(1.) What is the object of this remembrance. The object of this remembrance principally is Christ; but it is not Christ absolutely considered, it is Christ in those circumstances wherein he then was. " Do it in remembrance of me/' saith he; " as I am sent of God, de- signed to be a sacrifice for the sins of the elect, and as I am now going to die for that end and purpose, so do it in remembrance of me." Wherefore, there are these four things that we are to remember of Christ as proposed in those circumstances wherein he will be remem- bered ; and I will be careful not to mention any thing but what the meanest of us may bring into present exercise at the ordinance: — •
[1.] Remember the grace and love of God, even the Father, in sending Christ, in setting him forth, and proposing him to us. This is everywhere mentioned in Scripture. We are minded of this in Scripture, whenever we are called to thoughts of the death of Christ : — John iii. 1 6, " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son;" Rom. iii. 25, " God set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood ;" Rom. v. 8, " God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Remem- ber, I pray you, the unspeakable grace and love of God in sending, giving, and setting forth Jesus Christ to be the propitiation.
Now, how does this ordinance guide us in calling this love and grace of God to remembrance ? Why, in this, in that it is in the way of a furnished table provided for us. So God has expressed his love in this matter, Isa. xxv. 6, " In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." The preparation of the table here is to mind us to call to remembrance the love and grace of God, in sending and exhibiting his Son Jesus Christ to be a ransom and propitiation for us. That is the first thing.
[2.] Remember, in particular, the love of Jesus Christ, as God-man, in giving himself for us. This love is frequently proposed to us with what he did for us ; and it is represented peculiarly in this ordinance. " Who loved me, and gave himself for me," says the apostle. Faith
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will never be able to live upon the last expression, — " Gave himself for me," unless it can rise up to the first, " Who loved me ;" Rev. i. 5, 6, " Who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," etc.
I think we are all satisfied in this, that in calling Christ to remem- brance, we should in an especial manner call the love of Christ to remembrance. And that soul in whom God shall work a sense of the love of Christ in any measure (for it is past comprehension, and our minds and souls are apt to lose themselves in it, when we attempt to fix our thoughts upon it), — that he who is God-man should do thus for us, [will find that] it is too great for any thing but faith; which can rest in that which it can no way comprehend, if it go to try the depth, and. breadth, and length of it, to fathom its dimensions, and consider it with reason : for it is past all understanding ; but faith can rest in what it cannot comprehend. So should we remember the love of Christ, of him who is God-man, who gave himself for us, and will be remembered in this ordinance.
[3.] We shall not manage our spirits aright as to this first part of the duty (the end of the ordinance in recognition), unless we call over and remember what was the ground upon which the profit and bene- fit of the sufferings of Christ doth redound to us.
Let us remember that this is no other but that eternal covenant and compact that was between the Father and the Son, that Christ should undertake for sinners, and that what he did in that under- taking should be done on their behalf, should be reckoned to them and accounted as theirs. So our Saviour speaks, Ps. xl. 6, 7, " Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire ; mine ears hast thou opened : burnt- offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come : in the volume of the book it is written of me," etc.
Christ does that in our behalf which sacrifice and burnt-offerings could not perform. We have this covenant declared at large, Isa. liii. 10, 11, " Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed," etc. Pray, brethren, be wise and understanding in this matter, and not children in calling over and remembering Christ in this ordinance. Remember the counsel of peace that was between them both ; when it was agreed on the part of Christ to undertake and answer for what we had done; and upon the part of God the Father, that upon his so doing, righteousness, life, and salvation, should be given to sinners.