The Hundred and Sixteenth Sacrament, October 7, 1739

God has been pleased to meet my soul this day in ordinances in an uncommon degree. As I was going to the house of God I passed by my dear children, Polly and Mercy, Phil, and Celia, and was lifting up my heart to God for them, that they might every one of them be the support and ornament of religion, when, I know not how, there darted into my mind, with a peculiar energy, as if spoken to me, those words which I knew were originally spoken to my great Lord, in comparison of whom I am but as dust and ashes, “He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” Isaiah liii. 10. What these words peculiarly intend I know not, neither would I absolutely conclude from them that I shall live many years; or see my children planted in the church; but of this, through grace, I am well persuaded; that I shall see my spiritual seed; that I shall prolong eternal days of joy and glory in heaven; and that God will make the good pleasure of his grace, in the conversion and establishment of his chosen people, prosperous in my hand, both while I live, and when I am dead, by what I shall leave behind me, written, I hope, in the spirit of the gospel; written, I am sure, with an undissembled zeal for his honour and interest, which he that searches my heart, and sees all its secret workings, assuredly knows. I preached on these words; “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you:” John xiv. 18; and I introduced the ordinance with the following words: “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that J am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” John xiv. 19, 20. I observed that the true Christian sees Christ when invisible to the world. The sight of him for a small part of forty days was comparatively but little; the words rather refer to the vision of his grace in heaven. Many of us know what they mean; looking through his word, through his providence; we know what it is, through his ordinances, to see Christ; — we rejoice in the sight already given, and we are breathing after that yet to be bestowed. “Because I live, ye shall live also.” This sight of Christ, as a living Redeemer, gives us a derived life from him sure as his own! While he lives, while he has grace and glory at his disposal, no true believer shall fail of either. O, blessed hope! when it enters the soul, how does it raise our thoughts of Christ! When we feel Divine vigour communicated from him, then do we know that he is in the Father: then do we possess his participation of Divine honours, and know that as he is in us by the power of his grace, so we are also in him; — our names are written upon his heart, and we are interested in him, as our covenant Head, and as our sure Redeemer.

Many comfortable, although plain thoughts arose in breaking the bread and in pouring forth the wine, especially those of triumph in the text above mentioned, Christ “shall see his seed.” I hope this applies to us among the rest, and that with us his days shall be prolonged to eternal ages, and his cause go on successfully. O that what I have this day been saying and doing in the house of God may confirm this! I have devoted myself to God in the bonds of his covenant. May I ever retain it upon the imagination of the thoughts of my heart.

I mentioned at the collection, the case of the heathen emperor, that is, of Titus, who accounted the day lost in which he had done no good! May I never more see that lost day! but either in spi rituals or in temporals, or rather, if it be the good will of my God, in both, may I be doing good every day.

This was the birth day of my dear eldest daughter Betsey, whose name continues written, perhaps too deeply, on my heart. But blessed be God that gave her, and that hath taken her away. I adore his love, as well as his justice, in the loss I so much lamented; and I rejoice in the cheerful hope that I have of meeting her in a world of eternal glory. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.