veral cups of wine, one of which particularly was called the cup of bleffing; which is the very name that is given by St Paul to the cup in the Lord's fupper (a). But then our Saviour, adopting thefe rites into the worship of the Chriftian church, affixes another meaning and ufe to them, and prefcribes a different form of words in the adminiftration. In a word, man being a creature very much influenced by his fenfes, and fo too apt to forget things fpiritual and unfeen, it seemed good to the divine wifdom fo far to confult his weakness in this refpect, as to adorn our holy religion with these two emblematical reprefentations; which being but two, and admirably fitted to answer their end, have no need of any thing further to be faid in their vindication. Thefe ceremonial inftitutions are commonly called by the name of facraments; which, though it be no fcripture-term, but borrowed from the language and cuftoms of the Romans, is yet retained, and grown into univerfal ufe; becaufe, as it originally fignified the oath which foldiers took to be faithful to their general, it is properly enough transferred to denote the affectionate zeal and inviolable fidelity which the followers of Jefus, in baptifm and the Lord's fupper, profefs and promise to the Captain of their falvation. (a) 1 Cor. x. 16. SECT. SE C T. Hefe facraments are, TH I. 1. A plain indication of man's being in a state of apoftafy and diftance from God. The apparent meaning of these facraments fhews it. For what is baptifm? not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but our becoming clean and pure in the fight of God. Chrift is therefore faid to have loved the church, and to have given himself for it, thats he might fanctify and cleanfe it with the washing of water, by the word; that he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having Spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould be holy and without blemish, Eph. v. 25. 26. 27. The fanctification, or cleanfing, is by the word, or doctrine of the gofpel, accompanied with the operation of the divine Spirit; and only with the washing of water, or baptifm, as the fign of this moral and inward cleanfing. And who are they that have need of cleanfing, but fuch as are defiled? Which fhews,. that till we are fanctified by the word of God, (which fanctification is fet forth by outward baptifm), we cannot please God. Again, what is the Lord's fupper, as to one principal part of its intention, but a commemoration of the atoning facrifice made by Christ's death on the behalf of mankind? And who but finful rebellious creatures could need a facrifice of reconciliation to be offered for them? So far, then, thefe thefe ordinances have no very comfortable meaning. But, 2. They are a welcome evidence, and no lefs plain, of man's being in a recoverable State: That though the condition of this finful race of creatures be, without the grace and mercy of God, exceeding deplorable; yet, through this grace, it is not hopeless, but much otherwife; the ordinances of baptifm and the Lord's fupper being on purpose inftituted, in concurrence with the other means of grace, to bring us into, and build us up in a ftate of falvation by Jefus Chrift: they are feals of the covenant of grace, which, out of the infinite mercifulness of his nature, and to fhew his well pleafednefs with the righteoufnefs and obedience of his moft beloved Son, the great Mediator, God hath graciously entered into with finful men. And, here, let it be matter of joy to us, and thanksgiving to our merciful God, that when, through the fin of the first man Adam, and the weakness and diforders of human nature thereby occafioned, there was no more room for a covenant of innocence; the fecond man, who is the Lord from heaven, brought in a new and better covenant; better, whether we confider the terms of it, fo admirably fuited to our fallen ftate, or the grace and the glory promifed. For this invaluable covenant we are indebted, under God, to the mediation of our compaffionate Redeemer Jefus Chrift. His death procured reconciliation with God; and the fupper he bequeathed us, is a ftanding memorial of of his death. And from hence it is I fhall take my direction in explaining this facra ment. The main and direct intention of the Lord's fupper, is to be a perpetual commemoration, or remembrance, of the death of Chrift. This appears from those words of the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 26. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. So that we have no furer or easier method of fettling a right and diftinct notion of this ordinance, than to confider the death of Chrift, here presented before our eyes, under those several views in which it is capable of being contemplated by us. The following are fome of the principal. I. WE E may confider the death of Christ, as manifefting the thoughts which they had of him who put him to death, and the end defigned by them in it. The Jews and Romans, by acting this scene of cruelty on the innocent Jefus, proclaimed to all the world, that they esteemed him a deceiver of the people; for had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (b); and by exposing him as a public spectacle of infamy, pain, and forrow, their hope was, they should have made all men afhamed or afraid to own him. Whereas (to fee how little the devices (b) 1 Cor. ii, &. of of vain men avail against God's eternal counfel) his being lifted up, was the very way in which he was to draw all men unto him (c). And the facrament of the fupper was appointed with this defign, that, fhewing forth the death of Chrift therein, we might declare to the whole world our belief of him to be, that he was a teacher fent from God, his holy child Jefus, whom he hath anointed, notwithstanding that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and people of Ifrael, were gathered together against him (d); and that we are not by fear or shame reftrained from profeffing ourselves his difciples. The first notion, then, that offers itself to us of this facrament, is, its being a badge or mark of our Chriftian profeffion. We glory in that very perfon whom the Jews crucified, at the fame time profeffing to receive him as our Lord and Mafter: nay, more, we profefs to glory in him even as crucified. 1. We glory in that very person whom the Jews crucified, at the fame time profeffing to receive him as our Lord and Mafter. We are ready to cry out with the Centurion, and those that were with him, when they faw the prodigies that attended his crucifixion, Truly this is the Son of God (e). He is not fo concealed under the vail of our flefh, or disfigured by his fufferings, but I can eafily perceive the divine glory fhining through, and acknowledge him for the greatest perfon that ever (c) John xii. 32. (e) Matth. xxvii. 54. |