But then, what is it that Christ does exhibit, that we may exer- cise our faith upon ? I say, it is himself as immediately discharging his great office of a priest, being sacrificed for us. It is himself, as accompanied with all the benefits of that great part of his mediation, in dying for us. May the Lord stir up our hearts to believe that the tender Christ makes unto us is originally and principally of himself; because all the benefits of his mediation arise from that fountain and spring, when God purchased the church with his own blood. A way this is which the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God, has found out and appointed, to make a special tender of his person to our souls, to be received by us. And he tenders himself, in the dis- charge of his mediation, in the most amiable and most glorious repre- sentation of himself to the soul of a sinner. Christ is glorious in him- self, in all his offices, and in all the representations that are made of him in the Scripture unto our faith ; but Christ is most amiable, most beautiful, most gloiious to the soul of a believing sinner, when he is represented as dying, — making atonement for sin, making peace for sinners, as bearing our iniquities, satisfying the wrath of God and curse of the law, to draw out our hearts unto faith and love. Christ in this ordinance makes such a representation of himself, as bleeding for us, making atonement for our sins, and sealing the everlasting covenant: and he proposes himself unto us with all the benefits of his death, of that redemption he wrought out for us, — peace with God, making an end of sin, bringing in everlasting righteousness, and the like. I intend only to remind you of these things; for we are at a loss sometimes as to the exercise of faith in and under this duty.
3. There remains to be considered, reception; for unless it be re- ceived, there is nothing done to any saving purpose. Notwithstand-
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ing all this tender that is made, the issue of all the benefit and con- solation lies upon receiving.
There are two ways whereby we do receive Christ: — (1.) We re- ceive him sacramentally, by obedience in church-order; and, (2.) We receive him spiritually and really by faith, or believing in him.
(1.) We receive him sacramentally. This consists in the due and orderly performance of what he has appointed in his word for this end and purpose, that therein and thereby he may exhibit himself to our souls. It doth not consist (as some have thought) in partaking of the elements; that is but one part of it, and but one small part. Our sacramental reception consists in the due observation of the whole order of the institution according to the mind of Christ.
(2.) We receive him by faith spiritually; and if we could rightly un- derstand that special act of faith which we are to exercise in the recep- tion of Christ, when he does thus exhibit himself to us, then should we glorify God, — then should we bring in advantage to our own souls.
I have but a word to say; and that is this, — it is that acting of faith which is now required of us which draws nearest unto spiritual, sensible experience. Faith has many degrees, and many acts; — some at a kind of distance from the object, in mere reliance and recum- bency; and many other acts of faith make very near approaches to the object, and rise up to sensible experience. It should be (if God would help us) such an act of faith as rises up nearest to a sensible experience. It is that which the Holy Ghost would teach us by this ordinance, when we receive it by eating and drinking, which are things of sense ; and things of sense are chosen to express faith wrought up to an experience. And they who had some apprehension hereof, — that it must be a peculiar acting of faith and rising up to a spiritual experience, — but finding nothing of the light and power of it in their own souls, gave birth to transubstantiation ; that they might do that with their mouths and teeth which they could not do with their souls.
Faith should rise up to an experience in two things, — [1.] In repre- sentation; [2.] In incorporation: —
[1.] The thing we are to aim at, to be carried unto by faith in this ordinance, is, that there may be a near and evident representation of Christ in his tender unto our souls, — faith being satisfied in it ; faith being in this matter the evidence of things not seen, making it exist in the soul, making Christ more present to the soul than he would be to our bodily eyes if he were among us, — more assuredly so. Faith should rise up to evidence in that near and close representation it makes of Christ in this exhibition of himself. And, —
[2.] Faith is to answer the end of eating and drinking, which is incorporation. We are so to receive Christ as to receive him into a spiritual incorporation, — that the flesh and blood of Christ, as com-