works of God in the creation, and confidered what a mean figure man made amongst them; he admired God's condefcenfion and goodnefs in his concern and pains about him, in his works of providence and redemption. Lord, what is man, fallen man, that thou fhouldst 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 vifit him in this manner? fhould pay him a homely vifit in human nature, to fee what ailed him, to hear his complaints, and know feelingly his wants and miferies, that he might the better fympathize with him, relieve and fupply him.

But, who is this that comes to pay this vint to man? 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, his underanding is infinite. He calls the fiars by their names. Whatfoever he pleafeth, that doth he in heaven and in earth, in the feas and all deep places. And it is faid of his coming to judgment, Dan. vii. 10. A fiery ftream issued forth from before him, thousand thaufands miniftered unto Eim, and ten thoufand times ten thousand food before him. And yet this almighty perfon, the great God, condefcends to clothe himself with our nature, and stoops to the very ground, in the most lowly manner, to pay a kind vifit to his rebellious creature, man, even man that is a worm; and when he gets not accefs to him at first, he continues to ftand and knock at his door-O how marvellous is this, that he, who is Omnipotent, that could, by a word, have annihilated fallen man, and created a more amiable creature in all respects in his room, fhould ftoop fo low to him! that he who is omniscient, and perfectly knew man's unworthinefs, his enmity, his ingratitude, and what unkind returns he would make for the greatest kindness, should court him fo earnest

ly that the Judge of heaven should come down from the bench, and put on the pannel's clothes, that he might answer and fatisfy the law for him! that the great general of the armies of heaven fhould put himfelf in the room of a poor condemned deferter, to suffer for him that the creator fhould ftoop to die for the creature, even the great God for a worm, man, is love that fwallows 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 height, 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 outcafts 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 fhouldest have minded him, vifited him, and loved him fo! a creature most unlovely, ugly, and black as hell; that had got the image of God razed out, and the image of fatan pictured in its room. A creature lame and in potent, that could not rife but as Chrift lifted him, could not stand but as he upheld him, could not walk but as he led him, nor move but as he drew him-A 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 loathfome by fin in God's fight; yea, more loathfome 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 help, 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 furprise for ever. Lord, what is man! a poor feeble crawling worm, that thou fbouldeft be mindful of him after this manner? And, what are we, that we fhould ftill have the offers of this love continued to us? Oh, thall we ever make light of this love any more? I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.

There is a parallel text, Pfal. cxliv. 3. Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the fon of man, that thou makeft account of him! What a poor little thing is man, that thou shouldest make so great account of him, put fuch respect upon him above all other creatures, fo as to condefcend to ftand in a nearer relation to him, than to any other, as that of a father, a brother, a husband, a friend, &c. yea more, thou haft dignified this poor thing, a 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; and now it is honoured fo far as to be fet on the right hand of the majesty on high. The great account God hath of this little thing, roan, 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 alfo gives his Chrift to die for him, to procure him eternal life. Again, how great is the goodnefs 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 muft this little creature, man, be!

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. I admire thy low floop in the vifit thou madeft man, in the incarna

tion of thy dear fon, and in thy vifit in the gospel proclamation, and offer of pardon through him! but let me still plead for another vifit in the effufion of thy Holy Spirit: This other vifit 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 through Jefus Chrift, and his moft perfect righteoufnefs. Amen.

MEDITATION VI.

From I COR. X. 4. And that Rock was Christ,

How useful was that rock in the wilderness to the Ifraelites fojourning there, after it was fmitten by Mofes' rod: When they were ready to perish in that dry defart, the rock fent forth streams of water to them in great abundance; ftreams that followed them up hill and down hill, in all their turnings and windings, marches and counter-marches through that weary land. That rock was to them a lively type of Chrift, who being fmitten by the rod of the law's curfes, whofe minister Mofes was, fends forth plentiful fupplies to his people, while travelling in the wildernefs of this world. There are two principal ftreams of bleffings which he fends forth, most useful to us, to wit, a stream of blood for our juftification, and a stream of the Spirit for our fanctification. The channel or conduit pipes, for conveying these streams to us, are the ordinances and promifes of the gofpel; and through thefe pipes these 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 kinsman Jefus Chrift? dear did our fouls coft him! The rock of our falvation was cleaved asunder, rent and pierced to the very heart, to let out the waters of life

to us, by which only we can be preferved from eternal death, and obtain eternal life. How coftly and precious are the streams of Chrift's blood and Spirit, his mercy and grace, which flow from the fmitten Rock, and follow us through the wilderness in the free offers of the gofpel? They are life giving ftreams, fire quenching, heart foftening, foul cleanfing, healing, and fructifying ftreams : Welcome then fhould we make these ftreams to our fouls in this dry and thirfty land.Likewife the rock was to the Ifraelites a fhadow from the heat, and a covert from tempefts and ftorms: So Chrift, our Rock, fcreens us from the fcorching heat of vindictive justice, and from the waves and billows of God's wrath.-How neceffary and useful is the Rock Chrift to the fouls of fallen men! Oh, let me never, Jefhurun-like, lightly efteem this Rock of our falvation. O let me never go to falfe rocks, or false streams, for fhelter or fupply in ftraits, when the true Rock is fo near, and the faving ftreams run clofe by my door; yea, follow me daily in the channel of the word and facraments: Streams appointed by heaven to answer all the cafes and ailments of loft finners. O fhall God in his tender mercy provide fuch a wonderful remedy, fet the Rock a broach for me, and caufe its ftreams to follow me; and fhall I be fo foolifh as to turn my back upon them, and refufe to apply or make use of them? O fave from fuch curfed ingratitude and madness; 1 believe, Lord, help my unbelief.

O how much should my heart be affected at thy holy table, when I fee the Rock of my falvation fmitten by the rod of Juftice, and behold the bloody spear pierce into his heart? O Rock of ages, what made thee to rend and cleave fo! O Brightness of thy Father's glory, who has disfigured thee fo? O River of life, clear as crystal, who hath troubled thee fo? Oh, it was my fins, my pride, my paffion, my unbelief, my worldlinefs, my hardnefs, impenitence, &c. Thefe were the cause of my Redeemer's fufferings. The iniquities of finful men were laid upon him. When he was pierced,