MEDITATION V.

From PSAL. viii. 4.

What is man that thou art mindful of him?

HEN David beheld the heavens, with its

WH glorious luminaries, the fun, moon, and stars,

and the mighty works of God in the creation, and confidered what a mean figure man made amongst them; he admires God's condefcenfion and goodness in his concern and pains about him, in his works of providence and redemption. Lord, what is man, fallen man, that thou shouldst notice him fo much? a poor, vile, finful worm! And yet how fingularly minded and honoured is he, in God the Son his undertaking to be his cautioner and ranfom! Had he done it for angels, it had not been fo marvellous; but what is man, that God fhould visit him in this manner! fhould pay him a bomely visit in human nature, to fee what ailed him, to hear his complaints, and know feelingly bis wants and miferies, that he might the better fympathize with him, relieve and fupply him?

But who is this that comes to pay this vifit to män? even he that is King of kings, and Lord of lords; who is infinite in majefty and power, in riches and glory. How awful are the defcriptions given us of him in the Bible? Great is our Lord, and of great power, bis understanding is infinite. He calls tbe fars by their names. What foever be pleased,ibat did be in beaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places. And it is faid of his coming to judgment, Dan. vii. 10. Afiery fream issued forth from before bim.tboufand thousands miniftred unto bim, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. And

yet this almighty Perfon, the great God, condescends to clothe himself with our nature, and ftoops to the very ground, in the moft lowly manner, to pay a kind vifit to his rebellious creature, man, even man that is a worm; and when he gets not access to him at firft, he continues to ftand and knock at his door. -O how marvellous is this, that he who was omnipotent, that could by a word have annihilated fallen man, and created a more amiable creature in all respects in his room, should stoop fo low to him! that he who was omniscient, and perfectly knew man's unworthiness, his enmity, his ingratitude, and what unkind returns he would make for the greatest kindnefs, fhould court him fo earnestly!That the Judge of heaven (hould come down from the bench, and put on the Pannel's clothes, that he might answeand fatisfy the law for him!-That the great Generel of the armies of heaven, should put himself in the room of a poor condeinned deferter to fuffer for him!—That the Creator fhould stoop to die for the creature, even the great God for a worm, man; is love that swallows up our thoughts and language! What can we think! what can we fay of it! It is love that paffeth knowledge! the most penetrating angel cannot fathom its height, its depth, its breadth, or its length! Why, for its beight, it is infinitely higher than the highest heavens. For its depth, none can fee its bottom, for it made him ftoop as low as hell. For its breadth, it is as broad as the whole earth, and the whole heavens too; it comprehends all his people, even the poorest out-caft on earth, as well as the highest faint in heaven. For its length, it never ends, but continues without interruption, notwithstanding of provocations; nay, it is drawn out parallel with the longest line of eternity.

Lord, what is man that thou fhouldft have mind. ed him, vifited him, and loved him fo! á creature most unlovely, and black as hell; that had got the image of God erafed, and the image of Satan pictured in its room. A creature lame and impotent, that could not rife but as Chrift lifted him, could not ftand but as he upheld him, could not walk but as he led him, nor move but as he drew himA rebel, that was in league with hell, that hated his fovereign, and was plotting with the devil to pull the crown off his head.-A creature made loathlome by fin in God's fight, yea, more loathfome than a new-born infant wallowing in its blood, than Job when full of boils, than Lazarus full of fores, or a dead carcafe crawling with worms.-A creature that was undefirous of God's vifit or kelp, and unwilling to accept of it; that faid to him, Depart from us, we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. A creature that contemned his love, rejected his offers, and trampled his blood.-Who would have pitied fuch a creature? one fo poor, fo vile, fo miferable! It had been much to have given him an alms; but for the Son of God to give his life for him, may ftrike men and angels with aftonishing furprife for ever. Lord, what is man! a poor feeble crawling worm, that thou fhould be mindful of bim after this manner? And, what are we, that we should ftill have the of fers of this love continued to us? Oh, fhall we ever make light of this love any more? I believe, Lord, belp my unbelief.

There is a parallel text, Pfal. cxliv. 3. Lord, what is man that thou takeft knowledge of him? or the fon of man, that thou makest account of him? What a poor little thing is man, that thou shouldft make fo great account of him, put fuch refpect upon him above all other creatures, fo as to conde.

fcend to ftand in a nearer relation to him than to any other, as that of a father, a brother, a busband, a friend, &c. yea more, thou haft dignified this poor thing, man, fo much as to affume his nature into an ineffable, perfonal union with the fecond perfon of the ever glorious trinity, whereby the nature of man is exalted above all the angels of heaven. It is not the angelical, but the human nature, which God hath chofen to tabernacle in; asd now it is honoured fo far, as to be fet on the right hand of the Majefly on high. The great account God hath of this litttle thing, man, appears further in the great coft he hath laid out for him. Why? God not only gives his creatures to die for man, to yield him food, but he also gives his Christ to die for him, to procure him eternal life. Again, how great is the goodness which God hath laid up for him hereafter ? Eye hath not feen it, ear hath not heard it, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive how great it is! O what a favourite of heaven must this little creature, man, be.

I

Lord, who can but wonder at the honour thou haft already put upon man, and at the favours thou ftill defigns for him! Great things haft thou laid out, and great things haft thou laid up for man. admire thy low ftoop, in the vifit thou mad'ft man, in the incarnation of thy dear Son, and in thy visit in the gospel-proclamation, and offer of pardon thro' him! But let me ftill plead for another vifit, in the effufion of the Holy Spirit: This other visit thou knoweft is neceffary to make the former effectual to my falvation. May then thy Holy Spirit work faith in me, to fall in with thy glorious device for the redemption of man in all points, to accept of thy love-offers, and reft upon thy free

promifes of falvation thro' Jefus Chrift, and his moft perfect righteousness. Amen.

MEDITATION VI.

HOW

From i COR. x. 4.

And that rock was Christ.

OW ufeful was that rock in the wilderness to there, after it was fmitten by Mofes' rod: When they were ready to perish in that dry defart, the rock fent forth ftreams of water to them in great abundance; streams that followed them up hill and down hill, in all their turnings and windings, marches and countermarches thro' that weary land. That rock was to them a lively type of Chrift, who being fmitten by the red of the law's curfes, whofe minifter Mofes was, fends forth plentiful fupplies to his people, while travelling in the wilderness of this world. There are two principal ftreams of bleffings which he fends forth, moft ufeful to us, to wit, a ftream of blood for our juftification, and a stream of the Spirit for our fanctification. The channel, or conduit-pipes, for conveying thefe ftreams to us, are the ordinances and promifes of the gofpel; and thro' thefe pipes, thefe bleffed ftreams run freely to all true believers, from the rock Chrift, which was broached for them.

Oh, how coftly was our redemption to our dear kinfman Jefus Chrift! dear did our fouls coft him! The rock of our falvation was cleaved afunder, rent and pierced to the very heart, to let out the waters of life to us, by which only we can be preserved from eternal death, and obtain eternal life. How coftly and precious ave ms of Chrift's blood