7thly. A refolute adhering to Chrift by faith under trials, is moft pleafing and acceptable to him; as when we perfevere in the ufe of means when fuccefs is fmall, when we depend upon his promife, and look to his power; when under the darkest difpenfation we watch over our hearts and fteps, that they do not decline from his ways, as thefe in Pfal. xliv. 17, 18. And glory to him that gives us fuch encouragement for this refolute adherence to him, as the mercifulnets of his nature, and his faithfulness, which affure us there is more good will in his heart than is vifible in his dealings: and that his providence will never give his word the lie. He gives in fecret ftrength to his people to adhere to him, when he feems moft oppofite to them, as he did to this woman. He loves to bring about his people's mercies by means improbable and contrary, to glorify his wif dom. He delights to bring light out of darkness.

8thly, Great will the reward at laft be of the believ er's faith, humility and perfeverance in prayer; for, faith Chrift at length, v. 28. O woman great is thy faith;

be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

MEDITATION X.

From I COR. ii. 24. This do in remembrance of me.

O MY foul, here is a folemn ordinance inftituted for keeping up the remembrance of a crucified Jefus ; and behold it was appointed by himfelf, when he was just a going to do more for us than all the angels in heaven could have done, even to make atonement for our fins by his death and fufferings: and he twice repeats his dying charge to us, v. 24 and 25. This do, this do je. Men ufed to regard the commands of their dying friends, and perform their wills religiously; and fhall not I with pleasure obey the will and command of a dying Redeemer, when the thing is fo eafy and agreeable, to eat and drink at his table in remembrance of him? If I forget

thee, O friend of finners, let my right hand forget its cunning, &c. Our loving Redeemer well knew the treachery of our memories, the worldlinefs of our hearts, and inconftancy of our affections, that we would be ready to let his death and love flip out of our thoughts, and therefore he would have the figns of his fufferings frequently prefented to our eyes. Alas! for the curfed ingratitude of my heart, that is so apt to forget him that remembered me when there was none to pity me; but glory to him that takes fuch pains to cure my forgetfulnefs, by fetting forth Chrift crucified fo evidently be fore my eyes in the broken bread and poured out wine in the facrament. I look upon this ordinance as a vifible representation and commemoration of my Saviour's death and fufferings for his people, which he will have continued till he come again to judgment. It is like a marble pillar fet up upon his grave, with an infcription bearing account of his glorious achievements and mighty deeds, his glorious fufferings, conflicts, and victories for his people. Wherefore, as oft as he calls me, I will go thither, and put all the honour and refpect I can upon my kind benefactor: I will remember his love, proclaim his worth, and publish his praifes. I'll hereby own myself before the world to be one of his difciples, and a follower of the Lamb. I'll declare my abhorrence of fin that pierced him, and my gratitude to the Lamb for the atoning facrifice he offered up for me upon the crofs. I'll triumph in this as the only ground of my hope. I'll put the crown on his head, and caft all my crowns down at his feet, and cry Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, and has redeemed me from my fins by his blood; worthy is he to receive all honour, power, glory, and dominion, for ever and ever.

Glory to my dear Saviour, that feeks no greater return for all his labour of love, than a thankful remembrance of it at his table. Oh, fhould I grudge to give fuch a final return to him that fuffered the pains of death and hell for me! Had he bid me facrifice my first born, and give al! I have to the poor, or go in pil

grimage to the Holy Land to vifit his fepulchre, or go to the top of Mount Calvary where the crofs ftood, as a token of thankfulness for his love, could I have refused it? But he puts me to no fuch hard task. Lord, thou bids me not go to a bloody fcaffold to remember thee, but to a well covered table to do it. Thou bids me not go there to bleed or burn for thee, but to eat and drink; not the bread of affliction, or water of adverfity, but bread that ftrengthens the heart, and wine that cheers the drooping fpirit, bread and wine which thou haft fanctified and bleffed for me. Surely, O dear Saviour, I owe my life to thee, nay a thoufand lives if I had them; but it is not my life, but my memory and thoughts thou art calling for; it is not to die for thee, but to remember thee. Didst thou drink the cup of wrath on the cross for me, and will not I drink a cup of bleffing at thy table for thee, nay for myself, and for my eternal falvation?

Let me go then to this holy table, with faith, love, and thankfulness, to remember Chrift and his dying love; as he commands me. And while I remember him, let me alfo receive and embrace him as my bleed. ing High Prieft in the arms of my faith, and at the fame time throw my guilty foul into his wounded arms, for faving me from wrath. Let me go and remember the woundings and piercings of my Kedeemer, with a pierced and wounded heart for these curfed fins, which nailed and killed the Prince of Life. Let me henceforth be the death of fin, which was the death of my dear Saviour. Oh, fhall I fuffer fin to live any longer in me, that would not fuffer my Redeemer to live in the world?

But let me confider my High Prieft before hand, and what of his fufferings I fhould remember at his table. I'll remember how the glorious heir of all things denuded himself of his riches and glory, how he left his throne of majesty to lodge in a virgin's womb: yea, to be born among beafts, and cradled in a manger, for fuch a worm as me! I'll remember how he was attacked by

the devil, contradicted by finners, and reproached by the world for my fake! I'll remember how forrowful his foul was in the garden, when the bitter cup was put in his hand; and how he fweat, how he prayed, how he fell to the ground, till he was quite overwhelmed with wrath, and covered with his own blood, for my fake! I'll remember how he was fold for a fmall price, and bafely betrayed by Judas; how he was taken by the foldiers, tied as a malefactor with cords, denied by Peter, forfaken by all his difciples, and left alone among his cruel and infulting enemies. I'll remember how he was blindfolded, mocked, fpit upon, buffeted, and affronted by ruffians a whole night, and patiently fuffered all for my fake. I'll remember how his lovely countenance was disfigured with blows, and the plucking the hair off his cheeks; and how the sweetest face ever the fun faw, was all befmeared with blood and fpitting for my fake. I'll remember how he that clothes the lillies of the field, was himself ftripped na ked, bound to a pillar, and cruelly fcourged, till thes pavement of Pilate's judgment-hall, was all bedewed with his precious blood. I'll remember how the crown of thorns was plaited with the fharp points turned inward, put upon his head, and driven into his temple, with a reed, till they pierced his fkull in many places, and a new fhower of blood run down his blessed neck. I'll remember how the heavy cross-tree was laid upon his fcourged and bleeding shoulders, and he made to carry it through the streets of Jerufalem, forth of the gates, and up mount Calvary, to the place of execu tion, until his strength was spent, and he foundered under the burden. I'll remember how the cross-tree was laid down and my Saviour ftripped naked, and ftretched out upon it as a rack; and how he was faftened to it with four big iron nails through his hands and feet, and the crofs lifted up and let fall into a deep hole digged for the foot of it, to the violent rending and widening of his facred wounds, by which he hung,

E

until all his blood streamed forth at them, and he expired amidst the most exquifite tortures.

I'll remember alfo the fufferings of his foul at that time, when the Lord ran upon him as a giant, and made his foul the butt of his envenomed arrows, the poifon whereof drank up his fpirits, until his ftrength was dried up like a potfherd. I'll remember how his foul was troubled and nonpluffed at the diftant profpect of this cup; and how fore amazed he was foon after when it was put into his hand. I'll remember how the tafting of it caft him into a bloody fweat and agony, which dyed his garments red, and bedewed the ground where he lay. I'll remember how he was broken with breach upon breach, till all the fea-billows of divine vengeance went over him, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah was made to roar under the ftrokes and bruifes of the Aaming fword, Pfal. xxii. 1. I'll remenber the dreadful hidings of God's face he lay under, until he was made to cry, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? I'll remember the inexorablenels of divine juftice, that would not spare him one stripe, bate him one farthing of the debt, nor one drop of the cup, fo that he drank till he cried, It is finished, and gave up the ghost. Glory to him for his love in finishing the work.

MEDITATION XI. .

From PHILIP. i. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two.

As the Apostle was in a ftrait whether to chufe to die or to live, so am I in a strait whether to go to the Lord's table, or to ftay back. Now, thou calleft me, Lord, to celebrate the memorial of thy death, yea, to feast with thee at thy holy tabie, and I know not what to chufe; I am in a ftrait betwixt two. My heart is fo unholy, and my unworthinefs fo great, I tremble to go forward to feaft with a God fo holy, and whofe purity