ANDREW GRAY
the Youngest
Puritan
A WORD OF EXHORTATION, BY MR. ANDREW GRAY,
AT KIRKLISTOUN,
Upon the 12th of June, 1653.
SECOND TABLE.
WHY halt ye between two opinions, friends? If your idols
be God, then embrace them: and if Christ be God, as indeed he is, then embrace
him. Met ye never with such a sight of Christ, that constrained you to cry out,
0 for the tongue of an angel to excel, to express his love? Met ye never with
such a sight, that made you to cry out, 0 for a thousand hearts to give to
precious Christ?
I think, there are four things that put a Christian to a
peremptory, or to a non-plus, or to a, what shall I say?
The first
thing that puts a Christian to a peremptory, or to a non-plus, or to a what
shall I say, is, when a Christian is under the precious impressions of love,
according to 2 Sam. vii. 20. And what can David say more? 0 David, what have
you said, that you are put to a non-plus? According to some, David says, I can
speak no more but this, I can speak no more! A Christian is put to this
sometimes, all he can say is this, I can say no more! Did you never meet with
such an enjoyment at prayers, and at sacraments, that you were constrained to
leave off speaking, and begin and wonder?
The second thing that puts
a Christian to a peremptory, or to a non-plus, or to a what shall I say, is,
when he is under the sense of the wrath of God, and drinking in the arrows of
the Almighty, like to that in Psalm lxxxviii.
The third thing that
puts a Christian to a peremptory, or to a non-plus, or to a what shall I say,
is, when he meets with the accomplishment of the promises, according to that
word in Isa. xxxviii. 15, What shall Isay, for he himself hath done it.
The fourth thing that puts a Christian to a peremptory, or to a
non-plus, or to a what shall I say, is, when he is admitted to glorious
discoveries, according to that word in Dan. x. 16. When Daniel got but a sight
of God, he fell down at his feet: I shall not speak much as to what you see
with your eyes; I would only say this, the communion will satisfy all your
senses. 0 Christians! would you have the sense of your sight satisfied? Come
here and behold love shining in a cup of red wine! If ye could get the veil
drawn aside, ye might get a sight that ye would not forget again. And would you
have your sense of taste satisfied? 0 come and drink spiced wine. And would you
have the sense of touching satisfied? Come and thrust in your fingers into his
side, and be no more faithless, but believing. Would you have the sense of
smelling satisfied? Then come here, and be refreshed with him that is
perfumed with all the powders of the merchant. And would you have the
sense of hearing satisfied? There is not one piece of this bread, but breathes
incomprehensible love; it is not possible for angels to comprehend those
thoughts that he had when he hung between the heaven and the earth; 0 what were
his thoughts that he had that night that he said, This is my body, take and
eat? 0 but it was a blessed communion where Christ was! Think ye not but Christ
could speak better of himself, than angels could do? He said unto them, Take,
and eat, with my blessing, for this is the last cup of the new Testament: drink
it in remembrance of me, until I come again.
I think, it says three things.
First, It says this, that the feast was not a complete feast; and
therefore he would come again.
Secondly, It says this, that we
should remember that Christ is to come again, when we are going about this
ordinance. 0 but it will be a heartless feast if ye comfort,not yourselves with
this, Behold he comes like a roe!
Thirdly, And then it says this,
that Christ desires to be with us. 0 if we were all desirous to be in heaven,
as he is there, we would not be long here. Are your hearts in heaven, 0
Christians? Are your treasures there? Are your thoughts there? Are your eyes
there? Is your faith there? I know not what of a Christian ought to be out of
heaven, even when he is here, but the lumpish tabernacle of clay, that shall,
ere it be long, be clothed with immortality. Now God bless this feast unto you.
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