reat that it runs over and wets the fair
brows and beauteous looks of cherubim and seraphim, and all the angels
have a part of that banquet; then it is that our blest Lord feels the
fruits of His holy death; the acceptation of His holy sacrifice, the
graciousness of His person, the return of His prayers. For all that
Christ did or suffered, and all that He now does as a priest in
heaven, is to glorify His Father by bringing souls to God. For this it
was that He was born and died, that He descended from heaven to earth,
from life to death, from the cross to the grave; this was the purpose
of His resurrection and ascension, of the end and design of all the
miracles and graces of God manifested to all the world by Him; and now
what man is so vile, such a malicious fool, that will refuse to bring
joy to his Lord by doing himself the greatest good in the world? They
who refuse to do this, are said to crucify the Lord of Life again,
and put him to an open shame--that is, they, as much as in them lies,
bring Christ from His glorious joys to the labors of His life and the
shame of His death; they advance His enemies, and refuse to advance
the kingdom of their Lord; they put themselves in that state in which
they were when Christ came to die for them; and now that He is in a
state that He may rejoice over them (for He hath done all His share
towards it), every wicked man takes his head from the blessing, and
rather chooses that the devils should rejoice in his destruction,
than that his Lord should triumph in his felicity. And now upon the
supposition of these premises, we may imagine that it will be an
infinite amazement to meet that Lord to be our Judge whose person we
have murdered, whose honor we have disparaged, whose purposes we have
destroyed, whose joys we have lessened, whose passion we have made
ineffectual, and whose love we have trampled under our profane and
impious feet.

But there is yet a third part of this consideration. As it will be
inquired at the day of judgment concerning the dishonors to the person
of Christ, so also concerning the profession and institution of
Christ, and concerning His poor members; for by these also we make sad
reflections upon our Lord. Every man that lives wickedly disgraces
the religion and institution of Jesus, he discourages strangers from
entering into it, he weakens the hands of them that are in already,
and makes that the adversaries speak reproachfully of the name of
Christ; b