifice as the foundation of all our hopes of pardon and falvation. The death of Jefus Chrift is the rnoft worthy fubjecl of the difcourfe and praife, both of the redeemed on earth and the glo- rified in heaven, according to Rev. i. 5. — v. 9. 12. Hence it was that Mofes and EHas when they came from heaven to mount Tabor to wait upon the Lord, when transfigured, they made choice of Chrift's death for the fubject of their converfation, Luke ix. 31. And good reafon, for Chrift's death was the spring and caufe of all their glory in heaven ; neither Mofes nor Elias had fhined there, if it had not been for Chrift's death. 2. A communion Sabbath is a fpecial memorial to us of Chrift's refurredtion from the grave, which was on the firft day of the week, and hence called the Lord's day, it being the rnoft honourable day to our SACRAMEKTAL ADVICES. 213 Xord Redeemer, and the moft joyful day to all the re- deemed, as it gave a clear proof of the perfection of ChrifVs facrifice he offered to divine juftice, and that our furety's fatisfaction was accepted for our complete j unification and abfolution. Hereby it appeared that the elect's debt was difcharged, their redemption fin- ifhed, and their cautioner liberated from prifon* This day Chrift was declared to be the Son of God with power. As his death did (hew him to be truly man, fo his refur- rection did manifest him to be truly God, and the great Redeemer of the world. This was the day of Chrift's victory and triumph, in which he folemnly appeared to be the captain of our falvation, and obtained a glorious victory over ail his and the church's enemies. This day he triumphed over the grave, death and hell, and over fin, Satan, and wicked men. Now death was un-. fHnged, the grave loft its purchafe, the ferpent's head was bruifed, the powers of hell vanquifhed, and they were all fwallowed up in victory. Likewife Chrift by his refurreclion, as the head of the church, gave to all the members of his body a fure pledge and earneft of their refurrection from the grave at the laft day, to im- mortality of eternal life. And on this day he refted from all his works of fullering and redemption, and re- joiced in the review of them with infinite delight and complacency. Now a communion Sabbath is a bright memorial of this glorious day, which is to be had in everlailing remembrance. O believer, remember it with thankfulnefs and joy. 3. This day is a memorial of your fpiritual refurrec- tion and new birth, as it declares your reception into God's family, and feals ycur title to the privileges of his children, that you are born heirs of God y and joint heirs with Chri/}> of the heavenly inheritance. And though the Lord's fupper be not a converting ordinance in its own nature, yet the preaching of a crucified Chrift this day, has been the means of converting many thoufands, and, in many others, of beginning the pangs and fore- runners cf a new birth, to mt 3 faving convictions of 214 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. fin, and enquiries after Chrift, and falvation through him, which have landed in their conversion. O pray that it may be ibch a day to you and many others. 4. This day is a memorial of your marriage day, be- caufe on it you enter into or renew your marriage cov- enant with Chrift, the bridegroom of the church. Minifters, by the gofpei offers, court your louls to Chrift, faying, as thofe did to Rebekah, Gen. xxiv. 58. Will you go ivith the man Chrijl ? On the communion day, you folemnly give your anfvver as Ihe did, we will go ; and at the Lord's table you feal your engagement to him. Like wife this day is a memorial of the con- fummation of your marriage with Chrift at the great day, when he will come to receive home his efpoufed bride, and conduct her to the King's palace with joy and triumph. O prepare and long for that day. 5. The communion Sabbath is a memorial of your crucifying fin, which was the caufe of your Redeemer's death. At this ordinance you draw virtue from the death of Chrift, to kill fin and mortify ftrong lufts. Many wreftling believers have been enabled, at this oc- cailon, to give a death's wound to thofe lufts and idols they have been long ftruggling againft before. Re- folve then, in Cbrift's ftrength, th3t fin (hall not out- live this day •, it is rcoft juft to revenge the death of Chrift upon it. 6. A communion Sabbath is a memorial of Chrift's conqueft and coronation : For on this day Chrift fre- quently receives the fruit and reward of the travail of his foul and his bitter agonies, by overcoming hearts, depofing Satan from his throne, and delivering fouls from his thraldom, and tranflating them into his own kingdom. And, at this occafion, all worthy communi- cants do, ?.s it were, put a crown of glory and honour upon Chrift's head, by renouncing fin, Satan, and all that had exercifed dominion over them before, and giv- ing their full and hearty confent, that Chrift alone fhall reign over them for ever. Chrift is fo delighted with this, that he efteems it as his coronation day, SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 215 Cant. iii. ii. O come then and yield your hearts to Chrift, and pray that the communion day may be a day of his coronation and conqueft, when tinners fliall give their free and willing confent to the dethroning of Satan, and enthroning of King Jefus ; come under ChrifVs fceptre and government, and abandon all his enemies, for he hath beft right to the throne, and the juftest title to reign over you. 7. A communion Sabbath is a lively memorial and emblem of the everlafting Sabbath above, and the heavenly feaft there that fhall never end, which Chrift hath purchafed and promifed to his people. Why ? becaufe on a communion Sabbath here, there is an af- fembling of God's people to give thanks for redeem- ing love, and to feed upon Chrift and his purchafe«> with fatisfa&ion and fongs of praife. In like man- ner, in the heavenly Sabbath, there will be a great ga- thering of all the faints through all the world, to ad- mire and praife God for redeeming goodnefs, and to fit down and feaft with Chrift for ever, upon the bene- fits of his purchafe. O how great is the plenty, varie- ty, the fulnefs of provifion and fatisfaclion which is at the upper table I there they fted upon eternal redemp- tion from hell and wrath, perfect freedom from iin and Satan, and from all afflictions and complaints : They feed upon the glorious prefence of God in human na- ture, the conftant fhinings of his face, and intimations cf his love ; the bright difcoveries of the works of God in creation and providence, and especially in the re- demption of men by Chrift. And in this feftival they have perfect fatisfaclion, joined with eternal fongs of praife. But O how far will the communion Sabbath above, excel thofe we have here below ! Here we are oft put to mix our praifes with mourning and tears, be- caufe of (in prevailing, or the Spirit withdrawing. Here Judafes and unworthy guefts thruft in among the difciples, but at the higher table there is no fuch mix- ture, all is pure and holy, and there is nought to allay their joy. Here our communion Sabbaths are foon 216 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. over, and have nights, week days, and trials to fucceed them •, but the communion .Sabbath above, the feaft, mufic, and affembly are everlafting, without interrup- tion or uneafinefs of any fort. O then improve thefe Ihort Sabbaths as memorials and means to prepare you for this everlafting Sabbath, and in all ordinances here 5 keep your eye upon the heavenly feftival. ADVICE xx. From Jeremiah iii. 19. Haiv shall I put thee among the children? 'Thou ibalt call me, JMy Father. Though there be great mountains of difficulties in the way of finner's falvation, yet God, in his free mer- cy, hath found out an expedient to get over them •, even dv making choice of God as our God and Father in Chrift. That you may admire his grace the more, rake a view of the difficulties that lie in the way. God might fay, How /ball J put thee among the children of my family, who are the offspring of apoilate and rebellious parents, who ungratefully departed from God without any provocation, fold themfelves to the devil to do his drudgery, and rebelled againft a molt gracious God and loving. Father ? And how fhall I put you, who have finn- ed after the fimilitude of Adam, among my children ? How fhall I be reconciled to fuch treacherous dealers ?. Again he might fay, Hoivfbdll I put thee among my chil- dren , who are condemned rebels in the hands of my in- finite juftice, and whom I am engaged by my truth to deftroy, having fad, The foul that Jmneth ft all die. Here is a burning mountain of juftice in the. way of your fal- vation ; how ihall mercy get over it to help you? How fhall ■ I put you among my children^ whofe hearts are full of enmity agamft ine, and have all your days been plotting with the devil, and aflifting him to fight againft me, and pull the crown off *ny head? How fhall I put you among my children , who are fo deformed, pol SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 217 tnted, and loathfome creatures, as black as hell can make you, who have all your days been wallowing in the mire, and drenched in the puddle of fin ? Hw Jhall I put you among my children, who have been all your days Satan's vafTals, drudging at his work, grinding in his prifon, and ferving diverfe lulls and pleafurcs ? How Jhall I put you among my children , who are impotent and lame, cannot run my errands, nor move one ftep in my fervice, nor do any thing to pleafe or glorify me ? How /hall I put you among my children^ who hate my children and my image in them, and have preferred the devil's children to mine? How pall I put you among my children $ that hate my children's bread, and chuie rather to Red on hulks with the fwine ? How Jhall I put you among my children, that never liked my children's work, never I >v- ed prayer, praife, or any fpiritual employment ? How [hall I put you among my children , who are fin hers $b Zi- on, have fitten many years under gofpel offers and calls to come to Chrift, and have flighted them a!', and bolr- ed the door againft my dear Son, and quenched the motions of my Spirit ? Hew Jhall I put you among my children who have been io impenitent and hard hear d all your days, as never to drop one tear for any ci all the black and heinous fins you have committed againft me ? How Jhall I put you among my children who have never kept one word to me, but have broken all your baptifmal engagements, and gone over to the devil's camp, and harboured my enemies ? O how is it that God can come over thefe mountains, to pur fuch as you among the children, and allow you to lit down at the children's table, and eat of their br^ad ? how is this confident with the honour and hoiineis of God. BlelTed be God w*ho hath found cut a way for his mercy to come over all thtfe mountains, by providing a Mediator and furety to fatisfy juftice for our fins, and proclaiming a new covenant, that whofoever accepts of the Mediator, and makes choice of God as his God and Father in him, fhall be taken into God's family, and be .numbered among his children, notwithftanding of all T 218 SACRAMENTAL' ADVic: that you have done to provoke him to caft you off". Thou Jhalt call me> my Father, Wonderful condefcen- fion, that he fhould allow fuch prodigals and run aways at all to fpeak to him, and far more that he fhould put words in their mouths, and fuch kindly words, as, My Father J amazing goodnefs ! If you would make this addrefs aright, and take hold of his covenant, fo as you may be taken in among the children of God, and allowed to come to his table and ,eat of their bread, you muft be truly grieved for your long rebellion againft your heavenly Father, and flight- ing his offers of mercy and pardon through Chrift ; you muft be deeply humbled before him, and fall in with the gofpel method of accefs to him by a Media- tor ; you muft quit all dependence on your own right- eoufnefs, and break with all your Father's enemies; you muft make a free and hearty choice of God, as your God and Father in Chrift, refting wholly upon Chrift's mediation and ri^hteoufnefs for acceptance with God; you muft make a furrender of yourfelves, and all you have to him, and engage an Chrift's ftrength to ferve him ; as obedient children, deftrous to pleafe your Fa- ther in all things. O come then, enter into covenant with God, and make choice of him as your Father in Chrift ; this is the only expedient for removing the difficulties in the way of your falvation, and for taking you into God's family, and numbering you among his children ; unlefs you fall in with it, you can have no right to the chil- dren's bread, you'll be unworthy communicants, and eat and drink judgment to yourfelves. O then prevent it, by entering into covenant with God, that you may be taken in among the children. O young perfons let me put the matter home to you, as Jofhua did to the Ifraclites, chitfe you this day ivkcrn you *wiil ferve ? Chufe you whom you will take for your father, whether God or the devil ! Both are counting your hearts ; which of them will you yield to ? Is there any fo fooi.ifh as to halt betwixt two opinions in this cafe ? Is there any fo SACRAMENTAL ADVICES, 219 mad as to ftand in doubt whether to dwelt with Chrift or the devil for ever ? Now Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his angels, are draggling for your hearts , a cunning devil is holding, and a dying Saviour is drawing •, now caft the balance, and fhew which of them you incline to : The eyes of the holy Trinity are on you, the eyes of angels and men are on you, to fee what the ilTue will be. O then be wife and come pre- fently, and make a furrender of your hearts to God in Chrift. There is no muiic fo melodious in God's ears, as the voice of young perfons weeping and covenanting with God. The feafon of youth is the male in your flock, it belongs to God, let him have it ; they are cuff- ed who deny it to him, and referve the blind and the lame to God, fuch as the dregs of old age, or ficknefs, Mai. i. 7. O communicants, fee always to bring Chrift along with you in your covenanting with God ; never think of covenanting with him but by facrifice ; bring the facrifice of Chrift's death to atone for the. breach of the ...fir ft covenant, and bring his furetyfhip to anfvver far your faithfulnefs in the fecond, otherwife you can ne- ver call God your Father, nor be taken in among his children. Remember you are all engaged in this cov- enant by your parents undertaking for you in baptifm, but as foon as you are capable, God will have you to renew it perfonally and explicitly, and to come fenrible of your breaking this covenant, in running away from Chrift's colours, and in going over to the devil's camp, and deeply fenlible of your folly in delaying and fund- ing out fo long againft Chrift's gracious calls and free offers. O come as penitent prodigals, and mourning backfliders, and with your faces Zionward, weeping as ye go, willing to enter into God's covenant, and give yourfelves away unto the Lord, who is your rightful owner. Since Chrift comes to you at this occafior., as in ftreams of blood, it is furely proper that you meet him with ftreams of tears for fin, that caufed his blood to be poured forth as water ; and that you come pre! 220 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. ently to an open rupture with all his enemies, and par- ticularly with your unbelief, your pride, your paffion your hypocrify, and other fins that have pierced him. Break with them all, and come to him with the appro- priating a els of faith, faying, My Father, my Lord, and ADVICE XXI. From I.uke V. l6. Tley glorified God^jyingy We hwoe iten st.afrge things to day. Those who have been attending ordinances, ought to recollect what they have been feeing, doing, and hearing, and to be fuitably affected therewith. Self examination is needful after communicating as well as before it. Had you the eyes of faith open to fee and obferve the goings of our God and King m his fanfhi- ary, you may then fay on the evening of a Communion Sa&bath, We have feen Jr range and marvellous things fo day. You have feen the bloody tragedy of ChrifVs fuf- ferings reprefented and re-acVd 5 Chrift with garments dipt in blood fighting a bloody battle for us, in which the glory of the divine attributes are wonderfully dii- played : Behold the free love and mercy of God, who was highly offended with us, yet contriving our redemr> tion, and giving the Son of his love to die for us who were his enemies, and for this end creating a new thing in the earth, the incarnation of an infinite perfon, making a woman, a virgin, to be mother of him that created her ! God incarnate is a world's wonder, Jer. xxxi. 22> A ftrange thing ! The Son of God confents thus to humble himfelf and die for condemned crimi- nals ; rather than he would fee elect finners plunged into the bottomlefs pit of eternal mifery, in hrs love and pity he would put himfelf into it to keep them out. Here infinite wifdom difplayed in finding out a way to fatisfy juftice in punifhing fin feverely, and at the fame SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 221 time to gratify mercy in pardoning the finner freely I A ftrange device ! Juftice and mercy are reconciled and kifs one another in man's redemption by Chrift's death v the demands are both anfwered, and the glory of both equally difcovered ! Here is feen the feverity of juftice and the fiercenefs of God's wrath againft fin, in not fparing his- innocent Son when he came to be our furety, nor abating him one farthing of the debt ! Nay, he awakened the fword of juftice againft: him, and poured out the vials of his wrath upon him -, which kindled a fire in his foul, made him fweat, and fall to the ground ; and there he that made the heavens, lay ^grovelling in the anguifh of his fpirit, and fweating clots of blood. O how heavy was the burden of guilt that prefTed his foul at this time. You have feen a ftrange thing, b'ood ftreaming forth, of marvellous virtue, that can fcften hearts, though harder than a ftone •, that can heal all the wounds giv- ::n you by the old ferpent ; that can waih away the deepeft ftains of guilt, and make creatures black as hell, whiter than snow ! and though many thoufands have bQcn cleanfed by it, yet the ttream is no wife defiled, but ftill is pure and clear as cryftal ! You have {ecu the amazing humiliation of the Son of God for vilo worms ! a ftrange thing ! he was made a worm, a clod of duft •, yea, made fin for us ! Strange ! that he who thunders in the heavens, fhould be brought to lie in the manger, and cry in the cradle ! That he who fram- ed the heavens fhould work with a carpenter in his trade ! That the great judge of all the world, fhould be brought to the bar, accufed as a malefactor, con- demned and crucified betwixt two thieves, that fuch criminals as you might have a room among the bleftld ! You have feen the Lord of Life deprived of life, to purchafe life for you ! fpotlefs holinefs made fin, and eternal bleffednefs made a curfe to redeem you from fin, and the curfe due to it ! A ftrange thing ! For the Ho- ly One of God to make fuch an exchange with you, to take the curfe, to give you the bleffiag I to take* fna.ne, v 2 222 SACRAMENTAL AIW1CES. to give you glory ! to take death to give you life ! to take your fins, to give you his righteoufnefs ! A Orange thing! to fee the righteoufnefs of one man, a robe large enough and fufHcient to cover many thoufands, fo as not one fpot of guilt can be feen in them by the eye of infinite juftice ! A ftrange thing ! to fee Chrift willing to have his fide opened, to fatisfy doubting fouls of the reality of his love, that you might look into his hearty and fee it panting with love to you, and hear him faying, as to Thomas, Be no more faithlefs^ but be- lieving ! Strange ! to fee him bowing his head en the cr<.'1s, to whifper comfort into your ear, faying, now it tsjwijhtd; I have drunk the brook in the way, even the whole river of God's wrath, fo that there is not one drcp left for you ; every believer's debt is paid ! A ftrange thing \ to behold the Father pleafed to fee the bruifes, agonies, and furrVrings of his dear Son, that his enemies might be eternally freed from them ! A ftrange thing ! to fee death conquering death % the death of Chrift conquering aii his and our enemies !• If any had ften Chrifi entering the lifts wirh death ?,nd hell, law and juftice, he might have ftood amazed, and faid, O what will ccme of this champion that is engaged with fuch ftrong enemies ? But ft ay a little, and you fhall fee him lead captivity captive, triumphing over them all,, and fetch ali he came for, out of the i of the devil ! When Ghrift was brought to the i refs, one might have thought that devils, wicked men, nd death, were triumphing over him; but the word taith t.gat, on the crofs he Jpcilvd principalities and pavers $ and *be*w of them openly triumphing over them in iu A ftrange myftery ! while enemies were {costing and jlting him, Chrift is triumphing over them ! A glo- rious conqneft Chrift's was \ for he not only fubdued his enemies, but conquered them fo far, as to make them ufeful and ferviceable to him and his people ! Let lis admire the conqueft and the conqueror, though he was defpifed by men ; yet, like David, he glorioufly fiilbdaed Go*:?h.. tfcat defied tk? armies of the God of SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 223 Ifrael \ he crufhed the head of the old ferpent that had bruifed his heel, and enflaved his eleft *, and he put all his other enemies to flight ! A ftrange fight you have feen to-day, God coming over the greateft mountains of difficulties, to pardon and fave finners ! taking rebels to be his children and favourites ; and exalting them above angels that never finned ! You have feen the King of Glory courting poor Haves, black Ethiopians, and inviting them with outftretched arms to come and match with IV m, and fealing the marriage covenant with his blood ! Ycu have feen him make a rich feaft to them, and welcome them to feed on a crucified Chrift, and all his purchafe ! Behold the heavenly pelican that feeds his young ones with his blood ! How amazing is the fight, that God fhould not only feaft, but feal a marriage covenant with you, whofe defcent is bafe, whofe perfon is ugly, whole portion is nothing but difeafes and mifery ! O what ftrange fights ycu have ken to day \ you have feen the love of Chrift, the worth of fouls, the price of par- don, an emblem of the higher table, to which many of your friends and acquaintances are gone, where the feaft will never end ! You have feen, to x day> a ftrange act of mercy to guilty and ill deferving creatures, who have eat and drunk before the Lord, and yet on them he hath not laid his hand ; he hath made no breach upon any, as on Uzzah, Nadab, Abihu, or the men of Bethfhemefh ! He hath not ftruck any dead with the bread in their mouths, or cup in their hands : nor fent any from the table to hell, though you muft acknowledge you de- fended rather to have had a cup of wrath put in your hand, than a cup of bleffing ! A ftrange fight ! that gofpel offers are ftilt continued to thofe who have abuf- ed many facraments and fermons ! that Chrift fhould be ftretching out the fceptre of grace, and offering par- don and mercy to thofe who have crucified him afrefh 3 and trampled his blood under foot. Have you feen evidences of gracious changes wrough' 224 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. on hearts and wills by the word, fecure fouls awaken- ed, blind eyes opened, proud creatures humbled, care- lefs finners made to cry, " Away with the world, and " give me Chrift, none but Chrift. I count all things " but lofs and dung in comparifon of Chrift and his " righteoufnefs." Thefe are ftrange fights, with which you fhould be much affected fo as to hate fin, love Chrift, blefs God, and glorify him with your hearts, tongues and lives. It is the end of all God's works, that w(i (hould glorify him. Oh ! the beft have reafon to lament that they are fo little affected with the mar- vellous things fet before them in the word and facra- ment ! Surely when you compare the rock whence you are hewn, and that on which God fets you ! and when you eonfider the low ftoop Chrift has made to purchafe fuch clods of earth and fins with his blood, you have caufe to be amazed at his love, and confounded at your own ingratitude, in being fo little affected with his mar- vellous loving kindnefs, or melted for fin that was the caufe of all his fufferings ! O let the ftrange and won- derful tokens of Chrift's love, you have been feeing and fharing of in the facrament, engage you to more thank- fulnefs in heart and life. Have you been waihing your robes white in the blood of the Lamb ? Be careful to keep them clean, and do not defile them again in the mire of fin ; remember your vows, and keep your face ftill towards your Father's houfe, which is a pure and undefiled dwelling : you cannot take filthy hands or feet thither, for no unclean thing enters there, Pfal. zciii. 5. Holinefs becometh thine houfe , O Lor d, for ever. ADVICE XXII. .From Luke vi. ax. Blejfed are ye thai hunger now, for ye fcall be filed* In Scripture, hunger and thirft, when applied to fpi- ritual things, imports the fame thing, to wit, a ftrong defire after fpiritual and heavenly good things ; which SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. 225 defire implies fpiritual life, a feeling fenfe of want, and a longing for food to the foul, together with the ufe of all proper means to obtain it. Now, the main object of this hunger or third is Jefus Chrift, or God in Chrift, Pfal. xlii. i, 2. lxiii. i. Now there are many things in Chrift which the hungry foul doth defire ; as, i. Chrift's blood as the foul's ranfom and cleanfing foun- tain. 2. Chrift's Spirit, as the foul's quickener, com- forter, and guide. 3. Chrift's righteoufnefs, as the foul's clothing and protection. 4. Chrift's word, as the foul's daily food and cordial. 5. Chrift's fupper, as the foul's feaft and pledge of heaven. 6. Chrift's graces, as the foul's riches and ornaments. 7. Chrift's way, or hohnefs in heart and life, as the foul's path to heaven. 8. Chrift's day, as the foul's weekly market day, for get- ting in provifions necefiary for working, journeying, fighting, &c. 9. Chrift's manfions above, as the soul's dwelling place for eternal communion with God and his faints. Now, if ye would be truly bleffed, ye muft hunger and thirft for thefe things, firmly believing that in thefe your true happinefs doth lie, and not in the world of fenfual things. Again, fee that your hunger be of the right kind, that it be infatiable, fo that nothing can put it off or fatisfy it but Chrift : the truly hungry foul will not be pleafed with the beft duties, ordinances, minifters, fer- mons, facraments, or any thing without Chrift. The hungry foul will adventure on the greateft difficulties for Chrift ; he will part with any thing for him : All the treafures, honours, mufic, or comforts of life, can- not fatisfy him, none but Chrift the foul's food. True hunger will put him upon the ufe of all means, and make him content to take Chrift on any terms, and put a blank in his hand, and fay, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? I'll fubfcribe to any thing, only give me Chrift, give me food to my ftarving foul. Such hungry fouls are bleffed, becaufe he hath pro- mifed to fatisfy and fill them> It is God that creates the appetite and excites the hunger, and therefore he 22t> SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. will fatisfy it. The hungry are the mod: earneft and importunate beggars at the throne of grace •, and fuch he hath promifed to hear, Luke ii. 9. The hungry will wait at God's door for an alms, and he promifes that thofe who wait for hhnfuall not be ajhamed, lfa. xlix. 23. The proud, the rich, the full, and felf-righteous will go away, if the door be not prefently opened, but the hungry will afk, feek, knock, and knock again, and wait till God think fit to open and grant an alms. Thefe God is bound by his word to fatisfy. He is their Father, and hath the bowels of a father to pity his chil- dren. He hears the ravens and young lions when they cry, and feeds them, and will he not hear his own children, and fill their hungry fouls ? Yea, he hath promifed it. But what is that fill he promifes to the hungry I Anf. He fills them with divine difcoveries, as with the knowledge of God J s greatnefs and majefty, fo as to make them fenfible of their own nothingnefs ! and with the knowledge of God's goodnefs and free love to fin- ders in Chrift, fo as to make them fall into raptures of admiration, and cry, Who is a God like unto thee> that pardoneth iniquity? Micah vii. 18 He fills them with a difcovery of the excellency of the gofpel remedy for perifhing fouls, fo as to make them fay it is a device every way worthy of God. Chrift's Mediatory offices, his covenant, his righteoufnefs, his blood, his purchafe, and fulnefs, do nobly anfwer all our fouls' wants and neceffities : they deliver us from fin and mifery, and they bring us grace and glory. He fills his hungry people with gofpel promifes, by letting them fee their name in them, and giving them faith to take hold of them and apply them. Many a fweet fill do they get from fuch promifes as thefe, Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 28. Jer. iii, 22. 1 John ii. 1. Rom. xvi. 20. Heb. xiii. 5. He fills them with the intimations of the par- don of their fins, and with peace and joy in believing, Rom. xv. 10. fo as to banilh their doubts and fears. What a fweet fill doth Chrift's voice give them, fuch SACRAMENTAL ADVICES 227 as that in Matth, ix. 2. Luke xxiv. 36, 38. John xiv. 27. Rom. viii. 1. He fills them with refolution and ftrength to conquer fin, perform duties, refill tempta- tions, and bear affli&ions : when he fpeaks to them as to Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 9. or as in Lfa. xli. xo. and xlii. 2. He fills them by giving them fweet returns of prayer, afturanee of his love, and of his gracious prefence with them. He fills them by making over ChrilYs ful- riefs and purchafe to them, and by giving them Pif- gah views of the promifed land, and will at laft fill them with glory. It is only the hungry that fhall be filled, the needy, the humble, and felf- denied, for the rich are fent empty sway, Luke i. 53- the rich, that is thofe who are filled with a conceit of their own ftrength and fufficiency, their gifts and performances^ and go about to eftablifh a righteoufnefs of their own, and fee not their need of Chrift. Thefe fhall go empty away, for they do not prize Chrift, nor are willing to come up to his terms. They go away empty of Chrift and his riches ; but alas, they go away filled with pride and felf-conceit, filled with love to fin, love to the world, and love to their own righteoufnefs. Oh this is a miferabie fill ! O hungry fouls, blefs God that gives you this appe- tite when others are rich and full in their own conceit, labour to preferve this appetite, and wait about God's houfe and table, where foul food is to be had ; and blefs him even for the final left crumbs, as when he gives you a greater hatred of fin, a higher efteern of Chrift, a great defire after heart holinefs, a reftlefnefs without Chrift, a wiiiingnefs to part with all for Chrift, or ftronger refoiutions to cleave to Chrift and duty. Thefe crumbs are worthy of thanks, though you be not filled with joy and peace in believing. Wait on the Lord, and wait for him in every ordinance and duty of his appointment, believing him to be faithful who hath faid, ^1 hey Jf jail not be ajhamed ivho ivait for me. Object. Some may fay. We have waited long, and iiave not got a crumb. Anf. vSome eminent faints have 2£8 SACRAMENTAL ADVICES. been put to cry, How long wilt thou forget me % Lord y fhali it be for ever. Pfal. xiii. But they muft wait in the ufe of means until God's time come, and adore the fove- reignty of God in his dealings with them. His people have refigned themfelves to the care and wifdom of God, who knows what is beft for them ; believing there is a time coming when God will make up for all .their lofies. O believers, there is a fill remaining for you above, that will foon make you forget all your davs x>£ fcarcity here below. ADVICE XXIII. From Psalm cvii. 2. Let the redeemed of the Lord fay jo. What is it fuch perfens fhould fay ? Let them both fay and ling of God's goodnefs and mercy to them ; for (of all men) the redeemed of the Lord have moit rea- fon to be thankful for Chrift's diftinguifhing mercy in freeing them from the law's curfes and Satan's power, from the guilt, dominion, and punifhment of fin ; from the fting of death 2nd the wrath to come. Believers are redeemed both from iin and heii. Q^ How may I know if I be among thefe happy ones, the redeemed of the Lord ? A. Take thefe marks. Did you ever fee your flavery and bondage by nature, fo that no lefs than an infinite price and power could ranfom and liberate you ? Was you fo convinced and humbled « with the fight of your mifery, as to be content of free- dom from it on any terms? Have you ventured your foul on ChriiVs merit and mercy, conform to gofpel offers, being well p'eafed with the frame of the new covenant, and the ftlf denying way of faving fouls by Chrift's imputed righteoufnefs ? Are you content with Chrift to be your King and Ruler, as well as your Prieft and Saviour ? Have you given up yourfelf to the Lord to live for him, defirous rhat his love may always con- ilrain you to do his will ? O then, you may conclude, SACRAMENTAL ADVICES*- 229 you are among the redeemed of the Lord, and that his •bleflcd body was broken, and his blood filed to ran- ■fom you. Peculiar reafons have you to extol his goodnefs and mercy above others. Why ? he hath opened your eyes to fee the beauty of your Redeemer, and the ways of •holinefs, when others remain in blindnefs ! He hath opened your ears to hear the joyful found, and fall in with it when others are deaf to it ! He hath loofed y -ur tongues to pray and praife, when others are dumo and tongue-tied! He hath opened your heart to dtitertam Chrift crucified, when others fhut him out ! He hath brought you to a feeling of the evil and burden of fin, when others are without feeling ! He hath given you appetites for fpiritual food, when others relifh nothing but things earthly : He hath given you the promifr and -hopes of complete redemption from fin and mifery a~ bove 9 when others live without Chrift and without hope ! Let the redeemed of the Lord then ilng and praife -him above all others. O believing communicants, redeemed of the Lord y give .him thanks, and exprefs your thankiulnels by your thoughts and actions, as well as your v/ords*, namely, by your high eftesm of your Redeemer, and of his blood and righteoufnefs that purchafed all for you. By .avoiding every thing that di (honours him, and flying from the fins that are common and fafhionable where you live. By commending your Redeemer to thofe .who know him not. By franding up as witnefTes for him, and for his truths and ways, in the mid ft of a Chrift defpifing generation. By ftridlly obferving the Lord's day, as being a weekly memorial of redeeming love. By longing for the enlarging of ChrilYs king- dom, and rejoicing at the news of it, and by putting honour on all the friends and lovers of the Redeemer. Laflly, Shew your thankfulnefs by finging plains, hymns, and fpiritual fongs, in praife of redeeming love, and of the Redeemer's pcrfon, ofHces, and furFerings. a iubjeft that can never be exhauited. King praifes to V ■■£30 SACRAMENTAL AD\ICES. the great God, that humbled himfeif to leave his high throne, that came down to dwell in flefh, and die for us ; and to rife again, and to afcend to heaven, to take pofTeffion of the inheritance, and make accommodation for us there. On this account the Spirit calls us four times to ling praifes in one breath, Pfal. xlvii. 6. God is gone up ivith a Jhout ; fing praifes to God, fing praifes ; fing praifes unto our King, fing praifes. 1 his ringing is moft acceptable to God, and profitable to ourftlves. As God makes it the eternal work of heaven, fo he would have us frequently empk>yed in it on earth. But Oh ! how do we fail here ? Reformed churches abroad do far exceed us in the frequency of this duty, as they do in the variety and fweetnefs of their tunes. What is ringing, but a kind of reading with medi- tation and deliberation, in order to give the more free vent to the thoughts and affections to breathe and af- cend heavenwards. The wife God institutes finging in his praife, becaufe the melody of the voice helps to affect the heart, and raife the thoughts, " for he know- eth our frame." And indeed, it is only when the heart correfponds with the voice, that the mufic is pleafant to God : To this purpofe one faith well : Sweet melody the hymn affords, When with the lines the heart accords. let the redeemed fing praife, and give thanks to God for his unfpeakable gift, both now and for ever- more, Amen. 1 (hall add no more Sacramental Advices in the preceding method, but fhall fhut up all with a clutter of fhort fcripture directions, proper not only for com- municants, but for all Chriftians travelling heavenward A SHORT CHRISTIAN DIRECTORS; CONSISTING OF FORTY SCRIPTURE DIRECTIONS, PROPER FOR ALL CHRISTIANS INTENDING HEAVEN- IT ought to be the great concern of all baptifetl perfons to renew their baptifnal covenant betimes, and, by a private t ran faction with God, to take the baptif- mal engagements upon themfelves, and thereby become Chriftians by their own perfonal con£_nt and furrender, as well as by their parents* dedication ; and afterwards go and feal this tranfa.rtion publicly, by partaking of the Lord's fupper. Concerning this, I have given d:+ regions in the Young Communicant's Catechifm. On- *iy I would intreat ail my readers, for Chrift's fake, and their own foul's fake, to beware going about tins work in a fuperfieial or formal manner, and of reftirig upon lip labour, and the external part of the duty. O never be eafy umil you inwardly and heartily clofe with Chrift according to the gracious gofpel effrr which God makes unto you. Take no reft lid you get your fouls united to Chrift by a true faith> and favingly renewed and changed from nature to grace by the efficacious working of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. And as you are to clofe with Chrift by faith in your firft con- verfton, fo you muft ftudy to live all your days to a fife of faith on the Son of God, always making ufe of him, and leaning on him for righteoufnefs and ftrength I will fay no more by the way of preface, but proceed to branch forth the Chr-iftian's work and exerc : u in this lower world, in the following Scripture precepts and directions. 232 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. Direction I Let never the world come in God 9 ! room* Beware of the love of the world \ often think upon that awakening word, i John ii. 15. Love not the ivorld % neither the things that are in the world ; if an y man love the world, the love cf the Father is not in him. Oh, this is the ruining fin of multitudes, their love to, and complacency in, the things of the world. Nay the mo ft part of men are damned for loving the world too much, and loving God too little. Remember the fatt- er grips ye take of the world, the loofer are your grips of Chrift *, and the more you get cf the world, ye have :he greaier account to make to him that gives it, and lias made you the fteward of it ; therefore ufe your money and goods for his fervice and honour: You mult anfwer. for your riches, but your riches cannot anfWer for you. Alfo, remember if you fet your hearts on the world, it will be all that you will get -, to have 3 competent portion of things earthly is a mercy, but to have earthly things for our only portion, is a dread- ful mifery. Wherefore, while your hand is in this world, let ycur heart be in heaven. Let the bufinela of jcur foul be die buflnefs of your life. Direct II. Ktc[> up the fume opinion now of the things f the world) that you will hr.ve when you come to die. You fee what a low price men fet upon the riches, pomp, and glory of the world when they are dying ; Had you the fame thoughts of thefe things now, I am fure you would not venture the lofs of your fouls, the lofs of God's favour* thelols of a good ccnfcience, and the lofs cf eternal glory, for a whole wcrld ; fir lefs for a fmail trifle of it, as many now do. Think much upon that text Matth. xvi. 26. Direct. III. Be not fir angers to ) our J elves \ but eft ex eomniune with your own hearts ; as direcled, Pfal. iv. 4. When others are cenfuring and backbiting their neigh- bours, be you fearching and cenfuring yourfelves. Self- examination is a moft necefiary duty. Examine your- felves after every ordinance, what good you got by it, what entertainment you gave yowr $aviour ; a(k how CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 233 were your. hearts affected by fuch a word, &c. Com- mune with your hearts about your title to heaven : Judge of your eternal (late by your fpiritual ftate, and judge of your fpiritual ftate by the delightful and cuf- tomary actions of your lives, judge of it by your hatred of fiii, and love to Chrift, and by the confcience you make of fecret prayer, and reading God's word. In communing with your hearts, among other things, aik yourfelves, What are the likelieft to be your death-bed thoughts and wilhes ? Will they be fuch as thefe ? O that I had loved Chrift more and the world lefs ! O that I had improved gofpel- opportunities better ! O that I accepted ChriiVs calls and offers more readily ! that I had fpent more time in prayer and fearching the fcriptures ! O that I had been more fpiritual and fervent in every duty. Afk yourfelves, what are thofe fins or practices which will be mod frightful to look back on, when you fee yourfelves juft within a flep of God's tribunal ? Study always to keep up death- bed thoughts of things. Commune with your hearts about thefe things upon your bed, and aifo before you go to bed, let confcience bring in the nrceums of every day before you lie down : mourn over the fins of every day, and apply the blood of Chrift for wafhing them away. Thus keep fliort reckonings with God and confcience, that you may not have old fcores to clear when yen come to a death-bed. Likewife, at thefe communings, let every man afk himfelf, What is my prefent (late and condition ? Would I be willing to lie down and* die in the frame and difpofifion lam in juft now ? And 1 know not but I may be as near death this moment, as if my friends were looking on me flruggling with the pangs of death on my bed. Direct. IV. Begin early in the fer vice of 'God r , an J. give him the days of youth , Eccl. xii. 1. Thofe who are young cannot begin their fervice to God too foon ; God de- fires it, to fhew God's delight in early piety. We fee the fcripture commends young ones for it ; it is re- corded with honour, that the chilcl Samuel mini it v U 2 2 34 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. to the Lord, i Sam. ii. 18. Jofiah is contended for his tender heart for God in his tender years, 2 Kings xxii. 19. Chrift was well pleafed with the hofannas of the children that attended him, Matth. xxi. 15, 16. When Solomon in his youth fought God for wifdom, it is faidj the fpeech pleafed the Lord, 1 Kings iii. to. So Timothy is commended for his early pietv, 2 Tim. iii. 15. And God fays to Ifrael, I remember the kindnefs cf thy youths J-r. ii. 2. And he recommends to every one to begin loon, Eccl. xii. 1. The young difciple was mod beloved, and leaned on Chrift's bofom. Now is the proper time, O young people, for making your acquaintance with God, and for laying a good founda- tion for the time to come. Repentance is eafieft in younger years ; fin is then lefs rooted, Satan's grips lefs fattened, gofpel offers are not fo flighted, the Spir- it is not io much quenched, the confcience not {o har- dened, the heart is then more eafily melted and bro- ken, God feeks the male of the flock, the beft of your time ; O then let him have it. If you forget God when young, it is juft with God to neglect and forget you when old. Direct. V. Shun the company thai Jhuns Gjd y and keep the corrpany that God keeps > Pfal. cxx. 63, 115. Prov. xiii. 20. Look on the fociety of the carnal or profane as infectious, but reckon ferious praying peifons the ex- < ^llent ones cf the earth. Such wiil ferve to quicken you when dead, arid warm you when cold. Make the hcliefi: of God's people your greatefl inrimates; and fee that their love and likenefs to Chrift be the great motive of your love to them, more than their love and likenefs to you. It is not true Chriftian love, but party love, to love only thofe who are of your fenti- raents in all things. Yea, though they fhould differ from you in fome things, if you fee God's image on them, and that they have fellowihip with the head, you ought to love them, and have fellowfhip with thena ; keep up the communion of faints, for it is one of the artiel-M of Chriffian conference and CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 235 focial prayer have been bleffed of God to preferve the life of religion in many places, therefore let thofe who fear the Lord fpeak often one to another, Mai. iii. id. Direct. VI. Put a high value upo?i precious time, and lofe none of it by Jloth, Eph. v. 16. Efteesn time as thofe do who are at the point of death •, and always remem- ber that it is impoflible to call back time again. Look upon the lofs of time as a greater lofs than the lofs of your money, or any worldly thing ; and therefore ihun time wafting games, unprofitable diverflons, and idle talking. Efpecially value the mod precious part of your time, fuch as the morning of youth, the morning of every day, and particularly the precious time of the Lord's day. Look on the Lord's day as a tryft day with heaven ; lofe not any part of it, but carefully im- prove it for God and the good of fouls, both your own and others. It is want of thought, not want of work, that makes any fay, they have not time to fpare. Direct. VII. Allow a little time every day to think upon eternity i Confider the import of thefe words, everlaji- ing puni/hmenty and life eternal, Math. xxv. 46. O eter- nity, eternity, that is never nearer an end, but always, as it were, but beginning ! One ferious thought of eternity is enough to ftrike a carelefs foul to the heart. Why ? he ftands every hour at the door of eternity, and if he ftep in while out of Chrift, he is eternally undone, eternally in defpair. O the fwift river time is carrying every one.pf us into the ocean of eternity, an ocean that hath neither bank nor bottom, and what each of us muft foon launch forth into. What an aw- ful thought is this ! Every one of us is within a ftep of being eternally bleffed, or eternally curfed ! Eter- nally faved or eternally damned ! O if every one would believe and confider this and be wife, fo as to pray as for eternity, repent as for eternity, hear as for eternity, live as for eternity, obey and do every thing as for eter- ' nity. Direct. VIII. Throughout your whole life, be mindful of Jhe chief buftnefj of life, Phil. ii. 12. Now the bufinefs 236 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY, of life is to make it Aire that Chrift is your life *, it is to think much on the end of your life, and provide for it ; it is to lay hold on eternal life, and keep ftill fight of it : So that when Chrifl, who is your life, f jail appear, ye may alfo appear with him in glory , Col. iii. 4. Let not religion be your diverfton, but your bufinefs ; mind it as the one thing needful > give all diligence to make your calling and election fure. Make fure your calling, and thus you make fure your election. If you would make fure your calling, make it fure that you are united to Chrift by faith, and that Chrift is the life of your fouls. Do not reft in convictions, nor in tears, or prayers, or duties, nor in any thing fhort of Chrift. Frefs both for an intereft in Chrift, and for the afturance of it. Affurance is attainable, and actually attained by many ; and it is moft necelTary for cheerful obedience, for bear- ing the crofs, rejoicing in the Lord, giving thanks for redeeming love, and for performing many other duties of Chriftianity. Direct. IX. Let the rational foul govern, and the body be fubfervient to it, I Cor. ix. 27. Alas, many on the contrary make their fouls drudges to their bodies, and employ their nobie faculties wholly in deviling how to pleafe the flefh. Ah, what fools are they that mind nothing but their bodies ! W hy ? they are the great- eft enemies to their bodies, for, by fo doing, they for- feit the eternal happinefs of their bodies, as well as of their fouls. Whereas thofe who prefer their fouls, and mind them chiefly, they confult the happinefs of their bodies, as well as of their fouls : for the body is never fo well as in heaven ; when fafhioned like Chrift's glori- ous body, then it is in perfect and eternal health. Direct. X. Study both to live and die. in the exercife of repentance and godly mourning for fm, Matth v. 4. Some may think repentance a melancholy word, but it is one of the fweeteft words in all the book of God : It is a gofpei duty, for the law or covenant of works admitted of no repentance ; it is the effect of God's free love in and through Chrift,. to open the door of repentance to ■CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 237 iailen tinners ; it coft Chrift his blood to obtain it for us, and it is his free gift to us, Acts v. 3 1. Surely it is g-ood news to hear that our fovereign bids poor con- demned criminals, that were brought to the place of execution, repent and throw themfelves down at his feet, and they (hall get pardon. It was the fum both of John's and Chrift's preaching, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It was the faying of a godly min- ifter, "that if he were to die in the pulpit, he would " wifh to die preaching repentance ; and if out of the ( * pulpit, he would wiih to die pracliiing repentance/' Augufiine iaith, repentance " is the fitteft difpofition " both for dying Chriftians and mimfters." And it is written of himfelf, that he died with tears in his eyas weeping for fin, This is a duty never out of feafon, therefore ftudy daily to keep up a tender and mourning fr&nie, maintain contrition of heart and abhorrence of fin, and for that end take every day a turn on mount Calvary. Many think it is a fad thing to be repenting on earth, but it is a far fodder thing to be repenting in hell. Seek repentance from God for Chrift's fake ; fay with Eohraim, Jer. xxxi. 18. Turn thou me % and I Jhall be turned^ for thou art the Lord my God. Direct. XL While yoit mind the nectary Jiudy of holinefs or inherent righteoufnefs, let it never take the place of imput- ed righteoufnefs, Rom. x. 3. Pial. lxxi. 16. Inherent righteoufnefs indeed is to b. loved, but imputed right- eoufnefs only is to be trusted ; for though inherent righteoufnefs or holinefs be a neceffary qualification for heaven and falvation, and our evidence for it, yet it is imputed righteoufnefs only that is the foundation of it, and our title to it. Let Chrift's name be dear to you, the Lord our righteoufnefs. Dire£l. XII. Employ Chrijl as your furety in all cafes, and in every /Irak go to him for relief Pfal. cxix. I 2 2. Ifa. xxxviii. 14. . Study therefore to be well acquainted with your furety, and live near him. When the law demands payment of debt, and threatens you with pri> fon, look to Chrift and cry, " Lord, be furety for me j 23S CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. "Lord, undertake for me.'* When you are called to perform duties, bear affl ^ions, refift temptations, ftrug- gle with corruptions, engage with enemies, &c. look ftill to Chrift to be your furety, and to undertake for you ; plead with him to make that promife to you, Deut. xxxiii. 25. As thy daysfofiallthyjlrength be. Direct. XIII. As you expjcl to live with Chrift in heav- «n, Jludy to live to Chrift on earthy 2 Cor. v. 15. Phil. i. 21. If you would live to Chrift here, then you mufl make Chrift' s honour and glory your ultimate end in all your defigns and actions ; and make your moll val- uable interefts fubfervien: to his intereft and glory. Study an univerfal conformity to Chrift's holy lays and precepts, and make it your great buflnefs to approve yourfelves to Chriit in all things : Ghufe the things that pleafe him, and carefully avoid every thing that is difpleafing to him, Pial. cxix, 30. Ifa. lvi. 4. Direct. XIV. Cleave f ft to Chrift and the way of holi- nefs whatever it may coft you, Acts xi. 23. 2 Tim. hi. 1 2. Think not the worfe of Cnrift and his ways, that they are perfecuted or reproached, and that few do own them. Chrift foretold this, and faith, his way is a nar- row way that few walk in* Join with the little flock to whom the kingdom is promifed, which will abundant- ly compenfate all your fufYerings for Chriit. Never follow a multitude to do evil, but cleave toCtirii't how~ ever few join you. Direct. XV. Seek the approbation of God above that of men, 2 Cor. x. 18 What is the applaufe of worms to the fmiles of the God of heaven ? What would it avail us to have poor men like ourfelves to command us, when the great God that made us doth condemn us ; no matter though men cenfjre or condemn our actions, if God approve and commend them. It is a very f mall thing to be judged of maris judgment, but he that judgeth us is the Lord, 1 Cor. iv. 3. 4. Direcl;. XVI. Be much employed in admiring God's re~ deeming love and Chrift? s furety ship for us, 1 John iii. 1, 16. This is the- employment of the redeemed to all CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 239 eternity, Rev. v. 9. And all who go to heaven muft be acquainted with their work while here. Rev. i. 5. O what matter of eternal wonder and praife is there in God's giving his dear Son to be our furety and facri- fice, and in the Son's voluntarily undertaking it ! Direct. XVII. Delight much in thinking and /peaking of Chrijt, and particularly of his death and filtering for //j",Luke ix. 31. Rev. v. 9. 12. Oh, did he wade through a fea of wrath, a fea of blood, a fea of forrows and fufterings, to bring redemption to us ? And will we ever forget liim ! The great God takes great pleafure in the work of our redemption, and is well pleafed with our Re- deemer who undertook it. God repented he made man, but never repented his redeeming man. Now, what God delights in, we fhould delight in, efpecially ilnce we reap the benefit. We fee, from Luke ix. Rev. v. that the fubjecl: of Chrift's death is matter of difc >urfe and praife to the glorified fociety above. When Mo* fes and Elias came from Heaven to mount Tabor to wait upon their transfigured Lord, they chofe Chrift's death for the fubject of their conversation. " Why ? drift's death was the fpring and caufe of all their glory in Heaven : Neither Mofes nor Elias had fhined there had it not been for Chrift's death. And fhall not we, here below, delight in thinking, fpeaking, and finging of this noble fubject, which is the ground of all the happinefs we either have, or hope for ! .Direct. XVIII. Treat objections raifed againfl your clofing with Chrij}, as fuggejlions of the enemy > that is ft eking the ■ruin of your fouls. Reject them as Chriit did Peter's coun- -fel, Mat. xvi. 23. Get thee behind me ', Satan. As ba^an would have hindered Chrift's dying for us, fo he would •hinder us from relying on Chrift's dea fa. x!v. 24. Direct XXI. In all the anions cfyour I if, fet the Lord Jiill before you t P-/3L xvi. 8. — xxv. 15. Acknowledge him in all your undertakings, and by faith and prayer commit your way to him ; look to him for direction and fuccefs, and depend on him as the Father of your mercies, the fum of your bU,fs* the ftrengtb of your life, the ftaf£ of your b ith of your noftrils, and the length of your day always befor^S you as your Almighty Creator, your loving Redeemer, your rightful owner, your careful * prefer ver, your all Sufficient portion, your holy pattern, your obferving Vvitnefs, and your awful judge. Undertake and per- form all your aclions under a fenfe of God's al --feeing eye, and of your being accountable to him for all lyou do. Dire45 fuccefs your joy, Chrift^ day your delight, ChriiVs crofs your glory, Chrift's fufFerings your meditar ion, Chrift's wounds your refuge, Chrift's blood your balm, Chrift's righteoufnefs your clothing, and ChriiVs prefence your heaven. While travelling here, let your hearts burn with love to Chrift, love to think of Chrift, love to hear of Chrift, love to read of Chrift, love to fpeak for Chrift, love to fpeak to Chrift. Direct. XXVIII. Keep up a lively fenfe of facr anient al votvs and engagements, and walk anfwerable thereto, Pfai. Ivi. 12, 13 You are under a facramental oath to be true and faithfui foldiers to the Captain of your falva- tion, fee that you fight his battles again:! his and your enemies, the devil, the world, and the Qfefli. Remem- ber what your Captain has done and fuffered for you, let his love, as well as your oath, conftrain you to abide by his ftandard. Never go over to his enemies' camp, nor keep co;refpondence with them. Your glorious Captain gives you choice feafts at his table to ftrength- en and encourage you both for work and warfare ; walk on in ftrength of thefe fpiritual meals, and grow ftrong- er in grace, and more lively in fpiritual duties, pray more fervently, hear more aitentively, meditate more frequently, partake more believingly, keep Sabbaths more delightfully, and walk worthy of the Lord to all well pleaiing. Your fpiritual meais are deiigned f -r your nouriihnent, ftrength and growth. Therefore grow in grace. O believers, if you would lay up a treafure of glory for yourfelves hereafter, lay up a trea- fure of grace in your hearts jufr. now-, iucreafe faith, love, heart purity, and humility. Whoever is rich in grace now, will be rich in glory hereafter : For what is grace but glory b^gun, and what is glory but grace perfected ? Who would not then love grace, feeing ic is begun glory, and a certain pledge of complete glory. Direct. XXiX. Improve the talents God gives you. for his fervke and glory, Luke xix. 13. Remember you were not made for yourfelves only, but f<;r the fociety and benefit of others ? therefore employ your gifts fub« w % 246 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. fiances, and whatever God has bellowed for the good of others •, teach the ignorant, relieve the poor, ftrength- en the weak, comfort thofe that are caft down, tell them your experiences, commend Chrift as a choice matter and lovely faviour, and invite them to come tafle and fee that hens good ; pity thofe who are Grangers to him, and pray fur them. Be ufeful to others while you live, which will make your memory favoury when you die*, many, alas, are fo unprofitable in their lives, that when they come to die, neighbours fcarce think their lives worth a prayer, or their death worth a tear ; but pub- lic fpirited and ufeful perfons are much lamented. Let every one in their Marions be active and occupy their talents for God. Be affured the more you do for God in this world, the more God will do for you in the world to come. If the faints were capable of grief in heaven, it would be for their doing fo little for God on earth. Direc~t. XXX. Let all believers he thankful to God for his diflinguifhing favours and mercies to them, Pfal. cxvi. 8, 12. A iife of praife doth highly become the proofs of God's love to you. Fall down humbly before God, and afcribe all to his free undeferved grace ! For who is it that maheth thee to differ from another? What hafi thou, but what thou hafi received in a way of free gift? O wonder at his free love, that has diftinguiihed you from others ! has done that for you, that he has not done for thoufands, for myriads, for millions ! nor for thofe who fit in the fame aiTcmbly, or dwell in the fame home with you \ O blefs God who fent his dear Son to ranfem you, and bring you out of prifon, when oth- ers are left in bondage ! Who fent his Holy Spirit to open your eyes, when others are left blind ; to open your ears, when others are left deaf; to open your hearts, when others are left fhut ; to open your mouths to praife free difringuifhing love, when others are left dumb. Employ your tongues theft to commend bis love, and fing his praife. CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 247 Direct. XXXI. Since God diflinguijljes you from others in his mercies to you, fee that you difiinguiflj yourfelves from- othersy in your fervice to him y Matth v. 47. Are you Chriftians indeed ? you are under ftronger obligations to live and act for Chrift than others :: Why ? you have both your new name and new nature from Chrift, which others have not ; you are more nearly related to Chrift than others ; you -«.*e engaged to act for him, by more frequent and folemn vows than othsrs ; you have greater mercies beftowed on you than others ; others have but common mercies, but you have covenant mer- cies, mercies that accompany falvation. You have fpi- ritual life, within you, and divine influences, which oth- ers want ; not only the world, but Chrift expects more from you than others ; all which are powerful engage- ments on you to do more for God than others. You know more of the things of God than others ; you talk more of them, you profefs more, you promife and en- gage to do more than others, and he may juitly expect more from you than others, and put that queftion to you, What do ye for me more than others P Matth v. 47. Q^eft. Wherein mould believers diftinguifh them- felves and do- more for God than others ? Anf. You fhould be witneffes for God, and teftify againft what is dishonouring to him, by abftaining from all known fin, and from thofe fins which are common and fafhiona- ble, and little thought of by others. By reproving tin in others, and endeavouring to pluck them out of the fire. By keeping up family religion even in the mid ft of bulinefs, and bamming all known vice from your dwel- lings, even minced oaths, ram uiing of God's name, idle walking or talking on the Lord's day, backbitings, evil wifhes, revengeful actions, unneceilary drinking or tip- pling, lottery games, and paftimes of bad report, &c. Be zealous for Sabbath holinefs. Be meek and lowly in your carriage ; commend Chrift to others ; fpeak for the honour of religion before thofe who difregard it ; fhew fpecial regard to thofe who are ftamped with God's image,, though mean or defpifed , be ready to 24S CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. forgive wrongs, and render good for evil ; deal honeil- ly and juftly with all men, be fober and temperate in eating, drinking, fleep, apparel, &c. Guard againft pride, paffion, hafty and unguarded words ; put great refpecl: upon God's word and ordinances ; be concerned for the enlarging of Chrift's kingdom ; never venture upon any known fin for the fake of worldly gain : make con- fcience of relative and ftational duties, as to be good hufbands, good wives, good parents, good children, good matters, good fervants, good neighbours, &c. In fuch things as thefe you are to do more for God than others. Direct. XXXII. Be not content with a fair profejfion of religion, or with a form ofgod/inefs, and a name to live among men y lit. i. 16. 2 Tim. iii. 5. But endeavour to know and feel the power of godlinefs in your hearts, and to have your practice in all refpects correfponding to your profcffion. If your practice be not anfwerable to what you profefs, you fin againft great light, you difcredit religion, and tempt men to think it ?.ll hypocrify. IF a man live and die a mere profefTor, it had been better he had lived and died a mere heathen. Direct. XXXIII. Keep always a watch on the dvcr of your lips, Pfal. cxli 3. Seeing the tongue hath a world of iniquity in it, Jam. iii. 6. keep it as with a bridle, as. Pfal. xxxix. 1. and beg the Lord's help to keep it, and that he himfelf may fet a watch upon your mouths, as the Pfalmift prays, Pfal. cxli. as knowing that no watch- fulnefs or refolution of our own is fufncient for the go- verning of our tongues, without God's fpeciai grace, without this the mod watchful watchman watcheth in vain. Earneftly feek, for Chrift's fake, God's fpeciai grace to govern this unruly member, that it may not be fuffcred to utter words which may tend to the dis- honour of God, or to the hurt of men. Study to gov- ern your tongues by ufing God's name with reverence, fpeaking always what is truth and what is feafonable, ufefui, and edifying, guarding carefully againft lying, evil fpeaking, pafixoiute, prcud, and felf- exalting words. CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 249 and againft all rafh cenfures. You have need of great caution in fpeaking, and to take heed either how you commend yourfelves, or condemn others. Direct. XXXIV. Walk carefully and contentedly in ev- ery condition, Adls viii. 3.9. Phil. iv. 11. Such a walk as this doth bring credit to religion and the fervice of our Redeemer- What though a believer be fed with the bread and water of affliction the moft of his life, he hath other bread and another cup to fweeten both ^ " the forgiveneis of fin is a reviving cordial in every " cafe." Have no will of vour own diftinftfrom God's will, but be reiigned to God's difpoilng will in every thing, and let God's will and choice be always yours. If you cannot bring your condition to your mind, then you muft labour to bring your mind to you? condition, believing that the will of your heavenly Father is al- ways bell for you. Still remember that he hath engag- ed himfelf to be with you in all frates and conditions, and to order all things for your advantage : Be fure then he cannot deny himfelf, all his words are oaths for their certainty, and all his promifes are the fure mercies of David. Be content in every cafe ; for fince Chrift h yours, all things are yours. Well then let your covenanted Go:! chufe out your lot for you ; for you may truft that it (hall be done with more wifdom, and with more affection, than you can chufe for yourfelf. Direct. XXXV. IF you would manifeft yourfelves to be truly religious both before God and man, keep at- ways the Jirjl and fecond table of the law joined together , and make confeience of bothy Matth. xxii. 37. &c. Love both God and your neighbour, be jufl and upright in all your dealing with men, acting always under a fenfe of the all- feeing eye of your heavenly Father, who enjoins you to do the fame to others, as ye would have them do to you. Let a moral man try his religion by the duties of the firft table of the law, and a profeffor his by the duties of the fecond table of the law. See that you love God above all things, and prefer his worfhip -50 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. and fervice to every thing. Love God for himfelf, and love men principally for what is godlike in them. Direct. XXXVI. Carefully guard againjl apoflacy and hackjliding from God and his imys, Heb. x. 38, 39. Be always jealous of your deceitful and treacherous hearts^ knowing that they are bent to backfiiding. A holy fear of departing from God, is a good means to keep us from departing from God. Therefore endeavour to preferve always a watchful and tender frame of heart, and be afraid of falling away, according to that word, Heb. iv. 1. If you would preferve yourfelves from to- tal apoflacy, rife fpeedily after every fall by found re- pentance, and recourfe to the blood of Chrift. Lie not one day in any {In, but rife out of the puddle im- mediately, and go to the cieanfing fountain, and renew your covenant with God, and beg more ftrength and faith to derive continual fupplies from Chrifi: your head. Be often calling your fouls to account, and afking your hearts what is become of the good frames, the melting fenfe of fin, the hungering deiires, the delightful tafres, the heavenly longings, the warm affections to Chrift, that they fometimes had. When you attain to thefe, or to any of them, fee that you commit them to Chrift/s keeping, faying with the Pfilmift, Lo.*\l, be furety for thy fervant for good. LafUy confider the dreadful cafe of an apoftate as defcribed by our Lord and his apoftle, Matth. xii. 43, 44. 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. That man's cafe becomes far more miferable than it was at fir ft. "What a fad cafe is it for a. foul to fall back into hell, after it had climbed near the gates of heaven ? None fall fo deep into hell as thofe who fall backward into it, Direct XXXVII. Be watchful againfl all fin , and par- ticularly your darling or confitutional fn, the fin that mofl eafily befets you, Pfal. xviii. 23. Heb. xii. 1. Our ad- versary the devil well knows this fin, and on what fide we may be attacked with the greatefl: fuccefs 5 and to be fure he will bring his ftrongeft temptations thither, axid employ his moft fubtle wiles and devices that way CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY, 251 to enfnare us. It were happy for us if we were ftili watching againft him, and could fay with die apoftle, we are not ignorant of his devices. You are like wife to watch againft all fin whatfoever, fins of omiffion as well as of commiffion. Grofs outbreakings make confcience to ftart at their appearance, but it is not fo alarmed with the neglect of duties. But if confcience be awakened, fins of omiffion will lie heavy as well as fins of commit fion. Some eminent Chriftians, who have lived the moft circumfpect lives, when they come to die and re- flect upon the by^paft time, have been put to cry, Lord, in fpecial forgive my fns of omiffion. Venture not to live in any frame, courie, or practice, that you would not adventure to die in, feeing you know not but your next ftep may be into the grave. Guard againft all thefe tins and evils now in the time of your health, that may put thorns in your pillow when ficknefs and the har- bingers of death approach, fuch as mif (pending of pre- cious time, neglect of prayer or reading of the fcrip- tures, formality and lukewarmnefs in religion, earthly mindednefs, unthankfulnefs for mercies, and mifcarry- ing after them, neglect of improving Chrift, quenching the Spirit* neglect of convictions, breaking of vows, falling from your firft love, returning to old fins you had mourned over, finning againft light and after af- flictions, &c. .Direct. XXXV HI. Be heartily concerned for the coming and enlargement of Chrijts kingdom in the world, Matth. vi. 10. Pfal. lxxii. 19. Bewail it that his flock is fo little, his Subjects fo few, when Satan's are fo numerous. Bewail the unfuccefsfulnefs of the gofpel, the reftraint of the Spirit, the divifion among Chriftians, and the many hindrances of the progrefs of Chriftianity. La- ment the wrongs and difhonours done to God by oth- ers, cry and wreftle for the outpouring of the Spirit, both at home and abroad ; pray for the revival of God's work in thefe lands, amidft thefe declining years ; and in enquiring after public news, have a view to this, be concerned for the intereft and welfare of Chrift's 252 CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. kingdom through the world, for the accomplifliment of God's promiies concerning the deftruction of Aati- chrift, Babylon's downfai, the inbringing of the Jews, and the fubduing of the nations. And when you hear any appearance of God's riling to countenance his word, and conquer Tinners' hearts to himfelf, whether at home or abroad, rejoice at the news, reckon them good ti- dings of great joy, and blefs the Lord for them with all your hearts. It is moft pleating and acceptable to God, to fee his people heartily concerned for the prof- peri ty of Jerufalerm Direct. XXX IX. Be bufy laying up ajlockfor afick bed or death bed } when all the comforts of life will be tajlelefs to you, i Tim. xi. 19. Lay up a frock of faith and pa- tience, a frock of evidences of divine love, and of your interefr in Chrifr ; a frock of divine promifes, and ex- periences of God's loving kindnefs, which may be fup- porting to you in the day of fharp trials. When mari- ners go to fea, they victual the fhip, and provide for a florm. And ought not we to forefee the frorms of af- fliction, of ficknefs and death, and provide and lay up for them ? It will be fad, if, when the bridegroom is come, we have our oil then to buy, when the market is over. Now is the time for providing oil ; now is the market of grace ; now is the acceptable time -, now is the day of falvation. Direct. XL. Be looking and longing for the eternal /upper of tlje Lamb, Phil. i. 23 Rev. xix. 9. Hungry fouls who taited the love of Jefus, long for the Lamb's fup- per below, that they may enjoy communion with him here, and this makes them cry, When fhall the oppor- tunity return ? When fhall I come and appear before God ? When fhall I again fee his power and glory in the fanctuary ? When fhall I again tafte his love znd goodnefs in the facrament ? and vet thefe are but fmall foretaftes of the Lamb's fupper above. What is our drinking of the fruit of the vine here, to our drinking it new with Chrift in his Father's kingdom ? There- fore look out and long for the time when the day ihall CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY. 253 break, and the fliadows flee away, and the marriage of the Lamb fhall be triumphantly folemnized, and com- pleted with the church his efpoufed bride r whom he will then Lead into the king's palace, where their tranfient glances fhall be changed into immediate vifion, and their (hort taftes into everlafting feafting and fulnefs. O bleffed are they for ever who are called to the marriage /upper of the Lamb. Thefe are the true fayings of God. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief. Ainen* SCRIPTURE SONGfc FOR ZION'S TRAVELLERS, IN THEIR WAY TO HEAVEN. Isa. xxxv. 10. The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, Psal. cxxxviii. 5. They shall sing in the ways of the Lord, SONG i. The Primitive Communicants. 1 Christ's friends at first oft broke his bread, inspired with love divine.: They drank the spirit of their head, As well's the sacred wine. 2 They shewed his death with heart and soul And feasted in his love ; His blood and wounds they did extol, And sung like saints above. 3 Lord, grant us part of that love flame, Which in their hearts abode ; That made them witness for the Lamb, And suffer for their God. 4 Warm showers from heaven send down on us That frozen hearts may yield, And turn us from a wilderness Into a fruitful field. £ Thy people, Lord, lament for thee, And sore thy absence mourn ; They long thy face again to see. Till gospel feasts return. SCRIPTURE SONGS. § Come to thy table, with us sit, Our grudges all remove, Unite our hearts, and make U3 fit To keep the feast of love. 7 Cause streams of living waters flow In channels of thy grace ; And let the north and south wind blow Our strait'nings to release. 3 Thy Spirit's temple make our hearts* And with us still abide ; Make his convictions pierce like darts, Let us no more backslide. 9 Thy hidings are a bitter cup, Like fiow'rs we fade and mourn ; We droop, we grieve, and can't look up Till thou our Sun return. 10 Lord, charge not on us former guilt, Let aU thine anger cease ; Look to the blood on Calv'ry spilt, And bid us go in peace. SONG II. The Holy Spirit Jits us for the Holy Table, 1 O Father of our dying Lord, Hear thy Son's speaking blood* Fulfil to us his gracious word, Send down the heavenly food. 2 Thy Spirit grant, for which he pray'd, To glorify thy Son : Hifr promised influences shed, That wonders may be done. 3 Glad we'll his death commemorate, Aye till he come again ; Bless both the word and sacrament, Take thy great pow'rand reign. 4 Christ's table now stands furnished, With blessings of best kinds ; Pardon and peace bought with his blood, Choice food for troubled minds. 5 Give faith to feed and view his love, His stripes aod wounds e ach one, *4.Qut 256 SCRIPTURE SONGS. Hew he was jeer'd that's fear'd above, Blasphemed and spit upon. 6 In's hands and feet we see the nails Piercing his tender veins ; For us each wound the blushing ground With blood infinite stains. 7 Black clouds for us o'erwhelm'd his soul. Sore was his agony, When he cry 9 d 9 Jtfy Go d, my God, why Hast thou forsaken me ? 3 Thy matchless love we'll praise aloud, Our souls it doth constrain To love and live to thee, our God, Who for our sins was slain. 9 May I no more to prayer be dragg'd, To serve thSe let me run ; May I in duties keep my course, Like to the rising sun. 10 Unto the Lamb that once was slain, Be praise and glory given, By all that dwell upon the earth, And all the hosts of heaven. SONG III. Christ's Sacrifice the only foundation of our Trust* 1 So great's the g: As one burnt sacrifice, Our smallest debt this could not pay, Creatures could not suffice. 4 But mercy in this hopeless case A sacrifice prepares, A Lamb of all sufficient worth, Which dissipates our fears. SCRIPTURE SONGS. 25T 5 This sacrifice more precious Than ail created things, To U3 eternal happiness Jn soul and body brings. £ "This is the sure foundation stone, Which God in Zion lays, For men to build their hopes upon, He's blest that on him stays. 7 Tho' earth's foundations be removed, This rock still standeth fast, By storms unmov'd on this alone My anchor I will cast, ft The Lamb, our rock, for us did die. For us rose from the dead, For us he did ascend on high, For us his blood doth plead. 9 bleeding Lamb, shew me my name Writ in thy book of life, Then 1 will long to be with thee, Out of this land of strife. 10 To worship with the heavenly host, Jehovah one in three, The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, To all eternity. SONG IV. The Distressed Soul looking to the Lame for pii]' V Come see my case, O bleeding Lamb, In mercy take me as I am, Quite naked, and put clothing on A stranger, and make mo a son. 2 Burden'd with guilt, and give me ease, A bond man. and my soul release, All vile, not fit to join thy saints ; A creature all made up of wants, 3 By nature I have nothing good, All must be bought me by thy blood ; But since thy wounds are openM wide, I'll hope in Jesus crucify'd. 4 Thy blood men's sorest plagues doth cure, Thy wounds their backward hearts alhre, x 2 258 SCRIPTURE SONGS. Thy blood strange changes works in men, For wondrous works the Lamb was slain ! 5 Thy Bible doth thy pity shew. I rest on thy words sweet and true, •' Souls, come to me, and no more doubt, •* For hirn that comes I'll not cast out." 6 Renew my soul, plant grace this day, Give me a heart to mourn and pray, O kill in me this rebel sin, Restore thy image me within. 7 For these things I unto thee come, Cast me not out, since there is room ; Make good thy words, and hear my cries, For on thy truth my soul relies. 8 O dearest Lamb, didst thou not bleed, To purchase every thing we need ? Doth not thy blood still run to heal Distressed souls, their plagues who feel \ 9 We feel our sores, Lord, heal us soon, And in us let thy will be done : Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, One God in Christ, that saves the lost* SONG V. A call to wonder ai Christ's Sufferings fro:n love to 1 Behold Christ in a bloody sweat, Which all his garment stains, See four wide wounds in's hands and feet, When big nails pierc'd his veins ! 2 Behold his soul oppressed sore, And in the greatest pain 1 How heavy was the wrath he bore, Of which he did complain ? 3 Yet, Lord, wi tilst our sins fill'd to thee Tiiis hitter wrathful cup, A blessed feast thou inad'st, that we Might at thy table sup ! X O friend of Christ, draw near his throne To him thank-oflPrings bring, F?or in his temple ev'ry one SHoutcl of his glory sing. SCRIPTURE SONGS, 25§ 5 Let men him love, and sin abhor, Which caus'd him grief and pain, Let all the angels still adore The Lamb for sinners slain ! 6 With warm affection let us bless Our great High Priest above, And every day admire and praise The wonders of his love 1 7 From love he left his throne on high, Lodg'd in a virgin's womb ! Love brought him to the cross to die, Love laid him in a tomb ! 8 Love rais'd him up, and took him back, To heaven to make us room ! From thence return he'll for our sake, In love to bring us home ! 9 From love he wearies not to plead, And shew his bleeding hands, Since he hath justice satisfv'd, Our freedom he demands. 10 Thy blood hath done all things for me, I'll glory in thy cross ; My best things I'll give up for thee, I count them all but loss. SONG VL From 2 Sam. xxiii. 3 — 7. Being a Prophecy of Christ? and King David's Swan Song in views of death* 1 A Ruler just o'er men shall rise, In God's fear rule shall he, As morning light springs from the skies, So welcome shall he be. 2 Like rising sun he scatters all The black shades of the night, No clouds ihis morning darken shall, Refreshing is its light. .3 He shall the frozen earth solace, Like sunshine after rain, Whose warming beams revive the grass, And make all spring again. 260 SCRIPTURE SONG8_ 4 I'm griev'd, all prove not good and just, Who from my loins do spring ; Bot glad to see he springs from me, That's Zion's blessed King ; 5 A King that saves us from our foes, In hearts rules by his might ; With his just laws let all men close, Obey him, 'tis his right. 6 Although my house be not with God Such as it ought to be, Yet he hath through Messias' blood A cov'nant made with me : 7 A covenant which life doth bring, And evermore endure, Well ordered in every thing, With promises most sure. 8 My heart's desire is towards it, 'Tis my salvation, Although he doth not come as yet, For to redress what's wrong. 9 But Belial's sons, who are his foes, God smite them will in ire, He'll them consume who him oppose, Like thorns burnt up with fire. SONG VII. The Saint's '-Triumph over death, from Job xix. 25. &c. Got. xv. 43, 53. Phil, iii, 21. Ezek. xvi. 14. 1 Though on me heavy trials come, And death's stroke on me fall, My faith and hope shall not succumb, But triumph j'er them all. 21 know that my Redeemer lives, Who pleads my cause with God, To save each soul that him believes He comes to shed his blood. 3 Then for a while he'll go away, But will return again, And on the earth, at latter day. Stand with a glorious train. SCRiPTURE SONGS. 261 4 Though in the grave my body fall, And worms do it consume, Ev'n skin and flesh, blood, bones, and all^ Yet death I'll overcome. & My Lord will raise me from the dust, Hell clothe my bones with flesh, I'll see my God whom now I trust, Which will my soul refresh. 6 That flesh which all consumed was-, The very same shall rise ; Yea, I will see Christ's lovely face, With these cny very eyes. 7 Though for a time my dust be loath'd Most beautiful I'll be, My mortal body shall be cloth'd With immortality. 3 Like Christ's own body will I shine, With raiment white as light, His comeliness is ever mine ; This every saint makes bright. SONG VIIL Christ's Eternal Love to mankind / From Prov. viiL 27, to the end. 1 When the creation was begun By God's almighty hand, Then I, his own eternal Son, Concurr'd in the command. 2 I joined in his counsels wise, Lost mankind to redeem : 1 was my Father's chief delight, And I rejoic'd in him. 3 And in the earth when it for man Was fram'd with divine art. With pleasure I foresaw the Church, Its habitable part. 4 Before the light was made to shine,. My heart was set on man ; My thoughts, from all eternity, On his salvation ran, 262 SCRIPTURE SONGSi* 5 The foresight of man's misery, Made me engage for them, To be their help ; for my delights Were with the sons of men. 6 O children, then to me give ear; They're blest my ways that chuse $ Be wise, and my instruction hear, They're fools who it refuse. 7 Blest is the man that hears my word, And doth attend my gates, Who watchfully looks for the Lord> And at his door-posts waits. 3 Blest is the man that findeth me, With me he'll live above, And have, through all eternity, God's iavour and his love. 9 But his own soul he doth injure Who slights my offers free ; And those who hate my precepts pure, Court death eternally. SONG IX. From Solomon's Song> chap. i. Being a dialogue bdwixi Christ and his Spouse. Spouse. J Like sweetest ointment smells thy name, Dear Jesus, unto me, Hence virgin souls send out a flame Of holy love to thee. & O draw me, and we'll run to thee; Blest King, thoai; didst me bring Into thy chambers, hence will we In thee rejoice and sing. S More than the taste of richest wine, Thy love think on we will ; Most costly was thy love design ; The upright love thee still. 4 Tell me, good shepherd, whom I love. Where thy dear sheep are fed ; Shew m* the paths wherein they move^ And where they find a shade. SCRIPTURE 30NOS. 5 Leave me not in a wand'ring course, Like those who lose their way; With flocks of thy competitors Let me not go astray. Christ. 6 Art thou bewtider'd, my fair one> And canst not find thy rest? Come follow my direction, I'll shew thee what is best. 7 In footsteps of my flock go on, The shepherd ? s tents keep nigh ; Thy kids and young ones bring along, So shall thou meet with me. Spouse. $ While at the table sits the King, My spikenard smelleth sweet, My graces languishing do spring, With this sun's quickening heat, 9 Dear Jesus as a bunch of myrrh, Shall in my bosom lie ; To lodge with me he'll not demur, While nightly shades do stay. SONG X. From Song ii. J, to Christ. ; i I am the Rose of Sharon's field, The Lilly of the Vale ; I sweetness and delight do yield, When earthly glories fail. 2 As lillies shine amidst the thorns, So doth my love the bride ; The daughters want what her adorns? Though they live by her side. Spouse. 3 As th* appU tree doth far excel The forest's barren .growth, So my love outshines mortals all, Though in their blooming youth. 4 Under his shade with great delightj i sat down for to, rest,: 268 264 SGRIPTURE SONGJ? . I found solace, his heavenly fruit Was sweet unto my taste. 5 He brought me to his house of wine^ My faintings to allay, The banners of his love divine O'er me he did display, 6 Bring strengthening flaggons unto me, With cordials from above ; Fetch me sweet apples from the tree 5 For I am sick of love. 7 When thus my fainting soul did cry For grace me to uphold, My tender hearted Lord drew nigh, His arms me did infold. 8 All things without me and within, I charge to stand in awe, To wake or grieve my love with sin s Lest from me he withdraw. 9 Though griev'd, he doth return to me 5 For lo ! his voice 1 hear, O'er hills of guilt him leap I see, My mourning soul to cheer. 10 He hastes to me like hart or roe, Our dark walls he makes light : Through lattices himseif dolh shew, With comeliness most bright. SONG XI. From Song ii. 10. to the end, Christ. 1 Rise up, said Christ, my fairest one, Come thou away to me ; The winter storms of wrath are gone, I bore them all for thee. 2 From barren grounds the . flow'rs do springs Men hear the turtle's voice, The drooping birds begin to sing, And sad hearts to rejoice. 3 Young figs and grapes do now appear, And yield a sweet perfume ; SCRIPTURE SONGS. 266 The heavenly vine faint hearts doth cheer, Rise up, my love, and come. 4 My dove tbat iodgest in the rock* In clefts of my dead wounds, And dost to me in secret look, When in thee grief abounds : 5 Lift up thy face and voice to me, These please mine eye and ear ; Thy graces all 1 love to see, Thy voice and pray'r to hear. 6 Take us the foxes, whose designs Are vineyards to annoy, The little foxes, which the vines And tender grapes destroy. . Spouse. "7 My love is mine, my soul's delight, And I am also his ; Among his saints, those lillies white, His place of feeding is : 8 There he abides, till break of day, When shadows all shall flee ; Till then, come like a hart or roe, O'er Bether hills to me. SONG XII, From Song iii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, H. 1 All's dark when Jesus hides his face, Night shades fall me upon ; Desertion is a weary case, When Christ my love is gone. ■2 I on my bed my loss did mind, I sought him thus alone : My drowsy search did not him find, Vain was my slothful moan. •3 I'll rise and round ihe city go, Through streets, broad ways and lanes , This way I sought my love, but lo ! Successless were my pains. The city watchmen found me out, Their doctrine touch'd my case : Ah where's he ? Can ye solve my doubt--? None of them bright me ease. Y 266 SCRlPTUTtE SONGS. 5 When means and duties proved so weak. Beyond them all I past : When 1 some steps from them did make.. I found my love at last 6 I him embrac'd and held him fast. Till once 1 got him brought Into my mother's dwellings waste. To strengthen what he wrought. 7 Since he's come in, I do you charge. Who Salem's daughters are, By roes and hinds which run atlarge^ Our joys you do not mar. <> Let sin or earth no motion make, For to disturb his rest : Let none presume my love to wake, Until it please him best. 9 0,Zion's daughters, all go forth, Behold King Solomon, Ev'n Christ our King, of higher worth, Wearing his glorious crown. 10 Wherewith his mother crown'd his head, On his espousal day, That day on which his heart was glad, Him love and praise for aye. SONG XIIL From Song iv. 7, 8, 9, 10. 11, 12, 16 Christ. 1 Thou art all fair when in thy dress, My love, thouVt fair to me ; When clothed with my righteousness, No spot is seen on thee. 2 My spouse come off from Lebanon, And mounts of vanity : Let all the world's deceit alone, And come alongst with me. 3 By faith look from Amana's top, Shenir and Hermon fair; From dens of prey, behold with hope ' The land beyond compare. 4 My Spouse, thou dost my love enhance. And drawest my heart to thee, SCRIPTURE SONGS. 2G7 With thy neck chains, and with a glance Gf thy believing eye. 5 Thy love to me more grateful is Than wine of any kind ; Thy graces more than fragrant spice Acceptance with me find. 6 Thy lips drop sweet ; and from thy tongue Do milk and honey flow : Thy garments smell as Lebanon, Which on thee I bestow. 7 A garden fair, inclos'd by grace, My spouse thou art to me, I chus'd thee from the wilderness, With fine spring? furnis.h'ri lh£e~< Sroust:. 8 If I thy garden be, G Lord, Cause heaveo's wind awake, Sweet quickening gales to me afford, My graces lively make. 9 Sharp northern blasts send to convince, And cause the south winds blow ; With breathings warm assist my mints, And make thy spices flow. 10' Then let my love his presence sweet Unto his garden grant. That he may eat his pleasant fruit 3 Which he himself did plant. SONG XIV. From Song v. 1, 2, 3, 4> Christ. 1 My Spouse, to answer thee I'm come Into my garden fair ; My myrrh and spice of sweet perfume, With pleasure I do share % On honey, wine, and milk I feast ; All friends come eat with me, And drink my wine of heavenly taste, Yea, drink abundantly. 268 SCRIPTURE SONGS, Spouse. 3 While Christ invites, my sloth prevails. Yet something- wakes in me, To hearken to Christ's knocks and calls. His voice speaks pressingly. Christ. 4 Open to me, my Father's child ;', Open to me, my love ; Open to me, my undehTd ; Open to me, my dove. 5 From love I'm standing at thy door* Thy heart cast open soon ; A midnight show'r of wrath I bore. To save thee when undone. Spouse. 6 I am undress'd, and rest in sweet,. From bed I cannot rise ; How shall I now defile my feet ? Thus sloth did me entice. 7 By the key hole, my well belov'd His hand of pow'r put in, So that my bowels all were mov'd, For being ungrate to him. 3 When I rous'd up, obey'd his knock. My hands dropt pieasantty With oil of myrrh, left on the lock ? Which made the bolt to fly. 9 To my belov'd I open'd fast, Who, to my grief was gone : I fainted, when his speeches past 1 mournfully thought on. 10 I sought him then with carefulness, But found he could not be ; 1 call'd on him in this distress^ He did not answer me. 11 The watchmen who do go their rounds. And keep the city wall, AbusVl me, and did give me wounds, And tore away my veil. SCRIPTURE SONGS. 269 SONG XV. A Dialogue betwixt the Spouse and Daughters of Je- rusalem, from Song v. 8. to the end. Sp'ouse. 1 O Salem's race if you him find, I charge you tell my case ; Pm sick of love, sore pain'd in mind, He only can me ease. Daughters. 2 O fairest one, we fain would know The object of thy love ; What charms he hath, that thou dost so ; Praise him all men above. Spouse. 3 My love is white and ruddy too, The chief of thousands ten ; His innocence and sufferings do Him beautify to men. 4 His blessed head doth far excel The gold that is most tine, His locks are black and curled well, They raven like do shine. 5 His eyes are like the eyes of doves, When they in flocks are met Near water streams, which they do love^ Milk wash'd and fitly set. 6 His cheeks are like unto the flow'rs, And beds where spices grow ; His lips like lillies are, from whence Sweet smelling myrrh doth flow. 7- As rings of gold with beryl set, So doth his hands appear ; His belly bright as ivory O'erlaid with sapphires clear. 3 His legs like marble pillars are, Which on gold sockets went ; Like Lebanon his face is fair, As cedars excellent. 7 His mouth that makes sweet promises-, To every saint is sweet •: y O ,. 270 SCRIPTURE SONGS* Yea he all over lovely is, View him from head to feet 10 O daughters of Jerusalem, This is my love and friend, For whom none can devise a name, Or proper emblems find. SONG XVI. The Dialogue continued. Song, chap. vL Daughters. 1 O fairest bride, we fain would know, Where's thy beloved gone ? Tell us that with thee we may go\ To seek this matchless one. Spouse. % My love is gone to heav'n above, Yet doth he condescend To come into his garden here. And beds of spice attend. 3 In meetings of his saints he's found, Those gardens of delight, He's there to bring them rich supplier And gather lillies white. 4 To my beloved 1 belong, And my belord to me ; To feed among the liliy flowers Great pleasure taketh he. Christ. 5 O who is she that looketh forth, Like to the morning light, When it darts out to chase away The darkness of the night ? € Fair as the moon ? clear as the sun K With dazzling beams array'd ; Yet like an army terrible, With banners all display'd. 7 She comes up from the wilderness. She walk? and always leans On her beloved ; for her heart Frcv?. all things else ^he wear?? SCRIPTURE S0NG9. 271 SONG XVII. Christ's Silverings for us. From Isa. liii. 2 Who hath believ'd the faithful word Which we to men declare ? Who feels the arm of God the Lord, Displayed and made bare ? 2 Messiah, like a weak plant grows, A root from ground that's dry ; No outward beauty he assumes, To draw the carnal eye : 3 Rejected and despis'd is he, Through sinners' unbelief; A man of sorrows all his days, And well acquaint with grief. 4 We hid our faces when be came To take our wrathful lot, Despis'd he was and put to shame. And we esteem'd him not. 5 Of griefs and sorrows all his time For us he bore the load, But ah, we judg'd that for his crime, He smitten was of God. 8 But he for our transgressions Was wounded and abus'd, His soul for our iniquities Most grievously was bruis'd. 7 On him was laid our chastisement, By which our peace he seal'd ; Sharp body stripes he underwent, Whereby our wounds were heal'd* 3 All we like sheep from God have stray'd, And did our own ways chuse, And these our sins God on him laid, Which love would not refuse. 3 Oppress'd and wrong'd our Surety stood,, Accused of untruth, To slaughter went he as a lamb, And open'd not his mouth. 10 Before the shearers, like a sheep. He dumb and silent lies, 272 SCRIPTURE SONGS. He meekly goes through waters deep Without repining cries. 11 His soul in trav'ling anguish lies, His pains were multiply'd, But when the blessed fruit he sees, He is well satisfy'd. SONG XVIII. j3 Thanksgiving for Redeeming Love. From Ron}. v. and Heb. xiii. 1 WheD we were destitute of strength, Ourselves to help and save. For the ungodly Christ at length His life a ransom gave. 2 Scarce any for a righteous man His life will dare to stake, And for a good man it were much Such an exchange to make : 3 But God his matchless love commends, When his most glorious Son Dy'd for us while unrighteous, Vile sinners and undone. 4 Since by his blood Christ us from sin Doth justify and free. Then surely from the wrath to come We ever safe shall be. 5 If Christ for enemies to God Did die, to end the strife, Much more when reconciled thus, He'll save us by his life. 6 Yea, more than so, we joy in God, Through Jesus Christ our Lord : The great atonement we receive, And so obey his word. 7 Now he that's Lord of quick and dead, The God of love and peace, That from the grave brought Christ our head. And him to life did raise ; 8 Who, as the shepherd great and good. His life for us did grant, SCRIPTURE SONGS. 2?3- And dicT establish, with his blood, Th' eternal covenant, 9 May he in us his work fulfil, Till he us perfect make, Still strengthening us to do his will, For our Redeemer's sake. tO And work in us what, his word says, Is pleasing him before, Through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise And glory evermore. SONG XIX. Matchless Love in the Gift of Christ '"i From John iii. 14 — 17. i O wond'rous divine love to men ! When wrath 'gainst us did swell,. God took our nature, bore our guilt, To save our souls from. hell. 2 As Moses, in the wilderness, Did lift high on a pole, A brazen serpent, for stung men To view and be made whole : 3 So Jesus Christ, the antitype, Was lifted up on high Upon the cross, that wounded souls Might look and healed be. 4 And there, he says, whoe'er believes In him unfeignedly, Shall never perish in their sins, But live eternally. 5 God lov'd the world, so as to give His Son to dwell in clay, And die, that all who in him trust Might live with God for aye. 6 Good news ! that Christ there twice declares,. All who in him believe Are safe from hell, and ever shall With God in heaven live ; 7 And that his Son God did not send A lost world to condemn, 274 SCRIPTURE SONGS. But by his blood he did intend To save condemned men. 8 Believers all with Christ shall live, And ne'er condemned be, The broken law he satisfy'd, Them for to justify. 9 But vengeance just forever lies On all the rebel race, Who God's eternal Son despise, And scorn his offer'd grace. 10 Obey Christ's call, who saves the lost £ Serve God that's One-in-Three ; To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Gi7e praise eternally. SONG XX. God's Love in Christ unalterable : From Rom. viii. 31— -to the end. J God's love in Christ transcends our thoughts, In saving men from woe ; If God's for us, and stands our friend, Who then can be. our foe ! 2 Since God for us spar'd not his Son, But gave him up to die, His lesser gifts he'll not refuse, Nor ought that's good deny. 3 Who shall God's elect ones arraign, Whom God hath justify'd ? Or who will dare those to coudemn, For whom this surety died ? 4 Christ died for us ; yea in his love, He rose up for our sake, And doth at God's right hand for us Still intercession make. 5 Who from Christ's love shall us divide t. Shall trouble or distress ? Shall persecution or the sword, Famine or nakedness ? 6 Nay, o'er all these we triumph shalh With the celestial pow'rs ; SCRIPTURE SONGS. &*5 Through Jesus Christ's victorious love, We're more than conquerors. 7 I am persuaded death nor life, Nor principalities, Nor finite pow'rs, nor present things, Nor yet futurities ; 8 No height, no depth, no creature shall Dissolve the twisted cord Of mutual love 'twixt God and us, In Jesus Christ our Lord. 9 Unchangeable is love divine, Time makes it not decay ; For those whom once the Lord doth love, He them doth love for aye. JO From love, great mercies us thou giv'st. But one we'll sing of still ; Eternal thanks to God for Christ, His gift unspeakable ! SONG XXI. THANKSGiviNGybr GoD's/ree love in and thro' Ck3?jst : From Eph. i 3<, &c. and iii. 18, &,c. 1 Blest be Christ's God, and Father dear,. For all our heavenly fare ; In Christ he hath enriched us, With sp'ritual blessings rare. '2 In love he chose us in his Son, Before the world he made, To make us blameless holy men, Like Christ our holy Head ; 3 Predestinate us of his grace, By Jesus Christ did he, To be adopted children all, In his own family ; 4 That all the praise might still redound To glorious grace alone ; The Lord hath us accepted made, In his beloved Son : & In whom, thro' his most precious blood.* We have redemption free, 276 SCRIPTURE SONGS. Ev'n full remission of our sins, That rich grace all might see. $ In wisdom God makes grace to us Flow out abundantly, That grace may be our lasting song To all eternity, 7 May we be grasping with the saints Christ's love to comprehend, Whose breadth, and length, and depth, and height> Do boundlessly extend ; 8 And press to know what wond'rous love Which knowledge all exceeds, That from his fulness we may have Supply to all our needs. 9 Now unto God who can do more Than we can ask or think, According to his mighty pow'r, That took us from hell's brink, 10 All glory in the church by Christ To him be rendered then, Through ages all for evermore : Let all men say Amen. SONG XXII. Our Bope is in Christ's Righteousness, and in being with him: From Phil. iii. 7, &c. 2 Cor. v 1, &c. 3 Those things Theretofore thought gain. And of them made my boast. For Christ that doth me justify, I give them up for lost. $ Yea, doubtless, 'tis my fixt resolve-. To count aH things -but loss, That I the excellence may koow Of Jesus and his cross. 3 All worldly things for him I've lost, I them as dung esteem. That I may Christ my treasure win. And safe be found in him. 4 My righteousness as rags I quit, i plead what Christ hath done \ SCRIJPTURE SONGS. 277 This righteousness which God ordains, By faith I take alone. 5 May I know Jesus in that power Which rais'd him from the grave, That with him in his sufferings I fellowship may have : 6 And being conformed to his death, By dying unto sin, A resurrection blest from death 1 may obtain through him. 7 Yea, now we know if this clay house Dissolved were off the field, An heavenly house we have on high, Which God himself doth build. 8 With strong desires we therefore groan, That to us it were given, To know that bliss, and be new cloth'd With our pure house in heav'n. "9 We walk by faith and not by sight, And hence we often say, Content we would the body leave, And dwell with Christ for aye. 10 Faith's views of Christ prompt us to seek. And make it still our care, That whether here, or with our Lord, Of his love we may share. SONG XXIII. A Thanksgiving for the Fruits of Christ's Resur- rection : from 1 Pet. i. 3, 4, &c. 1 For ever blessed be the God And Father of our Lord, Whose mercy doth to us abound, According to his word : 2 Who hath begotten us again Unto a lively hope, By Christ his rising from the dead, Of faith the blessed prop : 3 For by it we are well secur'd .Of an inheritance, Z 278 SCRIPTURE S0NG6. That's not corrupted nor dehTd, Nor fades by any chance : 4 Which is for us in heav'n reserv'dj, And we are kept for it, By the Almighty pow'r of God, Through faith, till we be fit. 5 For that salvation glorious, To be reveaTd at last, Of which we wait to be possest When time and days are past. 6 In this bless'd hope we do rejoice. Though for a time we need Here to be kept in heaviness, Through trials multiply'd. 7 Our faith, more precious than gold, By fire is tried here, That unto praise it may be found, When Jesus doth appear. 8 This Jesus, though unseen, we love, In him believing still, Which yields us joy unspeakable, That is of glory full. S When Jesus comes, we shall receive, The blest end of our faith, Ev'n the salvation of our souls, Procured us by his death. SONG XXIV. The Sons of God manifested: From 1 John i-ii. 1, 2, &c* 1 Behold how matchless is that love ! The Father hath bestow'd On men, that we should be adopt And cali'd the sons of God ! 2 His image he makes us to bear, As sons of heav'nly birth ; This dignity exalts us far Above the kicgs on earth. 3 Though now the world us doth not know, As Christ it ne?er knew, Yet God doth own us as his sons, We're changM and born anew. SCRIPTURE SONGS-. 279 4 And what hereafter we shall be, It doth not yet appear, But this we know, when Christ shall come, We shall his likeness bear : 5 For we shall see him as he rs, And like him shine full bright ; We then come near our glorious Sun, From whom we have our light. 6 As Christ is holy, so must we ; All who hope for that hour, Themselves must also purify, As he the Lord is pure. 7 Let's here, as strangers, follow peace, And walk with one accord, And always study holiness, As we would see the Lord. 3 No eye hath seen, no ear hath heard, No heart can things above Conceive, which Jesus hath prepar'd For them who do him love. SONG XXV. The glorious Trinity adored, and Christ's Love ex- tolled: From Rev. i. 4, 5, &c. and iv. 8, &c. 1 May we have grace and peace from God, The glorious One in Three, Who us created and redeem'd, And us doth sanctify ; 2 Ev'n from the Father, who stilF was,. Who is, and still shall be, And from the sevenfold working Sp'rit, Before his throne on high ; 3 From Jesus Christ, the witness true, And first born from the dead, Who of all earthly kings and pow'r9 Ts Prince and ruling Head : 4 To this great Lord, that so lov'd men, Such loathsome men as we, As wash'd us in his precious blood, Our souls from sin to free ; 280 SCRIPTURE S0NC3. 5 To him who made us kings and priests^ To God his Father high, Be glory and dominion Through all eternity. 6 Behold he comes with flying clouds, Him ev'ry eye shall see, And unbelievers, who him pierc'd Shall wail most bitterly. 7 But let believers lift their heads, With joy, to see and hear, For then complete redemption To them is very near. 8 The hosts above their homage pay, And crowns cast on the ground, They never cease by night nor day, These praises to resound : 9 " O holy, holy, holy Lord, " Almighty God alone, 4i Who ever was, and also is, " And ever is to come !" 10 Glorv, povv'r, and honour still Thou'rt worthy to receive ; All things were made to please thy will, And by thy pleasure live. 21 Most worthy, Lamb, art thou, they sing, To be adored thus ; Let with thy praise heavVs mansions ring. For thou wast slain for us. SONG XXVI. The Lamb that was slain eternally exalted : From Ptev. v. 1 The heav'nly host and elders join, To bow before the Lamb, With golden harps, and sweetest tunes t They trumpet forth his fame. I They cry, hi O Father, who shall look " Into thy secret will ? " Worthy the Lamb to take the book, Ci And open ev'ry seal: 3 " Thon'rt fit God's myst'ries to reveal, " For thou wast slain for us, SCRIPTURE SONGS. 281 " And thy blood purchas'rfus to God, " Which thou shedd'st on the cross. 4 " From ev'ry nation, kindred, tongue, " Thy precious blood us bought ; " Well thou deserv'st our praising songs " Who us salvation brought. 5 " Unto the Lamb that once was slaia " Be endless praises giv'n, " By all that dwell upon the earth, " And all the hosts of heav'n. 6 " Thou hast us ransomed by thy blood, " And set us pris'ners free ; " Thou mak'st us kings and priests to God r " And we shall reign with thee." 7 Let's join, while here, our cheerful songs With hosts around the throne, Ten thousand thousands are their tongues, Yet all agree in one. 3 " Worthy the Lamb that dy'd (they cry) " To be exalted thus, " Worthy the Lamb (let us reply) " For he was slain for us. 9 " The Lamb is worthy to receive " Strength, wisdom, riches, might> *' Eternal honours we ascribe " To him, for 'tis his right. 10 " Let heav'n and earth unite in one, h " To praise the glorious name 11 Of him that sits upon the throne, M And to adore the Lamb." SONG XXVII. Christ's victory and Babylon* s downfal From Rev. xviii. and xv. &e. 1 Behold, an angel doth descend, With pow'r and glory great ; To earth he comes for a great end, Blest tidings to relate ! £ " Great Babylon that did enthral " The kingdom's of the earth, z 2 282 SCRIPTURE SONGS. " The time is come for her to fall, u Which calls for holy mirth. 3 " Let heav'n be glad, with all the saiui^ " Let prophets all rejoice : " God doth avenge your long complaints. " With praise lift up your voice." 4 In while robes cloth'd they ail do stand, With palms of triumph in their hand; " Salvation to God on the throne," They cry, M and to the Lamb his Son." 5 Next these come angels and fall down, Humbly adoring Three in One ; They cry, " Amen, give glory, pow'r, " And thanks to God for ever more/' 6 But whence come these in white who shine, All cloth'd with righteousness divine ? These come from suff'rings great to God, Their robes they wash'd in the Lamb's blood. 7 The martyr's trials now are o'er, They see God's face for ever more ; The Lamb makes sure their heav'nly bliss, They've said, He's ours, and we are his. S No more the heat shall them torment, Of scorching sun they've no complaint; The Lamb, who shines amidst the throne^ Shall be their everlasting sun. 3 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, One God, who saved us when lost, Be everlasting glory giv'n, By all on earth and all in heav'n. SONG XXVIII. A view of the Saints and Martyrs in heaven From Rev. vii. t Let's view by faith the saints above, Redeem'd from sin by Jesus' love, Their various tribes, their sweet employ, U\ raptures of eternal joy. 2 The patriarchs, with Jacob's race, Rais'd up to heav r n by God's free grace ? SCRIPTURE SONGS, 288 With songs they praise their father's God, Who led them home the heav'nly road. 3 Next, see a num'rous multitude, Redeem'd from hell by Jesus' blood, From ev'ry nation, kindred, tongue, Who sing an everlasting song. 4 " A millstone cast by Gabriel, " And in the sea is drown'd ? " Thus terribly shall Babel fall, " And never more be found." 5 Upon the sea of glass they stand, The beast who overcome, With harps of gold into their hand; To celebrate her doom. 6 These conquerors do meet in throngs,. And to Jehovah's name, They pleasantly unite the songs Of Moses and the Lamb. 7 By Moses' hand the enemy Did sink deep in the flood, So drown'd our sins are in the sea Of Jesus' precious blood. 3 The conquerors with fluent tongues Christ's honour will proclaim, In sweeter notes than Moses' songs, They'll tune those of the Lamb. All nations shall to thee bow down, And worship rev'rently, When once thy judgments are made known Against thine enemy. 10 The hosts of God, with one consent, Shall hallelujah's sing, When the Lord God Omnipotent Takes his great pow'r to reign. 11 At length will end the devil's reigo Over the sons of men, Let heav'n and earth rejoice and sing, With all that dwell in them, 284 SCRIPTURE SONGS. SONG XXIX. The good nervs of the Ransom of Christ's Blood. 1 Great pity God shews To Gentiles and Jews. He sent them his gospel to bring them good news : Good news to the lost, With racking fears toss'd, That found is a ransom in which they may boast. 2 A ransom of blood, That runs like a flood, The sins off to carry, who God's law withstood. News! that Christ was kind, When hell's pow'rs combin'd, To rout them he freely his dear life resign'd. 3 Blood stream'd from his side, T' atone for our pride ; Sin was the tormentor that him crucify'd. When we have him view'd, With his blood embru'd, May we by this prospect get all sin subdu'd. 4 What sight do we see ? Christ stretch'd on the tree, For rebels as we are most willing to die ! Pains dreadful he felt, O let our hearts melt For sin that did pierce him, when he bore our guilt. 5 Since for sins of men God's dear Lamb was slain, Hard must the man's heart be that yet feels no pain. When the sun did faint, And hardest rocks rent, Shall we be so stubborn as never relent! 6 Our glorious head Our victim was made, To heal us when wounded his blood all he shed. In our place he stood, And pour'd out his olood ; Yea, gives us free access to that healing food, 7 Christ's feasts we'll attend, And his love commend, SCRIPTURE SONGS. 285 We'll think on his sufferings till our hearts do rendr His wounds I'll not view Like a harden'd Jew, But when set before me my grief I'll renew. SONG XXX. The news of Christ's pierced I feet : From Isa. liii, 7> 1 How beautiful upon the mount ! Where Christ's feet pierc'd on our account, Where he was crucify'd ? His feet though nailed to the to teach us closely to attend ordinances, if we would have the marks of God's favour and special presence. In the test we have two things, 1. A Command. 2, Reasons given for it. As to the first, Sanctify yourselves. The word sanctify has divers acceptations in scripture. Sometimes it is applied to God ; we are commanded to sanctify the Lord, that is, to think and speak reverently of him, or humbly to worship him. At other times we are commanded to sanctify ourselves, and then it imports several things : ■1. Our separating or setting ourselves apart to • omfc I b b2 306 APPENDIX. use. 2. Our cleansing ourselves from all ceremonial pollution. 3. Our preparing ourselves for some solemn or sacred action, by the use of some sacred rites or cere- monies, such as legal washing, &,c, 4. Our putting our- selves in a suitable frame for attending on God's worship. 5. Our purifying ourselves inwardly from sin, and adorn- ing ourselves with holiness. I might cite scripture for all the significations of the word, as Exod. xix. 22. Josh, vii. 13. I Cor. xv. 12. 2 Chron. v. 11. xxix. 5. xxx. 3. &c. I shall take it here as comprehending something of all these senses, especially the people preparing them- selves to attend the ark, and the discovering of God's power, glory, and goodness, with a suitable sorrow and awful frame of spirit, befitting such a great oc- casion. 2. We have the reasons for it, For to-morrow the Lord will do wonders amongst you. See how magnifi- cently he speaks of God's works, he calls them zvonders ; and indeed these were so, the dividing of the waters of Jordan, and making them to stand up as a heap, and then to run back, turning fluids into solids, and causing the Israelites to walk through the rapid river upon solid dry ground. All these were great wonders of God's power and goodness towards Israel. Now, says Joshua,. since God is about to give you such uncommon instances of his power and favour, Sanctify yourselves, compose your minds by meditation, prayer, and abstractedness from the world, that ye may be in case for a careful and religious observation of his wonderful works, and to re- vive the discovery of his glory, ami the communications of his goodness, that so ye may give God all the glory, and take to yourselves the comfort of his wondrous works and gracious appearances. Doctrine. When God is about to make wonderful dis- coveiies of hi« glorv and goodness to his people, then ihey should make solemn preparation for observing and receiving of the same. For confirmation whereof, see Exod. xix. 10, 11. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unlo the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and }et them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day ; for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people* upon mount Sinai. Or, 2dly, When God sets tryst with a people, IbeyehcuJJ APPENDIX, 307 prepare themselves to attend him. 1 Sam. xvi. 4. 5. And Samuel did that which the Loid spake, and came to Bethlehem ; and the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably ..? and he said, Peaceably : I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord : Sanc- tify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. Method, f. When it is that the Lord makes such won- derful discoveries of himself to his people. II. Wherein the preparation for waiting on the won- der-working God doth lie. Ill The properties of this preparation. IV. The necessity of it. V. And lastly, I shall make application. 1. As to the first head. When it is that the Lord makes glorious and wonderful discoveries of himself to a peo- ple. 1. When, notwithstanding of grievous sins and pro- vocations, he averts threatening and impending judg- ments, and comes to them in a way of mercy ; as when he threatens famine and scarcity, he sends fruitful sea- sons and plenty of bread ; when he threatens the noi- some pestilence, he removes it and sends health ; when he threatens a bloody sword, he sheaths it up, and sends peace and safety. 2. When he is pleased to quell the church's enemies and persecutors, to deliver his people from their oppres- sions, and give them the freedom of their assemblies, and of observing God's institutions in purity. 3. When he pours out a spirit of reformation on all ranks and degrees, so that people generally turn to the Lord, prize ordinances, prayer, family worship, and ap- pear against vice. 4- When God pours out his Spirit on the assemblies of his people, so that the preaching of the gospel is attend- ed with life, power and success, to the melting of hearts, and converting of souls. 5. When he discovers a Redeemer to a lost sinking soul ; when a poor self-condemned sinner, that was at his wit's end, gets a sight of the possibility of salvation through the satisfaction of Christ. 6. When he sets forth Christ ciucified before our eyes in the sacrament ; when he displays therein the wisdom, justice, love, and goodness of God to sinners in a most lively manner. 308 APPENDIX. 7. When he returns and makes his people's sky break after along night of desertion ; when he makes light to arise and shine to them that were in darkness, and opens the door of his presence chamber. 8. When he gives them the victory over Satan's temptations and assaults, after long sufferings and con- flicts, and speaks to them as to Paul, 2 Cor, xii. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee ; for my strength is made per- fect in weakness. 9. When he meets with them in ordinances, looses their bonds, frees them from straitenings in duty, and en- larges their hearts in prayer, and enables them to pour forth their complaints and requests before the Lord. 10. When he comes with a return to their prayers: particularly, 1. By lifting on them the light of his coun- tenance ; or, 2. By giving them a view of their covenant relation to God ; a well grounded hope of heaven, and new strength to grapple with sin, perform duties, and bear trials. 11. When he comes and gives a glorious discovery of his greatness and majesty, so as to fill them with awful fear and reverence of God, and makes them cry, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him ? O the un- speakable distance that is between God and us! God is glorious, and the creature is nothing. 12. When he comes and gives the soul a glorious dis- covery of the holiness and purity of God, in his nature, his law, and his works, as he did to Job, making him cry, Behold I am vile : and to Isaiah, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips. 13. When he gives a glorious discovery of the good- ness and mercy of God, particularly in these instances, 1. The glorious contrivance of our redemption, by send* ing Christ to save us. 2. In pardoning guilty sinners so many crimes, and making them cry, as Micah vii. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his herit- age ? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 3. In taking rebellious traitors and enemies to God, to be children of God, and favourites of heaven. 4. In exalting them above angels that never sinned, and providing glorious mansions for them. 14. When he comes in the ordinances, and quickens APPENDIX. 309 the dead and languishing graces of his people; as f. When he melts their hard hearts into the exercise of re- pentance and mourning for sin. 2. When he comes and actuates their faith, enables the weak sinner to go out to Christ, cast his soul and lay his burden on him, and whol- ly to look to him, and lean on him for pardon and salva- tion. 3. When he conies and wakes their hearts burn with love to himself, and to precious Christ the Mediator, while he talks to them and opens up the Scriptures. 4. When he draws out the desires and pantings of the soul towards himself. 5. When he quickens the spirit of prayer, and elevates the heart for praise, and enables the soul for every duty. II. As the second head, wherein this preparation, and sanctifying of the heart for waiting on God in ordinances, doth lie. First, It supposes, 1. That we are naturally unfil and unprepared for approaching to God. 2. It sup- poses a work of God's grace and Spirit on the heart ; he only fits the soul for spiritual things. It is God that work- eth in us both to will and do of his good pleasure. The preparation of the heart in man, aud the answer of the tongue is from the Lord, Prov. xvi. 1. Secondly, It directly imports these things ; I. The soul's being in a gracious state, translated from nature to grace by the Spirit of God, andthat the stuil is recon- ciled to God by the blood of Christ, and a work of sancti- iication begun ; without this we cannot be accepted. 2. It lies in bringing our hearts with us, and engaging all the powers and faculties of our souls to attend God in duty, Psal lxxxvi. 1 1. Unite my heart to fear thy name ; and, Psal. cxix. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee. 3. It lies in our having right thoughts and uptakings of that gracious God whom we approach to ; 1. That we believe that God is, and is a rewarder of them that dili- gently seek him. 2. That he, incomprehensibly great and glorious, fills the heavens and earth with his presence, and that great fear and reverence is due to him. 3. That he is glorious in holiness, and of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity. 4. That he is spotless injustice, and will by no means clear the guilty. 5. That he is omnipotent in power, for protecting his people, and de- stroying his enemies. 6. That he is matchless in clem 310 APPENDIX. ency and mercy, easy to be entreated, and ready to for- give through Christ. 7. That he is faithful, and keeps covenant for ever. 4. It lies in having humble and low thoughts of our- selves, as unworthy to approach to God, or receive any token of his favour. The soul that is sanctified and pre- pared for approaching to God, hath a deep sense of form- er sins and miscarriages, wonders at God's patience, that the earth hath not opened its mouth to swallow it up ere nnw. b. It lies in cleansing and purifyingourselves, by search- ing for and throwing out all those sins and evils that un- fit us for converse with God. If we would have God to accept us, we must regard no iniquity in our hearts ; particularly, 1. We must cast out pride and self-conceit. if we have a good opinion of ourselves, our duties and performances, God will not accept us; we must count all but loss and dung for Christ. 2. Worldliness, and thoughts about earthly things. 3. Unhelief and doubtings concerning the truths of God. 4. Malice and revenge. 5. Vain and wandering thoughts, and seek to have our hearts fixed, Psal; hi. 6. It lies in our retiredness and abstractedness from the world and earthly thoughts. In the temple, for as much flesh as was used there for the sacrifice, not one fly was seen stirring ; which teacheth us to drive away the flies of worldly thoughts in God's presence, that they do not spoil or corrupt the sacrifice, as that grievous Swarm of flies did every thing in the land of Egypt, Exod. viii. 24. Do as Abraham, when he went to approach God and to sacrifice on mount Moriah, Gen. xxii. 4. 5. When he saw the place afar off, he said to his young men, Abide you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship. He knew that if they had gone along with him, they would so distract him with their clamour, that he could not offer sacrifice with that freedom and tran- quility of spirit requisite. 7. It lies in examining the principles from which you act, and ends to which you move in duty. The princi- ples must be faith and love ; the belief of God's command, and the love of Christ, must constrain you to duty. Your ends must be to glorify God and enjoy him ; not as the Pharisees, to be seen of men ; not legal ends to get a APPENDIX. 311 reward. Selfish and legal ends are as a dead fly to spoil the ointment, and make duties unsavoury to God. O for right principles, pure and spiritual ends ! 8. It consists in labouring to get the heart in a suitable frame for converse with God ; as, 1. In a humble and self-denied frame. 2. In a spiritual and heavenly frame. 3. In a fixed and stayed frame, calling in all straying and wandering thoughts, breathing out that prayer, Psal. Ixxxvi. 11. 4. In a loving and an affectionate frame ; for God is love, and love is the cement between God and the soul in duty. 5. In a cautious and watching frame, guard- ing always against every thing t hi* t may creep in, to in- dispose you for communion with God, and mar your ac- cess to him. 6- In an active and lively frame ; all the spices should flow out, all the graces should be in exer- cise. 9. It lies in awakening our souls which are naturally dull and drowsy, to activity and liveliness in duty, as Da- vid, Psal. Ivii. 8. Awake up, my glory, awake, psaltry and harp: 1 myself will awake early. Psal. ciii. 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Be stirred up all that is within me ; there must be a stirring up of our souls to take hold of God, Isa. lxiv. 7. Put forth your spiritual strength to the utmost ; pray with the most fervent importunity ; praise with spiritual elevation of heart ; love God with the most sublime af- fections ; and do all in some proportion to the greatness ©f that God with whom you have to do, Psal.cl. 2. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 10. It lies in our earnest prayers to God to sanctify us; for we must put it back on him, and pray for the sanctifying influences of his Spirit, for the subduing of sin, quickening grace, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God. III. As to the third head, the properties of this prep- aration ; 1. It must be timeous preparation. The Jews took time to prepare for approaching God in the passo- ver, they had the lamb for days before in their houses, tied to their bed posts, that hearing constantly its bleat- ing they might look back to Egypt, and remember the sorrows and bondage they endured there, and be thank- ful for their redemption ; and especially for their deliv- erance from the destroying angel that night he passed 31S APPENDIX. over their houses, which were sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb.; and that they might look forward to the Messiah, and remember the bitter agonies and sufferings he was to endure for their sins. 2. Inward preparation. It must lie mainly in the heart ; a grave decent carriage is needful indeed, but God looks to more than the outward appearance, even to the heart. 3. Conscientious preparation, doing all as in the sight of God, before whom all things are naked and bare. Study to have single ends and aims to glorify God, and obey our Lord and Saviour's call. 4. Diligent preparation, not dealing with a slack hand, but applying your souls with the greatest activity to the work in hand, believing that your salvation depends on it. 5. Humble and self dented preparation, trusting in no- thing in yourselves, but in Christ; depending on God that he would fit and prepare your hearts, and accept graciously for Christ's sake. 6. Universal preparation ; be mindful of all the parts of it, especially of examining yourselves with respect to your state, your sins, your wants, your knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and new obedience. IV". As to the fourth head, the necessity of this prepa- ration; 1. Because of the falseness, sluggishness, and de- ceitfulness of our hearts ; they love to wander from God, and are bent to backslide in duty, as the wise man says, Eccles. x. VO. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the Q(\^e 9 then must he put to more strength. Labour to heat the iron, seeing a blunt iron, if hot, will pierce more easily than a sharper, if cold. Warm your hearts with the love and sufferings of Christ. 2. Because it is the heart God mainly seeks in duty, Prov. xxiii. 26. My son, give me thine heart ; he says as Joseph concerning Benjamin, Except your brother be with you, I will not see your face. I£ the heart be not brought to him, there can be no acceptance. 3. Because God is well pleased with them that do so, as with Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. xix. 3. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God. And he is highly displeased with those that do it not, as with Rehoboam, 2 Chron xii. 14. And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek God. APPENDIX. 313 4. Because God, whom we approach to, is an infinite- ly holy and pure spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. IMPROVEMENT. Inference. T see hence the cause why so few get dis- coveries of God's glory, and wonders of mercy, in the or- dinance, but meet with a hiding God, they do not sancti- fy themselves, and prepare their hearts in a suitable manner. II. Use of reproof to several: I. To those who ap- proach God under the power of wandering and roving thoughts, their minds are not fixed, sanctified, and pre- pared. 2. To those whose minds are going out after their covetousness, when their bodies only are presented before God. 3. To those who are hypocritical and for- mal in their approaches to God. 4. To those whose hearts are duJI and drowsy in God's service. III. Use of trial. It concerns you upon this Occasion to examine if your hearts be sanctified and prepared for approaching God to-morrow. It is highly necessarv now to examine your souls, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat. I fear there are many unsanctioned and unprepared hearts among us. And in order to assist you therein, I shall give some marks, both negatively and pos- itively. 1. Negatively, marks of unsanctified hearts: 1. The ignorant heart that knows not Christ, nor has any uptak- §ng of the way of salvation through his righteousness. Such are unprepared, and incapable of gracious com- munion with God. See how the promise runs, Jer. xxiv. 1 will give them an heart to know rne, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 2. The unbelieving heart is unpre- pared. 3. The impenitent heart. 4. The heart that harbours Christ's enemy 5. The heart that hath no love to Christ. 6. No love to the friends of Christ. 7» No hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteous- ness. 8. That hath slight thoughts of his ordinances. 9. Indifference about the success of the ordinances. 10 That resists the motions of the Spirit. II. The bearf that is drowsy, and at no paies to awaken itself. SI 2. That is a stranger to itself, and to self-examination. C c 314 APPENDIX. Such heart* are unsanctified and unprepared for approach- ing to God to-morrow. 2. Positive marks of hearts in some measure sanctified and prepared. 1. Means sensible of their depravity and sinfulness. 2. That are sensible of their need of Christ. 3. Hearts tilled with rev en are against sin. 4. That are humble and lowly. 6. Hearts troubled for heart plagues and sins. 6. Hearts that consent to the well ordered covenant in all its articles. 7. Hearts that aim at communion and fellowship with God in every duty. 8. Hearts that bold on in close pursuit after Christ, not- withstanding discouragements and disappointments, as Mary Magdalene, who would not leave the sepulchre, when others left it. 9. Hearts that are unsatisfied with the best means and ordinances, if God be not found in them. 10. Hearts that are applying themselves to every duty in Christ's strength, saving, without Christ I can do nothing. 11. Hearts that are troubled when they drive heavily in duty, and are weary of their remiss- ness. 12. Hearts tender of the peace of God, afraid of sin, and grieving the Spirit. 13. Hearts concerned about the success of this ordinance, both with respect to them- selves and others. 14. Hearts concerned for want of suf- ficient preparation, praying, with Hezekiah, for pardon and acceptance, though not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary, 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19. IV. Use of exhortation. O communicants sanctify your- selves against to-morrow, that the Lord may come down and do wonders among you, wonders of mercy for your souls. Motive 1. Consider that ihe near approach you are to make to God at his table to-morrow, is the nearest ap- proach you can possibly make on this side of death. Con- sider what preparation God required of the Israelites for receiving the fiery law at mount Sinai, Exod. xix. 10, 11, God commanded them to sanctify themselves, wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day, for upon that day the Lord would come down upon mount Sinai, in sight of all the people. What awful fear and trembling do you imagine was there among them, when God came down in a thick cloud, when the trumpet began to sound, the thunder to crack, the mountain to smoke, and the earth to tremble under the weight of the great God de- APPENDIX. 315 scending on it* Well, yon should be under the same awe of God in this solemn ordinance as they were. It is true, he comes not down with such terror, to give ? fiery law, as on mount Sinai, but to deliver the gospel of peace from mount Sion : But mind, it is the same God that speaks, hath the *-ame majesty, the same authority, and therefore you should prepare as carefully, and be as humble before him, as the Israelites were. Were God to come down among you to-morrow in terrible inasjety, should a thick cloud fill this house, and lightning break out, and should you hear the thunder of his voice, I am the Lord, thou shalt have no other Gods before me, certainly such a dreadful glory would make your hearts tremble within you, and the earth tremble beneath you. Well then, God is come down as really among you as among the Is- raelites, hear him with the same reverence, and be as in- tent upon adoration as they wore. Let not hi* gracious and familiar way of condescending to deal with you, tempt you to come va it h fess preparation and reverence. 2. Consider the nature of that God you are to approach to. 1. A great and mighty God, P^al. IXxxix. 7, b\ God is greatly to be feared in (he assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of ail them that are about him. O Lord, God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like onto thee, or to thy faithfulness round about tfiee ? Would we feast with a great king- with filthy hands and garments ? Jo- seph prepared himself by shaving himself, and changing his raiment, before he went in to Pharaoh ; and wilt thou not prepare thyself, by putting thy soul in the holiest dress and humblest posture, when thou art to go to the King of heaven and earth? 2. He is a jealous and om- niscient God, most jealous of his honour, and will come in to see the guests, Matth. xxii. 11. and then he will spy every unprepared and unsanctified guest ; lie notices the state of your souls, the frame of your hearts, the ends of your communicating, and your preparation before hand. O then sanctify yourselves before you come to the feast. 3. He is a pure and holy God ; he cannot hold communion with unholy persons, he will be sancti- fied in them that come nigh him, Lev. x. 3. he will be attended as a holy God, in a holy manner. Did a holy angel set tryst with you at # a certain place, against such an hour, would you not prepare with all seriousness and 316 APPENDIX. solemnity to attend him ? Oh! but it is the God of an- gels that trysts with you here even the God, before whom the angels adore, and cover their faces and feet with their wings, and say, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almigh- ty. If the linen on the communion table, or vessels that hold the elements were foul, ye would be ready to ex- claim it ; and no doubt there ought to be observed an outward decency in this respect: Christ would have the very room in good order where he was to eat (he passover. But O it is a small crime to have a foul cloth or vessel for outward elements, in respect of what it is to have a foul heart, or an unprepared soul to entertain a holy God, and receive the body and blood of Christ. 3. Consider that God's people used always great pre- paration before solemn approaching to God, Gen. xxxv. 1 — 5. Where we see how solemnly Jacob prepared himself and his family, when by God's command he was going up to Bethel, to sacrifice unto the Lord. They change their garments, wash and make themselves clean, and put away their strange gods. How much more ought we to prepare, when we go not only to Bethel, God's house, but to God's table, by changing our garments of • in, and putting on Christ's righteousness by faith, and putting away and mortifying our lusts and idols of jeal- ousy ? We see also the Psalmists preparation for ap- proaching to God, Psalm xxvi. 6. I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O Lord. The Jews had great preparation for the passover, and so should we for the Lord's supper that is come in its room. Wherefore we find the primitive Christians used to sit up whole nights at prayer before the Lord's supper, which ihey called vigilioi. 4. Consider that the matter of this sacrament requires solemn preparation. Solomon directs us, when we are to eat with a ruler, to consider what is set before us, Prov. xxii. 1. There are here the symbols of Christ's body and blood, rare food ! It is a great sin to abuse common meat and drink, or to partake of these without some serious thought before hand. We would have ves- sels clean to hold our ordinary food ; but here is soul food, heaven's dainties, the jewel of heaven. Christ's body in the sacrament must be wrapt in a clean soul, as APPENDIX. 317 well as his body by Joseph of Arimathea, was wrapt in clean linen, and laid in a new tomb. 5. The duties to be performed at the Lord's table re- quire preparation, viz. Covenanting with God, renewing our baptismal vow, expressing our love to Christ, feast- ing on a broken Christ. 6. You are naturally unfit for this ordinance; natural- ly you have neither habitual nor actual preparation, be- ing dead in sins and trespasses, leprous, loathsome, car- nal, and earthly minded. Wherefore we must be quick- ened and purified, before we can hold communion with a holy God. 7. Because communion with God would be altogether disagreeable to an unsanetified soul, he would weary ot it, and take no pleasure in it. 8. Because of the great advantage of this preparation, God will come to-morrow, and work wonders -of mercy for such as sincerely aim at preparation. O then sanctify yourselves. Quest. What are these wonders of mercy ? Ans. 1. He will raise dead souls out of the grave, and put life in them, 2. He will warm cold hearts, and put spiritual heat in them. 3. He will soften hard rocky hearts, and make them tender and sensible. 4. He will cleave the rock and make waters gush out of it, the wa- ters of penitential tears. 5. He will cure the paralytic trembling hand, that could hardly be stretched out or grip to any thing. He will enable the weak soul to grip fast to Christ, and subscribe his name to the marriage con- tract. 6. He will strengthen the feeble knees and lame feet, and make the soul to run on in the way of his com- mandments with enlarged heart. 7. He will kill strong Goliahs and lusts that defied the armies of the God of Israel. 8 lie will fix a wandering heart, and fix it on God and things above, 9. He will heal a wounded con- science by the balm of Gilead. 10. He will brighten a dark cloudy mind, and resolve all the doubts and fears of believers. 11. He will give a light of the King in his beauty, a view of the smiles of Christ's lovely face. 12. He will give a seal of the pardon of all your sins. 13. He will give a Pisgah view of Canaan, a sight of the- promised land. 14. He will fcnn] the hungry i and fill then) with the dainties of heaven. O the«e are rare won- ders of grace, that Christ will work for the prepared soul.