humiliation to special honour. Nay, the Captain of our Salvation was perfected through sufferings! Thus, all who seek "glory, honour, and immortality," must pass through "much tribulation:" eventually, they shall all see the "end of the Lord," and praise his tender mercy. 5. A key by which the mysteries of God's providence may be unlocked to the end of time. This was "the end of the Lord" in recording his wonderful dealings with Job. Here the curtain is withdrawn; we see all the secret machinery of Providence; and seeing "THE END" from the beginning, we are able to understand how God was "pitiful and of tender mercy" in afflicting Job. How safe and consolatory the inference! If it be thus where we can see the end from the beginning, may we not surely conclude that it is thus also where we cannot? Wherever the ways of God are revealed to us, we find him good and true, and loving and pitiful. Oh! let us trust him when his ways are hidden from us! Let faith supply the place of sight, in the darkest seasons, heaviest trials, bitterest sorrows; believe in him; look to " the end"—the joyful, blessed end; 66 have respect to the recompense of the reward,' ""trust in the name of the Lord, stay upon our God;" "though he slay us, let us trust in him ;" and, in the end, we shall see that he is indeed "pitiful and of tender mercy!" All our difficulties arise from this that we cannot see the end of the Lord. Let us look for it; wait for it-in prayer, and diligent seeking of God; patiently enduring all things, and he will give us the "expected end." (Jer. xxix. 11.) II. ELIJAH'S REPAST. SACRAMENTAL. 1 Kings xix. 8. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. THE variations of feeling and conduct in good men, are singularly illustrated in this part of Elijah's history. See him to-day he stands before kings and is not afraid—the fury of the multitude does not appal him :-alone-faithful amidst the faithless-single-handed, but in the strength of God, he rolls back the tide of Idolatry,-calls fire from heaven on his sacrifice-executes judgment on four hundred and fifty false prophets-by prayer opens the windows of heaven, and gives rain to the earth: and to-morrow, scared by the threats of a woman, he flees for his life, and buries himself in the solitudes of the wilderness, as if there were no God in Israel; and in the spirit of despondency sits down under a juniper-tree and wishes himself dead! Alas, what is man? What are the best, the most faithful, the strongest, when left to themselves? Still, however, God's eye is over him for good-He follows the fugitive with his mercy-He sends His angel and feeds him twice miraculously—and comforts him, "the journey is too great for thee," (ver. 7,)—yet the timid prophet wanders on to the mount of God, where God meets him and chides him, and sends him back to discharge his prophetic office. The repast thus provided for the fugitive prophet, is beautifully illustrative, in several respects, of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. May the Holy Spirit help and bless our meditations, while we consider I. THE PROPHET'S REPAST. II. HIS PECULIAR UNWORTHINESS TO PARTAKE OF IT. III. THE GREAT BENEFIT HE DERIVED FROM IT NOTWITH STANDING. I. THE PROPHET'S REPAST. A lonely man, in the solitudes of the wilderness he has a fire and a cruse of water and a baken cake ;—simple food, humble feast for a weary fugitive servant of God! Yet mysterious, too! Whence that fire? an angel's hand hath kindled it! Miraculous, angelic food, prepared by them "who minister to the heirs of salvation!" (Heb. i. 14.) 1. The Sacramental feast is alike simple and plain. A few weary pilgrims gather around the table of the Lordno pomp nor circumstance; they break a little bread and sip a little wine, they pray and praise and worship; here are no empty or superstitious ceremonies-no elevation of the host, nor bowings and kissings and sprinklings. 2. Yet is this a mysterious repast. That bread and wine is the " body and blood of Christ," provided by himself—" that angel of the Covenant"-he gave it for the life of the world and the food and sustenance of the Church. (John vi. 51-58.) "It is bread and wine which he hath commanded to be received." Because, that which bread and wine are to the body of man, Christ is to his soul. (Psalm civ. 15.) "Strengthen man's heart," &c. (Isaiah lv. 1-3); "bread-wine-milk," &c. (Isaiah xxv. 6-8); "a feast of fat things, of wines on the lees," &c. Christ is really present with his people in this supper. Not corporeally, but spiritually. He is discerned by faith (1 Cor. xi. 29); "and is verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." (Catechism.) Transubstantiation, or consubstantiation, confound the substance. Our bodies can feed only on bodily substance, as bread and wine. Our souls can feed only on that which is spiritual. To confound the two is as unphilosophic as it is idolatrous and superstitious. Yet Christ's real spiritual presence "in those holy mysteries," is earnestly to be contended for,-for there he manifests himself,-dwells in his people, and they in Him! II. THE PECULIAR UNWORTHINESS OF THE PROPHET ON THIS OCCASION. He was fleeing from the post of danger-deserting the path of duty-dishonouring and distrusting his God: in no period of his life did he less deserve the interference of God in his behalf: but then, then it was that the riches of God's grace and mercy were displayed to him. Fed and cherished by angels,-never was prophet more blessed and honoured, never was prophet more unworthy! Most true emblem of the feast of Jesus! 1. The Lord's Supper is a repast prepared for sinners! Its very institution," the night in which he was betrayed,' (1 Cor. xi. 23,) as if commemorative alike of man's most atrocious crime and Christ's deep love, proves this. Sinners are welcome here-" Jesus receiveth them and eateth with them." (Luke xv. 2.) They are invited out" of the highways and hedges" to this wedding banquet. (Luke xiv. 16—24.) 2. True, they must be penitent, broken-hearted sinners. "The remembrance of their sins must be grievous to them:" the prodigal "must come to himself," the publican must "smite on his breast,"—the fallen Peter must " weep bitterly," they must come with "godly sorrow," and then they are welcome! The vilest, the most abandoned, the most inconsistent wanderer, whose heart bleeds for sin, whose soul abhors it, may come to this supper. 3. It is for the weary, burthened, troubled servants of Jesus. Tempted to despair, to sink, and die-for them the angel hand has made the feast to refresh them "when the journey is too much for them." Worldly cares need not keep them away-let them cast them upon the Lord! Past sins need not deter them-they shall be blotted out! Present corruptions need not alarm them-let them bring them to Jesus and he will cast them out! 4. Only two classes are excluded: -the impenitent ungodly--and the self-righteous Pharisee. Let them learn" to abhor themselves, and repent in dust and ashes," or let them not come here! None can approach except in such a garb! There is no place here for the selfsatisfied and self-complacent. III. THE GREAT BENEFIT WHICH THE PROPHET DERIVED FROM THIS REPAST, ALTHOUGH HE WAS SO UNWORTHY: "he arose and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God." So invigorated was he, and such hidden virtue was there in this mystic food, that he needed nothing, nor did he experience hunger nor thirst for forty days! 1. Spiritual benefits are not necessarily so attached to the Christian feast: -there is no "opus operatum"-no certain grace infused Perhaps some lose the blessing because they expect too much: God will have the glory; and if his people trust too much to ordinances, he will make them "as broken cisterns, which can hold no water." Perhaps some lose the blessing because they expect too little: God will have men honour his appointed sacraments; and if we lower and degrade them to simple means of grace, and lose sight of their sacramental holiness, we may in this way deprive ourselves of the benefit. 2. But when rightly received, and accompanied with God's blessing, truly the benefits are great. As on the mercy-seat of old, (Exod. xxv. 21, 22,) here God meets his people, communes with them, and blesses them. Here many have found pardon and peace-have come up weeping, and have gone down rejoicing. Here many have left their burthen: have cast it down before the Lord-and he has spoken peace to their souls. Here many have enjoyed foretastes of heaven-have found this table an ante-past-and by faith have seen heaven opened. Here, like the prophet, many have experienced inward strength and refreshment, and " they have gone in the strength of that food many days," yea, all their life, unto the mount of God! 66 They have been strengthened with might by God's Spirit in the inner man." (Ephes. iii. 16; Col. i. 11.) "Their feet have been set upon a rock, and their goings established.” (Psalm xl. 2.) They have pursued their heavenly journey with firmer step and brighter eye. 1. Of what inestimable benefits do they deprive themselves who neglect the Lord's Supper! They refuse what God has provided-despise his richest gifts-put from them the fairest emblems of his mercy! How ungracious! how suicidal! 2. What guilt do they contract who refuse to participate! Can such love be slighted with impunity? Will not God avenge himself on those who "make light" of his offers? Do they not practically excommunicate themselves, and cut themselves off from communion with his saints on earth and in heaven? 3. Let all examine themselves, and so let them eat of that supper: —if there be in you a true, penitent, broken, and contrite heart-if you are looking to Christ alone and altogether for salvation, and not to your own merits—if you desire by God's grace to lead a new life,-then come and welcome to this supper. But if not-pause-consider-be not hasty to draw near-repent, and be converted-humble yourself before God-seek pardon by the blood of Jesus, so you may hope to find mercy and partake of this great salvation. III.* THE CHARACTER OF BALAAM. Numbers xxiii. 10. Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his. THERE are many conjectures as to the person and character of Balaam. He certainly had considerable acquaintance with the true God. Some consider him as the last of the patriarchs, introducing the Mosaic, as John the Bap *This sketch may appear short; but if the verses referred to be read with it, (and without them it cannot be understood,) it will be found as comprehensive as many others in this volume. |