Thirdly^ The glory which would redound to him from his re- deeming ones to all eternity ; for it will be the everlasting pleasant employment of the saints in heaven, to be ascribing glory, praise, and honour, to the Redeemer : " To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever,"" Rev. i. 5, 6. The improvement of all this will be in a word or two.
Use 1. for conviction.
This truth then, in the first place, may convince, shame, and hum- ble the very best of Christians, who find so little delight in the most easy, sweet, and spiritual duties of obedience, when Christ undertook and went through the most difficult task for thera with such cheerful- ness and readiness. " Lo, I come, thy law is in my heart, I delight to do thy will ;"" and yet the work ho so applied himself to, was a work
SACRAMEl^fTAL MEDITATIONS, 4^59
full oF (liiRculty, attended with reproach and shame, as well as an- guish and pain.
Did Christ find pleasure in abasement and torment, in suffering and dying for me, and can I find no pleasure in praying, hearing, meditating, and enjoying the sweet duties of communion with him ? Did he come so cheerfully to die for me, and do I go so dead-heart- cdly to prayers and sacraments, to enjoy fellowship with him ? Was it a pleasure to him to shed his blood, and is it none to me to apply it, and reap tlie benefits of it ? Oh, Lord, what an heart liave I ? How unsuitable is this frame of heart to the nature of God, whose essential excellencies make him the supreme delight, the sweet re- pose, solace, and rest of souls ! Psalm xvi. 11.
How unsuitable to the principles of regeneration and holiness, purposely planted in the soul, to make spiritual performances a plea- sure to it !
How unsuitable to the future expected state of glory, which brings the sanctified soul to a sweet complacential rest and satisfaction in God ! In a word, how unsuitable is this temper of spirit to the heart of Jesus Christ ! O, methinks I hear Christ thus expostulating with me this day :
Is this thy zeal and delight in the duties of obedience ? Is it ra- ther the awe of conscience than the pleasureof communion that brings thee to this duty ? Doth thy hard heart need so many arguments to persuade it, even to the sweetest, easiest, and most pleasant duties in religion ? Well, I did not love thee at that rate ; my heart readily echoed to the Father's call, to die for thee, to drink the very dregs of the cup of trembling for thee. " I come, I come, I delight to do thy will, thy law is in the midst of my bowels.""
2. Use, of exJiortation,
If it be so, how great a motive have the people of God before them, to mako them apply themselves with all cheerfulness and readiness of mind to all the duties of active and passive obedience ! O, let there be no more grumblings, lazy excuses, shiftings of duty, or dead-hearted and listless performances of them, after such an example as this. Be ready to do the will of God ; yea, be ye als(»ready to suffer it. Let the same mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus. The more pleasure and dehght you find in doing or suffering the will of God, the more of Christ's spirit is in yeu, and the more of his image is upon you. Are not all holy duties expressed in scripture by the saints walking with God? Gen. xvii. 1. And is not this an angelical life.^ Can it be a burden to the ear to hear sweet ravishing strains of melo- dy ; or to the eye, to behold variety of pleasant and lively colours ; or to the palate, to relish the delicious sweetness of meats and drinks .'• Oh, reader, were thy heart more spiritual, more deeply sanctified, and heavenly, it would be no more pain to thee to pray, hear, or meditate on the things of God, than it is to a bird to carry and use his
4-iO SACRAlStENTAL MEDITATIOXS.
own wings ; or to a man, to eat the most pleasant food when he i» an hungry ; " I have rejoiced (saith David,) in the way of thy com- mandments, as much as in all riches,'' Psal. cxix. 14.
And as to sufferings for Christ, they should not be grievous to Christians, that know how Christ came from the bosom of the Fa- ther to die for them. What have we to leave or lose, in comparison with him ? What are our sufferings to Christ's ? Alas, there is no compare; there was more bitterness in one drop of his sufferings, than in a sea of ours.
To conclude, Your delight and readiness in the paths of obedience,, is the very measure of your sanctification.
i\I E D I T A T I O N,
Upon Zech. xii. part of ver. 10.
And they shall look upon me, wJiom they have pierced : and they shall mourn for him, as one mournethfor his only son ; and shall he in bitterness Jbr him, as one that is in bitterness Jhr his first-born.
J- HIS promise is confessed to ha\e a special respect to the Jews conversion to Christ : It was in part accomplished in the apostles days, Acts ii. 37. yet that was but a specimen or handsel, of what shall be, when the body of that nation shall be called.
But yet it cannot be denied, that all Christians find the same pierc- ing sorrows, and wounding sense of sin, when God awakens them by convictions, and brings them to see the evil of sin, and the grace of Christ, that is here expressed concerning them at their conversion.
The words present us with three very remarkable particulars in evangelical repentance ; ^viz.
First, The spring and principle of it.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of it.
Thirdly, The depth and measure of it.
First, The spring and principle of repentance, expressed in these words, They shallloohuponme^whomthey have pierced. This looking upon Christ, is an act of faith ; for so it is described in scripture, John vi. 40. Isa. xlv. 22. and it respects Christ crucified, as its proper ob- ject : Yea, and that by them, not only as their progenitors involved them in that guilt, by entailing it on them, but as their own sins were
SACRAMEXTAL MEDITATIQXS. 4 tl
the meritorious cause of his death and sufferings ; tlteij shall look upon me, zvhom they have pierced.
Secondly, The effects and fruits of such an aspect of faith upon Christ, is here also noted ; They shall mourn and be in bitterness : i. e. it shall melt and thaw them into godly sorrow ; it shall break their hard and stony hearts in pieces : The eye of faith shall affect their hearts. For indeed, evangelical sorrows are hearty and un- dissembled tears, dropping out of the eye of faith.
Thirdly, and lastly, The depth and measure of their sorrow is here likewise noted. And it is compared with the greatest and most pierc- ing sorrows men are acquainted with in this world, even the sorrow of a tender-hearted Father, mourning over a dead son, yea, an only son, and his first-born ; than which no earthly sorrow is more pene- trating and sharp ; Jer. vi. 26. Hence the note will be,