deed, and his blood is drink indeed. Look well to the end of the institution. It was not only to remind thee of, but also to convey to thee, all the blessings of that one offering, which perfects for ever. It was to teach thee, that thy spiritual life, and every grace and comfort of it are as dependant upon Christ crucified, as the life of thy body is upon the meat and drink of this world. Thy life comes from his death. Thy life is nourished by feeding upon Christ thy passover, who was sacrificed for thee. He intended by the bread to point out unto thee his body, and by the wine his blood -by eating and drinking them, thy taking and living upon him-by thy bodily support received from them, the nourishment of thy soul by eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He would have thee to look through the signs to the things sanctified. Thou art not to rest in the outward act, but to rest in the promise in the word of God. Thy faith is not to be exercised about the Lord's supper as a duty; but it is to be exercised upon his word; and what he has therein promised to make it, that thou art to expect in taking it. He appointed it to be the means of communicating with him, and of thy enjoying fellowship with him in his sufferings. It is a spiritual believing act, in which thou art invited to partake of the paschal lamb. It is the Lord's passover; and will certainly answer every purpose, for which he instituted it. He appointed it to be the means of safety from the destroyer, of deliverance from bondage, of free and full forgiveness of all sins, of an happy passage through the Red Sea, and of the everlasting possession of the promised inheritance. For these gracious purposes the Father's love gave his Son to be a lamb slain, and then a lamb feasted on: and the Holy Spirit makes it a feast indeed. It is to the believing receiver spiritually, whatever the passover was to the Jews on their coming out of Egypt. It is a communion with the blessed Trinity-with the Father for providing such a banquet of love with the Son for giving himself to be a lamb slain, and to be a spiritual repast to

his people in earth and in heaven-with the Holy Spirit for rendering the bread which is broken the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup of blessing the communion of the blood of Christ, communion signifies union with-the believer united to Christ-one with Christ-a member in his body, lives in him, and on him, has communications of life, nourishment, strength, comfort, &c. as the members have from their union with the head. He has a real inward fellowship with Jesus, in his cross and passion, in his resurrection and ascension, in his intercession and sitting at the right hand of the majesty on high. He communicates now with Jesus in all the blessings of his Father's love, and will communicate with him in all his Father's glory. O what a privilege is the Lord's Supper, when it is thus the means of communion with the Son, and with his Father through the Spirit! What an honour is it to be admitted to a feast instituted by the Lamb of God, and for the enjoyment of the love of God! What a blessing is it to sit down now to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and to partake by faith of its spiritual realities and delights! There is nothing beyond this upon earth, and it has sometimes been to the believing receiver a foretaste of heaven. Yes, blessed be God, it has been, even to thee, O my soul, unworthy as thou art of one crumb from the Master's table, a feast of fat things, of wines kept, even of fat things full of marrow, of wines kept, and well refined. And when thou hast not been so highly feasted, yet thou hast enjoyed solid communion. Partaking of the bread and wine according to the Lord's institution, and depending on the Lord's promise, thou hast been fed and nourished at his table. The virtue of the Spirit has been put forth in thy heart, and thou hast as truly by faith eat the flesh, and drank the blood of the Son of man as thou didst eat the bread and drink the wine. It was strictly speaking a communion: being united to Christ, thou wast a partaker of Christ, and hadst fellowship with him in his life and death. O pray for more of this.

Beg of the Holy Spirit to increase thy communion with Jesus, that thou mayest live more in him and on him, and thereby enjoy more of the love of thy heavenly Father. Plead his promise, and expect the fulfilling of it: "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood "dwelleth in me, and I in him; As the living Father "hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that “eateth me, even he shall live by me," John vi. 56, 57. Viewing the duties of the first table in this light, how exalted are they, and spiritual! What a glory does it put upon them, that the believer has fellowship with the eternal Three, and in prayer, and praise, in hearing and reading the word, and at the Lord's Supper he enjoys their covenant mercies, partaking of them now as really by faith, as ever he will by sense in heaven! The law written and engraven in stones was glorious, but the law thus written upon his heart excelleth in glory. The two first tables of stone were broken, the other two are lost; but no time shall deface the writing of the Holy Spirit. The new heart, turned in love to God, shall keep his impression for ever. Faith should rest securely upon this: because he has undertaken to abide for ever with his own people, that the purposes of the Father's love, and the blessings of the Son's salvation may be always enjoyed by them. In remembrance of this great truth they keep the

LORD'S-DAY. They rest on it from labour, declaring thereby their belief of the rest, which the eternal Three have provided in Jesus-a rest in their souls-given without their labour and pains-secured to them by covenant-kept for them by almighty power-a sabbath remaining for the people of God, into which they shall as certainly enter, as Jesus their forerunner is entered. Sabbath signifies a day of rest. It was set apart in memory of God's finishing the works of the first creation: and is observed now in memory of his finishing the works of the new creation. The end for which the world was made will be answered soon; and then it, and all the works therein shall be burnt up, and the

66

"And

place of them found no more: but the glorious work of the God-man shall endure for ever. In honour of this greatest work of God we keep the Lord's-day. It is his Sabbath-a day eternally famous for his finishing the work of salvation, and entering into his rest. we who have believed, says the apostle, do enter into "rest." We do enter into it now by faith, and we share with him in his Sabbath. The atonement which he made, the righteousness which he wrought out, the victory which he obtained, the works which he perfected for ever, and the glory which he now inherits, we enjoy at present by believing, and enter upon the possession of them. According to our faith, such is our rest. He that believes without doubt or wavering in the finished salvation of Jesus, he will have the peace of God ruling in his conscience, he will experience the perfect love of God to him, which will make him rest in his love to God, and then he will delight himself in the ways of God. This is the Christian sabbath. consists in resting upon Jesus, and in depending upon his having finished the works of redemption, and then in living upon them for our souls, as much as we do upon the works of creation for our bodies.

It

Sweet is the day of rest, spent in this holy employment. Happy time! set apart for spiritual intercourse with God, and consecrated for keeping up fellowship with him in his fatherly love in Jesus, and for receiving from him communications of his graces and blessings. Thrice happy day! in which this fellowship is kept up and these graces and blessings are enjoyed. By this heavenly converse the inward man is renewed with growing strength: his faculties are enlarged; and their happiness is increased. By which means he comes nearer to the spiritual rest of the heavenly sabbath. He calls it his delight, holy of the Lord, honourable; because the end of its institution is answered to him, and he has on it happy communion with his God. When he draws near to God in his appointed ways, he finds God in them, and experiences his loving kindness, which is

better than life itself. Blessed is the man, who is thus highly favoured. He enters within the vail into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, and finds a most loving Father upon a throne of grace. throne of grace. In every service on the Lord's day, he seeks a more intimate acquaintance and more spiritual fellowship with him. His very heart is engaged in this work. His soul thirsteth, and his very flesh longeth to meet God, as he has met him in the sanctuary. Therein he has found communications of grace, which have rendered the ordinances delightful indeed. He rejoices in hopes of meeting God and of drawing near to him in prayer, of praising him still more and more for his abundant mercies, of hearing the reviving sound of gospel grace, and of everlasting love, and of receiving it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God, and of sitting down to the banquet of heaven in communion with Christ crucified, through him partaking of the Father's love by the Spirit's influence. Blessed is he of the Lord, who is thus spiritual in sabbath duties. By keeping up constant communion with God in them his blessedness is increasing. He is already in possession of the same things which his elder brethren are enjoying in heaven; and he will become more heavenly minded, while he maintains daily fellowship with the eternal Three in their covenant offices and blessings.

Consider, O my soul, that these privileges are thine. Look well to thine improvement of them. Remember, thou art already by believing entered into rest. Thy sabbath is begun a day whose sun shall never setwhose glory shall shine brighter for evermore. May thine enjoyment of this rest, which is so glorious, be growing, until thou attain to the eternal sabbath. O pray thy Lord to lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, to vouchsafe thee more of the love of his heart and more of the bounty of his hand, more communion with him, and more communications from him, that thou mayest be growing up into Jesus in all things,