seed of Abraham. O what a blessed exchange does the sinner make, when he quits the first Adam and his covenant, and betakes himself to the second Adam, and takes hold of him as the head of the covenant of grace! when he does so, he quits the foundation of sand, and builds upon that “rock of ages, against which the gates of hell shall never prevail." The first Adam is a fountain of death to all his posterity, Rom. v. 12; “ By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned;" but the second Adam is the fountain of life to all his seed; “I am the resurrection, and the life; and he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" and this we are assured of by the record of a glorious Trinity, 1 John v. 11: “ This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

8thly, See, from this doctrine, what is the great work and business of those who sit down at a communion table; what it is that makes a worthy or unworthy communicant. That which makes a worthy communicant, is a "right discerning of the Lord's body;" and when this is wanting, a man becomes

guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and so eats and drinks judgment to his own soul.” Now, what is it to discern the Lord's body! It is just an insight into this doctrine, or text, that the eternal Son of God, took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. More particularly, I will tell you two or three things included in discerning the Lord's body.

(1.) It is to have the mind enlightened with a saving knowledge of the mystery of salvation, as the plan of it is laid out before us in the word, or in the person and mediation of Jesus, 2 Cor. iv. 6:“ God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

(2.) It is to see the love and wisdom of the Father, in preparing a body for his eternal Son, in which the fulness of the Godhead should dwell, as in a temple.

(3.) It is to see the Holy Ghost forming that body, by his overshadowing power, in the womb of the virgin, so as that it might be free of original sin, and might be a sacrifice without spot or blemish, to be offered up to God.

(4.) It is to see the eternal Son of God wearing that body in a personal union with himself, in order to his giving an infinite value to what he was to do and suffer for us.

(5.) It is to see him offering up that body and blood, which he had thus assumed, in our room and stead, a sacrifice for the satisfaction of justice for our sin; for he offered up himself for us " a sacrifice and offering of a sweet-smelling savour;" to

see the just suffering for the unjust, to bring us to God. Now, when the soul thus discerns the body of Christ, or the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, then faith eats his flesh and drinks his blood, like "fat things full of marrow, wines on the lees, well refined." Oh sirs! see if, like Samson, you can this day find the honey-combs of salvation, and the great and precious promises, in the carcass of the slain "Lion of the the tribe of Judah," for this "is meat indeed, and drink indeed."

Use second may be of Trial. Oh sirs! what think you of him who took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham; have you given him his errand into the world, by believing in him? Is thy soul crying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, to save us:" "this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief?" Is thy heart glowing with love to him, who is altogether lovely? and saying Oh, "Whom have I in heaven" but him?" Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Well, if this be the disposition of thy soul, I inand feast with him. vite you to come Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!" "Eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, well ordered in all things, and sure:" the whole good of the covenant is before you.

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Use third of Exhortation, to all hearing me, young and old,, great and small, rich and poor. Whosoever you are, if you be of the human kind, men and women, sprung of Adam; Oh! will you answer the design of the Son of God, his taking on our nature, when he passed by the nature of angels, by believing in him? The Father presents him to you, as the object of his delight, that you may believe in him, Isa. xlii. 1: "Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth," &c. Christ himself invites and calls us to this, Isa. xlv. 22: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else."

Ques. What will we behold, or see, in an incarnate God? In him who took on him the seed of Abraham, when he passed by the nature of angels? Answ. There are wonders to be seen in him, which the standing holy angels behold with admiration and eternal wonder. 1. O come and see an angry God reconciled; God looking out with a smile upon the guilty sinners, through the veil of the human nature, 2 Cor. v. 19: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;" crying,

“ Fury is not in me” for the sake of him in whom I am well pleased, Isa. xii

. 1, 2; Luke ii. 10–12, &c. 2. In him you may see God dwelling with man upon earth, and “ the whole earth filled with his glory." 3. In him you will see the great God, that gives laws to angels and men, made under his own law, that he might magnify it, and make it honourable, that so “ the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,” who had broken every command of it. 4. In him you will see " the hand-writing which was against us,”

“ . and bound us over to wrath, wo, and misery, cancelled and torn; so that you may cry, who can lay any thing to your charge? 5. In him you will see the brandished and flaming sword of justice, that was ready to be soaked in the blood of the guilty sinner, awakening against the man who is God's fellow, Zech. xiii. 7; and having drunk of his royal blood, the sword is again put up in its scabbard, and the white flag of peace cast out with this motto: “ He hath made peace by the blood of his cross." 6. Here you will see the head of the old serpent bruised, and the Lamb of God overcoming him by his own blood. “ Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death.” 7. In him you will see the two insuperable mountains of natural and moral distance between God and man removed, and made as a plain. The natura! distance is removed in his incarnation, and the moral distance in his satisfaction. All bars and impediments that stood in our way from law and justice removed, which could never have been effected by all the angels in heaven, or men upon earth; and yet this is done, and done by him, who took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. 8. Here you " the veil of the temple rent from top to bottom; and the way to the holiest of all opened ;" so that we may now “enter in with boldness by the blood of Jesus.” The veil of the ceremonial law is rent, the veil of the curse of the moral law is rent, in the rending asunder of the soul and body of Christ upon Mount Calvary. 9. In him you may see God, first marrying our nature into a personal union with himself, and then, having come upon a level with us, or having become one of our tribe, or family, presents himself as a Bridegroom, proffering marriage with our persons; for this is the voice of Immanuel God-man, Is. liv. 5: “Thy maker is thine husband (the Lord of hosts is his name;") or, Hos. ii: 19: “ I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will be troth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercy; I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord," namely, in a way of conjugal love and communion. 10. Here

you

will see him confirming the covenant of grace and promise, and

17

will see

VOL. III.

turning it into an inviolable testamentary deed, which no man can disannul. Dan. ix. 27: "He shall confirm the covenant with many." Heb. ix. 16, 17: "Where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator, for a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no force at all while the testator liveth." Sirs, this is what we are to present you with in this holy ordinance of the supper, even the confirmed testament of him who took on him the seed of Abraham; Luke xxii. 29. "This cup," says Christ, "is the new testament in my blood," Matth. xxvi. 27, "drink ye all of it."

Secondly, Another word of exhortation is this. I call you who are the sons and daughters of Zion, not only to "go forth and behold king Solomon," and the wonders of his person and mediation, but I call you to be his bride and spouse, by giving the heart and hand to him as the bridegroom. Let there be a match this day made up betwixt Christ and your souls. Has the glorious Son of God," the brightness of his Father's glory," taken hold of your nature in the family of Abraham? O then take hold of him as your Kinsman; and say, as Ruth did to Boaz, "Spread thy skirt over me," and perform the Kinsman's part by marrying me. Sirs, I tell you, that our blessed Goel and Kinsman, as he took part of your flesh, so he wears your nature, that he may wed you, and betroth you unto himself for ever. Oh will you go with the man,. "Immanuel, God with us?" His hand is stretched out, while I am speaking, saying to every one in this company, “Behold me! behold me!" O! subscribe the contract with heart and hand, saying, 'I am the Lord's; I will be for thee, and not for another, who took not on thee the nature of angels, but took on thee the nature of man, or the seed of Abraham. Oh! that this may be the wedding-day." All things are ready, O come to the marriage." 1. The Bridegroom is ready, the matchless Immanuel; behold he standeth behind your wall. "Behold the Bridegroom cometh," yea he is come; he "stands at the door and knocks, saying, Open to me," Rev. iii. 20, &c. 2. The Bridegroom's Father is ready; he consents that there should be a match between you and his eternal Son; he cries from heaven, "This is my beloved' Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. This is his commandment, that ye believe in him,” and so take him as my unspeakable gift. 3. The Spirit, the third person of the glorious Trinity, is ready, as the minister, to cast the everlasting knot between you and him, Rev. xxii. 17: "The Spirit says, Come." Heb. iii. 7, 8. The Holy Ghost says, "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Many a kind motion does the Spirit of God

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make on your souls, in order to carry on the match. 4. The friends of the Bridegroom, all faithful ministers and Christians, are ready: they rejoice "greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice" in the gospel, offering marriage to you. Oh to hear the voice of the bride also saying, "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand-His countenance is as Lebanon; excellent as the cedars-My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies; until the day break, and the shadows flee away." 5. The contract is ready, I mean the covenant of grace. The draught of it was made at the table of the council of peace from eternity, and the extract of it is in the Bible you have amongst your hands: and we bring it forth to you in the preaching of the gospel, and present it to every one, saying, "To you," and you, and you, "is the word of this salvation sent." The promise is to you, and to your seed.". Oh! "let us fear, lest a promise being left us, of entering into his rest, any of us should come short of it through unbelief." 6. The marriagehouse is ready, both the lower and the higher stories of it are ready: and that moment you believe, you enter into the rest of the blessed Bridegroom; you enter into the house which Wisdom hath built with seven pillars, and shall ere long be transported to the upper house of many mansions, where you shall behold his face, and "be with him for ever." The marriage-supper is ready; for Wisdom has not only builded her house of mercy, but "she hath killed her oxen and fatlings; she hath mingled her wine, and furnished her table," Prov. ix. 2-5: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars. She hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." 7. The marriage-robe of righteousness, and garment of salvation, is ready; for the "righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel." The Lord is crying to this company, "Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness, I bring near my righteousness.""I have placed salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory."

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Well then, sirs, since all is ready, there is nothing wanting but the bride. O come, and be the bride of the glorious Bridegroom; and let us all cry one to another, as Rev. xix. 7, "Let us be glad and rejoice, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." Amen, Amen, Amen.