“Again have I and my children been fed with Christ’s flesh and his blood at his own table.  Glorious things are said of thee, thou city of our God; and rich the provision of the house of our God; wonderful the scheme that hath made sinful, guilty, rebel sinners the citizens of this holy city, inhabitants of this holy house.  Mysterious truth.  The city itself the house of God; the temple of the Lord, in which he delighteth to dwell.  Closer yet, more mysterious, yet equally true, ‘his body, his flesh, and his bones;’ closer still, one Spirit with him.  As Mediator Emmanuel, he is the bond of union, whereby the guilty sons and daughters of Adam are made one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

“Wonderfully and fearfully are we made as creatures:  as a rational creature, who can understand and comprehend himself; how these members were fashioned; how this spark of vital flame was breathed into the lifeless lump or atom?  Wonder-working Lord, thou only knowest.  Wonderful are all the works of creation; but Oh, what are they to thy work of redemption?  To bring worlds out of nothing, to bring light out of darkness, was thy easy work; but to bring good out of evil, this, this was the wonder.  Thousands and ten thousands of worlds were, and may yet be created without cost.  God says, Let it be, and it is; but redemption!  O, who can tell the cost?  Blessed Jesus, God manifested in the flesh; Christ, babe of Bethlehem—­man of sorrows—­victim on the cross; thou only canst tell.  ’Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who alone doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever!’ Whatever the cost, it is finished.  He bowed his head and said, ‘It is finished!’ This finished work is the new testament which he bequeathed to his disciples ‘the same night in which he was betrayed,’ when he took bread, blessed it, brake it, gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body broken for you; and took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.

“The new testament!  O, who can tell the blessings and benefits contained in this testament, this dying legacy of our dear Emmanuel, purchased and sealed with his blood!  What is the amount of it?  What the sum of blessings contained in it?  Behold, God is become our salvation.  This is the amount.  God himself, God in Christ reconciling us unto himself:  by his mighty power subduing the enmity that is in us; melting our flinty hearts; drawing us with the cords of love; creating us anew after his own image, which we had totally lost; uniting us to himself, even us, who were enmity itself, but now are become one with God, who is love.  This is the work we have this day been celebrating:  a given, a born, a living, a suffering, dying, risen, ascended, glorified, reigning Saviour.  The Lord of hosts, the King of kings, the Almighty God dwelling