and miscarry by giving too much or too little; being in the middle of the throne, and the middle person between God and man, to communicate what is suitable for God to give and suitable for man to have, no more and no less does he communicate, because he is the Lamb in the midst of the throne. And, indeed, as a key is suited to a lock, so is Christ's fulness to our wants. We are diseased, he is a Physician; we are lost, he is a Saviour; we are debtors, he is the Surety; we are dead, he is Life; we are blind, he is Eye-salve; we are naked, he is Clothing; we are troubled, he is Rest. Are we bewildered? He is a Guide. Are we in danger? He is a Guard. Are we benighted? He is a Sun. Are we assaulted? He is a Shield. Who in heaven or earth can thus supply our wants, heal our wounds, bear our burdens, sweeten our afflictions, subdue our enemies, as Christ? O suitable feeding to the soul is here in all

cases!

6. It must be joyful feeding and provision that comes from the Lamb in the midst of the throne; for the throne is a place of joy and triumph. Here must be the choicest

cheer, amidst the choicest company-God, and Christ, and angels, and saints. There is as much sweetness in Christ as there is fulness and suitableness. He is the fountain of sweetness; his mouth is most sweet, his presence is most sweet, his fruits are most sweet: "I sat down under his shadow with great delight," says the church, "and his fruit was sweet to my taste." (Song ii. 3.) Here are the sweet rivers of living waters that drive away all death and sorrow, as it follows here in the text.

7. It must be free provision and feeding that comes from the Lamb in the midst of the throne. There is nothing to pay about a throne. This would be a disgrace and disparagement to the prince that possesses the throne; so here, all is to be had freely. The finest is always the freest. (Isa. lv. 1.) The legalists, that cannot feed upon Christ and his righteousness freely, but only on their own works and duties, they feed upon ashes; the legal preacher, that cannot preach Christ freely, is like the unnatural fathers, that when their children ask bread, give them a stone; when they ask a fish, give them a scorpion. What are our best performances but scorpions, serpents, stones, yea, poison to them that make them their soul food? Nothing can feed the soul but Christ. Rabshakeh threatened to make all the people on the wall to eat their own dung. (2

Kings xviii. 27.) The legal preacher accomplishes this threatening in a spiritual sense; our best works are but dung: "I will spread the dung of your sacrifices on your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts." But, O sirs, here the finest and sweetest feast is the freest; from the throne of grace proceed all blessings freely.

8. It must be durable provision and feeding that comes from the Lamb in the midst of the throne; for he ever lives upon the throne, and his throne is for ever and ever; and therefore everlasting food comes from thence, and food that nourishes to everlasting life: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven," says Christ, "if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." (John vi. 51.) Here is provision for eternity: "Labour not for the meat that perisheth," says Christ, "but for that meat that endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you." (John vi. 27.) What a fool was he, that filled his barns, and then said, "Soul, take thine ease, thou hast much goods laid up for many years!" while God said to him, "Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee!" But, O what wisdom were it to lay up for eternity this day, that death may not be able to rob you of your store, but that ye may have it all before your hand! The Lamb that is in the midst of the throne, lives for ever there to feed: "He lives for ever to make intercession;" he lives for ever to make provision; they have everlasting food who have the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne to feed them. Thus you see what sort of feeding is to be had under the throne of the Lamb, and who it is that must cover our table this day, even the Lamb in the midst of the throne; he hath mounted the throne to be a feeder, and to let down blessings to the footstool.

VI. The last thing proposed was the application. Is it so, that our Lord Jesus is the Lamb in the midst of the throne? Hence we may infer these following particulars.

1. Surely we need not be ashamed of a crucified Christ, nor our Christian passover this day, the Lamb that was sacrificed for us. Since now the Lamb is upon the throne, and in the midst of the throne, the shame and reproach of the cross is wiped away with the glory and splendour of the throne. We need not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, who is now in the midst of the throne. Let none despise those that espouse the cause and interest of the Lamb, whatever hardships they may be brought under be

fore courts, councils, and judicatories on earth; they need not be ashamed to go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. The great apostle Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." O believer, it is our greatest glory to be bearing his cross, who is now wearing the crown; to be followers of the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne.

2. Hence we may learn, that the church of God is safe, since the Lamb that is their Head is in the midst of the throne. Believers in Christ are happy and safe; their Head and Husband, their Lord and King is upon the throne; the militant church, the fighting remnant, are in no great danger while he hath the government. Perhaps there are some here, like Eli, whose hearts are trembling for the ark of God, and the work of God at this day, when so many axes and hammers are lifted up against the carved work of the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of God's house; but let this be matter of joy to their hearts, that the Lamb is in the midst of the throne; and therefore, as he rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth, and overrules all damage done to his house, so he will make it appear in the issue, that, according to his word, "upon all the glory there shall be a defence." (Isa. iv. 5.)

3. Hence we may learn that the enemies of Christ may have a quaking heart, since the Lamb, whom they despise, is in the midst of the throne. His Father, that set him on the throne, hath said, "I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him." (Ps. lxxxix. 23.) The heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, he will break them with a rod of iron, and shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Ps. ii. 1-9.) "The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble; he sitteth between the cherubims, let the earth be moved." The Lamb being in the midst of the throne, is matter of terror to the enemies of his glory; for he sits upon the throne of power, and the Lamb will be a Lion to tear them in pieces.

4. Hence we may learn that there is a sure foundation laid for the faith and hope of life and justification by the

blood of the Lamb. Since the Lamb is in the midst of the throne, the throne of grace is a door of hope; and, that our hearts may be raised and lifted up to lively hope, the Lamb that was slain is raised and lifted up to the throne. Did he rise again for our justification? and does his resurrection seal upon our consciences the sufficiency of his death, and the acceptableness of his righteousness unto God? Much more may our faith and hope be confirmed herein, that he is exalted to the midst of the throne; for his Father had never put so much honour upon him, had he not been infinitely well pleased and satisfied with his obedience unto death. We may now read the dream that Jacob had at Bethel: "Behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven." (Gen. xxviii. 12.) The ladder is the Lamb; the foot of the ladder was fixed in the midst of the earth, when he was here in an humbled estate; and now the top of the ladder is fixed in the midst of the throne; all the rounds of it are completed, that we may ascend by this way from earth to heaven.

5. Hence we may learn what good reason there is for having a high esteem of Christ, since God hath so highly exalted him to the very midst of the throne. O believer, should not Christ be high in our valuation, when God hath set him so high? No wonder, then, that it is said, "If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maran-atha;" (1 Cor. xvi. 22;) that is, accursed until our Lord come. Woe will be to them that will not put honour upon him, whom God the Father put so much honour upon, and that as our Redeemer and Kinsman !

6. Hence learn, the throne of God needs not be terrible unto us, since the Lamb, the meek Lamb, is in the midst of the throne; sinners need not fear to go to the throne of God, so long as the Lamb is there. If unbelief look towards the throne, it views it only as it is the throne of God, and so fills the soul with slavish fear and frightful apprehensions; but true faith views it as the throne of God and of the Lamb; and the views of the Lamb in the midst of the throne raise some joy, hope, and pleasure in the midst of the heart. Why, there is meekness as well as majesty, grace as well as grandeur, about the throne, because the Lamb is there.

7. Hence we may learn what ground there is to expect the great God to be present in the midst of us this day, because the Lamb is in the midst of the throne. We

would have no ground to expect that God would be with us on the footstool, if Christ were not with God upon the throne. Christ promised, upon his ascending to the throne, that he would be with his people, saying, "Lo, I am with you alway." (Matt. xxviii. 20.) He promised, when he went up to the throne, he would send down his Spirit: "If I depart, I will send him." (John xvi. 7.) Therefore, if he be by his Spirit in the midst of us this day, it is because he is in the midst of the throne. It is easy for him to be both sitting gloriously in the midst of the throne, and at the same time walking graciously in the midst of the golden candlesticks. (Rev. ii. 1.) He is both the blessed Logos, the Word of God; and the blessed Immanuel, God with us. The seven spirits are said to be before the throne. The Spirit of God is one, but his gifts, operations, and influences are various; and the Lamb, that is in the midst of the throne, hath the Spirit to give; and having said that he will send him, O let us look to the throne, and thence expect the Spirit, according to his word.

Let a

8. Hence we may learn what is the mark of a worthy communicant, namely, if he be a true believer of this doctrine, that the Lamb is in the midst of the throne. man examine himself upon this, and so let him eat. I ask not if you say you believe, or think you believe; but I call and enjoin you to try, if you truly believe that the Lamb is in the midst of the throne. For helping you to this search, you may consider two things, namely, what view you have of this truth, and what virtue you find in it.

i. What view you have of this truth. If you truly believe it, then you view it with approbation. Is your heart satisfied that the Lamb is in the midst of the throne? Do you cordially approve of the Father's setting him so high? Did it ever fill your heart with joy and satisfaction, and with some secret pleasure and exultation, that God hath put such honour upon Jesus? And have you thus received this truth in the love of it, and in the sweetness of it? Q, did ever your heart leap, as it were, within you, to think that the throne of God is also the throne of the Lamb, and so a throne open to you to come boldly unto by the blood of the Lamb, that encircles the throne like a rainbow? How does your heart stand affected to this truth? "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. x. 10.) ii. What virtue have you found in this truth for leading