4. Lastly take notice of the use, design, and end of this institu- tion. E/g rqv s/inv umpvyttv, in remembrance, or for a memorial of me. O there is much in this ; Christ knew how apt our base hearts would be to lose him, amidst such a throng of sensible objects as we here converse with ; and how much that forgetfulness of him and of his sufferings, would turn to our prejudice and loss ; therefore doth he appoint a sign to be remembered by : " As oft as " you do this, ye shew forth the Lord's death till he come." Hence we observe, suitable to the design of this discourse,
Doct. That ike sacramental memorial Christ left with his people, is a special mark of his care and love for them *.
What ! To order his picture (as it were) to be drawn when he was dying* to be left with his spouse ! To rend his own flesh, and get abroach his own blood to be meat and drink for our souls ! O what manner of love was this ! It is true, his picture in the sacra- ment is full of scars and wounds : but these are honourable scars, and highly grace and commend it to his spouse, for whose dear sake he here received them.
" They are marks of love and honour f.'n And he would be so drawn, or rather he so drew himself, that as oft as his people looked upon the portraiture of him, they might remember, and be deeply affected with those things he here endured for their sakes. These are the wounds my dear husband Jesus received for me. These are the marks of that love which passes the love of creatures. O see the love of a Saviour! This is that heavenly Pelican that feeds his young with his own blood. We have read of pitiful and tender women that have eaten the flesh of their own children, Lam. iv. 10. But where is that woman recorded, that gave her own flesh and blood to be meat and drink to her chil- dren ? Surely the spouse may say of the love of Christ, what Da- vid in his lamentations, said of the love of Jonathan, " Thy love •* to me was wonderful, passing the love of women* But to pre- pare the point to be meat indeed, and drink indeed to thy soul, I
* Our Lord, while in life, for commemorating his death, ordered the cele- brating of a representation of his sacrifice. Aug. | Heec sunt insignia laudis.
262 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXI.
shall discuss briefly these three things, and hasten to the applica- tion.
First, What it is to remember the Lord Jesus in the sacrament.
Secondly, What aptitude there is in that ordinance, so to bring him to our remembrance.
Thirdly, How the care and love of Christ is discovered, by leaving such a memorial of himself with us.
* Remembrance, properly, is the return of the mind to an ob- ject, about which it hath been formerly conversant ; and it may so return to a thing, it hath conversed with before, two ways ; specu- latively and transiently ; or affectingly, and permanently. A spe- culative remembrance, is only to call to mind the historyof such a per- son, and his sufferings : that Christ was once put to death in the flesh. An affectionate remembrance, is when we so call Christ and his death to our minds, as to feel the powerful impressions thereof upon our hearts. Thus, Mat. xxvi. 75. " Peter remembered the word of " the Lord, and went out, and wept bitterly ." His very heart was melted with that remembrance ; his bowels were pained, he could not hold, but went out and wept abundantly. Thus Joseph, when he saw his brother Benjamin, whose sight refreshed the me- mory of former days and endearments, was greatly affected, Gen. xliii. 29, 30. " And he lift up his eyes, and saw his brother Ben- " jamin, his mother's son : and said, Is this your younger brother, " of whom ye spake to me ? and he said, God be gracious to " thee ray son. And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yern *! upon his brother, and he sought where to weep ; and he enter- u ed into his chamber, and wept there." Such a remembrance of Christ is that which is here intended. This is indeed a gracious remembrance of Christ : the former hath nothing of grace in it. The time shall come when Judas that betrayed him, and the Jews that pierced him, shall historically remember what was done ; Rev. i. 7. " Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall " see him ; and they also which pierced him ; and all kindreds of " the earth shall wail because of him." Then I say, Judas shall remember ; This is he whom I perfidiously betrayed. Pilate shall remember ; This is he whom I sentenced to be hanged on the tree, though I was convinced of his innocency. Then the soldiers shall remember ; This is that face we spit upon, that head we crowned with thorns ; Lo, this is he whose side we pierced, whose hands and feet we once nailed to the cross. But this remembrance will be their torment, not their benefit. It is not therefore a bare his-
* Memory is a power of renewing and recollecting those ideas, which formerly were impressed, but -afterwards vanished ; it is called by one name, Remembrance. Keckarman. Synt. Phys. 1. 4. c. 6. p. [mini] 556 .
SEHM. XXT. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 265
torical, speculative, but a gracious, affectionate, impressive remem- brance of Christ, that is here intended : and such a remembrance of Christ supposes and includes,
1. The saving knowledge of him. We cannot be said to re- member what we never knew ; nor to remember, savingly, what we never knew savingly. There have been many previous, sweet and gracious transactions, dealings, and intimacies betwixt Christ and his people, from the time of their first happy acquaintance with him : much of that sweetness they have had in former consi- derations of him, and hours of communion with him, is lost and gone ; for nothing is more volatile, hazardous, and inconstant, than our spiritual comforts : but now at the Lord's table, there our old acquaintance is renewed, and the remembrance of his good- ness and love refreshed and revived : " We will remember thy " love more than wine ; the upright love thee," Cant. i. 4.
2. Such a remembrance of Christ includes faith in it. With- out discerning Christ at a sacrament, there is no remembrance of him ; and, without faith, no discerning Christ there. But when the precious eye of faith hath spied Christ, under that vail, it pre- sently calls up the affections, saying, " Come see the Lord." These are the wounds he received from me. This is he that loved me, and gave himself for me. This is his flesh, and that his blood ; He oculus, sic Me manus, &c. so his arms were stretched out upon the cross to embrace me ; so his blessed head hung down to kiss me. Awake my love, rouse up my hope, flame out my desires ; Come forth, O all ye powers and affections of my soul ; come, see the Lord. No sooner doth Christ by his Spirit call to the believer but faith hears; and discerning the voice, turns about, like Mary, saying, Rabboni, my Lord, my Master.