3. The special way whereby we represent Christ unto our souls through faith, is in the administration of this ordinance; which I will speak to upon the great end of showing forth the death of the Lord.
Now, the former representations were general, this is particular; and I cannot at this time go over particulars. I bless the Lord, my soul hath many times admired the wisdom and goodness of God in the institution of this one ordinance ; that he took bread and wine for that end and purpose, merely arbitrary, of his own choice, and might have taken any thing else, — what he had pleased ; that he should fix on the cream of the creation : which is an endless store- house, if pursued, of representing the mysteries of Christ. When the folly of men goes about to invent ceremonies that they would have significant; when they have found them out, they cannot well tell what they signify. But, though I do acknowledge that all the significancy of this ordinance depends upon the institution, yet there is great wisdom in the fitting of it ; the thing was fitted and suited to be made use of to that end and purpose.
One end of the ordinance itself is, to represent the death of Christ unto us; and it represents Christ with reference to these five things: — 1 . It represents him with reference to God's setting him forth. 2. In reference to his own passion. 3. In reference to his exhibition in the promise. 4. To our participation of him by believing. And, 5. To his incorporation with us in union.
1. The great end of God in reference to Christ, as to his death, was, his setting of him forth, Rom. iii. 25, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." And in the very setting forth of the elements in this ordinance there is a representation of God's setting forth his
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Son, — of giving him out for this work, of giving him up unto it, to be a propitiation.
2. There is a plain representation of his passion, of his suffering and death, and the manner of it. This, with all the concerns of it, I treated of the last Lord's day, under the head of Recognition, or calling over the death of Christ, "This do in remembrance of me;" and so I shall not again insist upon it.
3. There is a representation of Christ in it as to the exhibition and tender of him in the promise. Many promises are expressed in invi- tations, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ; " — " Take, eat : " there is a promise in it. And in the tender that is made even of the sacra- mental elements, there is the exhibition of Christ in the promise represented to the soul. I told you before, God hath carefully pro- vided to represent Christ unto our faith, and not to our fancy; and, therefore, there is no outward similitude and figure. We can say concerning this ordinance, with all its representations, as God said concerning his appearing to Moses upon mount Horeb, " Thou sawest no similitude." God hath taken care there shall be no natural figure, that all representations made may stand upon institution. Now, there is this tender with an invitation. The very elements of the ordinance are a great representation of the proposal of Christ to a believing soul. God holds out Christ as willing to be received, with an invitation. So we show forth the Lord's death.
4. There is in this ordinance a representation of Christ as to our reception of him ; for hereon depends the whole of the matter. God might make a feast of fat things, and propose it to men ; but if they do not come to eat, they will not be nourished by it. If you make a tender of payment to a man, if he doth not receive it, the thing remains at a distance, as before. Christ being tendered to a soul, if that soul doth not receive him, he hath no benefit by it. All these steps you may go : — there may be God's exhibition of Christ, and setting of him forth ; there may be his own oblation and suffering, laying the foundation of all that is to come; there may be an exhibi- tion of him in the promise, tender, and invitation: and yet, if not received, we have no profit by all these things. What a great repre- sentation of this receiving is there in the administration of this ordi- nance, when every one takes the representation of it to himself, or doth receive it!
5. It gives us a representation of our incorporation in Christ; the allusion whereto, from the nature of the elements' incorporation with us, and being the strength of our lives, might easily be pursued. This is the first way of showing forth the Lord's death.
II. I shall now speak a few words to the profession of it among ourselves3 and to others.
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Let me take one or two observations, to make wa}T for it :—
1. That visible 'profession is a matter of more importance than most men make of it; as the apostle saith, Kom. x. 10, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth con- fession is made unto salvation." Look how indispensably necessary believing is unto righteousness, to justification ; — no less indispensably necessary is confession or profession unto salvation. There is no man that doth believe with his heart unto righteousness, but he will with his mouth (which is there taken, by a synecdoche, for the whole of our profession) make confession unto salvation. Tins is that which brings glory to God. The apostle tells us, 2 Cor. ix. 13, that men, " by the experiment of this ministration, glorify God for your pro- fessed subjection unto the gospel of Christ." Glory doth not arise out of obedience so much as by your profession of it ; — by the giving them experiment both of your faith and the reality of it, and that by this fruit of your profession.