7. This is the sum of all other duties and privileges, epitome evangelii, the abridgment of christian religion, the land of promise in a map : Luke xxii. 20, ' This cup in the new testament in my blood.' The whole new testament comprised in one ordinance, pardon sealed, heaven anticipated, word and prayer mingled together ; therefore should grace in a special and lively manner be exercised.
Secondly, ^Vhat is the special use and intent of this duty? It was instituted for the remembrance of Christ : 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25, ' And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat ; this is my body, which is broken for you ; this do in remembrance of me : and after the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood ; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me ;' and ver. 26, it is an annunciating or showing forth the Lord's death till he come. We show it forth before God and men. as the ground of our thankful- ness and confidence ; and our great duty is ' to discern the Lord's body,' ver. 29 ; that is, to look upon it as a body offered in sacrifice for the reconciliation of the world to God, and to behave ourselves accord- ingly; so that our great work is to commemorate the mystery of redemption by Christ, with all the consequent benefits thereof Now in this mystery there is considerable —
1. The occasion and necessity of it, why Christ should be given for us, our guilt, and misery, which could only be expiated by the blood of the Son of God ; so that one great work of the sacrament is the representation of the evil of sin ; for we are to remember the Son of God, ' Who was made sin for us that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,' 2 Cor, v. 21, and who was 'made a curse for us,' Gal. iii. 13.
432 A SACRAMENT SERMON.
2. The cause of it ; the great love of God, or his mercy to poor sinners : John lii. 16, ' God so loved the world that he gave his only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' And the great love of the Redeemer, who willingly came to perform this act of bounty, to give his life for his people : Gal. li. 20, ' Who loved us, and gave himself for us.' There- fore that which was set forth and commended to our thoughts is the infinite love of God in Christ.
3. The act of redemption itself; his ' obedience to the deatli of the cross,' Phil. ii. 7 ; or his ' making his soul an offering for sin,' Isa. liii. 10. Therefore he is represented as * crucified before your eyes,' Gal, iii. 1.
4. The consequent benefits which thence result to us. You come not to receive the merc\" of an hour, but here is pardon of sin given us without any infringing the honour of God's justice, Rom, iii. 25, 26 ; the favour of God, 2 Cor. v. 19 ; the spirit of grace, Titus iii. 5, 6, Gal. iii. 14, and 1 Cor. x. 4, compared with John iv. 14, and vii. 37. So also eternal life, or hopes of glory, Titus iii. 7, and Rom. v. 1, 2, and 1 John iv, 9. And indeed this whole duty is a figure of the eternal banquet. Now the king sits at his table, and his people round about him ; hereafter they shall sit about the throne, and the Lamb in the midst of them, and then ' he shall drink kuivov, new wine with them in his Father's kingdom,' Mat. xxvi. 29. And the discerning his body now is a pledge of seeing his face then. Now these blessings are great, and therefore should raise our wonder , most needful, and therefore should quicken our thankfulness ; most firm and sure, for they are dearl}" purchased, freely offered, surely sealed. The covenant of grace, by which they are conveyed to us, was founded in his blood, offered to us in the promises of the gospel, and sealed^ in this duty: Mat. xxvi. 28, ' For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.' Now it being thus dearly purchased, most freely promised, and solemnly applied, externally by eating this bread and drinking this cup, in- ternally by the Holy Ghost sanctifying the action to such a purpose, we should l)e more revived and encouraged in waiting upon God.
Thirdly, What graces are to be exercised, which is as it were the pouring out of our box of precious spikenard on Christ's head or feet.
1. With respect to the necessity of our redemption, a humble sense of the odiousness of sin, represented to us in the bruises and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ when he came to be a sacrifice for sin, that we may loath it, condemn it, resolve no more to have to do with it : Rom. viii. 3, ' By sin he condemned sin in the flesh ;' that is, by the sufferings of Cin-ist God showed an example of his wrath and displeasure against all our sinful indulgences to the flesh. There- fore Christ crucified must be a sin-killing spectacle. And when we behold Christ crucified, our old man must be crucified with him : Rom. vi. 6, 'Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him;' and Gal. ii. 20, "' I am crucified with Christ.' The bitterness of his agonies and passions must make sin hateful to us.