ted to his people, in this ordinance, as it is one of the strongest bonds of union betwixt them that can be: 1 Cor. x, 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 bond of contention; yet, in as much as by this it appears how dearly Chrift loved them; for as much alfo as here they are fealed up to the fame inheritance, their dividing corruptions here flain, their love to Chrift, and confequently to each other, here improved; it is certainly one of the strongeft 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 Chrift leave this ordinance with his church to preserve his remembrance among his people? Then furely Chrift forefaw, that, notwithstanding what he is, hath done, fuffered, and promised yet to do for his people, they will for all this be fill apt to forget him.

A man would think that fuch a Chrift fhould never be one whole hour together out of his people's thoughts and affections: that wherever they go, they fhould carry him up and down with them, in their thoughts, defires, and delights: that they should let their thoughts work towards Chrift as the longing thoughts of her that is with child do work after that the longs for that they fhould lie down with Christ in their thoughts at night, and when they awake be still with him: that their very dreams in the night fhould be fweet vifions of Chrift, and all their words favour of Chrift.

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But O the baseness of these hearts! Here we live and converfe in a world of fenfible objects, which, like a company of thieves, rob us of our Chrift, and lay the dead child in his room. Wo is me, that it fhould be fo with me, who am so obliged to love him! Though he be in the highest glory in heaven, he doth not forget us; he hath graven us upon the palms of his hands; 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 loath our felves for this? What! Is it a pain, a burden, to carry Chrift in our thoughts about the world? As much a burden, if thy heart be spiritual, as a bird is burdened by carrying his own

Will fuch thoughts intrude unfeasonably, and thruft greater things than Chrift out of our minds? For fhame, Chriftian, for fhame, let not thy heart play the wanton, and gad from Christ after every vanity. In heaven nothing elfe takes up the thoughts of faints to eternity; and yet there is no tiring, no fatiety. O learn to live nearer that heavenly life. Never leave praying and ftriving, till thou canft fay as it is, Pfal. Ixiii. 5. "My foul fhall be fatisfied as with marrow and fatnefs, and my mouth "fhall praise thee with joyful lips; whilft I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches."

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Inference 2. Hence alfo we infer, that Sacrament feafons are heart-melting feafons; because therein the most affecting and heart melting recognitions and reprefentations of Christ are made. As the Gofpel offers him to the ear, in the most sweet affecting founds of grace; fo the facrament to the eye, in the moft pleafing vifions that are on this fide heaven.

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There, hearts that will not yield a tear under other ordinances, can pour out floods: Zech. xii. 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 fight of Chrift there, can evidence that it is fo by a dropping eye. No, we may fay of tears, as it is faid of love, Cant. viii. 7. If fome Chriftians would give all the treasures of their house. for them, they cannot be purchased: Yet they are truly humbled for fin, and feriously affected with the grace of Chrift. For the fupport of fuch, I would distinguish, and have thein to do fo also, betwixt what is effential to fpiritual forrow, and what is contingent. Deep difpleasure with thy felf for fin, hearty refolutions and defires of the complete mortification of it, this is effential to all fpiritual forrow; but tears are accidental, and in fome conftitutions rarely found. If thou haft the former, trouble not thyfelf for want of the latter, tho' it is a mercy when they kindly and undiffembledly flow from a heart truly broken.

And furely, to see who it is that thy fins have pierced, how great, how glorious, how wonderful a perfon that was, that was fo humbled, abafed, and brought to the duft, for fuch a wretched thing as thou art, cannot but tenderly affect the confidering foul. If it was for a lamentation in the captivity, "that princes were hanged up by the hands, and the faces of the elders not re"verenced," Lam. v. 12. And if at the death of Abner, David could lament, and fay, "a prince, and a great man is fallen in "frael this day," 2 Sam. iii. 38., If he could pathetically lament the death of Saul and Jonathan, faying, "Daughters of VOL. I.

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SERM. XXÍ. Ifrael, weep over Saul, who cloathed you in fcarlet; the "beauty of Ifrael is flain upon the high places!", Ah! how much more should it affect us, to fee the beauty of heaven fallen, the prince of life hang dead upon a tree! O let the place where you affemble to fee this fight of your crucified Jefus, be a Bokin, a place of lamentation.

Inference 3. Moreover hence it is evident, that the believing and affectionate remembrance of Chrift, is of fingular advantage at all times to the people of God. For it is the immediate end of one of the greatest ordinances that ever Chrift appointed to the church.

To have frequent recognitions of Chrift, will appear to be fingularly efficacious and ufeful to believers, if you confider,

1. If at any time the heart be dead and hard, this is the likelieft means in the world to diffolve, melt, and quicken it. Look hither hard heart; hard indeed if this hammer will not break it. Behold the blood of Jefus.

2. Art thou eafily overcome by temptations to fin? This is the most powerful restraint in the world from fin: Rom. vi. 2. "How fhall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein ?" We are crucified with Chrift, what have we to do with fin? Have fuch a thought as this, when thy heart is yielding to temptation. How can I do this, and crucify the Son of God afresh Hath he not fuffered enough already on earth, fhall 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 athirft, for he faid, it is the blood of the men; i. e. they eminently hazarded their lives to fetch it; much more fhould a chriftian pour out upon the ground, yea, defpife and trample under foot, the greatest profit or pleafure of fin; faying, Nay, I will have nothing to do with it, I will on no terms touch it, for it is the blood of Christ: it coft blood, infinite, precious blood to expiate it. If there were a knife in your houfe that had been thrust to the heart of your Father, you would not take pleasure to fee that knife, much less to ufe it.

3. Are you afraid your fins are not pardoned, but fill ftand upon account before the Lord? What more relieving, what more fatisfying, than to fee the cup in the New Teftament in the blood of Chrift, which is "hed for many for the remiffion of fius? "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is "Chrift that died."

4. Are you ftaggered at your fufferings, and hard things you must endure for Chrift in this world? Doth the flesh fhrink back

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from these things, and cry, fpare thyfelf? Wht is there in the world more likely to steel and fortify thy fpiri with refolution and courage, than fuch a fight as this? Did Chri face the wrath of men, and the wrath of God too? Did he ftand as a pillar of brafs, with unbroken patience, and ftedfaft reloution, under fuch troubles as never met in the like height upon any mere creature, till death beat the last breath out of his noftrils? And shall I fhrink for a trifle? Ah, he did not ferve me fo! I will arm my. felf with the like mind, Pet. ii. 2.

5. Is thy faith staggered at the promises? canft 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 feal added to his covenant, which ratifies and binds faft all that God hath spoken.

6. Doft thou idle away precious time vainly, and live unusefully to Chrift in thy generation? What more apt both to convince and cure thee, than fuch remembrance of Christ as this? O when thou confidereft thou art not thine own, thy time, thy talents are not thine own, but Chrift's; when thou shalt fee thou art bought with a price (a great price indeed) and fo art strictly obliged to glorify God, with thy foul and body, which are his, 2 Cor. v. 14. This will powerfully awake a dull, fluggish, and lazy fpirit. In a word, what grace is there, this remembrance of Chrift cannot quicken? What fin cannot it mortify? What duty cannot it animate? O it is of fingular ule in all cafes to the people of God!

Inference 4. Laftly we infer; Though all other things do, yet Christ neither doth, nor can grow ftale. Here is an ordinance to preserve his remembrance fresh to the end of the world. The blood of Chrift doth never dry up. The beauty of this rofe of Sharon is never loft or withered. He is the fame yefterday, to day, and for ever. As his body in the grave faw no corruption, fo neither can his love, or any of his excellencies. When the faints fhall have fed their eyes upon him in heaven, thousands and millions of years, he fhall be as fresh, beautiful, and orient as at the beginning. Other beauties have their prime, and their fading time; but Chrift abides eternally. Our delight in creatures is often moft at firft acquaintance; when we come nearer to them, and fee more of them, the edge of our delight is abated: but the longer you know Christ, and the nearer you come to him, ftill the more do you fee of his glory. Every farther profpect of Christ entertains the mind with a fresh de

light. He is as i were a new Chrift every day, and yet the fame Chrift ftill.

Bleed be God for Jefus Chrift.

Opens the third preparative Act of CHRIST for his own Death.

LUKE Xxii. 41, 42, 43, 44. And he was withdrawn from them about a ftones caft, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: neverthelefs, not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, ftrengthening him And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his feat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

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HE hour is now almost come, even that hour of forrow, which Christ had fo often spoken of. Yet a little, a very little while, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of finners. He hath affectionately recommended his children to his Father. He hath fet his house in order, and ordained a memorial of his death to be left with his people, as you have heard. There is but one thing more to do, and then the tragedy begins. He recommended us, he must alfo recommend himself by prayer to the Father; and when that is done, he is ready, let Judas with the black-guard come when they will..

This laft act of Chrift's preparation for his own death, is contained in this scripture: wherein we have an account, 1. Of his prayer. 2. Of the agony attending it. 3. His relief in that agony, by an angel that came and comforted him.

1. The prayer of Chrift; in a praying posture he will be found when the enemy comes; he will be taken upon his knees: he was pleading hard with God in prayer, for strength to carry him through this heavy trial, when they came to take him. And this prayer was a very remarkable prayer, both for the folitarinefs of it, he withdrew about a ftone's caft, ver. 41. from his deareft intimates, no ear but his Father's fhall hear what he had now to say: and for the vehemency and importu nity of it: these were thofe xsTnpics, Heb. v. 7. ftrong cries that he poured out to God in the days of his fiefh. And for the hu mility expreffed in it; he fell upon the ground, he rolled him