Flavel, Fountain of Life, File 21.
( ...continued from File 20)
Sermon 21. The second preparative Act of Christ for his own Death.
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
The Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:
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. 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.
Christ had no sooner recommended his dear charge to the Father, but
(the time of his death hastening on) he institutes his last supper,
to be the lasting memorial of his death, in all the churches, until
his second coming; therein graciously providing for the comfort of
his people, when he should be removed out of their sight. And this
was the second preparative act of Christ, in order to his death: he
will set his house in order, and then die.
- This his second act manifests no less love than the former.
It is like the plucking off the ring from his finger, when ready to
lay his neck upon the block, and delivering it to his dearest
friends, to keep that as a memorial of him: "Take this, &c. in
remembrance of me."
In the words read, are four things noted by the apostle, about
this last and lovely act of Christ, viz. the Author, Time,
Institution, and End of this holy, solemn ordinance.
1. The author of it, The Lord Jesus: It is an effect of his
lordly power, and royal authority; Matth. 28: 18. "And Jesus came,
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and earth: Go ye therefore." The government is upon his shoulders,
Isa. 9: 6. He shall bear the glory, Zech. 6: 13. Who but he that
came out of the bosom of the Father, and is acquainted with all the
counsels that are there, knows what will be acceptable to God? And
who but he can give creatures, by his blessing, their sacramental
efficacy and virtue? Bread and wine are naturally fit to refresh and
nourish our bodies; but what fitness have they to nourish souls?
Surely none, but what they receive from the blessing of Christ that
institutes them.
2. The Time when the Lord Jesus appointed this ordinance. "In
the same night in which he was betrayed:" it could not be sooner,
because the passover must first be celebrated; nor later, for that
night he was apprehended. It is therefore emphatically expressed "en
tei nukti", in that same night, that night for ever to be
remembered. He gives, that night, a cordial draught to his disciples
before the conflict: he settles, that night, an ordinance in the
church, for the confirmation and consolation of his people, in all
generations, to the end of the world. By instituting it that night,
he gives abundant evidence of his care for his people, in spending
so much of that little, very little, time he had left, on their
account.
3. The Institution itself; in which we have the memorative,
significative, instructive signs, and they are bread and wine; and
the glorious mysteries represented and shadowed forth by them, viz.
Jesus Christ crucified; the proper New-Testament nourishment of
believers. Bread and wine are choice creatures, and do excellently
shadow forth the flesh and blood of crucified Jesus; and that both,
in their natural usefulness, and manner of preparation. Their
usefulness is very great; bread is a creature necessary to uphold
and maintain our natural life; therefore it is called the staff of
bread, Isa. 3: 1. Because as a feeble man depends and leans upon his
staff, so do our feeble spirits upon bread. Wine was made to cheer
the heart of man, Judg. 11: 13. They are both useful and excellent
creatures; their preparations, to become so useful to us, are also
remarkable. The corn must be ground in the mill, the grapes torn and
squeezed to pieces in the winepress, before we can either have bread
or wine. And when all this is done, they must be received into the
body, or they nourish not. So that these were very fit creatures to
be set apart for this use and end.
If any object, It is true, they are good creatures, but not
precious enough to be the signs of such profound and glorious
mysteries: it was worth creating a new creature, to be the sign of
the new covenant.
Let him that thus objects, ask himself, whether nothing be
precious without pomp? The preciousness of these elements is not so
much from their own natures, as their use and end; and that makes
them precious indeed. A loadstone at sea is much more excellent than
a diamond, because more useful. A penny-worth of wax applied to the
label of a deed, and sealed, may in a minute have its value raised
to thousands of pounds. These creatures receive their value and
estimation on a like account. Nor should it at all remain a wonder
to thee, why Christ should represent himself by such mean and common
things, when thou hast well considered that the excellency of the
picture, is its similitude and conformity to the original; and that
Christ was in a low, sad, and very abased state, when this picture
of him was drawn; he was then a man of sorrows. These then, as
lively sighs, shadow forth a crucified Jesus, represent him to us in
his red garments. This precious ordinance may much more than Paul,
say to us, "I always bear about in my body the dying of the Lord
Jesus:" That is the thing it signifies.
4. Lastly take notice of the use, design, and end of this
institution. "Eis ten emen anamnesin", in remembrance, or for a
memorial of me. O there is much in this: Christ knew how apt our
base hearts would be to lose him, amidst such a throng of sensible
objects as we here converse with; and how much that forgetfulness of
him and of his sufferings, would turn to our prejudice and loss;
therefore does he appoint a sign to be remembered by: "As oft as you
do this, ye show forth the Lord's death till he come." Hence we
observe, suitable to the design of this discourse,
Doct. That the sacramental memorial Christ left with his
people, is a special mark of his care and love for them.
What! To order his picture (as it were) to be drawn when he was
dying, to be left with his spouse! To rend his own flesh, and set
abroach his own blood to be meat and drink for our souls! O what
manner of love was this! It is true, his picture in the sacrament is
full of scars and wounds: but these are honourable scars, and highly
grace and commend it to his spouse, for whose dear sake he here
received them.
"They are marks of love and honour." And he would be so drawn,
or rather he so drew himself, that as oft as his people looked upon
the portraiture of him, they might remember, and be deeply affected
with those things he here endured for their sakes. These are the
wounds my dear husband Jesus received for me. These are the marks of
that love which passes the love of creatures. O see the love of a
Saviour! This is that heavenly Pelican that feeds his young with his
own blood. We have read of pitiful and tender women that have eaten
the flesh of their own children, Lam. 4: 10. But where is that woman
recorded that gave her own flesh and blood to be meat and drink to
her children? Surely the spouse may say of the love of Christ, what
David in his lamentations, said of the love of Jonathan, "Thy love
to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." But to prepare the
point to be meat indeed, and drink indeed to thy soul, I shall
discuss briefly these three things, and hasten to the application.
First, What it is to remember the Lord Jesus in the sacrament.
Secondly, What aptitude there is in that ordinance, so to bring
him to our remembrance.
Thirdly, How the care and love of Christ is discovered, by
leaving such a memorial of himself with us.
Remembrance, properly, is the return of the mind to an object,
about which it has been formerly conversant; and it may so return to
a thing, it has conversed with before, two ways; speculatively and
transiently; or affectingly, and permanently. A speculative
remembrance is only to call to mind the history of such a person and
his sufferings: that Christ was once put to death in the flesh. An
affectionate remembrance, is when we so call Christ and his death to
our minds, as to feel the powerful impressions thereof upon our
hearts. Thus, Mat. 26: 75. "Peter remembered the word of the Lord,
and went out, and wept bitterly." His very heart was melted with
that remembrance; his bowels were pained, he could not hold, but
went out and wept abundantly. Thus Joseph, when he saw his brother
Benjamin, whose sight refreshed the memory of former days and
endearments, was greatly affected, Gen. 43: 29, 30. "And he lift up
his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son: and said,
Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake to me? and he said,
God be gracious to thee my son. And Joseph made haste, for his
bowels did yearn upon his brother, and he sought where to weep; and
he entered into his chamber, and wept there." Such a remembrance of
Christ is that which is here intended. This is indeed a gracious
remembrance of Christ: the former has nothing of grace in it. The
time shall come when Judas that betrayed him, and the Jews that
pierced him, shall historically remember what was done; Rev. 1: 7.
"Behold he comets with clouds, and every eye shall see him; and they
also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him." Then I say, Judas shall remember; This is he whom I
perfidiously betrayed. Pilate shall remember; This is he whom I
sentenced to be hanged on the tree though I was convinced of his
innocence. Then the soldiers shall remember; This is that face we
spit upon, that head we crowned with thorns; Lo, this is he whose
side we pierced, whose hands and feet we once nailed to the cross.
But this remembrance will be their torment, not their benefit. It is
not therefore a bare historical, speculative, but a gracious,
affectionate, impressive remembrance of Christ, that is here
intended: and such a remembrance of Christ supposes and includes,
1. The saving knowledge of him. We cannot be said to remember
what we never knew; nor to remember, savingly, what we never knew
savingly. There have been many previous, sweet end gracious
transactions, dealings, and intimacies betwixt Christ and his
people, from the time of their first happy acquaintance with him:
much of that sweetness they have had in former considerations of
him, and hours of communion with him, is lost and gone; for nothing
is more volatile, hazardous, and inconstant, than our spiritual
comforts: but now at the Lord's table, there our old acquaintance is
renewed, and the remembrance of his goodness and love refreshed and
revived: "We will remember thy love more than wine; the upright love
thee," Cant. 1: 4.
2. Such a remembrance of Christ includes faith in it. Without
discerning Christ at a sacrament, there is no remembrance of him;
and, without faith, no discerning Christ there. But when the
precious eye of faith has spied Christ, under that vail, it
presently calls up the affections, sayings "Come see the Lord."
These are the wounds he received from me. This is he that loved me,
and gave himself for me. This is his flesh, and that his blood; sic
oculus, sic ille manus, &c. so his arms were stretched out upon the
cross to embrace me; so his blessed head hung down to kiss me. Awake
my love, rouse up my hope, flame out my desires; Come forth, 0 all
ye powers and affections of my soul; come, see the Lord. No sooner
does Christ by his Spirit call to the believer but faith hears; and
discerning the voice, turns about, like Mary, saying, Rabboni, my
Lord, my Master.
3. This remembrance of Christ includes suitable impressions
made upon the affections, by such a sight and remembrance of him:
and therein lies the nature of that precious thing which we call
communion with God. Various representations of Christ are made at
his table. Sometimes the soul there calls to mind the infinite
wisdom, that so contrived and laid the glorious and mysterious
design and project of redemption: the effect of this is wonder and
admiration. O the manifold wisdom of God! Eph. 3: 10. O the depths,
the heights, the length, the breadth of this wisdom! I can as easily
span the heavens as take the just dimensions of it. Sometimes a
representation of the severity of God is made to the soul at that
ordinance. O how inflexible and severe is the justice of God! What,
no abatement! no sparing mercy; no, not to his own Son? This begets
a double impression on the heart.
(1.) Just and deep indignation against sin; Oh cursed sin! It
was thou used my dear Lord so; for thy sake he underwent all this.
If thy vileness had not been so great, his sufferings had not been
so many. Cursed sin! thou wast the knife that stabbed him: thou the
sword that pierced him. Ah what revenge it works! I remembered that
it is storied of one of the kings of France, that hearing the bishop
(as I remember it was Remegius) read the history of Christ's trial
and execution, and hearing how barbarously they had used him, he was
moved, with so tragical and pathetical a history, to great
indignation against Pilate, the Jews, and the rude and bloody
soldiers, and could not contain himself, but cried out, as the
bishop was reading, "O that I had been there with my Frenchmen, I
would have cut all their throats who so barbarously used my
Saviour."
To allude to this: when the believer considers and remembers,
that sin put Christ to all that shame and ignominy, and that he was
wounded for our transgressions, he is filled with hatred of sin, and
cries out, O sin, I will revenge the blood of Christ upon thee! thou
shalt never live a quiet hour in my heart. And,
(2.) It produces an humble adoration of the goodness and mercy
of God, to exact satisfaction for our sins, by such bloody stripes,
from our surety. Lord, if this wrath had seized on me, as it did on
Christ, what had been my condition then! If these things were done
to the green tree, what had been the case of the dry tree?
Sometimes representations, (and not common ones), are made of
the love of Christ, who assumed a body and soul, on purpose to bear
the wrath of God for our sins. And when that surpassing love breaks
out in its glory upon the souls, how is the soul transported and
ravished with it! crying out, what manner of love is this! here is a
love large enough to go round the heavens, and the heaven of
heavens! Who ever loved after this rate, to lay down his life for
enemies! O love unutterable and inconceivable! How glorious is my
love in his red garments! Sometimes the fruits of his death are
there gloriously displayed; even his satisfaction for sin, and the
purchase his blood made of the eternal inheritance: And this begets
thankfulness and confidence in the soul, Christ is dead, and his
death has satisfied for my sin. Christ is dead, therefore my soul
shall never die. Who shall separate me from the love of God? These
are the fruits, and this is the nature of that remembrance of Christ
here spoken of.
Secondly, What aptitude or condecency is there in this
ordinance, to bring Christ so to remembrance?
Much every way; for it is a sign, by him appointed to that end,
and has (as divines well observe) a threefold use and consideration,
viz. as it is memorative, significative, and instructive.
1. As it is memorative, and so it has the nature and use of a
pledge or token of love, left by a dying to a dear surviving friend.
And so the sacrament, as was said before, is like a ring pluckt off
from Christ's finger, or a bracelet from his arm; or rather his
picture from his breast, delivered to us with such words as these;
"As oft as you look on this, remember me; let this help to keep me
alive in your remembrance when I am gone, and out of your sight." It
induces to it also,
2. As it is a significative sign, most aptly signifying both
his bitter sufferings for us, and our strict and intimate union with
him; both which have an excellent usefulness to move the heart, and
its deepest affections, at the remembrance of it. The breaking of
the bread, and shedding forth the wine, signify the former; our
eating, drinking, and incorporating them, is a lively signification
of the other.
3. Moreover, this ordinance has an excellent use and advantage
for this affectionate remembrance of Christ, as it is an instructive
sign. And it many ways instructs us, and enlightens our mind,
particularly in these truths, which are very affecting things.
1. That Christ is the bread on which our souls live, proper
meat and drink for believers, the most excellent New-Testament food.
It is said, Psal. 78: 25. "Man did eat angels food:" he means the
manna that fell from heaven, which was so excellent, that if angels,
who are the noblest creatures, did live upon material food, they
would choose this above all to feed on. And yet this was but a type
and weak shadow of Christ, on whom believers feed. Christ makes a
royal feast of his own flesh and blood, Isa. 25: 6. All our
delicates are in him.
2. It instructs us that the New Testament is now in its full
force, and no substantial alteration can be made in it, since the
testator is dead, and by his death has ratified it. So that all the
excellent promises and blessings of it are now fully confirmed to
the believing soul, Heb. 9: 16, 17. All these, and many more choice
truths, are we instructed in by this sign: And all these ways it
remembers us of Christ, and helps powerfully to raise, warm, and
affect our hearts with that remembrance of him.
Thirdly, The last enquiry is, How Christ has, hereby, left such
a special mark of his care for, and love to his people. And that
will evidently appear, if you consider these five particulars.
1. This is a special mark of the care and love of Christ,
inasmuch as hereby he has made abundant provision for the
confirmation and establishment of the faith of his people to the end
of the world. For this being an evident proof that the New Testament
is in its full force, (Matth. 26: 28. "This is the cup of the New
testament in my blood,") it tends as much to our satisfaction, as
the legal execution of a deed, by which we hold and enjoy our
estate. So that when he saith, Take, eat, it is as much as if God
should stand before you at the table with Christ, and all the
promises in his hand; and say, I deliver this to thee as my deed.
What think you, does this promote and confirm the faith of a
believer? if it does not, what does?
2. This is a special mark of Christ's care and love, inasmuch
as by this he has made like abundant provision for the enlargement
of the joy and comfort of his people. Believers are at this
ordinance, as Mary was at the sepulchre, with fear and great joy,
Matth. 28: 8. Come, reader, speak thy heart, if thou be one that
heartily lowest Jesus Christ, and hast gone many days, possibly
years, mourning and lamenting because of the inevidence and
cloudiness of thine interest in him; who hast sought him sorrowing,
in this ordinance, and in that, in one duty, and another: if at last
Christ should take off that mask, that cruel covering (as one calls
it) from his face, and be known of thee in breaking of bread:
suppose he should, by his Spirit, whisper thus in thine ear as thou
sittest at his table, Dost thou indeed so prize, esteem, and value
me? Will nothing but Christ and his love content and satisfy thee?
Then, as sweet, lovely, and desirable as I am, know that I am thine:
take thine own Christ into the arms of thy faith this day: Would
not this create in thy soul, a joy transcendent to all the joys and
pleasures in this world? What thinkest thou of it?
3. Here is a signal mark of Christ's care and love, inasmuch as
this is one of the highest, and best helps for the mortification of
the corruption of his people. Nothing tends more to the killing of
sin, than this does. Christ's blood, as it is food to faith, so it
is poison to our lusts. O what a pill is wrapt up in that bread!
what an excellent potion is in that cup to purge the soul? One calls
that table, an altar, on which our corruptions are sacrificed and
slain before the Lord. For how can they that there see what Christ
suffered for sin, live any longer therein?
4. Moreover his care and love appear in providing an ordinance
so excellently adapted, to excite and blow up his people's love into
lively flame. When Joseph made himself known to his brethren, "I am
Joseph your brother, whom ye sold, be not grieved:" O! what showers
of tears and dear affections were there? How did they fall upon each
others necks! so that the Egyptians wondered at the matter. How does
the soul (if I may so speak) passionately love Jesus Christ at such
a time? O what a Christ is my Christ! "The fairest among ten
thousand." What has he done, what has he suffered for me! what great
things has my Jesus given, and what great things has he forgiven me:
A world, a thousand worlds cannot show such another. Here the soul
is melted down by love at his feet; it is pained with love.
5. To conclude; Christ's care and love are further manifested
to his people, in this ordinance, as it is one of the strongest
bonds of union betwixt them that can be: 1 Cor. 10: 17. "We being
many, are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that
one bread." And though, through our corruptions, it falls out, that
what was intended for a bond of union proves a bone of contention,
yet, inasmuch as by this it appears how dearly Christ loved them;
for as much also as here they are sealed up to the same inheritance,
their dividing corruptions here slain, their love to Christ, and
consequently to each other, here improved; it is certainly one of
the strongest ties in the world, to wrap up gracious hearts in a
bundle of love.
And thus I have dispatched the doctrinal part of this point.
The improvement of it is in the following inferences.
Inference 1. Did Christ leave this ordinance with his church to
preserve his remembrance among his people: Then surely Christ
foresaw, that, notwithstanding what he is, has done, suffered, and
promised yet to do for his people, they will for all this be still
apt to forget him.
A man would think that such a Christ should never be one whole
hour together out of his people's thoughts and affections: that
wherever they go, they should carry him up and down with them, in
their thoughts, desires, and delights: that they should let their
thoughts work towards Christ as the longing thoughts of her that is
with child do work after that she longs for: that they should lie
down with Christ in their thoughts at night, and when they awake be
still with him that their very dreams in the night should be sweet
visions of Christ, and all their words savour of Christ.
But O the baseness of these hearts! Here we live and converse
in a world of sensible objects, which, like a company of thieves,
rob us of our Christ, and lay the dead child in his room. Wo is me,
that it should be so with me, who am so obliged to love him! Though
he be in the highest glory in heaven, he does not forget us; he has
graven us upon the palms of his heads; we are continually before
him. He thinks on us, when we forget him. The whole honour and glory
paid him in heaven by the angels, cannot divert his thoughts one
moment from us; but every trifle that meets us in the way, is enough
to divert our thoughts from him. Why do we not abhor and loathe
ourselves for this? What! Is it a pain, a burden, to carry Christ in
our thoughts about the world? As much a burden, if thy heart be
spiritual, as a bird is burdened by carrying his own wings.
Will such thoughts intrude unseasonably, and thrust greater
things than Christ out of our minds? For shame, Christian, for
shame, let not thy heart play the wanton, and gad from Christ after
every vanity. In heaven nothing else takes up the thoughts of saints
to eternity; and yet there is no tiring, no satiety. O learn to live
nearer that heavenly life. Never leave praying and striving, till
thou canst say as it is, Psal. 63: 5. "My soul shall be satisfied as
with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful
lips; whilst I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the
night watches."
Inf. 2. Hence also we infer, that sacrament-seasons are heart
melting seasons; because therein the most affecting and
heart-melting recognitions and representations of Christ are made.
As the gospel offers him to the ear, in the most sweet, affecting
sounds of grace; so the sacrament to the eye, in the most pleasing
visions that are on this side heaven.
There, hearts that will not yield a tear under other
ordinances, can pour out floods: Zech. 12: 10. "They shall look upon
me whom they have pierced, and mourn." Yet I dare not affirm, that
every one whose heart is broken by the believing sight of Christ
there, can evidence that it is so by a dropping eye. No, we may say
of tears, as it is said of love, Cant. 8: 7. If some Christians
would give all the treasures of their houses for them, they cannot
be purchased: yet they are truly humbled for sin, and seriously
affected with the grace of Christ. For the support of such, I would
distinguish, and have them to do so also, betwixt what is essential
to spiritual sorrow, and what is contingent. Deep displeasure with
thyself for sin, hearty resolutions and desires of the complete
mortification of it, this is essential to all spiritual sorrow; but
tears are accidental, and in some constitutions rarely found. If
thou hast the former, trouble not thyself for want of the latter,
though it is a mercy when they kindly and undissembledly flow from a
heart truly broken.
And surely, to see who it is that thy sins have pierced, how
great, how glorious, how wonderful a Person that was, that was so
humbled, abased, and brought to the dust, for such a wretched thing
as thou art, cannot but tenderly affect the considering soul. If it
was for a lamentation in the captivity, "that princes were hanged up
by the hands, and the faces of the elders not reverenced," Lam. 5:
12. And if at the death of Abner, David could lament, and say, "A
prince, and a great man is fallen in Israel this day," 2 Sam. 3: 38.
If he could pathetically lament the death of Saul and Jonathan,
saying, "Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in
scarlet; the beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places!" Ah!
how much more should it affect us, to see the beauty of heaven
fallen, the Prince of life hang dead upon a tree! O let the place
where you assemble to see this sight of your crucified Jesus, be a
Bochim, a place of lamentation.
Inf. 3. Moreover hence it is evident, that the believing and
affectionate remembrance of Christ, is of singular advantage at all
times to the people of God. For it is the immediate end of one of
the greatest ordinances that ever Christ appointed to the church.
To have frequent recognitions of Christ, will appear to be
singularly efficacious and useful to believers, if you consider,
1. If at any time the heart be dead and hard, this is the
likeliest means in the world to dissolve, melt, and quicken it. Look
hither hard heart; hard indeed if this hammer will not break it.
Behold the blood of Jesus.
2. Art thou easily overcome by temptations to sin? This is the
most powerful restraint in the world from sin: Rom. 6: 2 "How shall
we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" We are crucified
with Christ, what have we to do with sin? Have such a thought as
this, when thy heart is yielding to temptation. How can I do this,
and crucify the Son of God afresh! Has he not suffered enough
already on earth; shall I yet make him groan as it were for me in
heaven! Look, as David poured the water brought from the well of
Bethlehem, on the ground, though he was athirst, for he said, it is
the blood of the men? i.e. they eminently hazarded their lives to
fetch it; much more should a Christian pour out upon the ground,
yea, despise and trample under foot, the greatest profit or pleasure
of sin; saying, Nay, I will have nothing to do with it, I will on no
terms touch it, for it is the blood of Christ: it cost blood,
infinite, precious blood to expiate it. If there were a knife in
your house that had been thrust to the heart of your father, you
would not take pleasure to see that knife, much less to use it.
3. Are you afraid your sins are not pardoned, but still stand
upon account before the Lord? What more relieving, what more
satisfying, than to see the cup of the New Testament in the blood of
Christ, which is "shed for many for the remission of sins?" Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is Christ that
died."
4. Are you staggered at your sufferings, and hard things you
must endure for Christ in this world? Does the flesh shrink back
from these things, and cry, spare thyself? What is there in the
world more likely to steel and fortify thy spirit with resolution
and courage, than such a sight as this? Did Christ face the wrath of
men, and the wrath of God too? Did he stand as a pillar of brass,
with unbroken patience, and steadfast resolution, under such
troubles as never met in the like height upon any mere creature,
till death beat the last breath out of his nostrils? And shall I
shrink for a trifle? Ah, he did not serve me so! I will arm myself
with the like mind, 1 Pet. 2: 2.
5. Is thy faith staggered at the promises? Can't thou not rest
upon a promise? Here is what will help thee against hope to believe
in hope, giving glory to God. For this is God's seal added to his
covenant, which ratifies and binds fast all that God has spoken.
6. Dost thou idle away precious time vainly, and live
unusefully to Christ in thy generation? What more apt both to
convince and cure thee, than such remembrance of Christ as this? O
when thou considerest thou art not thine own, thy time, thy talents
are not thine own, but Christ's; when thou shalt see thou art bought
with a price (a great price indeed) and so art strictly obliged to
glorify God, with thy soul and body, which are his, 2 Cor. 5: 14.
This will powerfully awaken a dull, sluggish, and lazy spirit. In a
word, what grace is there that this remembrance of Christ cannot
quicken? What sin cannot it mortify? What duty cannot it animate? O
it is of singular use in all cases to the people of God.
Inf. 4. Lastly we infer; Though all other things do, yet Christ
neither does, nor can grow stale. Here is an ordinance to preserve
his remembrance fresh to the end of the world. The blood of Christ
does never dry up. The beauty of this rose of Sharon is never lost
or withered. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. As his
body in the grave saw no corruption, so neither can his love, or any
of his excellencies. When the saints shall have fed their eyes upon
him in heaven, thousands and millions of years, he shall be as
fresh, beautiful, and orient as at the beginning. Others beauties
have their prime, and their fading time; but Christ abides
eternally. Our delight in creatures is often most at first
acquaintance; when we come nearer to them, and see more of them, the
edge of our delight is abated: but the longer you know Christ, and
the nearer you come to him, still the more do you see of his glory.
Every farther prospect of Christ entertains the mind with a fresh
delight. He is as it were a new Christ every day, and yet the same
Christ still.
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.
(continued in file 22...)
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