Thoughts on sacramental occasions extracted from the diary of the Rev. Philip Dodridge ..

I

"A^ocld-,

THOUGHTS

SACRAMENTAL OCCASIONS

EXTRACTED FROM THE

DIAKY OF THE REV. PHILIP DODDEIDGE,D.D.

WITH

AN INTRODUCTION

V. :. BY

JAMES W. ALEXANDER, D.D.

Firet American from the IjJndon Tract Society's EJilioD.

PHILADELPHIA:

WILLIAM S. MARTIEN. :n SOUTH SEVENTH STREET.
New York — No. 23 Centre street.

184G.

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year
1846, by William S. Martien, in the office of the Clerk
of the District Court for the Eastern District of Penn-
sylvania.

CONTENTS

Introduction page 9

First Meditation. — Humiliations of soul before God,
and invocations for his assistance and mercy 31

Second Meditation. — Of the union and communion of
the soul with Christ by faith, and of the emotions of
gratitude it should inspire 32

Third Meditation. — Feelings of contrition for the
sufferings of the Saviour when viewed as the conse-
quence of personal and general transgression 35

Fourth Meditation. — Solemn and earnest supplica-
tions for greater faith, and a more immediate sense
of the Divine presence 36

Fifth Meditation. — Christ viewed as an atoning Sa-
crifice 38

Sixth Meditation. — The guilt and helplessness of hu-
manity— the need of a Redeemer — the readiness of
Christ to suffer for the salvation of the world, with
thoughts on the promptitude to love and duty which

his mercy should inspire 39

3

4 CONTENTS.

Seventh Meditation. — Of the evils arising from a
want of faith; and of our need of sanctification.
Access to God by Christ 45

Eighth Meditation. — Of the causes for humiUty in
approaching God, and of the confidence and joy
which the love of Christ rnay inspire 48

Ninth Meditation. — Thoughts on the vast extent of
the Divine mercy. Death considered by the Chris-
tian but as the portal to eternal joy and triumph.
Atonement and death of Christ commemorated. . . 50

Tenth Meditation. — The inferiority of earthly hopes
to those of heaven, with encouragements for the in-
crease of love and faith 53

Eleventh Meditation. — Salvation could only be of
Divine origin 55

Twelfth Meditation. — Regret for instances of past
negligence, with reflections on the awful justice of
God, and of the hopes and obligations incurred by
the mercy of salvation 56

Thirteenth Meditation. — Records of happy expe-
rience in religion, with thoughts on the influence of
the Holy Spirit 59

Fourteenth Meditation. — The joy and confidence of
a Christian in the cross of Christ when viewed as
the emblem of salvation 60

Fifteenth Meditation. — The triumph of Christ, and
the future triumph of the church in Him 62

CONTENTS. 5

Sixteenth Meditation. — The soul delighting in the
ascension of Christ, under the view that death is
thus " swallowed up in victory," and meditating on
Christ as suffering the just for the unjust 65

Seventeenth Meditation. — Happy recollections of
communion with God in the offices of religion with
thoughts on the joyful duties of gratitude and love. 69

Eighteenth Meditation. — Of the connexion of the
spiritual blessings with each other, with correspond-
ent exhortations 71

Nineteenth Meditation. — Of the Divine mercy in
the scheme of redemption, with solemn thoughts
on our personal responsibility for the sufferings of
Christ 74

Twentieth Meditation. — How the favour of God,
and the hopes of the gospel, may render a Christian
superior to the trials and sorrows of the world .... 77

Twentv-first Meditation. — Love to the Redeemer
will insure the obedience of a Christian to the pre-
cepts of his law, and to such are promised the con-
stant support of the Divine presence 80

Twenty-second ^Ieditation. — Christians tliankful
and happy under the promise that they shall share
in the heavenly felicity of Christ 82

Twenty-third Meditation. — The Christian secure
under the covenant of the gospel and the guardian-
ship of the Redeemer. Written under the imme-
diate pressure of the most severe domestic afBiction
that Dr. Doddridge was ever called upon to suffer,
and containing many interesting and pathetic par-
ticulars 84

6 CONTENTS.

TwENTY-FouRTH MEDITATION. — The moumful recol-
lections of affliction assuaged by contemplations
on the love and sufferings of Christ 90

Twenty-fifth Meditation. — Death swallowed up in
victory by the sacrifice of the Redeemer 92

TwENTV-siXTH MEDITATION. — The people of God as
consecrated to his service 93

TwENTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION. — The importance of
tlie ordinance ; and of the extraordinary mercy of
God in the plan of redemption 95

Twenty-eighth Meditation. — The supreme happi-
ness of the Christian constituted by the converse
and favour of the Deity 97

Twenty-ninth Meditation. — Personal remarks on
Eoine mournful and mysterious providences : — the
Christian armed by faith to suffer all things 98

Thirtieth Meditation. — Of perfect devotedness to
the service of God 101

Thirty-fipst Meditation. — The peace of God, one of
the greatest blessings enjoyed by the believer, with
considerations on " the blood of sprinkling." 102

Thirty-second Meditation. — Of the majestic charac-
ter of the Messiah in his offices 105

Thirty-third Meditation — The blessed may tri-
umph in the thoughts of heaven 107

^Thirty-fourth Meditation. — The pardon of sin ren-
ders trials light in the estimation of a Christian. . . 109

CONTENTS. 7

Thirty-fifth Meditation. — Holy and delightful anti-
cipations under the assurance of being enabled to

* serve the cause of God in the world during life, and
by his writings after death Ill

Thirty-sixth Meditation. — Solemn aspirations of
praise and gratitude for the Divine protection and
favour in individual particulars 114

Thirty-seventh Meditation. — Of Christ as being the
brightness of his Father's glory 117

Thirty-eighth Meditation. — The character and hap-
piness of the true Christian 119

Thirty-ninth Meditation. — Christ's spiritual pres-
ence with his church 122

Fortieth Meditation. — Christ anointed by the Fa-
ther 124

Forty-first Meditation. — Of the peace of God, as
enjoyed by the Christian under the covenant of
the gospel J 29

Forty-second Meditation. — The pious soul refreshed
under the blessings of Christianity; and of the re-
surrection of the just 131

Forty-third Meditation. — The redeemed are the
property of the Saviour, and are self dedicated to
his service 135

Forty-fourth Meditation. — Of the joys of the future
world 139

Forty-fifth Meditation. — The church consecrated
by the sacrifice of Christ 141

8 CONTENTS.

Forty-sixth Meditation. — Christians rejoice as tliey
anticipate the second coming of the Saviour 143

Forty-seventh Meditation. — Love and grace of
Christ in suffering for guilty man 146

Forty-eighth Meditation. — The petitions of a Chris-
tian stated and answered 149

Forty-ninth Meditation. — Christians are inoffensive,
and benevolent in thought and deed 151

Fiftieth Meditation. — Christ will not desert his
people in times of sorrow and of trial 152

Fifty-first Meditation. — The Christian questioned
as to the charges which the Saviour might have
against him 155

Fifty-second Meditation. — The believer rendered
ultimately secure from death and sin 156

Fifty-third Meditation. — Of the Christian's sel^
dedication to the Saviour 158

INTRODUCTION.

The part which I have assumed, in respect
to the following pages, is a very humble one.
It is not the presumptuous folly of helping
forward a work of Doctor Doddridge, in pub-
He esteem ; but only an attempt to elucidate
a sort of composition which is somewhat un-
usual. It is believed that the Meditations
which are subjoined may be useful, not only
to private Christians, but to ministers of the
gospel.

It has been questioned, with great justice,
whether the keeping of a religious diary,
from day to day, in the usual form, is on the
whole conducive to simplicity, lowliness, and
candour, in Christian experience. It is equal-
ly questionable, whether the private exer-
cises of a soul, in communion with its God,
should be dragged forth, and published to
the day; especially in cases where the author
had sedulously endeavoured concealment, by
the use of a cipher. There can however be
2 9

10 INTRODUCTION.

no room for query, touching the injustice of
publishing, without purgation, tlie private
papers of Dr. Doddridge, eighty years after
his death, by his great grandson, John Dod-
dridge Humphreys, Esq.^ Tiiese five vol-
umes, of letters and journals, contain, as might
be expected, a fund of valuable information;
but much also which should have been con-
signed to oblivion. The life of the author
was a true progress. Between the earliest
and the latest effusions there is a striking
contrast. Over the juvenile levities of the
first letters, which are heartlessly published
by a latitudinarian, perhaps a Unitarian,
descendant, the venerable writer would no
doubt have blushed and wept. The great
body of the subsequent communications are
such as might well befit a man of God. In
the diary there is nothing but what is edify-
ing.

The little book here offered is a selection

* " The Correspondence and Diary of Philip Dod-
dridge, D. D., illustrative of various particulars in his
life hitherto unknown ; with notices of many of his con-
temporaries ; and a sketch of the Ecclesiastical History
of the times in which he lived. Edited from the original
MSS. By his great grandson, John Doddridge Hum-
phreys, Esq., London, 1831, five volumes, 8vo."

INTRODUCTION. 11

from the private Diary of Doctor Doddridge,
prepared for the Religious Tract Society of
London. For its merits and defects they are
responsible. It appears to have been com-
piled from the last volume of the large work
just mentioned: though only a part of the
sacramental compositions are here given.
The original papers extend over a period,
between the ninth of March, 1728, and the
second of June, 1751; in other words, from
the twenty-sixth year of the author's life,
imtil the year of his decease. The entries in
these private volumes were not daily, nor
even weekly : they much more resemble the
species of diary, judiciously recommended by
Jay, in his Life of Winter. They are more
properly devout compositions ; records of
great and critical facts in providential history;
or meditations at times of unusual devotion.
" It has been observed in the Preface,"
says Mr. Humphreys, " that this Diary is not
that daily record which the name implies. It
contains, in the first instance. Memoranda of
Remarkable Incidents in the Life of Dr. Dod-
dridge ; and, in the second, his Sacramental
Meditations. Of the latter devout reflections,
no difierence of opinion can exist, they are

12 IXTRODUCTION.

full of that holy fervour and deep humility
for which their pious author was so preemi-
nently distinguished."*

It was the custom of Dr. Doddridge to
make serious preparation for the solemnities
of sacramental days. As an instance, pas-
sages might be cited from a meditation bear-
ing date October, 1730. From this it appears,
that by devotional reading and prayer, ac-
companied with fasting, he endeavoured to
bring his mind into a frame suitable to the
engagements of so tender an occasion. As
no part of this work has been reprinted in
America, it may be allowable to insert a sen-
tence or two; from which the reader will
perceive the manner in which religion is made
to mingle itself with the author's private con-
cerns, and particularly with his pastoral ser-
vices. After detailing a number of devo-
tional acts, he says : " I then prayed for fur-
ther grace, and referred to God that dear and
important concern which will speedily be
determined, and with it, in all probability,
much of my future views of happiness in life.
I then read some excellent things in Baxter,
about conquering the fear of death, with

* Correspondence and Diary, vol. v., p. 248.

INTRODUCTION. IS

which I was more affected than by any thing
that had passed before in the day. I con-
cluded with a prayer for others, and a thanks-
giving to God; after which I went and made
some visits ; prayed I know not how many
times abroad, with my sick friends, and spent
the evening in writing a letter to Mr. Clark,
expounded in the family, and attended to
secret devotion."*

The subsequent pages show, that as he
advanced in life, Doctor Doddridge was led
to feel a sympathy more and more warm, in
sacramental exercises, with those who were
under his pastoral charge. For the sake of
young ministers who may read these sen-
tences, it may not be unprofitable to add,
that such communion with one's flock tends
very much towards faithfulness and comfort
in parochial labour. Late in Ufe, our author's
retrospection of these services was humble
and edifying. In a letter of date December
15, 1748, he thus writes: " I have often, in
as melting a manner as I could, and as know-
ing the terrors of the Lord, entreated my
hearers to be reconciled to God; and perhaps
few preachers have abounded more in ad-

» Correspondence and Diary, vol. v., p. 293.
2*

14 INTRODUCTION.

dresses of that kind. Nor have I ever know-
ingly and deliberately kept back any thing
which I considered as the counsel of God to
them; though I have indeed in many in-
stances waved controversies, from principles
of conscience, and not either of indolence or
of cowardice, if I have known my own
heart. But I freely own, I have not warned
from house to house, with a zeal and tender-
ness like that which I could wish; though
many houses, and I suppose I might add,
many scores of houses, have been witness to
tears of tenderness with which I have at dif-
ferent times admonished or entreated particu-
lar persons. But here I think has been my
greatest defect, that there are many whom. I
have not so warned, and many days, and
some weeks, in which I have done very little
this way."*

These unpremeditated and strictly private
effusions should in justice be regarded as
xjasual fragments, and not as a deliberate
series of aids for preparation. That the
learned and pious author had sometimes pro-
jected a more complete work of this kind,
might be gathered from a meditation on New
* Page 91.

INTRODUCTION. 15

Year's day, 1750. " I think," says he in this
place, " I shall neither publish Sacramental
Meditations nor Hymns ; yet I may perhaps
do something towards getting them in some
forwardness.''^ The Hymns, to which allu-
sion is here made, were gathered after the
death of the author, and published by his
friend, the Rev. Job Orton.

Doctor Doddridge never attained old age.
When we look at his amazing labours, we
should remember, that they were accomplish-
ed before he reached the term of forty-nine
years. He was carried off by consumption,
and died at Lisbon, October 26th, 0. S. 1751.
The bright example of his life, and the yet
more brilliant illumination of his dying hours,
are aleady familiar to the Christian public,
by means of the Memoir by Mr. Orton.
Tiiere are many other devotional passages
which might be extracted with advantage
from his posthumous papers; but these seem-
ed to promise peculiar usefulness, from their
being susceptible of a uniform arrangement.
Unless the writer is alone in the experience of
former years, it is too common for young
ministers to approach this most solemn rite
of our Christianity, with less preparation of

* Volume v., p. 492.

16 INTRODUCTION.

thought than is usual in reference to an ordi-
nary sermon. When such culpable negli-
gence prevails, it is not to be expected that
the ordinance will long retain its savour.

The remark is frequently made, that sacra-
mental occasions have not the same interest
which they had in former years. It is be-
lieved by the writer, that the complaint is
not unfounded. In ridding the ordinance of
that burdensome extent of service, which
was justly chargeable on the old Scottish
method, the fast, the repeated preparatory
services, the discourses on successive days,
and the tedious serving of table after table,
we have on the other hand lost much that
was comely, and glowing, and delightful.
How many of us recall, with a pensive satis-
faction, the impressions made even on our
infant minds by the solemnities of a sacra-
ment, as dispensed in our earlier days, and
particularly in those parts of the country
where Scottish Presbyterianism most pre-
vailed. Such occasions were infrequent, in
rural parishes, from the necessity of the
case. They were sought, as they still are in
Scotland, and in a measure among Scottish
people here, by multitudes, from all the coun-
try side. Ministers of the gospel came to-

INTRODUCTION. 17

gether in large numbers, and amidst circum-
stances the best fitted to awaken high emo-
tions, and cultivate kindly affections. There
was a part for every one, in the days of con-
tinued service, and in the addresses delivered,
where the method of sitting around a proper
table was observed. Aged Christians who
may read these lines will acknowledge, that
memory can recall no seasons in which there
was so much of the manifestation of God in
his sanctuary, as in these great sacramental
gatherings. Whole assemblies were often
bathed in tears, and moved as the trees of
the wood are moved by the wind. The holy
sympathy could not but extend itself to the
speakers on these occasions. The repercus-
sive influence from a profoundly touched
assembly is more productive of eloquence
than all the canons of rhetorical schools; and
the unpremeditated gush, over the sacra-
mental emblems, has been worth more than
the elaborate lucubration of weeks, which
the preacher had brought in his manuscript.
These were times of revivals; and it is by
means of the extraordinary assemblages, and
penetrating influence of such communions,
that the chief advances of our church were
made. These were days of gladness, when

18 INTRODUCTION.

the beauty of Zion was admired of her sons,
and when thousands were brought to ac-
knowledge Christ. And, whatever may be
thought of the admission, I hesitate not to
own, that we have gained nothing as a
church, by magnifying the convenience and
the decorum of ordinances, at the expense of
fervour and joyfulness and hfe.

Those who are famiUar with the history
of our church, will call to mind abundant
verifications of the statement, that times of
communion have, in a remarkable degree,
been times of increase. The wonderful case
of John Livingston is fresh in many minds.
He was the ancestor of the Livingston family
of New York, and an eminent minister in
Scotland and Ireland in the early part of the
seventeenth century. The discourse which
is so remarkable was delivered in the church-
yard of the kirk of Shotts, on *' a Monday
after the communion," June 21, 1630. "The
night before," says Mr. Livingston, " I had
been with some Christians, loho spent the
night in prayer and conference. When I
was alone in the fields, about eight or nine
o'clock in the morning, before we were to
go to sermon, there came such a misgiving
spirit upon me, considering my unworthiness

INTRODUCTION. l9

and weakness, and the expectation of the
people, that I was consulting with myself to
have stolen away somewhere, and declined
that day's preaching, but that I thought I
durst not so far distrust God, and so went to
sermon, and got good assistance, about an
hour and a half, upon the points which I had
meditated on. Ezekiel xxxvi. 25, 26, And
in the end, offering to close with some words
of exhortation, I was led on about an hour's
time, in a strain of exhortation and warn-
ing, with such liberty and melting of heart,
as I never had the like in public all my life-
time." Now from any thing which Mr.
Livingston says of himself, no man would
be led to suspect that even a single soul had
been awakened by this sermon. Yet John
Brown, of Haddington, (illustrious, vener-
able name!) gives a testimony, which is
moreover pertinent to the general strain of
our remarks. Speaking of those times of
persecution, he says : ** Meanwhile faithful
ministers were remarkably countenanced of
God at their sacramental and other occasions.
Multitudes crowded to their communions;
and being eager to hear as much of the
gospel as they could, when they had an op-
portunity of it, they began to have one ser-

20 INTRODUCTION.

mon upon Saturday before, another on the
Monday after. Mr. John Livingston, a pro-
bationer, after having been so far off, that
morning, preached a sermon at the kirk of
Shotts, on Monday, June 21, at lohich five
hundred were converted to Christ.^'*

Tradition informs us of the vast assem-
blages which were attracted to sacramental
services, under the ministry of the Tennents,
Blairs, and Smiths, of a former day. These
were times of great increase to our church,
and they were connected with blessings on
communion-services. In our own day, there
are portions of the country, where the an-
cient zeal in regard to sacramental means is
fully maintained, and where they still are
festivals of gracious communication. And
where Presbyteries are used to meet at the
Lord's table, and to enjoy their mutual gifts
of instruction and devotion, all concerned
will readily witness, that the happiest results
have ensued. Indeed it may be questioned,
whether ministers and elders can meet year
after year, solely for business, without the
growth of hard, dry, distant, and secular
feelings toward one another. These feel-
ings would give way to others of a more

* History of the Church of Scotland, p. 98.

INTRODUCTION. 21

genial sort, among the memorials of Christ's
love.

It is not intended, by these remarks, to re-
produce the obsolete forms. We have forms
enough already: and the era of careful, deco-
rous, liturgical enactment, is usually that of
coldness, worldhness, and decay. It would
ensure no good end to restore four-days-
meetings, fasts, successive tables, numerous
addresses, or any measures or ceremonies,
however proper, without the spirit which
informed them. But it is meant, and that
very distinctly, to express a desire for a more
careful, earnest, and affectionate observance
of the Lord's Supper.

There are many who feel — though deli-
cacy has somewhat repressed remark on this
point — that there is danger lest, in certain
quarters, the proper and genuine import of
this Sacrament should be altogether lost sight
of Many who read these lines will call to
mind occasions, in which the Lord Jesus
Christ, in his priestly character, has scarcely
been mentioned at his own table. Every
thing, in such cases, may be true, orthodox,
instructive, solemn, nay even edifying — yet
not sacramental, evangelical, tending to the
cross. The very solemnity of these occasions
3

22 INTRODUCTION.

may be harsh, and legal. The grand, charac-
teristic idea of the ordinance, a suffering
MESSIAH, may be superseded by another,
which however valuable, is not the appro-
priate one. Has it not become, in certain
churches, a common thing for the minister to
leave the ^^toiiement, that is to say, the prin-
cipal subject of this memorial, to be gathered
•out of the words of institution, while he
spends his whole strength upon the impor-
tant but secondary topics of vow, covenant,
engagement, obligation to the church, solemn
professions, and the like. Let it not be
suspected, that we would silence the latter ;
but we would earnestly desire that the ap-
propriate and cardinal doctrine of this ordi-
nance should have its due place.

It is a very serious consideration for us
who minister, that the tone and character of
sacramental assemblies will bear a general
proportion to the nature of the instructions
which fall from our lips at such seasons. The
"Action Sermon" of the days of our fathers
may have been a formal, unwieldy, even a
superstitious thing; but then it was sure to
contain the principal thing, Christ. Al-
though we can all testify with satisfaction
that it is far otherwise with the majority of

INTRODUCTION. 23

our churches, yet it is lamentably true, that
in some congregations, the people have come
to expect no particular reference to the work
of expiation, in the sermon before the commu-
nion. And then, what a change in the ad-
dresses at the sacrament itself! Time was,
when the chief outbursts of affectionate, holy
eloquence took place at these times; and when
the assembled worshippers were lifted up in
sympathy with the varied emotions of their
leaders. Such addresses to the people were
remembered and talked of, for a life-time.
But they presupposed a work of ardent piety
in the speaker. It is this thought which
connects our train of remark with the little
book before us; and its republication, it is
believed, will prove useful to young min-
isters.

The fragments which fill the ensuing pages
are like the filings of gold or the dust of
diamonds. They are not specimens either
of reasoning or of style: they were never
meant for the eye of the stranger. But they
reveal to us, in a most pleasing manner, the
views of their eminent author, in relation to
this important part of his ministerial work.
They serve to show how far he was from
lapsing into a lukewarm, official, customary,

24 INTRODUCTION.

routine, in his approaches to this holy table
Especially do they remind us who are office-
bearers in Christ's house, that our public
utterances, to be warm and efficient, must
flow from an inward fount of feeling. Those
of Doddridge did so. The hints which he
penned down, of sacramental addresses, on
returning to his study, were records of feel-
ings granted to him, as he often acknow-
ledges, while he was at the table. This will
account for the richness and pungent quality
existing in some of them, even under rude
diction, beyond what we usually observe in
the even tenour of his elaborate works. No
wonder : there are no thoughts ever given to
the preacher, so vivid and penetrative, as
those which come to his lips warm from the
instant affection of the heart. The reader
will be fully aware of our meaning, if he
will examine, in the following pages, the re-
cord of the Fifty-Seventh Sacrament ; where,
after a brief sketch of the remarks uttered,
the author adds, in terms which show that it
was not merely doctrine, but experience:
"Such were the workings of my heart at
this most delightful and edifying ordinance.
0 that it may prove not only as a transient
blaze of the spirits ! but that the happy con-

INTRODUCTION. 85

sequences of it may go along with me into
all the devotions, and into all the services,
that lie before me this month; and that I
may be prepared for all the will of God."

It is worthy of note, by candidates for the
ministry, that in these addresses, there is a
remarkable variety. The great danger of
extemporaneous effusions, any where, is that
of sameness and self-repetition. But when
one is summoned, at intervals of some length,
to utter himself, in the presence of the same
associations, it is almost impossible to avoid
this evil. So that there are some ministers,
whose hearers can prognosticate the general
strain of their teachings, on any given occa-
sion. Dr. Doddridge happily escapes this; and
by a method well worthy of being employed
in all cases which fall under this rule, such
as baptisms, funerals, prayer-meetings, ad-
dresses to inquirers, and even advice to those
who are ill or dying ; it is to connect the
observations, directly and legitimately, with
some text of Scripture. This, when joined
with the felicitous burst of sudden emotion,
will ensure a novelty and striking force of
thought. How far from the arid desertions
of our common Sabbaths, are such expe-
riences as are here recorded ! What a prepa-
3*

26 INTRODUCTION.

ration, at home, for successful work abroad !
*^ I must record this day" says he, " as one
of the most blessed of my life. God was
pleased to meet me in my secret retirement
in the morning, and poured into my soul
such a flood of consolation in the exercises
of faith and love, as I was hardly able to
sustain. It would have been a rehef to me
to have been able even to have uttered
strong cries of joy. 0, how did I then wish
for a melodious voice, and how gladly could
I have made earth and heaven re-echo with
praise ! Family devotion was unutterably
sweet; and although the pleasure of my
sermon was much interrupted by an acciden-
tal disorder that happened in my throat
while 1 was speaking, yet I bless God, that
the sacramental attendance and the evening
services were all beyond expression sweet.
My soul was full of God, and of heaven."

There is an obvious improvem.ent in the
character of these devotions, as they go on,
which cannot fail to strike the observant
reader. They extend over a lapse of about
twenty years. It needs but a glance at the
original diaries, to show that the earlier years
of record offered much to be improved : the
later ones are full of ripening experience.

INTRODUCTION. 27

For some years before his death Dr. Dod-
dridge laboured under bodily infirmities,
which would have absolved most men from
all active service. In 1743, he was seized
with illness, at the very administration of the
Lord's Supper.

"Indeed," he thus writes on his return
home, "I was not without some thoughts,
but that I might have taken my flight from
the table of Christ upon earth to his presence
above. Cold clammy sweats were upon me;
but if, as some said, a mortal paleness seemed
fixed upon my cheek, I hope I can say that
glory was in my soul. I revived a little, and
felt an unutterable sweetness in singing the
hymn on the words of good old Simeon, as
rendered by dear Dr. Watts; and I must say,
that all the pleasure, which I might have had
in a better state of health and spirits, in the
after part of the ordinance, was far over-
balanced by the unutterable delight which I
enjoyed in consequence of being so inter-
rupted. I cannot but think, that it was in
some measure owing to the great fervour of
my spirit in the former duties of the day,
that this failure now happened, and I humbly
hope that I may say, that I was in some
degree consumed with the love of God,

28 INTRODUCTION.

Gracious Lord, I thank thee for the visitation,
and for the support under it. I thank thee
that I am thine, in hfe or in death. And I
humbly renew the solemn dedication of my-
self unto thee, as in a holy tranquillity of
soul, and undissembled readiness to be dis-
posed of as thou pleasest in this world, or in
a better."

The private Christian will find himself
profited, in preparation for the Lord's table,
by this unpretending volume; in which there
is nothing wearisome, because there is nothing
laboured. But the minister of the gospel —
if any such will condescend to learn from
this little book — may derive many valuable
hints, as to the conduct of this very import-
ant part of public duty; in regard to the
manner of preparation for it, the topics pro-
per to be presented, and the mode of illustra-
tion.

It would not be easy to find a better con-
clusion to these remarks, than what our
author has furnished us, in speaking of this
very ordinance : " It is the memorial of the
death of Christ, by which we represent it to
others, and to ourselves. May we be ever
ready to give this most regular and accepta-
ble token, that we are not ashamed to fight

INTRODUCTION. 29

under the banner of a crucified Redeemer!
It is also the seal of the new covenant in his
blood. Let us adore the grace that formed
and ratified that everlasting covenant, so well
ordered in all things, and so sure. And when-
ever we approach to this sealing ordinance,
may we render our consent to the demands
of that covenant, and our expectations of
those blessings which are conveyed by it !
a consent and application so well suited to
the circumstances its being ratified by the
blood of Jesus. Thus may every attendance
nourish our souls in grace, and ripen them
for glory ; that at length all may be fulfilled
and perfected in the kingdom of God."

J. W. A.

THOUGHTS

ON

SACRAMENTAL OCCASIONS,

MEDITATION I.

BEFORE MY FOURTH SACRAMENT, JULY 5, 1730.

Humiliaiions of soul before God., and invocations for his
assistance and mercy.

As I am preparing for the table of the Lord, and
my intended journey, I would seriously think of
my business with God, in regard to each. I
come to the. sacred table humbly to receive a re-
newed pardon for my renewed and and aggravated
transgressions. I come, to seal those sacred en-
gagements into which I entered myself on my
birthday. I come, to get a lively view of Christ
by faith; that, having him crucified and set forth
before me, I may thereby be engaged to obey the
truth, according to the exhortations I am giving to
others, and which I earnestly pray God to seal
home upon my own soul. I come, to refer to him
all the future concerns of my life, and particularly
the continuance of it, — and of my health, and
capacity for usefulness. I come, to ask his assist-

31

32 SECOND MEDITATION.

ance in the cultivation of the several branches of
learning which lie before me; and in that great
design for the defence and improvement of Chris-
tianity, which has been the subject of so many
of my late thoughts. I come, to commit myself
to his care in this journey; to beg preservation
from all the snares and temptations of it; and a
continued adherence of soul to him. And I come
to ask his direction in that great concern, the
choice of a companion for life. May he preserve
me from being misled by any of tbose foolish pas-
sions to which I know that I am naturally obnox-
ious. I would solemnly engage myself to a care in
secret devotion, to be watchful over my thoughts,
my heart, my appetites, and my words; and I
humbly depend upon him, to lead me and guide
me; to prosper my way before me, and to make
such provisions for the supply of my wants as he
knows that I may need. He is my covenant
Father and Friend ; may he never leave me nor
forsake me, and may I never depart from him !

MEDITATION II.

AT THE lord's TABLE THIS DAY.

Of the union and communion of the soul with Christ by faith,
and of the emotions of gratitude it should inspire.

God favoured me with very uncommon enlarge-
ment of soul; which I desire to mention to the
glory of his grace. I began with that question of
God to Elijah, <' What dost thou here?" 1 Kings
xix. 9 ; and observed how careful we should be to

SECOND MEDITATION. 33

be able to answer it in every circumstance of life ;
and with what peculiar pleasure and cheerfulness
we might answer it here; since we come to eat
the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God ; —
that flesh which is meat indeed, and that blood
which is drink indeed. And then,, from these
words, I proceeded to consider, having briefly ex-
plained what it was, with what expectations, and
with what resolutions we should feed upon this di-
vine banquet. For the expectations; they may be
founded on the promises connected with that pas-
sage of Scj-ipture, wherein Christ tells us, that if
any man thus eat and drink, he " dwelleth in me,
and I in him:" John vi. 56; which signifies the
most intimate union and delightful communion. It
is a pleasure on both sides. Christ will dwell in
that soul ! To have been visited by Christ in the
days of his flesh, how great an honour! " Lord,
I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under
my roof; but if thou wilt come, no prince shall be
so welcome." Now he comes; and comes not
like a wayfaring man, that turns in but for a
night, but as a constant inhabitant. And he says,
" he dwelleth in mc." I do not only give him a
transient look; enlcrtain a kind thought of him in
the hour of my conversion, or at the time of my
entrance on the world of spirits; but he has a
constant possession of my soul. He dwells in me,
even before I dwell in glory. How delightful a
thought, to think we are at this moment dwelling
in Christ! Again, — " I will give him eternal life!"
Life eternal! How vast the import! Not one
day's, one year's, one age's enjoyment; but an
immortality of happiness! It is true that the body
must die. These bodies that are now going to
receive this sacred food, shall soon fall into a
4

34 SECOND MEDITATION.

ruin, undistinguished from that of those who
never knew a Redeemer; undistinguished from
that of those who despised him. As the Israelites
ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead, so
shall we be who are now eating this bread of life.
Yet still it. deserves that name, for the soul shall
live — live, and look down without terror, without
sorrow, on the mouldering clay, especially when
it is secure of a glorious resurrection ! For that
follows — "I will raise him up at the last day!"
John vi. 54. In consequence of this blessed pro-
mise, we, when feeding upon Christ by faith may
apply to ourselves all the great and illustrious
things which the Scripture says of the resurrec-
tion. We shall bear the image of the heavenly
Adam, we shall be raised incorruptible! This
mortal shall put on immortality, and these vile
bodies shall be changed. And it surely increases
the pleasure of the prospect that Christ shall
effect it. " I will raise him up!" Well, then, m.ay
he say, " My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed :" as if there were nothing else that
deserved to be called meat and drink in compari-
son. With these expectations should we eat; and
these expectations may instruct us in correspond-
ent resolutions. Let us come with resolutions of
maintaining this union; of delighting in it; of
using the faculties of our souls, and the members
of our bodies, as what are to be for ever glorious
with God in heaven.

As for the returns of gratitude, and of love,
they are natural. Would Christ dispense with
them, and give us a liberty of sinning, the holy
soul would decline it with horror.

While breaking the bread, I discoursed of the
free love of Christ. *' What could deserve all

THIRD MEDITATION. S5

this?" — I appealed to conscience in pouring out
the wine. '*• Had we shed the blood of Jesus, what
self- resentment would have attended it! what the
guilt of having drawn down such agonies on the
Son of God ! Let us not increase it by trampling
his mercy under foot."

When taking the cup I observed: "Shall I be
ashamed of a public engagement? No! — Were
the whole world of men and angels assembled, I
would glory in it; that I am the disciple of the
crucified Jesus; and that I receive this sacred cup
in token of my sincere resolution of devoting to
him all I am and have — of being his for time, and
his for eternity."

MEDITATION III.

AT THE TABLE OF THE LORD.

Feelings of contrition for the sufferings of the Saviour
when viewed as the consequence of personal and general
transgression.

I HAVE so long neglected to write out the hints of
this discourse, that I have almost forgotten it. I
know that I began with the words of Zcchariah,
" They shall look upon me whom they have
pierced." Zech. xii. 10. I recommended to our
consideration the Person pierced ; and who we are
that have done it! How deeply we have pierced
him; and how often we have pierced him. We
have looked upon him and pierced him ; and then
looked upon him again, and again pierced him.
He might have pierced us: yet he is looking upon
us as upon Pttcr. O may our hearts feel that

36 FOURTH MEDITATION.

look! Let us now look upon him with a resolution
of piercing him no more, but rather of bringing
forward his murderers, and of slaying them before
him.

In breaking the bread, I used these words;
" Behold the fire and the wood ; but j^vhere is the
lamb for a burnt offering?" Gen. xxii. 7. The
sacrifice approved of God, is a broken heart; —
here are materials to set it on fire, but where is
the heart? Lord, send down fire from heaven, or
this will not catch. How cold are our hearts to
thee ! But then shall we offer, as we hope, a sa-
crifice acceptable through Christ.

MEDITATION IV.

THE SIXTH SACRAMENT. SEPTEMBER 6, 1730.

Solemn and earnest supplications for greater faith, and a
more immediate sense of the Divine presence.

I HAVE been very careless in recording, and much
more careless in conducting the actions of the last
month. I have done little for God; I have en-
joyed little of him; I have sinned frequently
against him ; and have, on the whole, gone on much
as I did before, only rather with less remorse,
when I have fallen into some shameful instances
of self-indulgence. I have now the Lord's supper
again in view. O that I might be brought thither
with a broken heart, and offer the sacrifice of a
contrite spirit for my many and deeply aggravated
sins ! I have been lately reading of the " life of
faith." I want more of that blessed principle,

FOURTH MEDITATION. 37

and then it would excite repentance. O blessed
Spirit! graciously descend on my polluted heart.
Strike the flint, O thou almighty arm of the Lord,
that the waters of life may flow forth.

I come to humble myself before God; I come,
to renew my resolutions against sin; I come, to
refer my concerns to him; I come, to seal my
engagements to be the Lord's, and to prosecute
with greater vigour the duties of a pastor, of a
tutor, a student, and a friend. Lord, do thou in-
struct me in them : Lord, do thou animate me to
them.

O thou Searcher of hearts, I appeal to thee.
Have I a wish so predominant in my soul as this;
that I may be thy faithful servant? Would I not
ten thousand times rather be free from the corrup-
tions of my own heart than from all the calamities
of this mortal life? Would I not rather live in
the warmest exercise of holy love, in the most
vigorous prosecution of thy service — than to live
in a round of sensual indulgences, or in the pur-
suit of the most curious speculative amusements,
although I were sure that I should be ever so suc-
cessful in them now, and not be brought to any
reckoning for them at last?

My God! when thou renewest the least taste of
thy love — when I find, though but for a few hasty,
interrupted moments, the pleasure of conversing
with thee, I say, " It is good for me to be here."
Here, O Lord, would I pitch my tabernacle; and
rather dwell in the meanest cottage with thee,
than in the most stately palace without thy favour.
May I not hope that thou hast not yet forsaken
me. O, return to me in love; — visit me this day
at thy house, and at thy table, and, for thy name's
sake, continue to lead me, and to guide me. Res-
4*

38 FIFTH MEDITATION.

cue me when I am beginning to wander; awaken
me when I slumber; strengthen me when I faint;
and let not all my prayers, my sermons, my pri-
vate exhortations, my secret and public transac-
tions with thee, issue at last in my aggravated
ruin. Let me, if it be thy will, be separated from
all that is dearest to me here; but, O my dear,
my compassionate and forgiving Father, let me
never, never be separated from thee. — Amen.

MEDITATION V.

AT THE TABLE OF THE LORD, SEPTEMBER 6, 1730.

Christ viewed as an atoning Sacrifice.

The principal part of my discourse at the table
of the Lord this evening was a meditation on these
words, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh
away the sin of the world." John i. 29. He is
the Lamb. He is the Lamb of God; sent, ap-
pointed, approved by him. And he takes away
sin; — not only some little, slight offences, but all
sin ; he has merit enough to take away those of
the whole world [ Behold him, with a sense, of
the malignity of that sin, which it needed the blood
of such a Lamb to expiate. Behold it, with an
apprehension of the goodness of God in appoint-
ing him for a sacrifice; with a becoming regard
to the Lord Jesus Christ, who submitted himself to
death for us; and with an entire dependence upon
him. Lord, I lay my sins on the head of this
great sacrifice; content to lie forever under them,
if there be not merit enough in him to expiate

SIXTH MEDITATION. 39

them all. Behold him, with a resolution to main-
tain becoming regards to him for the future; and
in the expectation of seeing the Lamb upon his
throne, and of ascribing eternal adorations to
him.

In breaking the bread, I observed, the goodness
of God in frequently repeating this solemnity.

In the prayer, I considered it as an engagement
to live and die to the Lord ; — and as an encour-
agement to hope that we shall be the Lord's both
in life and in death; declaring our dependence
upon God, that he would perform his part of the
covenant, and upon his grace, that we might per-
form ours.

MEDITATION VI.

ON THE THIRTEENTH SACRAMENT, APRIL 18, 1731.

The guilt and helplessness of humanity — the need of a
Redeemer — the readiness of Christ to suffer for the
salvation of the world, with thoughts on the promptu
tude to love and duty which his mercy shpuld inspire.

I BEGAN with some introductory remarks on these
words of the apostle: " It is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast
had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God!" Ilcb. X. 4, 6, 7.

The words lead us into some affecting views of
God, and of ourselves, and of the blessed Re-
deemer.

We see ourselves, as condemned creatures, in

40 SIXTH MEDITATION.

the presence of a holy God ; and we see the Di-
vine justice, rigorous in its demands. It must
have blood. Helpless in ourselves, we had no
atoning blood to offer. In this sense, Lebanon
would not have been sufficient to burn, nor all the
beasts thereof for a burnt offering. And how
dreadful must our case have been, had it rested
there, and had we continued in the circumstances
of those, for whom there is no sacrifice for sin!
But God has provided a Lamb. Then he said,
*' Lo, I come!" It is affecting to think, to what
purpose, and with what temper he came. With
what purpose did he come? He might have
uttered these words in another view. Had God
declared from his awful throne, " Man, ungrateful
man, is risen up in rebellion against me, and I
will make him the monument of my wrath, even
as are the fallen angels; and who, of all the in-
habitants of this blessed world, will rise up for
me against these workers of iniquity? — into whose
hand shall I put the flaming sword, which is to be
bathed in their blood, and the poison of which is
to drink up their spirits." In this sense might
our Lord have answered, " Lo, I come! — Father,
I undertake the work." But it was not so. He
*' sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be
saved!" John iii. 17. A design directly contra-
ry to that which our guilt might have taught us
to fear. He came to deliver us, and that at a
very expensive rate, even at the price of his own
life. Amazing goodness! more than can be utter-
ed! more than be conceived! And how did he
come? With cheerfulness, and even with eager-
ness. " Then said I, Lo, I come! — I come to do
thy will, O God, and, Thy law is within mine

SIXTH MEDITATION. 41

heart." It was wonderful that he should even
say, " Father, I cansent to do it. Yet, if it must
be so, if the demands of thy justice be so inflexi-
ble, and so that it seems good in thy sight, then I
submit." Had he said, too, as afterwards in the
days of feeble flesh, and under the struggles of
human nature, " O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me;" Matt. xxvi. 39 — but
behold, he came with pleasure, as one " leaping
on the mountains, and skipping on the hills." He
triumphed, in a view that seemed so full of hor-
ror; and doubled the favour by the cheerful air
with which he bestowed it. " Lo, I come! Be
the work ever so painful, the consequences are so
glorious, the scheme is so full of compassion, so
merciful to man, so honourable to Thee, that I
long to accomplish it;" as afterwards he said, " I
have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am
I straitened till it be accomplished!" Luke xii. 50,
With such a strong desire have I desired to eat of
this passover. Many a passover had he eaten
before, in the thirty years of his abode upon the
earth. Some had he before eaten of with his dis-
ciples; but none on which his heart was so set as
on this; — and wherefore? because this was that
at which he was to enter upon his sufferings, and
to fulfil the great, the glorious design for the re-
demption of fallen man. It is delightful in this
view to look on this delight of Christ in such an
undertaking; and it is delightful to see the conse-
quences. " By the which will," says the apostle,
" we are sanctified," Heb. x. 10. He might have
said, by which "will" ye are saved; by which
" will" ye are justified. But he says, by which
ye are sanctified; — and let us not imagine this to
be less comfortable, for, by a most inseparable

42 SIXTH MEDITATION.

consequence, it implies the rest, and thus intimates
them in a more affecting manner than if they had
been further expressed. Such is the connexion
between holiness and glory, between sanctification
in this world and complete salvation in the next,
that when I have observed that the offer of Christ
is sufficient to accomplish the one, I need not add
that it will infallibly liilfil the other. How joyful
a reflection is this, to those who find, by Divine
grace, that they are already sanctified through
this offering up of the body of Christ once for all !
A glorious work, without which it would never have
been accomplished. The design was so great, so
wonderful, that it may well be introduced with
that mark of attention, " Lo, I come!" — Let us
behold it, and let us behold it with wonder. And
do thou behold it, O my heavenly Father. Nor
did the all-comprehending eye of God ever see a
sight more worthy its regard. " Lo, I come!" —
Ought it not, my friends, to excite some corres-
pondent emotions in our hearts ! and should not
our souls echo back this gracious language? Me-
thinks that we should be putting ourselves in
a waiting posture; looking to God, and to our
blessed Redeemer, for every intimation of his
pleasure with regard to what he w^ould have us to
do, or to bear; and that when he is, as it were,
beckoning with his hand, and pointing out the
way, we should answer, with a triumphant plea-
sure, "Lo, I come. I delight to do thy will, O God,
and thy law is within my heart." May the ordi-
nance we now attend be subservient to these
pious resolutions, and be the means of bestowing
that grace, whereby alone they can be rendered
effectual.

In breaking the bread I said — Thus was the

SIXTH MEDITATION. 43

body of Christ broken ! As it is said, " The Lord
is risen," he is risen indeed ; so, the Lord was
crucified, he was crucified indeed. As surely as
this bread is broken, so surely was the body of
Christ extended, and his blood poured out upon
the cross. And is this a sight to be seen with in-
difference? Was it thus that the Lord of life was
used? One would have imagined that he should
have met with the most thankful reception; and
that after his appearing in the world, all the con-
tention among the children of men should have
been, as to who should have done him the greatest
honour, and who should have offered him the most
valuable tribute. And was he insulted and reviled?
was he tortured and murdered? was he used like
a villain and like a slave, with every circumstance
of cruelty and contempt? And shall our hearts
behold this. sight without emotion? especially when
we have to add, that he thus loved us, and gave
up himself for us? — Why have we the power of
remembrance, if not to remember Christ? Why
have we hearts susceptible of humanity and gene-
rosity, if not to be employed here? Why have we
tears to shed, if they are not to be poured out on
such an occasion? Better, O blessed Jesus, a thou-
sand times better were it that we had neither eyes
to see, nor ears to hear, nor tongues to speak, nor
power'to breathe, than that our hearts should not
be filled with love to thee, our tongues employed in
thy praises, and all our powers, both of soul and
of body, be forever devoted to thy service.

In pouring out the cup, I said, " Behold the
Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the
world!" If we were the first sinners who had
ever ventured upon his grace, here would be an
encouragement to do so, when wo consider who

44 SIXTH MEDITATION.

this Lamb of God is. But, blessed thought, we
are treading in a beaten way. O, if the world
of glory were thrown open to our survey, what
a surprising sight would it present! We should
there see thousands of splendid and glorious crea-
tures, concerning whom, if the Divine revelation
did not assure us of it, we could never have
imagined that they had ever dwelt in clay; so
bright, so glorious, so like to the angels— so like
to God! One could hardly imagine that they
were once struggling, mourning, weeping, and
trembling, even as are we. And when we wish
to inquire into their change, let us ask the blessed
angels; and they will tell us, — " They have
washed their robes and made them white m the
blood of the Lamb." Rev. vii. 14. Let us ask
them, and they will reply, " Christ hath loved us,
and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
Rev. i. 5. And is there not, then, the greatest
reason most cheerfully to repose ourselves upon
Him? ^ ^ ^

We are now conversing with that God, who
knows the heart and searches the reins ! There
is something awful and delightful in the thought.
Let every creature in this assembly consider it.
He knows the heart?— how awful a thought to the
careless sinner! He knows that I am here pre-
sent in his house without any serious regard to
him, or desire after him. The Lord knows that
all the solemnities of a sacrament day cannot
warm and melt my frozen, stony heart. He
knows that I prefer the amusement of every vain
thought, to all those contemplations which might
delightfully employ the mind of an angel? But
to the pious soul, it is a thought of comfort. My
beloved, when we have lively views of the Re-

SEVENTH MEDITATION. 45

deemer's love, I am persuaded that sentiments
arise in our souls too great for the most emphatic
language to express, and we are forced to adopt
the words of David, And now. Lord, what should
thy servant "say more unto thee?" How delight-
ful is it to add, as he does, "For thou, Lord God,
knowest thy servant;" 2 Sam. vii. 20; and thou
seest those Hvely workings of gratitude, of love,
and duty, which no language can speak!

When the communion was over, observing that
some of the elements remained, I said — This is
an emblem of the provisions of the gospel. Here
are bread and wine enough, and to spare! Enough
for all; enough for more than are here; and if
any perish, it is not for want of a sufficiency of
grace, but for want of hearts to use it.

In giving at the collection, I remarked — It is
pleasant to think that this is not merely to defray
the necessary charges, but that it is an offering to
Christ's poor members. We have devoted our-
selves, our all to him. I hope it is a pleasant
thought; it may add a relish, to the meanest offer-
ings, as it adds a worth to them in the sight of
God. Lord, I give thee this, in token that I am
ready, according to my engagements, actually to
give thee all, when thou shalt demand it of me.

MEDITATION VII

THE FOURTEENTH SACRAMENT, MAY 16, 1731.

Of the evils arising from a want of faith; and of our need
of sanctijication. Access to God hy Christ.

I INTRODUCED the discourse with acknowledging
that evil heart of unbelief which attends us at all
5

46 SEVENTH MEDITATION.

times, and which follows us even to the table of
the Lord. This hinders us from profiting by pro-
vidential occurrences; by ordinances; and even
those of a sacramental nature. Let us endeavour
to conquer our unbelief by having recourse to the
promises. Observe, how free, how full, how
suitable they are. I particularly directed my
hearers to the blood of Christ, which cleanseth
from all sin. We have brought to the table of
the Lord a multitude of sins; many committed
since the last time we came hither. These sins
^eed expiation; these pollutions need cleansing.
We are sensible of the pollution of them, and
are therefore unwilling that others should be con-
scious to them; we had rather be caught in the
greatest disorder, in the foulest or the meanest
dress, than that all our sins, in all their circum-
stances, should be exposed to each other; how
much more, then, should we be ashamed of them
in the presence of the holy God ! And it becomes
us at this time to loathe and abhor ourselves, and
to repent as in dust .-jnd in ashes. But the blood
of Christ cleanseth from all sin, and procures not
only pardon, but the sanctifying Spirit; and by
serious reflections upon it, as a moral means, our
hearts are purified. Let none, then, dread the
sacrament because they are sinners: for our very
coming implies a confession that we are so, other-
wise we should have no business here. The only
question is. Do we desire cleansing? If we do
not, we have indeed no business at it, and can
receive no benefit by it. In this instance Christ
does, in effect, say to every one of us, " If I wash
thee not, thou hast no part with me." John xiii. 8.
But I hope that we can appeal to him, that it is
our desire that he would wash our feet, our hands,

SEVENTH MEDITATION. 47

head, and heart, that we may be entirely purified.
And if this be indeed our desire, then are we wel-
come guests to the table of the Lord. Let us,
then, go into his presence, and plead this blood, in
the hope of being purified and accepted by it.

In breaking the bread, such reflections as these
arose in my mind: — " Lord," as saith the psalm-
ist, " who knoweth the power of thine anger?"
Psalm xc. 11. It is known but to the damned in
hell ! They completely know it. Yet, something
we know of it in other instances, especially in
the humiliation and death of Christ. But is there
not reason, on the contrary, to say, " Lord, who
knoweth the power of thy love?" We know much
of it here; but we shall only completely know it
above.

In pouring out the wine, the meditations were
as follow: — We have boldness to enter into the
most holy place by the blood of Jesus. We are
now, in comparison, but outer-court worshippers. I
hope not so in every sense; but we are, undoubt-
edly, in some. Yet, blessed be the name of God,
we have a hope of coming nearer, and have a
confident assurance of entering. Some of those
that were once worshipping with us are already
entered. We hope to go to them by the same
way. They have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. So we
hope to wash ours. Lord, I would receive this
sacred cup as a token of my admittance to behold
thee on the mercy-seat, not merely with an eye
of faith, but in a more sensible and illustrious
manner.

I remarked afterwards, that when God con-
versed whh Abraham, he mentioned two kind
things which he intended to do for Isaac. No

48 EIGHTH MEDITATION.

doubt Abraham rejoiced in them, but he prayed
for poor Ishmael; and methinks that we should do
so too.* Some of our friends are now partaking,
and it is delightful to think that they, as well as
we, are interested in the blessing. 0 that all were
so interested !

MEDITATION VIII.

THE FIFTEENTH SACRAMENT, JUNE 19, 1731.

Of (he causes for humility in approaching God, and of the
confidence and joy which the love of Christ may in--
spire.

I BEGAN with observing, that when God called
the people of Israel to appear before him at the
feast of tabernacles, he appointed them humbly
to commemorate their meanness and unworthi-
ness; and particularly to mention the stock from
whence they were descended, "A Syrian ready to
perish was my father," etc. Deut. xxvi. 5. So, in
our approaches to God, we should consider what
we were by nature, as well as what we are made
by grace. We have heard that Christ came to
seek and to save that which was lost. Let us
seriously reflect upon this.

Consider what we were. We were lost! — lost
to God; lost to ourselves; lost to all well-ground-
ed hope of a blessed eternity. And the Son of
man came to seek us. Whence did he come?
Whom did he come to seek? What obscure, and

* That is, pray for those who seem not at present •' in-
terested in the blessing." — En.

EIGHTH MEDITATION. 49

what guilty creatures! How far had we wan-
dered ! How often had we wandered ! With what
difficulty were we brought home! Yet his love
conquered all. He came to seek us, — and that, in
order to save us. What a salvation is this ! Look
^upon a poor, guilty, ignorant, sensual creature,
and think that such were we. Look, in imagina-
tion, on the damned in hell, — and think that such
should we have been: and then consider how high
this salvation rises. It reaches to heaven itself.
Think of what you now feel: — think what we
should feel, if all our corruptions were mortified,
all our doubts scattered, and all our graces con-
firmed:— and yet much more than these will be
our eternal portion. What a transporting thought!
What an abundant cause for gratitude, wonder,
and love!

In breaking the bread, I observed, that Christ
commands us to do this in remembrance of him.
But, alas, how little do we remember him! Strange
that we should need a memorial; but how much
stranger that we should forget him even with it!
nay, that sometimes we should be ready to forget
him at his table ; or to remember him there, in a
manner but little better than forgetfulness: — yet,
he remembers us in heaven itself! — Blessed Jesus,
may thy kindness to us, as it shames our unkind-
ness and ingratitude to thee, so cure it!

In giving the cup, I said. It is the cup of bless-
ing— the cup of blessings. O, of what a variety
of blessings! Here is pardon; and strength; and
grace ; and the foretaste of glory ! We bless it.
May God bless it. So let us bless God that gives
us this cup, and humbly pray that it may indeed
be a cup of blessing to us. May the taste of it re-
fresh us ! and may the memory of it refresh us too I
5*

( 50 )

MEDITATION IX.

THE SEVENTEENTH SACRAMENT, SEPTEMBER 5, 1731.

Thoughts on the vast extent of the Divine mercy. Death
considered by the Christian but as t fie portal to eternal
joy and triumph. Atonement and death of Christ com-
memorated.

I BEGAN the discourse with some meditations on
these words, " O how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in
thee before the sons of men!" Psalm xxxi. 19. I
observed, that here is a kindness immediately pre-
pared; and a further loving-kindness laid up for
them. It is as at this table, here is goodness pre-
pared in this feast of love, to which the words of
David may be applied, " Thou hast prepared a
table:" it is prepared in the presence of our ene-
mies. The malignant host of hell behold this
remedy, and see that grace offered to us which
was never vouchsafed to them! — And it is intend-
ed to strengthen us against our enemies, especially
against those of our own household, the corrup-
tions of nature, and the allurements of the world.
And I hope that we have found it successful
against each. God has anointed our head with
oil. Here, even here, he pours out his Spirit upon
us. Here, he regards us as a Father, and fills us
with joy and peace in believing ! I hope that we
can say, through grace, " Let us see Thee as we
have seen Thee in the sanctuary." Here our cup
runs over. This feast that is given to us is an

NINTH MEDITATION, 51

abundant supply. Here is enough, — more than
enough for us, — there is enough for the whole
world. — O delightful thought!

But besides all this, here is rich mercy laid up
for them that hope in Him. Our sacramental op-
portunities are coming to an end. But all our en-
joyments of God are not to end with them. O
my friends, whenever God shall say unto us in
his providence, that we shall drink no more of
this fruit of the vine, may we rejoice in this, that
we shall then drink it new with Christ in his
Father's kingdom! And what, therefore, if he
were to say so to us now? How joyfully would
the tidings be received by some of us! to think that
this is the last solemnity of this kind that I should
attend; — but where shall I be before another?
When my brethren are meeting around this table
here below, I shall then be with my Father above.
When they see my Saviour through these obscure
and typical representations, I shall behold him face
to face. My sorrows, my fears, my complaints,
my trials, would all be come to an eternal period,
and my soul be overflowing with eternal joy and
triumph! Well, Christian, be comforted. It is
near; it is even at the door! It will be but a
few moments, and you will receive this bread and
this wine. And it will be, at most, but a few
years, and God will give you a call to the eternal
world, and will put into your hand the cup of com-
plete salvation. And to a creature conscious of
eternal duration, what so great difference is there
between a few years and a few moments? Me-
thinks, that, in the view of this, our thoughts, as
well as words, arc swallowed up, and that nothing
remains but to lift up our adoring hands and eyes
to Heaven, and to say, "O how great is thy good-

52 NINTH MEDITATION.

ness !" — Let it be our care to secure to ourselves
the evidence of our interest in it, and to live like
those that fear him, and that hope in him.

The first prayer was taken up in going over
these thoughts. And when breaking the bread,
I repeated my address to the spectators from these
words, "Is it nothing to you?" Lam. i. 12. — Is
not your salvation concerned? Is it not your duty
to remember Christ? And are not you undone
without an interest in him? But I persuade myself
that it is something to some of you. And to those
of us who have turned aside to see this great
sight, let me entreat you to think how nearly you
are concerned in it. There, were all our hopes
suspended — there, was our eternal fate concerned
in the atonement and death which we here com-
memorate. Should not our hearts, then, be filled
with reverence, be inspired with love, with grati-
tude, and joy, and established in the firmest ex-
ercise of faith.

When I came to pour out the wine, I particu-
larly discoursed of it as the seal of the covenant,
by which we give ourselves to God; and prayed
over what I had said in the pulpit of giving up
ourselves, our lives, and our possessions, to him.
And, Lord, if thou scest fit that these frail bodies
should not only be used, but worn out for thee, —
thy will be done. We hope, when the weak ma-
chine of flesh and blood is dissolved, that its im-
mortal inhabitant, the spirit, will spring with joy
into the presence of God. And we may say,
*' Into thy hands we commend it, for thou hast re-
deemed it." I particularly received it with this
profession, and added something of our depend-
ence on Divine grace, to add efficacy to these pur-
poses. The blood of God's covenant is awful;

TENTH MEDITATION. 53

but much more so when we consider that it is the
blood of his Son too. It is pleasant to think that
God knows all the secret language of our hearts,
and that he with pleasure hears what no other
creature is a witness to.

MEDITATION X.

THE TWENTIETH SACRAMENT, DECEMBER 5, 1731.

The inferiority of earthly hopes to those of heaven, with
encouragements for the increase of love and faith,

I BEGAN with some reflections upon the going up
of Moses to Mount Pisgah; and observed, that
our prospect is vastly more entertaining than
was his. The country we survey is more excel-
lent, and our own interest in it is more impor-
tant. Moses saw Canaan — an agreeable sight;
the stream of Jordan, the plain of Jericho; rich
pastures, painted meadows, fruitful fields, beauti-
ful cities: but what are these to the view of the
heavenly Canaan? Had he seen this, — all the
beauty and grandeur of Jerusalem, as in David's
time; all the sacred and solemn magnificence of
the temple, as recorded by Solomon; what had it
been to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the temple of
God above, which, through his unmerited grace,
is our prospect? He saw a city then possessed by
an enemy, where was once the home of some of
his pious forefathers. But we see a city possessed
by our best Friend, the kingdom of our God! He
saw a city where the Israel of God were to have
but a transient settlement; which they might lose,

54 TENTH MEDITATION.

as they have now done; but we see that everlast-
ing abode where we shall never die — whence we
shall never be expelled. Once more he saw a
country on which he was never to enter. God
said to him, " Thou shalt not go thither unto the
land;" Deut. xxxii. 52; — but he says not the like
to us. How should we delight in the assurance!
How should we cherish the reviving thought! And
how cheerfully should we go up to the top of Pis-
gah to view it! How cheerfully should we die to
enter upon it! There is Jordan between, and the
passage may be cold and difficult; but there is the
God of Israel before us; — he leads us, and his
right arm upholds us.

After the prayer, I considered this ordinance as
the Christian passover, and as such applied to it.
Lord, I come to be more completely rescued from
nature's dark bondage. I come to be delivered
from the stroke of the avengintr ansfcl through this

coo o

blood sprinkled on my soul. I come, that every
idol in my heart may fall down, and that I may
be led onward in my way to the heavenly Canaan.
Lord, we would eat our passover with unleaven-
ed bread, with bitter herbs, with loins girded, and
our staves in our hands, ready to remove when
thou givest us the dismission. Speaking of seeing
Jesus, I quoted Traill, and spoke of Christians once
commemorating this ordinance with us, and now
with Christ above. And how do they wonder that
their hearts were no more inflamed by love! Is
this the Saviour I loved so coldly — that I served
so weakly! Now the King of glory says, " Be-
hold, I stand at the door, and knock." Rev. iii. 20.
Come in, thou beloved of my heart! Let the door
be opened; nay, let the wall be broken down,
rather than that he should be excluded; rather let

ELEVENTH MEDITATION. 55

me die to admit Christ, than live without him in
my heart.

Addressing myself to some young people who
were spectators, I observed — If you asked us the
meaning of this service, we should tell you that we
commemorate a dying Lord; that we were once in
bondage, and that he delivered us; yes, he saved
us from wrath; he is leading us to Canaan; we
come hither for refreshment by the way : — is it
not a noble, a reasonable, and an important ser-
vice? and ought not you to pray that you may
have a right to it, and then a share in it.

MEDITATION XI.

AT THE SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 1, 1732.

Salvation could only be of Divine origin.

Although my violent cold hindered me from
speaking this day at the table with my usual free-
dom, yet, i bless God, it was a very comfortable
ordinance; and that in the midst of the weakness,
and even of the distress of nature, I had some de-
lightful views of my everlasting rest.

Having discoursed on the abundance of mercy,
in a strain which was very comfortable to myself
in the preparation, and I hope, in some measure,
to my hearers in the delivery, I proceeded at the
table to some meditations on these words, " He
that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is
God." 2 Cor. v.^ 5. That is, it was the work of a
God, to bring us to it. He is God, and none but he
could have done it. — To work us to it — to such a
thing as a mcetncss for what we were naturally so

56 TWELFTH MEDITATION.

very unfit. O think what it is that we are wrought
to ; think who we are — what opposition God found
— how few are wrought to it: — -all, may awaken
our admiration as well as our joy.

In breaking the bread, there were mentioned
some believing views of Christ; and in receiving
the cup, was enjoined a deep submission to the de-
terminations of Divine Providence, and a readiness
to receive any cup from the hand of God. Since
we can say that, through grace, I am well per-
suaded that it cannot be a cup of wrath; therefore,
O my God, I rejoice in saying " Thy will be
done."

I then apprehended something of the beginning
of a fever, and recollected it might be fatal, yet I
cannot say that I thought of it with any terror,
but rather found a sweet willingness to be dissol-
ved, and to be with Christ, which is far better than
this present life. I adore God for it as his own
work. Behold, O Lord, I am in thy hands. I
would be waiting for thy salvation, and doing thy
commands.

MEDITATION XII.

THE THIRTY-THIRD SACRAMENT, MARCH 4, 1733.

Regret for instances of past ncfrligence, with reflections on
the avful justice of God, and of the hopes and obligations
incurred by the mercy of salvation.

It has been a sad instance of my negligence and
folly, that I have taken no more notice of what
has passed between God and my soul on such oc-
casions as this for many months ; as well as that

TWELFTH MEDITATION. 57

I have totally neglected my Diary for a consider-
able time. I began to be a little more careful to-
wards the beginning of the year; and I plainly
find that the time I have since saved for those
memorandums had been before lost in that care-
lessness consequent upon such instances of remiss-
ness and folly.

I was this day at the table of the Lord, and I
introduced the ordinance by some meditation on
those words, " He that spared not his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?" Rom.
viii. 32. I observed the title given to Christ — " his
own Son." I hope we are the children of God,
else we have no business here. But he was so in
a peculiar and eminent sense, such as no creature
is; yet God did not spare him. He was so far from
being excused, that he was not favoured, that the
cup might not pass away from him.

Behold His severity as well as His goodness.
He "delivered him up." It was not merely a thing
that happened in the common course of human
events ; but he was by the determined counsel and
foreknowledge of God given up: there was the
order of God in it ; there was the act of God in it ;
and he was sent into the world on purpose that he
might become a sacrifice for sin. And God dehv-
ered him " up for us" — mean and worthless crea-
tures as we arc; " for us all," even for the mean-
est and the vilest of us; — gave him up to all that
heavy load of punishment and wrath for you and
for me. How amazing it was! Not because he
needed us : Christ was in the enjoyment of eternal
happiness and glory. What though ten thousand
creatures were sentenced to everlasting destruc-
tion, and what if we had been in their number,
6

58 TWELFTH MEDITATION.

had he not been still the same? But God gave
him for us; and if so, shall "he not with him also
freely give us all things?" temporal blessings, so
far as we need them; above all, the blessings of
his covenant. If he has given Christ to purchase
them for us, sliall they be purchased in vain; if
reconciled by his death, shall we not be saved by
his life! Let us come with boldness to receive
those blessings. God will give them, and let us
come and give up ourselves to him: shall we not
freely and faithfully give ourselves up to that God
who has given us so much?

In breaking the bread, I particularly considered
how, in this dispensation, sin appeared exceeding
sinful. Few have just notions of it. It is the
great design of the devil, to represent it as no
very considerable evil, so that sinners may be
easily drawn into it, and kept from repentance.
But here God has contrived a method to show
how malignant it is. We must have low thoughts
of Christ, or we cannot have low thoughts of sin.
Could it have pleased the Lord to wound him, and
to put him to grief, had not such an atonement
been fit, and, if fit, necessary? How odious and
hateful must we appear to ourselves in this view,
as polluted with that, which the soul of God hated,
and which the blood of Christ expiated.

In pouring out the cup, I remarked, God pre-
pared him a body on purpose that he might suffer
in it ; that he might have something to offer.

I have lost many other serious and good thoughts
for want of a timely recollection of them after I
came home; yet I remember to have pressed a
renunciation of all sin. The Lord grant I may
act according to the tenor of that discourse.

( 59 )

MEDITATION XIII.

THE FORTY-FIRST SACKAMENT, SEPTEMBER 2, 1733.

Records of happy experience in religion, with thoughts on
the influence of the Holy Spirit.

I DESIRE thankfully to own, that I have been en-
abled to keep closer to God for some time towards
the close of the last month than ordinary. Yes-
terday was a season of sweet communion with
God. I found it good for my soul to draw near
to him, and to converse with him by fasting and
prayer. This day I have been endeavouring to
promote the interests of practical godliness by my
preaching and exhortation from those words, " Let
every one that nameth the name of Christ depart
from iniquity." 2 Tim. ii. 19.

At the table of the Lord, my meditations were
fixed on those words of Isaiah, "I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry
ground." Isa. xliv. 3. I observed the persons to
whom the promise was made. It represents natu-
rally what we are — "dry ground;" and what we
are by grace — " thirsty ;" longing for gracious as-
sistance and spiritual communications. And God's
Spirit is represented by " water," to signify how
refreshing and how fructifying it is; and for the
effects, it was to make them grow as the grass,
and even as willows by the water-courses, the
flourishing of which is very remarkable. I re-
ferred to the promise also to the rising genera-
tion, and recommended fervent application to God
through prayer.

60 FOURTEENTH MEDITATION.

In breaking the bread, I particularly insisted on
the obligations that we are under to depart from all
iniquity. And O how contemptible and vile does
the dearest lust and corruption seem when com-
pared with the favour of the Lord Jesus Christ!

In pouring out the wine, I spoke particularly
of resolution for Christ, and that we should look
around in our various circumstances to find oppor-
tunities of serving him. And just before I receiv-
ed, I had such views of approaching glory as I
have seldom known ; so that I even longed to lay
down my head in the bosom of Christ, and to die
there. I record it, admiring the riches of Divine
grace therein to so vile a creature. God has
lately owned my ministry to the conversion of se-
veral souls; and now he meets me in ordinances,
and gives me more than ordinary communion with
him. The Lord grant that I may not be high-
minded, but fear; and that I may quietly wait for
the salvation of God. I am sure that if I ever
performed any action of my life with a full consent
of soul, it was that by which I this day gave up
my soul unto the Lord ; and it is that with which
I now record my humble resolution, in his strength,
of being invariably and eternally his. Amen.

MEDITATION XIV.

THE FORTY-FOURTH SACRAMENT, DECEMBER 2, 1733.

The joy and confidence of a Christian in the cross of
Christ when viewed as the emblem of salvation,

I OPENED the ordinance with some meditations on
those words, " God forbid that I should glory, save

FOURTEENTH MEDITATION. 61

in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians
vi. 14. — I observed the apostle's temper with res-
pect to the cross of Christ, and the reason of this
regard to it. His temper was that he gloried in it.
To be sure, he had been often upbraided with it;
"This babbler, — thou art beside thyself," etc.: yet
he was not ashamed to own himself the disciple of
a crucified Redeemer; very far from that. I hope
we, too, are not ashamed of that cause. If every
friend present were the most keen and inveterate
enemy to the gospel, I hope that I should not be
ashamed to administer the ordinance, or to receive
it. Rather may we glory in that, and in nothing
else: — not in ourselves; in our wisdom, learning,
reasoning powers, or morality ; — in nothing, incon-
sistent with our coming as naked, trembling, guilty
creatures, to shelter ourselves under the cross;
which though to those that perish foolishness, (as
J had been showing this day from the pulpit,) is to
the believing soul, Christ the power and the wis-
dom of God! The effect follows. O that it may
be found in us! "By whom the world is crucified
unto me, and I unto the world :" that is, when I
consider a suffering Redeemer, methinks that the
world is as nothing; I am dead to it, and it to me.
It can no more relieve, help, delight, or save me,
than it could a dying man. I have no more desire
after it, than one expiring upon the cross; but I
live to Ilim that died for me.

After deep humiliation, I proceeded to break the
bread, and in breaking it 1 spoke of the love of
Christ. How affecting, if a friend had interposed
between us and one that came to assault and to
destroy us; and if he had only received a wound,
how would it have impressed our hearts ! Much
more was it to die for us : to die when it was in his
6

62 FIFTEENTH MEDITATION.

own power to have prevented it, which he took care
to show, by striking those to the ground who came
to apprehend him. Behold, too, the hardness and
obstinacy of their hearts, that they would still per-
sist in that attempt. Yet when our Lord had given
this testimony of his power, he submitted himself,
as if he had been weak and vanquished. Admire
his goodness.

In pouring out the cup, I mentioned the prophe-
cy, "He shall see his seed." Isaiah liii. 10. How
comfortable the thought! It is fulfilled in us, and
it shall be accomplished in those that come after
us. Christ shall have a seed to serve him when
we are in our graves; and we and they, at the
consummation of all things, shall be taken up with
the enjoyment of him, and drink new wine in our
Father's kingdom.

I bless God that I had a very delightful day : my
tears flowed, as I hope, of love, for this fountain
of my heart was unutterably revived with a sense
of my covenant interest in God.

MEDITATION XV.

THE FIFTV-FIFTH SACRAMENT, JANUARY 5, 1735.

The triumph of Christ, and the future triumph of the
church in him.

As I was this day employed in meditations on
Christ's compassion to tempted souls, I introduced
the sacrament with some contemplations on those
words, " Having spoiled principalities and powers,
he made a show of them openly." Colossians ii. 15.
Our danger from the powers of hell was great;

FIFTEENTH MEDITATION. 63

they foiled our first parents even in paradise ; and
if such things were done in the green tree, -what
would have been done in the dry? No doubt the
devil triumphed in that victory. He looked on
mankind as his prey; but Christ took the spoil out
of the hands of the mighty. Little did the devil
think how his devices would end. Little did he
think how God would overrule them to his own
glory, and to the advanced happiness of his people;
how, out of the eater there should come forth meat,
and out of the strong sweetness. Judges xiv. 14.
As little did he think, when he was tempting and
triumphing over Christ on the cross, that he was
wounding his own cause, and destroying his own
kingdom; but there, Christ despoiled him; there
he covered him with confusion and shame. For
there he recovered his people out of his hands;
he bound the strong man armed, and spoiled his
goods. Then he led captivity captive! ascended
in triumph ; and having broken the head of the
dragon, gave him, as it were, to be meat to his
people inhabiting the wilderness. Now the victory
is begun; ere long it shall be completed, and the
God of peace — He who through Christ became so
— shall shortly bruise Satan under our feet. Yet
a little while, and we shall trample upon him; not
only as a wounded, but as a destroyed enemy ; for
by death, Christ has destroyed him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil. O let us cele-
brate the victory.

In breaking the bread, I had some reflections on
the manner of Christ's making himself known to
his people; — in the riches of his dying love; in the
power of his resurrection; the prevalence of his
intercession; the stability of his covenant, and the
glory of his kingdom. O, how happy, to behold

64 FIFTEENTH MEDITATION.

Jesus, to see him face to face! We rejoice to re-
ceive a letter from a friend; but how much more
do we rejoice to meet that friend, to converse with
him! VVhat, then, will our meeting above be,
should this be our last sacrament?

Before pouring out the wine, I said — By the
cross of Christ, the world is crucified to us, and
we to the world. It makes us indifferent to it, by
filling our minds with other thoughts. When John
stood before the cross of Christ, as his soul was
possessed with the idea of his crucified Master,
how little was he impressed with earthly things!
Surely, it would have been much the same, whe-
ther he had to return to a palace or a cottage.
This ordinance also encourages our dependence
upon God for what is necessary. If he spreads
such a table for us, will he not spread our own?
If my Prince allows and invites me to come
monthly, and to sit down with him at his own
table, will he see me starve on other days? Will
he not, in one way or another, find bread for me
and for my family? How unworthy a suspicion!

After the prayer, and just before I received the
cup, I fell into a pleasing reflection on these
words, " They did all drink the same spiritual
drink;" — the apostles; the martyrs; our remote
ancestors; our fathers; our former companions in
the ways of God. They all came to this ordi-
nance, and were refreshed by it. Future Chris-
tians shall arise, and partake of it, too, when our
places are empty. We are related to all. Me-
thinks, that we should look back, look around, and
look forward with delight, and make, as it were,
the joy of the whole church our own. But O,
that better assembly where we shall all unite;
where we shall all meet triumphantly around the

SIXTEENTH MEDITATION. 65

board of our heavenly Father, and share in much
nobler entertainments !

In the prayer, I had a pleasing view of God, as
one, without whom we should not know what to
do, but be even a burden to ourselves.

MEDITATION XVI.

THE FIFTY-SIXTH SACRAMENT, FEBRUARY 2, 1735.

TTie soul deli(rhtin{r in the ascension of Christ, under the
view that death is thus '■'■swallowed up in victor^y," and
■meditating on Christ as suffering the just for the un-
just.

This Sabbath was very remarkable on account of
the extraordinary pleasure that I had, both in at-
tending on the sermon in the morning, and on the
Lord's supper in the evening; nor can I forbear
observing the connexion between them. Mr. Wil-
kinson had preached in the morning, perhaps the
best sermon I have ever heard, undoubtedly one
of the best, on the duties and privileges of the
children of God; a subject from which I had
preached a sermon that I thought laboured: but
when I saw the vast disproportion between the two
discourses, and the great advantage on his side;
and, indeed, considered how much superior it was
to almost any thing I ever produced, it shamed
and humbled me; and yet I bless God that it did
not grieve me. If any stirrings of envy moved,
they were immediately suppressed; and as soon
as I came home, I solemnly returned my acknow-
ledgments to God for having raised up such a
light in his church, and for having honoured me

66 SIXTEENTH MEDITATION.

with his education; and recommended him to the
Divine blessing with meltings of the tenderest af-
fection, leaving myself in the hand of God, acqui-
escing in the thought of being eclipsed, of being
neglected, if God should so appoint: at the same
time adoring him, that, with capacities inferior to
a multitude of others, I had been led into services
superior to many of those in comparison with
whom my knowledge is but as that of a child.

In the prayer I had much communion with
God; in the sermon, little or none; but so much
in the sacrament, that my very heart was almost
swallowed up. A variety of plain, solid, and nat-
ural thoughts sprung in upon my mind, like water
from a fountain, and gave me unutterable pleas-
ure. Many of them are vanished away; some few
remain, the substance of which were as follow.

I introduced the ordinance with some medita-
tions on these words, " Thou hast ascended on
high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast re-
ceived gifts for men." Psalm Ixviii. 18. We are
met to commemorate the death of Christ, but not
only his death. There was a sacred pleasure,
after his resurrection, in beholding the place where
the Lord lay. But had he never risen, what a
grief would it have been, on the fourth day, to
have seen Christ still lying there! In succeeding
days and ages, what a reproach to Christians — if
such existed in succeeding ages — to have said to
them, " Behold the sepulchre of your Lord!" But
now the reproach of the cross and of the tomb
has ceased. He has risen; and that is in itself a
pleasant thought. He has ascended on high; and
that is one still more delightful. Had he risen and
dwelt on earth, we might have rejoiced and gloried
in him, though we had seen him in the same hum-

SIXTEENTH MEDITATION. 67

ble form in which he appeared to Mary Magda-
lene, or to the disciples on the way to Emmaus.
But he has gone into heaven, and is at the right
hand of God. Let us look after him there. When
Elijah was taken away, Elisha smote his hands
and exclaimed, "My father, my father, the chariot
of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" 2 Kings ii.
12. But is there reason thus to lament an ascend-
ed Saviour? We should rather rejoice. The disci-
ples stood gazing up into heaven; but wherefore?
One would rather have thought that they should
have recollected it as a matter of joy, on princi-
ples of gratitude and interest. Of gratitude! how
pleasant to think of the triumph of our friends! If
a kind and generous friend had exposed his life
for us, and, instead of perishing in the attempt,
had found his own advancement in it, surely it
would have given us peculiar joy ; perhaps even
greater than our own preferment could have done.
Is it not, then, a matter of congratulation that
Christ has ascended on high, and sat down at the
right hand of God; especially when we consider
how our interest is concerned, both as he has led
captivity captive, and given gifts to men? He has
led captivity captive, that is, he has triumphed
over those who would have triumphed over us.
Over our enemy, when he thought to have the
greatest advantage. Even on the cross he tri-
umphed over death, so that he has abolished it,
and quickly will it be swallowed up in victory.
We view death here as a conqueror; — he has
made late depredations, for within the last ten
days two of our members have died, (that is, Mrs.
Manning and Mrs. Cook;) but yet we triumph over
him by futh in Christ. Arise, arise, and load cap-
tivity captive, O Son of God. Wo should raise our

68 SIXTEENTH MEDITATION.

hosannas to thee from earth. Especially consid-
ering the gifts received for men; the extraordinary
endowments of the apostles and the evangelists,
the benefits of which we now receive, and other
spiritual gifts which are given us in conversion, in
quickening, and in carrying us on thus far. Why
have we not fallen as by former difficulties? We
had never got thus far without support. Had we
seen them, we should not, perhaps, have had the
courage to encounter them. And He will impart
more comforts, so that we may now consider our-
selves as risen and ascended with him. In the
mean time, let us go to the throne of grace.

In breaking the bread, I remarked, How highly
should we have thought ourselves indebted to
Christ, if in the days of his flesh he had invited
us to sup with him ! — Lord, if thou hadst given me
a crumb of bread, or a cup of cold water, as a
token of thy love, it had been better to me than
wine ;, better than a feast of fat things : but thou
givest me this bread ; thou comest to sup with me,
and invitcst me to sup with thee !

In pouring out the wine, I added, Christ " suf-
fered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring
us to God." It is not said, to heaven, but to God,
to intimate, that those who share in salvation by
Christ are reconciled to God, and reinstated in his
favour; his love is shed abroad in your souls, and
they shall be brought to the eternal enjoyment of
him. In the mean time, in this dependence let us
go to God. To him that has loved us! Pleasing
gradation; loved me — .gave himself for me. But
when I look around me at his table, what then?
Could I, then, see all Sion, an assembly of all
men in every nation, of every kindred and lan-
guage; above all, could I look within the veil, how

SEVENTEENTH MEDITATION. C9

delightful ! O what a joyful universal hosanna will
arise when all are thus assembled together!

Such as these were the workings of my heart
at this most delightful and edifying ordinance. O
that it may not prove only as a transient blaze of
the spirits ! but that the happy consequences of it
may go along with me into all the devotions, and
into all the services, that lie before me this month;
and that 1 may be prepared for all the will of God.

MEDITATION XVII.

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH SACRAMENT, MARCH 2, 1735.

Happy recollections of communion with God in the offices
of religion, with thoughts on the joyful duties of grati'
tude and love.

This, like yesterday, has been a day of unmerit-
ed, of unbounded goodness, and I can hardly ex-
press the sweet communion with God, which I
had in his house and at his table. I had been dis-
coursing on communion with him, and, through
grace, I have felt it. A sermon composed under
great deadness, and which, when I composed it, I
had thought very meanly of, was delivered with
great seriousness, spirit, and pleasure. It was the
language not merely of my tongue, but of my
heart. I had communion with God, as my com-
passionate, wise, almighty, and bountiful Friend;
with Christ, as my atonement, righteousness, In-
tercessor, Flead, and Forerunner; and adored the
Divine grace for such manifestations to so guilty
and wretched a creature.

I opened the ordinance of the Lord's supper
7

70 SEVENTEENTH MEDITATION.

with some meditations upon the women weeping
as they followed Christ. They did not know all
the purposes of his death. They mourned a kind
and generous Friend; — we mourn a Redeemer;
for the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all; —
he laid on him mine iniquity ; perhaps mine alone
might have sunk him as deep; at least, mine were
added to the weight. He died for me. If I by
my folly, had occasioned the death of a dear and
valuable friend, how would it have wounded my
soul ! and if I had seen his picture, how would it
have revived my sorrows! and if, when dying, he
had sent me some kind token of his forgiveness
and his love, how would my heart have bled when
I had seen that token! Behold, it is here! this is
the token that our dying Saviour sends to us, to
tell us that he heartily forgives our folly and our
wickedness, and died that it might be forgiven.
What return shall I make? — Lord, I will love
thee. But it is a poor return ; but if I had more
to give thee, I would do it cheerfully. If I were
the highest angel in heaven, thou shouldst have all
my heart. In the mean time, blessed be thy name,
that I can say I love thee; and that thou knowest
that, as thou knowest all things ; — as Peter, when
he could not appeal to his actions, as he could
have wished, appealed to his heart and to Him
that knew it : " Lord, I wish I could say, that
thou mayest see by my conduct, that I have loved
thee: — that I have adhered to thee when all for-
sook thee; and though brought into the danger of
dying with thee, yet that I have not denied thee."
But as he could not say this, he appeals to Christ:
" Lord, though I cannot clear it up as I could
wish to men, yet I hope that I can clear it up to
thee."

EIGHTEENTH MEDITATION. 71

In breaking the bread, I said, Is it nothing to
us? Why, it is something to all around us; how
much more, then, to us! Lord, I grieve that I can
grieve no more. I appeal to thee, that I would
love thee ; and if my love might grow as affliction
grows, I would bear as much as ever I could.

This I wrote as soon as I came home; but
having been interupted in the memorandums here,
I forget what followed in pouring out the wine,
and only remember that it was, on the whole, a
blessed day.

MEDITATION XVIII.

THE FIFTY-NINTH SACRAMENT, MAY 4, 1735.

Of the connexion of the spiritual bhssincrs with each other^
with correspondent exhortations.

I OPENED the ordinance with some meditations on
these words: " Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in Christ: according as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the-
world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love." Eph. i. 3, 4. Let us bless
God at all times, especially after such medita-
tions as we have here been engaged in, that we,
who were afar off, are brought nigh. This is ful-
filled in this very approach to the Lord's supper,
whore the blood of Christ, which brought us nigh,
is in so peculiar a manner to be commemorated.
We have reason to bless God, who herein has
blessed us wiih all spiritual blessings. There is a
chain, and a connexion; those who are blessed with

72 EIGHTEENTH MEDITATION.

one spiritual blessing are blessed with all , — and
they are the blessings with which the Christian is
most affected, because in themselves so noble ; and
because there is such a connexion between them
and heavenly things; for whom he predestinated,
he called, justified, and glorified. It is because
he has chosen us in him, that all those favours
are bestowed upon us. God does nothing without
design; — "Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world;" Acts xv. 18;
and it is a pleasing thought, that we lay upon the
heart of Christ beibre the world was. God gave
us to him by the covenant of redemption, when he
chose us. It was of his free grace that he chose
us all in him; and whatever favour he proposed
doing he did on his account; and this was that
we might be not only morally virtuous, but holy,
and religious, upon scriptural principles; and also
that we might be without blame; cutting off occa-
sion from those who might seek to speak evil of
us, and of religion; and all this in love, which
must be the principle of our obedience; — love to
God, and love to each other. Love — the blessed
abridgement of all piety, and which this ordinance
has a most apparent tendency to promote.

In the prayer, we humbled ourselves deeply
before God, reflecting, particularly, that we could
not have believed on the last sacrament day, that
we should thus have forsaken him before the re-
turn of this.

When we came to break the bread we observed,
that God and the devil are represented as carrying
on the work of bruising Christ, though with dif-
ferent aims and purposes — the one full of grace,
the other of malignity. Here God took the cun-
ning in his own craftiness, and " out of the eater

EIGHTEENTH MEDITATION. 73

came forth meat." Instead of our being deterred
from trusting in Christ by what he has suffered,
we are engaged to trust in him the more. Blessed
Lord, we commit ourselves to thee, who wast thus
reviled to bring us to glory; and seek our lives
from thee, who didst die.

Before filling the cup, I mentioned our having
access to the most holy place by the blood of
Christ; in token of which the veil of the temple,
though thick with embroidery, was rent asunder.
Let us, by faith, look inward to that which is
within it, and draw nigh in a full assurance of
faith. Surely, if we have boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus, we may have
some peculiar ardour when drawing near to God
in this blessed and holy ordinance; and in this
part of it, accordingly, the prayer was principally
taken up in pleading promises of pardon, of sanc-
tification, conduct, direction, support, and the im-
parting of every good thing, of perseverance, and
glory; and afterwards I said, Why should we
doubt of them? Because we are sinners? Those
promises are, many of them, such that they could
be made only to sinful creatures.

I know not when I have remembered our con-
cerns as a church with more pleasure than at this
ordinance. On the whole, it was a season of some
comfort especially in the advance of it, though
my mind was greatly distracted at the beginning.
Many acknowledged the presence of God with
them in the duties of the day: may all the praise
be ascribed to him.

7*

( 74 )

MEDITATION XIX.

THE FIFTY-FOURTH SACRAMENT, SEPTEMBER 7, 1735.

Of the Divine mercy in the scheme of redemption^ with
solemn thoughts on our personal rcsponsibUity for the
sufferings of Christ.

The ordinance was introduced with some reflec-
tions on those words, "All the promises of God
in him are yea, and in him Amen." 2 Cor. i. 20.
I had been discoursing on the struggle between
faith and unbelief, in a precious soul ; and I
thought this a proper sequel. The promises of
God may be said to be yea and amen in Christ,
as it is through him that they are all made.
Whatever security they give us is to be ascribed
to him, because we had otherwise been treated as
heirs of wrath; and he takes it upon himself to
see to the performance of them, being exalted by
God for that very purpose. And although nothing
can be a greater security than the Divine fidelity,
yet it sometimes suits our infirmities, and it helps
our faith, to see such a step taken towards the
performance of the Divine promises; — that such
a gracious instrument should have been raised
up, and endued with such extraordinary power.
Therefore our faith may justly take its rise from
hence, and we may encourage ourselves to hope
for those blessings concerning which we might else
have been most ready to doubt. Although my
sins be ever so great, when I look on the blood of
Christ, I can believe that they may be pardoned.
Whatever difficulties arise, his power and his

NINETEENTH MEDITATION. 75

grace can support me; and his wisdom can turn
to good whatever calamities I now endure. Where
was any thing over which one would have been
more tempted to suspect that providence had slept,
than in this great scene of the death and suffer-
ings of Christ? And yet they were accomplished
by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of
God, and overruled to the most gracious pur-
poses. And, surely, when we consider the pro-
mise of eternal glory, as sealed in the blood of
Christ, — it is so noble a price, that we may ex-
pect that the purchase will indeed be glorious;
and unworthy as we are ourselves, we may hope
for heaven, in the worthiness of Jesus Christ.

In breaking the bread, I remarked, " He was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities." Isa. liii. 5. Should not the
thought grieve us? When Christ came into our
world, and behaved in such a manner in it, we
might have expected that he would have been re-
ceived with the utmost affection; that when the
eye saw him, the voice should have blessed him;
and that, if there had been one mouth that could
have reviled him, one hand that could have struck
or wounded him, it had been grievous; much more
so, that he should have been slain, although it had
been but by one person : how much more so, when
such vast multitudes were so concerned, that every
one of them made it his own act, to have killed the
Prince of life! Vast multitudes were, indeed, the
occasion of that crime, and we are of the number
yet ! And yet he spoke in mercy to those who
were his betrayers and his murderers; the word
of this salvation by him was even sent to them!
Think of our own concern in his death: had the
earth been only the scene of his sufferings, and

76 NINETEENTH MEDITATION.

had he died here for another order of beings, it
would have well become us to have thought often
on so wonderful a transaction ; how much the more
so, when it was that he might redeem us by his
own blood !

When pouring out the wine, I observed, that
had a malefactor been executed as Christ was for
the murder of the dearest and best of our friends,
or for the most horrible treason against our coun-
try, yet we could hardly have borne to have seen
some circumstances of the rage and cruelty with
which he was treated ; it would have turned even
justice into gall: but if we had seen an innocent
person, if we had seen a friend, thus handled,
what indignation, what distress would have arisen
in our minds! Surely, if a person of a very dis-
solute and abandoned character had, in a fit of
intoxication, been drawn in to have been a party
in such a crime, he must have been exceedingly
shocked in the review. Here, then, let our tears
flow; here let our indignation arise, and that,
against ourselves!

I concluded this ordinance with an exhortation
to the greatest care, that we may live as under the
influence of the dying love of Christ: and that it
is our duty to recollect the particular frailties and
temptations of our more serious relations in life,
so that we may be armed with correspondent reso-
lutions and engagements. Here, the exhortation
was warm; and speaking of the concern with
which ministers should declare these things, I
mentioned the zeal of the apostles when they came
to preach a crucified, yet a risen. Redeemer; and
prayed earnestly that the like impressions might,
by the same Spirit, be made upon our hearts.

( 77 )

MEDITATION XX.

THE SIXTY-FIFTH SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 5, 1735.

How the favour of God, and the hopes of the gospel, may
render a Christian superior to the trials and sorrows of
the world.

I OPENED the ordinance with some meditations on
these words, "Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies." Psalm xxiii. 5.
Here is a table spread, a table of provisions, which
may, indeed, to an eye of sense, seem but of little
value ; yet, to the believing eye of faith, in con-
nexion with the purposes for which they are ap-
pointed, the value of them is inestimably great, as
that of parchment and of wax may become in
being made the conveyance of some vast estate.
God has prepared this table: to spread it was not
a sudden thing, the work of an hour, or of a day:
"Known unto God are all his works from the be-
ginning of the world;" Acts xv. 18; and all seem
to have been centred in this; therefore, was the
way prepared by so many prophecies ; by so
many types; but, through the singular goodness
of God, the dearest discoveries have been reserved
for us. Never did God say concerning the pass-
over. This is the representation of my Son, who
is to be made a sacrifice for sin; this seals to you
the covenant of grace, to be established in the
blood of that immaculate Lamb, the most excel-
lent dispenser of this most valuable covenant; —
this was happily reserved for us. And this table
is prepared for us " in the presence of our ene-

78 TWENTIETH MEDITATION.

mies." Scripture represents a band of formidable
spirits as engaged for our ruin : they urged on the
death of Christ, but found their own disappoint-
ment and defeat in it; and, no doubt, they look
with envy and rage on the work of our redemp-
tion, and all the memorials of it. God anoints
our head as with oil in this ordinance; we receive
the effusion of that blessed Spirit from Christ our
Head, of which it may be said, that it is like the
oil poured out on the head of Aaron, which ran
down to his beard, and thence to the skirts of his
garment. And we may truly say, that our cup
runs over. God bestows upon us, not only a suffi-
ciency, but a superfluity of blessings. We might
have had eternal reason to have adored his good-
ness had he done much less than this. Had he
continued us in this present life, free from its de-
cays and its calamities, and favoured us with an
eternal duration of those pleasures of friendship
and devotion which we here enjoy, it would have
been matter of grateful acknowledgment; much
more so, had he given us the entertainments of
holy and separate spirits, although the body had
been lost in the grave; but he graciously adds the
happiness of that to the happiness of the soul, and
thus makes our whole person completely blessed.
How reasonably may we then conclude, that surely
*' goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days
of our lives;" for what can we imagine so valua-
ble, that God would compare it with, or prefer it
to, his Son? Should our days be gloomy, afflicted,
unprofitable, and useless, still shall mercy and
goodness follow them; and, what is best of all,
we shall " dwell in the house of the Lord for
ever." It would be a great favour to be allowed
every day to spend an hour in God's house with

TWENTIETH MEDITATION. 79

such delight as we have sometimes, and I hope
this day, done; much better than to enjoy a great
estate, or than any of the dehghts of sense. But
God will bring his children home, and there they
shall dwell for ever! Reviving thought! We may
arise from the table of the Lord with satisfaction;
nay, in this view, we might take our last leave of
it with pleasure; yes, with far greater and more
reasonable pleasure than the Jews took their leave
of the Mosaic tabernacle, that they might go and
worship God in his temple at Jerusalem.

In breaking the bread, I said, Blessed Jesus,
had we only seen thee in a mortal form, at a table
with the children of men, although it had been
under a golden canopy, and every luxury of Aha-
suerus' feast had been renewed; though the chil-
dren of princes had been waiting upon thee, and
all the kings and emperors on the earth had been
sitting with thee; though the greatest delicacies
of animal nature had been exhausted for thine
entertainment, what a condescension had it been I
especially, if thou hadst here instructed them in a
way of virtue and of happiness; but how much
more at a paschal table, when telling thy disciples
of thy body broken, and thy blood shed! How
important must the case be ! An angel would not
have descended from heaven, nor dwelt one day
in a mortal form on the earth, upon any mean
and low occasion; how much less, then, the Lord
of angels!

In pouring out the wine, I said, We have bold-
ness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
To think of the blood of Jesus poured out is won-
derful; to think of it in this connexion, and that
without it we might have had no boldness. Had
we arrived at the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem,

so TWENTY-FIRST MEDITATION.

we might have stopped short, as some poor naked
beggar at the door of the presence chamber of a
king; but now, we are encouraged to make our ap-
proach as those who may hope to worship there.

In taking the cup, I remarked, We commemo-
rate thy death, blessed Jesus; nor would we be
ashamed nor afraid to do so, if we were surround-
ed with thy blaspheming and persecuting enemies,
and although we might be led out to share thy
cross, for we are ready to take it with thy crown.

I addressed the spectators with an expostulation
on the folly of continuing irresolute, and of absent-
ing themselves, without due cause, from the table
of the Lord.

I bless God, that I had some comfortable com-
munion with him this day, and could say, that it
was good for me to be there.

MEDITATION XXI.

THE SIXTY-EIGHTH SACRAMENT, NOVEMBER 2, 1735.

Love to the Redeemer will insure the obedience of a Chris-
tian to the precepts of his law, and to such are promised
the constant support of the Divine presence.

" If a man love me, he will keep my words ; and
my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him." John xiv. 23.
Christians you will observe that we are not sur-
veying the duties and privileges of the most emi-
nent and distinguished saints, but those of every
Christian. It is his character, who will keep the
words of Christ; who will receive them; who
will retain them ; who will reflect upon them, and

TWENTY-FIRST MEDITATION. 81

who will act in a humble subjection to them ; —
and this very thought, that they are the words of
Christ, will be enough for him; a Divine power
will attend them, and a humble obedience will be
immediately produced.

I hope we know what this character means : if
we do, we are happy. *' If any man love me, he
will keep my words: and my Father will love
him." Amazing condescension, that the great
eternal Father should love a poor sinful worm!
But this he will do; and love him in such a man-
ner as to become his invariable friend ; and O,
what a happiness? Although some may slight me;
although others may censure me; although others
hate me; even though all the rage of earth and
hell unite against me, yet if God loves me, it is
enough! How much more, if he dwells with me;
and Christ likewise! Yet this is the promise,
" We will come unto him." I hope it is fulfilled;
I hope that Christ has come to us this day. in
meditation, retirement, and prayer; and is coming
to his table. And " we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him!" O this crowns all!
To have God, not as a transient visitor, but to
have him as our constant Friend; what a blessed
boon does it bestow! And has not God for some
time made his abode in our hearts? Surely, if he
had not, we had drooped and perished long ago.
We may hope that he will dwell there for ever;
and O, what a delight it should be to us ! We are
ready to say, " Lord, they were happy to whom
thou didst come in the days of thy flesh; with
whom thou didst make thine abode. How should
we have rejoiced in that happiness, and loved the
very house wherein thou didst dwell, the very
room where we had had converse with thee!"
8

82 TWENTY-SECOND MEDITATION.

But, upon the whole, Christ might answer to us,
as he did to the woman that fondly cried out,
'' Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the
paps which thou hast sucked;" "Yea, rather,
blessed are they that hear the word of God, and
keep it." Luke xi. 27, 28.

In breaking the bread I observed, among many
other things, the emphasis of those words, "With
his stripes we are healed." Isa. liii. 5. The re-
covery is already begun in every gracious soul;
and it is the pledge of an entire cure. Yet a little
while, and all the remaining diseases of the soul
shall be entirely done away with; and all imper-
fection and sorrow shall give way to the complete
manifestation of the sons of God, in a world of
everlasting joy and glory.

Other meditations were added, but having been
interrupted when writing this, and not having
made any other memorandum of them, they have
now slipped from my memory.

MEDITATION XXII.

THE SIXTY-NINTH SACRAMENT, DECEMBER 6, 1735,

Christians thankful and happy under the promise thai they
shall share in the heavenly felicity of Christ.

This was the last sacrament day in which my
dear friend and brother, Mr. Isaac Wilkinson, of
whom the world is not worthy, continued with me,
under the relation of an assistant. He preached
in the morning, from these words, "We rejoice in
Christ Jesus." Phil. iii. 3. And I preached in the
afternoon, of " God being glorified by Christ."

TWENTY-SECOND MEDITATION. 83

I introduced the ordinance of the Lord's supper
with some reflections on those words in John,
*' Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am." John xvii. 24.
I observed the language by which Christians are
described, as those whom the Father hath given
him; thereby, probably, referring to the covenant
of election. How happy a thought is it, if we are
interested therein! Christ prays, that they may
be with him where he is. To be with Christ in
any circumstances must appear delightful; how
much more so in heaven! The apostle's faith
was so strong, that he considered himself as
already there, and overlooked all the distance, all
the darkness, and all the suffering that interposed.
Amiable example for our faith to follow, wherein
the apostle assists us, when he speaks of us as
raised up together with him, and set in heavenly
places, that we may behold the glory of Christ. It
was not merely out of ostentation, but as he knew
the happiness that it would carry along with it, to
see the Holy One in our own nature; our great
Benefactor, and our Almighty Guardian ; on ac-
count of which we should look upon it as the
pledge and security of our own glory. With re-
gard to this he speaks in the most positive terms,
and yet very consistently with the most perfect
submission: "Father, / ivill, that those whom
thou hast given me be with me where I am:" I
do not only pray for it, but I claim it; I humbly
enter my demand on this head. Blessed souls, to
whom this promise is sealed! Gracious Saviour,
that oiTcrr.d such a petition !

In breaking the bread, I observed, — Christ in-
stituted this ordinance that we might remember
him. I hope that we know the pleasure of re-

84 TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

membering him, and how our remembrance of
him has been assisted at it; how our faith has
been thus helped, and all our other graces propor-
tionably strengthened.

I particularly insisted, in drinking from the cup,
on our putting ourselves and all our concerns into
the hands of Christ. Our covenant engagement
is to serve Christ; our covenant hope is to enjoy
him; but whether it be in this world, or in an-
other, is a matter not worth contesting between
such lovers and such friends.

MEDITATION XXIII.

THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 3, 1736.
DEAR BETSEY DEAD.*

The Christian secure under the covenant of the gospel and
the guardianship of the Redeemer. Written under the
immediate pressure of the most severe domestic affliction
that Dr. Doddridge was ever called upon to suffer^ and
containing many interesting and pathetic particulars.

I HAD preached in the bitterness of my heart from
these words; " Is it well with thy husband? is it

* The following extract from the Diary of Dr. Dod-
dridge is here subjoined, as affording an explanation of
some particulars alluded to in the text.

REFLECTIONS ON THE DEATH OF MY DEAR CHILD, AND THE
MANY MOURNFUL PEOVIDENCKS ATTENDING IT.

I HAVE a great deal of reason to condemn my own negli-
gence and folly, that for so many months I have entered
no memorandums of what has passed between God and
my soul, although some of the transactions were very re-
markable, as well as some things which I have heard con-

TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 85

well with the child? And she answered, It is
well." 2 Kings iv. 26. I endeavoured to show
the reason there was to say this; but surely there
was never any dispensation of Providence in

cerning others ; but the subject of this article is the most
melancholy of any. We lost my dear and reverend brother
and friend, Mr. Sanders, on the 31st of July last; on the
Ist of September, Lady Russell— that invaluable friend,
died at Reading, on her road from Bath ; and on Friday,
the 1st of October, God was pleased, by a most awful
stroke, to take away my eldest, dearest child, my lovely
Betsey. She was formed to strike my affections in the
most powerful manner; such a person, genius, and temper,
as I admired even beyond their real importance, so that
indeed 1 doted upon her, and was for many months before
her death in a great degree of bondage upon her account.
She was taken ill at Newport about the middle of June,
and from thence to the day of her death, she was my con-
tinual thought, and almost uninterrupted care. God only
knows with what earnestness and importunity I prostrated
myself before him to beg her life, which I would have
been willing almost to have purchased with my own.
When reduced to the lowest degree of languishment by a
consumption, I could not forbear looking in upon her
almost every hour. I saw her with the strongest mixture
of anguish and delight; no chemist ever watched his cru-
cible with greater care, when he expected the production
of the philosopher's stone, than I watched her in all the
various turns of her distemper, which at last grew utterly
hopeless, and then no language can express the agony into
which it threw me. One remarkable circumstance I can-
not but recollect : in praying most affectionately, perhaps
too earnestly, for her life, these words came into my mind
with great power, " Speak no more to mc of this matter."
I was unwilling to take them, and went into the chamber
to see my dear lamb, when, instead of receiving me with
her usual tenderness, she looked upon me with a stern air,
and said, with a very remarkable determination of voice,
"I have no more to say to you;" and I think that from that
time, although she lived at least ten days, she seldom look-
ed upon me with pleasure, or cared to suffer me to come
near her. But that I might feel all the bitterness of the
8*

86 TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

which I found it so hard, for my very soul had
been overwhelmed within me. Indeed, some hard
thoughts of God were ready to arise ; and the ap-
prehension of his heavy displeasure, and the fear

affliction, Providence so ordered it, that I came in when
her sharpest agonies were upon her, and those words, " O
dear, O dear, what shall I do?" rung in my ears for suc-
ceeding hours and days. But God delivered her, — and
she, without any violent pang in the article of her dissolu-
tion, quietly and sweetly fell asleep, as I hope, in Jesus,
about ten at night, I being then at Maidvvell. When I
came home, my mind was under a dark cloud relating to
her eternal state; but God was pleased graciously to re-
move it, and gave me comfortable hopes, after having felt
the most heart-rending sorrow. My dear wife bore the
affliction in the most glorious manner, and discovered
more wisdom, and piety, and steadiness of temper in a
few days, than I had ever in six years an opportunity of
observing before. O my soul, God has blasted thy gourd;
thy greatest earthly delight is gone: seek it in heaven,
where I hope tliis dear babe is; where I am sure that my
Saviour is; and where I trust, through grace, notwith-
standing all this irregularity of temper and of heart, that
I shall shortly be.

Sunday, October 3, 1736.

FURTHER REFLECTIONS AFTER THE FUNERAL OP MY DEAR
BETSEY.

I HAVE now been laying the delight of my eyes in the
dust, and it is for ever hidden from them. My heart was
too full to weep much. We had a suitable sermon from
these words: •' Docst thou well to be angry;" Jonah iv. 4;
because of the gourd? I hope God knows that I am not
angry; but sorrowful he surely allows me to be. I could
have wished that more had been said concerning the hope
we may have of our child; and it was a great disappoint-
ment to me that nothing of that kind should have been
said by one that loved her so well as my brother Hunt did.
Yet, I bless God, I have my hopes that she is lodged in
the arms of Christ. And there was an occurrence that I
took much notice of; I was most earnestly praying that
God would be pleased to give me some further encourage-

TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 87

of my child's future state, added fuel to the fire.
Upon the whole, my mind was in the most painful
agitation: but it pleased God, that, in composing
the sermon, my soul became quieted, and I was

ment on this head, by letting some new light, or by direct-
ing me to some furtlier thoughts upon the subject. Soon
after, as I came into ray wite's chamber, she told me that
our maid Betty, who had, indeed the affection of a parent
for my dear girl, had just before assured her, that, on the
Sabbath day evening, Betsey would be repeating to her-
self some things of what she had heard in my prayers
and in my preaching, but did not care to talk of it to
others ; and my wife assured me that she solemnly recom-
mended herself to God in the words that I had taught her
a little before she died. Blessed God, hast thou not re-
ceived her? I trust that thou hast, and pardoned the in-
firmities of her poor, short, childisli, afflicted life. I hope,
in some measure out of love to me, as thy servant, thou
hast done it for Christ's sake; and I would consider the
very hope, as an engagement to thy future service. Lord,
I love those who were kind to my child, and those that
wept with me for her; shall I not much more love thee,
who, I hope, art at this moment taking care of her, and
opening her infant faculties for the duties and blessedness
of heaven.

Lord, I would consider myself as a dying creature. My
first-born is gone;— my beloved cliild is laid in bed before
me. I have often followed her to her bed in a literal sense;
and sliortly I shall follow her to that, where we shall lie
down together, and our rest shall be together in the dust.
In a literal sense, the grave is ready for me. My grave
is made — I have looked into it — a dear part of myself is
already there; and when I stood at the Lord's table I
stood directly over it. It is some pleasure to me to think
that my dust will be lodged near that of my dear lamb,
how much more to hope that my soul will rest with hers,
and rejoice in her for ever! But, O, let me not centre my
thoughts even here; it is a rest with, and in God, that is
my ultimate hope. Lord, may thy grace secure it to me !
and in the mean time give me some holy acquiescence of
soul in thee ; and although my gourd be witliered, yet
ahelter me under the shadow of thy wings.

October 4, 1730.

88 TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

brought into a more silent and cordial submission
to the Divine will.

At the table I discoursed on these words, "Al-
though my house be not so with God." 2 Samuel
xxiii. 5. I observed, that domestic calamities may
befall good men in their journey through life, and
particularly in relation to their children; but that
they have a refuge in God's covenant; it is ever-
lasting; it is sure: it is well ordered — every pro-
vision is made according to our necessities ; and it
shall be our salvation, as it is the object of our
most affectionate regard.

One further circumstance I must record; and
that is, that I here solemnly recollected that I had,
in a former sacrament taken the cup with these
words, " Lord, I take this cup as a public and
solemn token that I will refuse no other cup which
thou shalt put into my hand." I mentioned this
recollection, and charged it publicly on myself
and my Christian friends. God has taken me at
my word, but I do not retract it; I repeat it again
with regard to every future cup.

I am just come from the coffin of my dear
child, who seems to be sweetly asleep there, with
a serene, composed, delightful countenance, once
how animated with double life! There — lo! O
my soul! lo there! is thine idol laid still in death
— the creature which stood next to God in thine
heart; to whom it was opened with a fond and
flattering delight. Methinks I would learn to be
dead w'ith her — dead to the world. O that I could
be dead with her! not any further than that her
dear memory may promote my living to God.*

* The following note was written in the margin of the
manuscript by the late Rev. Thornas Stedman : " I think
I have heard that the doctor wrote his funeral sermon for
his daughter, or a part of it, upon her coffin."

TWENTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 89

I had a great deal of very edifying conversation
last night and this morning with my wife, whose
wisdom does indeed make her face to shine under
this affliction. She is supported and animated
with a courage which seems not at all natural to
her: talks with the utmost freedom, and has really
said many of the most useful things that ever were
said to me by any person upon the earth, both as
to consolation and admonition. Had the best
things I have read on the subject been collected
tegether, they could hardly have been better con-
ceived or better expressed. This is to me very
surprising, when I consider her usual reserve. I
have all imaginable reason to believe that God
will make this affliction a great blessing to her,
and I hope it may prove so to me. There was a
fond delight and complacence which I took in
Betsey beyond any thing living. Although she
had not a tenth part of that rational, manly love,
which I pay to her mamma, and many surviving
friends; yet it leaves a peculiar pain upon my
heart, and it is almost as if my very gall were
poured out upon the earth. Yet much sweetness
mingles itself with this bitter potion, chiefly in the
view and hope of my speedy removal to the eter-
nal world. May it not be the beauty of this pro-
vidence, that instead of her living many years
upon the earth, God may have taken away my
child that I might be fitted for and reconciled to
my own dissolution, perhaps nearly approaching?
I verily believe that I shall meet her there, and
enjoy much more of her in heaven than I should
have done had she survived me on earth. Lord,
thy will be done; may my life be used for thy
service while continued, and then put thou a period
to it whenever thou pleasest.

( 90 )

MEDITATION XXIV.

THE SEVENTY-NINTH SACRAMENT, NOVEMBER 7, 1736.

The mournful recollections of affliction assuaged by cori'
templations on the love and sufferings of Christ.

I ArpROACHED this ordinance with solemn and im-
portunate prayer for the Divine presence, and I
desire thankfully to record, that this prayer was
not in vain. Perhaps I may say, that I never
knew what it was to enjoy more of God than I this
day enjoyed. Perhaps more of heaven is not to
be brought down upon the earth. I write it with
some amazement, that I stood upon the grave of
my dear Betsey, and thought of that lovely crea-
ture, that was once, next to God, on the throne of
my heart, with very little emotion. The loss of
so amiable a child seemed hardly worth mention-
ing between God and my soul, when I saw before
my eyes the memorials of a Redeemer's dying
love; when I looked forward towards that heavenly
world, to which I verily believe that God is con-
ducting me, to which I apprehend that he will
shortly bring me; — and I heartily subscribe my
Amen to it.

Having discoursed in the pulpit on Christ, as
the. fountain opened, in which to wash from sin
and from uncleanness, I introduced the ordinance
with some reflections on that petition of the leper,
" Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."
Matt. viii. 2. I observed, that he was sensible of
his malady; that he apprehended himself polluted;
and that the best souls will apprehend it most. He

TWENTY-FOURTH MEDITATION 91

applied therefore, to Christ, with a full persuasion
of his power, although it were professedly the work
of a God to do it. It is of great importance to ap-
proach this ordinance, believing that Christ can do
it; and believing that he will do it. In the dying
hour, then he will lay his hand upon us, and say,
"I will that thou be perfectly clean; for ever
clean." Blessed expectation ! happy hour! How
well is it worth our while to pass through every
trial and agony in our way to it, that we may
leave these polluted garments of flesh in the grave,
and arise holy and immortal, into the heavenly
presence.

When breaking the bread, I reflected that how,
without that breaking of Christ's body, we' had
been crushed with the weight of the Divine ven-
geance. What was his love in instituting the or-
dinance! perhaps particularly foreseeing our plea-
sure in it; at least, seeing and causing it now, and
rejoicing in our joy. We are pleased to see our
friends cheerful at our table; pleased with our en-
tertainment; much more is Christ so: therefore is
he represented with amazing condescension, re-
joicing as a bridegroom over his bride; and as
joying over us with singing.

When taking the cup, I particularly insisted on
our being made free by Christ from the devil, from
worldly entanglements, corrupted aflcctions, and
ihe everlasting curse of God. We have, perhaps,
a warm sense of liberty ; what liberty can bo com-
pared with this? Lord, the desire of our souls is
to the remembrance of thy name; it is the great
thing that we would desire to have; a more aflec-
tionate retncmbrance of thee. Were I to choose
a text for my last sermon, it should be this,
" Whether present or absent, we may be accepted

92 TWENTY-FIFTH MEDITATION.

of him." 2 Cor. v. 5. Delightful thought! that
this labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

MEDITATION XXV.

THE EIGHTY-SECOND SACRAMENT, FEBRUARY 6, 1737.

Death swallowed up in victory by the sacrifice of the
Redeemer.

I OPENED the ordinance with some reflections on
those words, " Come, see the place where the Lord
lay." Matt, xxviii. 6. Look into the grave of
Christ. See how low the justice of God hath laid
him! Amazing sight, that the Lord of life should
thus become as a dead corpse. Think how he lay
in the abasement of the tomb. This his lowest
humiliation; this the lowest state in which the
human creature ever appears until putrefaction
takes place. To this an eye of sense would have
thought that he had been tending; but see from
whence the faithfulness of God exalted him. He
broke the bonds of death, by which it was impossi-
ble that he should long be held. Vain were the
impotent attempts of sealing the sepulchre, and
setting a watch. The angel broke the tomb, and
dissipated the astonished guard; the sleeping Con-
queror arose! Arose, to return no more to death.
Not like Lazarus, therefore, coming forth in the
dress of the dead ; but, on the contrary, clothed
with immortal life and vigour. He lives! He
reigns ! and has the keys of death and of the un-
seen world. Delightful thought! See the place
where we must lie. Be it so. Death has no ter-
ror. The grave has lost its darkest gloom since
Christ was laid in it. He left a perfume behind
him, which, instead of the prison of the Divine

TWENTY-SIXTH MEDITATION. 93

justice, makes it an easy bed to the believer. Well
may we be willing to lie down in it, for he will
surely bring us up again. He rose as a public
signal ; and when we have lain refining a while in
it, he will surely bring us up again. This table
has often changed its guests; many are fallen
asleep in Christ, but they have not therefore per-
ished. God is their God, although they lie in
the dust, and will appear to be so. O blessed
assembly and congregation ! Thus shall the risen
saint look down upon the grave like Israel on the
Red Sea. Come, see the place where the people
of Christ lay. See how entirely all the spoils are
recovered, and not a fragment left behind.

In breaking the bread, I mentioned those words,
"He hath abolished death." 2 Tim. i. 10. He
has made it as nothing. Compare the death of
the saint, and of the sinner. See the sinner trem-
bling like cardinal Beaufort, who, when he died,
did not lift up his hand to express any hope, with
what we have seen, and I hope shall feel, of the
saints' triumphing over death, and rejoicing in
Christ, when breathing out their souls into his
hands, and saying, " Lord, now lettest now thy
servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Luke ii.
29, 30.

MEDITATION XXVI.

THE EIGHTY-TinRD SACRAMENT, MAY 8, 1737.

The people of God as consecrated to his service.

The subject of my discourse was, "I, if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto me;"
9

94 TWENgrY-sixTH meditation.

John xii. 32 ; and the subject of my meditation at
the Lord's table was, " Gather my saints together
unto me; those that have made a covenant with
me by sacrifice." Psalm 1. 5. I observed, that
the people of God are represented as saints. This
is an instructive thought. They are separated
from the pollutions and vanities of the world, and
entirely set apart to God, that they may be for
him alone, and not for another; they are conse-
crated to him. They have made a covenant with
him; a covenant in which they take him for their
covenant God ; give up all other expectations and
dependences, and give themselves to him as his
covenant people. They make a covenant with
him by sacrifice; that is, they join themselves to
him by the sacrifice of his Son. It is their very
business at the table of the Lord, which is to be
considered as a feast on a sacrifice. God will
gather us together. He does it now; and it is a
comfort much greater than to eat and drink these
elements in secret would be. But then it is to be
remembered, that there is another general assem-
bly. Lord, " gather not my soul with sinners."
There, where a particular scrutiny will be made,
may our souls be bound up in the bundle of life.
With what joy shall we then appear together,
when not one soul will be wanting!

In breaking the bread, I observed, " Draw me,
we will run after thee." Solomon's Song i. 4. May
the Spirit sanctify and support us. On the whole,
I found my heart too dead in much of this service.
And I said few things in it which I can recollect
as deserving a place here. Lord, forgive me.
Lord, reform me. Lord, raise me to thyself; and
fit me for thy ordinances on the earth, and for a
state above the want of them !

( 95 )

MEDITATION XXVII.

THE EIGHTY-SEVENTH SACRAMENT, JULY 3, 1737.

The importance of the ordinance; and of the extraordinary
mercy of God in the plan of Redemption.

Few days of my life have been crowned with
greater mercies than this, if I may reckon the
preservation of my wife, the birth of a child, and,
what is infinitely more than either, the communi-
cation of the most delightful consolations of God's
presence, in the number of mercies.

I was much indisposed in the morning, yet not
altogether without suitable supplies of strength and
comfort. This evening I attended the Lord's table,
and introduced the ordinance with those words of
Christ, " My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed;" John vi. 5.5., which in a literal
sense would be perfectly absurd, but in a spiritual,
contain the most excellent and important truths.
Christ speaks of objects as appearing in the light,
not of sense, but of faith ; and, therefore, represents
all other kinds of meat and drink as nothing when
compared with this. It is the most excellent meat
and drink. A man had better want any kind of
food than this. Does it appear thus welcome to
us? Let us bless God that he gives us this food,
and that he gives us that comnnunication of his
Spirit whereby we should be engaged to feed upon
it with delight. Do we owe our thanks to God for
our daily bread? How much more, then, for this!
What if we had been present, and almost dying
with a parching thirst, when Moses brought water

96 TWENTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION.

from the rock, would not that miracle have affected
us? It would have became us to have owned the
Divine goodness in that respect ; but O how much
more in the present! Imagine yourselves standing
around the rock. How would it have impressed
you, that God should have given 3^ou that drink!
much more may this. Nor is the way less won-
derful of obtaining this drink that revives the soul.
It was more probable he should thus have smitten
the rock, than that he should have smitten his own
Son ! Who would at such a cost have manifested
his love? Would we have fed a perishing friend
with our flesh? should we part even with a limb,
it would be great proof of love. Would we open
the vital sluice of our blood to give him drink?
Perhaps we might; but for whom? Surely, only
for one of a thousand, and that the dearest and
most amiable creature. But Christ did this for us,
when we were enemies, and rebels, and that he
might give life to our souls, and that we might not
die. Yet our fathers are dead that ate this bread, as
well as those that ate the manna in the wilderness.
True. But yet they all live to God; and the last
day will make it appear that the blood of Christ
has not lost its efficacy with regard to any one of
them.

In breaking the bread, I spoke of the pleasure
of meeting Christ. When a friend has done us a
kind office, we rejoice to thank him ; but O, what
are all the kind offices of our earthly friends to
those that we receive from Christ! Let us thank
him, let us adore his goodness. O blessed day,
when we shall see him ! Nay, but even now we
may do it as well. We ourselves, and all our sen-
timents and actions, are now as open to the eye
and observation of Christ as they will ever be;

TWENTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION. 97

let us, then, lift up our hearts immediately to him,
and breathe out all the grateful sentiments of our
souls before him.

At taking the cup, I observed, There is some-
thing moving in the sight of human blood, but
how much more so if it were the blood of a friend
who had been slain by treachery and cruelty!
And did we come to the place, and see his blood
lying there, would it not penetrate our hearts?
We should perhaps, in a transport of tenderness,
dip our hankerchief in the precious remains, and
bequeath it as a sacred legacy to our children.
But here is the blood of Christ! Ought it not to
be dearer, infinitely dearer?

MEDITATION XXVIII.

THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH SACRAMENT, AUGUST 7, 1737.

The supreme happiness of the Christian constituted by the
converse and favour of the Deity.

I INTRODUCED the Ordinance with some scattered
thoughts on those words, " Ye shall leave me
alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Fa-
ther is with me." John xvi. 32. I began with
observing the uncertainty of human friendship.
The disciples of Christ, although under so many
engagements to defend him, dispersed. They left
him alone. So may we fall. I then observed the
support of Christ — " The Father is with me."
Here was great faith : to believe the Father inva-
riably present, and to rejoice in him, as sufficient,
although deserted by human friends. So let us
fix our hope in God, and place our happiness in a
converse with him. May he ever be with us, espe-
9*

98 TWENTY-NINTH MEDITATION.

cially in solitude; then we shall never be less for-
saken than when we are alone.

Among some other meditations in breaking the
bread, this was one: — If a prince were not only
to send a pardon to a traitor, but to take him to
his table; and not only so, but to admit him into
his family, and to add, " I will make thee my
child," it would be amazing, it would be almost
incredible; yet this does the Lord! Let it melt
our hearts. How little does it signify what we
lose, if we retain God, and his favour.

It was no small affliction to me to resign the
society of that dear and amiable friend, (Miss
Wilkinson,) who for now almost fourteen months
has been the ornament and delight of my family,
and in every circumstance during that time has
behaved with a tenderness of friendship almost
unparalleled, as well as with a strict and constant
piety, from which the most confirmed Christian
might have learned some useful lessons ; but I
have this day been enabled to resign her to God,
owning his goodness in having enjoyed her con-
verse here so long, and referring it to him whether
our next meeting shall be at Northampton, in
Yorkshire, or in heaven.

MEDITATION XXIX.

THE NINETIETH SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 2, 1737.

Personal remarks on some mournful and mysterious pro.
vidences: — the Christian armed by faith, to suffer all
things.

DEAR MISS BLISS DYING,

The wise and gracious, though mysterious, provi-
dence of God, has so ordered it in many instances,

TWENTY-NINTH MEDITATION. 99

that some of the greatest trials of my life have
preceded a sacrament day: the death of Mr.
Saunders; of Lady Russell; of my dear Betsey,
and the yet dearer Mr. Some; and now, behold,
a fifth blow this day falls upon me. The flatter-
ing hope I had conceived of the recovery of my
dear friend and companion, I may say, of my
sister, Miss Bliss — for no sister could be fonder
of, or dearer to a brother — is taken away, and
this sorrowful day, October 2, at the distance of a
year, has shown me two of the saddest sights my
eyes ever beheld — the burial of my dear child,
and the life's blood of my dear friend, in whose
kind arms she departed. My heart has this day
been almost torn in pieces with sorrow ; yet, bless-
ed be God, not a hopeless, not a repining sorrow;
but one so softened and so sweetened, that, with
all its distress, I number this among the best days
of my life; if that be good, which teaches us faith
and love, and which cherishes the sentiments of
benevolence and of piety. I desire very thank-
fully to acknowledge, that days of the sharpest
trial have often been, to me, days of singular com-
fort.

This day, at the table of the Lord, I insisted a
little on those words, "Can we drink of the cup,
and refuse the cross?" putting it to my fellow
Christians thus: you come to arm yourselves here;
but boast not: can you bear losses? can you bear
to be separated from your friends? can you leave
life, even though in a violent manner? We would
not immediately say. Lord, we are able, but, Thy
will be done. We can do all things through
Christ that strengthens us. Lead whither thou
wilt, only let thine arm support us, and make our
trials subservient to our eternal advantage.

100 TWENTY-NINTH MEDITATION.

I afterwards dropped some hints from those
words; "If a man," whoever he be, "love me,
he will keep my words." John xiv. 23. Lord,
we desire to do so ; speak, for thy servant hears.
We come hither with a desire, not only to know,
but to fulfil thy commands. " My Father will
love him." O! to love God, and to be beloved by
him, how desirable ! "And we will come." Wel-
come, blessed Jesus! come into our very souls.
"Come unto him, and make our" stated and con-
stant "abode with him;" not being as a way-
faring man that turns in for a night. Lord, if thou
wilt dwell with us, it signifies little with whom we
dwell; thy friendship, thy love, can make up the
want of human friendship in its sweetest endear-
ments.

In pouring out the cup, reflecting on what I had
seen, I observed, that Christ died a bloody death,
to impress our hearts; because we are apt to be im-
pressed with the sight of a friend's blood, if he be
wounded. How did the remembrance of that sad
scene which the morning presented then cut me
even to the heart! Why should not the blood of a
Saviour impress me more? But such is the differ-
ence between sense and faith. I hope the remem-
brance of what I have seen and felt this day will
long abide by me. My heart was, and is, full
of Divine consolation; and the supporting views
of my dear, I fear, dying, friend, with whom I
have prayed three times this day, have comforted,
rather than dejected me. May the glory be his
from whom the grace comes; who has wrought
these good things in her, and sealed both of us
with his grace, as those who are to be companions
in eternal glory. A thought which has now a
relish which nothing can exceed, which nothing
can equal.

( 101 )

MEDITATION XXX.

THE HUNDRED AND FOURTH SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 1, 1738.

Of perfect devotedness to the service of God.

1 SEE it, with some surprise, that I have not writ-
ten any memoirs of what has passed at the Lord's
table since this time twelvemonth. It is impos-
sible in a little space to recount what singular
scenes of providence I have passed through since
that time; but God has caused me in all to sing
of mercy rather than of judgment; and I record
it with all thankfulness.

This day I had been preaching, and, I bless
God, with great enlargement, from these words,
"Although my house be not so with God," &c.

2 Samuel xxiii. 5. The subject of my meditations
at the table was, " Gather my saints together unto
me," &c. Psalm 1. 5. I observed, that God's people
were saints; they were those who made a cove-
nant with him by sacrifice. It was our purpose
in that covenant to devote ourselves to his service,
to submit ourselves to his disposal; we are now
gathered together to do it. There is another gather-
ing together, yet more important, at the great day;
and we hope yet another, in his heavenly pres-
ence. It is pleasant now to assemble; how much
more so will it then be! It is disagreeable to part
with a dear friend; and how comfortable to think
that there we shall never part!

In breaking the bread, I observed — This is
bread from heaven ! How should we have been

102 THIRTY-FIRST MEDITATION.

touched, if, being lost in a desert, God had sent
down bread from heaven of the coarsest sort; and
here is angels' food! Who are the creatures for
whom this is done? Is it for us? for such poor
sinners as we are?

I remember not particularly what passed in
distributing the wine, only an exhortation to the
spectators: — Are you all strangers? Are you all
enemies?

In making the collection, I said, How much
better to live on alms, than not to have a heart to
give!

God was with rae this day by the most evident
tokens of his presence.

MEDITATION XXXI.

THE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH SACRAMENT, JANUARY 7, 1739.

The peace of God, one of the greatest blessings enjoyed by
the believer, with considerations on "the blood of sprink-
ling:^

There have not been many public days of my
life which have been more varied and mingled
than this. 1 began it seriously; and, indeed, con-
sidering the extraordinary time that I spent in the
devotions of the fast day and yesterday, as well
as that it was the first Sabbath in the year, and
that I had a very experimental and useful subject
assigned me by my good friend, Mr. Browne, that
is, Psalm xxvii. 14, I expected something consid-
erable; and, perhaps, that was one reason why I
succeeded no better. Another was, that I permit-
ted myself to write some letters in the morning

THIRTY-FIRST MEDITATION. 103

which, though in the main serious, were not neces-
sary, and thereby contracted the time of prepara-
tion, in too great a presumption on some late en-
largements. The consequence on the whole was,
that my spirits were very much straitened, and I
preached to my own apprehension, very ill, al-
though it pleased God to render it, in the main,
acceptable and useful to several persons who heard
me.

The subject of my meditations at the table of
the Lord was, " The Lord will give strength unto
his people; the Lord will bless his people with
peace." Psalm xxix. 11. His people have pecu-
liar reason to expect strength. I hope that we find
it given. Here is an additional promise worthy
our contemplation: "The Lord will bless his
people with peace ;" that is, peace in life, — calm-
ness and serenity in their own consciences, as re-
conciled to themselves, when they can look in-
ward, and see a pardoned, sanctified, and quick-
ened spirit. Peace with God, and a sense of peace.
Whereas he might long ago have said, " What
hast thou to do with peace?" — And peace at death/
Many of our dear friends (I particularly referred
to Miss Bliss and Mrs. VVingate) had in a remark-
able manner a sweet and calm serenity, in that
awful hour which might throw nature into so
much commotion and distress. And peace to all
eternity; so that we should then enter into peace:
no more war, no more alarm, no more sorrow.
Christ is our peace; in him we have it, and that
even while we have tribulation in the world.

In breaking the bread, I said, " In this was
manifested the love of God." 1 John iv. 9. This
is the most glorious display of it. Let the pa-
gun, let the Mohammedan say, what has, on their

104 THIRTY-FIRST MEDITATION.

principles, been done for them comparable to this.
Let the Jew' boast that he calls Abraham, father;
that God delivered his fathers from Egypt, settled
them in Canaan, wrought them out wonderful de-
liverances there, sent them Moses and the pro-
phets, and gave them his laws: nay, but he gives
his Son to live, to die for us ! He raised him to
his own right hand, and has seated him in glory,
and made him Head over all things.

Then, in pouring out the cup, 1 mentioned that
text, " Ye are come — to the blood of sprinkling."
Heb. xii. 22, 24. Do we not come to it? Do
not our souls apply to it, and desire to be washed
in it? It " speaketh better things" than " the
blood of Abel." And in consequence of it, we are
come to " the general assembly and church of the
first-born." It is delightful to think, that we are
come to a church on earth ; to look round on such
an assembly. O how much more important to
look on an innumerable company of angels ! To
have seen one would have been a pleasant thing;
but so to converse with them without any danger
of idolatry; yea, to be numbered among their
society, made equal to angels, and " the spirits of
just men made perfect!" It was delightful to con-
verse with many saints now in glory, in the midst
of all their imperfections and sorrows; but now
that they are complete in holiness and glory, what
admiration and joy would it give ! We may now
think with pleasure of coming even to God as a
Judge; because his righteousness and justice are
engaged to accept us through Christ.

Just before I took the cup I said. Thanks be to
God, who already causeth us to triumph in Christ,
and turns the greatest terrors into comfort; wit-
ness those three most dreadful words to an impeni-

THIRTY-SECOND MEDITATION. 105

tent sinner, death — ^judgment — eternity. O! now
what a source of pleasure! Death — to get rid of
sin and sorrow, to fall asleep in the arms of
Christ. Judgment — to appear, to be rewarded
and applauded. Eternity — to dwell for ever with
God, and Christ; and with holy angels, and saints.
O blessed words! Death — judgment — eternity!
They are so, because the savour of Christ has been
spread abroad upon our hearts.

MEDITATION XXXII.

THE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH SACRAMENT, FEBRUARY 4, 1739.

Of the majestic character of the Messiah in his offices.

The leading subject of our meditation was that
text in Micah, (having been preaching on God's
promise of giving to his sheep eternal life,) " He
shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God;
and they shall abide: for now shall he be great
unto the ends of the earth." Micah v. 4. In which
words I observed — 1. A view of the diligence and
piety of the Redeemer ; " He shall stand and feed :"
intimating, that he shall be a watchful Shepherd,
and take care of his flock ; and he shall do so " in
the strength of the Lord," and "in the majesty of
the name of his God;" implying a dependence on
Divine assistance. This Christ showed in all his
ministrations. " I honour my Father f — I seek not
my own glory, but his that sent me; — The works
which my father has given me to do; — This com-
mand received I from my Father " &:c. — 2. The
10

106 THIRTr-SECOND MEDITATION.

glorious display of the Divine power in him ; " He
shall stand in the majesty of the name of his
God." Christ's works were very majestic; much
of God appeared in them. Were a man to cure
only one blind or lame person, to raise up only
one dead body to life, what a glory would it re-
flect upon him! The miracles of Christ, for num-
ber, for excellence, were unparalleled. — 3. The
perpetuity of his interest: "They shall abide;"
that is, in Christ, and as his flock in all ages.
Accordingly, it is so. In vain the terrors, in vain
the learning and wit, of the world are armed
against him : and it is observable, that most of the
writers against Christianity have been left to dis-
honour themselves by vile immoralities. — 4. The
extent of it : He is " great unto the ends of the
earth." Accordingly, we see it. VVe live in a
country then almost unheard of, yet He is great
among us. Perhaps idolatrous worship was paid
on the very spot of ground on which we now are ;
yet we honour him; and we are gathered as into
his fold. He makes us to lie down in green pas-
tures. Blessed be his name, that we are not in
dry and withered pastures, under dead ordinances.
We lie down by the still waters, and are not trou-
bled by persecutors; we are not obliged as our
fathers were, to disguise our sacred table with
common meat, that, in case of a sudden surprise,
it might not be known.

In breaking the bread, I observed, Lord, we are
unworthy of a thought, of a word, a tear of thine,
much more of a drop of thy blood ; yet all is
given for u^ Let us, then, be deeply humbled
before thee.

On drinking of the wine, I said, Christ our
Forerunner has entered within the veil. Jovful

THIRTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 107

news, if on his own account: but not only on that
— he has entered for us; has entered as our Fore-
runner, intimating our quickly entering also; there-
fore shall we be raised up, and made to sit together
in heavenly places. I congratulate you on this.
Look up to Christ as your Head, and enlarge
your desires for the propagation of his kingdom.
^V^ould you not, then, receive the cup which is the
communion of the blood of Christ? Have you
not need of it? Would you not thankfully sub-
mit yourselves to it, and to that way of saving
grace in the gospel?

MEDITATION XXXIII.

THE HUNDRED AND NINTH SACRAMENT, MARCH 4, 1739.

The blessed may triumph in the thoughts of Heaven.

I INTRODUCED the Ordinance with a meditation on
those words in the Revelation, chap. vii. verse 9
and 10: "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Sal-
vation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb." Let us observe, who this
blessed company were, how they were situated,
and how they were employed.

First — They were a vast multitude. Although
the fold of Christ on earth is little, and the gate
strait, yet in heaven it is great, because it takes in

108 THIRTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

infants. How many little creatures, having for a
little while borne the image of the earthly Adam,
bear that of the heavenly! And in the latter days
many shall be brought in; the way shall be wider,
and many shall say, " Come, let us walk in it."
It is a various society, not confined to the Jews,
but of all nations and kingdoms; our own, through
^race, is eminently distinguished. Let us acknow-
ledge the goodness of God therein; and that, in
our language, a multitude of holy souls, being
dead, yet speak.

Secondly — In what a situation: clothed in
bright robes of purity, of victory, and of joy ;
wiih palms in their hands, as conquerors over sin,
Satan, the world, and death. How joyful that
triumph, and how completely secured by salvation
appointed as its walls and bulwarks !

Thirdly — How they are employed : in humble
worship, ascribing salvation (not in wishing it) to
Him that sitteth upon the throne, to their God.
They consider him as on the throne; they see
how lofty, how radiant, how iirm; and this God is
our God. The bands of nature are often bro-
ken, but those that ally Him to us shall never
be broken. They also ascribe salvation to the
Lamb, remembering their obligation to suffering
love. How doth humility mingle itself with all
the honours and joys of the heavenly world; — the
Lamb feeds them, and takes them to the fountains
of living water.

In breaking the bread, my meditations turned
on the Lamb of God. How wonderful that His
Son should ever be so represented! And when
this Lamb suffered, it was to take away the sin of
the world — to take away our sin.

In pouring out the cup, I alluded to the Jewish

THIRTY-FOURTH MEDITATION. 109

benediction, " Blessed be God, who hath created
the fruit of the vine." What a vine is ours! how
refreshing its shade, how sweet its fruit, how
strong its root! No wind shall blast, no worm
corrode it ; we shall sit under its shadow for ever.
I met with very much of God this day, and my
soul has been greatly established.

MEDITATION XXXIV.

THE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH SACRAJWENT, JUNE 3, 1739.

The pardon of sin renders trials light in the estimation of
a Christian.

Just as I went in to the ordinance, those words
accidentally, or rather providentially, occurred to
me; " Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel;
be glad and rejoice with all the heart, 0 daughter
of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the
King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of
thee: thou shalt not see evil any more." Zeph. iii.
] 4, 15. I observed the exhortation and the ground
of it: the exhortation to joy, and that of an ex-
traordinary nature, " To sing, to shout, to be glad
with all the heart." Our joys in this world are
allayed, there is a great mixture of sorrow in them
all, and a speedy end of all the things that we
rejoice in. There is little reason to be glad with
all the heart here, and rather, a prudent reserve
should be maintained. But it is not so now; here-
in we may dilate our souls; we may sweetly open
our hearts wide to joy, if we have this foundation
for it. Addressing the believers, it is said, " He
10*

110 THIRTY-FOURTH MEDITATION.

hath taken away thy judgments." Not thine af-
flictions, they continue; but the sting is taken out,
because the sentence of destruction is reversed;
and then, if there is no condemnation, how light
other things may sit! O Lord, correct me, but
not in thine anger. " He hath cast out thine
enemy." I know not, and I am not very soHcit-
ous to know, to what enemy this immediately re-
fers; the great enemy is expelled, Satan, falling
like lightning from heaven; the accuser of the
brethren is cast out. " The King of Israel, even
the Lord, is in the midst of thee." God is be-
come our King. 0 pleasant thought ! " The
Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!" He is still
in the midst of thee; he dwells with thee, thy
Sovereign evermore. It was a great privilege to
dwell in Zion, where God visibly resided. His
special presence is of far greater importance:
separate that, and the cloud had been but a vapour.
" Thou shall not see evil any more;" not unmin-
gled evil, not such as thou hast formerly seen —
no more return to that condemnation, to that cap-
tivity: and thou shalt ere long be raised above the
sight of all evil, whether of sin or of punishment.
Look around, and see what evil pains thy heart,
and wounds thy eyes; it shall then be entirely
and for ever done away. Let us encourage our-
selves in the Lord our God to believe this, review-
ing the promises again and again, with greater
confidence and joy.

In breaking the bread, I remarked. The cove-
nant, how sure! If you had promised me any
thing, I should think it safe: can Christ forget to
remember? can he want power and faithfulness?

I addressed myself to God before taking the
cup, as in self-dedication, and then spoke to the

THIRTY-FIFTH MEDITATION. Ill

spectators: Is there not one of you that loves
Christ? — is there not one who desires him? not
one who would devote himself to him? Yes, sure-
ly there are many. Come, then, and welcome.

MEDITATION XXXV.

THE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 7, 1739.

Holy and delightful anticipations under the assurance of
being enabled to serve the cause of God in the world
during life, and by his writings after death.

God has been pleased to meet my soul this day
in ordinances in an uncommon degree. As I was
going to the house of God I passed by my dear
children, Polly and Mercy, Phil, and Celia, and
was lifting up my heart to God for them, that they
might every one of them be the support and orna-
ment of religion, when, I know not how, there
darted into my mind, with a peculiar energy, ah
if spoken to me, those words which I knew were
originally spoken to my great Lord, in comparison
of whom I am but as dust and ashes, " Pie shall
see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
Isaiah liii. 10. What these words peculiarly intend
I know not, neither would I absolutely conclude
from them that I shall live many years; or see
my children planted in the church: but of this,
through grace, I am well persuaded; that I shall
see my spiritual seed; that I shall prolong eternal
days of joy and glory in heaven ; and that God
will make the good pleasure of his grace, in the

112 THIRTY-FIFTH MEDITATION.

conversion and establishment of his chosen people,
prosperous in my hand, both while I live, and
when I am dead, by what I shall leave behind me,
written, I hope, in the spirit of the gospel ; written,
I am sure, with an undissembled zeal for his hon-
our and interest, which he that searches my heart,
and sees all its secret workings, assuredly knows.
I preached on these words; "I will not leave
you comfortless : I will come to you :" John xiv.
18; and I introduced the ordinance with the fol-
lowing words: " Yet a little while, and the world
seeth me no more ; but ye see me : because I live,
ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that
I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
John xiv. 19, 20. I observed that the true Chris-
tian sees Christ when invisible to the world. The
sight of him for a small part of forty days was
comparatively but little; the words rather refer to
the vision of his grace in heaven. Many of us
know what they mean; looking through his word,
through his providence; we know what it is,
through his ordinances, to see Christ; — we rejoice
in the sight already given, and we arc breathing
after that yet to be bestowed. " Because I live, ye
shall live also." This sight of Christ, as a living
Redeemer, gives us a derived life from him sure
as his own ! While he lives, while he has grace
and glory at his disposal, no true believer shall fail
of either. O, blessed hope! when it enters the
soul, how does it raise our thoughts of Christ!
When we feel Divine vigour communicated from
him, then do we know that he is in the Father:
then do we possess his participation of Divine
honours, and know that as he is in us by the
power of his grace, so we are also in him ; — our
names are written upon his heart, and we are in-

THIRTY-FIFTH MEDITATION. 113

terested in him, as our covenant Head, and as our
sure Redeemer.

Many comfortable, although plain thoughts arose
in breaking the bread and in pouring forth the
wine, especially those of triumph in the text above
mentioned, Christ " shall see his seed." I hope
this applies to us among the rest, and that with us
his days shall be prolonged to eternal ages, and
his cause go on successfully. O that what I have
this day been saying and doing in the house of
God may confirm this! I have devoted myself to
God in the bonds of his covenant. May I ever
retain it upon the imagination of the thoughts of
my heart.

I mentioned at the collection, the case of the
heathen emperor, that is, of Titus, who accounted
the day lost in which he had done no good! May
I never more see that lost day! but either in spi-
rituals or in temporals, or rather, if it be the good
will of my God, in both, may I be doing good
every day.

This was the birth day of my dear eldest daugli-
ter Betsey, whose name continues written, perhaps
too deeply, on my heart. But blessed be God. that
gave her, and that hath taken her away. I adore
his love, as well as his justice, in the loss I so
much lamented; and I rejoice in the cheerful hope
that I have of meeting her in a world of eternal
glory. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

( 114 ).

MEDITATION XXXVI.

IN WHICH MY SOUL WAS BREATHING AFTER GOD.
NOVEMBER 2, 1739.

Solemn aspirations of praise and gratitude for the Divine
protection and favour in individual particulars.

O MY God! thou art my hope, and my help; my
glory, and the hfter up of my head; — my heart
rejoices in thy salvation. When I set myself to
converse with thee under the influence of thine
Holy Spirit, a thousand delightful thoughts spring
up at once; a thousand sources of pleasure are
unsealed, and flow in upon my soul with such re-
freshment and joy, that they seem to crowd into
every moment the happiness of hours, of days,
and of weeks.

I praise thee, O Lord, for this soul of mine,
which thou hast created, and which thou hast
taught to say, and I hope to purpose, " Where is
God my Maker?" Job xxxv. 10. I bless thee for
the knowledge with which thou hast adorned it. I
bless thee for that grace with which I may, with
humble wonder, say thou hast sanctified it, al-
though, alas! the celestial plant be fixed in too
barren a soil, and does not flourish to the degree
that I could wish. I praise thee, my God, for that
body which thou hast given me, and which thou
prcservest as yet in its strength and vigour, capa-
ble not merely of relishing those entertainments
which thou grantest to each of its senses, but, what
is, I hope, to me far more valuable, capable of
acting with some vigour in thy service. I bless

THIRTY-SIXTH MEDITATION. 115

thee for the ease and freedom with which these
limbs of mine move themselves, and obey the dic-
tates of my spirit, I hope, as guided by thine. I
bless thee, that the keepers of the house do not yet
tremble, nor the strong men bow themselves; that
those who look out at the windows are not dark-
ened, nor the daughters of music, or the instru-
ments of speech, brought low. I bless thee, O
Lord, my God, that the silver cords are not loos-
ened, nor the golden bowl broken; for it is thine
hand that braces all my nerves, and thine infinite
skill which prepareth those spirits that flow in so
freely, and, when exhausted, are recruited so soon,
and so plentifully. I praise thee, for that munifi-
cence with which thou providest for my daily sup-
port; for that various table which thou spreadest
before me, and for the overflowing cup which thou
puttest into my hands. And I praise thee, that
these bounties of thy providence do not serve, as
it were, to upbraid a disabled appetite, and are not
like messes of meat set before the dead. That no
relaxation of the nerves weakens my strength, so
as to render it incapable of digesting my food, nor
cankers torture my mouth, so as to render it inca-
pable of receiving it. I bless thee, that I eat not
my morsel alone, but share it with so many agree-
able friends; that my affectionate wife, and my
lovely children, and my hopeful and grateful pu-
pils, are with me like olive plants set around my
table. And I thank thee for so many friends who
are capable of serving me, and so many whom I
am capable of serving; and by conversing with
whom, through the liberality of the former, I
know how much more blessed it is to give than
to receive. I thank thee for a heart that can feel
the sorrows of the necessitous, and a mind that

116 THIRTY-SIXTH MEDITATION.

can, as in this day, make it my earliest care and
morning refreshment to contrive for their rehef.
For this also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts.
Thou avvakenest my spirit to seek the way; thou
graciously pointest it out, and I humbly hope that
thou wilt crown it with success.

And now, O my God, what shall I say? what,
but that I love thee above all in the power of lan-
guage to express. While I feel thy sacred Spirit
breathing upon my heart, and exciting these fer-
vours of love to thee, I cannot doubt of its influ-
ence, any more than I can doubt of the truth of
this animal life while I exert the acts of it. Sure-
ly, if ever I knew the appetite of hunger, — my
soul hungers after righteousness, and longs for a
greater conformity to thy blessed nature and will.
If ever my palate felt thirst, — my soul thirsts for
God, even the living God ! and for a more abund-
ant communication of his favour. If ever my
weary body knew what it was to wish for the re-
freshment of my bed, and longed for rest, — even
so my soul, with sweet acquiescence, rests upon
thy gracious bosom, O my heavenly Father, and
returns to its repose in the embraces of its God,
who has dealt so bountifully with it. And if ever
I saw the face of a beloved friend or child with
complacency and joy, — so I rejoice in beholding
thy mercy, O Lord, and in calling thee my Father
in Christ. Such thou art, and such thou wilt be
for time, and for eternity. What have I more to
do but to commit myself to thee for both, and
leave thee to choose my inheritance, and order
my affairs for me, while all my business is to
serve thee, and all my delight to praise thee. My
soul follows hard after my God, because his right

THIRTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION. 117

hand supports me. Let it still bear me up, and I
shall still press forward. Amen.

MEDITATION XXXVII.

HUNDEED AND TWENTIETH SACRAMENT DECEMBER 2, 1739.

Of Christ as being the brightness of his Father^s glory.

Never have I been so frequently at the table of
the Lord within so short a period. I have now
been four times there within five Sabbaths; having
administered the ordinance at Newport and Wel-
ford, since the last time at Northampton; and I
bless God, at both places with some pleasure, and
I hope with some improvement.

This day I heard, with unutterable pleasure,
dear Mr. Orton preach one of the best sermons
that ever was preached of the service of Christ.
Blessed be God, who has given him such gifts and
graces. My sermon was a very poor thing in
comparison to it. But I speak in the sincerity of
my heart, and in the sincerity of my heart have I
praised the God of all grace, that the disciple was
so much above his master. May the gifts and
graces of the Holy Spirit be multiplied ten thou-
sandfold upon him, and may thousands yet unborn
have reason to call him blessed!

I introduced the ordinance with some medita-
tions on these words: " Who being the brightness
of his Father's glory, and the express image of his

person, when he had by himself purged our

sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high." Heb. i. 3. I had been preaching of Christ
11

118 THIRTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION.

giving himself for us, to redeem us from all ini-
quity, and to sanctify to himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works. And this seemed well
connected with that text. It gives us a view of
the grandeur of Christ's person ; and of the happy
success of his undertaking. The grandeur of his
person: — he was the brightness of the Father's
glory, and the express image of his person ; that
is, the Being who of all others bore most of the
image of God. Much, indeed, is reflected from
good men here, and much more from glorified
spirits above, and more especially from the angels.
But, O, all these stars disappear in the presence
of the Sun of righteousness I He is the very et-
fulgence of his Father's glory, and as if none but
lie bore his image. And he, having created all
things, does, also, by the word of his power uphold
them. He spake, and we existed. To what pur-
pose is he mentioned? Even to this, that he by
himself has purified us from our sins. He did
not assign the office to any other; he did not con-
sign it over to any meaner person ; he did not say to
the brightest cherub, " Go, and become incarnate,
and submit to death for the redemption of sinful
man. Go, and give thy back to the smiters;
stretch out thine arms on the cross." No; he did
not substitute another, but he endured it himself, to
purge us from evil, and to expiate our sins. And
the consummation is, that he has sat down at the
right hand of God, which speaks the Father's ac-
ceptance of the atonement which he has made; else
he would never have released him from the tomb,
— much less would he have set him down at his
own right hand. And it also proclaims his hon-
our and glory. The Majesty on high has received
him there. His human nature is instated in a

THIRTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION. 119

place of supreme dignity and glory, of supreme
joy and happiness. And thither is he gone as our
Forerunner. Where he is, there we shall be also;
that is, at the right hand of God ! And there is
fulness of joy, and there are pleasures for ever-
more.

MEDITATION XXXVIII.

HINTS OF SOME MEDITATIONS ON THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-
FIRST SACRAMENT, JANUARY 7, 1740.

The character and happiness of the true Christian.

This was the very day that my dear friend, Mr.
Palk, died, which was indeed a very sorrowful ex-
ercise to me, and my fears of that approaching
calamity were painful; yet I bless God, that I had
some comfortable impressions at his table from
those words, "The meek shall eat and be satisfied:
they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your
heart shall live for ever." Psalm xxii. 26. I ob-
served, that this scripture united in one express
view the character and happiness of the true Chris-
tian. The character: — they are those who are
meek on the earth, and wlio seek the Lord. They
are meek under provocation ; and this not through
a meanness of soul, but through a true greatness. •
They do not think so highly of provocations as
many do. They give up self-interest; and they
see so much to pity in the offender, that they are
ready to forgive the offence; and that even where
the injury is greatest. And the view of their great
Master promotes this. They remember, how he

120 THIRTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION.

was " brought as a lamb to the slaughter." They
think of his dying words, " Father forgive them ;
for they know not what they do!" Luke xxiii. 34.
And they carry this meekness so far as not only
to pardon, but to love, and to pray for their enemy.
Think, Christians, are there any that have in-
jured and offended you? May the Lord forgive
them: may the Lord bless them with spiritual
blessings. " What do I wish more, than for the
conversion, reformation, and salvation of my great-
est enemy : and that not lor the satisfaction of see-
ing him humbled before me. Lord, if I were sure
he would forget that he had ever injured me I
should rejoice in the thought." Considering meek-
ness in general as humility, it is the Christian's
character; he quiets himself before God, and his
soul is as a weaned child, that, if it cannot have the
breast, soon grows quiet without it, and reconciles
itself to such food as it may have. A deep sense
of meanness and of guilt before God humbles the
soul. And when is it more humbled than at this
ordinance, when it sees itself at table with the
King of heaven, and looks forward to its complete
felicity? Delightful, yet abasing thought! and de-
lightful because abasing. " Who am I, O Lord,
and what is my service, that thou hast brought
me hither?" They seek God, through Christ: —
they seek God ; they see how desirable his favour
is, and they long for it above all things; they have
a certain nobleness and generosity of soul which
engages them to long, to pray, to cry for the Di-
vine presence, which they expect through Christ.
They see grace dwelling in him, dwelling with
men for his sake; they therefore seek an interest
in Christ with the greatest ardour — with none but
Christ; and they are seeking him continually,

THIRTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION. 121

well knowing what the presence of Christ means.
Then consider his blessing; "They shall eat,
and be satisfied" with the provision of their own
table, and their own loaf: their table is blessed;
wherever it be, how mean soever their lot, they
have what God has sent; they are in the condition
which he has chosen, which is always vastly bet-
ter than what we have deserved : it is his great
goodness, they say, to choose thus; and to choose
nothing for the present greater. "Prosperity
might have destroyed me. O, sweet to think, that
air comes from the hand of my God." In this
sense, the little that a righteous man hath, is better
than the abundance of the wicked ; yea, sweet is
a dinner of herbs with His love. The Christian
is satisfied still more with the provisions of God's
table. Royal fare! and yet what to an eye of
sense? who has not every day better?— a morsel
of bread, a little sup of wine; who would purchase
them by the time spent here? But thy loving-
kindness. Lord, is infinitely better than food. To
feed by faith upon Christ; O how tasteful is this
heavenly manna! O how reviving in this sense is
his blood! This is meat indeed, and this is drink
indeed." How often are the Christian's hopes so
enlightened, and his soul so nourished, that he
rises in the strength of its expectation, and goes
many days' journey to the house of his God.

" They shall praise the Lord ;" and how pleas-
ant is that, when the heart overflows with love!
it even revives our animal nature, and is, as it
were, an anticipation of heaven. " Your heart
shall live for ever." Short words, but O how
comprehensive! — when the soul bears forward in
its ideas, and launches into the ocean of eternity;
when it presses forward through the immensity of
11*

122 THIRTY-NINTH MEDITATION.

space; when it measures its duration no more by
days, by years, by centuries, by ages, or by mil-
lions of ages, but finds itself encircled in the omni-
presence of the eternal God. When I fall into
such contemplations as these, when I see these
opening scenes, I think I am still with thee; that
thou art still my God, that still I shall praise
thee: — then, ever living, my heart shall beat high
with everlasting joy, and, its motion never ceas-
ing, its pulse shall never tremble nor grow faint,
but spring on with everlasting vigour. Delightful
thought! Let this heart that thus shall live for
ever now ascend in a flame of holy love to its
God and Father, and pour itself out in lively pray-
ers to him.

MEDITATION XXXIX.

BRIEF RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT PASSED AT THE LORD'S
TABLE, OCTOBER, 1741.

ChrisVs spiritual presence with his Church.

This day was lamentably remarkable to me on
one account, though most pleasantly so on another.
This day was the last Sabbath that I spent with
my dear and delightful friend, Mr. Orton, who
preached in the morning from those words, " I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Heb. xiii. 5.
J, in harmony with him, discoursed at the table
from these, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen." Matt, xxviii. 20.
I considered in what circumstances the words were
spoken, and what they contain. They were spoken
by Christ, when he was leaving the disciples, and

THIRTY-NINTH MEDITATION. 123

they were grieved that his bodily presence, which
no doubt was very delightful, was to be with them
no more. They were spoken when he was but
recently and triumphantly risen from the grave,
and was going into the presence of his heavenly
Father. His apostles were going out into the
world under many difficulties; but he intimates
that his presence in Spirit should be sufficient; —
as if he had said, " I will be with you — with me
you can fear nothing." " Lord, if it be thou,"
says Peter, " bid me come unto thee on the water."
Matt. xiv. 28. I can tread this stormy sea, if thou
wilt lead, and if thou wilt support me. " I am
with you," says our great Leader, " to strengthen
and succeed you in your work." O what delight
did it give to the apostles, when he added, " even
unto the end of the world. Amen." But did he
mean his apostles alone? Why should he mean
that? Would not the same principle that engaged
him to be tender to them, lead him also to a gra-
cious care of us? Undoubtedly it would. Then
he speaks even now. Lo! behold it! attend to it;
reflect upon it with wonder, that Christ, by a Di-
vine and spiritual presence, will still be with every
minister, and that for the sake of the church, He
will show his love to every Christian. Let us be
bold in this: put our Amen to it, and say, "The
Lord is my helper, I will not fear labour nor suf-
fering, nor the loss of my dearest friends ; he will
support me; he will be with me in life; and, after
my death, he will be with succeeding Christians
and ministers; yes, and with me too — with me, in
a literal sense, to the end of the world : — with me,
till this scheme of salvation on earth be accom-
plished; and at the end of the world he will reani-
mate me, and receive me to glory, confessing me

124 FORTIETH MEDITATION.

before men, and giving me an abundant entrance
into his heavenly kingdom. O delightful view! O
blessed hope! Let me, then, be ever with him,
and do all in my power to exert myself for his
service; — and let me make myself easy as to the
support of his church in the world; for whatever
may rise up against it, lo! he is with us alway,
and then, greater is he who is with us, than all
those who are against us. That which can des-
troy the Head shall destroy the members; but
while he lives and reigns, he will support them."

MEDITATION XL.

RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT PASSED AT THE LORD's TABLE,
» * * 1741.

Christ anointed by the Father.

The subject of my meditation was those remark-
able words of Isaiah, li. 16, which I considered as
spoken by the Father to Christ: " I have put my
words in thy mouth. I have hid thee in the hol-
low of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens,
and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto
Zion, Thou art my people."* Observe the regard
God expressed to our Lord, and the purposes for
which he designed him. The regard expressed to
him, " I have put my words in thy mouth." God
gave him plenary inspiration in the highest sense.

* Dr. Doddridge appears to have varied the reading here.
In the common version the verse runs thus : "I have put
my words in tliy mouth, and I have covered thee in the
shadow of mine hand."

FORTIETH MEDITATION. 125

The words he spoke were not his own, but the
Father's who sent him. He gave not the Spirit
by measure unto him, but anointed him with the
oil of gladness above his fellows. He therefore
brought the most perfect revelation of God to men,
and opened the most glorious scheme of salvation.
He indeed brought good tidjngs, and published
peace, and said unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
And God concealed him in the hollow of his hand:
that is, he reserved him until the proper time, the
fulness of time, in which he was to be exhibited;
and then he protected him in the midst of danger
by his secret, but ever watchful power, until the
time came when he was delivered for our offences;
watching over him, even when he continued among
the dead, and at length raising him up for our jus-
tification. And what were the glorious purposes
for which all was accomplished? The immediate
purpose was, to say unto Zion, Thou art my peo-
ple; but more remotely, to establish the earth,
and to plant the heavens. By Him God gathers a
church in the world. He raises that sacred edifice
on Mount Sion; chooses to himself a people in
Christ, and declares to them the happy relation in
which they stand; gives them the promises, and
the seals of his covenant; and even by these ordi-
nances he says. Thou art my people; — admitting
us into a degree of intimacy and freedom of Di-
vine communion, unknown under the institutions
of Moses. The liigh priest went within the veil
but once a year; none but the priest within the
house, and none but the Levites within the courts.
But now the way to the holiest of all is laid open
by the blood of Jesus; and the foundations of the
earth arc laid, or rather, established. God would
not have maintained this earth to have been only

126 FORTIETH MEDITATION.

the habitation of accursed and ruined creatures,
therefore, that scheme which insured to Him a
people, established it. All things are done for the
elect's sake. For them, he is made Head over all ;
and might say, with infinitely greater propriety
than did David, "All the foundations of the earth
are out of course; I bear up the pillars of it."
Psalm Ixxxii. 5; Ixxv. 3. And it is indeed His '
Spirit, which supports all that piety which there is
in the world, and which has been throughout all
the past ages of his people. In which respect He
may possibly say to some, as he did to Cyrus, I
have girded thee, though thou hast not known me.
And all this is, that he may plant the heavens;
that he may conduct thither a colony from the
earth, and fill those vacant seats which the rebel
angels left. All this is, that he may raise from
this nursery here below, planted by his hand, and
watered by his word, ordinances, and Spirit, young
plants to set in the heavenly world, where they
shall for ever flourish near the streams of the
fountain of life. For ever adored be Divine
grace, which has thus honoured us, who deserved
long since to have been rooted out of the earth ; to
have been cast out of his garden with dishonour
as noisome weeds; to have been cut down as cum-
berers of the ground. Yet with us will he plant
the heavens! — He will cause us to shine as the
firmament; and as, I trust, many of us will be
instrumental in turning many to righteousness,
and thus shine as the stars for ever and ever.
Nay, the meanest and weakest Christian may say
more than that, as the views of the gospel rise on
those of the prophets; for our Lord tells us, they
*' shall shine forth like the sun, in the kingdom of
their Father." Matt. xiii. 43.

FORTIETH MEDITATION. 127

In breaking the bread, I mentioned the text of
sitting down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
in the kingdom of God. Matt. viii. 11. It would
have been delightful to have conversed with good
old Jacob; to have seen him even on his dying
bed acknowledging that God had fed him all his
life long to that moment; delightful to have been
with him at Bethel, when in his prosperity there
he recognised the Divine faithfulness, and accom-
plished his vows; — delightful to have known pious
Isaac, who, as a type of our blessed Redeemer, so
willingly surrendered himself to God, and his fa-
ther, and was stretched out with all the meekness
of a lamb, when appointed to be a burnt offering.
And who would not have been delighted to have
had an interview with Abraham, the father of us
all ; that holy man, to whom God has done that
signal honour, that all believers of every age and
nation should be looked upon as his seed: that
holy man, who walked before God, and was per-
fect, and who is now a guest of distinguished glory
at the table above, as he had once the honour to
entertain some of the inhabitants of heaven at his
hospitable board below.

To sit down, and not only with these holy patri-
archs, but with all the apostles of the Lamb; with
those illustrious soldiers and leaders in the army
of Christ, to whom the whole Christian world has
been so much indebted, and to whom we in partic-
ular have had such great obligations on account
of those memoirs of Christ, and that history of his
gospel, which they have given us. And with John,
who leaned on the Redeemer's bosom. With Paul,
whose divine epistles we have so often read with
rapture, and something of whose spirit, I hope, we
have sometimes caught. It would have been de-

128 FORTIETH MEDITATION.

lightful to have met with any one of these apostles
in their travels, and to have joined with them in
breaking bread when they administered this ordi-
nance. But their linowledge of the mysteries of
the kingdom is now infinitely increased. Then
they saw as through a glass darkly ; then they
spoke with trembling accents. Now they see
face to face, and have learned the language of
heaven. But O — let our souls remember it with
holy joy, and a fervent, growing desire of that
blessed interview — we shall there behold not only
the apostles of the Lamb, but the Lamb him-
self! Yea, it is said, the Lamb himself " shall
feed them, and lead them unto living fountains ©f
water." Rev. vii. ]7. How delightful will the
relish of this water be, which he shall give us!
How reviving the wine, which we shall drink with
him in his kingdom! It will then be no grievance
of heart to us, that we have, according to his ap-
pointment, paid this humble honour to his cross
upon earth, and have devoted ourselves to him as
his covenant people in this holy rite of his own
institution.

I then addressed myself to the spectators, ex-
pressing my hope that they had communion with
us, and in good wishes that they might have more.
I mentioned my own experience before I sat down
at the Lord's table, and my cheerful hope that
God would draw them with a victorious sweetness
of correction.

( 129

MEDITATION XLI.

SOME ACCOUNT OF WHAT PASSED AT THE SACRAMENT,
JANUARY 3, 1742.

Of the peace of God,, as enjoyed btj the Christian under the
covenant of the gospel.

The subject of my meditation at the table of the
Lord was those words ; " I create the fruit of the
lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to
him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal
him." Isaiah Ivii. 19. We are now in a circum-
stance of praise, which is " the fruit of the lips."
I observed with what majesty God claims to be
the Creator of those fruits that were offered to
him. It may indeed be said, "Of thine own have
we given thee." It is a new creation of his own.
He has given the matter and the heart for it; espe-
cially in these instances. The Lord Jesus Christ
has redeemed his church with his blood; this was
the gift of the Divine bounty; redemption by him
was the contrivance of the Divine grace, and so is
a disposition of soul to accept of this salvation, and
to pray to God for it. Why are we not like the
mad herd who call themselves the wise men of this
world, despising this gracious Redeemer? or why
are we rejoicing in his salvation, and not mourn-
ing and lamenting, and fetching our arguments of
sorrow and distress from the very message that
Christ has brought? It is God that has created
this fruit of praise. He has caused the wilder-
ness to bloom with this plant of paradise; and all
the solemn desert, where no sound but doleful
12

130 FORTY-FIRST MEDITATION.

notes of sorrow and despair might have been
heard, to resound with anthems of social joy!
The blessed God condescends to reckon this up as
it were among his royal prerogatives, and places
the fruit of the human lips among the tributes in
which he particularly delights! Yea, he utters it
with a kind of sacred triumph, and repeats it to
express the certainty of the fact, and to express
the delight with which he publishes the tidings of
it. "Peace! peace! unhappy creatures as you
are, you have been at war with me, but I grant
you peace. I not only send you the tidings of it,
but I bring it myself; now I see that you are
humbled in my presence, in the breaking of your
soul;" for to such the context speaks. " I assure
you that I am willing to be at peace with you ;
willing to give you all the joys of prosperity. Be-
lieve it from my own lips. Believe it, and echo it
back with a sacred pleasure; and let this be the
first-fruit of your lips, ' Peace, peace!' I speak it
to him that is afar off, and to him that is near; to
Jews and Gentiles, to all the world that will re-
ceive it." Peace is actually granted to him that
is come near. Peace is proposed to him that is
yet at a distance. This blessed peace is pro-
claimed to you who have approached this table in
the sincerity of your hearts; to you who surround
it; and to you who do not partake of the ordi-
nance, if you seek that Lord whom we here com-
memorate, and do not absent yourselves in con-
tempt; though surely it will be your wisdom, as
soon as possible, more solemnly to declare your
acceptance of his grace. " 1 will heal him, saith
the Lord" (that is, the afflicted humble soul, be he
who he may.) " My wounds were the wounds of
a friend, not those of an enemy. And as I have

FORTY-SECOND MEDITATION. 131

wounded, so will I heal; as I have broken, so will
I bind up." For all this let us return our praises;
let us renew this covenant of peace ; let us devote
ourselves to God's service with greater determina-
tion than ever, and let us do so according to the
free access which is given us, to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus, by that new and
living way which he has consecrated. May the
Holy Spirit in this ordinance take of the things of
Christ, and show them unto us, a blessing for
which the ancient church used especially to pray
at this holy ordinance.

MEDITATION XLII.

AT THE SACRAMENT, APRIL 11, 1742.

The pious soul refreshed vnder the blessings of Christian-

ity; and of the Resurrection of the Just.

God was pleased in a very particular manner to
indulge me in all the duties of this day, drawing
out my soul in earnest desires after him, and melt-
ing me to sentiments of uncommon gratitude in
prayer and in the preaching of his word, when
the approach of the day of death and of judgment
was urged with great life and zeal, as an engage-
ment to activity in good works, and to a holy con-
versation. Adored be Divine grace, that I then
most deeply felt what I spoke, and that every word
came from the soul.

At the table of the Lord my meditations were,
by a conversation with Mary Wills, directed to
those words, " Times of refreshing shall come
from the presence of the Liord." Acts iii. 19. 1

132 FORTY-SECOND MEDITATION.

observed, that times of refreshment in a natural
sense had come, by the plentiful rain which God
had just been pouring out upon the ground; but
that nobler refreshment was to be expected by the
intercourse which the holy soul has with God,
when extraordinary communications of his Spirit
are poured out upon his church, and much more,
when lie shall, in his time, send Jesus Christ, his
Son, from heaven at the day of the resurrection.
Intercourse with God in ordinances is refreshing.
His love manifested to the soul, is like a cloud of
the latter rain ; therefore he says, " I will be as
the dew unto Israel." Hos. xiv. 5. See how the
earth opens, and seems to breathe forth and to
pant for refreshing showers; so does the pious
soul long for God, and for his grace. The cool,
refreshing delights of his favour nourish the soul,
and the heart rejoices: like a bright shining after
rain, when the flowers open their sweets, so then
every ornament of piety grows more visible, and
your souls shall be like a watered garden. It is
not by ordinances alone that this is effected ; they
are, at best, but streams of water flowing near a
garden, until he, as it were, by his own hand
pours them upon it; or rather, until he rains down
the refreshing influences of his grace from heaven.
There shall be times of refreshment, when the
interest of God shall be revived. The world is a
barren wilderness : " But I will pour water upon
him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry
ground," Isaiah xliv. 3; saith the Lord. It will be
refreshing, if this be upon our barren spot at home;
if God pours out his Spirit upon our' seed, and his
blessing upon our offspring. And if he extends it
round about us ; if he thus waters this island of
ours — a garden cultivated indeed, but which, alas!

FORTY-SECOND MEDITATION. 133

wants rain. If he pours it forth upon remote por-
tions of the world, and causes the wilderness to
blossom like a rose! — On whom does not his sun
arise? and on whom does not his rain descend!
O that it may be thus with regard to gospel ordi-
nances, and to the influences of his grace! O that
his people may be made willing in the day of his
power! that so he may have the youth for his heri-
tage; and that in number the young converts may
be like the drops of dew, born from the womb of
the morning. This would be a delightful prospect.
This would give our souls unutterable pleasure.
This would, indeed, teach us to exclaim, " Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, ac-
cording to thy word : for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation." Luke ii. 29, 30.

But there is another time, and one of yet nobler
refreshment, which shall undoubtedly come from
the presence of the Lord, and in which we shall
each of us have our own part; when Christ, whom
the heavens are to retain till the time of the res-
titution of all things, shall come to set all things
in order. Great disorder there seems to be, and it
seems a mystery, that so many millions of his
servants should die, and turn to dust. But he will
roll away that reproach. He will make their death
the everlasting monument of his power, and of his
grace. How finely is this expressed in Isaiah;
"Thy dead men shall live," (speaking to the
church,) " together with my dead body shall they
arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust."
Awake, and tune your new-made tongues to an-
thems of immortal joy and thankfulness: "for thy
dew is as the dew of herbs;" Isaiah xxvi. 19; that
is, a plentiful dew shall fall upon you, whose
bones have been scattered like chips of wood upon
12*

134 FORTY-SECOND MEDITATION.

the borders of the grave. A copious dew from the
Lord shall descend upon you, and the earth shall
cast forth her dead! A sumptuous and a glorious
harvest shall suddenly cover the face of the earth !
O how delightful a view! How refreshing to be-
hold ! How much more so to partake of that tri-
umph! Some have thought, that those who were
raised out of their graves at the resurrection of
Christ ascended to heaven with him. Suppose that
it had been so, and that they had all been assem-
bled with him around the mount, and ascended to
heaven in his train, what a pleasing sight to his
disciples! How much more glorious a spectacle
shall this be, which we shall not only behold, but
share! — O my friends, in the view of it we feel a
refreshment, and we may well believe it, for we
see some things before our faces containing the
memorial of a past fact, far more wonderful than
this. The wonder is, that Christ should become
incarnate and die; not that he should rise and
ascend : and that, having died for his people, yet
he should leave them for a while under the power
of death; not that he should at length redeem
them from it. Let us, then, commemorate that
great transaction, which throws so beautiful a light
upon the other, and which lays so glorious a foun-
dation for our expectation of it.

At the Lord's table, I urged the propriety of
grateful returns, and put in my claim, in the name
of Christ, to urge upon all the duty of love and
service — the constant, faithful, zealous service, of
all who would indeed believe in him. '* What
have you done for him since you were last at the
Lord's table? What will you do for him in the
interval of time before the next? What can you
contrive to do for his interest?"

FORTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 135

(Memorandum.) After this ordinance I thought
of an expedient — to write a letter to dissenting
ministers, to be delivered after my death to those
who, for the time being, should be in the places to
be mentioned in a codicil to my will.

MEDITATION XLIII.

ON THE SACRAMENT, JANUARY 2, 1743.

The redeemed are the property of the Saviovr, and are
self-dedicated to his service,

To-DAY I pursued the subject of redeeming time,
which I entered upon yesterday, attended with this
awful circumstance, that a person known to me,
who was well yesterday evening at five o'clock,
died this morning before nine. This quickened
me to struggle with my indisposition, which was
partly the effect of walking in the wind, and of
walking too fast. Nevertheless, I bless God, that
towards the latter end of the discourse I found my
heart much warmed, when addressing my exhorta-
tion to those who were under peculiar engage-
ments. These, I further urged by the considera-
tion of the dying love of Christ, and insisted upon
this text at the table of the lord, " Ye are not your
own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit,
which are God's." 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. I observed
the claim entered, " Ye are not your own." We
may advance that claim in the name of God upon
the angels, if ihey are present in the assembly.
We say it, and their hearts echo it back. "True,

136 FORTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

we are his — his, that made us, and hath made us
happy; his, who hath preserved us so long, and
continued to us those songs which we began when
the foundations of the earth were laid." But to
them we could not add, as in the following words,
" Ye are bought with a price." To us it is appli-
cable. The apostle says not, with what a price.
He needed not. Surely it must be in the mind of
every Christian here. " Ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, — but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18,
19. Christ is the price sufficient and adequate to
the claim. As in Zechariah, God commissioned
his prophet to demand a price. The price given
was that of a slave. And he speaks with indig-
nation: "A goodly price at which I was valued
by these wretches!"* So in present circum-
stances, it is a goodly price indeed. Do you re-
fuse it, when Christ says, "Poor creature! know
that thou wast undone; that thou wast sold to be
a bond slave; that thou wast as a dead man before
the Lord ; and that J redeemed thee, that I gave my
blood for thee : thou mayest remember what I suf-
fered for thee. What have I deserved?" Would
any of you say, " Lord, thou hast deserved some-
thing from me, and something I will render.
Thou hast deserved that I should consecrate to
thee some of my time, some of my possessions;
that I should give up for thee some of my corrupt
affections, and observe some of thy precepts."
Christ will not have such a divided service. You
must be entirely his, or he will not own you to be
his at all. *' Well, Lord," would some of us say,

* Tlie common version reads thus: "A goodly price
that I was prized at of them." Zech. vi. 13.

FORTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 137

" I allow thy claim ; — m humble contrition I am
thine. I am astonished at thy grace: I know not
what to say; only receive me. Do me this hon-
our; add this further favour to all the rest, to take
me, and to dispose of me as thy property ; — use
me for thy glory as thou pleasest. I will labour
for thee; I will suffer for thee, if it be for thine
honour. I will submit to what may be more pain-
ful, in some respects, than labour, or than suffer-
ing, to be laid aside, as a vessel in which thou
hast no pleasure. It imports not, if I may be
thine, though I may seem for the present but as a
broken vessel." This is reasonable. Well then,
while God continues your abilities and capacities
of service, glorify him with your bodies and with
your spirits, which are the Lord's. Body and
spirit are his ! — He gave his body to be a sacri-
fice: " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto
death." Matt. xxvi. 38. Thus has he purchased
thy soul and body. Let the faculties of the mind
and the members of the body be employed for him.
And let this be your concern, that Christ may in
all things be glorified in you, whether by life or
by death. 1 Pet. iv. 11. Let the circumstances
of both be the great Lord's of life and death.
Dost thou wish it. Christian? If thou consentest,
it shall undoubtedly be so. He will accept the
tribute which thou bringcst him, humble as it is,
and worthless as it may seem, thou shalt have the
honour and pleasure of glorifying God now in a
certain degree, and ere long thou shalt be glori-
fied with him. "Amen, gracious Lord," will the
Christian say; " and in token that I desire it may
be so, and hope and expect that it will, I now
come to thy table."

These sentiments were expressed in a very live-

138 FORTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

ly and effectionale prayer. But when I came to
break the bread, I was taken exceedingly ill, and
rendered by faintness and a pain in my stomach,
in a great measure, unfit to proceed. Indeed, I
was not without some thoughts, but that I might
have taken my flight from the table of Christ upon
earth to his presence above. Cold clammy sweats
were upon me; but if, as some said, a mortal pale-
ness seemed fixed upon my cheek, I hope I can
say that glory was in my soul. I revived a little,
and felt an unutterable sweetness in singing the
hymn on the words of good old Simeon, as ren-
dered by dear Dr. Watts; and I must say, that all
the pleasure, which I might have had in a better
state of health and spirits, in the after part of the
ordinance, was far overbalanced by the unutterable
delight which I enjoyed in consequence of being
so interrupted. I cannot but think, that it was in
some measure owing to the great fervour of my
spirit in the former duties of the day, that this fail-
ure now happened, and I humbly hope that I may
say, that I was in some degree consumed with the
love of God. Gracious Lord, I thank thee for the
visitation, and for the support under it. I thank
thee that I am thine, in life or in death. And I
humbly renew the solemn dedication of myself
unto thee, as in a holy tranquillity of soul, and
undissembled readiness to be disposed of as thou
pleasest in this world, or in a better.

( 139 )

MEDITATION XLIV.

ON THE SACRAMENT, IN FEBRUARY, 1743.

Of the joys of the future world,

I HAD been preaching from those words in Ephe-
sians, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself
for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it, that
he might present it to himself a glorious church,"
(fee. Ephesians v. 25, 26. Agreeably to this I
spoke to-day from a scripture which I believe has
been the subject of my meditation before, but I am
not quite sure. It was, "And the ransomed of the
Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall
obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away." Isaiah xxxv. 10. When the
church is perfectly saved, this shall be fulfilled.
Observe under what character God's people are
described; whither they shall be brought, and in
what manner; and how this great transaction shall
end. Under what character God's people are
described : " the redeemed of the Lord." Those
whom he has ransomed and bought. Are we not
so? This is a feast, of his ransomed ones, in
which the price for the ransom is commemorated.
Nor would any one who did not apprehend him-
self in this view havT3 any business here. It is sin-
ners that were once enslaved and condemned, then
bought by the Son of God, who are to seek their
places at this board, their part in this ordinance.
" Into thy hand I commit my spirit: thou hast re-

140 rORTY-FOUKTH MEDITATION.

deemed me, O Lord God of truth!" Psalm xxxi. 5.
*' Tiiey shall return :" return from their captivity
in the grave. He will say in another world, " Re-
turn, ye children of God." And they "shall come
to Zion;" to the New Jerusalem, to the city of our
God. Now we are travelling towards it. Now
we are incorporated with that society. We have
our freedom, but not our habitation there, being no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God. It
is that Jerusalem from above, which is the mother
of us all. It is pleasant to come to Zion below;
our Lord loves it. But O, how much more do wc
love those heavenly gates! They shall "come
with singing;" making a grand procession with
anthems in their mouths. What melody in each!
What harmony in all! How pleasant to think
of them, not sin^ins with sorrowful and broken

' DO

voices, but in a full harmonious quire! Who
would not wish to have seen Moses and Aaron
leading on the Israelites from Egypt with that
sacred song of triumph? to have heard the poor
slaves, untaught in music, unless by inspiration,
and used rather to groans than songs ; yet on so
sublime an occasion as the deliverance of Israel
and the destruction of Pharaoh, their tongues were
filled with notes of triumph: — it had been pleasant.
But the song of Moses and the Lamb shall be in
another strain. O that we could catch a little of
the echo now! And how shall it end? They shall
march on to heaven? " Lift up your heads, O ye
gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors!"
Psalm xxiv. 7. Everlasting joy is upon their
heads. God pours out the oil of gladness, and its
fragrance is immortal. Sorrow and sio-hinfr were
once familiar, but now they are fled away, for

FORTY-FIFTH MEDITATION. 141

ever discomfited and defeated by the great Captain
of our salvation and his triumphant legions; they
dare not look him in the face, they dare not in-
vade his followers for a moment. How grand
and how delightful an image! And now, Lord,
lead me not forth with the workers of iniquity, but
with this thy people. Methinks that thou hast this
day begun to fulfil this promise. I number myself
among thy redeemed ones. I come to thy Zion
here, I come with pleasure and delight; joy is in
my heart, and a song is in my mouth. Let sor-
row and sighing retire, at least for a while, and
give way to that joy that becomes such a feast.
And thou, sacred Spirit, shed abroad a new effu-
sion of faith, of hope, of love, and joy in my soul.
Come, Lord, for I wait on thee with expectation
and delight.

MEDITATION XLV.

ON THE SACRAMENT, MARCH 11, 1744.

The Church consecrated by the sacrifice of Christ.

Having preached of the power of faith in our
coming to God, I fixed my meditations at the
Lord's table on those words in Peter; " To whom
coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed
of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also,
as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, ac-
ceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5.
I here observed the view wo have of Christ. As
looked upon by the generality of mankind, he is
13

142 FORTY-FIFTH MEDITATION.

" disallowed;" they slight him. Many openly re-
ject his gospel, and oppose it. Others concern
not themselves about it. They do not make him
the foundation of their hopes. Either they have
no foundation at all, no evidences for eternity, or it
is some other foundation, and not Christ. But he
is " chosen of God." So chosen, that the great
God has passed a decree, that if ever any sinful
creature obtains salvation, it should be through
Christ, and as sought by him. If ever the gospel
comes to a man, Christ must be acceptable, or he
shall not have eternal life. Every other founda-
tion shall undoubtedly fail, and the hail shall
sweep it away as a refuge of lies. He is also pre-
cious in the sight of God. In this view, he is
called, '* My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased." Matt. iii. 17. It is pleasant to view
Christ as the foundation of his church: in this
view also the eyes of the Lord are upon him. He
is also precious to every believer; incomparably
so. And they come to him as for something that
passes between Christ and the real Christian. He
speaks to his Lord, speaks to him from the heart,
and is built up as a spiritual house, and as lively
stones. This of natural buildings would be ab-
surd; not so in the spiritual sense. The building
of the Father of spirits, is a spiritual building.
Spirits are active in it. It is their language,
" Lord, let me be laid as a stone in thy house, and
be one of those whom thou wilt condescend to in-
habit as thy temple." The simile is then changed,
and Christians are represented as a holy priest-
hood in this house, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
to God through Christ. They are priests. They
shall be so above. They are so now; and, as
such, holy; they desire to separate themselves

FORTY-SIXTH MEDITATION. 143

from all impurities of flesh and spirit; and they
attend to offer prayers, praises, and alms-deeds.
They are spiritual in all; all is done in the name
and fear of God, from a true spiritual principle,
which engages the heart. And they are accept-
able to God; but it is all through Christ. He is
the Aaron, the representative of the whole body.
And they are chosen in him. And they shall at
length be made priests to keep God's charge, for
he will, as in the promise to Joshua, give them a
place among them that stand by. Zech. iii. 7.
Glorious hope! In the mean time, let us offer the
sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, giving
thanks in his name ; and commemorate that great
priestly act of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which
we are consecrated; and that blood through which
we have boldness to enter into the holy place.

MEDITATION XLVI.

ON THE SACRAMENT, APRIL 8, 1744.

Christians rejoice as they anticipate the second coming
of the Saviour.

Having preached on those words in Jeremiah,
" How shall I put thee among the children," &c.
Jer. iii. 19. I introduced the ordinance with a
meditation on those: "As often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's
death till he come:" 1 Cor. xi. 26; in which I
mentioned two leading thoughts. There is a show-
ing forth of the death of Christ to ourselves, to
affect our own hearts; and to the world, both ene-

144 FORTY-SIXTH MEDITATION.

mies and friends. To ourselves; we represent it
before our own eyes, that our thoughts may bo
fixed upon it, and affected with it: that Christ died;
and that he died thus: that his body was broken,
and that his blood was poured out. So miserable
were we as to need it; — so merciful was our God
as to contrive it ; — so gracious was our blessed
Redeemer as to submit to it. Thus, were we ran-
somed: thus, our best services were purchased:
thus a lasting obligation was laid upon us, an ever-
lasting obligation, which we shall never outlive in
this world or in the next. We show it to our-
selves in this connexion, because we desire to
answer this obligation. We show it forth to
others; to all; to the greatest enemies of Christ.
We are not ashamed of his cross. We do not
desire that his death should be forgotten. It is the
language of this action, that Christ died, and we
would show it forth in the midst of Jews and Mo-
hammedans, though they should deride it. We
show it forth to his friends, hoping it will strike
their hearts. We call on you, who are present, to
look up to it, and to consider it. This was our
Saviour; and not ours alone, but we trust yours
too. Do you not believe it] Do you not consider
it? We also show forth his death till he come. It is
an ordinance always to be continued in the church ;
and the thought of his coming is to be connected
with it. It is an ordinance always to continue in
the church. It has continued a great many ages ;
was instituted probably before the Sabbath, at least
before that illustrious one, when the Holy Ghost
descended from heaven. It will continue to the
end. If it be rooted out in one church and nation,
it will continue in another until the Lord's day bo-
fore the re-appearance of Christ. The last day of

FORTY-SIXTH MEDITATION. 145

the Son of man upon the earth ! And O ! what a
circumstance will that be for Christians not aware
of so sudden a change! Having been at the Lord's
supper on the preceding Sabbath, to see before the
next our Lord Jesus Christ descending in the
clouds of heaven, and to be caught up to meet
him. Surely the pleasure of that interview will
be augmented by the communion they have had
with him on such an occasion as this. We are
also to consider this ordinance in connexion with
the view of his coming. He will surely and
quickly come! Many of our fellow communi-
cants he has come to take to himself. Their
places are empty; or rather, we fill them. So
will ours be emptied, and filled up, I trust, by suc-
cessors. O that there may still be here a seed to
serve Christ, when you and I are in our graves.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judgment, and
we shall be " gathered up together to him." It
will, perhaps, be thirteen or fourteen hundred
years or more before the millennium will be; — but
Christ will then remember us; and remember his
servants who have already been dead almost two
thousand years; — nay, the people of God, who
have been dead much longer. He will lose none,
but raise up all; Christ cannot forget us, and al-
thouf^h our names be forcrotten in the church be-
low, they shall live with him. 0 blessed day! In
the expectation of this, let us, in obedience to his
command, do our part this day towards worthily
transmitting this blessed memorial.

I had afterwards many addresses to the specta-
tors; praying for the absent, and especially for
those who were either confined at home, or absent
in foreign lands.
13*

( 146 )

MEDITATION XLVIL

REMARKS ON WHAT PASSED ON A SACRAMENT DAY, SEPTEM.
BER 13, 1747.

Love and grace of Christ in suffering for guilty man.

I MUST record this day as one of the most blessed
of* my life. God was pleased to meet me in my
secret retirement in the morning, and poured into
my soul such a flood of consolation in the exer-
cises of faith and love, as I was hardly able to
sustain. It would have been a relief to me to have
been able even to have uttered strong cries of joy.
O, how did I then wish for a melodious voice, and
how gladly could I have made earth and heaven
re-echo with praise! Family devotion was unut-
terably sweet; and although the pleasure of my
sermon was much interrupted by an accidental
disorder that happened in my throat while I was
speaking, yet I bless God, that the sacramental
attendance and the evening services were all be-
yond expression sweet. My soul was full of God,
and of heaven.

The scripture on which the meditation turned
was that in 1 Pet. iii. 18, "Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." I cannot ex-
press the view which was given me of the infinite
love and grace of Christ in suffering for our cause
" the just for the unjust," which last circumstance
I was enabled to own before God with great bro-
kenness of heart and unfeigned humility. I ex-
plained the view I then had of the sufferings of
Christ for us; the righteous instead of the un-

FORTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION. 147

righteous ; who thus put himself between the sword
of the Divine justice and our souls. I then rela-
ted the story of the poor negro woman who saved
Captain Falconer, then her husband, by putting
herself betwixt him and the weapon of his enemy,
and receiving the blow at the expense of her own
life; which appeared to me a very affecting cir-
cumstance.

It was that we might be introduced to God, that
he thus suffered. God will not see us, will not
have any intercourse with us, until Christ under-
takes to introduce us; then we are welcome — then
the Father smiles: and this is actually done. Now
we that were once afar off are brought nigh; are
near him as his children ; are the objects of his
love, and brought near to be separated no more.
What shall separate us from the love of God?
Nothing can but sin. The rebels were put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: his
Divine nature raised his human from the grave,
and now he ever lives and reigns.

In breaking the bread, 1 had many sweet medi-
tations, and particularly on those words, " I will
raise him up at the last day." John vi. 39, 40.
And once more, in the compass of a few verses,
" I will raise him up at the last day." O how de-
lightful! our resurrection is secure; we shall be
raised up with, and like our Lord: he shall pre-
sent us together with himself. My soul was even
transported with the hope. This is the promise that
was sealed to me so powerfully in my secret re-
tirement, that it seemed as if I were just going to
receive the full extent of the blessing, and almost
as if the day of the Lord were come.

My heart was strongly drawn out in prayer to
God for my fellow communicants, and for the

148 FORTY-SEVENTH MEDITATION.

spectators ; as it was also in repeating a very af-
fectionate sermon from Christ's invitation, " Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." Matt. xi. 28. I hope
that God blessed it as the means of good to some
persons; and I was particularly desirous that it
might be so to Miss Saunders, the amiable daugh-
ter of my once honoured and beloved friend, for
whom I had the highest regard. Providence has
brought her for awhile under my roof, in circum-
stances that demand my peculiar concern, as she
has fallen into a sad negligence with regard to
religion. My design is, if possible, to draw her to
Christ; and I am in great hopes that God will
favour me so far as to make me the means of
some good to her soul. There is one token for
good; which is, that I have perhaps hardly ever
enjoyed more of the presence of God, especially
in family prayer, than I have done since she came
into the family. I would humbly hope also, that
God is beginning to work, in some degree, upon
the hearts of some of my younger pupils intended
for secular life. On the whole, although I have a
great many circumstances to lament in the con-
gregation, I have a secret hope that God, who thus
quickens my heart, will in due time quicken his
work ; and that, when he has exercised my faith
awhile longer, he will appear to build up our ruins,
and renew the face of the church, as he has in
some measure done that of the Academy, by an ac-
cession of several new pupils, and those very pro-
mising and delightful. At least, I hope that he will
revive religion, more and more, in my heart; and
although 1 have not been without some melancholy
forebodings as to some future trials that may come
upon me, yet I desire to leave myself entirely in

FORTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION. 149

his hands; and, confident of his gracious support,
I would fear none of the things that I may suffer.

MEDITATION XLVIIL

HINTS OF MEDITATIONS ON THE SACRAMENT, FEBRUARY, 1749.

The petitions of a Christian stated and answered.

The subject of my meditation was, " What is thy
petition, and what is thy request?" Esth. vii. 2.
Were we at the banquet of wine of a king, and
might imagine him to be addressing that question
to each; — should we be at a loss for an answer?
No: Lord, that our sins may be forgiven; — all of
them; those since we first entered into covenant
with thee, and those since our last covenant en-
gagements. God answers, " I will be merciful to
their unrighteousness, and their sins and their in-
iquities will I remember no more." Heb. viii. 12.
And what further? — Lord, that all remaining sin
may be rooted out, not only from our actions and
words, but from our thoughts. He will subdue
our iniquities; he will cast sin into the depths of
the sea. " Sin shall not have dominion over you;
for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Rom. vi. 14. And what further? — Lord, that our
souls may be animated in thy service; that we
may have wisdom, and courage, and perseverance.
"I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall
walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord."
Zech. X. 12. And any thing further? — That we
may be enabled to bear up under the burdens and
afllictions of life; not be dismayed and terrified,

150 FORTY-EIGHTH MEDITATION.

but remain calm and composed. "When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow
thee." Isaiah xliii. 2. Let not our Lord be angry,
and we will speak but once more. — That thou wilt
support us in death, and receive us to glory. This
is the great promise, that, after passing through
the dark valley, he will give unto us eternal lite.
All the rest have a reference to this. " Begotten
again to a lively hope," 1 Pet. i. 3; which God
that cannot lie has promised. Lord, 1 have no
more to ask for myself, but for others I have. " O
that Ishmael might live before thee!" Gen. xvii.
18; my companions; my children; every one of
them, from the eldest to the youngest. I cannot
say that it is an absolute promise: but he hath
said "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed."
Gen. xvii. 7. Confirm, O Lord, the pleasing hope,
and accept my grateful vows for the honour of thy
name. O Lord, extend thy gospel here, although
perhaps it may not be immediately among those
whom we are most concerned for, yet, surely,
upon the whole, we have that comfortable promise,
The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth —
a seed shall remain to serve him. Isaiah xi. 9;
Psalm xxii. 30. Lord, we believe that thou hast
granted our petitions: we will turn them into
praise; we will go away as those that have this
cheerful and comfortable hope.

Invitations were then given to the aged and the
young. Here are seasons now of gathering, for
the fruit is ripe! — and of hope, for others are
coming forward with the favourable gale of youth:
may they steer into this peaceful harbour.

( 151 )

MEDITATION XLIX.

HINTS OF THE SACRAMENT, IN MARCH, 1749.

Christians are inoffensive^ and benevolent in thought and
deed.

Having preached on God's gathering together in
one all things in Jesus Christ, I added a meditation
on these words, " That we should be to the praise
of his glory." Eph. i. 12. I considered how we
might be so. By celebrating his praise with our
voices — and by showing forth his praise in our
lives. I touched in the former on the error of
those who deny singing, and pressed the propriety
of allowing a proper proportion of praise in public
worship at all times, especially on Sabbath and
sacrament days. O that God would give more of
his Spirit to excite praise! I then insisted on the
duty of showing it forth by an inoffensive, exem-
plary, and useful conversation. Inoffensive: ob-
serve what it is that gives offence and occasions
reproach. Intemperance; being absent from ordi-
nances; covetousness ; pride; censoriousness. I
then urged an exemplary behaviour, so that men
might learn by us, and so that, if we were in a
country where our language could not be under-
stood, yet that by our good behaviour the natives
might learn how they should behave themselves to
us. Endeavour to be useful; — do good by diffu-
sive bounty. Many poor want your assistance:
give it to them. Do not indulge temptations of a
sophistical nature, and so, instead of relieving the
poor, find out artful reasons why thoy should not
be relieved. Think of good to be done to the souls
of companions; ofcliildren; of servants; of friends:

152 FIFTIETH MEDITATION.

abound in this work, and remember that your op-
portunities lie but within a little space.

I said but little, particularly in breaking the
bread. Before giving the cup, I urged them to
lift up their hearts to God, that if he offered it they
might see it as offered by his hand, and might take
it. May the mercy of the Lord pardon those who
neglect his grace.

MEDITATION L.

HINTS OF THE SACRAMENT, IN APRIL, 1749.

Christ will not desert his people in times of sorrow and of
trial.

I HAD some remarkable enjoyment yesterday and
this morning, and a charming season in attending
Mr. Robinson, after preaching from Isaiah xliii.
1,2," Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O
Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear
not : for I have redeemed thee." I introduced the
Lord's supper with Isaiah xlix. 13, " Sing, O hea-
vens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into
singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comfort-
ed his people, and will have mercy upon his afflict-
ed." The words express a most affectionate rap-
ture; and as if the prophet was not himself suffi-
ciently able to express his joy, he calls upon inani-
mate nature. Let the mountains re-echo it down-
wards to the earth, and upwards to heaven, and
thus let it excite our songs. Let celestial music in
all its charms be employed to celebrate it. To
celebrate what? — the deliverance from Babylon?
If it were so, how poor to our triumph ! — to come
back to an earthly Canaan, where some of their

FIFTIETH MEDITATION. 153

fathers, some of their grandfathers had lived;
where so many risks were to be run, and so
many conveniences were to be resigned, that the
greater part, when they had hberty to do so, still
chose to reside at Babylon. If those who returned
had occasion to weep the diminished glory of their
temple, how much more cause have we !

"The Lord hath comforted his people." He has
a people; and if he sees them in places that need
comfort, he provides it. Who else could have
comforted but the Lord? Had we understood our
true case, we might have derived joy from every
circumstance that had given us affliction. Was it
bodily pain, gout, or stone? could it be scarcely
endured only for a few days? O, what would it
be to endure such anguish and agony for ever! If
it be grievous to support the distress of a wounded
spirit but for a little while, what are the agonies
of eternal despair ! If the loss of a friend be
grievous, what must be the everlasting loss and
absence of God! If I grieve to see a dear child
in pain, what must it be to behold all that are dear
to me in torment! O, what must the situation of
my mind be, if I can behold this with a strange
kind of pleasure, rather than with sympathy! If
the insults of enemies be in any degree grievous,
what must the scorn and insults of infernal spirits
be, wherewith they shall seize me as their helpless
prey, and cry, "There shall be no deliverer!"
Thus might we have argued, had not redemption
taken place; and what, then, should comfort us,
but this, " I, even I, am he," saith the Lord, " that
comforteth you?" Isaiah li. 12. I speak forgive-
ness and peace; and then, who shall give trouble?
He speaks it through Christ; and by this memo-
rial of the Saviour's love, he will have mercy on
14

154 FIFTIETH MEDITATION.

his afflicted servants. His people may be afflicted,
as in my text, they may pass through the fire and
the water; but still He has mercy; he will sup-
port them, and that wonderfully. " Unto the up-
right there ariseth light in the darkness." Psalm
cxii. 4. Have we not experienced it? Have we
not found the blessed interposition, when He has
commanded it? — when, bewildered in midnight ob-
scurity, we have perceived a sudden light arise in
the mind, we knew not whence, or how, and as
if day was born from the womb of night ! He
will deliver them certainly, and speedily ; — deliver
them from death; — for what is human life, and
how many years can remain of it? He will de-
liver them from all their afflictions: He will
wipe off every tear; He will not merely put off
their sackcloth, in which they lay down in the
dress of death, but he will gird them with glad-
ness. Therefore, O Sion, sing of his goodness.
Sa)^ not, my God has forsaken me. Say rather,
that he will never forsake me; he will multiply
his comforts until he completes my deliverance.

In the administration of the elements, 1 ob-
served— What if Christ were here in person, and
said, " Let all that love me, all that trust in me,
all that believe in me, and obey me, come down
and take their seats at the table, and let the rest
stay." What would you answer? Perhaps, "Lord,
I desire to love thee. Lord, take away every thing
in my heart that opposes." Well, all shall be well.
That desire shows that thou art his, and that thou
hast a right to be here, whatever thou mayest con-
ceive of the matter.

( 155 )

MEDITATION LI.

ON THE SACRAMENT, APRIL 8, 1750.

The Christian qtiestioned as to the charges which the
Saviour might have against him.

I rNTRODucED the ordinance with these words,
" Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee."
Rev. ii. 4. I — who? Our Lord Jesus Christ, who
holds the stars in his right hand, who walks among
the seven golden candlesticks — he had something
against them; though their labour, patience, and
zeal are so honourably commemorated. We may
emulate them, and say, O that it were with us as
with them! Yet Christ had something against
them. Then we should surely inquire, whether
he has not something against us. And what can
we imagine it to be? Is it with regard to secret
devotion? not that we omit it; but then, that it is
carelessly performed, hurried into hasty moments.
Is it in our family? not that we are guilty of the
great wickedness of omitting prayer; but then, it
has degenerated into a form. Is it that we have
little concern about the souls committed to our care
— our children, our servants, or our friends? Is it
that we are wanting in charity? whether in can-
dour, by finding fault with the characters of others,
and presuming to censure them, when perhaps they
are better than ourselves? or that we want charity
to the bodies of others — that we have not set apart
a portion of our substance, as many do; that we
do not look into their cases, that we do not care to
hear of their sorrows, but are ingenious to find out
excuses for blaming, instead of pitying and reliev-

156 FIFTY-SECOND MEDITATION.

ing them? Is it attachment to this world; either
to its honours, its profits, or its pleasures'? Is it
the loss of our first love? How unreasonable!
why should we love Christ less than we did when
he first formed an acquaintance with our souls? —
has he not rather bestowed more and greater fa-
vours upon us? Well then, let us own that, what-
ever he has against us, we are inexcusable.

And to you, spectators; has he not something
against you! — even this single circumstance, that
5'ou attend not upon his table, although you have
had so many engagements and invitations; al-
though so many have testified to the refreshments
they have received, which testimony we now re-
peat. What, then, is to be done? If thy brother
has aught against thee, go and be reconciled;
much more is it to be reconciled here. But you
need not go, for, lo, he is here! Pour out your
hearts before him, and say. Blessed Jesus, I re-
pent; forgive me, and give me grace for the future
to walk more consistently with thee. If thou hast
any thing more against me. Lord, make me to
know it, and I will gladly renounce it. Lord, I
can relish nothing while thou hast aught against
me.

MEDITATION LII.

HINTS OF MKDITATIONS AT THE SACRAMENT, OCTOBER 7, 1750.

The believer rendered ultimately secure from death and sin

I INTRODUCED the Ordinance with a meditation on
Jer. i. 20, " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought

PIFTY-SECOND MEDITATION. 157

for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Ju-
dah, and they shall not be found: for I will par-
don them whom I reserve." A promise relating
to the re-admission of the Israelites into the char-
ter of salvation, and therefore common to Chris-
tians. God will pardon them more fully. It im-
plies, that if sin were sought for, there should be
no trace found. This may refer to the mark of
the curse upon them, when the blood of Christ lay
on them, and on their children. God would do it
entirely away; and so he does with respect to all
believers. As yet we see not all things put under
his feet, although it is said they shall be. We
see not all the sins of Judah and of Israel done
away — or of God's people; they are under some
remaining tokens of sin; and of these, are all dis-
tempers, all the deaths of children, and all other
calamities. Yet soon shall their separate spirits
be dismissed; and then, with regard to them, there
will not be a mark of sin remaining! God never
joined a rational soul to a body for a punishment:
it was a token of his favour, to bestow instruments
of action, and of happiness. Death never came
otherwise than as the wages of sin, actual or im-
puted; therefore we must consider souls in sepa-
rate abodes, even in abodes of glory, as under
some remembrance of sin; that is only to be
done away by the resurrection. Never did any
sinful creature appear in the likeness of such
bodies; we are not then, as servants of Christ, in
the likeness of sinful, but of sinless flesh. Death
and sin shall then be swallowed up in victory!
And God says, "I will pardon those whom I re-
serve;" intimating, that it was in consequence of
his reservation that they were pardoned. He re-
serves them as a little remnant from destruction:
14*

158 FIFTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

except the Lord had chosen them they would have
been cut off as was Sodom, where there was no
remnant. He preserves them as a remnant re-
maining according to the election of grace. We
are a remnant. We might have been cut off un-
converted. God has spared, has reserved us.
Adore his name, and trust in him to abolish all
remaining memorials of sin. And, O! rejoice in
the pardon. Blessed is the man whose iniquity is
pardoned. Psalm xxxii. 1, 2; Rom. iv. 7, 8. Is
not ours? Are we not receiving the pardon? Let
us trust in Christ. And, O, let us rejoice!

After breaking the bread, in which I repeated
the heads of the sermon, I had an affecting repre-
sentation of my heart's desire, and prayed for
every one of my people, and for each of my hear-
ers.

MEDITATION LIU.

AT THE SACRAMENT, JUNE 2, 1751.*

Of the Christian's sdf-dedication to the Saviour.

Haviivg preached from these words, in Hebrews,
*'Ye are come to the general assembly, &c., Heb.
xii. 22,- 23, J introduced the Lord's supper with
Isa, xliv. 3, 5, "For I will pour water upon him
that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I
will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my bless-
ing upon thine offspring. — One shall say I am the
Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name

* Dr. Doddridge died in his forty-ninth year, October
27, 1751.

FIFTY-THIRD MEDITATION. 159

of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand
unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name
of Israel." Concerning this, I observed, what is
the general character of believers, and the particu-
lar circumstances of those to whom the promise is
made. It is given to Christians, saying, ''I am
the Lord's;" to those who confess that they are
his property, and that at his disposal they are
willing entirely and absolutely to be. " I am the
Lord's:" I, and all that I have; every possession;
every relative hope; every concern: "Not as I
will, but as thou wilt." Matt. xxvi. 39. " Another
shall call himself by the name of Jacob." — What!
although it be a despised remnant; although there
should not be one rich, polite, or learned person
belonging to it, yet are they God's people; — they
are the seed of those who love and serve him, and
who delight themselves in him. A third shall
" subscribe with his hand to the Lord." This
some then present actually did. It signifies giving
a public token of devotedness to God, and we do
the same thing when we come to the Lord's table.
In breaking the bread, I observed. Here is the
effect of the sacrifice. What was the cause? The
pouring forth of the Spirit and the blessing, for all
things are of God. Let us own the cause wher-
ever we see the effect, and look to the cause when-
ever we desire to sec it, and be more earnest with
God for the pouring out of his Spirit. Consider
this text as especially illustrated in reference to
those who are (he seed and offspring of the church ;
for among them generally the seed of the future
church is to be found, which may bo an encour-
agement to parents, and children, and to ministers.
Let us thank God, wherever we see it, and bless
God, that he has thus far heard our prayers, and

160 FIFTY-THIRD MEDITATION.

succeeded our pious cares. And where we do not
as yet see it, let us wait and hope; and renew our
supplications in favour of our remaining seed, and
for each other; and especially for those who have
not as yet seen any thing of this kind, which must
be to them a source of great grief: — but let us here
give a solemn charge that all walk suitably.

At the conclusion, I spoke of the shedding of
the blood of Christ; and before taking the cup, I
gave a solemn address to Him as holding the seven
stars in his hand, and walking among the seven
golden candlesticks. Rev. i. 20.

THE END.

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