粥 SERMON I MATTH. xxvi. 26, 27, 28. AND AS THEY WERE EATING, JESUS T HE foundation of the holy Rite here inftituted is this, which is indeed the great doctrine of the Chriftian religion, That our Saviour Chrift, U 2 both Commu nion Ser. God vice. John xvii. 5. 3. God and Man, did humble himself even to the death upon the cross for us miferable finners. He was in glory with the Father before John i., the world was. He was in the beginning with God, and was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Such was his ftate of divine happiness and glory. On the other hand, man was fallen from that degree of earthly comforts and enjoyments, in which this Divine Word had placed him, into a state of labour, forrow, diseases, and death, by the fin of our first parents; and was also liable to the fentence of eternal condemnation, to be pronounced by the juft judgment of Almighty God upon every wilful trans greffor. He was in the poffeffion of unutterable glory and felicity; we were overwhelmed in misery, and devoted to deftruction. But But behold the love of God! He lays afide his divine perfections, and clothes himself with our infirmities. He haftens to our deliverance; takes upon him our flesh; he lives in the form and fashion of a man amongst us; in a station of labour and indigence; doing good continually, fuffering reproach and wrong; and at laft is put to death unjustly, scornfully, and cruelly; by his own creatures, for whofe fake alfo he had thus abased himself. All this he willingly undergoes, to do the will of his Father; to fulfil the Scriptures that thus it must be; to teach us the way that leadeth to eternal blifs; to give us an example of goodness and patience; and to make atonement by his fufferings for our fins. nion Ser In the fame night in which he was be- Commutrayed, he took bread, and when he had vice. given thanks, he brake it and gave it to his difciples, faying, Take, eat, this is my body, 1 which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Imagine you see our Divine Redeemer fitting with his difciples at his laft fupper, and hear him addreffing himself to them in the following manner. The folemn ceremonies which I and you are now obferving, are memorials, you know, of a great event which happened many ages ago to your forefathers: this lamb before us is the reprefentation of that which was flain and eaten by them in Egypt. Come, I will institute a new rite, to be kept in remembrance of what fhall immediately befal myself, on your account. Before the evening and the morning fhall conclude the prefent day, this body of mine fhall be delivered into the hands of men; and they fhall wound, and pierce, and kill it. I take this bread into my hands, and break it to pieces: take, eat; it is my body body which is given for you. By this token you shall keep in memory and represent to all ages unto the end of the world, this precious facrifice, fore-ordained 1 Pet. i. before the foundation of it, and now going to be offered for your fake. 19, 20, 24. My Father, who is in heaven, loves me, his own, and only begotten Son, with a tender and unparalleled affection. He loved me before the foundation of the John xvii. world. And though I indeed was, and `am willing to fuffer, yet would he not have fent me down into this state of hu miliation, to undergo the fufferings and death which are even now preparing for me, if he had not alfo loved you, and had compaffion on you, though enemies to him by evil works, and dead in trefpaffes and fins. For God indeed is Love. It is the chief part of his very nature, which it is poffible for you to comprehend, and to imitate. Love him therefore, who is Love, with all your heart |