2. The love of God in Cin-ist, which was the cause, must beget a
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fervent love to him again, that we may love him who hath loved us at so dear a rate: 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' For the love of Christ coustraineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all. then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them.' There must be a willingness and resignation to deny ourselves, and all that is dear to us in the world, rather than prove unfaithful to Christ, who suffered such great things for our redemption. This love must kill and mortify our sinful self-love, which is so great a bane and mischief to us, and the cause of all our miscarriages.
3. The act of redemption, or the death of Christ, must breed in us a lively faith in Christ, that we may accept him as our Eedeemer and Saviour upon his own terms, and trust ourselves into his hands, and devote ourselves to his service, crying out, as Thomas, ' My Lord and my God,' John xx. 28 ; welcoming him into our souls with the dearest embraces of thankfulness and hearty affection,
4. With respect to the consequent benefits, there must be —
[1.] Earnest desire, 'called hungering and thirsting after righteous- ness,' Mat. V. 6 ; after communion with God in Christ, that you may be partakers both of his renewing and reconciling grace, and that you may get more sensible proof of his love to your souls.
[2.] Joy in the sense of the greatness, suitableness, and firmness of the mercy represented, offered, and applied to you : Cant. i. 4, ' We will be glad and rejoice in thee ; we will remember thy loves more than wine ; ' Acts viii. 39, ' And he went on his way rejoicing.'
[3.] Hope, which is a desirous expectation of the promised glory, looking and longing for it with more earnestness and confidence. This antepast in the house of our pilgrimage is sweet, but what will be our communion with him in heaven ? The house of God is the gate of heaven ; Christ's death is the price given for your life : Rom. v. 10, ' If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.'
5. That love which is here commemorated must be imitated, and leave a suitable impression upon you. If Christ gave his life for those who are sometimes called his enemies, sometimes his people, such an impartial charity must you have to all men. To brethren and neigh- bours : 1 John iv. 11, 'If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another ; ' that is, this love must be answered in our imitating it to- wards our brethren. And to enemies : Eph. iv, 32, ' And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.' Our wrongs are greater and more in number. But especially must our love be greater to souls, that we may do anything for the saving of souls. This must be regarded, for we have not a due sense of any excellency till we adopt it into our manners, till it be the very constitution of our hearts and our constant practice. Imitation is a greater respect than commendation.
Use 1, Information.
1. That in right celebration ' of the Lord's supper, all the work is not the minister's ; it should be a busy day with every christian, as becometh the guests of the God of heaven at so sweet a feast. Christ instituted this duty, and blesseth it ; the minister, as his steward, dis-
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penseth it, but you must receive it ; and receive it with an applicative faith, with the holy ardours of love, with heavenly desires and resolu- tions of thankful obedience, loathing sin, renewing covenant with God. You have these graces from Christ, as Esther had sweet odours out of the king's treasury, Esther ii. 12. They are stirred up by the Spirit, but they must be acted by you, and then Christ is pleased and refreshed.
2. To show how unfit they are for the Lord's supper who have no grace at all. Here God requireth the fragrancy of grace ; how can they send forth a sweet-smelling savour who have no spikenard. When they come to break their box, it is empty ; they have not gotten this precious ointment. How can they be lively who are not so much as living ? Who would expect a flame from a dead coal ? Can it glow before it be kindled ? Here we are to quicken and draw forth the grace that we have. This is no duty for them who are dead in their sins. What should a dead man do with a cordial ? and men that have no life, with food. No ; there must be a stock of grace, a good treasure, before we can bring it forth. In vain do men seek after quickening when they have no life.