On the Thirteenth Sacrament, April 18, 1731

I BEGAN with some introductory remarks on these words of the apostle; “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God!” Heb. x. 4, 6, 7.

The words lead us into some affecting views of God, and of ourselves, and of the blessed Redeemer.

We see ourselves, as condemned creatures, in the presence of a holy God; and we see the Divine justice, rigorous in its demands. It must have blood. Helpless in ourselves, we had no atoning blood to offer. In this sense, Lebanon would not have been sufficient to burn, nor all the beasts thereof for a burnt offering. And how dreadful must our case have been, had it rested there, and had we continued in the circumstances of those, for whom there is no sacrifice for sin! But God has provided a Lamb. Then he said, “Lo, I come!” It is affecting to think, to what purpose, and with what temper he came. With what purpose did he come? He might have uttered these words in another view. Had God declared from his awful throne, “Man, ungrateful man, is risen up in rebellion against me, and I will make him the monument of my wrath, even as are the fallen angels; and who, of all the inhabitants of this blessed world, will rise up for me against these workers of iniquity? — into whose hand shall I put the flaming sword, which is to be bathed in their blood, and the poison of which is to drink up their spirits.” In this sense might our Lord have answered, “Lo, I come! — Father, I undertake the work.” But it was not so. He “sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved!” John iii. 17. A design directly contrary to that which our guilt might have taught us to fear. He came to deliver us, and that at a very expensive rate, even at the price of his own life. Amazins: goodness! more than can be uttered! more than be conceived! And how did he come? With cheerfulness, and even with eacrerness, “Then said I, Lo, I come! — I come to do thy will, O God, and, Thy law is within mine heart.” It was wonderful that he should even sa)’, “Father, I consent to do it. Yet, if it must be so, if the demands of thy justice be so inflexible, and so that it seems good in thy sight, then I submit.” Had he said, too, as afterwards in the days of feeble flesh, and under the struggles of human nature, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;” Matt. xxvi. 39 — but behold, he came with pleasure, as one “leaping on the mountains, and skipping on the hills.” He triumphed, in a view that seemed so full of horror; and doubled the favour by the cheerful air with which he bestowed it. “Lo, I come! Be the work ever so painful, the consequences are so glorious, the scheme is so full of compassion, so merciful to man, so honourable to Thee, that I long to accomplish it;” as afterwards he said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” Luke xii. 50. With such a strong desire have I desired to eat of this passover. IMany a passover had he eaten before, in the thirty years of his abode upon the earth. Some had he before eaten of with his disciples; but none on which his heart was so set as on this; — and wherefore? because this was that at which he was to enter upon his sufferings, and to fulfil the great, the glorious design for the redemption of fallen man. It is delightful in this view to look on this delight of Christ in such an undertakinoj; and it is delightful to see the consequences. “By the which will,” says the apostle, “we are sanctified.” Heb. x. 10. He might have said, by which “will” ye are saved; by which “will” ye are justified. But he says, by which ye are sanctified; — and let us not imagine this to be less comfortable, for, by a most inseparable consequence, it implies the rest, and thus intimates them in a more affecting manner than if they had been further expressed. Such is the connexion between holiness and glory, between sanctification in this world and complete salvation in the next, that when I have observed that the offer of.

Christ is sufficient to accomplish the one, I need not add that it will infallibly fulfil the other. How joyful a reflection is this, to those who find, by Divine grace, that they are already sanctified through this offering up of the body of Christ once for all! A glorious work, without which it would never have been accomplished. The design was so great, so wonderful, that it may well be introduced with that mark of attention, “Lo, I come!” — Let us behold it, and let us behold it with wonder. And do thou behold it, O my heavenly Father. Nor did the all-comprehending eye of God ever see a sight more worthy its regard. “Lo, I come!” — Ought it not, my friends, to excite some correspondent emotions in our hearts! and should not our souls echo back this gracious language? Methinks that we should be putting ourselves in a waiting posture; looking to God, and to our blessed Redeemer, for every intimation of his pleasure with regard to what he would have us to do, or to bear; and that when he is, as it were, beckoning with his hand, and pointing out the way, we should answer, with a triumphant pleasure, “Lo, I come. I delight to do thy will, O God, and thy law is within my heart.” May the ordinance we now attend be subservient to these pious resolutions, and be the means of bestowing that grace, whereby alone they can be rendered effectual.

In breaking the bread I said — Thus was the body of Christ broken! As it is said, “The Lord is risen,” he is risen indeed; so, the Lord was crucified, he was crucified indeed. As surely as this bread is broken, so surely was the body of Christ extended, and his blood poured out upon the cross. And is this a sight to be, seen with indifference? Was it thus that the Lord of life was used? One would have imagined that he should have met with the most thankful reception; and that after his appearing in the world, all the contention among the children of men should have been, as to who should have done him the greatest honour, and who should have offered him the most valuable tribute. And was he insulted and reviled? was he tortured and murdered? was he used like a villain and like a slave, with every circumstance of cruelty and contempt? And shall our hearts behold this sight without emotion? especially when we have to add, that he thus loved us, and gave up himself for us? — Why have we the power of remembrance, if not to remember Christ? Why have we hearts susceptible of humanity and generosity, if not to be employed here? Why have we tears to shed, if they are not to be poured out on such an occasion? Better, O blessed Jesus, a thousand times better were it that we had neither eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor tongues to speak, nor power to breathe, than that our hearts should not be filled with love to thee, our tongues employed in thy praises, and all our powers, both of soul and of body, be forever devoted to thy service.

In pouring out the cup, I said, “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world!” If we were the first sinners who had ever ventured upon his grace, here would be an encouragement to do so, when we consider who this Lamb of God is. But, blessed thought, we are treading in a beaten way. O, if the world of glory were thrown open to our survey, what a surprising sight would it present! We should there see thousands of splendid and glorious creatures, concerning whom, if the Divine revelation did not assure us of it, we could never have imagined that they had ever dwelt in clay; so bright, so glorious, so like to the angels — so like to God! One could hardly imagine that they were once struggling, mourning, weeping, and trembling, even as are we. And when we wish to inquire into their change, let us ask the blessed angels; and they will tell us, — “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. vii. 14. Let us ask them, and they will reply, “Christ hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Rev. i. 5. And is there not, then, the greatest reason most cheerfully to repose ourselves upon Him?

We are now conversing with that God, who knows the heart and searches the reins! There is something awful and delightful in the thought. Let every creature in this assembly consider it. He knows the heart? — how awful a thought to the careless sinner! He knows that I am here present in his house without any serious regard to him, or desire after him. The Lord knows that all the solemnities of a sacrament day cannot warm and melt my frozen, stony heart. He knows that I prefer the amusement of every vain thought, to all those contemplations which might delightfully employ the mind of an angel? But to the pious soul, it is a thought of comfort. My beloved, when we have lively views of the Redeemer’s love, I am persuaded that sentiments arise in our souls too great for the most emphatic language to express, and we are forced to adopt the words of David, And now, Lord, what should thy servant “say more unto thee?” How delightful is it to add, as he does, “For thou. Lord God, knowest thy servant;” 2 Sam. vii. 20; and thou seest those lively workings of gratitude, of love, and duty, which no language can speak!

When the communion was over, observing that some of the elements remained, I said — This is an emblem of the provisions of the gospel. Here are bread and wine enough, and to spare! Enough for all; enough for more than are here; and if any perish, it is not for want of a sufficiency of grace, but for want of hearts to use it.

In giving at the collection, I remarked — It is pleasant to think that this is not merely to defray the necessary charges, but that it is an offering to Christ’s poor members. We have devoted ourselves, our all to him. I hope it is a pleasant thought; it may add a relish to the meanest offerings, as it adds a worth to them in the sight of God. Lord, I give thee this, in token that I am ready, according to my engagements, actually to give thee all, when thou shalt demand it of me.