Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

doth not do as Hiram, who when Solomon gave him the twenty cities in the land of Galilee, calls them, 'Cabul, they were dirty, and they displeased him;' 1 Kings ix. 11, &c. No; but, the lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place;' he rejoiced in his travail. It is expressed, in my apprehension, to the height, in Jer. xxxi. 25, 26. I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.' What follows? Upon this I awaked, and beheld, and my sleep was sweet unto me.' They are the words of Jesus Christ; and he speaks concerning his death, wherein he was as asleep in the grave. Now consider what was the effect and fruit of it? It was sweet unto Jesus Christ after all the travail of his soul, that he had 'satiated the weary soul,' and replenished every sorrowful soul.'

In one word, both these things, the travail of the soul of Christ, and the satisfaction he took in the fruit of his travail, are represented unto us in this ordinance.

There is the travail of the soul of Christ to us in the manner of the participation of this ordinance, in the breaking of the bread, and in the pouring out of the wine, représenting unto us the breaking of the body of Christ, the shedding of his blood, and the separation of the one from the other, which was the cause of his death. Now though these were outward things in Christ (because the travail of his soul cannot be represented by any outward things, wherein the great work of our redemption lay), we are in this ordinance to be led through these outward things to the travail of the soul of Christ: we are not to rest in the mere outward act or acts of the breaking of the body of Christ, and pouring out of his blood, the separation of the one from the other, and of his death thereby, but through all them we are to inquire, What is under them? There was Christ's making his soul an offering for sin; there was Christ's being made a curse under them, Christ's travail of soul in an agony to bring forth the redemption and salvation of the church.

Brethren, let us be able by faith not only to look through these outward signs, to that which makes the representation itself unto us, the body and blood of Christ; but even with them and through them in the travail of the soul of Christ; the work that he was doing between God and himself for the redemption of the church.

And here is also a representation made unto us of that satisfaction the soul of Christ received in the fruit of his travail, having appointed it in a particular manner to be done in remembrance of him. No man will appoint a remembrance of that which he doth not delight in. When Job had no more delight in his life, he desired that the tin.e of his birth might never be remembered. When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, whereby he exalted his glory, he appointed a passover, and said, 'It was a day greatly to be remembered;' because the people had a great deliverance, and God received great glory and great satisfaction, therefore it was greatly to be remembered. We are to celebrate this ordinance in remembrance of Christ, and therefore there is a representation of that satisfaction which Jesus Christ did receive in the travail of his soul, so that he never repented him of one groan, of one sigh, of one tear, of one prayer, of one wrestling with the wrath of God. It is matter of rejoicing and to be remembered; and do you rejoice in the remembrance of it.

Again; It is apparent from hence, because this ordinance is in an especial manner an ordinance of thanksgiving; the bread that is blessed, or which we give thanks for; the cup which is blessed: Christ gave thanks. Now if hereby we give thanks, it is to call to remembrance, not merely the travail of Christ's soul, but the success of that travail; hereby all differences were made up between God and us; hereby grace and glory were purchased for us, and he became the captain of salvation unto us.

To shut up all, here is by Christ's institution bread and wine provided for us; but it is bread broken and wine poured out. There are two things in it, there is the weak part that is Christ's, there is the nourishing part that is given unto us: the Lord Christ hath chosen, by this ordinance, to represent himself by these things that are the staff of our lives; they comprise the whole nourishment and sustenance of our bodies. He hath so chosen to represent them by breaking and pouring out, that shall signify his sufferings; here are both, as the bread is broken, and as the wine is poured out, there is the representation of the travail of the soul of Christ to us: as bread is received, and the cup, which is the means of the nourishment of man's life, here is

the fruit of Christ's death exhibited unto us, and his sufferings. The Lord help us to look into the satisfaction that Christ received from this, that we may be partakers of the one and the other.

DISCOURSE XII.*

WE are met here to remember, to celebrate, and set forth the death of Christ, to profess and plead our interest therein. And there are two things that we should principally consider in reference to ourselves, and our duty, and the death of Christ. The first is, The benefits of it, and our participation of them. And the second is, Our conformity unto it; both are mentioned together by the apostle in

Phil. iii. 10.-That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

I shall speak a word or two (upon this occasion of remembering the death of Christ), unto the latter clause, of our 'being made conformable unto his death,' wherein a very great part of our due preparation unto this ordinance doth consist; and for the furtherance whereof we do in an especial manner wait upon God in this part of his worship. Therefore I shall in a few words mind you wherein we ought to be conformable unto the death of Christ, and how we are advantaged therein by this ordinance.

We are to be conformable unto the death of Christ, in the internal, moral cause of it, and in the external means of it.

The cause of the death of Christ, was sin. The means of the death of Christ, was suffering. Our being conformable unto the death of Christ, must respect sin and suffering.

The procuring cause of the death of Christ was sin. He died for sin; he died for our sin; our iniquities were upon him, and were the cause of all the punishment that befell him.

* Delivered February 21, 1674-5.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Wherein can we be conformable unto the death of Christ with respect unto sin? We cannot die for sin. Our hope and faith is, in and through him, that we shall never die for sin. No mortal man can be made like unto Christ in suffering for sin. Those that undergo what he underwent, because they were unlike him, must go to hell and be made more unlike him to eternity. Therefore the apostle tells us, that our conformity unto the death of Christ with respect unto sin lies in this, That as he died for sin, so we should die unto sin; that, that sin which he died for, should die in us. He tells us so, Rom. vi. 5. We are planted together in the likeness of his death;' we are made conformable unto the death of Christ, planted into him, so as to have a likeness to him in his death. Wherein? Knowing that our old man is crucified with him,' saith he, ver. 6. It is the crucifixion of the old man, the crucifying of the body of sin, the mortifying of sin, that makes us conformable unto the death of Christ, as to the internal moral cause of it, that procures it. See another apostle tells us, 1 Pet. iv. 1, 2. 'Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.' Here is our conformity to Christ, as he suffered in the flesh, that we should no longer live to our lusts, nor unto the will of man, but unto the will of God. And, brethren, let me tell you, he who approacheth unto this remembrance of the death of Christ, that hath not laboured, that doth not labour for conformity to his death in the universal mortification of all sin, runs a hazard to his soul, and puts an affront upon Jesus Christ. O let none of us come in a way of thankfulness to remember the death of Jesus Christ, and bring along with us the murderer whereby he was slain. To harbour with us, and bring along with us to the death of Christ, unmortified lusts and corruptions, such as we do not continually and sincerely endeavour to kill and mortify, is to come and upbraid Christ with his murderer, instead of obtaining any spiritual advantage; what can such poor souls expect?

To be conformable unto the death of Christ as to the outward means, is to be conformable unto him in suffering.

We here remember Christ's sufferings. And I am persuaded, and hope I have considered it, that he who is unready to be conformable unto Christ in suffering, was never upright and sincere in endeavouring to be conformable unto Christ in the killing of sin; for we are called as much to the one as to the other. Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should also suffer when we are called thereunto. And our unwillingness to suffer like unto Christ, arises from some unmortified corruption in our hearts, which we have not endeavoured to subdue, that we may be like unto Christ in the mortification and death of sin.

There are four things required that we may be conformable unto the death of Christ in suffering; for we may suffer, and yet not be like unto Christ in it nor by it.

1. The first is, That we suffer for Christ. 1 Pet. iv. 15, 16. 'Let none suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, &c. but if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed.' To suffer as a Christian is to suffer for Christ; for the name of Christ; for the truths of Christ; for the ways of Christ; for the worship of Christ.

2. It is required, That we suffer in the strength of Christ; that we do not suffer in the strength of our own will, our own reason, our own resolutions; but that we suffer, I say, in the strength of Christ. When we suffer aright, it is given unto us in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer for him. As all other graces are to be derived from Christ, as our head and root, stock and foundation; so in particular, that grace which enables us to suffer for Christ, must be from him. And we do well to consider whether it be so or no: for if it be not, all our sufferings are lost, and not acceptable to him. It is a sacrifice without salt, yea, without a heart, that will not be accepted. ·

[ocr errors]

3. It is required, That we suffer in imitation of Christ, as making him our example. We are not to take up the cross but with design to follow Christ. Take up the cross, is but half the command; Take up the cross and follow me,' is the whole command; and we are to suffer willingly and cheerfully, or we are the most unlike Jesus Christ in our sufferings of any persons in the world. Christ was willing and cheerful; 'Lo, I come to do thy will; I have a baptism

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »