cies, Gen. xxxii. 10. and as deserving nothing but his fierce wrath for our iniquities. And, since he has paid a full and satisfactory price of redemption for us, and thereby procured the blessings that we had forfeited, which have a tendency to make us completely happy, we ought to lay the whole stress of our salvation on him, as being sensible that he is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, Heb. xii. 25.

(6.) We are to rejoice in Christ's love, which is infinitely greater than what can be in the heart of one creature towards another: This love of Christ has several properties;

1st, It doth not consist merely in his desiring our good, or wishing that we were happy, but in making us so; nor does it only consist in his sympathizing with us in our miseries, but delivering us from them, and discovering himself as our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2dly, As Christ's love to his people did not take its motive at first from any beauty or excellency which he found in them who were deformed, polluted, and worthy to be abhorred by him, but afterwards adorned and made comely through his comeliness put upon them, Ezek. xvi. 14. so when they forfeit his love by their frequent backslidings, and deserve to be cast off by him, it is nevertheless unchangeably fixed upon them, inasmuch as having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end, John xiii. 1.

3dly, Christ's love is infinitely condescending, which arises not only from that infinite distance which there is between him and his people, but from his remembring them in their low estate, having compassion on them whom no eye pitied, and saving them when they were in the utmost depths of despair and misery, saying to them when they were in their blood, live, Ezek. xvi. 6.

4thly, It is not like the love of strangers, which contents itself with some general endeavours to do good to them whom they design not to contract an intimacy with, but it is attended with the highest acts of friendship and communion, imparting his secrets to them, as he promises to love, and manifest himself to them, John xiv. 21. and tells his disciples, 'Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth But I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you,' chap. xv. 15.

5thly, It is such a love as forgives all former injuries, and upbraids not his people for what they have done against him, either before or since they believed in him. Thus God is said topardon the iniquity, and pass by the transgression of the ' remnant of his heritage,' and to cast all their sins into the VOL. IV. M m

"depths of the sea,' Micah vii. 18, 19. and to blot out ther transgressions for his own sake, and not to remember their 'sins, Isa. xliii. 25.

6thly, It is such a love as affords us all seasonable and ne cessary help in times of our greatest straights and difficulties, Psal. xlvi. 1. and makes provision for our future necessities; as he tells his disciples, I go to prepare a place for you, John xiv. 2. that they might be assured of being happy in another world; and accordingly he expresses himself in his mediatorial prayer, Father, I will that these whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my 'glory,' John xvii. 24.

7thly, It is such a love, as puts him upon reckoning all injuries done against his people, as though they were done against himself, and the kindnesses expressed to them, as though they were expressed to him, as it is said, He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye, Zech. ii. 8. and, he that despiseth you, despiseth me, Luke x. 16. And, when he takes notice of those expressions of kindness, which his people had shewn to one another, he says, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me, Mat.

XXV. 40.

8thly, It is such a love as inclines him to interpose himself between his people and all danger, whereby he prevents their being overcome by their enemies; and indeed, he not only hazarded, but as a good shepherd gave his life for his sheep, John x. 11.

This is that love which is to be the subject of our meditation in this ordinance; accordingly we are first to endeavour, to make out our interest in him, by faith, which will be evinced by those acts of love to him that flow from it, and then we may rejoice in it as a constant spring of peace and blessedness.

(7.) The next grace to be exercised in this ordinance, is thankfulness, adoring and praising him that he has been pleased to extend compassion to us in bestowing those blessings, which are the result of his discriminating grace, the instances whereof are various, viz. as he delivers us from the ruin that sin would have inevitably brought upon us, prevents us with the blessings of goodness, and restrains the breaking forth of our corruptions, which would otherwise have inclined us to commit the vilest abominations; and, more especially, as he renews our nature, changes our hearts, creates us unto good works, and then quickens and excites that grace in us which his own hand wrought, and comforts us when our spirits are overwhelmed with sorrow, whereby he enables us to go on in his. way rejoicing, and so carries on the work which he has begun

in us, till it be completed in glory. There is nothing that we have, either in hand or hope, but what will afford matter for the exercise of this grace; and more particularly, our hearts ought to be excited hereunto from the consideration of the benefits that are signified in this ordinance; especially if we are enabled to receive them by faith.

(8.) We are, at the Lord's supper, to renew our covenant with God. That this may be rightly understood, we must consider what it is for a believer to enter into covenant with God, which he is supposed to have done before this; and that consists not in our promising that we will do these things that are out of our power, or, that we will exercise those graces, which none but God, who works in his people, both to will and to do, can enable us to put forth; but it consists in our making a surrender of ourselves to Christ, and depending on him for the supply of all our spiritual wants, humbly hoping and trusting that he will enable us to adhere stedfastly to him, working in us all that grace which he requires of us; which blessing if he is pleased to grant us, we shall be enabled to perform all the duties that are incumbent on us, how difficult soever they may be. This is an unexceptionable way of entering into covenant with God, as it contains an acknowledgement of our own inability to do that which is good without him, and desire to give the glory of all to him; on whom we stedfastly rely, that we may obtain mercy from him to be faithful,

Moreover, to renew our covenant, is to declare, that through his grace, we are inclined stedfastly to adhere to our solemn dedication to him, not, in the least, repenting of what we did therein; and, that we have as much reason to depend on his assistance now, as we had at first, since grace is carried on, as well as begun by him alone; and accordingly, while we express our earnest desire to be stedfast in his covenant, we depend on his promise that he will never fail us, nor forsake us: And we take this occasion, more especially, to renew our dedication to him, as it is very agreeable to the nature of this ordinance, in which we have the external symbols of his love to us, which lays us under the highest obligation thereunto.

(9.) We are, in this ordinance, to shew our readiness to exercise a Christian love to all saints; which consists, more especially, in our earnest desire that all grace and peace may abound in them, as in our own souls; that hereby we may have occasion to glorify God together, and shew our mutual concern for the spiritual welfare of each other. We are to bless God for the grace they are enabled to exercise, though, it may be, we cannot exercise it in the same degree ourselves: And, as for others, we are to sympathize with them in theip

weaknesses, grieve for their falls and miscarriages; and be very ready to make abatements for those frailties and infirmities that we behold in them, which we ourselves are sometimes liable to, especially if they are not inconsistent with grace, in which case we should cast a mantle of love over them, not knowing but we may be exposed to, and fall by the same temptations,

1.

This love is to be expressed, more especially in this ordinance; inasmuch as we are to consider all saints as members of Christ's mystical body, children of the same God and Father, partakers of the saine grace with us, fellow travellers to the same heavenly country, where we hope to meet with them at last, though now they are liable to the same difficulties with ourselves, and exposed to those assaults and temptations that we often meet with from our spiritual enemies. This expression of our love, though it be more immediately and directly extended to the same society, that joins in communion with us; yet it is not to be confined within such narrow limits, but includes in it the highest esteem for all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, though their place of abode be remote from, and they are not known to us in the flesh.

II. We are now to consider the duty of Christians after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's supper; and that consists in enquiring, how they have behaved themselves therein? and, whether they have any ground to conclude, that they have been favoured with the special presence of God in this ordinance, whereby it has been made a means of graće to 'them?

As to the former of these enquiries relating to the frame of our spirits, while engaging in this solemn duty, we shall sometimes find, that it has been such as affords matter for deep humiliation and self-abasement, in the sight of God, when we reflect upon it; particularly,

1. When our minds and affections have been conversant about those things, which are altogether unsuitable to the work we have been engaged in, and, instead of conversing with Christ in this ordinance, we have had our thoughts and meditations most taken up with worldly matters; or, if they have indeed, been conversant about religious affairs, yet we may, in some measure, see reason to blame ourselves, if these have been altogether foreign to the great end and design of the ordinance we have been engaged in. There are many portions of scripture, or heads of divinity founded upon it, which we may employ our thoughts about at other times, with great advantage; yet they may not be altogether suitable, or adapted to our receiving spiritual advantage by, or making a right

improvement of Christ crucified, as the nature of this ordiñance requires.

2. They behave themselves unbecomingly, in this ordinance, who meditate on the thing signified therein, to wit, the dying love of Jesus Christ, as though they were unconcerned spectators, having only an historical faith, and content themselves with the bare knowledge of what relates to the life and death. of Christ, without considering the end and design thereof, viz. that he might make atonement for sin, or their particular Concern herein, so as to improve it, as an expedient for the taking away the guilt and power thereof in their own souls.

3. We may reflect on our behaviour in this ordinance, when we have given way to deadness and stupidity, without using those endeavours that are necessary for the exciting our affections; when a subject so affecting as Christ's pouring out his soul unto death, being wounded for our transgressions, despised and rejected of men, bleeding and dying on the cross, and, in the midst of his sufferings, crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, has not had an efficacy to raise our affections, any more than if it were a common subject?

4. We have reason to blame our behaviour in this ordi hance, when we have attended on it with a resolution to continue in any known sin, without being earnest with God to mortify it, or desiring strength and grace from Christ, in order thereunto, aud improving his death for that end. Thus we have reason, sometimes, to reflect on our behaviour at the Lord's supper, with grief, and sorrow of heart, as what has been disagreeable to the nature of the ordinance we have been engaged in..

But, on the other hand, we may, sometimes, in taking à view of our behaviour therein, find matter of encouragement, when, abating for human frailties, and the imperfection of grace, that inseparably attends this present state, we can say, to the glory of God, that we have, in some measure, behaved ourselves as we ought to do. Thus when we have found, that our hearts have been duly affected with the love of Christ, and we have had the exercise of those graces that are suitable thereunto; and if we can say, that we have had some communion with him, and have not been altogether destitute of his quickening and comforting presence, and the witness of his Spirit with ours, that we are the children of God; then we may conclude, that we have engaged in this ordinance in a right manner. And if we have found that it has been thus with us, we are to bless God for it, as considering that he alone can excite grace in us, who wrought it at first. And