Thirdly, The most attractive object of love is here. Put all crea- ted beauties, excellencies, and perfections together ; and what are they but blackness and deformity, compared with the lovely Jesus ? My bt'loved (saith the enamoured spouse) is rchite and ruddy. Cant, vi. 10. Behold him at the table, in his perfect innocency, and unpa- ralleled sufferings ! This is he who was rich, but for our sakes became poor; that we, through his poverty might be rich,' 2 Cor. viii. 9. This is he that parted with his honour first, and his life next ; yea, he parted with his honour in his incarnation, that he might be capa- ble to part with his life for our redemption.
Behold here the degrees of his sufferings, and by them measure the degrees of his love. Behold in his death, as in the deluge, all the fountains beneath, and the windows of heaven above, opened ; the wrath of God, the cruelty of men, the fury of hell, breaking in together upon him, and his soul surrounded with sorrow ; and how can this be represented, and thy soul not astonished at this amazing, matchless love of Christ.? Surely one flame doth not more naturally produce another, than the love of Christ, thus represented to a gra- cious soul, doth produce love to Christ, and that in the most intense degree.
Use 1. How naturally doth this doctrine shame and humble the best hearts, for their sinful discomposures, vanity, and deadness ; for the rovings and wanderings of their hearts, even when they come near the Lord in such a solemn ordinance as this is ?
The holiest man upon earth may lay his hand upon his breast, and say, ' Lord, how unsuitable is this heart of mine, to such an object of faith, as is here presented to me ? Doth such a temper of spirit suit thine awful presence ? Should the represented agonies and sufferings
SACRAMENTAL MEDlTATIOXS. S8T
of Christ for me, be beheld with a spirit no more concerned, pierced, and wounded for sin ? O how can I look upon him whom I have pierced, and not mourn, and be in bitterness for him, as for an only son, a first-born ! O the stupifying and benumbing power of sin !
0 the efficacy of unbelief !'
It was charged upon the Israelites, as the great aggravation of their sin, that they " provoked God at the sea, even at the red sea,' Psal. cvi. 7. the place where their miraculous salvation was wrought. But, Lord Jesus ! my hard heart provokes thee in an higher degree, even at the 7'ed hea of thy precious invaluable blood, by which my eternal salvation was wrought. O my God ! what a heart have I ! Did the blood of Christ run out so freely and abundantly for me ? and cannot
1 shed one tear for my sins, that pierced him ! O let me never be friends with my own heart, till it love Christ better, and hate sin more.
Use-% This scripture hath also an awakening voice, to all that come nigh to God in any of his ordinances, especially in this ordi- nance. O Christians ! bethink yourselves where you are, and what you are doing: Know you not, that the King comes in to see the guests ? Yea, you do know, that God is in this place ; an awful Majesty beholds you ! 'AH th© churches shall know, that I am he that searcheth the heart and the reins, and will give to every one as bis work shall be,' Rev. ii. 23.
Thy business. Christian, is not with men, but with God; and the solemnest business that ever thy thoughts were conversant about. Thou art here to recognize the sufferings of thy Redeemer ; to take the seals and pledges of thy salvation from the hand of his Spirit : Imagine the same thing, which is now to be done spiritually, and by the ministry of faith, were but to be performed visibly and audibly, by the ministry of thy senses.
Suppose Jesus Christ did personally shew himself at this table, and were pleased to make himself known in the breaking of bread, as once he did to the disciples. Suppose thou sawest him appear at this table as he doth now appear in heaven, as a Lamb that had been slam: Imagine thou heardst him say, * Believer, this precious blood of mine was shed for thee : There be millions of men and women in the world, naturally as good as thee, that shall have no interest in it, or benefit by it: But for thee, it was shed, and for the remission of thy sins ; my blood was the only thing in the world that was equal to the desert of thy sins, and it hath made full satisfaction to God for them all : Thy sins, which are many, are therefore forgiven thee : My blood hath purchased the eternal inheritance of glory for thee ; and this day I am come to deliver the seals and pledges thereof into thine hand. Take then the seals of eternal salvation this day, take thine own Christ with all that he is, and hath ; in thine arms. What- ever I have suffered, done, or procured for any of my saints; I have suffered, done, and procured the same for thee."'
388 SACRAMENTAL MEDITATIONS.
Why, all this is here to be done as really and truly, though in a more spiritual way, at this table. And shall not such business as this is, fully fix and engage thy heart ? What then shall do it ?
Awake, faith ; awake, repentance ; awake, love ; yea, let all the powers of my soul be thoroughly awakened this day to attend the Lord.
Upon Jeremiah xii. 2. Tliou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins,
X HIS scripture gives us the character and description of an hy- pocrite : And he is here described two ways ; viz.
1. By what he hath. ^
2. By what he hath not.
First, The hypocrite is described by what he hath : He hath God in his mouth ; ' Thou art near in their mouth ;' i. e. They profess with a full mouth, that they are thy people, saith Piscator ; or, they speak much about the law (as another explains it ;) God, and his tem- ple, religion, with its rites, are much talked of among them ; they have him in their prayers and duties ; and this is all that the hy- pocrite hath of God ; religion only sanctifies his tongue ; that seems to be dedicated to God ; but it penetrates no further. And there- fore.