SERMON I.

A DISCOURSE

delivered pREVIOUS TO THE COMMEMoration of THE SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF CHRIST IN THE ORDINANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

BELOVED in the Lord, being assembled at this time, in order to the celebration of Christ's sorrows, agonies, blood-shedding, sacrifice, and death, by waiting upon him in the ordinance of his Supper, in which a believer in Jesus cannot but long for some divine fellowship with his beloved Saviour:-I have chosen the following words, as affording suitable matter for our present meditation, from

ISAIAH LIII. 3.

A MAN OF SORROWS.

As the subject-matter of the Lord's Supper is the sufferings and death of Christ, so such as truly know and believe on him to the saving of their souls, in their ap

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proaching the table of the Lord, long to have their souls more enlightened, their hearts afresh inflamed, their faith strengthened, and their affections quickened by a spiritual, solemn, devout remembrance of the amazing love, infinite mercy, and incomprehensible GRACE OF CHRIST, manifested in his inexpressible sorrows, tremendous sufferings, and expiatory sacrifice, to the end they may give him the glory of his finished Redemption.

This chapter, from whence I read the words of my text, represents to the view of faith Christ crucified, the person of our adorable Mediator, his covenant-engagements with God the Father on the behalf of the Elect, his incarnation in time, the immaculate obedience of his life, his soul travail, sufferings, and sacrifice, and the fruits and benefits of his most precious blood-shedding; together with his complete conquest and victory over all his and his people's enemies; these glorious doctrines, with all the blessings which, flow and redound therefrom, are most divinely, fully, and clearly expressed and exhibited in it.

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The greatest act the Lord God ever did, the deepest mystery and contrivance which ever lay hid in God, or that his infinite wisdom can bring forth, in which all his other counsels are founded, and in which they centre, is expressed by the apostle in these words, "Gas in Christ reconciling the world imself, not imputing their trespasses unto them :" " which words, (says the renowned Charnock,) are small in bulk, but great in mystery. They comprehend the counsels of eternity, and the transactions of time.'

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I have often observed to you, that God the Father loved his people in Christ with an everlasting love; that he chose their persons in Christ his Son before the foundation of the world, and blessed them so early in him with all spiritual blessings ? that the original of the Gospel lies in the eternal acts and transactions between the Father and the Son, which bear the style of the counsel of peace, and is expressly declared to be between Jehovah and the Branch. See Zech. vi. 12, 13.

I have also declared, and still continue to declare, that what may be strictly

and precisely styled Gospel, consists in this, namely, the eternal compact between the Father and the Son concerning the salvation of the elect; which was carried into actual execution in the fulness of time, when the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and bore by imputation all the sins of his people in his "all own body on the tree: and the prime excellency of our most holy faith lies in having and holding fellowship and communion with the person of God the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son, by the grace and influence of the Holy Spirit. Communion with God is what all who are alive to God, and live by the faith of the Son of God, seek and long for, in their waiting on the Lord in his sacred appointments. But as faith must be exercised upon its proper object, to the end that we may enjoy spiritual fellowship and communion with Jesus, give me leave to set before you, in the words of one now with God, what is set before us in the Lord's Supper: You have here (says 'the incomparable Doctor Goodwin) re'presented the King of Kings, the Lord

' of Glory, coming disguised in the likeness of sinful flesh from heaven, to re'deem his church, his spouse, from sin,

death, hell, and wrath; hanging on a tree, 'sustaining her person, bearing her crimes. and miseries, and for her sake encoun'tering with, and conquering thereby, all his and her enemies and triumphing ́over and making an open shew of devils 'led captive, because they were her ene'mies and great seducers; and then fling"ing off that form of frail flesh, and in an instant appearing in the form of God,

sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, in so great a glory, as only, the only begotten Son of God and 'Lord of glory was capable to be arrayed 'withal. At the sight of which, and his first taking that place in heaven, all the angels of God fell down and worshipped ' him. Is there any such sight to be seen ' elsewhere upon earth? Yea, doth Hea'ven itself afford such another, unless it 'be of him?'

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To have faith drawn forth by the Holy Ghost, and divinely acted, and supernaturally exercised upon Christ, as thus re