not alone; for their love is spoken of in the highest terms. To all who do not receive the Word in love, it is the savour of the second death.-2 Thess. ii. 10.

Obs. 304.-That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives.

1. We must lay up the Word in our hearts. The understanding must be exercised about the knowledge of it; the will must be exercised about complying with it in all its parts; the affections must be fixed upon it; and the memory must retain it. Without all this, it cannot be said to be laid up in our hearts.-Psal. cxix. 11; Heb. ii. 1. Closely connected with laying up the Word in our hearts, is the exercise of meditation upon what has been spoken, or upon what we may have read or heard read.-Psal. i. 2.

2. We must practise the Word in our lives. This is the great end of the former exercises. To practise the Word in our lives, is to have a conversation in word and deed becoming the Gospel-to have the outward and inward man regulated according to the unerring Word of God.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The value of the Word of God; and the respect which we ought to pay to it. 2. The danger of disregarding it. 3. That there is much necessary on our part that we may understand the Word; but that nothing will prove effectual without the Spirit. 4. The necessity of fear and reverence in reading the Word; and the danger of the want of these. 5. The necessity of faith and love when we read or hear the Word. 6. The necessity of laying it up in our hearts, meditating upon it, and reducing it to practice. 7. That the outward performance avails nothing, if the heart is not engaged.---Isa. xxix. 13.

OF THE SACRAMENTS AS MEANS OF GRACE-UNDER WHICH ARE

CONSIDERED THE NATURE AND EFFICACY, ETC., OF THE
SACRAMENTS INSTITUTED UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT
DISPENSATION.

Of the Nature of the Sacraments.

A Sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That the sacraments are holy ordinances. 1 Cor. x. 21. "Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."

2. That the sacrament of baptism was instituted by Christ. Matt. xxviii. 19.-" Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them.”

3. That the sacrament of the Supper was instituted by Christ. Matt. xxvi. 26, 27.-" And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body. he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it."

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And

4. That Christ is represented by sensible signs in the sacrament of baptism. Rom. vi. 3, 4.—“ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death."

5. That Christ is represented by sensible signs in the sacrament of the Supper. 1 Cor. xi. 24.-" This is my body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me."

6. That the benefits of the new covenant are represented in the sacraments. John vi. 53, 54.-"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life."

7. That Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are sealed to believers in the sacraments. Rom. iv. 11.—“ He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised."

8. That Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are applied to believers in the sacraments. John vi. 56, 57.— "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."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 305.—The sacraments are holy ordinances instituted by Christ.

The word sacrament is of Latin origin; and it was anciently used by the Romans to signify their military oath, or that oath by which their soldiers bound themselves to be true and faithful to their generals, and not to desert their standard in the day of danger. This oath, then, implied obedience to their superiors in all things connected with the military art; and disobedience no sooner appeared in any of those who had taken this oath, than they discovered to all around them that they had perjured themselves. In this view, a sacrament signifies not only something that is sacred, but also on our part, a solemn engagement to be the Lord's. And if the ancient oath, denoted by the word sacrament, was reciprocal or mutual,—that is, if the Roman generals bound themselves to be true to their soldiers, as they did to be faithful to them; we have exactly the same thing pointed out to us with reference to the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ. He engages himself to us as such; and we also engage to be his--to be for him and not for another.

The author of the ordinances, called sacraments, is Jesus Christ. Every ordinance in the Christian Church, that is a means of salvation or of comfort, must derive its origin from him, because he alone is the King and Head of the Church 66 given to be head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." That, then, which makes a sacrament, is his word of institution.

It is necessary to have the express and immediate warrant of Christ respecting a sacrament, for the following reasons:1. Because otherwise it would not deserve the name of a sacrament. And hence we find that the apostle told the Corinthians, that he received the institution of the Lord's Supper immediately from Christ himself.-1 Cor. xi. 23. 2. The sacraments have a respect unto the covenant. But none can appoint the seals of the covenant, which the sacraments are, but Christ, who is the representative of the covenant, and who, as such, hath fulfilled its condition. All the promises of the covenant are in Him yea and amen, to the

glory of God the Father. But who can seal the promises but Christ? 3. The sacraments have a respect to the house of God, the worship of God, and the divine glory. None, therefore, can appoint them but Christ, who above all things sought his Father's glory. And hence we find that his authority is visibly stamped upon both the sacraments of the New Testament.-Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, and xxvi. 26, 27; 1 Cor. xi. 23.

Obs. 306.-The sacraments consist of two parts-an outward and sensible sign, and an inward and spiritual grace.

1. The outward and sensible sign is something that we can see or perceive by our senses; and it must be of Christ's own appointment. Thus, the element used in baptism is water, which is visible to us; and the elements used in the Lord's Supper are bread and wine, which are also visible, and which we can handle and taste. And this is one of the principal parts of a sacrament, immediately appointed by Christ. But connected with the elements, there are also what are called sacramental actions, which cannot properly be considered as distinct from the elements, because they are exercised about them; and both constitute but one outward sign or part of a sacrament.

2. The inward and spiritual grace is that which is signified by the visible or sensible signs. And without a participation of this spiritual grace, the sacraments are but a mere shadow without a substance.-See Matt. iii. 11; Rom. ii. 28, 29.

Obs. 307.-The end or design of the sacraments is, to represent Christ and the benefits of the new covenant, and to seal and apply them to believers.

1. The sacraments are designed to represent Christ and the benefits of the new covenant. As Christ is the great spiritual blessing represented in the sacraments, there must be a spiritual relation between the sign and the thing signified thereby; the consequence of which union is, that the names and effects of the one are applied to the names and effects of the other. Without such a spiritual relation, there would be no sacrament. And this union is effectual in those who partake of the sacraments, when, together with the signs, the spiritual blessings represented by them are received by faith.

2. The sacraments are designed to seal Christ and the

benefits of the new covenant to believers. By the sacraments, Christ and the benefits of his redemption are made infallibly sure to believers; and they hereby engage that they will be for Christ, and not for another; and that they will serve him with reverential fear all their days.

3. The sacraments are designed to apply Christ and the benefits of the new covenant to the souls of the worthy receivers of them. This must necessarily follow from a due participation of the symbols, or from eating and drinking by faith; which cannot be done without an actual possession or application of the benefits of the new covenant, which are signified by the signs.

The sacraments are designed only for believers. None have a right to the seals of the covenant but believers; or they who are within the bond of the covenant-who have fled to Christ for refuge from sin and from wrath--who see none like Christ--who follow him whithersoever he goeth-who have no confidence in the flesh--and who rest upon the finished atonement of Christ as the sole ground of their hopes, both in time and through eternity.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The love of Christ in giving the means of comfort to the Church. 2. The privilege of the saints. 3. The happiness of those who are interested in the new and everlasting covenant. 4. The danger of despising the sacraments, which are the seals of the covenant.

Of the Efficacy of the Sacraments.

The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in themselves, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That the sacraments possess no virtue in themselves. Acts viii. 13, 23.-"Simon himself believed also, and was baptized. But Peter said to him, I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”