The Sixty-Eighth Sacrament, November 2, 1735
“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 surveying the duties and privileges of the most eminent 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 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 manner 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!”
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 recovery 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 imperfection and sorrow shall give way to the complete manilestation 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.