2. Then likewise for the other ordinance, the sacrament, it is a sweet
from the spring of the Scripture to every particular man's use. The word, in the application of it, is a sweet thing. For good things, the nearer they are brought home, the more delightful they are. This ordinance of preaching, it lays open the 'riches of Christ.' There may be a great deal of riches wrapped up in a treasury, but this opens the treasury, as St Paul saith, 'to lay open the unsearchable riches of Christ,' Eph. 3:8. The ministry of the word is ordained to lay open the treasure to God's people, that they may know what riches they have by Christ; and the end of the ministry is to win the people's love to Christ. Therefore they come between the bride and bridegroom to procure the marriage; therefore they lay open that that procures the contract here, and the consummation in heaven; so to woo for Christ, and 'beseech them to be reconciled to God,' 2 Cor. 5:20. This is the end of the ministry. This makes the church of God so beautiful, that it hath this ordinance in it, to bring God, and Christ, and his people together: to contract them together. There be rich mines in the Scripture, but they must be digged up. The ministry serves to dig up those mines. God hath therefore set apart this calling of the ministry, to shew what belongs to God's people. Thus you see in this respect, of the ordinance of the ministry, God is beautiful in his house.
2. Then likewise for the other ordinance, the sacrament, it is a sweet and delightful thing. There is a wondrous beauty in the sacrament; for therein we taste the love of God, and the love of Christ. That they would condescend so low, as to seal our faith with the sacrament, to help our souls by our bodies, by outward things; to help our souls by that that feeds our bodies, to teach us what feeds our souls, namely, the death of Christ, as satisfying divine justice,—the thinking and digesting of this is wondrous comfortable, as any food is to the body, and incomparably more sweet, considering our continual necessity to relish that spiritual food, and our daily sins and breaches, that enforce a daily necessity to relish Christ. That God should appoint such means, that he should in the sacrament feed us with his own body and blood. He thought he could not manifest his love enough, unless he had told us that he would give himself to us, and make over himself wholly to us: You shall have me, my body and blood; as in