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SACRAMENTAL SELECTIONS; 
 
 NATURE AND DESIGN 
 
 OF 
 
 THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 WITH THE 
 
 PREPARATORY SELF-EXAMINATION 
 
 SUBSEQUENT WALK 
 
 OF 
 
 COMMUNICANTS, 
 
 FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS. 
 
 BY THE REV. JAMES P.HVILSON, D. D. 
 
 Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. W. WOODWARD 
 No. 52, Cornej of Second and Chesnut street:, 
 
 1812, 
 
DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, To wit : 
 
 BE it Remembered, That on the thirteenth day of May in th e 
 L. S. Thirty-sixth vear of the Independence of the United States 
 
 of America, A. D.1812, William W. Woodward, of the said 
 District, hath deposited in this office the tide of a Book, the right 
 whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit : 
 
 Sacramental Selections, or the Nature and Design of the Lord's 
 Supper. With the Preparatory Self-examination and Subse- 
 quent Walk of Communicants. From various Authors. By the 
 Hev. James P. Wilson, D. D. Pastor of the First Presbyterian 
 Church, Philadelphia. 
 
 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, in- 
 tituled, " An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing 
 •' the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Pro- 
 " prietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned " — And 
 also to the Act entitled, " An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, 
 •' An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the co- 
 ** pies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of 
 '•' such copies during the times therein mentioned,*' and extending 
 i( the benefits thereof to the Arts of designing, engraving, and etch - 
 " nig historical and other prints." 
 
 D. CALDWELL, 
 
 Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania 
 
% 
 
 - 
 
 CONTEXTS. 
 
 I. Of the nature and uses of this Ordinance of 
 the Lord's Supper. 
 
 An extract from " The Devout Communicant's Assistant," 
 by Dr. Duncan Page 1. 
 
 An extract from Essays on " important Subjects," bv the 
 Rev. John Blair 24 
 
 II. Of the Obligations to partake, and Answers 
 to the usual excuses for neglecting the Or- 
 
 nance. 
 
 An Extract from " The Devout Communicant's Assis- 
 tant," by Dr. Duncan 44 
 
 An Extract from " Essays on important Subjects," bv the 
 Rev. John Bbir 72 
 
 A CaseofConscier.ee taken cut of " Pike and Hay ward's 
 Cases." 117 
 
 A Dialogue extracted from " A Treatise on the Lord's 
 Supper," by Mr. Doolittle 133 
 
 III. Of the Self-examination, which ought to 
 precede participation. 
 
 An extract from M The Devout Communicant's Assistant," 
 by Dr Duncan 152 
 
 An extract from " Discourses en the Lord's Supper," by 
 Dr. Owen 167 
 
 A case of conscience selected from u Pike and Hayward's 
 Cases." 177 
 
 An extract from Ci Sacramental Exercises," by Dr. Earle 195 
 
 IV. Of the dispositions and meditations suita- 
 ble to that solemn occasion. 
 
 An extract from «« The Devout Communicant's Assistant," 
 
 by Dr. Duncan 213 
 
 \n extract from a " Review of the In jtittttion of the Lord's 
 Supper," Anonj r . 294 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 V. Of the subsequent Life and Deportment of 
 the worthy Communicant. 
 
 An extract from «« The Devout Communicant's Assistant," 
 by Dr. Duncan 249 
 
 An extract from " The Communicant's Spiritual Compa- 
 nion," by Dr. Hawies 262 
 
 VI. Of frequent Communicating proved from 
 the Scriptures and Ancient Fathers. 
 
 Extracted from "Theological Dissertations," by Dr. John 
 Erskine 277 
 
SACRAMENTAL SELECTIONS 
 
 OR THE 
 
 NATURE AND DESIGN 
 
 OF 
 
 THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 Ol THE NATURE AND USES OF THE ORDINANCE OF 
 THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 THE great design of Almighty God, to 
 bring about the redemption of mankind 
 by Jesus Christ, has been gradually discovered : 
 it has been carried on through the past ages of 
 the world in divers manners : it was early men- 
 tioned to Adam : it was promised to Abraham : 
 it was represented in types and figures under 
 the Mosaic dispensation. The promise made to 
 the father of the faithful, was repeated to David. 
 In the fulness of time God sent forth his Son, 
 made of a woman, made under the law. All 
 these circumstances prove this great underta- 
 king to have been the * eternal purpose of God : 
 
 * The happiness of man in his first estate flowed from the goodness 
 of God, his miseries have flowed from his own guilt. Justice would 
 approve if man in every instance were left to the consequences of 
 his crimes. As man is formed for actively glorifying God, if ever)' 
 man had failed of this forever, it would have argued a disappoint- 
 ment of the purposes of his Creator : but the supposition is indis- 
 
 B 
 
6 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 but it is not yet fully displayed. The last amaz- 
 ing and perfecting part of this great plan extends 
 to another world : then only shall the mystery 
 of God be finished. 
 
 As all the views in which this important de- 
 sign hath appeared, have relation one to ano- 
 ther, they contribute mutually to cast light up- 
 on each other. Thus, Christ himself said to the 
 Jews, " If ye had believed Moses, ye would 
 have believed me, for he wrote of me. As Mo- 
 ses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so 
 shall the Son of man be lifted up, that whoso- 
 ever believeth in him might not perish, but 
 have eternal life ;" and, of the passover, he 
 saith, That it should be fulfilled in the king- 
 dom of God. 
 
 When this type was about to be fulfilled, un- 
 der the gospel dispensation, in the death of Christ 
 
 creet, for the whole scheme of God relative to man is one, and en- 
 tire ; and the salvation of the myriads of saints was as much in the 
 divine view as the formation of man. In themselves guilty and help- 
 less, their salvation must spring from the mercy of their Creator. But 
 mercy cannot be extended to the disparagement of the justice, holi- 
 ness, and truth of God. The Scriptures affirm maw's inability to satisfy 
 justice, he has nothing to render, he cannot be profi table to God, and 
 the great Supreme cannot cease to be just, or wave the demands of jus- 
 tice. They show that God has provided a satisfaction, which has been 
 rendered according to purposes existing before man's creation, so that 
 justice has received all her dues, with respect to those who have an in- 
 terest in Christ. Man is unholy, averse to submission, and unfit for the 
 enjoyment of God; a way therefore has been opened, by which the 
 Holy Spirit can, consistently with justice, be sent to change the heart, 
 produce submission, and make the party meet for glory. And because 
 ;:11 this was from eternity on the Divine mind, he has never said or 
 done any thing in his transactions with man incompatible with such 
 intentions, though such purposes have not been expressed as limita- 
 tions of his denunciations. This whole scheme of salvation originates 
 with, and is carried on, and perfected by God. It is all therefore of 
 grace, and all redounds to his glory. 
 
OF THE LORD S SUPPER. 
 
 our passover, on the night before he was cru- 
 cified, our blessed Lord instituted the Sacra- 
 ment * of his Supper. It is recorded by three 
 Evangelists: Matt. xxvi. 20, 20,27,28. "Now 
 u when the even was come, he sat down with 
 " the twelve. And as they were eating, Jesus 
 " took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and 
 " gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat ; 
 " this is my body. And he took the cup, and 
 " gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 
 " Drink ve all of it : for this is mv blood of the 
 " new testament, which is shed for many, for 
 il the remission of sins. Mark xiv. 17, 18,22, 
 " 23, 24. And in the evening he cometh with 
 " the twelve. And as they sat and did eat,; — 
 " Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it. 
 " and gave to them, and said, Take, eat : this 
 " is my body. And he took the cup, and when 
 " he had given thanks, he gave it to them : and 
 " they all drank of it. And he said unto them, 
 " This is my blood of the new testament, Which 
 " is shed for many. Luke xxii. 14, 19, 20. 
 " And when the hour was come, he sat down, 
 
 * That the word Sacramentum was used to signify a military oath 
 amor.g the Romans, cannot be questioned. That Pliny used it in this 
 sense, when he applied it to the Lord's simper, in his description of 
 Christian worship in his letter to Trajan, ought also to be admitted. 
 Hut whether it was so understood by the early Christians, who first 
 applied it to the ordinances, is extremely doubtful. They used the 
 word Sacramentum, for mvsterv, as is plain from its occurrence in the 
 Vulgate in Ephes. i. 9. 'iii. 3. 9. v/32. Col. i. 27. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 
 Rev. i. 20. xvii. 7. and perhaps in otherplaces. They probably there- 
 fore meant by the term thus used, that more was contained in, or in- 
 tended by the ordinances of Baptism and the Supper, than the ex- 
 ternal rites discovered to uninstructed spectators. Vide Dr. Camp- 
 bell on the Gospels, and Dr. V. Knox, on the Lord's Supper. 
 
8 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 " and the twelve apostles with him. And he 
 " took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, 
 ** and gave unto them, saying, This is my bo- 
 " dy which is given for you: this do in re mem - 
 11 brance of me. Likewise also the cup after 
 " supper, saying, This cup is the new testa- 
 " ment in my blood, which is shed for you." 
 
 The fullest account given of it is by the holy 
 Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 23. The writings of 
 the Apostle and of the Evangelists are of equal 
 authority : we may safely rely on them ; for they 
 were all written by the aid and inspiration of the 
 Holy Ghost.* The Evangelist Matthew was 
 
 * Reason afier her highest attainments is nonplussed in many 
 things, about which men in all ages have been solicitous. Whether 
 the soul survives the body, whether the body shall be raised, whether 
 man can be rendered happy without satisfaction to offended justice, 
 whether there be a way of salvation, and such like, are questions, 
 the solution of which, if they have been solved, must have come from 
 the God of nature. He is able to reveal to us his pleasure for we can- 
 not frame a thought without him. This has been also the general be- 
 lief, as is proved by the contrivance and reception of Pagan oracles, 
 and by the efforts to sanction human laws by Divine authority. That 
 he has dene it, appears by the declarations of the writers of the Holy 
 Scriptures ; they have not wilfully prevaricated ; their characters are 
 £ccd, and their testimony was against their interest and worldly 
 comfort. Their subject matter contains too much evidence of wis- 
 dom to allow us to suppose the writers ignorant and enthusiastic. 
 These writings speak themselves divine ; they give the mosf perfect 
 character of Deity, the most credible account of the origin of man, 
 his first condition, the peopling of the world, his present character, 
 and natural disposition; and the way of happiness. They surpass 
 every system of morals yet offered to the world. They have stood 
 the test of the most severe and most general scrutiny of all sorts of 
 men, through many ages, and have not been justly charged with any 
 defect. Their morality is the most pure ; their history of the eariy 
 times the most credible; and their representation of Deity the most 
 reasonable. Their effects in civilizing the savage mind, in calming 
 its furious passions, regulating its inordinate desires, in directing the 
 will to its proper object, in disseminating the prejudices of the dark- 
 ened understanding, and rendering man a reasonable being, discover 
 
OF THE LORDS SUPPER. 9 
 
 present, and narrates the summary of what he 
 heard and saw ; the holy Apostle Paul writes 
 what he had received by immediate revelation, 
 from our Lord himself, relative to the Lord's 
 Supper. 
 
 He wrote on purpose to rectify what had been 
 amiss in the conduct of the church of Corinth, 
 
 that they are not a human invention. Prophecies, miracles, the pre- 
 servation of the Scriptures, and of the nation of the Jews to be wit- 
 nesses of the Old Testament, which is the best proof of the New, and 
 the accompanying witness of the Spirit of God to his own word, ren- 
 der certain the inspiration of the Scriptures. 
 
 Many portions of these sacred books were communicated to the 
 speakers or writers immediately by strong impressions upon their 
 minds, by visions, by dreams, by audible voices, or face to face, and 
 whether the ideas or words were thus given, it may be denominated 
 for the sake of distinction, an inspiration by suggestion. By far the 
 greater portion of the sacred Scriptures is historical. The writers pos- 
 sessed in common with other men reason, memory, and the other 
 ordinary mental faculties, and were sufficiently acquainted with their 
 own language to narrate the occurrences of which they had been wit- 
 nesses, or the facts, of which they had received certain information 
 from others. There could be no need of an immediate suggestion of 
 the things they knew or remembered, but only of things which they 
 would not have remembered; and also, that it was God's will, that 
 they should make such record. It cannot be believed that Deity in- 
 tending to perpetuate the knowledge of such facts, would suffer him- 
 self to be disappointed in the means or instruments adopted. He allow- 
 ed them to communicate as witnesses their own ideas, in their own 
 words, but so superintended them, that it should be all true, and that 
 that,which he intended, should be communicated. This is the inspira- 
 tion of superintendence, which const hutes the whole the word of God, 
 all the Scriptures being written by inspiration of him. 
 
 Deeds and wills express the minds of grantors and testators in the 
 language in which they were originally written and executed. The 
 Septuagint, Vulgate, and other versions, and the masoretic points, 
 give us but the opinions of judicious men upon the various parts of 
 the Original, and are not the xcord of God. Much of the Scriptures is 
 in figurative "anguage: to adopt a literal interpretation universale, 
 would therefore be to mistake in many instances the sense. When 
 rhis is apparent we are at liberty to adopt no other; unless a secon- 
 dary sense has been expressly authorized by the Holy Spirit in sorr^ 
 other passage of Scripture. 
 
 B 2 
 
10 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 in administering that ordinance ; and, therefore, 
 recites the original account of its institution. 
 " 1 have received of the Lord, that which also I 
 *' delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the 
 u same night in which he was betrayed, took 
 " bread : and when he had given thanks, he 
 " brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, 
 " which is broken for you : this do in remem- 
 " brance of me. After the same manner also, he 
 " took the cup, when he had supped, saying, 
 " This cup is the new Testament in my blood ; 
 f 6 this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remem- 
 u brance of me. For as often as ye eat this 
 " bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the 
 u Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, who- 
 " soever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup 
 " of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the 
 " body and blood of the Lord. But let a man 
 ic examine himself, and so let him eat of that 
 11 bread, and drink of that cup. For he that 
 " eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and 
 •'•' drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning 
 ' the Lord's body." 
 
 After our Lord had celebrated the passover 
 with his disciples, the Apostle and Evangelists 
 say, " he took bread." The Evangelists St. 
 Matthew and Mark say, " he blessed it." The 
 Evangelist St. Luke, and St. Paul, say, " he 
 gave thanks." The two expressions import the 
 same thing ; an act of religious worship ; and 
 that our Lord implored the blessing of Almigh- 
 ty God on the bread and the wine, that thereby, 
 as the memorials of his death, they might be 
 
11 
 
 made to answer the pious and religious purpose 
 to whieh he had appointed them. Thus our Sa- 
 viour is said to have applied to heaven,* im- 
 ploring the blessing of Almighty God on the 
 loaves and the fishes : he laid his hands also on 
 little children, and blessed f them : he lift up 
 his hands, and blessed his disciples, at his as- 
 cension .J 
 
 He took bread, and brake it : A part of the 
 institution very significant ; for, had it not been 
 broken, it could not have been a proper emblem 
 of his body, which was broken, or crucified for us. 
 Breaking of bread seems, therefore, to have been 
 the name most commonlv used in the New Tes- 
 tament, to express the Lord's Supper. ) And, if 
 the bread be not broken, it does not represent, 
 as it ought, the communion of saints ; who, (j 
 by that action, as they are partakers of that one 
 bread, have communion one with another ; and 
 are all as really members of that one body, of 
 which Christ is the head, as they are partakers 
 of one bread. 
 
 He gave it to his disciples, saying, " Take, 
 u eat ; this is my body, which is broken for 
 ki you." The disciples could not possibly have 
 understood by this expression, that the bread 
 was Christ's real body : for his body was visi- 
 bly distinct from the bread. It could, at this 
 time, only be understood figuratively ; for his 
 body was not crucified, or broken, till the day 
 following. The body of our Lord that was cru- 
 
 • Matt. xiv. 19. t Mark x. 16. % Luke xxiv. 50, 51, 
 
 f Acts xi. 7.11- ii. 42.46. I 1 Cor. x. 16. 
 
12 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 cified, separated by death from his soul, and a- 
 gain joined to it at his resurrection, is now in 
 heaven ; this sacrament is dispensed in remem- 
 brance of him as absent; and, therefore, the 
 bread cannot possibly be his real body. This is 
 done by us, the Apostle says, u to shew his 
 " death till he come ;" but, if he be here bodily 
 present, that presence destroys the ordinance 
 entirely, which was designed to keep us in re- 
 membrance of him, while he is absent. 
 
 The cup is called the new testament or co- 
 venant in his blood : that is to say, the wine in 
 the cup, represents the blood of Christ, by 
 which the covenant of mercy was ratified : for 
 our Lord became " the great Shepherd of the 
 " sheep, by the blood of the everlasting cove- 
 nant." 
 
 These figurative ways of speaking are very 
 consistent with many other expressions in holy 
 scripture. As, when Christ is called a Rock, or 
 calls himself a Shepherd, a Door, the Way, or a 
 Vine ; no man ever imagined any of these could 
 be understood literally, but figuratively. When 
 Joseph said, in the interpretation of Pharaoh's 
 dream, " The seven good kine are seven years, 
 and the seven good ears are seven years,*" he 
 meant they represented, or signified, seven years. 
 
 In the same language, the bread and wine are 
 the symbols, the memorials, or representations 
 of the broken body and shed blood of Christ : 
 they are neither of them a complete sacrament 
 without the other. It is absurd to say, u That 
 
 • Gen. xli. 26, 7K 
 
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 13 
 
 >A the bread or wafer, by itself, as representing 
 " the body, is a sacrament, because the body 
 " contains the blood;" for this sacrament is in- 
 stituted in commemoration of the blood shed 
 out of, or from the body ; and, therefore, with- 
 out the cup, his crucifixion is imperfectly re- 
 presented. We may add, that both kinds were 
 appointed by the same authority ; and, if there 
 be any difference made in the New Testament, 
 the greatest stress seems to be laid upon the 
 blood, * which was the life, and given to be the 
 sacrifice. 
 
 The Apostle adds, ver. 26. " As often as ye 
 " eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew 
 " the Lord's death till he come:" That is, shew 
 forth the truth of it, and our own belief in it. So 
 xhat, in the Lord's Supper, we not only com- 
 memorate Christ, that was crucified ; but we 
 also profess our faith in his resurrection, and 
 our hope of his coming to judgment. " For he 
 li liveth, though he was dead, and is alive for 
 ki evermore, and hath the keys of death, and of 
 11 the grave." And therefore, this ordinance is, 
 in its own nature, the memorial of his love, and 
 a pledge of his second coming. 
 
 He adds, ver. 27. " Whosoever therefore, shall 
 41 eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord 
 " unworthily, shall be guiltv of the body and 
 M blood of the Lord." 
 
 The body and blood of the Lord signify the 
 death of Christ. For he saith himself, of the 
 bread, " This is my body," and of the cup, 
 
 * Eph. 5,7. Col. i. 20. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet. i. 19. 1 John i. 7 
 
14 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 " This is my blood;" that is, they represent 
 the death which he suffered for the remission of 
 sin. To eat and drink unworthily, if restrict- 
 ed to the Corinthians, refers to that proud and 
 uncharitable, that intemperate and irreverent 
 manner, in which they partook of the Lord's 
 Supper, for which the Apostle finds fault with 
 them. 
 
 To be guilty of the body and blood of the 
 Jjord, is a strong figurative expression, like Heb. 
 vL 6. " they crucify to themselves the Son of 
 " God afresh, and put him to an open shame :" 
 And, Heb. x. 29. u they count the blood of the 
 " covenant an unholy thing :" That is, those 
 who turned back to Judaism, from the profes- 
 sion of the gospel, behaved towards Christ as if 
 he had been an impostor, and had been justly 
 put to death. So that the restricted meaning 
 will be, that their behaviour at the Lord's 
 Supper was a great indignity to the death of 
 Christ, which that institution was meant to com- 
 memorate. 
 
 But as the Apostle speaks of the time that is 
 to come, and says, " Whosoever shall eat this 
 " bread, or drink this cup of the Lord unwor- 
 " thily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of 
 " the Lord;" and what he wrote was by the 
 authority of Christ, agreeable to what he had 
 received from him : it seems reasonable to 
 understand him as establishing a law with re- 
 spect to the celebration of the Lord's Supper. 
 
 Good laws usually take their rise from mis- 
 behaviour and ill conduct in the subjects. Thus, 
 
15 
 
 from Peter's rebuking his master, when he fore- 
 told that he was himself to suffer and be cruci- 
 fied *, our Lord warns them against the dan- 
 ger of being ashamed of him, or denying him 
 before men. From the Pharisees maliciously 
 insinuating f, " that by Beelzebub, the prince 
 " of the devils, he did cast out devils," he point- 
 ed out to them the great guilt of blasphemy a- 
 gainst the Holy Ghost. 
 
 In like manner, from the irreligious and of- 
 fensive behaviour of the Corinthians, the Apos- 
 tle took occasion to declare to men, the danger 
 of eating and drinking unworthily ; and, there- 
 fore, with great propriety may he be under- 
 stood as warning us against every improper 
 and unworthy manner of partaking of the Lord's 
 Supper. 
 
 He says, u They eat and drink judgment to 
 " themselves ;" by their irreligious behaviour 
 they offended God. He mentions also the pu- 
 nishment which had been inflicted on some of 
 them already, for their guilt. Many were visited 
 with sickness and distress, and some with death : 
 " For this cause many are weakly, and sick a- 
 '• mong you, and many sleep." 
 
 It is very observable, that, in this institution, 
 the wisdom of God hath followed the same me- 
 thod, in which he hath thought fit to instruct 
 mankind from the beginning of the world : For 
 when, at any time, Almighty God hath conde- 
 scended to speak of himself to the sons of men, 
 as we are averse to think of spiritual things, and 
 
 * Mark viii. 30—58. f Math. xii. 24. 31, 32. 
 
16 THE. NATURE AND USE 
 
 incapable of forming any proper conception ot 
 them, but by some helps, or analogy to sensible 
 objects, therefore he hath never given us any 
 sublime description of his nature and essence, 
 which, very probably, we could not have com- 
 prehended ; but chose rather to be known to us 
 by some memorable work, or some affectionate 
 relation in which he stood to the sons of men. 
 Thus, to the patriarchs he was known as " the 
 " Creator of the heavens, and of the earth:" To 
 the Israelites, as " the God who brought them 
 " out of the land of Egypt, and the house of 
 " bondage ;" and, to Christians he is revealed, 
 as " God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 " Christ." 
 
 We are as careless to remember, as we are 
 at first slow to apprehend spiritual things ; and, 
 therefore, has the same wisdom employed some 
 outward means, or external signs, to bring these 
 important relations to our remembrance. Thus, 
 to preserve the belief of our dependence on him 
 as our Creator, and a sense of the duties which 
 we owe him, immediately after the creation, 
 God was pleased to set apart one day in seven 
 for his worship. To perpetuate the memory of 
 their great deliverance from oppression and sla- 
 very in Egypt, he ordained the passover to be 
 carefully observed by the children of Israel, in 
 all their generations : In the same view is the 
 Lord's Supper appointed to be celebrated in all 
 the churches of Christ, as a memorial of his death 
 and sufferings, till he comes again. As these 
 symbols are plain and significant, they are wise- 
 
OF THE LORD S SUPPLi:. 17 
 
 ly adapted to promote this great end ; for, such 
 is our frame, that sensible emblems, when not 
 glaring and ostentatious, make deeper, and more 
 lasting impressions on our minds, than a bare 
 historical narrative of the facts to be remember- 
 cd. So that, 
 
 1st. The primary intent of the Lord's Supper, 
 is to perpetuate and keep up the remembrance of 
 Christ till he come again : " This (says he) do 
 *' in remembrance of me." 
 
 Herebv we are called to remember how ex- 
 cellent this person is, who underwent all these 
 sufferings for us. w The only begotten Son of 
 " God, * the brightness of the Father's glory, 
 " the express image of his person, in whom are 
 
 • The Scriptures of the New Testament contain the expression 
 the Son of God above forty times. That Christ, the anointed, that is 
 commissioned, of the Father, was also the Son of God. appears to have 
 been a leading article of the Gospel faith, and therefore these terms 
 were, we presume, well understood. If the Socinian interpretation of 
 them, as implying inferiority and subjection be the true one, it ought 
 not to be rejected, but the meaning of this expression, should not be 
 taken from the force of such terms in modern use ; it is but fair that 
 their sense should be sought for in the book in which we iind them, 
 the correct understanding of which is the object of all who receive it 
 as the Word of God. The term son does not in every instance imply 
 inferiority ; we associate such idea, when the son has been in mino- 
 rity and subjection, but the Son of God is from eternity, he made all 
 things and is frequently named Jehovah in the Old Testament. 
 The Jews accused Christ of blasphemy because he called God his Fa- 
 ther, which they deemed to be the making himself equal with God. 
 The word Son did not import necessarily subjection, otherwise k 
 •would not have been said, " Tho' he were a Son yet learned he obe- 
 ** dience," but because he was a Son therefore he yielded obedience. 
 In like manner the word son may be used without associating with ic 
 the idea of posteriority, whatever maybe the case in order of na'ure, 
 God always existed and never without purposing, his purposes are 
 therefore eternal, and so the Son is eternal. The meaning of the 
 word Son may be collected from the first chapter of the epistle to the 
 Hebrews •< Being bv so much more powerful faftiluv) than the angel* > 
 
 G 
 
18 TI*r NATURE AND USE 
 
 " hid all the treasures of wisdom and know- 
 as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they ; " (a) and that 
 name as appears from the next sentence was that of Son. Angels 
 and men may be called sons by adoption, but he is by inheritance, by 
 nature such. Every name and title found in the New Testament may 
 be ascribed to Christ, and are so, and yet his Deity denied, because 
 as he condescended to be a Mediator, and to assume our nature, he was 
 thus inferior to God, and the Scriptures which describe this inferio- 
 rity are applied to his character under all circumstances. But to be 
 a Son, and begotten of the Father express that his nature is the same, 
 and that he may be the brightness of the Father's glory, (Z>) and con- 
 sequently the same with the Father, as a part of the same glory, and 
 yet personally distinct as these words shew. He was a Son before 
 he was sent, or manifested and is thus denominated as his personal 
 distinction in the ordinance of Baptism. It is a term like all others 
 which we apply to Deity taken from sensible things, but ought no 
 more to be confined to his human birth than the term word to his pro- 
 phetic character in the first chapter of John, for though he reveals 
 the Father yet he was the Word in the beginning. Because it is said 
 after a description of the conception ; c) " therefore also that holy 
 " thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God," 
 it does not follow that thereby he became the Son of God, for it was 
 thus he became possessed of the human nature, nor even that he 
 should be then first called the Son of God; for he bad been frequent- 
 ly called by this name in prophecy, the force of that passage is only 
 that by such extraordinary conception that which should be born of 
 the virgin Mary should be called by a name long before known, it 
 should be accounted that Divine person who was from eternity the 
 Son of God. 
 
 It was necessary that no less a person should be our Mediator, 
 obey and die. The human nature not the Divine could suffer, but the 
 Divine person suffered, as a man suffers when hisbody, not his soul is 
 diseased. God only has a right to determine his own worship, and 
 especially a vicarious sacrifice must be by Divine and antecedent ap- 
 pointment : but its whole importance did not rest in appointment, 
 otherwise so costly an one need not have been offered, the blood of 
 bulls and of goats, or a nominal sacrifice, might have answered ; tho* 
 the law andjii9tice required sufferings and death, yet Godtakes noplea- 
 sure in the miseries of others ; this was not the principal end ; but be 
 governs the universe, his laws must be obeyed, his honour must not 
 be compromised, his word must be fulfilled ; it was therefore neces- 
 sary that a sacrifice should be made, which would demand the atten- 
 tion of the universe, and which could not have been affected by the 
 sufferings and death of a mere creature, if it had been innocent, and 
 had a right to lay dowry its life, and power to take it up again. 
 But for the Creator and Lawgiver to obey and suffer produces ti*e 
 utmost respect for his laws, and the greatest terror to the guilty, 
 a Heb. i. 4. b Heb. i. 3. c Luke i. 35. 
 
SUPPER. 19 
 
 •* ledge, and die fulness of die Godhead bodi- 
 44 ly : He heing in the form of God, took on 
 " him the form of a servant, and became obe- 
 " dient unto death, even the death of the 
 " cross." The dignity of his person gave a 
 value to his obedience, and to all his sufferings. 
 
 This most excellent person left all that hap- 
 piness of which he was possessed in heaven, and 
 came to earth ; " the Word that was God, was 
 " made flesh, and dwelt among us :" For our 
 sake, " he became a man of sorrows, a and ac- 
 u quainted with grief:" After having taught 
 us the terms of salvation and acceptance with 
 God, set before us an edifying and perfect ex- 
 ample, and endured much contradiction of sin- 
 ners against himself, he suffered a painful and 
 ignominious death, as an expiation for the sins 
 of men. 
 
 All this he did with cheerfulness and con- 
 stancy : All the opposition, hatred and reproach 
 with which he was assaulted, rather quickened 
 his anxiety to have that great undertaking ac- 
 complished. He neither failed, nor was discou- 
 raged, till he could say, " It is finished. " 
 
 To perpetuate the belief of this important e- 
 vent in the world, and to preserve an affectionate 
 and grateful remembrance of it on the hearts of 
 all the disciples and followers of Christ, as a 
 principle of obedience, was the original intent 
 of the Lord's Supper; that, when we were 
 sinners, and enemies, without strength to res- 
 cue ourselves from the guilt and dominion 
 of sin, Christ, in due time, thus died for th~. 
 ungodly. 
 
20 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 2dly. The Lord's Supper affords us an oppor- 
 tunity of renewing and ratifying our covenant 
 with God. Mercy and forgiveness are offered, 
 in the gospel, to him that believes and repents. 
 The terms on which mercy was offered, were 
 obtained by the mediation of Christ, and pur- 
 chased by his death. We are earl}- dedicated to 
 God, on the terms of this covenant, by baptism j 
 but, alas ! in many things we fail, and come 
 short of the sacred obligations that were then 
 laid on us. As these terms of mercy are accom- 
 modated to imperfect men, who promise obedi- 
 ence, and are in danger of breaking, or of for- 
 getting their vows ; the Lord's Supper affords 
 an occasion of recollection, and an opportunity 
 of considering how we have paid these vows, or 
 wherein we have failed in the performance of the 
 duties which were incumbent on us, and what 
 guilt we are chargeable with in the sight of his 
 cross. When we are to partake of the Lord's 
 Supper, it is a very proper occasion of searching 
 and trying our hearts ; of confessing and mourn- 
 ing over our past transgressions ; of imploring 
 the forgiveness of them, for the sake of that pro- 
 pitiation, which this ordinance doth commemo- 
 rate ; of bringing ourselves under new and 
 stricter obligations to watch against temptations, 
 and resolving, that wherein we have done ini- 
 quity, by his grace, we will do no more. 
 
 3dly. The Lord's Supper is a means of main- 
 taining communion with God. Sin forfeited the 
 favour of God, banished men from his presence, 
 and deprived us of freedom of access to him. 
 
21 
 
 To this great privilege we are again restored by 
 Jesus Christ, and now have access to the Father 
 by him. Almighty God hath thought fit of his 
 great goodness, that this intercourse should be 
 carried on in the use of means. By them he 
 vouchsafes to bestow on us, the direction of his 
 Good Spirit, the assistance of his grace, the com- 
 forts of his love, the pledges and foretastes of 
 eternal life. 
 
 The ordinance of the Supper is a powerful 
 means of maintaining this communion, and of 
 conveying these blessings to the children of 
 God. " The cup of blessings (saith the holy 
 " Apostle) which we bless, is it not the commu- 
 " nion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which 
 " we break, is it not the communion of the body 
 " of Christ *:?" that is, the means of conveying 
 to us the blessings purchased by the sufferings 
 of Christ. 
 
 It must be acknowledged, if there be no such 
 thing as real communion with God, many ex- 
 pressions in holy scripture can have no determi- 
 nate meaning at all. As when the Psalmist says, 
 " As the hart pan teth after the water brooks, so 
 M panteth my soul for God, the living God f. — 
 "We shall be satisfied with the fatness of thy 
 " house, even of thy holy place : thou wilt pro- 
 " vide for them drink of the rivers of thy plea- 
 " sure J. — Then shall I run the way of thy com- 
 " mandments, when thou shalt enlarge my 
 
 " heart §." Saith our Lord himself, " He that 
 
 - ■ 
 
 • 1 Cor. x. 16. f Psalm xlii. 1. 2. \ Psalm xxxvi. 8. 9. 
 
 ♦ Psalm cxix. 32. 
 
22 "SHE NATURE AND USE 
 
 V lovetb mc, shall be loved of my Father, and I 
 " will love him, and manifest myself to him. If 
 lC a man love me, he will keep my words; my 
 "' Father will love him, and we will come un- 
 H to him, and make our abode with him *." 
 And, since he ascended into heaven, he saith to 
 the church, " Behold, I stand at the door and 
 " knock : If any man will hear my voice, and 
 ' c open the door, I will come in and sup with 
 *? him, and he with me f." This is, indeed, 
 the hidden manna of God, which the world 
 knoweth not ; a stranger doth not intermeddle 
 with this joy ! 
 
 4thly, The Lord's Supper is intended as a 
 means of our improvement in holiness, and all 
 the other graces of the Christian life. This is 
 called feeding on Christ. He calls himself the 
 bread of life : That is to say, the blessings 
 which he hath brought and purchased, and be- 
 stows on us, are as necessary to the happiness 
 of the soul, as bread is to the nourishment of our 
 bodies. 
 
 The soul is spiritual, and stands in need of 
 spiritual food ; that is, of light to direct us in the 
 road of our duty, and of assistance to perform 
 it; of courage to persevere in the course' of a 
 holy obedience ; and strength to resist tempta- 
 tions. We all agree, that the growth and pro- 
 gress of every thing depend on the concurrence 
 of providence, and life conveyed to it, according 
 to those laws which God hath established in the 
 natural world. There seems from revelation, to 
 
 ' - " r ]chnxW.21.23. + R«v.iil 20. 
 
or the lord's supper. 23 
 
 he the same reason for believing, that there are 
 means established in the moral world, for culti- 
 vating and cherishing the seeds of virtue and 
 goodness in the soul, which shall, at last, spring 
 up to everlasting life. 
 
 God is best judge what these means should 
 be ; the use of them is our duty ; our employ- 
 ing them expresses our sense of our dependence 
 on God, and our obedience to his command- 
 ments. No means could be more adapted to 
 promote our improvement in all the graces of 
 the Christian life than the Lord's Supper. What 
 could tend more to strengthen and establish our 
 faith in the gospel, than to partake of the memo- 
 rials of the death of Christ, and see him, as it 
 were, set forth crucified before our eyes ; and to 
 call to remembrance, that, as certainly as we eat 
 this bread, and drink of this cup, Jesus, the Son 
 of God, suffered for our sins ? What could more 
 contribute to encrease our love to God, than our 
 being thus brought to remember that God so 
 loved us, as to give his only begotten Son to the 
 death for us. The same holy institution clear- 
 ly shows us the evil of sin, that was expiated at 
 so dear a rate, as the precious blood of the Son 
 of God. How dangerous then must the state of 
 the impenitent sinner be ? In a word, nothing 
 could be a greater check to all hatred, or re- 
 venge, against our brethren, or a more power- 
 ful motive to forgive their trespasses, than our 
 seeing, in the cross of Christ, how God, for 
 Christ's sake, hath forgiven us. This native ten- 
 dency in the ordinance, is the wise constitution 
 
24 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 of the High Priest of our profession. And to 
 these means, seriously and devoutly used, God 
 addeth his blessing to make them effectual. For 
 whoever planteth, or watereth, it is God that gi- 
 veth the increase. 
 
 So that, from the supper of our Lord, the de- 
 vout Christian may hope to derive strength to 
 resist temptation, assistance to put his best reso- 
 lutions in practice, and to enable him to hold on 
 in the road that leads to everlasting life. And 
 if our blessed Lord hath assured us, that our 
 heavenly Father is ready, even in answer to our 
 secret prayers, to grant good gifts, or his Holy 
 Spirit, to them that ask him #, much more may 
 we conclude, will he grant those blessings o£ 
 which we stand in need, when, with devout and 
 penitent hearts, we implore them over that sacri- 
 fice of a sweet smelling savour, which is the pur- 
 chase of them all f- He who denied us not 
 the greater gift, will not refuse to give the les- 
 ser. " He who spared not his own Son, but 
 freely delivered him up to the death for us all, 
 how shall he not with him also freely give us all 
 things ?" 
 
 J A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance, in which 
 some sensible thing, or things, are, by divine 
 institution, to be used as a sign and seal of the 
 privileges, mercies, and engagements of the co- 
 venant of grace between God and his people. — 
 
 * Marrh. vii. 9. f Rom.viii. 32. 
 J The following is taken from the Rev. John Blair's Essays en 
 ibe Subject. 
 
OF THE LORDS SUPPER. 26 
 
 A Sign is something, which, by its presence or 
 use. suggests or represents something else to 
 the mind. This must therefore be some sensi- 
 ble visible thing. The sign in a Sacrament is 
 not a natural, but arbitrary sign : it has no na- 
 tural necessary connexion with the thing sig- 
 nified : but its connexion is by institution for 
 that purpose. — Written covenants among mem 
 are confirmed by adding a bit of wax impressed 
 with the character of a seal, which is, by a par- 
 ticular action and express declaration, acknow- 
 ledged, and is therefore called a seal. When this 
 is done, the covenant cannot be revoked but by 
 the consent and deed of both parties : without 
 which, their engagements to each other stand 
 good, and in full force. Now if any other sign 
 or thing, attended with significant actions, be 
 appointed for the same purpose, it is called by 
 the same name. Thus the elements of Water, 
 in Baptism, and Bread and Wine in the Lord's 
 Supper, are called Seals, because when used ac- 
 cording to their institution, they have the same 
 efficacy with respect to the covenant of grace ? 
 that there is in seals annexed to written cove- 
 nants among men. — Thus then some sensible 
 sign, its separation and appointment to its pro- 
 per purpose, and, in consequence thereof, its 
 significancy and efficacy as a sign and seal of 
 the covenant of grace, all concur to the consti- 
 tution of a Sacrament. This is the view of the 
 matter which the Scriptures give us : thus Gen. 
 xvii. 10, 11. This is my covenant : — every man- 
 child among you shall be circumcised. — And it 
 
26 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 shall be a token of the covenant betwixt you 
 and me* It shall be a token, or sign : it shall 
 suggest to your minds the necessity of your be- 
 ing cut off from the old stock, and engrafted in- 
 to Christ Jecus, the living Vine ; and that the 
 foreskin of your hearts, their natural hardness 
 and stubbornness, must be taken away, and turn- 
 ed to the Lord. (See Jer. iv. 4. Rom. ii. 28, 29.) 
 It is also a sign or token of the existence of the 
 covenant. The tenor of the covenant, was the 
 promises made to Abraham in v. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 
 see also Gal. iii. 14 — 16. Yet circumcision is 
 called the Covenant, v. 10. Which can only 
 mean, that the promises of the covenant are con- 
 firmed by it. Hence the apostle uses the terms 
 Promises, and Covenant, promiscuously ; and 
 observes, that the covenant was confirmed be- 
 fore of God in Christ: viz. to Abraham, by 
 circumcision. Gal. iii. 17. And the apostle calls 
 it a seal of the righteousness of faith. Rom. 
 iv. 11. 
 
 Baptism and the Lord's Supper agree in the 
 general nature of a Sacrament, as above descri- 
 bed. Yet, they differ not only in the external 
 elements, (without which they could not be two 
 Sacraments) but in sundry other considerable 
 respects. As 1st Baptism is an initial common- 
 strati ve * sign and seal, which visibly denotes 
 the existence of God's covenant between him 
 and the baptized party, and their entrance into 
 the school of Christ as his disciples ; and by 
 
 * A Commonstrative Sign, is that which denotes the presence cf 
 the thing signified. 
 
27 
 
 which their visible membership in the church 
 is publickly ratified. This ratification of mem- 
 bership in the church of Christ as his visible 
 disciples, is in Scripture attributed to this, and 
 never to the other Sacrament. Thus Matt. 
 xxviii. 19, 20. Go ye therefore, and teach f all 
 nations; and then take care of and treat them as 
 disciples,} teaching them to observe all things, 
 whatsoever I have commanded you ; they are 
 hereby bound and engaged to observe and at- 
 tend upon all ordinances and duties. 
 
 The Lord's Supper is a commemorative sign, 
 wherein persons recollect and recognize their 
 engagements to be the Lord's, previously enter- 
 ed into in the initiating Sacrament of Baptism \ 
 and especially commemorate, and improve the 
 sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Persons Church- membership is pre-supposed 
 in, and pre- requisite to their access to this Sa- 
 crament. Hence the Sacrament of Baptism is 
 only once to be administered to, and received by 
 the same subject. For, from what has been 
 observed, it appears, that by one administration 
 it obtains its whole effect. Membership in the 
 Church of Christ admits not of degrees ; a per- 
 son is either a member or no member of the 
 Church ; there is no ground in Scripture or rea- 
 son for the distinction of imperfect or perfect 
 members, members in a passive and active state 
 as different sorts of members, the same member 
 may have very different degrees of capacity for 
 
 the discharge of the duties and enjoyment of 
 
 . ~ ■ ■ ■ ',■ ~* 
 
28 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 the privileges of a member, but he is the same 
 member still. An infant member cannot exer- 
 cise knowledge, nor perform duty, nor in child- 
 hood can he perform duties, which require de- 
 grees of knowledge above his capacity ; but yet 
 still he is truly a member, training up in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord. I would 
 ask what is done to persons in their passive 
 state, viz. Infancy, when they are baptized. 
 Are they not separated from the world, and de- 
 dicated to God as his peculiar property ? Are 
 they not brought under the bond of God's co- 
 venant, and under the ordinances of the Gospel 
 or means of grace, as they become capable of 
 instruction r Are they not really bound, and 
 that so as, upon its being duly laid before them, 
 their consciences must feel the obligation, to 
 cleave to God in Christ, to perform all chris- 
 tian duties, and, among the rest, to renew their 
 covenant engagements at the Lord's Table, 
 But do they, by approaching the Lord's Table, 
 acquire a new state of membership ? In what 
 Scripture is that declared ? I would further ask, 
 whether an adult person, when baptized, is a 
 perfect member, or only imperfect, a member 
 in embrio ? If the latter, then, the matter does 
 not turn upon the difference between the pas- 
 sive and active state, and so that distinction 
 must be given up; but the imperfection of his 
 membership must arise from an insufficiency in 
 the sacrament of Baptism to ratify it, that is, it 
 is not sufficient to ratify what it is expressly ap- 
 pointed to ratify, Matt, xxviii. 19. which is ab- 
 
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 29 
 
 surd ; but if the former, then there is perfect 
 membership by baptism, previous to coming to 
 the Lord's table. Therefore also, baptism so 
 confirms Church-membership to an infant, as to 
 maintain and make good his title, as he arrives 
 to capacity of enjoyment ; for its efficacy takes 
 place after, as well as at the time of administra- 
 tion, even through the whole course of life. 
 Thus, though a baptized person should not be 
 regenerated and united to Christ by a saving 
 faith until old age ; yet, thereupon his baptism, 
 which he received in infancy, seals his ingraft- 
 ing into Christ, and personal interest in the spe- 
 cial blessings of the covenant, otherwise, where 
 is the great advantage of infant baptism ? Hence 
 also, it appears how groundless and unreasona- 
 ble the distinction, which obtains in many pla- 
 ces, between the church and the congregation. 
 By this means, the greater part of worshipping 
 societies are excluded from the care and disci- 
 pline of the church, and yet are, in some re- 
 spects, treated as members, in being admitted 
 to dedicate their children to God in Baptism : 
 there is great inconsistency in these things. But 
 to return : from the very nature of a commemo- 
 rative sign, it is evident it is designed to affect the 
 heart by frequently bringing to remembrance 
 the things signified; therefore must be frequent- 
 ly used for that purpose. Hence, as the Sacra- 
 ment of the Lord's Supper is such, therefore 
 it must be often celebrated by the same per- 
 sons. They are to eat this bread, and drink this 
 cup of the Lord often. 1 Cor. xi. -i6. 
 
 D 
 
20 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 These -two JSacraments differ .with respect to 
 some of their subjects. Actual exercise, and a 
 competent knowledge of the nature of the ordi- 
 nance and transactions required, for which a pro- 
 per degree of natural capacity is requisite, are 
 indispensably necessary to an attendance on the 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Without this, 
 it could not be to persons what it is, viz. a com- 
 memorative sign ; its subserviency to its end, 
 is from the impression it is calculated to make 
 on the heart, in attending upon it; but as cir- 
 cumcision of old, so baptism, which succeeds it 
 now, is to be administered to infants, born of 
 professing parents. 
 
 The Sacraments are public signs and seals 
 of the covenant of grace, as transacted between 
 the blessed God and his church as such. The 
 covenant of grace, is the great and glorious char- 
 ter, by which Jehovah has erected and consti- 
 tuted his church.* She stands related to him, 
 and interested in him by covenant, Ezek. xvi. 
 ft. JVow when I passed by thee, and looked upon 
 thee, behold thy time zvas a time of love* and I 
 spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy na- 
 kedness : y-ea, I sivare unto thee, and thou be- 
 comest mine. Hence it is, that the church is so 
 repeatedly considered in Scripture, as married 
 to the Lord. It is a marriage covenant. This 
 I think, is the primary view of the covenant of 
 grace, as thus represented ,and confirmed by 
 
 * The covenant of grace is that which was made with Christ, and 
 in him faith all the elect as his seed ; yet it may well be termed als© 
 ,tfie charter of privileges upon which the churcii is founded. 
 
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 31 
 
 sign and seal y and it comprehends all the per- 
 sonal interests of individuals, as members of the 
 body of Christ, and belonging to that Society, 
 in ail God's covenant-transactions with men ; of 
 which we have an account in Scripture : the 
 persons, with whom he immediately transacted, 
 are not to be considered in a strict or abstract 
 personal capacity, but as members of society, 
 or as including the church. Thus when the gra- 
 cious God opened and established his covenant 
 with our first parents after the fall, (Gen. iii. 
 15.) they were then the church of God, and the 
 stock from whence it was to be propagated. In 
 the covenant-transaction with Abraham, he is 
 considered as the father of many nations, Gen. 
 xvii. 5. The church is set up in his house, his 
 family, yea, the whole, both Jewish and Chris- 
 tian church are included, Rom. iv. 10 — 13. Gal. 
 iii. 14 — 16. None of the promises of the cove- 
 nant are directed to any who are out of the 
 church. All who are aliens to the common- 
 wealth of Israel, are strangers to the covenants 
 of promise, Eph. ii. 12» The promises do in- 
 deed describe particular characters, and point 
 out particular conditions and circumstances of 
 God's people, to which they are accommodated. 
 Hence each of the persons of those characters, 
 and in such condition or circumstances, may 
 claim a personal interest in such promises. Yet 
 this is not by virtue of any personal direction 
 of the promise ; but he pleads it as comprehen- 
 ded in the church, and belonging to the charac- 
 ter described. Yea, there are promises which 
 
o2 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 cannot be claimed by the particular persons 
 whose character and case they point out; but 
 can be pleaded only by the Church. Thus, 
 Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. A new heart also will I 
 give yoiiy and a new spirit also will I put with- 
 in you, and I will take the stony heart out of your 
 flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh, and 
 I will put my Spirit within you ; and cause you 
 to walk in my statutes. Here the character point- 
 ed out is that of the unregenerate : but surely 
 the promise cannot be considered as directed to 
 that character. For then the blessed God would 
 stand engaged by promise, to all of that charac- 
 ter, to give them regenerating grace, and each 
 one might claim it as that which God could not 
 refuse consistently with his faithfulness, or with- 
 out denying himself: but the faith of the church 
 may rest upon it, and she may plead it as a pro- 
 mise of God's presence in her with his own or- 
 dinances, for the purpose of regenerating sin- 
 ners : and in every instance of their conversion, 
 God is fulfilling that promise to his church. 
 Sinners are, indeed, hence encouraged to call 
 upon, to cry to God for grace, and to attend up- 
 on the means of grace, but they can foundjio claim 
 upon it. Hence we may see, that to have mat- 
 ter of encouragement, and to have a ground of 
 confidence and claim, are not the same thing, as 
 some seem strangely to imagine. 
 
 The church of Christ is usually, and very 
 properly, distinguished into visible and invisi- 
 ble. By the invisible church is meant, the whole 
 number of true beiievers wherever they are. All 
 
these are, by a vital union with Christ by faith, 
 savingly interested in the covenant of Grace; in 
 God as their God, and in all spiritual blessings. 
 But their consent to the covenant, and their re- 
 lation to God thereby, is altogether invisible, 
 and known only to God and their own conscien- 
 ces. These are called a church, because they 
 are members of Christ by a common union with 
 him, and stand united with, and related to each 
 other in one body in a church state, as they are 
 included in the catholic visible church. 
 
 The visible church consists of all those, who 
 by an external profession of the doctrines of the 
 gospel, and subjection to the laws and ordinan- 
 ces of Christ, appear as a society separated from 
 the world, and dedicated to God and his service. 
 In this view, in this imperfect state, the church 
 comprehends branches that are withered, as well 
 as those that bear fruit. Now the covenant of 
 grace subsists between the blessed God and the 
 church, as such a visible society,* and is ren- 
 dered visible by a visible transaction, and exter- 
 nal administration in various ordinances; and 
 comprehends sundry external privileges for the 
 advantage and spiritual edification of the church. 
 
 * In no other way can we conceive the covenant to subsist between 
 God and believers as a church. In ihe exercise of faith, believers 
 have union to, and communion with Jesus Christ ; but by this alone, 
 they could have no fellowship with one another: for each one could 
 only be conscious of his own exercise of faith, and couid have no so- 
 ciety with any other therein. Whatever real relation to each other 
 is founded in their common union to Christ, yet they could not at all 
 perceive it. They wculd be members of Christ, but utterly detached 
 from each other, and so not formally a body. It is only as incorpo- 
 rated in the visible church, that they are fitly placed in the body, and 
 can have any knowledge one of another, and to have any fellowship. 
 D 2 
 
34 - THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 Here are not two covenants, one for the invi- 
 sible church, and another for the visible ; for 
 these are not two churches, but a two-fold consi- 
 deration of the same church, though undoubtedly 
 considered as visible, she includes more mem- 
 bers thanthe real subjects of saving grace. — The 
 visible church includes the invisible. Where- 
 ever there is a true visible church, there are, no 
 doubt, a number of true saints; from these as 
 the better part, the visible church is denomina- 
 ted : by their faith, the church lays hold on the 
 covenant, and her covenant relation to God is 
 maintained, and all visible believers share in her 
 external privileges, whatever their real internal 
 state be. Accordingly then one and the same 
 covenant, comprehends the whole interests of 
 the church considered both as visible and invi- 
 sible, with respect*to internal, special, spiritual 
 blessings, and external privileges. The great 
 God stands related to the invisible church, by 
 virtue of this covenant, as her God by way o£ 
 special interest in him, and by the same cove- 
 nant to the visible church, as visibly her God 
 and Lord. 
 
 It is the covenant of grace in this view, viz. as 
 visibly subsisting between God and his church, 
 considered as a visible society, a public body 
 separated and distinguished from the world, and 
 dedicated to God, that the Sacraments are an- 
 nexed as visible signs and seals thereof. To this 
 purpose I would observe, that when it pleased 
 God first to set up his church in Adam's family, 
 the whole was included. As there were none 
 
OF THE LORD S SUPPER. M 
 
 from whom to separate and distinguish his 
 church, the Lord saw fit then to propose his co- 
 venant more obscurely, and designing that as a 
 more imperfect dispensation, he only taught 
 them by sacrifices, thereby shadowing forth the 
 redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ. When 
 mankind greatly, though gradually degenerated, 
 as he was not gathering his church out of the 
 world, but men went out of the church, he did 
 not still see fit to appoint any public badge of 
 distinction : but upon a general apostacy, he de- 
 stroyed the old world, and the church continued 
 to exist in Noah's family. Thus he was pleased 
 as it were, to give a new edition of his church, 
 and the whole world was again included in it. 
 But when mankind had again generally revolted 
 and turned aside to idolatry, having promised 
 and confirmed it by his bow in the cloud, that 
 he would no more destroy the world ; he saw 
 proper to call Abraham out from amongst his 
 kindred, and erect his church in his family. 
 Here the blessed God more fully opens his great 
 plan, more explicitly proposes his covenant, and 
 solemnly transacts it with Abraham, not as a 
 private person, but as the father of many na- 
 tions ; comprising therein, not only his family- 
 then in being, but both the Jewish and Chris- 
 tian church. It was proper, that a matter of sq 
 great and extensive importance, should be trans- 
 acted with peculiar solemnity, and that there 
 should be some public badge of distinction be- 
 tween the church thus separated to him, and the 
 world. God was pleased, therefore, to ratify his 
 
3.6 THE NATURE AND tTSE 
 
 covenant, and publickly distinguish his visible 
 church, from the world, by the sign of circum- 
 cision, a seal of the righteousness of faith. To 
 distinguish between the church and the world, 
 seems to be one important design of the initia- 
 ting seal of the covenant ; because in that, a per- 
 son's membership in the church is publickly 
 declared and ratified. Commemorative signs, 
 such as the passover and the Lord's Supper, are 
 designed to establish, edify and quicken those 
 who are in the church, rather than to distinguish 
 them from those who are without. But the ini- 
 tiating seal, as circumcision or baptism, though 
 it has other ends in common with the other Sa- 
 crament ; yet is particularly designed as God's 
 mark set upon persons to distinguish them from 
 the world, as his. Thus though he had indul- 
 ged their frailties in the omission of circumcision, 
 while travelling in the wilderness,* partly be- 
 cause of their continual journeying, and partly 
 because they were then entirely at a distance 
 from all other nations ; (otherwise he could have 
 ordered them to delay their journey for a time, 
 in order to perform it;) yet when they came 
 over Jordan among the Canaanites, they must 
 not enter upon the war until they were circum- 
 cised ; as also in order to the celebration of the 
 passover. This day, says the Lord, have I roll- 
 
 * I say indulged their omission, not because he had excommuni- 
 cated them, for he had abundantly shewed his care of, and regard to 
 the congregation of Israel as still his people ; and these who were 
 uncircumcised r were not the subject of the resentful sentence God 
 had pronounced, but those who fell in the wilderness, upon whom 
 it was. fully executed. 
 
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 37 
 
 ed away the reproach of Egypt from off you, i. 
 e. your being uncircumcised like the Egyptians 
 from amongst whom ye came. Josh. v. 9. 
 
 Hence appears the great impropriety of pri- 
 vate Baptisms, unless where real necessity re- 
 quires it. Seeing it is God's public seal, it 
 should be publicly applied ; as it is a sign and 
 seal of membership in the visible Church of 
 Christ, it should be transacted in the face of the 
 Church. 
 
 Sundry important uses of the Sacraments 
 have been already suggested in the foregoing 
 observations. Yet it may be proper here to re- 
 collect, and more explicitly attend to them, to- 
 gether with some others not expressly mention- 
 ed, that we may have them more fully before us 
 in one view. 
 
 As signs of the Covenant of Grace ; they 
 serve in the first place, to give divine truths a 
 more easy access to the mind, with more fixed 
 impression. Such is the strange connexion be- 
 tween soul and body in the present state, that 
 they mutually affect each other. The attention 
 and thoughts of the mind are excited to, and 
 fixed upon objects by the exercise of the exter- 
 nal senses, and by this means it is more deeply 
 affected. Thus, in Baptism, by the washing with 
 water, the efficacy of which is to cleanse, we are 
 led to contemplate our guilt and moral pollu- 
 tion by sin, the efficacy of the atoning blood of 
 Christ to remove guilt, and of the Holy Spirit's 
 influences to purify the heart : the excellency, 
 freeness and abundance of the spiritual bles- 
 
38 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 sings, kr The elements of Bread broken and 
 Wine, whith was pressed from the grape in the 
 Lord's Supper ; suggest to our remembrance 
 the painful anguish and violent death of Christ, 
 when his body was broken on the cross, and 
 his precious blood was shed. 1 Cor. xi. 26. 
 Bread, which is the staff of Life, and Wine 
 which chears the heart, points out Christ as the 
 source of life, strength and consolation ; and 
 while many partake of the same Bread, and the 
 same Cup, it denotes their communion with 
 one another, as members of the same body of 
 Christ. 
 
 They serve as visible signs of the existence 
 of the covenant of grace between God and his 
 people, and so render their covenant relation to 
 God visible. Yea. in the participation of the sa- 
 craments, the covenant is visibly transacted ; 
 consenting to the covenant, whereby persons 
 truly enter into it, is an internal act of the heart, 
 invisible, and purely personal, in which there can 
 be no social concurrence of the church. It was, 
 therefore, necessary there should be some exter- 
 ternal solemnity, some visible transaction, where- 
 by it sould be declared, rendered visible, and 
 wherein the church can unite and have fellow- 
 ship. Thus God says of circumcision, it 
 shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and 
 you. Gen. xvii. 11. Therefore, these signs are 
 public badges of distinction between the church 
 and the world. They are, as it were God's 
 mark, whereby he publicly challenges the Church 
 as his, and persons are visibly separated to his 
 
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 39 
 
 service ; and especially, in the initiating sa- 
 crament one particular design of which, is to 
 signify and confirm our visible membership in 
 the Church. 
 
 As seals confirming the covenant of Grace, 
 they primarily seal the truth and certainty of 
 Gospel promises according to their true tenor. 
 They confirm the certain connexion by divine 
 constitution, between faith in Christ and the par- 
 don of sin, and the vouchsafement of all spiritu- 
 al blessings ; and that in this way, God will be 
 his people's God, and not otherwise. They con- 
 firm the obligations of the covenant upon all 
 those who partake of them. They are bound 
 to cleave to the righteousness of Christ, to give 
 up their hearts to God, and to serve him in all 
 holy obedience ; to observe his statutes, and at- 
 tend upon all his ordinances.* Hence the offen- 
 ces and disobedience of visible church members 
 are peculiarly resented as a breach of covenant, 
 f When persons do truly consent to the cove- 
 nant by embracing Jesus Christ, then, and not 
 otherwise, the sacrament seal, is a personal 
 saving interest in the promises of the covenant. 
 The seals of the covenant confirm its promises 
 only as they are proposed, and not as they are 
 not. Therefore, whoever only visibly consents 
 to the covenant, but not with the whole heart, 
 though the sacraments seal the truth and cer- 
 tainty of the promises in themselves, for He 
 that believes shall be saved, £sfr . (so th i% the 
 
 • Matt.xxviii20. f Hosvi. 7. ad. Fin. 
 
40 THE NATURE AND USE 
 
 connexion between faith and salvation is ratifi- 
 ed, and sinners have sure ground to go upon 
 in venturing upon Christ) yet they do not con- 
 firm an interest in the promise of salvation to 
 this person while he does not truly believe ; but 
 when he truly believes, the seals of the cove- 
 nant, in sealing or ratifying the certain con- 
 nexion between faith and salvation, consequent- 
 ly seal his personal interest in the promise of 
 salvation ; as being one of the characters to 
 which the promise is made and ratified. They 
 seal to the church, as a visible society, the ex- 
 ternal privileges of the covenant : such as the 
 care and discipline of the church over her seve- 
 ral members ; the ordinances of worship by 
 which the covenant is administered, a Gos- 
 pel ministry, and the care of divine Providence 
 in correcting and in preserving protecting her. 
 The sacraments are designed to promote and 
 maintain the external purity, and visible holi- 
 ness of the church, and this they do two ways. 
 First, they lay bonds upon the conscience. Sa- 
 cramental transactions include in them the most 
 solemn engagements to be the Lord's, to re- 
 nounce the service of sin, and to walk in the 
 wa) of God's commandments. These engage- 
 ments affect the conscience, and, at least, lay re- 
 straints upon men, whereby they are kept in 
 from the external practice of sin, and excited to 
 practise the external duties of religion : here- 
 by the visible reputation of religion is much 
 preserved. Those who look upon themselves 
 free from these obligations, though they own 
 
OF THE LORDS SUPPER. 41 
 
 .he doctrines of the Gospel to be true, and would 
 rather claim the christian name than any other, 
 yet more generally lire as they list, and still their 
 consciences sleep pretty secure ; hereby the 
 name of God is greatly dishonoured. I really 
 think, the so general neglect of the -Lord's Ta- 
 ble much promotes this security in the indulgence 
 of sinful practices and neglect of religion. Peo- 
 ple entertain an unaccountable notion, that Bap- 
 tism, which they received in infancy, does not so 
 deeply bind them to such great strictness in the 
 ways of holiness ; and- therefore, while they keep 
 back from the other Sacrament, they may take 
 a greater latitude. They give existence and 
 efficacy to discipline. In order to the very being 
 of Discipline, there must be something from 
 which Persons may be debarred, or cut off, 
 consistent with the great design of the Gospel ; 
 and it must be something of very great impor- 
 tance. But this cannot consist in debarring any 
 from hearing the word preached, and the other 
 means of instruction ; for that would be to give 
 up with them altogether, and use no more means 
 for their conversion. It must therefore rye in 
 debarring them from the seals of the covenant, 
 till they appear penitent, where the lighter cen- 
 sures, such as admonitions and rebukes, are 
 found ineffectual or inadequate, and indeed these 
 would not be regarded as censures, if the contu- 
 macious had no higher to -expect. The govern- 
 ment of Christ's house could not be kept up, if 
 there were no penalties to he inflicted in hh 
 lame. The efficacy of discipline lies in affecting 
 
4.J HIE NATURE AND USE 
 
 and awing the conscience ; but what can so ef- 
 fectually do this, as suspending offenders from 
 the privilege of communicating with God's peo- 
 ple in the seals of the covenant, either in dedica- 
 ting their children to God in baptism, or ap- 
 proaching the Lord's Table, until they appear, 
 in dealing with hirn, to be brought to repen- 
 tance ? Or finally cutting them off, when their 
 conduct shall be found such as amounts to a full, 
 obstinate, and avowed violation of their cove- 
 nant obligations ? If they have any regard to 
 Christianity at all, they will dread the thoughts 
 of being reduced to the state of heathen men 
 and publicans. * 
 
 These holy ordinances seem to be instituted 
 to shew., that the blessed God is not to be put off 
 with acknowledging in general terms, the truth 
 of Gospel doctrines, and that religion is good, 
 anjfl ought to be chosen. He demands our avow- 
 ed choice of it, and that we avouch the Lord for 
 our God. The Lord, by these institutions, as it 
 were, says, I will bring the matter to a point 
 ■with you sinners. You acknowledge me to be 
 the only true God, and that you ought to serve 
 me ; come then to a resolution on die matter. 
 Here are the terms of salvation, and on which I 
 will be your God, proposed to you in a way of 
 gracious covenant, either accept or refuse ; en- 
 ter into solemn, openly avowed obligations to 
 me, or disown me, and declare you will not tak£ 
 me for your God. Choose you this day whom 
 
 * Cor. x. 21, 22. Ch. v. 3, 4, 5. 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8. 
 
of Trtr. lord's supper. 43 
 
 you will serve, the Lord, or your own heart's 
 lusts. Either join yourselves openly to my 
 people, or acknowledge you will not be of 
 them. Surely, if men viewed things in this point 
 of light, it would have a strong tendency to a- 
 waken them to solemn exercises of heart about 
 this matter. 
 
 The sacraments are, in a special maimer, cal- 
 culated and designed to cherish, quicken and 
 strengthen the graces of the Holy Spirit in true 
 believers. They exhibit Jesus Christ and him 
 crucified, (the great object of a justifying faith) 
 and the glorious blessings he has purchased to 
 the mind in a very striking and lively manner. 
 Such pledges of the divine faithfulness ; such 
 solemn confirmations of the promises of life and 
 salvation through the rede motion r J: Christ, lav 
 the firmest foundation for the confidence, and 
 most intense acting of faith. Here are the most 
 affecting representations of the love and grace 
 of God towards his children. Surely then, the 
 influence of the Holy Spirit concurring with all 
 these exhibitions, must needs envigorate faith, 
 quicken and raise the affections, and enliven ev- 
 ery grace. These ordinances, therefore, are of- 
 ten means of the most sweet and near commu- 
 nion with God, 
 
r 44] 
 
 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING 
 
 THE LORD'S SUPPER, 
 
 CONSIDERED. 
 
 VV E are bound to this duty from gratitude. 
 Our salvation by Christ Jesus, is the unspeaka.. 
 ble gift of God. What adds greatly to the value 
 of any favour is, that it was conferred on us in 
 our great need. Our condition, when the Son 
 of God came to save us, was indeed, distress- 
 ful. We might be helped to form some proper 
 notion of it, from the authentic accounts which 
 we have of those nations, who never yet heard 
 of the gospel : they are, to this day, without 
 God, and without hope in the world, worship- 
 ing the most absurd objects, and living in bar- 
 barities, which it is even a shame to mention. 
 This shews us, that all men are included under 
 sin ; and, thereby, become obnoxious to many 
 miseries in this world, and to the dreadful con- 
 sequences of sinful and vicious lives in the 
 world to come. 
 
 From this distressful condition we were un- 
 able to recover ourselves, but the Son of God 
 was manifested to save us ; to instruct us in our 
 duty to God, to atone for our guilt, and to 
 quicken us in the ways of holiness, who were 
 dead in trespasses and sin. To accomplish this 
 
 * From Dr. Duncan's devout Communicant's Assistant. 
 
OBLIGATIONS AtfD EXCUSKS COXSIDLRLD. 4 > 
 
 redemption, he relinquished all that happiness 
 of which he was possessed in heaven, and laid 
 down his life, in many circumstances of igno- 
 miny and distress, as the propitiation for our 
 sins. To perpetuate the memory of this ama- 
 zing love, was our Lord's Supper appointed. 
 
 How would gratitude be expected to mani- 
 fest itself for temporal favours, respecting things 
 of this world ? If any person had ventured his 
 life to save us, when we were on the brink of 
 perishing by fire or water, we would have rec- 
 koned ourselves obliged, allour lives afterward, 
 to remember him with esteem and affection. If, 
 therefore, we have any vestige of gratitude in 
 us, for the inestimable benefit of salvation by 
 Christ Jesus from far greater miseries than tem- 
 poral death, we will contribute what we can to 
 preserve the memory of it in the world ; that 
 children yet unborn may declare his mighty 
 acts, and one generation to another may praise 
 the Lord. 
 
 Any man who lives in the habitual neglect of 
 this duty, ought seriously to consider, that if ail 
 men acted and argued as he does, the Lord's 
 Supper, which has been a continued and incon- 
 testible visible proof of the truth of the Gospel, 
 would go into desuetude; and thereby the love 
 of Christ, which he remarkably expressed in 
 his death, be entirely forgot in the world. 
 
 2. The advantages w r hich we may reap from 
 this ordinance, are another reason why we ought 
 to embrace every opportunity that comes in our 
 wav of paruking of the Lord's Supper. 
 E 2 
 
46 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 In all the offices of piety and religion, there 
 is a pleasure which a good man feels in the con- 
 sciousness of his honest endeavours to approve 
 himself to God. As Job long since beautifully 
 expressed it, The Lord knoweth the way that 
 I take, and when he hath tried me, I shall come 
 forth as gold.* There is also a joy in the sensa- 
 tions of a heart grateful toward God, which a 
 stranger doth not intermeddle with. The real 
 worth and comfort of these two no man knoweth, 
 but he that hath received them. 
 
 Besides these, this, ordinance hath particular 
 advantages from the native design and tendency 
 of it, to stir up many devout and pious consi- 
 derations, to shew the evil of sin, and arm us 
 with resolutions against it. 
 
 The frequent participation of it keeps awake 
 on our minds, a sense of our relation to Christ 
 as the head, as we are members of his body ; of 
 our obligations to be made conformable to his 
 death, and to live in the hopes of his coming to 
 judgment. 
 
 It cherishes in our souls love to God, who 
 loved us, and sent his Son to save us; — love 
 also to the blessed Jesus, who loved us, and gave 
 himself to the death for us. Besides this, 
 
 The Lord's supper sets before us a powerful 
 motive to love our brethren, as children of the 
 same family, redeemed with the same precious 
 ijiood; and teaches us to check all ill-will or re- 
 venge against those for whom Christ died. 
 
 The self-examination in which we ought to 
 
 * job xviii 10 
 
EXCUSES Full NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 47 
 
 be employed, as preparatory to the Lord's Sup- 
 per, will lead us to a greater acquaintance with 
 our own hearts and lives ; and thereby shew us 
 what things are wanting that need to be supplied, 
 or what things are wrong that need to be recti- 
 fied, or what guilt that needs to be pardoned 
 and repented of. 
 
 In a word, commemorating the death of Christ, 
 who is our peace, affords comfort to the penitent, 
 in hopes of pardon. " in that we have redemp- 
 u tion through his blood, even the forgiveness 
 U of sin ;" for now, he that confesseth, and for- 
 saketh it. is certain of finding mercy. 
 
 And, therefore, as the Lord's Supper will af- 
 ford peace in the road of our duty, and be a 
 means of animating us to live up to our pro- 
 fession with greater diligence; if men judged 
 w r ith the same sagacity in spiritual things, as 
 they do in things of this world, they would think 
 themselves strictly bound to perform a duty that 
 tended so much to promote their best interest. 
 
 3. The express commandment of Christ obli- 
 geth us to partake of the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper. (i This do in remembrance of me, — 
 " Shew forth the Lord's death till he come." 
 This commandment is recorded by three of the 
 Evangelists, and by the holy Apostle Paul, who 
 had it in immediate charge from Christ himself. 
 When he was made an apostle, not by man, 
 neither by the will of man, but by the revela- 
 tion of Jesus Christ, then he received of the 
 Lord, what he also delivered unto us relative 
 to this ordinance. 
 
•AS OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 This commandment, delivered by the autho- 
 rity of our great Lawgiver, is as binding upon 
 us as any other duty of our religion, or any of 
 the ten commandments of God's law. Every 
 one therefore, who lives in the habitual neglect 
 of it, lives in wilful sin. Every such person 
 ought seriously to consider, that to partake of 
 the Lord's Supper is the only distinguishing act 
 of Christian worship, and an explicit declaration 
 of our faith in the death of Christ. A person, 
 therefore, come to age, who did never partake 
 of it, as he was baptized without his own con- 
 sent, has done nothing to declare his acceptance 
 of the choice then made for him, for him, or to 
 ratify the obligations that were then laid on him ; 
 and consequently, has given no evidence to the 
 world that he is any more a Christian, than he 
 is a Heathen, Jew, or Mahometan. 
 • There are many circumstances attending the 
 delivery of this commandment, that ought pow- 
 erfully to enforce our obedience to it : he who 
 enjoined this duty is Jesus the Son of God; our 
 hope ; the author and finisher of our faith, who 
 laid down his life for us, is now gone into hea- 
 ven to take possession in our name, and prepare 
 a place for us ; and will return to W receive us 
 " unto himself, that where he is, there we may 
 " be also." 
 
 The time in like manner, when this ordinance 
 was instituted, ought to affect every ingenuous 
 mind, as a motive to obey the commandment, 
 " That night in which he was betrayed," when 
 he had a full prospect of his sufferings. He welt 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING,. CONSIDERED. 49 
 
 knew that all the disciples should, that night, 
 be offended because of him ; for it should be 
 fulfilled that is written, " they shall smite the 
 " shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be 
 ;{ scattered." In the prospect of certain suffer- 
 ings, mankind are usually so affected with their 
 own distress, as to be unmindful of others ; but 
 even then, when he was about to pour out his 
 soul unto death, he remembered us, and insti- 
 tuted this memorial of his death, and commanded 
 us to do this in remembrance of him. All men 
 are careful, if possible, to fulfil the request of a 
 dying friend, much more of a friend dying for 
 us. 
 
 So that if we retain, in our hearts, the least 
 vestige of gratitude for that love which Christ 
 expressed for us in our low estate, which he 
 bore in his mind in the greatest agonies of his 
 sufferings ; if we would wish to have the grate- 
 ful remembrance of what he hath done for man- 
 kind kept up in the world, and a more power- 
 ful sense of it impressed upon our own hearts; 
 if we are even earnest to reap rhe benefit and 
 comfort which the pious performance of this 
 duty might afford us, or think ourselves under 
 any obligations to obey the commandment of 
 our dying Redeemer, we are certainly bound to 
 do this in remembrance of him. 
 
 4* I may add, that if there were any difficulty 
 in explaining the extent of this commandment, 
 or any doubt whether the memorial of Christ's 
 death was intended to be kept up in his church 
 as a duty of perpetual obligation, wc have the 
 
50 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 practice of the primitive Christians, those who 
 lived in the days of the apostles, as an explica- 
 tion of it ; they certainly had best access to 
 know the meaning of it. " They continued 
 ; ' with one accord in the temple, and in break - 
 " ing of bread from house to house. — They 
 " continued in the apostle's doctrine and fel- 
 •'•' lowship, and in breaking of bread, and in 
 •'•' prayer. — On the first day of the week, the 
 '•' disciples came together to break bread.* " 
 And when the apostle Paul, writes to the church 
 of Corinth,f with relation to this ordinance, he 
 does it not to institute a rite that was new, but 
 to rectify several abuses, of which they had been 
 guilty in the celebration of it: — that they came 
 together as to a common meal, while one was 
 hungry, and another drunken, and ate to excess, 
 as if they had not had houses to eat at home. As 
 therefore, they had profaned the Lord's Supper, 
 if it had not been a duty of perpetual obliga- 
 tion, the apostle would have forbid the institu- 
 tion altogether, rather than have given them fur- 
 ther directions about the religious celebration of 
 it : but his appointment is, " As oft as ye eat 
 " this bread and drink this cup, ye shew, (or 
 " shew ye) the Lord's death till he come." 
 
 AS the duty of partaking of the Lord's 
 Supper is so reasonable and delightful and our 
 obligations to perform it so indispensible, one 
 would think there must be something very ex- 
 
 * Acts ii. 46. 42. xx. 7. f 1 Cor. xi. 23. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 51 
 
 traordinary, that could hinder a person from em- 
 bracing every proper opportunity of approach- 
 ing it. No text of scripture can be explained as 
 a pretence of staying from the Lord's table, 
 where the blame will not fall on ourselves. Yet, 
 so it is, that sometimes good Christians are dis- 
 tressed with difficulties and discouragements, in 
 the prospect of coming to it ; and wicked care- 
 less men often muster up excuses for continu- 
 ing, perhaps their whole lives, in the neglect of 
 this necessary duty. This makes it very need- 
 ful, as the third part of this subject, to consider 
 the excuses and pretences for not coming to the 
 Lord's table. 
 
 I hope it is not improper to beseech every 
 one vt ho has neglected this duty, under pretence 
 of any one of the following excuses, seriously to 
 ask himself, Whether he be sincere in offering 
 them, and would willingly come to the Lord's 
 table if these difficulties were removed ? For, 
 if he hath only mustered up any of them, to 
 patch up a sort of false peace with his own con- 
 science, that he may quietly continue in sin, and 
 not undergo the pain and sorrow which the purg- 
 ing out the old leaven would cost him, that he 
 might be suitably prepared to keep this feast : he 
 is proof against conviction, and we speak as to 
 them that do not hear. 
 
 I would earnestly wish, that endeavouring to 
 answer these excuses might have the good ef- 
 fect to induce those to partake of the Lord's 
 Supper who have formerly been negligent of 
 it, and to assist serious well meaning Chris- 
 
52 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 tians to approach it with more comfort and ad~ 
 vantage. 
 
 1 . Some say, We are so great sinners, that we 
 dare not come to the Lord's table. 
 
 In answer to this, it is necessary to consider, 
 whether those sins which make them afraid 
 to come to the Lord's table are repented of, or 
 not ? If we have repented of our past transgres- 
 sions, and are justly humbled on account of 
 them, and steadily resolved to watch against 
 them ; so far as we are conformed to the calls of 
 the gospel. This, instead of rendering us unfit 
 for the Lord's table, is a very proper disposition 
 to qualify us for it ; * that, by this ordinance we 
 
 • The terms of salvation have been the same in every age of the 
 world. Submission and an acquiescence of the heart in the Divine 
 ■ will and government are both fit and indispensable inthose subjects of 
 the great King, who have rebel'ed against him. An external formal 
 submission is proper in the subjects of a visible government, but in 
 spiritual subjects nothing less than a real change of the will and af- 
 fections can be deemed a return from rebellion ; and strict subordina- 
 tion, though not a meritorious cause, must nevertheless be ne- 
 cessary, that the offended Divine majesty should take complacency 
 in them. 
 
 This in the view of man has been true religion in every age, however 
 designated by various names under the disperoatioiis of different 
 times. It has been called the fear of God, trusting in him, com- 
 mitting tire soul to him, walking with him, working righteousness, 
 because such an humbled mind would be exercised thus variously ac- 
 cording as the Lord should be seen in terrible majesty, or in* his 
 gracious promise?, as delighting in holiness, or requiring obedience. 
 Under a milder dispensation the selfsame disposition would receive 
 with gratitude the glad tidings of salvation, believe the testimony of 
 God by his Son, be led to repentance by a sight of his goodness, 
 charmed by the displays of the Divine loveliness, hope in his promis- 
 ed rest, a:>d rejoice upon the possession of the satisfactory evidences 
 of an interest mthe Redeemer. 
 
 Fear and reverence, repentance arid faith, love and obedience are 
 but the different exercises of the same acquiescing heart, which has 
 been created a-r.ew by the Holy Fpirit. If any such exercise-be false-, 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 5J 
 
 may be strengthened against sin, and all our 
 •good resolutions be confirmed. The penitent 
 and contrite heart God will not despise. To him, 
 " even to this man, will I look," that is, with 
 comfort and approbation, " who is poor and 
 " of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my 
 " word*," 
 
 But if we are living impenitent, in the com- 
 mission of sin, we are, indeed, unfit for the 
 Lord's table ; but the blame must lie on our- 
 selves. While we continue in this impenitent 
 state, our prayers and praises, every act of reli- 
 gious worship, as well as communicating, are 
 an abomination in the sight of God. When 
 we spread forth our hands he will not regard ; 
 and, without amendment of life, this will render 
 us incapable of admission into the kingdom of 
 heaven. 
 
 A person labours under a great mistake, who 
 
 then the man is yet an enemy and all his religion is vain ; if any one 
 be true, all are sufficiently so as to comport with the christian cha- 
 racter ; and thus happiness is often promised to a lonely grace ; he 
 who repents is forgiven, he that believes will be saved, and a 
 true love of God, though defective in degree, is said to fulfil his 
 law. 
 
 Faith is the name most frequently put for the whole of religion ; 
 for it is the exercise of the mind which receives and acquiesces in the 
 revelation of Christ ; but such faith is not merelya matter of specu- 
 lation or a mere assent to evidence, for the saint believes with the 
 heart ; nor does it terminate in a temporary and transitory excitement 
 of the affections, for it works by loye and produces the fruits of ho- 
 liness; nor does it rest in holy dispositions, words, cr actions, as 
 < ufticient to procure happiness ; but the believer deems himself ah un- 
 profitable servant, and trusts alone to the grace of God in Jesuo 
 Christ. But all of these things spring from that holy subjection 
 of soul unto God, which is his gift, and which teuds 'toward.-: his 
 
 * Isaiah lxvi. 2- 
 
 F 
 
o-h OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 imagines himself in a safer way to salvation, by 
 absenting from the Lord's table, while he conti- 
 nues in sin, than if he approached to it. For. 
 whether he communicate or not, unless he repent 
 he must perish. 
 
 If, by this excuse, any one means, that he is 
 sensible he lives in so disorderly, or unchris- 
 tian a manner, that he is really unfit for the 
 Lord's table ; and that his being seen there 
 might, perhaps, give offence to his neighbours ; 
 he ought seriously to consider, that, while he 
 continues such, he is unfit to enter the heaven- 
 ly Jerusalem. For if he is not possessed of so 
 much of the external decency of religion, as 
 <:ould entitle him, in the judgment of charity, 
 to the outward privileges of a professing Chris- 
 tian ; he cannot pretend to have so much real ho- 
 liness, as does, in the sight of God, render him 
 fit to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven, 
 where nothingcan enter that defileth, or worketh 
 abomination, or maketh a lie. 
 
 So that unless the sinner resolve to continue 
 in sin, and renounce all hopes of salvation, the 
 wisest course he can possible follow, is to em- 
 brace the first opportunity, " while it is called 
 " to day," of turning from all his iniquities, and 
 of ratifying those good resolutions, by devoutly 
 'partaking of the -Lord's Supper. 
 
 It is necessary, before I leave this question, 
 to observe, that, sometimes, pious persons, in 
 prospect of the Lord's Supper, have been dis- 
 tressed with the same objection, u a sense of 
 '•'their own unworthiness. " There are pious 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 55 
 
 md devout persons who deal more severely with 
 themselves than any body else ; and, from a de- 
 jection of spirit, or mistaken notions of their du- 
 ty, are sometimes ready to render this sacra- 
 ment a mean of melancholy and discouragement, 
 instead of consolation and thanksgiving. And 
 because the Psalmist speaks of the reproach 
 which he had brought on religion, in the matter 
 of Uriah; and the holy Apostle Paul calls him- 
 self the chief of sinners, and injurious, because 
 he had persecuted the cause and followers of 
 Christ, and obliged them to blaspheme his holy 
 name: they are ready, in the same spirit of de- 
 jection., to give themselves such names as these. 
 and consider themselves as the chief of sinners ; 
 though they cannot fix upon any great crime of 
 which they have been guilty ; but possess not 
 all that cheerfulness of mind, or that fervour of 
 devotion, which they could wish. 
 
 To such persons we may say, If men had 
 been perfect, the death of Christ would have 
 been unnecessary. The means of grace are ap- 
 pointed for our improvement in holiness : 
 The best of men have their infirmities ; but 
 there is a great difference between them and the 
 wilful sinner, who goeth on in his trespasses. 
 As these infirmities and weaknesses, to which 
 pious persons are exposed, are their grief, and 
 great ground of sorrow, as they strive and wres- 
 tle against them ; this ordinance is appointed as- 
 a mean of establishing them more in the faith, 
 and enabling them to overcome their spiritual 
 enemies. Such persons Christ himself affectio- 
 
56 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 nately invites-to come to him for relief ; " Come 
 " unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy la- 
 " den, and I will give you rest ■*. — Thus also, 
 " saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth 
 '• eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the 
 a high and holy place ; with him also that is of 
 ' a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the 
 iC spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart 
 " of the contrite onesf." And every one re- 
 members the acceptance of the humble publi- 
 can's penitent prayer, " God be merciful to me 
 u a sinner $," in preference to that of the proud' 
 self-righteous pharisee. 
 
 2. Some say, We are so much taken up 
 with the cares of life, that we cannot afford 
 time sufficient to prepare ourselves for the Lord's 
 table. 
 
 If a man pursue the lawful cares of this world 
 within due bounds, this is his duty, and by no 
 means disqualifies him for serving God. What- 
 ever mistaken notions of godliness men may 
 have drunk in, Christianity does not allow us, 
 even under pretence of minding religion, to ne- 
 glect our lawful employments ; but expressly 
 commands us to study to be quiet, and do our 
 own business, working with our hands, that we 
 may eat our own bread §. 
 
 If we pursue unlawful objects, or set our 
 hearts too much on the things of this world, and 
 in quest of them, forfeit a good conscience ; this 
 
 * Mattb. xi. 28. f Isaiah lvii. 15. J Luke xviii. 14> 
 
 § 2 Thess. Hi, 1.2. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 57 
 
 pursuit, if we continue in it, will render us unfit 
 for eternal life. To pretend this as an excuse for 
 absenting from the Lord's table, rather aggra- 
 vates than lessens our guilt : It is excusing one 
 sin by another. But if a person were really sor- 
 ry that the cares of the world employed too 
 much of his thoughts, there could not be a more 
 effectual means of curing our hearts of this dis- 
 ease, of lessening our esteem of the things of 
 this world, or of weaning our affections from 
 them, than frequent and devout meditation on- 
 heavenly things ; and. particularly, in this ordi- 
 nance, viewing the things of this world in the 
 cross of Christ, would greatly assist us to over- 
 come them. 
 
 Perhaps a person who offers this reason for 
 neglecting to partake of the Lord's Supper, 
 means, that his situation is such as allows him but 
 very little time to prepare for it. To this may 
 be properly answered, That God, whom we 
 serve, best knows our situation in life ; he hailr 
 determined the bounds of our habitation ; he 
 makes allowance, in mercy, for our circum- 
 stances, and exacts improvement from us, only 
 in proportion to the talents with which we are 
 intrusted ; and, therefore, expects that we shouid 
 employ more or less time in the duties of piety 
 and devotion, in proportion as our circumstan- 
 ces can afford. So that a servant, or any other 
 person, who is necessarily taken up in labouring 
 from morning to night for his bread, cannot be 
 supposed to bestow so much time in preparing 
 himself for this ordinance, as one who has aH 
 
 T7 9 
 
58 
 
 his time in his own disposal ; though all of us 
 might employ more time in the offices of reli- 
 gion than we usually do : For even when our 
 bodies are employed about the things of this 
 world, our affections may be toward God ; our 
 thoughts turned to the inward frame and state 
 of our souls; meditating on things above; 
 sending up our prayers and devout ejaculations 
 to heaven ; imploring the forgiveness of sin, 
 and mercy and grace to help us in the time of 
 need. 
 
 So that our minding the cares of this life, can 
 be no excuse for absenting from the Lord's 
 Supper. If we pursue them with reasonable con- 
 cern, that is no crime, nor any reason for neg- 
 lecting the service of God, as we are then only 
 doing our duty : But, if we pursue the cares of 
 the world in excess, this is a fault that requires 
 speedy amendment. 
 
 3. Some stay away from the Lord's Supper 
 for fear they should afterward break their vows, 
 and thereby, instead of making improvement in 
 religion, be in danger of contracting new guilt. 
 They think it, therefore, safer not to vow, than to 
 vow and not pay. 
 
 Such persons seem to proceed upon a mis- 
 take, that, by staying away from the Lord's 
 Supper, they are free from the obligations to ho- 
 liness which we are laid under by coming to it. 
 Every one that nameth the name of Christ, must 
 depart from iniquity. The gospel obliges us to 
 abandon " all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, 
 u and to live soberly, righteously, and godiy, in- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 5*J 
 
 ' k this present world 5" and assures us that im- 
 penitent sinners cannot be happy in the next ; 
 for '* without holiness no man shall see the 
 li Lord." When we come to the Lord's ta- 
 ble we make open profession of these obliga- 
 tions, and renew our serious purposes to live in 
 this manner ; but our staying away does not 
 free us from the obligations to perform these 
 duties. 
 
 To partake of the Lord's Supper is not only 
 a duty, but a very necessary mean of improve- 
 ment in grace. We may safely affirm, that no 
 disciple of Christ ever partook of it who had 
 not infirmities to struggle with, and many things 
 that needed to be amended. The holy Apostle 
 Peter sat at the first Supper with our blessed 
 Lord, and professed very warm and affectionate 
 love to him ; and yet, ere the cock crow of next 
 morning, he denied him. This is not recor- 
 ded to terrify good Christians from the Lord's 
 Supper ; for, it is evident, soon after this, when 
 that Apostle professed great love for his Lord 
 and master, Christ did believe him sincere, and 
 continued him in his apostleship : and forewarn- 
 ed him, that he must suffer for his name, though 
 lately he had denied him *. 
 
 The just inference from this is, That people 
 who are afraid lest they should break their vows 
 ought to be the more watchful. If they are in 
 danger of being tempted to return to the com- 
 mission of their sins, it is a very wrong course, 
 
 * John xxi 13. 
 
60 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 for that reason, to neglect so necessary and im- 
 portant a duty : they ought much rather to re- 
 solve, that they will be the more on their guard 
 against temptation ; they will exercise the more 
 serious dependence on the grace of God ; and 
 be more constant and fervent in prayer for the 
 assistance of his Holy Spirit. 
 
 We too often argue in matters of religion, as 
 we would not in things of this world. If a thing 
 is necessary to be done, and tends greatly to 
 our interest, we will not be terrified from it, 
 though attended with some hazard. A merchant 
 will not give over business though he has the 
 risk of bad debtors, and the dangers of the seas 
 to encounter, since trade is necessary for his 
 own and his family's subsistence. Thus wc 
 ought to reason on the case before us : we are 
 strictly bound in duty, gratitude, and interest,. 
 to partake of the Lord's Supper : the danger of 
 which we are afraid, is doubtful ; for, by the 
 grace of God, we may be enabled to approach 
 worthily, and to fulfil our vows ; but, if we ne- 
 glect it, the sin is plain and obvious. In the. 
 conscientious attendance on our duty we have 
 the veracity of God to comfort us ; " He is- 
 " faithful who hath promised, who will not suf». 
 " fer us to be tempted above that we are able; 
 4< but will, with the temptation, also make a way 
 " to escape, that we may be able to bear it.*" 
 
 4. Some are afraid to come to the Lord's ta- 
 ble, because theyohave not made all that im- 
 provement which they think they ought to have 
 
 » I Cor x. T-3. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 61 
 
 made by the occasions which they have former- 
 ly had of partaking of it. 
 
 Such persons ought to consider, that nothing 
 can exempt us from obedience to a plain posi- 
 tive commandment, but inability to perform it. 
 We make real improvement in religion by the 
 use of the means of grace, when we are more 
 confirmed in the faith, and enabled more con- 
 stantly to resist temptation, and attend to our 
 duty : though, perhaps, wc have not all that sen- 
 sidle joy and delight in the offices of piety that 
 we could wish. It is far safer to perform two 
 duties, though attended with imperfections, 
 when we are sincere in what we set about, than 
 wilfully or carelessly to neglect one. 
 
 But if a person is really sorry, that he has not 
 formerly made all the improvement which he 
 ought to have made in religion, by the use of 
 this ordinance, instead of being a reason for ne- 
 glecting it now, this is the justest reason for him 
 carefully to examine his own heart, to learn what 
 hath been the cause of his not profiting hereto- 
 fore by the Lord's Supper. And it is very pro- 
 bable he will find, either that he hath not tho- 
 roughly examined himself, but hath left some 
 hidden iniquity, which he hath not searched out, 
 or hath not entirely forsaken, and this root of 
 bitterness afterward springing up, hath defiled 
 him : or else, that there hath so long time inter- 
 vened between the seasons at which he partook 
 of the Lord's Supper, that the impressions and 
 effects of the one have ceased long before he 
 embraced another opportunity, 
 
62 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 But let every honest Christian be diligent and 
 sincere in preparing his heart for this ordinance : 
 let him, as the apostle expresseth it, study " to 
 " purge out the old leaven, — and keep the feast 
 with sincerity and truth :" let him purpose and 
 endeavour to live like his profession ; and ear- 
 nestly implore the blessing of God to make all 
 effectual to the comfort and salvation of his soul, 
 and that assistance will not be wanting. But he 
 must not imagine that one ordinance, or one 
 Supper will crown him, or make him perfect at 
 once : he must continue in the diligent use of 
 these means, to carry him on " from strength 
 to strength ;" and at last he shall " receive the 
 " end of his faith, even the salvation of his 
 " soul." We must not be weary in well-doing ; 
 " in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 
 
 5. The dread of incurring the danger of un- 
 worthy communicating, " He that eateth and 
 " drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh dam- 
 " nation to himself, not discerning the Lord's 
 " body,*" hath distressed many in the thoughts 
 of coming to the Lord's table. 
 
 In reply to this, it is necessary, first, to ob- 
 serve, That the word here translated damnation, 
 and on the margin judgment, \ is not meant of 
 
 * 1 Cor. xi. 29. 
 
 •f The learned and pious Dr. Doddridge, of Northampton, who 
 was incapable of speaking slightly cf what respected so important 
 an institution as the Lord's Supper, observes, on the word damna- 
 tion, 1 Cor. xi. 29. in his Commentaries on the New Testament, " I 
 " think it the most unhappy mistake in all our version of the Bible, 
 " that the word Wfjtdt is here rendered damnation: it has raised a 
 ■• dread in tender minds, which has greatly obstructed the comfort 
 " and edification which they might have received from this ordi- 
 " nance," 
 
l.XCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. Go 
 
 eternal condemnation, as the word in our lan- 
 guage, usually signifies : but temporal judg- 
 ment. Judgment, that is, distress, calamity, or 
 persecution, " must begin at the house of God.-" 
 And thus the 30th verse here explains it, when 
 the apostle says, " For this cause," that is, for 
 unworthy communicating, " many are weakly 
 M and sick among you, and many sleep," or 
 are dead. He adds in the 32d verse, that these 
 corrections, and marks of the divine displeasure, 
 were designed for their amendment, and to pre- 
 vent their final condemnation with the ungodly. 
 •'• When we are judged, we are chastened of the 
 " Lord, that we should not be condemned with 
 " the world, t" 
 
 We may also observe, That the manner in 
 which we now celebrate the Lord's Supper in 
 the church, prevents our being guilty of com- 
 municating unworthily, in the very sense in 
 which the Corinthians did. While they ate it, 
 as a common meal, out of strife, with pride and 
 uncharitableness, one was hungry* and another 
 drunken, and would not impart of their supper 
 to their poor brethren, who had not houses of 
 their own : yet it would be very unreasonable 
 on this account to say, that we cannot now par- 
 take unworthily of the Lord's Supper, as we can- 
 not in the sense in which the Corinthians did. 
 
 To commemorate a great obligation suitably 
 or worthily, implies a grateful sense of it, and a 
 conduct agreeable thereto. If an impenitent sin- 
 ner, who is going on wilfully in his trespasses 
 
 • 1 Pet. iv. 17 t 1 Cor. xi. 32. 
 
-64 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 come to the Lord's table, without any serious 
 sense of the goodness of God in sending his Son 
 into this world ; or of the love of Christ, in dy- 
 ing for our sins ; and without any purpose of 
 amendment of life ; this man, by coining to the 
 sacrament, really condemns himself: for by this 
 outward profession he owns his subjection to 
 Christ, and obligations to live answerably to his 
 death, while, at heart, he has no such intention. 
 The conduct of such a person is like that of a 
 man who is an enemy to his prince, and secret- 
 ly carry ing on treason or conspiracy against 
 him ; yet, to qualify himself for an office, pub- 
 lick ly swears oaths of obedience and allegiance 
 to him. All the world would esteem such an 
 one perjured and self-condemned. 
 
 But we may affirm, with the greatest certain- 
 t}-, that no serious person, who sincerely wished 
 and endeavoured to communicate worthily,could 
 communicate "unworthily. For God accepteth a 
 man according to what he hath. For even when 
 one who has formerly been a stranger to reli- 
 gion, comes to the Lord's table with sorrow and 
 contrition for sin, sincere purposes of after a- 
 mendment, and of living answerably to the death 
 of Christ ; though his religion go no farther at 
 present, than honest purpose and intention, he 
 communicates worthily. 
 
 Every one who sincerely repents of his past 
 transgressions, and carefully endeavours to bring 
 his heart and life in conformity to the gospel 
 covenant, is within the terms of mercy ; and 
 when he comes to the holy sacrament, in obe- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 6j 
 
 dience to the commandment of Christ, as a mean 
 of his improvement in holiness ; though he be 
 not purified to that degree that he could wish, 
 yet may be perfectly secure, that he cannot, in 
 any sense, be said to eat or drink unworthily, so 
 as to " be guilty of the body and blood of the 
 " Lord," or " eat and drink condemnation to 
 " himself." 
 
 Unworthy communicating must have been a 
 deliberate and wilful sin, not a sin of infirmity; 
 otherwise it had never been so severely punish- 
 ed, as it was among the Corinthians, with dis- 
 eases, bodily afflictions, and death. 
 
 And it ought never to be forgot, that, what- 
 ever was meant by recording the guilt and dan- 
 ger of unworthy communicating, the apostle 
 could not have intended by it to terrify any per- 
 son from coming to the Lord's Supper, but on- 
 ly to make men more circumspect in their ap- 
 proaches to it : for, in the very next words, af- 
 ter he has spoke of being '•' guilty of the body 
 and blood of the Lord," he adds, " but let a 
 " man examine himself, and so let him eat of 
 ° that bread, and drink of that cup.*" 
 
 The sum of what hath been said amounts to 
 this : The obligations that lie on us to perform 
 this duty are indispensible ; the objections of- 
 fered for habitually neglecting the sacrament are 
 insufficient and ill founded: it follows, there- 
 fore, that every one who professes to believe the 
 gospel of Christ, ought to have such, a measure 
 
 * 1 Cor. xi. 28 
 
 G 
 
66 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 of knowledge of the doctrines of religion, par- 
 ticularly of the nature and design of the Lord's 
 Supper, and live so becoming his profession, as 
 Christ's disciple, that he may be in condition, 
 when called on, to come to the Lord's table.; 
 otherwise he is living in the habitual neglect of 
 the commandment of Christ, and is a wilful 
 sinner. 
 
 The doubts and fears which often distress 
 pious persons, in the prospect of the Lord's 
 Supper, are generally cither owing to their own 
 timorous dispositions, or to too rigid and severe 
 notions of this institution, which they have learn- 
 ed from their teachers. For, were the excuses 
 on their part rightly understood, as such persons 
 are sincere in their wishes to improve in faith 
 and holiness, and comfort of the Spirit ; though 
 it may be true that there are things wrong in 
 their tempers, which they earnestly desire to be 
 amended : this is by no means a reason for 
 leaving off, but rather for continuing in their 
 pious attendance on this duty ; and a very ne- 
 cessary mean of promoting that very end, which 
 they have so much at heart. I may, with great 
 truth add, for the comfort of such people, that 
 these very doubts and fears about the state of 
 their souls, with which they are often distressed, 
 instead of being a proof that they are bad men, 
 are rather marks of a tender conscience, of a 
 care to approve themselves to God, and of sin- 
 cere concern for their own salvation. For bad 
 men are seldom pressed with such difficulties : 
 if at any time, any alarm of the danger of their 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTIN'G, CONSIDERED. 67 
 
 sinful courses attack them, like Felix of old, 
 though it may make them tremble, they are 
 ready to stifle the conviction, and shift it off to 
 a more convenient season. 
 
 It is not now necessary, neither was it any 
 part of the design of this discourse, to enter par- 
 ticularly into an examination of the reasons, 
 why Christians separate communion one from 
 another. 
 
 The rulers of the church of Rome have, in- 
 deed, made it impossible for us to join in com^ 
 m union with them : for, by an amazing stretch 
 of authority, they have taken away from the peo- 
 ple one half, and that very essential, of the Lord's 
 Supper, the Cup, the representation of the blood 
 of Christ. That Church has also affixed strange 
 and unauthorized notions to the bread (or wa- 
 fer) the memorial of the broken body of Christ. 
 
 The case is very different among Protes- 
 tants : as they have not assigned any meaning 
 to any part of our Lord's Supper, upon which 
 they all (especially of this island) are not agreed, 
 I can see little reason why a good man, when 
 he has not access to communicate with those 
 with whom he usually assembles, may not par- 
 take of the Lord's Supper with those Protes- 
 tants with whom he can, at that time, most con- 
 veniently meet, rather than neglect an opportu- 
 nity of " shewing forth the Lord's death till he 
 come." Kven though such a person should de- 
 clare, that he retains affection to the church and 
 forms in which he has been educated, I can see 
 no reason why any other society of Protestants 
 
6.8 Obligations to partake, and 
 
 should refuse to receive him to partake with 
 them of our Lord's Supper. 
 
 I am fully persuaded, if the disputes which 
 have happened about smaller matters in religion 
 had been conducted with more of the spirit of 
 the meek and lowly Jesus, there might have 
 been at this day, more generous terms of com- 
 munion in the Christian church. For, as hold- 
 ing relation to the head, all that love Christ in 
 sincerity have communion one with another, 
 whether they sit at the same table or not. 
 
 How distressful is it to think, that this solemn 
 ordinance, instituted by the Prince of Peace, in 
 commemoration of the most amazing instance 
 of goodness and benevolence ever heard of a- 
 mong the sons of men, should have been per- 
 verted to the purposes of strife and animosity, 
 to widen the smaller differences in opinion a- 
 mong his followers, rather than to unite their 
 hearts in love ! would it not have been far more 
 consistent with the spirit of the gospel, to have 
 improved this feast of love as a means of enlarg- 
 ing our hearts with friendly and benevolent af- 
 fections one to another, as we are all " fellow- 
 4< citizens with the saints, and of the household 
 u of God?" as it is promised, in the days of 
 the Messiah, that those who had long lived in 
 animosities like the children of Israel and Judah, 
 should forget their quarrels, and unite together 
 in saving, fc< Come, and let us join ourselves to 
 u the Lord in a perpetual covenant never to be 
 u forgotten,*" 
 
 • Jer. I. 5. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 09 
 
 I am far from intending, from what I have said 
 on this head, to oust any unfriendly reflection 
 on the rules and good order of the Christian 
 churches. Great respect is due to these things, 
 when they are not inconsistent with the word 
 of God, the rights of conscience, or the peace 
 of human society. In experience, these rules 
 and forms have been the means of promoting 
 religion. A person who receives a ministry in 
 the church comes under the most solemn obli- 
 gations to observe and maintain them. It can 
 be no surprise, if those who, from education and 
 habit, have been accustomed to listen to one 
 side, should be attached to the forms of one part 
 of the Christian church more than to another. 
 Men of eminent understanding have thought 
 themselves obliged zealously to defend these 
 things, as connected with civil and religious li- 
 berty ; and, while they mixed no bitterness or 
 uncharitableness with their defence, their con- 
 duct merited commendation. 
 
 But it is fit always to remember, that these 
 things are matter of order, necessary and useful ; 
 but not essential, or terms of salvation : and con- 
 sidering the spirit of the present age, that infi- 
 delity and indifference to ail religion are the great 
 threatening diseases, the disciples of Christ 
 should, in heart and affection, unite among them- 
 selves, and be careful that their divisions and 
 animosities give no advantage to the common 
 enemy to cast reproach on them, or weaken the 
 interest of the kingdom of God. This would be 
 
 c 2 
 
TO OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 a conduct suitable to the children of the same 
 family, and servants of the same Lord ; proving* 
 that though there are diversities of gifts, it is the 
 same Spirit ; differences of administrations, but 
 the same Lord; diversities of operations, but 
 it is the same God which worketh all in all. 
 
 Such was the primitive and apostolical com- 
 munion among the members of the body of 
 Christ ; and what blessed effects did this pro- 
 duce ? wha T t a spirit of universal benevolence did 
 then prevail in the Churches ? They sent, upon 
 every occasion, bounteous supply to their ne- 
 cessitous brethren at a distance, and affectionate, 
 ardent, good wishes for each others prosperity, 
 in the epistles to all the Churches. Although 
 {hey might, in smaller matters, differ in opinion 
 from one another ; yet they maintained '* the 
 u unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." For 
 the multitude of them who truly believed, and 
 obeyed the gospel, " were of one heart, and one 
 k< soul, neither said any of them, that ought of 
 H the things which he possessed was his own ; 
 •' but they had all things common, and with 
 •' great power gave the Apostles witness, of 
 " the resurrection of Jesus ; and great grace 
 u was upon them all *." By these means, in 
 early days, the churches of Christ li were edifi- 
 ** ed ; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, 
 u 4Rid comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multi- 
 plied f." 
 
 What has been said on the terms of commu. 
 
 * Aetsiv. 31. 32, 33. i Acts ix. 31. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 71 
 
 nioo, may be thought by some good men liable 
 to one objection, That such generous or open 
 sentiments professed toward those who differ 
 from us, will be in danger of being abused by 
 the most uncharitable of them, to harden them 
 in their censorious and uncharitable dispositions; 
 like a concession, that others judge them in the 
 right, though they themselves condemn every 
 body that differs from them, as being in the 
 wrong, and in no safe condition. 
 
 This is the improvement which some me% 
 make of the charity maintained towards them by 
 others. They employ it as an argument to per- 
 vert unwary people to their party, from this con- 
 sideration, that others allow, that men may be 
 saved in the communion of the church to 
 which they belong; but they deny, that we 
 can be saved ; and therefore allege, that 
 men are safer on the side where there is 
 some charity for them, than on that side for 
 which there is none. The candid reply is, That 
 charity itself, and the best things, may be per- 
 verted to a wrong purpose ; even the doctrine 
 of the grace of God has been turned to lascivi- 
 ousness. But, if charity be a mark given by 
 Christ himself, whereby all men shall know his 
 disciples *, any sect void of it has little claim to 
 the name of Christian. The fate of the vain os- 
 tentatious Pharisee, compared to the humble 
 Publican, shows us of what account meu are in 
 the sight of God, who esteem themselves righ- 
 
 * John xiii. 35. 
 
72 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 teous, and despise others : they, and their servi- 
 ces, are an abomination before him. 
 
 Besides this, the Supper of our Lord is his 
 own table ; he alone can establish the terms of 
 admission to it. No man, or church, or socie- 
 ty of men, by whatever name they may call 
 themselves, have any power to make any thing 
 a term of admission to the Lord's table, or a 
 ground of exclusion from it, which Christ him- 
 self hath not authorized. Ministers of the gos- 
 pel are only servants of Christ, and dare not shut 
 the kingdom of God against any man whom their 
 great Lord and Master admits to it. What is 
 here said on the terms of communion, seems to 
 have foundation in the ordinance itself, as the 
 communion of the body of Christ ; for in it we 
 all partake of one bread ; and is agreeable to 
 that union, and those relations, in which all the 
 true disciples of Christ stand to one another, 
 as members of the same body ; and to Christ 
 Jesus the head, " from whom the w r hole body 
 u maketh increase to the edifying of itself in 
 « love." 
 
 * Who are the proper subjects of the Sacra-' 
 ments ? This question has a respect to two 
 sorts of persons, viz. those who are born out of 
 the Church, and so must enter at such years of 
 understanding as to be capable of transacting 
 for themselves, if ever they do ; and such as 
 are born in the Church, i. e. of parents who are 
 
 * From the Rev John Blair's Essays. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. To 
 
 themselves visible Church members. The lat- 
 ter have a right to membership by virtue of the 
 covenant, as subsisting between God and his vi- 
 sible church. It is true, the child's right to 
 membership follows the right of the parents, 
 either both, or any one of them. Hence, if pa- 
 rents be suspended from privileges by the cen- 
 sures of the Church, or charged with such of- 
 fences as expose thereto, the child's right is in 
 suspence until that stumbling-block be remo- 
 ved ; for hereby the parents right is called in 
 question. The reason is, that though the pa- 
 rents are not cut off from membership, but on- 
 ly under a temporary suspension from privilege ; 
 by which discipline, the church is dealing with 
 them, in order to bring them to repentance, and 
 to behave as becomes members, and so recover 
 their right ; yet, if to such offence, they should 
 add obstinate impenitence, and all due pains to 
 bring them to repentance, prove ineffectual ; 
 they would be cut off. In that case, they would 
 be excluded all right, and so could not be a me- 
 dium, by which their child could derive any. 
 Therefore, their conduct, in the mean while, 
 renders their right doubtful until they appear to 
 repent ; consequently, the child's right is doubt- 
 ful also. But still, it is not the faith of the pa- 
 rents, even considered as visible, which imme- 
 diately confers the right upon the child. For an 
 act of faith, considered simply as such, is mere- 
 ly personal, and can communicate nothing to a- 
 nother ; but it is from the parent's visible inte- 
 rest in the covenant, and its external privileges, 
 
74 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 in consequence of their visible faith, (of which 
 privileges, its comprehending their infant seed 
 together with themselves, is an important one) 
 that the child derives its right of membership, 
 i. e. from the parent's visible Church-member- 
 ship. 
 
 As to the former, viz. such as are born out 
 of the church, they have no right of membership, 
 until, by their own personal transaction, they ac- 
 quire it. This is done by acknowledging the 
 doctrines of the Gospel to be true, yielding sub- 
 jection to the laws and ordinances of Jesus 
 Christ*, publickly embracing the true reli- 
 gion and expressing a consent to the covenant 
 of grace in the Sacrament of Baptism, which is 
 the door of entrance, and seal of membership. 
 Thus the son of the stranger joins himself 
 to the Lord, by taking hold of his covenant.* 
 
 But in order to throw greater light upon my 
 subject in my further consideration of it, I 
 think it necessary to stop while 1 consider ano- 
 ther question of great importance here, viz. 
 What is that profession of true religion which 
 constitutes membership in the visible church ? 
 I say, constitutes membership. For, to be visi- 
 bly one of the true religion, and to be a mem- 
 ber of the visible Church, is the same thing. 
 Now, this includes in it an acknowledgment of 
 the doctrines of the Gospel as true, and obliga- 
 tion of the laws of Christ, both verbal ; for with 
 the mouth, confession is made unto salvation, f 
 
 • Isaiah Ivi. 6. f Rom. x. 9, 10. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 75 
 
 And practical by obedience, and partaking of 
 baptism as a sign and seal of embracing the true 
 religion, and dedication to God and his service. 
 In which covenant relation to God thus solemn- 
 ly ratified, visible Church-membership formal- 
 ly lies. Membership in the Church is prere- 
 quisite to, and supposed in approaching to the 
 other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, but not 
 constituted by it. In this Sacrament, former en- 
 gagements are recognized and renewed ; and 
 the edification and spiritual advantage of those 
 already members of the Church, is promoted. 
 Now, the aforesaid profession and dedication is 
 either actual, when persons are arrived to years 
 of understanding, and transact for themselves, or 
 virtual ; in the profession and transactions, in 
 their behalf, of those who have a right to dedi- 
 cate them to God, as in the case of infants. These 
 are comprehended in the covenant with the 
 Church as the seed of professing parents, and 
 are visibly children of the promise, their parents 
 are engaged to train them up in the nurture and 
 admonition of the Lord, and teach them, from 
 their early childhood, the ways of true religion. 
 As they become capable of instruction, it is ex- 
 pected of them that they will be acquainted with, 
 and acknowledge the truths, and practise the 
 duties of religion ; and are reputed the profes- 
 sors of it until they disavow it. If any thing 
 contrary to this should appear, either in neglect- 
 ing the known duties of religion or immorali- 
 ties in practise ; they ought to be dealt with by 
 the discipline of the Church, until they are either 
 
76 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 reclaimed, or regularly cut off. To the neglect 
 of this, no doubt, it is in a great degree owing, 
 that there is so much negligence in matters of 
 religion amongst youth. Now all these together, 
 and none of them alone, amount to a visible pro- 
 fession of true religion. The most orthodox 
 sentiments only shew, that a person owns sound 
 principles to be true, at least understands them, 
 but does not amount to a profession of embrac- 
 ing them. The practice of religious duties af- 
 fords yet a higher probability, that the doctrines 
 of religion make some impression upon the 
 heart, yet does not signify upon what principles 
 a person professes to act ; whether from a su- 
 preme regard to God, or merely from custom, 
 £sfc. but when to both these is added, a solemn 
 covenant-transaction, in partaking of a seal there- 
 of instituted on purpose, not only to confirm the 
 truth of the Gospel on God's part, but to ex- 
 press the man's consent to the covenant of grace, 
 and dedication of himself to the Lord, to serve 
 him upon the principles thereof; then the mat- 
 ter becomes determinate and fixed ; if he does 
 all this with his whole heart, he is a true Chris- 
 tian. By this external profession he visibly ap- 
 pears such, and never does appear such, until he 
 partake of, at least, the initiating seal and token 
 of the covenant. As the word and sacraments are 
 the marks of the true Church, so they are of the 
 true Christian. 
 
 There are, indeed, who place a profession of 
 true religion in something beside the above- 
 mentioned, and altogether prior to coming to 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 71 
 
 Sacraments, namely some declaration that they 
 do so far as they know themselves, accept of 
 Christ as their Saviour, and take God for their 
 God, and give themselves up to his service with 
 all their hearts. Upon this principle, many mi- 
 nisters draw up a covenant in form, containing 
 such expressions as the above. This they re- 
 quire persons to take publickly, previous to 
 their approaching the Lord's Table, or present- 
 ing their children to Baptism. No doubt a mi- 
 nister should be very careful in examining such 
 as he admits to Sacraments. Hereby he will de- 
 tect the grossly ignorant, who ought, on that ac- 
 count, to be debarred. In this way he will be 
 under better advantages for apprehending what 
 views and sense of things they have, and to 
 judge what advices it may be proper to give 
 them. But I have some exceptions to the requi- 
 sition of a declaration of such a tenor, or taking 
 a covenant drawn up in such a set form. I doubt 
 it will rather prove a snare, than to be of any 
 real advantage. Such a covenant is designed 
 either, as an immediate transaction with God, 
 or as a solemn declaration to the Church, for 
 their greater satisfaction as to the persons ad- 
 mitted. In the former view, it is useless and 
 superfluous : for it is only doing the same thing 
 that is done in partaking of the seals of the co- 
 venant, which God has instituted as public signs, 
 and solemn ratifications of such a transaction ; 
 with this difference, that instead of the publ-iG 
 actions of divine appointment assigns, to which 
 the word of God has affixed such a sense, such 
 H 
 
78 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 a particular form of expression is proposed as 
 the public sign ; and with respect to persons al- 
 ready baptized, it seems to insinuate, that they 
 are not already in the church, and in covenant 
 with God by virtue of their baptism, which is 
 contrary to fact. But are not the signs which our 
 Lord Jesus Christ has appointed, and the manner 
 of covenanting which he has prescribed suffi- 
 cient, without the addition of our own inventions 
 to supply the defect ? 
 
 But if only a declaration, as matter of satisfac- 
 tion to the Church, is designed ; pray, will it af- 
 ford better evidence of a man's sincerity of 
 heart, to hear him pronounce such words, than 
 to see him use actions, which, by divine appoint- 
 ment, signify substantially the same thing ? and 
 therefore, of the same import with the aforesaid 
 declaration ? To require such a declaration is to 
 require a person to pronounce or affirm some- 
 thing concerning the exercises of his own heart 
 as a term of admission. This cannot be consi- 
 dered as a declaration of a matter of fact, but 
 only his opinion, or, at most, judgment of him- 
 self. Now his judgment may be formed upon 
 evidence, that is really such to himself. But, 
 pray, what evidence is that to others : Here I 
 doubt, the formal professor will be more ready 
 to pronounce, than many a true Christian. I 
 would appeal to the ministers who are in this 
 practice, whether on the one hand, they don't 
 find reason to fear that these declarations, or 
 -even covenants, are sunk to matter of mere form ,; 
 and on the other, whether they don't find a 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 79 
 
 number of poor perplexed souls, upon whom 
 they must look in a judgment of scriptural cha- 
 rity, as the children of God ; who yet are full 
 of apprehension they have not the saving grace 
 of God. Yea, their prevailing opinion may be on 
 that side, and dare not make such a peremptory 
 declaration, either to their fellow-men, or in a 
 covenant-transaction with God ; and though 
 many a salvo be proposed, yet their conscience 
 is not satisfied. May not a christian really give 
 up his heart to God, and yet not be able to de- 
 clare he has done so, even in his own judgment ? 
 Others may flatter themselves that they have re- 
 ally consented to the covenant, when, indeed, it 
 is otherwise. Can it be the divine will that mat- 
 ters should be set upon so precarious a footing, 
 and such a snare should be laid for men, to em- 
 barrass their way ? Shall our duty be directed by 
 so uncertain a rule ? 
 
 If it be objected here, that I maintain sacra- 
 mental transactions to be substantially of the same 
 import, and sacraments to be signs of our con- 
 sent to the covenant of grace, and will not that 
 involve the same difficulty ? 
 
 I answer, No. The sacraments are indeed 
 signs of our consent to the covenant : but they 
 are not signs of our opinion of the kind of that 
 consent too ; they are not signs of our declaring 
 that consent to be true and saving. It is one 
 thing really to consent ; and another to be able 
 to pronounce that consent to be right ; the com- 
 mand of God is a plain rule of duty. A person, 
 therefore, under great perplexity about the state 
 
80 
 
 of his soul, may yet find himself bound in con- 
 science to attempt obedience to God. Very 
 true, he ought to have in view the nature of the 
 duty, and what is required of him in it. He is 
 required to give the full consent of his heart to the 
 new covenant, and yield himself up to God. This 
 is the business that lies before krim, and which 
 he is to attempt in receiving the seals of the co- 
 venant, but here is no set form of words he is to 
 use ; he will transact with God in such mental 
 language as best expresses the frame of his 
 heart. Perhaps, he cannot feel that freedom of 
 Heart he desires, and dare not say, I do con- 
 sent ; I do give up my heart to thee O God, 
 but can only say, 1 desire to cleave to Christ ; 
 O to be found in him ! O that I could get my 
 heart opened, and full of cheerfulness in giving 
 myself away to the Lord. If he has just appre- 
 hensions of these things, and these desires un- 
 der these apprehensions are really from his heart, 
 he does consent and yield himself to God ; and 
 yet, at the same time, may be far from being 
 satisfied that he has done so, but go away full of 
 bitter complaints. It is easy to see the wide dif- 
 ference in the two cases. 
 
 But it is time to return to the question I left. 
 When the sons of the stranger are instructed in 
 the doctrines of the Gospel, are convinced in 
 their judgment and conscience, they are true, 
 and exhibit the true religion ; that they are 
 bound by the authority of God to embrace it, 
 and yield obedience to the divine laws ; it is 
 their immediate duty to embrace it, and that 
 
LXCUSES FOll NEGLECTING, COXSIDERED. 81 
 
 publicly and avowedly by joining themselves 
 to the Lord, and his church, in the sacrament 
 of baptism ; and thus make apubiick profession 
 of the true religion, come under solemn obliga- 
 tions to walk in the ways of God's command- 
 ments, and under the care and discipline of the 
 Church. The blessed God will not have mat- 
 ters lying loose ; but has appointed the Sacra- 
 ments to bring them to a point, and to reduce 
 persons to some determination, either to appear 
 for God and religion, or reject him ; nor may 
 they plead, by way of excuse, that though they 
 are convinced of the truth of the Christian reli- 
 gion, and that all this is their duty, yet their 
 hearts hang back, and do not yield. God will 
 not sustain this as a plea. Shall their disobe. 
 dience stand as a good argument why they 
 should not obey ? Surely they are more likely 
 to obtain divine grace in the Church, than out of 
 it among the heathen ; they ought to stretch 
 out the withered hand, to attempt giving them- 
 selves to the Lord in covenant. They are to 
 set the terms of the covenant in view, and at- 
 tempt to give the consent of their heart, and 
 that in the solemn transaction which God has 
 commanded. How know they, but while they 
 are attempting, the heart may be made to yield ? 
 or, if it still hang back, and does not go forth in 
 acts of faith ; are they not likely to be more 
 exercised about the matter, now they are under 
 solemn obligation thereto, than when they had 
 not come under it ? 
 
 Now all baptized persons, I have already shew 
 h 2 
 
82 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 ed, are visible members of the church of Christ 
 By this dedication they are bound to attend up- 
 on all the duties and ordinances belonging to the 
 christian character, as they shall arrive to suffi- 
 cient strength of natural powers ; different du- 
 ties require different degrees of natural ability. 
 The want of this will excuse from the discharge 
 of duties, which would otherwise be incumbent: 
 but want of moral ability, through our default, 
 does not excuse at all. Therefore, I say, they 
 stand bound by their baptismal dedication, to 
 serve God in all the duties of the Christian re- 
 ligion, for which they have a sufficient natural 
 capacity ; and it is given in commission to the 
 ministers of the gospel, to teach those they have 
 discipled, to observe all things whatsoever Christ 
 has commanded.* Now the Lord's Supper is 
 one of those things he has commanded his disci- 
 ples. Therefore all baptized persons are bound, 
 as they come to years of understanding, to at- 
 tend upon it. 
 
 It is indeed here to be observed, that such as 
 :re grossly ignorant, having sufficient natural 
 capacity, or guilty of gross immoralities, or ha- 
 bitually neglect the known duties of practical 
 religion, are to be excluded from the Sacra- 
 ments by the regular exercise of church disci- 
 pline, till by repentance and reformation they 
 remove the offence. The reason is, that these 
 things are such visible violations of, and con- 
 tradictions to the covenant, that to admit such, 
 would destroy one great design of the Sacra- 
 
 * Matt, xxviii. 30. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 83 
 
 ments, viz. to preserve the external holiness and 
 purity of the church, and be visible signs of our 
 consent to God's gracious covenant, and avouch- 
 ing the Lord for our God ; for they, who, by 
 their works deny God, cannot be supposed to 
 choose him. It would be, in short, to prostitute 
 the ordinance, and leave no visible difference 
 between the deportment of church-members and 
 the world, and destroy all distinction of the 
 church from those who are without. But all this 
 is so far from infering, that the law command- 
 ing attendance upon Sacraments does not bind 
 them, that it supposes the contrary. For how 
 else can this prohibition be considered as a pe* 
 nalty and privation of privilege ? It is upon this 
 principle, viz. the obligation of the duty, that 
 such censure serves to affect the conscience, 
 and awaken the offender to repentance, that he 
 may be restored. The ground of such a cen- 
 sure must be some fact or facts, which can be 
 certainly known and judged of; and of such a 
 nature as, if obstinately persisted in, after all due 
 pains taken with the party, would cut him off 
 from all right of membership. The obligation 
 to attend those holy ordinances, binds such of- 
 fenders to shun the scandals which exclude 
 them ; and by thus excluding themselves, they 
 very criminally turn their backs upon them. 
 
 But the church has the authority of Christ 
 for thus excluding the scandalous.* But now I 
 have written unto you, says the apostle not to 
 keep company, if any man that is called a bro- 
 
 • 1 Cor. v. 11. 
 
84 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 ther, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, 
 or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with 
 such an one, no, not to eat. I am not so clear 
 as some commentators seem to be, that the eat- 
 ing here mentioned does not mean eating at the 
 Lord's table, because connected with the cau- 
 tion not to keep company, I rather think it does; 
 for they are plainly matters of discipline of which 
 the apostle speaks, and a conduct consequent 
 upon the church's passing judgment, as appears 
 by the next verse ; and it was natural enough 
 to observe, that such a judgment passed upon a 
 person, inferred an obligation on church- mem- 
 bers, to avoid even that civil society or compa- 
 ny with such a person, which they might allow 
 themselves in with their heathen neighbours. 
 However, if it intend eating in ordinary meals, 
 the argument from this passage in support of 
 discipline, will still hold good. For if we must 
 avoid civil society or fellowship with a person 
 at his, or our own table, much more such a so- 
 lemn act of communion as eating with him at 
 the Lord's table. But all regular members of 
 the visible church, of understanding -sufficient to 
 be able to attend to the Lord's Supper as a com- 
 memorative sign, are bound, by the authority 
 of Jesus Christ, to shew forth his death till he 
 come and are highly criminal in neglecting it y 
 and such as are parents, are bound to dedicate 
 their children to God in baptism. By this means, 
 the visible church is propagated and preserved. 
 It is doubtless one end of the ordinance of bap- 
 tism. to collect materials into the church, and 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 8j 
 
 under the ordinances of the gospel, as subjects 
 of divine influences. 
 
 It will be objected here, that many baptized per- 
 sons, yea, it is to be feared the greater part, are 
 u nre gene rate, and unbaptized persons may be 
 convinced in their consciences, that the Christian 
 religion is true, and it is their duty to embrace 
 it, yet be still in a natural state ; therefore it will 
 follow, that the unregenerate ought to come to 
 Sacraments, this their unhappy state notwith- 
 standing. I admit the consequence ; they are 
 under the same obligation to this as to other du- 
 ties of religion. 
 
 If it be said, that if the unregenerate are bound 
 to come to Sacraments, then it will follow, that 
 the Sacraments are not visible signs of true 
 Christians, or of a visible profession of true re- 
 ligion. 
 
 I deny the consequence. It no more follows 
 on this than the contrary supposition : for on all 
 hands it is granted that many unregenerate per- 
 sons do come to Sacraments. Indeed, if I al- 
 leged no more was required of them in that 
 transaction, than an unregenerate sinner, con- 
 tinuing such, can do, then the aforesaid conse- 
 quence would follow. For the Sacraments can 
 be visible signs of no more than they signify or 
 is required in them. But I only say, the per- 
 sons who are unregenerate, are, notwithstanding, 
 really bound by the authority of God, to this, 
 as well as any other duty of religion ; they dis- 
 obey him in neglecting it ; nor will their unre- 
 generacy be any plea for their neglect. But yet 
 
86 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 they are bound to do all in attending that the true 
 Christian does: to accept Christ as their Saviour, 
 make choice of God as their God, and to give 
 themselves wholly to him. He requires the un- 
 regenerate to make them new hearts, and turn 
 unto the Lord.* And surely he may justly re- 
 quire them to do this with external solemnity 
 by way of covenant, and visibly avow and ratify 
 their joining themselves to the Lord. By the in- 
 stitution of these ordinances, the Lord as it were, 
 savs to sinners, it is not sufficient to entertain 
 a good opinion of religion as true and necessary, 
 but I insist upon it, that you will either embrace 
 or reject it ; avouch me as your God, or disavow 
 me. Choose you this day whom you will serve. 
 Here is my covenant ; here are the terms of sal- 
 vation ; these overtures I solemnly ratify, on 
 my part, by these public signs and seals, as most 
 sure foundations, on which you may safely de- 
 pend, and I demand that you strike a covenant 
 with me, and openly confirm it by receiving 
 these seals thereof. If, indeed, in this transac- 
 tion your hearts hang back, and don't consent, 
 I cannot approve and accept you ; yet if you ne- 
 glect this institution, and will not so much as 
 make the attempt to yield yourselves, I will con- 
 sider this as an open and avowed rejection of me 
 and my service. Is there any thing unreasona- 
 ble in this requisition ? and who can tell but 
 that in setting these matters solemnly before 
 them, and attempting, in obedience to God's 
 commands to give themselves up to him in these 
 
 * Eztk. xv ; ii. 32, 33. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 87 
 
 solemn covenant-transactions, the Holy Spirit 
 may concur, and make the heart to yield ? If 
 He do, the business is done; they are true Chris- 
 tians ; and who that beholds these solemn trans- 
 actions, can say the heart does not consent ? 
 Therefore the Sacraments are visible signs of a 
 profession of true religion, and the persons who 
 partake of them are to be treated as Christians, 
 till the contrary appears. 
 
 It is sometimes said, that the unregenerate 
 are, indeed, obliged to come to Sacraments, but 
 not immediately : it is their duty, but not their 
 immediate duty. They are first to come to 
 Christ, and then come to Sacraments. 
 
 To which I answer, then it is not now their 
 duty in present circumstances; therefore their 
 staying back is so far from being criminal, that 
 they do right. To talk of the mediate obligation 
 of a law prescribing duty, is a contradiction. 
 The law either obliges a person now, or it does 
 not oblige him. In a covenant or promise, there 
 may be a conditional obligation, which depends 
 upon some event, or something to be done by 
 another as the condition. Yet even then, until 
 the condition takes place, there is no actual ob- 
 ligation. But a law obliges without any other 
 condition than the rightful authority of the le- 
 gislator ; and it obliges all to whom it is given, 
 to immediate obedience from the time of its 
 promulgation, or commencement : and the ne- 
 glect of it exposes to punishment as a disobe- 
 dience, cases of natural inability only excepted. 
 
 As to the newly invented plea, that God com- 
 
88 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 mands no unregenerate duties, (a very odd 
 phrase) or does not command unregenerate men, 
 as such, to do duties. It really does not de- 
 serve a serious answer ; for the meaning must 
 be, either that the law of God does not com- 
 mand any duties to be done upon the principles 
 from which unregenerate men act, or in the man- 
 ner in which only they can perform them, while 
 they continue such, and then it is nothing to the 
 purpose. None of my reasonings are built up- 
 on, or require any such supposition. No, it is 
 a spiritual holy obedience that is required of 
 them ; the same that is required of the most 
 holy saint : and their unregeneracy or moral in- 
 ability, affords them no excuse. — Or else it must 
 intend, that persons who are unregenerate, are 
 not comprehended in the obligation of the law ; 
 it does not command them to do any thing in 
 religion, till they shall be regenerated. The very 
 mention of which so glares with absurdity, that 
 I believe there will none be found daring enough 
 to assert it. For. upon that supposition, the un- 
 regenerate would be set free from all obligation 
 to the practice of duty at once ; their neglect of 
 all religion would be no disobedience. 
 
 But it is objected, there is a difference be- 
 tween natural and positive, or instituted duties. 
 The former, as prayer for instance, bind all man- 
 kind by virtue of the original law given to man 
 in innocence ; but the latter are, by the qualifi- 
 cations required in them, limited to the persons 
 in whom the qualifications are found. 
 
 Answ. Natural duties are qualified, as well 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 89 
 
 lis positive. Gracious principles, and a holy- 
 manner of action are equally required in both. 
 Nor will the original obligation of the moral law 
 natural, make any difference in the case. For it 
 is a principle of that law, that whatsoever posi- 
 tive institutions God shall make known as his 
 will, are to be obeyed. Positive laws as univer- 
 sally bind all of the general character to which 
 they are directed, as do natural. Nor do the 
 qualifications required in duties, at all limit the 
 subjects of the law. The divine Legislator does 
 not give his laws in this manner, viz. Whoso- 
 ever have the qualifications required in them, 
 are to perform the enjoined duties ; but he re- 
 quires duties so and so qualified absolutely, with- 
 out IF or AND, of all who claim a share in the 
 general character to which they belong. All who 
 call themselves Christians, stand obliged to all 
 the duties of Christians as such. 
 
 If it be objected, that partaking of Sacra- 
 ments imports a consent to the covenant of grace, 
 which unregenerate sinners cannot give : and 
 surely God does not require persons to declare 
 a lie, and that in so solemn a manner. 
 
 I answer, the blessed God is so far from re- 
 quiring any to declare a lie, that he commands 
 them to transact in this covenant with all their 
 hearts. As he has instituted Sacraments, so he 
 requires all to attend upon them with all the 
 qualifications requisite in such attendance. Their 
 want of the qualifications does not excuse the 
 neglect of the external duty one moment ; for 
 their rightful Sovereign does not admit their 
 
 I 
 
90 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 continuing unholy one moment ; and therefore, 
 there is no plea for disobedience in any one in- 
 stance. The obligation of God's law does not 
 turn upon the internal qualifications of the sub- 
 jects, but the rightful authority of the lawgiver ; 
 and it is sufficient to justify this, that man had 
 originally sufficient ability to obey all the will 
 of God in a proper manner, but lost it by his 
 own default. The blessed God, therefore, has a 
 just right to command all that is justly due from 
 the subjects of his government, an the most ab- 
 solute manner, whatever their present internal 
 qualifications may be. Nor can it be said, that 
 even the unregenerate do not, in some sense, 
 really consent to the covenant. The terms of 
 the covenant are set before them ; thev acknow- 
 ledge these to be the terms, the only terms of 
 salvation ; they yield, that it is just and right, 
 that God should insist upon this as the only way 
 of receiving sinners to favour j and consent that 
 this transaction shall stand as a witness against 
 them if their hearts stand back. It will stand 
 good against them as a visible public consent 
 before God, angels, and men ; and be pleadable, 
 yea pleaded against them in the great day of 
 God, if their hearts shall be found wanting. This 
 shews, it is not a vain thing to require their 
 attendance. Here is a sufficiently important, 
 though not the only end of these institutions. 
 The transaction imports a declaration, that they 
 are at least attempting to give their hearty con- 
 sent, but not a declaration whether that consent 
 he truly sincere or not. The Sacraments are not 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 91 
 
 instituted to be visible signs of persons' opinion 
 or judgment concerning the exercises of their 
 own hearts ; but signs of visible consent they 
 are, which will be of great importance for the il- 
 lustration of the divine justice, in the aggrava- 
 ted condemnation of gospel sinners. 
 
 It is further objected, that unregenerate sin- 
 ners, in partaking of Sacraments, perjure them- 
 selves in the very act ; and sure God does not 
 require perjury. 
 
 Answ. It is not the crime designed by the 
 name of perjury. That consists in calling God 
 to witness to the truth of what the party knows 
 to be false. This consists in the non-concur- 
 rence of the heart in a solemn engagement, into 
 which the party enters. This is the unregenerats 
 sinner's great fault in every holy duty, his heart 
 is not in it ; and the greater solemnity of a co- 
 venant-transaction is, no doubt, a great aggra- 
 vation of his crime : but it is not taking God to 
 witness to a known falsehood : he takes God to 
 witness, indeed, to a solemn engagement which 
 he visibly, publicly, and really enters into, and 
 declares : though his heart concurs not in the 
 manner God requires, yet the engagement is 
 real : he will feel himself held and obliged to be 
 the Lord's. But he declares nothing herein 
 about the sincerity or insincerity of his heart in 
 this transaction, or the engagement he thus ra- 
 tifies. Were it understood to import so solemn 
 a declaration of the person's judgment of his 
 own conduct, the child of God, whose heart sin- 
 cerely consents, would often not dai*e to make 
 
92 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 such a declaration. To give force to the objec- 
 tion, it should be supposed that the person 
 knowingly dissembles. That he publicly en- 
 gages, only to save appearances, and to impose 
 upon others for some purpose or other, while he 
 explicitly and formally resolves in his heart, he 
 will not cleave to the Lord to serve him ; but 
 walk after the imagination of his own evil heart : 
 but this is not to be alleged in this case. The per- 
 son is supposed to set the terms ot the covenant 
 in view, consider the claim God has to him, and 
 the obligations redeeming love lays upon him ; 
 sets himself, from conscience of duty, to pre- 
 sent himself before the Lord, and attempt to 
 give the consent of his heart ; and wishes, upon 
 some principle or other, there was such an heart 
 in him. Thus far an unregenerate sinner may 
 go ; and however his heart fails in this matter, 
 vet he constitutes a real engagement which binds 
 him to accept of Christ, and be the Lord's for- 
 ever. To this, God, angels, and men are wit- 
 nesses. If these things be duly considered, the 
 objection vanishes ; and it will appear, the un- 
 regenerate sinner, is no more chargeable with 
 perjury in receiving the Sacraments, than with 
 lying in prayer : but would any one persuade 
 him by all means, not to dare to pray ? 
 
 It is often objected, that the unregenerate, 
 when they partake of Sacraments, put a seal to 
 ablank. 
 
 Answ. If the Sacraments were primarily, and 
 only seals of a personal interest in the covenant, 
 there would be weight in the objection. But 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 
 
 while the Sacraments, in the use of them, even 
 by the unregenerate, do really seal the truth and 
 certainty of the covenant of grace, in its true 
 tenor on God's part ; and on the communicant's 
 part, a solemn engagement, binding on his con- 
 science to embrace this covenant with all his 
 heart, and will stand firm against him for his 
 aggravated condemnation if he does not ; it is 
 very far from being a seal to a blank. 
 
 Again, it will be said, if the Sacraments were 
 converting ordinances, then all should attend 
 upon them as well as prayer, hearing the word, 
 &c. but as they are only sealing, and not con- 
 verting ordinances, the case is otherwise. 
 
 Answ. All this is gratis dictum, a mere as- 
 sertion without proof. For my part, I know not 
 how divines have come by this distinction of 
 ordinances into converting and non- converting. 
 I do not know any ordinance of the gospel, 
 which is not a converting ordinance. Surely, 
 that the Sacraments are seals, does not hinder, 
 but promotes their tendency to the conversion 
 of sinners. 1 think we have no way to know, 
 that any ordinance is a converting ordinance, but 
 from its native tendency to that end, and its be- 
 ing used by God for that purpose. Now, what 
 stronger tendency can there be to bring home 
 sinners to God, than the exhibition the Sacra- 
 ments give of Christ ; of the way of salvation 
 through faith in his blood; of the grace of God, 
 and rhe stability of the new covenant ? their ve- 
 ry design is to engage men to come to a point 
 
 1 2 
 
94 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 and to close in with the terms of salvation pro 
 posed in the gospel. 
 
 If it be said, it will then follow that the pro- 
 fane and scandalous ought to be admitted to the 
 Sacraments, that they may be converted. 
 
 Answ. So far from it, that directly the reverse 
 is the consequence. This is one circumstance, 
 from whence arises the strong tendency of Sa- 
 craments to convert sinners, viz. that they se- 
 cure and promote the visible holiness and ex- 
 ternal purity of the church, and thereby distin- 
 guish her from the world. They thus assert the 
 necessity of true holiness, and point it out as 
 the distinguishing character of God's people ; 
 but the force of this argument would be lost, if 
 no such distinction was made. Yea, not merely 
 be lost, but sinners would be greatly encoura- 
 ged to continue secure in sin. 
 
 It is an objection of great weight with some, 
 that to admit unregenerate men to Sacraments, 
 and teach them that they are bound to come, 
 tends to flatter their vain hopes, make them se- 
 cure, and build them up in self- righteousness. 
 To make out this consequence, it is alleged we 
 must in this case proceed upon this principle, 
 viz. that some unregenerate men have some 
 good principles, some sincere regard for, and 
 liking to God in his proper character ; are in 
 heart friendly to the way of salvation by Jesus 
 Christ ; have some real and proper desires for 
 holiness, (from a view of its excellency, or for 
 its own sake, I suppose) and an interest in Je- 
 sus Christ ; (which would be, I think, to sup- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 95 
 
 pose they were not unre generate, and so would 
 be a contradiction in terms) and that God bofar 
 approves and accepts them, as on that ground 
 to enter into covenant with them. 
 
 Answ. I think, it will appear from the whole 
 I have said in the preceding pages, that the mat- 
 ter depends on no such principle. The accep- 
 tableness of the persons and duties of even the 
 holiest saints on earth with God, is not at all 
 the ground or reason of his entering into cove- 
 nant with them. So far from it, that their accep- 
 tance with him is founded in the covenant of 
 grace, and provided for by it. To allege other- 
 wise, would be to take the Arminian side of the 
 question indeed. 
 
 I readily grant the unhappy state and charac- 
 ter of all unregenerate sinners ; they are at en- 
 mity with God, and have no holy dispositions, 
 but are wholly depraved. But is that any rea- 
 son why the great God, their rightful bovereign, 
 shall not demand their immediate submission 
 and return to him ? He offers his mercy, and 
 requires their return in a way of covenant, and 
 that transacted in a visible public manner. For 
 this purpose he instituted sacraments, that they 
 may render the covenant visible, and be a visi- 
 ble expression or token of consent. This transac- 
 tion, and that with the whole heart, he requires 
 without delay. Unregenerate though they be, 
 yet since it is in the way of his own institutions 
 he meets with sinners, they are to stretch out the 
 withered hand, and attempt obedience. It is the 
 careless admission of the profane and scandalous. 
 
96 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 and the unfaithfulness of ministers in neglecting 
 to lay matters fairly before people, and address 
 the conscience with the arguments arising from 
 this topic, that depreciates the sacraments, and 
 promotes security and self-righteousness. In- 
 stead of the consequences above mentioned, 
 there would be the strongest tendency to con- 
 vince and awaken the conscience, and affect the 
 heart, upon supposition of the following things, 
 viz, that discipline, whereby the openly irreli- 
 gious and profane are to be kept off, be duly ex- 
 ercised. That ministers deal faithfully with the 
 conscience, set the terms of the covenant fairly 
 before people, shew them that a consent to these 
 is required in attending the sacraments, and no- 
 thing short of it will be accepted ; that if their 
 hearts refuse, they will grievously sin, and be 
 found guilty before God ; yet they may not ne- 
 glect his institutions without adding to their 
 guilt by open disobedience. That they awaken 
 them to look to, and carefully examine their 
 hearts before and after such solemn transactions, 
 and press them to consider their awful guilt, if 
 their hearts are found wanting : yet shew them, 
 they are under the bond of the covenant ; are 
 bound in conscience to seek an interest in 
 Christ with incessant anxiety, and yield up their 
 hearts to God ; and that, in the great day of ac- 
 count, they will be dealt with as covenant- brea- 
 kers if they do not. Yea, those injurious conse- 
 quences rather follow on the other side of the ques- 
 tion. For, on that state of the case, such unre- 
 generute sinners as come to sacraments > look up- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 9/ 
 
 on their admission as a ground of confidence that 
 they are true Christians ; and thinking they are 
 safe, sit down secure. Such as look upon them- 
 selves as unprepared, apprehending they are not 
 under a necessity of acting, conclude to neglect 
 it, and so dismiss any further care about prepa- 
 ration, and think themselves more at liberty to 
 indulge their corruptions through the course of 
 life. Thus a sense of obligation by virtue of their 
 baptism is much destroyed. 
 
 I presume I have now taken notice of the most 
 weighty objections to my sentiments, and by re- 
 moving them have gone, at least, a good length 
 towards evincing the truth of what I have advan- 
 ced. However, there remain sundry arguments, 
 which to me appear conclusive on the affirma- 
 tive side of the question ; these I shall here take 
 the liberty to propose, 
 
 First, All those who are convinced that the 
 Christian religion is true, are immediately obli- 
 ged to embrace and openly profess it ; this is al- 
 most a self-evident proposition. For to suppose 
 otherwise, would be to suppose, that the bles- 
 sed God had made known his will, and propo- 
 sed a system of religion, which yet men, convin- 
 ced of its truth, were at liberty to reject ; and 
 this would be the same thing, as to say, he had 
 not a rightful authority to oblige them ; the ve- 
 ry mention of this shews the glaring absurdity. 
 Now it necessarily follows, that if such persons 
 are immediately hound to embrace the true re- 
 ligion, they are immediately bound to profess 
 it, that is publicly consent to it ; for, when reli- 
 
98 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 gion is publicly proposed, not to profess and 
 avow it, is openly to disavow and reject it, there 
 is no medium. It is the flattest contradiction to 
 imagine we embrace the true religion, and at 
 the same time, openly neglect and disavow it. 
 But I have already shewed, that to embrace the 
 true religion is to enter into covenant with God ; 
 without consenting to the covenant of grace, 
 there is no such thing as embracing religion. 
 So to profess religion is openly and visibly to 
 transact that covenant ; and this is done in the 
 participation of the sacraments, and not other- 
 wise. There is no full formal profession of re- 
 ligion antecedent to this ; for without it, none 
 are visibly in covenant, unless they can be visi- 
 bly in covenant, without ratifying and sealing it. 
 In this point of view, 1 think, the scripture sets 
 the matter, * Now when they heard this, they 
 were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter , 
 and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, 
 what shall we do ? then Peter said unto the??2 i 
 repent and be baptized every one of you in the 
 name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. 
 The apostle had laid before them the evidence 
 of Christ's being the true Messiah, from the 
 fulfilment of ancient prophecies, concerning him 
 in his resurrection from the dead. The conse- 
 quence was, they were convinced of the truth 
 of Christianity, and of their aggravated guilt in 
 the crucifixion of the Lord of glory, full of 
 anxiety, they inquire what to do. The answer 
 
 u. — ■ -.- - 
 
 • Act. ii. 37, 38. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 99 
 
 is, Repent and be Baptized, i. e. enter into 
 covenant with God, publicly transacting and ra- 
 tifying it by the seal of baptism. If it be said 
 here is the order, first repent, and then be bap- 
 tized, I answer, 
 
 First, This is no more than I have insisted on 
 as necessary to be done, viz. to set before per- 
 sons the nature of true religion and the terms of 
 salvation, and let them know that a cordial com- 
 pliance with all this is required, and nothing 
 short of it will do. This is fully consistent with 
 what I have said, and this they are to profess in 
 their baptism. Nor do they visibly profess re- 
 pentance, while they stand back from this ordi- 
 nance. 2d. Though they are called upon to re- 
 pent, there is not the least hint, that they were 
 to defer their baptism until they should have 
 evidence, on which they might judge they had 
 saving repentance. They were immediately to 
 offer themselves to baptism, and were forthwith 
 baptized ; and in consequence thereof, they 
 went on in the constant attendance on all other 
 ordinances, they continued steadfastly in the 
 Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in the 
 breaking of bread, (i. e. the participation of the 
 Lord's Supper) and in prayer, * Also, f Philip 
 tells the Eunuch, if thou beiievest with all 
 thine heart, thou mayst [be baptized.] The 
 Eunuch does not pronounce whether his faith 
 was saving or not, but only professes a be- 
 lief of that foundation truth, that Jesus Christ 
 
 * Act. ii. 41, 42. + Act viil - 27 
 
100 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 is the Son of God, and on this declaration he 
 was baptized. 
 
 The heathen are not immediately obliged to 
 embrace the Christian religion, but first to en- 
 quire into it ; but such as are instructed and 
 convinced in their judgment and conscience of 
 the truth of religion, are under a necessity of ac- 
 ting one way or other about it, either to pro- 
 fess or reject it. This is one design of the insti- 
 tution of sacraments, that the persons may be 
 reduced to this necessity. What then shall they 
 do ? If they apprehend they are still unregene- 
 rate, shall they, for that reason openly reject it ? 
 This is to go against the dictates of their own 
 consciences ; or shall they publicly profess their 
 belief of it, consent to its obligation upon them, 
 and resolve to appear on the side of religion? one 
 would think it very easy to decide on this case, 
 and determine which side was safest, and atten- 
 ded with least guilt. 
 
 2. All baptized persons are, thereby, bound 
 to perform all the duties of true Christians, as 
 they shall become capable and have opportunity? 
 both as to internal exercises, and external ac- 
 tions. I say, as they shall become capable ; for 
 the greater part are baptized in infancy. But 
 these, as well as all others, are brought under the 
 bond of the covenant. This should be early im- 
 pressed upon them, to let them see, that, by this 
 dedication to God, they are bound to perform ail 
 duties of religion for which they have capacity, 
 to receive instruction, and appear for religion as 
 the professors thereof. As soon as they have a 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 101 
 
 competency of knowledge, and are capable of 
 the discipline of the church, they are bound to 
 commemorate the death of Christ, and renew 
 their engagements to him at his table, unless re- 
 gularly debarred by discipline for unchristian 
 conduct. When they shall become parents, they 
 are bound to dedicate their children to God in 
 baptism. In one word, they are bound to con- 
 tinue stedfast in the Apostle's doctrine and fel- 
 lowship, and in the breaking of bread and prayer. 
 To say that baptism, even when received in in- 
 fancy? does not bind to all this, is to say, they 
 are not bound by this covenant to all Christian 
 practice, till they come to the Lord's table : 
 that they are not obliged to consider themselves 
 as professors of religion in consequence of their 
 baptism, and that they are not chargeable with 
 breach of covenant in neglecting to appear for 
 it, and standing back from the Lord's Supper ; 
 and that is, I think, to represent infant-baptism 
 as a matter of no great benefit or importance. 
 Or, are they hereby bound to all other Chris- 
 tian duties, but not to come to the Lord's table ? 
 where is the ground or scripture authority for 
 that distinction ? Is there any qualification re- 
 quisite for this duty, different in kind from 
 what is required in other duties ? Is not true 
 grace or holiness required in all other duties, as 
 well as this? And is not this ordinance among 
 the all things whatsoever he has commanded his 
 disciples, and which they are taught to observe? 
 Or, does the unregeneracy of any, Who, accord- 
 ing to God's own institution, arc visible mem- 
 K 
 
iyj~2 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 bers of his church, nullify this obligation, so 
 that their omission of this ordinance is not their 
 sin ? If it be said, as indeed it frequently is, that 
 they are, it is true, bound by the divine com- 
 mand, and non-attendance on the Lord's table 
 is their sin ; yet such is their disqualification, 
 that they sin more, and contract greater guilt by 
 coming, than staying away ; so that upon the 
 whole, it is safer for them to abstain. I answer, 
 if there be any weight in the objection, it will 
 hold equally with respect to all the other duties 
 of religion ; for such are equally disqualified for 
 the performance of them ; and so the unregene- 
 rate are at once set free from all obligation, as^ 
 visible church members or baptized persons, to 
 the law of God. A consequence, which I be- 
 lieve few, but the disciples of Sandiman, will 
 choose to admit ; besides this objection is self- 
 contradictory. For if they sin more in corning, 
 and upon the whole it is safer to abstain, it must 
 be, because it is not the will of God they should 
 attempt to obey him with respect to this ordi- 
 nance : And they are excepted from the com- 
 mand to observe it; if so, they are under no obliga- 
 tion to observe it. To abstain, is, therefore, so 
 far from being their sin, as this objection sup- 
 poses, that it is their duty, they do right. For 
 to suppose two contradictory obligations to take 
 place at the same time, by the same law, is a 
 gross contradiction ; for they either mutually 
 destroy each other, or, at least, the one of them 
 makes the other void. And to suppose a pre- 
 sent obligation, and yet that the safest course 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. K)J 
 
 is to counteract or violate it, is a glaring ab- 
 surdity. 
 
 Arg. 3. The authority of God, instituting 
 and appointing sacraments in his visible church, 
 is the ground and reason of the obligation on 
 visible church members to observe them ; and 
 his command to observe them, is the rule of 
 their doty, and not any internal qualification in 
 them. Therefore, all visible church- members 
 are immediately obliged to attend upon them, 
 let their internal state be what it will. The in- 
 internal qualification required in attendance on 
 sacraments, cannot be the ground or condition 
 of the command to attend upon them ; for God 
 requires and commands the qualification itself, 
 however destitute of it many may be. Surely he, 
 who has a right to command the qualification, 
 has a right to command immediately and abso- 
 lutely the performance of the duty itself, in which 
 such qualification is required, whether the per- 
 sons be possessed of it or not. Consequently, all 
 who share in the visible character, to which the 
 Sacraments, by appointment belong ; that is, all 
 visible Church- members, stand immediately 
 obliged to attend upon them, and that with the 
 qualification required whether they actually have 
 it or not. They stand obliged to this in the same 
 manner, as they do to any other duty of reli- 
 gion. Now the divine command in the case is 
 the rule, the only rule of their duty ; and if the 
 command extend to all visible church- members, 
 then it is an explicit rule which can be applied 
 with certainty. But upon this principle, viz. 
 
104 
 
 that the command to attend Sacraments is so li- 
 mited and qualified, as to exclude and prohibit 
 all visible Church-members who are unregene- 
 rate, it will be impossible to apply it with cer- 
 tainty in many cases ; for then, the rule of in- 
 terpretation must be some judgment of people's 
 internal states ; but none, whose judgment de- 
 serves any notice, allege that church officers can 
 judge in that case, for they know not the hearts 
 of others, and therefore many ministers do not re- 
 quire any account of their exercises from those 
 they admit ; but only a profession of hav ing, so 
 far as they know their own hearts, embraced Je- 
 sus Christ, and given themselves up to God, 
 upon which they are admitted. Now this pro- 
 fession is only a declaration of their opinion or 
 judgment of their exercises of heart, or internal 
 state. Consequently, the party's own judgment, 
 in this case, is the rule of interpreting and ap- 
 plying the Divine command ; and according to 
 this, they are to conduct themselves. In this de- 
 claration, they place that profession of true reli- 
 gion, or their being visibly the people of God, 
 which is required in order to their admission. 
 But surely, we have nothing made visible here, 
 but their judgment of themselves. Pray how- 
 does this render their profession of religion more 
 visible, than their acknowledging the doctrines 
 of the Gospel as divine truths, and manifesting 
 their influence, by a practice agreeable to them 2 
 Nothing does this, short of publicly transacting 
 a covenant with God in the way of his own ap- 
 pointment : that is, by partaking of the signs 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 105 
 
 and seals of his covenant. Such a judgment of 
 themselves would be as precarious a ground of 
 conduct to persons in coming to Sacraments, as 
 any judgment formed of them would be to 
 Church-officers in admitting them. For besides, 
 that many judge favourably of themselves with- 
 out sufficient ground to support it, and so mis- 
 take their case ; there are others, who, though 
 really the children of God, are in great suspense, 
 and cannot determine on which side the evi- 
 dence preponderates; while not a few, though 
 at seasons they have comfortable hopes, yet fre- 
 quently labour under distressing apprehensions 
 that they have nothing more than common grace. 
 Upon this footing, I think, persons, whodoubtof 
 their gracious state, could not with safety come 
 to sacraments at all. For though they are told 
 the Sacraments are appointed to strengthen weak 
 faith, and cherish weak grace : yet that is the 
 great matter in question, whether they have any 
 true grace. The most plausible thing that can 
 be said to them is, that if upon impartial self-ex- 
 amination, they find stronger ground of hope 
 than the contrary : they are to follow the strong- 
 est evidence. But here even to a child of God, 
 the ground of doubt may often seem strongest ; 
 and though at times he may have hopes, yet 
 perhaps, he more frequently suspects his hopes 
 to be false ; and in that case, he is told, he will con- 
 tract greater guilt by coming than by staying a- 
 way. How then shall he run so awful a risk^ 
 when he fears that unregeneracy is his sad condi- 
 tion? Hence probably, and in many ca^es certain- 
 k 2 
 
106 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AM) 
 
 ly the exercised Christianis kept off, while the se- 
 cure self-flattering sinner comes forward ; yea, 
 the doubting Christian cannot be certain, that the 
 command so limited and qualified as aforesaid, 
 includes him. 
 
 Arg. 4. If unregenerate visible Church- 
 members contract greater guilt by abstaining 
 from Sacraments than in coming to them, then 
 they ought not to abstain. But they do contract 
 greater guilt by abstaining, therefore they ought 
 not. 
 
 Here, to prevent mistakes, I would observe, 
 I mean coming in a conscientious manner, 
 otherwise, if persons should come to the Lord's 
 table merely to qualify for a civil post, or in 
 a profane manner, they would contract much 
 the greatest guilt in coming. This would be to 
 eat and drink unworthily with a witness, and to 
 be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord ; 
 but to return, 
 
 I suppose the major proposition will not be 
 denied by any. For if unregenerate visible 
 Church-members contract greater guilt by ab- 
 staining, which is the same thing as to say they 
 sin more ; then certainly in coming, from a con- 
 science of duty, attempting obedience to the di- 
 vine command, they are less sinful, and conse- 
 quently act more as they ought to do, than in 
 omitting it. The only thing, therefore, to be con- 
 firmed is the minor proposition, viz. 
 
 That such unregenerate sinners do sin more, 
 and contract greater guilt by abstaining. 
 
 Ireadilv grant, that by their unbelief in so so^ 
 
EXCUSE* IOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 107 
 
 lemn a transaction, which in its very nature so 
 specially requires faith in Christ ; they sin and 
 contract great and aggravated guilt. Their want 
 of grace renders them altogether unacceptable 
 to God, he disapproves them. The only ques- 
 tion is, whether in omitting, they do not sin 
 yet more, and God does not more highly disap- 
 prove them ? 
 
 Now, in order to decide on this question, let 
 it be considered, that it is not to be supposed 
 the blessed God, when he instituted these ordi- 
 nances, left men at liberty to neglect them. All 
 of the general character to which the Sacra- 
 ments are appointed, are obliged by their very 
 institution to observe them. But to suppose it to 
 be the will of God, that such as are unregene- 
 rate, though visible church-m«mbers, should 
 not approach to Sacraments under the notion of 
 being disqualified, is inconsistent with any pre- 
 sent obligation to attend upon them ; and that is 
 to suppose that the institution of ordinances 
 obliges only when men are suitably disposed to- 
 wards them ; their want of faith and other gra- 
 ces sets them free, so that their non-attendance 
 upon them adds nothing to their guilt; yea, in 
 that they obey God and act correctly, which is 
 an absurdity, that, I believe, will meet with but 
 small reception ; but if they are under a present 
 and continual obligation to attend upon the Sa- 
 craments by virtue of their authoritative insti- 
 tution, then not to attend upon them is disobe- 
 dience. In either case, a gracious heart is want- 
 ing; but in the omission of the external duty, 
 
108 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 another instance of disobedience is added; keep- 
 ing back the heart is, as it were, avowed, and 
 no attempt is made to yield it up. Surely to act 
 according to the light of conscience, impressed 
 with a sense of present obligation, must be less 
 sinful, and incur less guilt, than to go against the 
 dictates of conscience, and live in the neglect of 
 a known duty. Even when persons abstain, in 
 a sort conscientiously, from a reverence of the 
 ordinance, and consideration of their unfitness, 
 however that may extenuate the guilt of their 
 omission, yet such an error in judgment can- 
 not alter the nature of things, and take away all 
 addition to their guilt thereby, or render their 
 conduct innocent. 
 
 But to abstain from the Sacraments from a care- 
 less neglect o# religion, and unwillingness to 
 come under strict obligations to it, is sinning 
 with a high hand. It is to say with proud Pha- 
 raoh, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his 
 voice ? Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and 
 stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry * Surely 
 none will hesitate to determine, that a conscience 
 impressed with a sense of duty, and tenderly in- 
 fluencing to the performance thereof, is better, 
 and discovers a less degree of wickedness and 
 impiety, than such a contempt of. religion and 
 stubborn temper of mind. Thus, I think, the 
 minor proposition's confirmed, and therefore 
 the conclusion stands good. 
 
 Argument 5. That God should institute pub- 
 lic covenant signs and seals to be administered 
 i * ■ ■ ' - 
 
 • 1 Sam. xy. :3- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 109 
 
 in his church, on purpose to bring the whole 
 visible church, in the celebration of them, to en- 
 ter publickly into covenant with him ; and con- 
 sequently, require the whole visible church to 
 attend upon them, is perfectly agreeable to his 
 conduct towards the Jewish church in repeated 
 instances. — Notwithstanding their sacramental 
 covenanting in circumcision and the passover, 
 that nation was exceedingly prone to idolatry, 
 which they mingled with their worship of the 
 true God. Their temptation hereto arose from 
 the practice of the heathen nations round about 
 them. To prevent this, and in order to their 
 avouching the Lord more explicitly as the only 
 true God, and renunciation of idols, Moses, 
 Joshua, Nehemiah and Ezra, undoubtedly by 
 divine direction, led the whole people to a ver- 
 bal covenant-transaction, upon which I beg leave 
 to observe, 
 
 1. That a holy cleaving to God with all the 
 heart, a gracious closing in with, and consent- 
 ing to his covenant, was as really, and as much 
 required in these transactions, as in coming to 
 the Lord's table. In this view Joshua sets the 
 matter before the congregation of Israel. *And 
 Joshua said unto the people, ye cannot serve the 
 Jjord ; for he is a holy God* he is a jealous God, 
 he xvdl not forgive your transgressions, nor your 
 sins. If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange 
 gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and con- 
 sume you* after that he has done you good. As 
 if ne had said, consider the pure and holy cha- 
 
 • Josh. xxiv. 19, 20. 
 
110 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 racter of the great God with whom you have to 
 do. in a very solemn manner ; and consequent- 
 ly, the holiness of that service he demands of 
 you, and now requires your covenant engage- 
 ment to practise. It is no easy matter to approve 
 yourselves to him in this affair : and terrible will 
 be the consequence of turning aside from that 
 constant holy obedience he requires. In short, 
 he sets before them the requisitions of the great 
 God in that transaction, in the same solemn pun- 
 gent manner that ministers of the gospel are to 
 do in administering the Sacraments of the new 
 testament. — It is not holiness in a diminutive 
 sense that he requires ; it is the holiness of true 
 saints. Yet, 
 
 2. He requires all Israel to enter into this 
 covenant, and brings them under engagements 
 to this holiness, without standing to inquire 
 whether they are already regenerated or not.-*— 
 He does not admit them to this covenant-trans- 
 action from a judgment of their appearing to be 
 regenerate, upon a previous profession ; but 
 presses upon them then to choose the Lord for 
 their God, by an induction of facts, as so many 
 striking arguments to persuade them ; and their 
 yielding and actually consenting to the covenant 
 then proposed, was itself the profession of ho- 
 liness they made. It was by that they appeared 
 to be a holy people. — No doubt a number of 
 them were unregenerate ; but Joshua does not 
 consider that as an obstruction in the way. He 
 considers them as rightfully the Lord's; and 
 however depraved in consequence of their apos- 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. Ill 
 
 tacy, and the forfeiture they were under, yet he 
 justly requires them to be holy ; and upon this 
 principle, consistently commands their perform- 
 ance of all those external duties in which this 
 holiness is professed, and required to be ex- 
 ercised : and consequently, requires them pub- 
 licly to engage in a solemn covenant-trans- 
 action. — By a parity of reason, all this is still 
 required of all visible church-members, and 
 they are consistently required to make similar 
 engagements by the participation of the Sacra- 
 ments of the new testament. And in thus en- 
 tering into covenant, the visible church appears 
 as much, and as really now to be a holy people, 
 as Israel did then. It is as much the duty of 
 gospel ministers now to lead forward the whole 
 church to covenant-transactions with God, in the 
 solemn ordinances he has appointed for that very 
 purpose, as it was the duty of Moses and others 
 to bring the people of Israel to such verbal co- 
 venanting then, which imported the same pro- 
 fession, and as much required true holiness. 
 
 Argument 6. The steady attendance of all 
 regular members of the visible church upon the 
 Sacraments of the new testament, greatly tends 
 to promote, and give efficacy to the discipline 
 of the church ; and thereby one great end of 
 their institution will be obtained. Consequently, 
 it is the will of God that all such should attend 
 upon them. 
 
 I have already observed, that the very exis- 
 tence and efficacy of discipline depends upon 
 the Sacraments. The weight of censure upon 
 
112 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 the conscience of an offender arises from his 
 considering the enjoyment of Sacraments, and 
 standing among God's visible covenant-people 
 as a great privilege, which he would otherwise 
 have a right to, but now is cut off from, in con- 
 sequence of his own offensive conduct. — But if 
 he is taught, that as an unregenerate person he 
 would have no right to them, were he never so 
 regular, or externally religious ; and that it is 
 so far from being a privilege to him, that it 
 would exceedingly increase his guilt, should he 
 dare to approach ; then the argument is lost. 
 Upon that principle, he is not cut off from any 
 thing he had a right to, or had any thing to do 
 with. When a scandalous person is judicially 
 dealt with, and upon conviction, sentence is pro- 
 nounced, viz. that he is debarred from the Lord's 
 table ; what is done to him ? In consequence of 
 the instruction he had all along received, he had 
 no thoughts of asking admission. He observes 
 too, his very sober neighbour, who is not only 
 orthodox in his sentiments, but conscientiously 
 religious in his practice, stands off as unfit to 
 come : yea the officers of the church are not 
 free to admit him, because he apprehends after 
 all, he is. unregenerate. Is it then any blot upon 
 him to be in the same case with his reputable 
 neighbour ? Does the aforesaid sentence bring 
 any evil upon him, more than he would be un- 
 der without it ? 
 
 Upon this principle, that none but gracious 
 persons ought to approach, the Sacraments are 
 considered as designed to distinguish between 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 1 1 o 
 
 the regenerate and unregenenite members of the 
 visible church (which yet can never be done in 
 this state) rather than as public badges of dis- 
 tinction between the visibly holy and profane, 
 the church and the world. Hence not the vi- 
 cious only, but conscientious externally religious 
 persons, are kept off from communion with the 
 church. Now pray, to what class of mankind do 
 these belong? They cannot well be numbered 
 with the heathen, or the openly wicked ? They 
 some how belong to the church, yet are not es- 
 teemed proper members, and may not come to 
 Sacraments more than the heathen ; how then 
 can the Sacraments make distinction between 
 the church and the world ?■»— What does it sig- 
 nify to an obstinate offender, who will not hear 
 the church, though you esteem him as a heathen 
 man and a publican, while he sees so many of 
 his apparently religious neighbours, upon the 
 matter, in the same case ? thus discipline is de- 
 preciated and weakened. But surely this is not 
 according to the will of God ; but rather that 
 conduct of visible church members, which will 
 maintain and support discipline. 
 
 These arguments, I think, abundantly con- 
 firm the truth of what 1 am maintaining, viz. 
 that all who are convinced of the truth of the 
 Christian religion, and the obligation of its du- 
 ties, are immediately bound to join themselves 
 to the Lord and his church ; and all baptized 
 persons, who have arrived to a competent ca- 
 pacity, are bound to come to the Lord's table. — 
 
11-4 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 I shall conclude the whole with a few general 
 observations. 
 
 Observation 1. From what has been said we 
 observe, upon what footing the visible church 
 is called a holy, a special people to the Lord.* — 
 A holy nation^ — Holiness to the Lord.% — 
 Saints \ — And very commonly the Lord's peo- 
 ple. It is from the covenant-transactions which 
 have passed between God and them, whereby 
 they stand related to him, and dedicated to his 
 service for the purposes of holiness : and not 
 from any previous appearance of holiness as the 
 ground of their admission thereto. — Whatever 
 awakenings, humiliations, or affections may be 
 effected by the word amongst sinners, it is ne- 
 ver to purpose, until they reject sin, and cleave 
 to God by covenant. And therefore, nothing 
 short of public covenanting is a visible sign of 
 holiness, as before observed. From the solem- 
 nity of such transactions in their very nature, 
 and the affecting arguments and considerations 
 usually urged on such occasions, persons are 
 commonly excited to much seriousness, which 
 exhibits a more striking appearance of holiness, 
 than on any other occasion. — Hence saith the 
 Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy 
 uoutlu and the love of thine espousals, when thou 
 wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that 
 was not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord. [| 
 
 Obs. 2. We may hence observe with what 
 propriety the sacred scriptures require of all 
 
 * Deut- vii. 6. f Excel, xix. 6. \ Jer. ii. 2, 3. $ Psal. 
 
 Ixxix. 2- Ixxxix. 5. 7. II Jer. iL 2, 3. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NKGLFCTING, CONSIDERED. 11 j 
 
 who have been entered as members of the visi- 
 ble church by circumcision of old. or baptism 
 now, that they live to God in the exercise of 
 universal holiness of heart and life ; and urge it 
 by all the arguments belonging to the character 
 of God's children : such as that he is their God ; 
 they are his people; the redemption of Christ; 
 the rich grace and love of God ; and the glories 
 of heaven. — The great God addresses them in 
 his word, not according to his knowledge of 
 their real internal state as the searcher of hearts, 
 but according to their external character and 
 visible appearance, and the obligations they are 
 brought under. Hence their sins are highly ag- 
 gravated, and deeply resented as a contradiction 
 to their public character ; and so reflecting great 
 dishonour upon the name and ways of God.* 
 For he said, surely they are my people, chil- 
 dren that will not lie, so he was their 
 Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, 
 and the Angel of his presence saved them : in his 
 love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he 
 bare them, and carried them all the days of -phi. 
 But they rebelled and vexed his holy . pi- 
 rit : therefore he was turned to be their ene- 
 my, and lie foucht against them. It is resent- 
 ed as exceedingly offensive, that Israel walked 
 in the statutes of the heathen ; and aggravated 
 from this circumstance, that it was against the 
 Lord their God :f and that hereby they re- 
 jected his statutes and his covenant. 
 
 Obs. 3. We may see from what has been 
 
 Isa. Ixiii. 8, 9, 10. t 2 Kings xvii. 8, 9. 15. 
 
116 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 said, the propriety and necessity there is that 
 the ministers of Christ should, in the dispensa- 
 tion of God's word, distinguish characters, and 
 address them to the consciences of men. For 
 though their public character is that of saints, 
 God's children, &c. and accordingly all the ho- 
 liness of saints is demanded of them ; yet the 
 word of God assures us there are hypocrites in 
 Zion, branches in Christ which are withered, 
 foolish virgins amongst the wise, and tares grow- 
 ing among the wheat, in the best state of the 
 church here below. Though the ministers of 
 the Gospel cannot distinguish these, personally, 
 from true saints, yet they can distinguish the 
 characters which describe the one and the other^ 
 v, hereby the consciences of men may be ena- 
 bled to discern their own proper character. It 
 is one thing to be visibly a child of Abraham, 
 und another to walk in the saving faith of Abra- 
 ham. One thing to be a visible saint, another to 
 be really one in the sight of the heart-searching 
 God. Therefore, professors had need to look 
 well to themselves ; and examine, and know 
 themselves whether they be in the faith, and 
 Christ be in them. And not rest in this, that 
 they have Abraham to their father. Hence John 
 the Baptist dealt in so solemn and awakening 
 a manner with those he baptized.* In like man- 
 ner, let every Gospel minister acquit himself. 
 Amen. 
 
 • Matt. in. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 117 
 
 * CASE OF CONSCIENCE. 
 
 Should not a person, who is not comfortably 
 persuaded of his being a real Christian, abstain 
 from the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, lest he 
 should eat and drink damnation to himself? — 
 And, what method must that person take to satis- 
 fy a church of Christ of his being a real Chris- 
 tian, who cannot relate any particular experience 
 of the dealings of God with his soul. 
 
 These questions are of great importance, and 
 therefore deserve a distinct consideration. They 
 were occasioned by two letters sent to me, 
 one of which is as follows, viz. 
 
 " Reverend sir, 
 u I Should be glad you would resolve the fol- 
 " lowing case, on the Wednesday night, as soon 
 <' as opportunity will permit. — A person has 
 4 * seme hopes he has experienced a real saving 
 ^ change, and is therefore desirous of waiting 
 " upon Christ at his table ; but is greatly dis- 
 **' couraged, from a view of what the apostle 
 says upon this subject. j* This passage has 
 occasioned the following thoughts, viz.* If he 
 has really experienced a saving change, he shall 
 4; be saved, whether he is a partaker of this ordi- 
 " nance or not : but, on the other hand, if he 
 " should be deceived with regard to the state of 
 M his soul, he then must eat and drink damnation 
 ** to himself, and so be excluded from even any 
 ** future hopes of being saved at all. What 
 
 • FrosTi P.ke and Hayward's Cases of Consciencj. 
 f 1 Cor. xi. 27—29. 
 
 i 2 
 
 << 
 
118 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 " therefore must he do in these circumstau- 
 " ces V 
 
 This short letter expresses the sentiments of 
 many a Christian. The person who wrote it, is 
 desirous of attending the ordinance of the Lord's 
 Supper, but is not satisfied that he is a child of 
 God, and is therefore afraid of eating and drink- 
 ing damnation to himself. The word damnation 
 fills him with a peculiar awe, and sets his soul a 
 trembling — " Is this the consequence ? says he. 
 Oh ! what shall I do ? How must I act ? "Must 
 I attend in these circumstances, when I know 
 not but my soul may be ruined for ever ? Is it 
 not rather my duty toabatain from the ordinance, 
 as it is not absolutely necessary to my salvation ? 
 Here are two things that present themselves be- 
 fore me. (1.) I may be saved, and yet not at- 
 tend at the Lord's Table. (2.) I am not such 
 but on attending I may eat and drink damnation 
 to myself. What therefore must I do ?" — Thus 
 we see the difficulty this person is under : to 
 endeavour to remove which, and to quicken all 
 that love our Lord Jesus Christ to the cheerful 
 discharge of their duty, I would, 
 
 1. Inquire whether a person may not satisfy 
 himself in abstaining from the Lord's Supper be- 
 cause it is not a saving ordinance ? This is 
 too often pleaded as an excuse by those who 
 come not to the table : but it will appear weak, 
 as well as ungrateful, if we consider these twd 
 things — 
 
 1. Though the Lord's Supper is not a saving, 
 jet it is an useful ordinenct. A person may be 
 
excuses ron neglecting, considered. 119 
 
 saved, who never appeared at the Lord's Tabic. 
 This consideration should be an encouragement 
 to those, who are deprived by the providence of 
 God of the opportunity : but it should be no 
 encouragement to negligence, when we are call- 
 ed to attend. If it is not necessary to the being 
 of a Christian, it is to his well being. Some 
 make a Saviour of it : they are never easy, till 
 they have had this ordinance administered unto 
 them : as if the bare receiving it was sufficient 
 to wipe away every sin, and to entitle a person 
 at once to the salvation of Christ. Others slight 
 and neglect it. How happy to be kept from these 
 two extremes ! This ordinance was not designed 
 to be a standing means of awakening and con- 
 verting sinners, but it was of carrying on the 
 work of grace in the heart, and of training up 
 the soul for heaven. Particularly, it is designed 
 to give us a greater hatred of sin, and fill our 
 souls with a deeper humiliation for it. And this 
 it does, as it exhibits all the riches of a Redee- 
 mer's love, all the gjories of his cross. A view 
 of these, under the influences of the Spirit, pow- 
 erfully, though sweetly, works upon an ingenu- 
 ous mind, and comes with an energy that no- 
 thing can withstand. — " Oh, says the Christian, 
 ihe hatefulness of sin ! Canst thou love it, O my 
 soul ? Canst thou fondly embrace and pursue 
 it ? O melt, melt, my hard heart ! Why dost 
 thou not move to see thy pierced Saviour, a Sa- 
 viour pierced for thee, pierced by thee ? Dost 
 thou not rise with resentment against the cruel 
 and obstinate Jews, who thus put the Son of 
 
120 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 God to a painful and ignominious death ? Bui 
 oh, stop thy resentment against them, and look 
 at home ! Thy sins, O my soul, were the mur- 
 derers of thy Lord ! These were the nails that 
 fastened him to the accursed tree. These the 
 spears that wounded his side, that covered his bo- 
 dy with a bloody sweat, and prepared the bitter 
 cup he drank ! O weep, mourn, O my soul ! Be 
 ever humble under a sense of sin, and dishonour 
 not that Jesus, who loved thee, and gave him- 
 self for thee ?" 
 
 Again, This ordinance tends to enliven and 
 strengthen our graces, and bring us to a greater^ 
 conformity to God. When we are sitting and 
 viewing the matchless love of Christ, it tends to- 
 fasten the deepest convictions of our obligations' 
 to him upon our minds, and to increase our love 
 to him. It tends to strengthen our faith in him, 
 under a sense of our guilt and unworthiness, to 
 reconcile us to every difficulty, to quicken us 
 when slothful, to restore us when wandering,, 
 to wean our affections from earthly things and 
 carry on the work of God in the soul. " Oh, 
 says the Christian, see what love ! And shall I 
 loiter thus? Shall I be so cold to Jesus ? Oh,. 
 why does not the fire burn within me? why so 
 slothful? Up, O my soul! and let thy Redee- 
 mer's glory be ever thy concern, as thy everlast- 
 ing salvation was his." 
 
 Again, This ordinance tends greatly to pro- 
 mote our spiritual comfort. Here, behold a Fa- 
 ther's love ! He parts with his only begotten Son,. 
 and delivers him up to an accursed death for us I 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 121 
 
 Here, see the Saviour's heart how much it is set 
 upon our salvation ! View here the virtue, the 
 glory of an infinitely atoning sacrifice ! See jus- 
 tice sheathing its awful sword, death and hell 
 vanquished, the uttermost farthing paid, and all 
 the blessings of salvation fully purchased ! 
 Oh, here behold a righteousness provided, 
 the promises confirmed, and grace and glory 
 both secured to every chosen vessel ! How 
 animating, how comforting such a view ! — " Oh 
 how glorious says the Christian. See, O my 
 soul, thy Saviour's love ! And wilt thou any- 
 more distrust him ! View the triumphs of the 
 cross ! And wilt thou any longer be afraid ? Olt 
 what a foundation is here laid for a strong faith 
 and a lively hope ! 
 
 Again, This ordinance tends to increase our 
 love to one another. It is a cementing ordinance. 
 It cannot but raise in us a mutual affection, 
 whilst we view each other as purchased by the 
 same blood, members of the same body, and 
 children of the same family. — Thus then, though 
 it may not be absolutely necessary to our salva- 
 tion to wait upon Christ at his table, yet it is ne- 
 cessary to our growth in grace, our greater 
 comfort here, ana fitness for a better world ; and 
 therefore it is our duty and privilege to appear 
 amongst his people there. But, 
 
 Christ himself instituted this ordinance, and in- 
 vites his followers to wait upon him here. What 
 our Lord said to his disciples, he s iys also to us 
 in this distant age, * Do this in remembrance of 
 
 * 1 Cor.ii.24, 
 
i22 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 me. And where is the expression of our love r 
 where our gratitude, if we refuse to obey ? — 
 " Oh says the soul, has my Redeemer com- 
 manded those that love him to wait upon him 
 here ? This commands enough for me : I can- 
 not but obey. Who can resist his love ? Who 
 can hear the compassionate Jesus., who came 
 and suffered death ; who can hear him inviting 
 his dear followers to his table, and say, I will 
 not come, for I may be saved without it? How 
 disingenuous is this !" — What, has he, who lov- 
 ed us so as to give himself for us, called us ? 
 And will ye not obey his call, because you may 
 get safe to a better world, and yet never attend 
 at this ordinance ? Where is your concern to 
 honour your Redeemer ? — These hints, I hope, 
 are sufficient to shew the weakness of this ar- 
 gument, the Christian is so ready to make use 
 of for his neglect of this institution, and to stir 
 him up to a diligent and cheerful discharge of 
 his duty, that he may glorify his once dead, 
 but now exalted Saviour, and gain some sa- 
 ving advantage to his own soul. I now pro- 
 ceed, 
 
 11. To consider the other objection which our 
 friend makes to his waiting upon Christ in this 
 ordinance, viz. a fear lest he should eat and drink 
 damnation to himself This objection seems to 
 lie in your mind, my dear Christian friend, thus 
 — " If I should eat and drink unworthily, 1 shall 
 eat and drink damnation to myself; and I am 
 not sure that this will not be the case : there- 
 fore shall I attend, when the consequences may 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 125 
 
 be so awful ? Oh, that word damnation, it strikes 
 me with a peculiar terror !" — Thus the greatest 
 stress appears to be laid upon this alarming 
 word. If then I can set this circumstance in such 
 a light, as to remove these distressing fears, I 
 hope the case will be in some measure resolved. 
 That this may be done, I would consider, what 
 that unworthy eating and drinking is, which is 
 brought in as the cause of this damnation, and 
 then the damnation itself. 
 
 First, Let us inquire what it is to eat and drink 
 unworthily. He that does so, attends upon this 
 ordinance in a manner and with ends and views 
 different from those for which it was appointed, 
 This was the case with the Corinthians. * They 
 had not the glory of Christ in view, when they 
 met together to administer this ordinance. They 
 fell into contentions and confusions, so that 
 there could not be that harmony, which was ne- 
 cessary to be found in a church sitting down to- 
 gether at the Lord^s table. They came not to 
 view the body and blood of Christ, or to remem- 
 ber his matchless love, but to satisfy their crav- 
 ing appetites, and refresh animal nature ; and 
 they were so disorderly, that some even ate and 
 drank to an excess, whilst others had not enough 
 to satisfy their hunger. Thus we see what it is 
 to eat and drink unworthily, Viz. when we at- 
 tend in an irreverent, disorderly, and carnal 
 manner, and for ends different from those for 
 which the ordinance was appointed by our 
 
 * 1 Cor. xi. 18— 22. 
 
124 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 Lord ; when we prostitute it to some earthly 
 purposes, and have no regard to the frame of soul 
 in which we attend, or to the great ends to be 
 answered by it. 
 
 Secondly, Let us now consider what this dam- 
 nation is. And, 
 
 1. Taking the word in the most awful sense, as 
 signifying eternal condemnation, it should not de- 
 ter us from waiting upon Christ in this ordinance. 
 In this case it does not signify, that there is no 
 forgiveness after an unworthy receiving. Many 
 have sat down at the table of the Lord, who 
 were enemies to him, and yet have afterwards 
 been the triumph of sovereign grace. Thus, ye 
 timorous souls, who are so often distressed with 
 a view of this awful word, and entertain from 
 hence such solemn thoughts of this ordinance^ 
 see, here is nothing to affright you from this, a- 
 ny more than from any other sacred institution. 
 You may as well not read, hear, or pray ; be- 
 cause, if these are not the means of your salva- 
 tion, the consequence will be your damnation. 
 Doubtless, all the ordinances the impenitent sin- 
 ner has attended upon, will appear against him, 
 and increase his misery in the infernal regions. 
 But this should not drive us from the house of 
 God, but fill us with a serious concern that our 
 waiting upon God may be effectual to bring our 
 souls to Jesus Christ. But, 
 
 2. The word damnation is to be taken in a sof- 
 ter sense. As, 
 
 (1.) It signifies temporal judgments or afflio* 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. i : 2.) 
 
 tions* Thus the apostle explains it, when he 
 adds in the next verse, For this cause many are 
 weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. As 
 if he had said, As you come to the table of the 
 Lord in so disorderly a manner, and have per- 
 verted the end and design of this ordinance ; so 
 God has manifested his displeasure, by laying 
 his hand upon you, insomuch that many of you 
 are in an unhealthy, feeble, and sickly condition, 
 and many have been removed out of time into 
 eternity. Thus this word damnation carries no- 
 thing frightful in it. 
 
 (2.) It signifies hete such afflictions as are a 
 means of our spiritual good. Thus says the apos- 
 tle, ver. 32. But when we are judged, we are 
 chastened of the Lord that we may not be con- 
 demned with the world, — That is when we are 
 thus under outward afflictions, we are mercifully 
 chastened and gently corrected of God, that we 
 may not continue prostituting his sacred ordi- 
 nances to the vilest purposes, and so be con- 
 demned with the world ; but that we may be 
 convinced, humbled, and reclaimed. Thus these 
 considerations take every frightful idea from the 
 mind, respecting this formidable word, and conse- 
 quently tend to remove those distresses and dis- 
 couragements occasioned by it. 
 
 Some perhaps may say, This is encouraging 
 indeed ! You say, a person's unworthy receiving 
 does not expose him to eternal damnation, but 
 only brings upon him a few temporal afflictions, 
 
 * Luke xxiii. 40. chap. xxiv. 20. 1 Pet. iv. 17. 
 
 M 
 
126 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 which are in reality blessings : so that by this 
 you give encouragement to persons to come 
 and trifle with this sacred ordinance. — God for- 
 bid, that I should have such a view as this ! 
 This, I am certain, is far from being the con- 
 clusion a reai Christian will draw from what has 
 been said. To do evil, that good may come, is 
 not the character of a true follower of Jesus. 
 Because God only gently chastises and corrects 
 our negligence and slothfulness, and makes these 
 corrections a means of our spiritual good, shall 
 we therefore rush boldly upon this ordinance ? 
 No. What has been said only tends to remove 
 the distressing fears of the Christian about the 
 word damnation, and to encourage him to come 
 to the table of his Lord; and does not promote 
 a carelessness of spirit, nor will have this in- 
 fluence upon a mind under the power of gos- 
 pel truths. 
 
 Come then, ye fearful souls, who start at the 
 mention of this ordinance. Do you not love Je- 
 sus ? Have you not made choice of him as your 
 Saviour ? Would you not love him more, and 
 be brought into a greater conformity to him ? 
 You are the very persons Christ invites. Would 
 you prostitute this ordinance to any vile earthly 
 purpose ? would you eat and drink in a disor- 
 derly and indecent manner ? No. You would 
 come to remember the love of a dying Redee- 
 mer, and to view all that is here exhibited : *you 
 would come to be quickened, to behold a suf- 
 fering Saviour, to admire the riches of distin- 
 guishing grace in the sacrifice of the Son of God: 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 127 
 
 but you are afraid you are unworthy, and unfit 
 to make such an approach to God, and be 
 indulged with such a privilege. If it be thus with 
 you, do not be discouraged. Venture near your 
 Redeemer. Come humbly to view your expi- 
 ring Lord, and to plead and rest upon his ato- 
 ning sacrifice, and you will be far from eating 
 and drinking damnation to yourselves . If you 
 were to come for some selfish ends, as the way 
 to worldly advancement or profit, and to pay no 
 regard to the body and blood of a Saviour, you 
 might have reason to conclude you were unwor- 
 thy receivers. But, if you have a humble sense 
 of your sinfulness, if you desire to come looking 
 to Jesus, that you may be strengthened, sancti- 
 fied,, and quickened \ you need not be afraid, 
 but came with liberty and cheerfulness. He that 
 has invited you, will make you welcome, and 
 carry on his work in you by all the ordinances he 
 has appointed. 
 
 Thus I have endeavoured to answer the first 
 question. 
 
 Since I received this, the second question 
 was sent me, which I thought not improper to 
 add here. " A person looks upon it as his duty 
 to wait upon Christ in this ordinance : but the 
 church with whom he would walk, require him 
 to give an account of the dealings of God with 
 his soul. As he cannot relate any particular ex- 
 perience of this, so he wants to know what he 
 must do in this difficulty." 
 
 This, you see, is a general question, and 
 leaves us at a loss to know wherein the particu- 
 
! 
 
 128 
 
 lar difficulty of this person lies. I shall there- 
 fore endeavour to state in it two or three differ- 
 ent views, and then shew what a person must 
 do to satisfy a church in such circumstances. 
 
 You are desirous of waiting upon Christ in 
 all the ordinances of his house ; but you cannot 
 relate any experience of God's dealings with 
 you, so as to give the church satisfaction in ad- 
 mitting you to the enjoyment of such a privi- 
 lege. Perhaps you mean by this that you can- 
 not relate the particular time and circumstances 
 of your conversion. This was the case with many 
 of those happy souls, who are now standing be- 
 fore the throne of God ; and I doubt not, but it 
 is thus with many of those of whom the churches 
 of Christ are composed here. Some God sanc- 
 tifies from the womb : in others, the change, 
 though effectually made, yet is done impercep- 
 tibly. To inquire of such an account of their 
 conversion, or to refuse them because they are 
 incapable of giving it, is what no church of 
 Christ has a right to do, and therefore should be 
 no cause of stumbling to you. 
 
 Again, Perhaps you have had no extraordi- 
 nary remarkable circumstances, in the course of 
 your experience to relate to the church ; and this 
 may therefore involve you in some difficulty. 
 God does not deal with all his people in the 
 same way. Some are led smoothly and silently 
 on from step to step. They are savingly en- 
 lightened, and brought to Jesus, are carried on 
 through the divine life, and get safe to glory, 
 without any noise or any thing very remarkable 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 129 
 
 in their experience. They appear to be almost 
 always the same, and yet go on from strength 
 to strength. This may be your case, my friend. 
 Others can give an account of great distresses, 
 great consolations and enjoyments, great melt- 
 ings of soul in ordinances and duties, Esfc. And 
 because you cannot do the same, you are afraid 
 you have no real experience of renewing grace. 
 You have but very little to say, and that to no 
 purpose, in your own apprehensions. But con- 
 sider, those accounts are not always genuine, 
 that appear to be the most striking ; nor do 
 those always turn out eminent Christians, who 
 are so long and so circumstantial in their decla- 
 rations. — But your question returns— What must 
 you do in your present case ? 
 
 1. If you cannot remember the time and cir- 
 cumstances of your conversion, and how the work 
 has been carried on, inquire into the evidences 
 you can give of a change, and relate them to the 
 church. You know, my friend, whether you 
 have made a practice of sinning or not ; whether 
 sin has been the object of your delight. If this 
 has been the case, you have no experience of 
 the grace of God. But, if you hope it has been 
 your concern to hate sin, to have your corrup- 
 tions subdued, and to have your heart cleansed 
 from those secret evils, which have appeared 
 detestable to you, and have caused you daily 
 to mourn before God ; if you have striven and 
 prayed against them, and longed for deliverance 
 from them ; you have a comfortable evidence of 
 your being a Christian indeed. 
 m 2 
 
130 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AXf; 
 
 Again, Have you been diligent m the use of 
 those means God has appointed? And what are 
 your -views herein ? Is it to atone for sins yon 
 have committed, to estabHsh a righteousness to 
 justify you before God, or to answer some sel- 
 fish purposes ? You have then no reason to con- 
 clude that you are a Christian. But, if it has 
 been out of obedience to the command of God, 
 to meet with him, to feel the quickening, sanc- 
 tifying influences of the Spirit, and to be fitted 
 more for heaven, this is another evidence of your 
 having received the grace of God. 
 
 Again, Is Christ precious to you ? Have you 
 committed your soul, so far as you know your- 
 self, into his hands ? Do you see a suitableness 
 in all his characters ? In fine, is he your all and 
 in all ? Never say then that you have no saving 
 experience ; for what is this ? — Go, my friend, 
 and tell the church, that though you are not able 
 to fill up a sheet with a long detail of remarka- 
 ble circumstances, yet you hope you see your- 
 self guilty? you hate sin, have fled for refuge to 
 Jesus the Mediator, and have left your soul with 
 him ; that he is precious to you, you have taken 
 him for your Lord, your portion, your all, and 
 desire to bear his image, and to live to his glo- 
 ry. Is not this enough to give satisfaction ? — 
 liut perhaps you cannot positively say this is the 
 case with you. You are under great fears, lest 
 vour heart should deceive you. — Declare your 
 feats then, as well as your hopes? and leave your 
 rase to the decision of the church, praying that 
 they may be guided in their dutv towards vou. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 131 
 
 2. Examine the present frame of your soul 
 tvith a regard to this ordinance. You say, you 
 have no account to give of God's dealings with 
 you, and yet you are convinced that it is your 
 duty to wait upon Christ at his table. Now, if 
 you have no real experience of the grace of God, 
 you have no proper claim to this privilege. I 
 would ask you therefore, and would beg you to 
 ask yourself, whence is it that you are satisfied 
 that it is your duty ? A due examination of this 
 will, in some measure, lay before you the ends 
 you have in view in desiring to attend this so- 
 lemn institution, and be a means of furnishing 
 you with something to say to the church to di- 
 rect them as to your admission amongst them. 
 Do you apprehend then it is the duty of every 
 common professor, and therefore yours, to ap- 
 pear at the Lord's table. If this is all we have 
 to say, we are guided by a blind and ignorant 
 zeal. But further are you desirous of coming to 
 this ordinance, as you will be hereby more pe- 
 culiarly entitled to the divine favour, or that it 
 will gain you reputation amongst those you con- 
 verse with *? This shews you how much you 
 are acquainted with the nature of the ordinance, 
 and the gospel method of salvation, and that it 
 is far from being your duty to attend. I would 
 hope better things of you, my friend. But 
 whence is it then that you see it your duty ? 
 Have you any reason to hope that you have 
 given up yourself to Jesus Christ, and do you 
 see your presence at the table necessary to tes- 
 tify your love publicly to him ? Do you look 
 
132 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 upon it as useful to quicken, strengthen, and 
 comfort the soul ? Do you see any excellency 
 in it, as being peculiarly adapted, and made ef- 
 fectual by the Spirit, to crucify our lusts and 
 corruptions, to enliven our graces, to kindle a 
 fire of love to Jesus, and help to keep alive a 
 sense of our obligations to him ? In fine, do you 
 desire to come here, that you may view a cru- 
 cified Saviour, feel the influences of his love 
 more on your heart, and be engaged to a more 
 lively obedience? Do you desire to come as a 
 miserable, guilty, naked creature to Christ, as 
 exhibited in this ordinance, to plead his sacri- 
 fice, and to lie at the foot of his cross mourning 
 for your sins? These are views suitable to this 
 institution, shew that you are a Christian indeed, 
 that you have a real experience, and that you 
 have a right to all the privileges of God's house* 
 To sum up all, if this be the case with you, God 
 has been manifesting himself to your soul, as 
 he does not to the world, and you have reason 
 to be abundantly satisfied. Go, then, and tell the 
 church what you have seen, what you have felt, 
 what is your present frame, what the foundation 
 of your hopes, and what you trust your desires, 
 your ends and views are ; and all this, I doubt 
 not, will appear to them as a sufficient evidence 
 of a work of grace in your heart, and therefore 
 of your right to all the ordinances God has 
 appointed. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 133 
 
 A dialogue* between a weak believer that dares 
 not come to, and a strong believer that dares 
 not absent himself from the Lord's Supper. 
 
 Strong Believer. MY friend I am glad to 
 meet with you. I rejoice in your health, and 
 in the mercy vouchsafed to us both, that we 
 have one Lord's day more to wait upon our 
 God. 
 
 JFeak Believer. I may account it a mercy 
 indeed, who have been so dull and dead, so out 
 of frame all the week long, and yet so uncertain 
 what the state of my soul is. But I pray you, 
 where are you going so cheerfully \ 
 
 S. I am going to a feast. 
 
 W. Do you spend holy time in feasting t 
 
 S. Yes, in such feasting as I am going to. 
 
 W. What feast do you mean ? 
 
 S. A feast of fat things, a feast of wines on 
 the lees, fat things, full of marrow, of wines on 
 the lees, well refined. 
 
 \V. Who invites you to this feast, of which 
 you speak such great things ? 
 
 S. God himself makes the feast, and invites 
 me to it : our Father makes a banquet for his 
 children. 
 
 W. If God call you to a feast, the provisions 
 surely are according to the state of so great a 
 King r 
 
 S. Wisdom hath killed her beasts, she hath 
 mingled her wine, she hath furnished her table, 
 the oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things 
 
 * From a Treatise on the Lord's Supper by Thomas Doolittle, but 
 somewhat modernized for the present purpose. 
 
134 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 are ready : there is milk for the weak, and wine 
 for the strong, and sorrowful of heart. There is 
 bread for the hungry, water for the thirsty, and 
 every thing that is necessary or delightful. In- 
 deed it is the body and blood of Christ, who is 
 the matter and Master of this feast. 
 
 W. You mean, 1 perceive, the Lord's Sup- 
 per ; and I have heard indeed of some, that great 
 and precious things are there prepared - ? 
 
 S. Yes, there are, and I feel my heart burn 
 within me, while I am speaking of them, and 
 the love of him that hath prepared them, and 
 called me unto them. 
 
 W. Surely you will be much delighted when 
 you are there, since your heart is thus raised as 
 you are going to it ? 
 
 S. Raised through the mercy of ray God, at 
 this time it is, but sometimes it is not so ; yet 
 when without a sense of the love of God, I 
 would not dare to absent myself from this holy 
 supper ; for even then I endeavour to keep a sense 
 of my duty towards him, and of my wants, to 
 fetch supplies from him by this and other means, 
 appointed in his word. 
 
 W. Whether therefore you have the light of 
 God's countenance or no, you refrain not from 
 partaking of the Supper of the Lord ? 
 
 S. Though I have no comfort, I would do 
 my duty. Then my soul longs, thirsts, and ex- 
 ceedingly desires, that through the mercy of my 
 God, and merits of my Saviour, I may taste of 
 these provisions, and feed emblematically upon 
 my Lord Redeemer, whose flesh is meat indeed, 
 and whose blood is drink indeed. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 13J 
 
 W. But I pray you, what are these provi- 
 sions that are thus prepared ; and do thus affect 
 your heart ? 
 
 S. They are to him who partakes with faith, 
 rich and costly provisions ; they are free, suita- 
 ble, plentiful, sufficient, soul-nourishing, heart- 
 cherishing provisions. 
 
 W. Will you not particularize some of these 
 provisions for my better information ? 
 
 S. My soul rejoiceth within me. 
 
 W. Alas, how dull am I while he is thus af- 
 fected ! 
 
 S. My soul rejoiceth within me, while I am 
 calling them up by recollection. 
 
 \V . What are they ? 
 
 S. What ? Christ and all his privileges are 
 ready to be exhibited, and sealed to my soul 
 this day. 
 
 W. What privileges ? 
 
 S. Peace with God, pardon of sin, justifying 
 righteousness, peace of conscience, joy in the 
 Holy Ghost, grace to persevere to the end of 
 life, and at the end eternal happiness. 
 
 W. Show me the suitableness of these pro- 
 visions to your soul ? 
 
 S. A Saviour is suitable to a lost sinner : par- 
 don to a guilty sinner; peace with God to a sin- 
 ner that was an enemy to God ; peace of con- 
 science to a sinner under apprehensions of God's 
 wrath; justification to a condemned sinner; 
 cleansing blood to a polluted sinner ; comfort 
 to a dejected sinner ; these, these are the pro- 
 visions which are set upon my Father's table. 
 
136 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 W. These are great and excellent things in- 
 deed, but who are the guests invited to this 
 feast ? For whom are these provisions made ? 
 
 S. For those that are burdened with sin, 
 and forsake it : for those that hunger and 
 thirst after righteousness ; for the children of 
 God ; for the friends and followers of Christ ; 
 for those that are willing to receive him in all 
 his offices. 
 
 W. But are the poor, and those that have no 
 money, invited unto this feast ? 
 
 S. Yes, yes, the poor in purse might be wel- 
 come, and the poor in spirit shall be welcome : 
 God loves to see his table filled with those that 
 are sensible of their wants and sins, and those 
 he will satisfy abundantly with the fulness of his 
 house, and cause them to drink of the rivers of 
 his pleasures, when the full self-righteous pha- 
 risee shall be sent empty away. 
 
 W. This revives my heart, if you can make 
 it good. 
 
 S. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, 
 and therefore you may not doubt thereof. He is 
 most earnest with the hungry and thirsty to 
 come, * Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye 
 to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come 
 ye, buy and eat : yea, come, buy wine and milk 
 without money, and without price. And the 
 Son calleth such, f In the last day, that great 
 day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 
 If any man thirst, let him come unto me and 
 - » i » ... 
 
 • Isa.lv. 1. f John vii. 37. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. I3f 
 
 drink. And the Spirit calleth such. * " And the 
 M Spirit and the Bride say come; and let him thai 
 u hearcth, say, come ; and let him that is a- thirst; 
 M come ; and whosoever will let him drink of the 
 u water of life freely." And the ministers of God 
 are sent to call such, f i6 The master of the house 
 " said to his servants, Go out quickly into the 
 " streets and lanes of the city, and bringin hither 
 " the poor, and the maimed, and the halt and the 
 blind." " Andthe Lord said untohis servants. Go 
 *• out into the highways," (where the poor men are 
 wont to beg) " and hedges," (where poor men 
 are wont to work) " and compel them to come in, 
 H that my house may be filled." 
 
 W. And do these scriptures encourage you 
 to frequent this ordinance ? 
 
 S. Yes : And because the same God that 
 commandeth me to pray, commands me to re- 
 ceive, and hath given me hopes, that I shall be 
 partaker of the benefits thereof, I am bound to 
 wait upon the Lord therein. 
 
 W. What do you hope to be partaker of, by 
 going to this ordinance ? 
 
 8. I hope to have my heart enflamed with 
 love to God, and desires after Christ, to have 
 my Saviour more endeared to my soul, my heart 
 softened, my sins subdued, my faith strengthen- 
 ed, my evidences cleared, and my soul assured 
 of eternal life. 
 
 W . What reason have you to hope that you 
 
 * Rev. x.v.i. 17. | Luke xtv. V 
 
 N 
 
138 
 
 shall have these advantages by going to the 
 Lord's Supper ? 
 
 S. Not for any worth in me ; but God is pleas- 
 ed to .give those things freely for the sake of 
 Christ, to those that in obedience to his com- 
 mand, in a right manner, and for a right end, do 
 make conscience of this duty. 
 
 W. What course have you taken beforehand* 
 that you have such hopes of such benefits by this 
 ordinance ? 
 
 S. I do not wish to declare what my secret 
 duties are, but if it might be for your edifica- 
 tion, or instruction I shall not be unwilling to 
 acquaint you. 
 
 W.. do, I pray you for I stand in need of 
 help, from others more experienced in holy du- 
 ties? 
 
 S. I cannot say, lam more experienced; but 
 ihis I did, I seriously searched my heart to find 
 die truth of grace, my interest in Christ, my 
 light unto this ordinance ; to find out my sins, 
 and have renewed my repentance for them, my 
 wants, and have begged of God, as earnestly as 
 I could, that I might be supplied at his table, 
 and strengthened to discharge this duty to his 
 glory, and my own comfort. 
 
 W. O happy man ! that hath these provi- 
 sions prepared you ; and can go with such de- 
 light, and holy confidence to partake of them ? 
 
 S. You also may draw near unto this table of 
 the .Lord, and have a share of these gospel bene- 
 fits, and be assured of them. 
 
 W. J :.? Alas! alas! vou know not what 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING; CONSIDERED. 13^ 
 
 I am, and what I have been ; I dare not med- 
 dle with the blood of Christ in this ordinance. 
 
 S. You may come and eat of this bread, and 
 drink of the cup. 
 
 VV. What I! Shall a dog eat of the children's 
 bread ? I dare not do it. 
 
 S. You must ; you sin if you neglect it. 
 
 W. Sin ! I absent myself from it, because 
 I would not sin against the blood of Christ ; 
 But how can you say, I sin if I do not come ? 
 
 S. Because you live in the neglect of a 
 plain commanded duty. It is a slighting of a 
 special token of the love of your dying Lord. 
 
 W. But I would come if 1 were fit. 
 
 S. It is a neglecting of the seal of the cove- 
 nant of grace. It is hypocrisy to complain of 
 the hardness of your heart, whilst you refuse the 
 means to have it softened ; and of the power of 
 your sin, and will not use the means to have it 
 weakened. 
 
 W. Surely no one under my doubts and fears 
 ever went to this ordinance, and found good 
 thereby. 
 
 S. Many have. I myself was long under the 
 same doubts and fears, and know my heart was 
 as bad as yours can be : but when I was willing 
 to forsake my sin, and close with Christ, sense 
 of duty, and fear of sinning moved me 
 to the use thereof; and there God resolved my 
 doubts, removed my fears, and made it profi- 
 table to my soul, in my comfort and increase of 
 grace. 
 
 W. But it would be sin in me, to go because 
 
140 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 that which is a duty, and would be food unto 
 another, might be a sin and poison unto me, for 
 I am not fit for such an ordinance. 
 
 S. If you be not fit, that is your sin. 
 
 W. Then my case is miserable indeed. If I 
 do not come, I sin, and if I ,be unfit and come, I 
 sin. Alas that I am under this necessity of sin- 
 ning ! Tell me then, what I must do ? 
 
 S. You must not abide in that condition, 
 wherein you are unfit for the supper of the Lord, 
 but prepare yourself and come. 
 
 W. Truly no one will pity my pining soul, that 
 hath food before it, and yet unworthy to meddle 
 with it. 
 
 S. A legal worthiness you cannot have, nei- 
 ther doth God expect it at your hands ; but an 
 evangelical worthiness you may have. 
 
 W. I would fain know what I may do in 
 reference to this ordinance. I pray you tell me, 
 when is a person said to be worthy in a gospel- 
 sense ? 
 
 S. When he is clothed with the righteousness 
 of Christ, hath his soul sanctified by divine grace, 
 and exercises such grace at the Lord's Supper. 
 
 W. Then I perceive that a man might be a 
 sinner, and yet a worthy receiver I 
 
 S. Yes. " 
 
 W. What, a great sinner too ? 
 
 S. Yes he may. 
 
 W. This is some support to my frinting 
 soul : But yet my soul is east down w ithin me, 
 for 1 doubt I am not one of those sinners that 
 vou mean. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 141 
 
 S. It grieves me to see you in this distress of 
 spirit, I am persuaded, that if you would go un- 
 to this ordinance, you would in time hear God 
 speaking peace and comfort to your soul. 
 
 W. My desires and my fears are such, I 
 know not which exceeds. Fain I would, but I 
 dare not. It is grief unto my soul, when I see 
 the children of God approach unto the Father's 
 table, and I absent myself, as though not of his 
 family ; but I am such a sinner, that I dare not 
 go ? 
 
 S. Why, what is there in your guilt that ex- 
 cludes you more than other sinners. 
 
 W. I am the chief of sinners. 
 
 S. So was Paul in his own esteem, but Christ 
 came to save such, *, God's mercy and pro^ 
 mise, and Christ's merits are as great, yea. grea- 
 ter than your sins, f You have not been a 
 greater sinner than Adam, or Manasseh, J or 
 Mary Magdalene. $ you have not committed 
 more sins than all the sins of all the elect of 
 God in all the ages of the world amount unto : 
 and God will pardon all these. How can your sins 
 be too great for pardoning mercy ? 
 
 W. It does appear that neither the greatness, 
 nor the number of sinners' abominations shall 
 keep mercy from them; yet these had their 
 hearts of stone turned into hearts of flesh ; but 
 my heart is hard, like an adamant. It must be a 
 broken heart, that can behold a broken Christ 
 
 * 1 Tim. i. 10. f Psal. ciii. 12. Matth. xii. 31. } 2 Cbrc- 
 til. 1. to the 14 « Luke vii. 37, 3^>. 
 
142. OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 in the sacrament. Thus my case differs from 
 theirs. 
 
 S. Sense, of hardness of heart, is some de- 
 gree of softness of heart, * Pharaoh complained 
 of his judgments, not of the hardness of his 
 heart. Are you sensible, and do you grieve for 
 the hardness of your heart, or do you not ? If 
 you do not, why then do you complain ? If you 
 do, your hardness is not the hardness that ob- 
 tains in reprobates : but such as may be, and is in 
 the people of God : And this sacrament is a 
 means to have it softened. 
 
 W. This gives me some relief. I pray you 
 proceed to discover in what things hardness in 
 a child of God, differs from the hardness that is 
 in a wicked man ? 
 
 S. Sense of sin, and of God's dishonour, a 
 judging of yourself for sin, unfeigned turning 
 from sin, earnest prayers for softening grace, a 
 desire to cast yourself upon Christ, tenderness 
 of conscience, and holy fear of sinning against 
 God, holy care to please him, teachableness of 
 heart, and. holy restlesness till you have Christ, 
 do distinguish your hardness from the hardness 
 of heart in a wicked man. 
 
 W. How else ? 
 
 S. Your hardness is occasional, not constant ;: 
 the hardness of a reprobate, is like that of a stone, 
 but your hardness, is like the hardness of ice, 
 that is dissolved by the rays of the sun. 
 
 W. But if I had a heart of flesh, I do not. 
 
 * r :aif.h. !x*:ii 17, 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSID-ERLD. 143 
 
 think there would be so much hardness remain- 
 ing in me more than others. 
 
 S. God cures the hardness of his people's hearts 
 in their conversion, effectually : in sanctification, 
 gradually ; and at their dissolution, perfectly ; 
 but not till then. 
 
 W. This proves my hardness to be more 
 than the hardness of God's people, because I 
 mourn not for my sin as they do, nor can I be 
 so deeply humbled for it, and what should I do 
 at the Sacrament, if I cannot mourn for sin ? 
 
 S. You imitate those that mourn for sin. But 
 your conclusion is incorrect, that you mourn 
 not truly, nor at all, because you mourn not con- 
 stantly, or as much as others do. The word of 
 God, and not the attainments of others, must be 
 the rule by which you ought to judge of the 
 truth of your mourning for sin. Besides, if you 
 do not mourn directly, you mourn reflectively ; 
 you mourn that you cannot mourn, and you 
 pray that you may mourn. Besides, it is not 
 your tears that can justify you in the sight of 
 God : for if you could mourn more than any, 
 yet you must be justified freely by the blood of 
 Christ, and so you will, when you mourn truly, 
 though less than some others do. 
 
 W. If it be so, then tell me when my mourn- 
 ing for sin is right, and the mourning of a true 
 penitent I 
 
 S. When you mourn for sin as sin ; for all 
 -iin, because it is against God ; * as an evil 
 greater than any affliction. f Paul never cried 
 
 • Psal. v. 4. .f Rom. vii. 4. 
 
144 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 out for the evil of affliction, as he did for the 
 evil of sin : when you rejoice in the law of God, 
 that doth discover it ; and bless God that he ever 
 wrote it, and that you ever knew it.* When 
 your mourning for sin makes you loath it, and 
 leave it, and prize Christ, and hasten to him, 
 and close with him. 
 
 W. I fear my mourning for my sin ariseth 
 from the fear of hell ? 
 
 S. You may quicken your heart to mourn 
 for sin, from the torments of hell, that it hath 
 deserved ; but that this is not the principal 
 ground of your mourning appears, because you 
 can mourn and grieve for other men's sins, as 
 well as your own. Also when you have no 
 thoughts of hell, but you have die strongest 
 persuasion of God's mercy to you, in saving 
 you from wrath to come, you mourn most : 
 and you mourn for the power and filth of sin r 
 being part of your misery thereby, and are will- 
 ing to accept of Christ for your Lord, as well 
 as for your Saviour. 
 
 W. I do not deny it to be thus with me, that 
 I am willing to accept of Christ upon any terms. 
 Let me have Christ upon any terms. But 1 fear 
 Christ is not willing to give himself, nor God 
 willing to give his Son for such an one as I : and 
 what should 1 do at the sacrament, if Christ be 
 not willing to give himself, and his benefits un- 
 to me? 
 
 S. Is it possible you should be willing to re- 
 ceive Christ, if Christ were not willing to give 
 
 • Rom. vii. 12. 
 
EXCUSES I OK NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 145 
 
 himself to you ? for you could not be willing, if 
 Christ hud not first been willing : and it is the 
 intolerable pride of your heart, to think you can 
 be more willing to be, and receive good, than 
 God and Christ is to give, and make you good. 
 Besides, then such an one may come, and plead 
 at the last day, Lord, I am not damned, because 
 I was not willing to accept of Christ ; but be- 
 cause thou wouldest not give Christ to me, 
 when I was willing to receive him. 
 
 W. Truly 1 think there shall be no such plea 
 at the day of judgment. 
 
 S. Then vour condition is q;ood, if vou be 
 willing; for if you be willing to receive Christ, 
 and God be willing to give him unto you, you 
 have him : will you not then go to commemo- 
 rate his death \ 
 
 W. What strange conviction is this ? Surely 
 I had Christ, and did not know it ; 1 was hap- 
 py, and did not perceive it. But alas! no sooner 
 do I perceive a little light to shine into my sou], 
 than it is clouded ; for my heart is deceitful, 
 and I may think I am willing when I am not ? 
 
 S. I discern you will now suspect, th.it you 
 yourself are unwilling, rather than that Goa is 
 not willing, and this you have more reason to 
 do : but though your heart be so deceitful, that 
 you cannot understand ail the particular sinful 
 actings of it ; yet by serious search, and prayer 
 unto God, you may know Uuat it is thai} on do 
 love, desire, and choose above all things in the 
 world, and what is the general bent and inclina- 
 tion of vour heart and will. 
 
146 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 W. I do not know my heart. 
 
 S. What would you ask of God, if he should 
 say, ask any one thing, and thou shalt have it ? 
 
 W. Christ, I think ; but still I am afraid lest 
 this should be from love unto myself, and not 
 unto the person of Christ. 
 
 S. An holy self-love you ought to have, and 
 that is not inconsistent with predominant love 
 to the person of Christ. 
 
 W. How may I know that it is an innocent 
 self-love which moveth me to be willing to ac- 
 cept of Christ ? 
 
 S. If you desire Christ to make you holy, as 
 well as to make you happy, and to free you 
 from the power and dominion, as well as from 
 the punishment and damnation of your sin. 
 
 W. If there were no hell, yet I wish not to 
 sin against the Lord. 
 
 S. You have made an answer to your own 
 inquiry. 
 
 W. But if I had been willing to accept of 
 Christ, to destroy the power of sin, it would not 
 have been so strong as yet it is, and the power 
 of sin makes me question the truth of grace. 
 
 S. Strength of sin might argue weakness of 
 grace, but not the nullity of it ; because sin may 
 rage, when it doth not reign. 
 
 W. That I desire to understand ; for if sin 
 reign, you will say I must not go I 
 
 8. True, but if you can say with Paul,* 
 u That which 1 do, I allow not: for what I would, 
 " that I do not ; but what I hate, that do I. For 
 
 Rom. vii. 15. 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 147 
 
 the good that I would, I do not : but the evil 
 which I would not, that I do. You may then 
 conclude with him, Now, if I do that which I 
 would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that 
 dwelleth (he saith not reigneth) in me. And if 
 it rages, when it doth not reign, you have the 
 more need to go unto the Lord's Supper, that 
 sin, this usurping tyrant (not your acknowledg- 
 ed Lord) may be thrown down. 
 
 W. But sin hath great power in my thoughts, 
 for not only vain, but blasphemous thoughts, 
 are frequently crowding into my mind, and I 
 cannot remove them. 
 
 S. That temptations have power over your 
 thoughts, is your sin ; but that they have not 
 such power over your will, that proves your 
 grace ; for you would remove them when you 
 cannot ; and whether they be injected by the de- 
 vil, or do arise from your own heart, if grieved 
 for, groaned under, and striven against, it is no 
 otherwise with you, than with many others of 
 God's dearest children. 
 
 W. I have so long neglected Christ, I fear 
 now it is too late, to what end then should I go 
 unto this ordinance ? 
 
 S. Who told you it was too late ? where do 
 you read it ? The damned in hell might say it is 
 too late, but not you ; you might have had him, 
 if you would ; and may have him, if you will : 
 and have him indeed, if you are willing. And 
 it is not by what you have been, but by what 
 you are, and would be, that you must judge your 
 state. 
 
148 OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKE, AND 
 
 W. But if the day of grace be past with me, 
 and the door of mercy shut against me, it is too 
 late ; how then should I be sealed in this ordi- 
 nance unto the day of redemption ? 
 
 S. The day of grace is not past with him. 
 that would fain have grace above all earthly 
 riches, nor is the door of mercy shut against 
 him, that doth set open the door of his heart for 
 Christ the King of glory to enter in ; and doth 
 importunately pray for the fruits of the Spirit. 
 
 W. But, alas! 1 cannot pray, how then should 
 I receive? 
 
 S. An infant cannot ask, yet crieth for the 
 breast. Though you cannot word your desires, 
 yet you can cry to God, and nothing will satis- 
 fy you but a Christ. Some may utter words in 
 prayer, and not pray, and you may want words, 
 and yet pray fervently, acceptably unto God : 
 for prayer doth not consist in the exercise of 
 parts, memory, &c. but of grace. 
 
 W. I cannot cry to God, my eyes are dry ? 
 and sometimes cannot drop a tear, when I am 
 confessing my sin, though so many and hein- 
 ous. When others can shed many tears for one 
 sin, I cannot shed one tear for many sins. 
 
 S. Is it so with you but sometimes f Besides, 
 as there may be tears in the eyes, when there is 
 no sorrow in the heart ; so when your eyes are 
 dry, your heart may grieve, An hyprocrite, as 
 he may have more words, so he may have more 
 tears in prayer than a true child of God. 
 
 W. How then may I judge of my prayers, 
 when 1 want these outward signs of sorrow; &c? 
 
■EXCUSES TOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 14C' 
 
 S. By vour inward frame of mind, when you 
 cannot shed a tear, you feel your heart burden- 
 ed with, and rising in hatred against your sin ; 
 and when you beg for Christ and grace, you find 
 your heart sincerely reaching forth after both 
 Christ and grace. 
 
 W. I do pray indeed, and hear, that I may 
 have Christ, but I doubt all this is in hypocrisy: 
 and that all my duties are the service of an hy- 
 pocrite : and what did Judas get bv eating with 
 Christ ? 
 
 S. If you delight to do a duty so, that no man 
 might know that you do it, and that when you 
 be with others in a holy ordinance, you find you 
 had rather be affected, and not seem to be so to 
 others, than seem to be affected, and not to be 
 so before God, where is your hypocrisy I Be- 
 sides, if you do your dutiesyro/?z a right prin- 
 ciple, love to, and fear of God ; in a right man- 
 ner, viz. humbly, believingly, fervently, in the 
 name of Christ, and for a right endi that you 
 may glorify God, have communion with him, 
 be made more like him, that you may have 
 more love to him, and more power and strength 
 against your sin, you are sincere, and not an hy- 
 pocrite in your duties. 
 
 W. But sometimes I find a secret content in 
 my heart, that men take notice of the outward 
 signs of inward affections, and this when the out- 
 ward signs are more than my inward affections; 
 is not that hypocrisy ? 
 
 S. Yes it is, and much to be lamented and 
 opposed ; mourn so, if von can. that none but 
 O" 
 
loO OBLIGATIONS TO PARTAKL, AND 
 
 God might perceive it, except when it might be 
 more for the glory cf God, and the edification 
 of another, that your mourning should be mani- 
 fested rather than concealed. 
 
 W. May such a duty then be accepted of 
 God, that is done in such hypocrisy ? 
 
 S. Such a hypocrite, a sincere Christian may 
 sometimes be, and is ; for as there is something 
 of unbelief in one that hath faith in Christ, and 
 something of pride in one that is humble, &c. 
 so there is something of hypocrisy in every o;ie 
 that is sincere : for in nothing are we perfect as 
 to degrees, while in this life. Therefore as you 
 must not conclude, that your prayers and du- 
 ties are not accepted of God, because there are 
 .some actings of unbelief and pride in them : so 
 neither because there is something of hypocrisy 
 mingled with them, when the principle, man- 
 ner, and end, in the main are right. 
 
 W. I doubt whether the principle of my du- 
 ties be love to God, or only a natural conscience; 
 and if I should go to the Sacrament, but not 
 from a principle of love, God would not be 
 pleased with me ? 
 
 S. As you tender your own safety, take heed, 
 that at no time you absent yourself from duty, 
 against the dictates of a sanctified enlightened 
 conscience. 
 
 W. I pray to God I may not : but speak 
 unto my doubts. 
 
 S. You may perform duty from a principle of 
 love, when it is not from a sense ot love ; when 
 a natural conscience is the principle, it puts you 
 
EXCUSES FOR NEGLECTING, CONSIDERED. 15 i 
 
 upon the duty, but gives you no strength to per- 
 form the duty ; but the Spirit of God does both. 
 Natural conscience is satisfied, if the duty be 
 done : but you are not satisfied, except God be 
 enjoyed in the duty. Natural conscience puts 
 onto duty in time of temporal, or for fear of 
 eternal punishments ; but you pray, &c. that 
 you may please God, have communion with 
 him, and be delivered from the filth and power 
 of sin. When natural conscience only is the 
 principle, a duty is done with much backward- 
 ness of heart, conscience drags the sinner to his 
 knees ; but you love it, and delight in duty, or 
 are grieved if you neglect it. When natural con- 
 science only is the principle, if a man can get 
 an excuse which will silence conscience, the 
 duty with gladness is omitted : but if you are 
 kept (though by lawful cause) from a duty, it is 
 some grief and trouble to your soul ; and no- 
 thing but what is weighty, or judged by you to 
 be duty, shall divert you from the ordinance 
 of God. Are you not yet satisfied in this, that 
 you may go unto the Lord's Supper? 
 
 W. I have proposed to you the chief grounds 
 of my doubts and fears, and at present, have 
 some hopes that God hath done some special 
 work upon my heart ? 
 
 S. Then 1 beg you will make conscience of 
 this duty, that the work of grace may be pro- 
 moted, and carried on in your soul. 
 
 W. I shall further consider of what you have 
 said and shall beg of Gud his holy Spirit, to make 
 me know the things that are freely given (if 
 given; to me of God ; arid if I shall by further 
 
152 THE PREVIOUS 
 
 -searching of my heart, and prayer unto God be 
 convinced that it is my duty, I will no more ab- 
 sent myself. 
 
 S. May the God of heaven guide you to and 
 in this work : and smile upon your soul, when 
 you shall be present at his table. 
 
 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION IS 
 ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. * 
 
 AFTER we have seen some account of the 
 nature and design of the Lord's Supper ; 
 the great and indispensable obligations which 
 all Christians are under to partake of it ; and 
 have heard some sort of answer made to those 
 difficulties and doubts with which either pious 
 persons distress themselves in the prospect of 
 approaching it, or with which wicked and care- 
 jess men have endeavoured to lull their con- 
 sciences asleep, while they continued in the ha- 
 bitual neglect of so plain and important a duty : 
 it will now be esteemed needful, that I proceed 
 10 shew what is required of us to enable us, in a 
 worthy manner, to partake of the Lord's Supper. 
 The Apostle's advice, in this case, is, ** Let a 
 " man examine himself, and so let him eat of 
 u that bread, and drink of that cup *." 
 
 The most restricted and confined meaning of 
 which words. is-, by some, taken to be, That the 
 
 * From Duncan's Devout Communicant's Assistant. 
 • 1 Cor. xi. 28. 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. loo 
 
 Corinthians should examine themselves, and 
 their conduct in partaking of the Lord's Supper. 
 by the account which he had just now given of 
 the original institution of it ; and thereby they 
 would see how very different their irreverent 
 and indevout, their proud, intemperate, and un- 
 charitable manner of celebrating it in Corinth, 
 was from the primary intent, and native design 
 of eating tne Lord's Supper. 
 
 But, without any violence done to the words, 
 the holy Apostle's exhortation may, very justly., 
 be understood as including much more than 
 this : That to prevent coming unworthily, every 
 one should examine himseif, and rectify what- 
 ever, on careful recollection, he may find amiss, 
 that so he might partake of the Lord's bupper 
 with comfort. 
 
 A very useful rule, in this case, would be, 
 for every one calmly to read over the ten co:o- 
 mandments of God's law, and stop at each of 
 them, attentively to hear the voice of his o.-. n 
 conscience, how far he hath in thought, word, or 
 action, obeyed that law. This recollection, ve- 
 ry probably, would shew him what things are 
 wrongs that ought to be amended : what guilt, 
 yet unrepented of, needs to be forgiven ; and 
 what remains of irregular affections and passions, 
 that must be rectified and set right. This would 
 contribute much to make every man, in the lign: 
 of the cross of Christ, acquainted with his own 
 sore, and the plague of his own heart, and be 
 a mean of making him anxious to have them 
 healed. 
 
 o 2 
 
io4< THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION. 
 
 The following questions seem to be very na- 
 turally included in our examining ourselves, as 
 preparatory to the Lord's Supper. 
 
 1. We ought to examine, whether we really 
 understand the nature and design of the Lord's 
 Supper ? which was instituted to perpetuate and 
 keep up the remembrance of the death and snf- 
 ferings of Christ till he return to judgment. For, 
 by the bread broken, is represented his body, 
 that was nailed to the cross, was pierced and 
 crucified; and, by the wine in the cup, his blood, 
 that was " shed for many, for the remission of 
 ;c sins." 
 
 This is indeed the primary intent and native 
 design of the Lord's Supper. It is a commemo- 
 ration of a sacrifice ; not a proper sacrifice, in 
 any other sense, than prayers or praises are call- 
 ed spiritual sacrifices. It was instituted to per- 
 petuate to all generations the memory of so im- 
 portant and interesting an event as the death of 
 Jesus, " the Son of God, made a propitiation 
 ^ for the sins of the whole world," and to pre- 
 serve on the hearts of all his followers an affec- 
 tionate and grateful remembrance of his love,. 
 as a powerful motive to obedience, till he come 
 again. 
 
 There are, indeed, other ends which this or- 
 dinance may promote. — It affords us an oppor- 
 tunity of renewing and ratifying our acceptance 
 of the covenant of mercy, when we commemo- 
 rate that blood by which the gracious terms of it 
 were first sealed. — It is a means of maintaining- 
 -ommunion and fellowship among all the follow- 
 
IS OitDI.R 10 PATICIPATXON. tS5 
 
 ers of Christ, as being members of that one bo- 
 dy of which he is the head ; " for there is one 
 u body, as there is but one bread, whereof all are 
 M partakers *." — By it, also, we are made sha- 
 rers of the blessings of Christ's purchase : Yet, 
 commemoration, doing this in remembrance of 
 Christ, is the original and primary design of the 
 Lord's Supper. 
 
 This part of self-examination is indispensably 
 necessary to enable us to communicate worthi- 
 ly. No man, with any propriety, can discharge 
 a duty which he does not understand. No ser- 
 vant can suitably perform a work to his master 
 of which he is entirely ignorant. Neither can 
 any man worthily partake of the Lord's Sup- 
 per who is unacquainted with the nature and 
 design of it. The Apostle, therefore, says, 
 the reason of their eating and drinking un- 
 worthily, was their not discerning the Lord's 
 body f. • 
 
 2. Whether we have a right or title to come to 
 the Lord's table ? A right may either be consi- 
 dered as external, founded on a judgment of 
 charity, in the sight of men; or internal, in 
 the approbation of our own hearts, in the sight 
 of God. 
 
 A man who was baptized in the faith of the 
 gospel, has all his life adhered to this good con- 
 fession, and professed subjection to the laws of 
 Christ, hath, in the judgment of Christian chari- 
 ty, full claim to be admitted as a disciple ot 
 
 1 Cor. x. IT. T 1 Cor.xi 29 
 
iJG THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION,. 
 
 Christ, to partake of the Lord's Supper. Where- 
 as a person who makes no profession of his be- 
 lief in Christ, has no relation to him ; though he 
 may have been baptized in his name, yet, if he 
 has lived any considerable time in the open 
 contempt of his laws, by works he has denied 
 him ; and, therefore, without repentance, and 
 amendment of life, forfeits his title to be ad- 
 mitted to the Lord's table, or to the kingdom of 
 God. 
 
 There is also an internal right, or claim of 
 admission to the Lord's Supper, established by 
 the testimony of a man's own conscience, in the 
 sight of God. For, he who really believes the 
 gospel has the witness in himself; that is, has a 
 proof of the power of religion on his own heart, 
 Subduing the power of sin, raising, him above 
 the world, and bringing him daily to a greater 
 conformity to the image of Christ. By this real 
 change, which is not instantaneous, and is not 
 equally clear to all men, but is gradually promo- 
 ted in our souls, *f we are sealed by the Holy 
 u Spirit to the day of redemption." Where this 
 work is in any good measure begun, it " wit— 
 *•' nesseth with our spirits, that we are the sons 
 of God." 
 
 Every one then,, who approaches to the Lord's 
 table, should ask himself, Have I, in the sight 
 of my brethren, a right to be admitted to the 
 Lord's table ? or, Has my conversation before 
 men been such, as would justly give offence, if 
 I came to it? And when Christ asks me, in the 
 prospect of the performance of this duty, as he 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 157 
 
 did his Apostle of old, " Simon, son of Jonas, 
 '•' lovest thou me* ?" am I able to answer, look- 
 ing into my own heart, and appealing to his 
 omniscient eye, Ci Lord, thou knowest all 
 ^ things; diou knowest that I love thee," and 
 wish to approve myself to thee. The inward 
 calm approbation of a man's own heart, will 
 show this right in the most comfortable view. 
 If our hearts, in this case, approve of us, we shall 
 have confidence toward God, and be able to lift 
 up our faces before him. 
 
 3. What motives induce us to partake of the 
 Lord's Supper ? In all moral duties,, and acts of 
 religious worship, something more is required 
 to render them acceptable in the sight of God, 
 than the mere performance of the external ac- 
 tion. The Pharisees prayed, and made great 
 noise about the outward parts of religion ; but 
 all this was done from vanity, to be seen of 
 men : from men verily, when they were seen 
 of them, they had all their reward. Such ser- 
 vices could not be acceptable in the sight of 
 God. 
 
 God seeth not as man seeth ; he judgeth 
 righteous judgment, and regardeth the heart. In 
 order, therefore, to approach worthily to the 
 Lord's table, it is very necessary to examine the 
 motives that induce us to come to it :— Whe- 
 ther from a sense of that love and duty, which 
 we owe to God, and as an evidence of that re- 
 gard and gratitude due to Christ the Son of 
 
 * John xxi. 17\ 
 
158 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 God, that we may contribute what is in our 
 power to preserve the memory of his love to 
 generations yet to come : — That we ourselves 
 may be the more established in the faith of 
 Christ ; our hearts and lives daily brought into 
 a greater conformity unto his death. — That be- 
 holding ourselves in the view of his cross, we 
 may be filled with contrition, and sorrow for 
 past sins : when we look on him, whom they 
 have pierced, we may renew our covenant en- 
 gagements to forsake them, and live more an- 
 swerably to his death. — Finally, that comme- 
 morating the death of Christ, as the alone pro- 
 pitiation for sin, and pleading forgiveness from 
 God on account of it, we may have ground to 
 hope, that past transgressions shall be pardoned, 
 and we be washed from them, in the fountain 
 that is opened to the house of David, and to the; 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for unclean- 
 ness. 
 
 Our comfort and acceptance with God very 
 much depend on the sincerity of the motives 
 that bring us to this ordinance. For, if a man 
 who does not really believe the gospel, or who 
 is living impenitent in sin, and has no resolution 
 to forsake it, should come to the Lord's table, 
 to serve some worldly purpose, to obtain some 
 reputation for religion, or because it is the cus- 
 tom of the place where he live,s, perhaps to at- 
 tach himself to some sect of Christians, and 
 gain the protection of his party ; such a per- 
 son could not expect acceptance with God, as 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION- 159 
 
 he wants the wedding garment of sincerity and 
 truth. 
 
 If* we heard a man pray with appearance of 
 great fervency and devotion, or heard him pro- 
 fess great zeal for religion and his party, whom 
 we knew to be dishonest and covetous, intem- 
 perate and cruel, we could not but despise such 
 a man, and his conduct : or, if a person should 
 profess great friendship for us, who, we were 
 certain, was in secret our enemy, it would fill us 
 with indignation, instead of esteem : When, 
 therefore, we raise our thoughts to God, who 
 seeth all things, and from whom the secret pur- 
 poses of the heart cannot be concealed, we must 
 certainly be persuaded, that when he seeth men, 
 who live in the habitual neglect of his command- 
 ments, approach to the holy table of the Lord, 
 from low and base motives, with no desire at all 
 to approve themselves to him, their offerings 
 must be an abomination in his sight. How hap- 
 py on such an occasion, if a person can say 
 with the devout Psalmist, •• Examine me, 
 " O Lord, and prove me ; try my reins and 
 '* my heart ; for thy loving kindness is before 
 " mine eyes : I have walked in thy truth *." 
 
 4. What sort of preparation do we make to 
 enable us to partake worthily of the Lord's 
 Supper '? 
 
 If God be the Sovereign Lord, and great ma- 
 jesty of heaven and earth, we ought, at all times, 
 to approach him with reverence. The more so- 
 
 Psal xxvi. 2. 3. 
 
160 THE PREVIOUS BELT-EXAMINATION, 
 
 lemn the acts of worship in which we are to be 
 employed, the more attention and serious pre- 
 paration of mind is needful, to enable us to per- 
 form them in an acceptable manner. If a per- 
 son was to come into the presence of his supe- 
 rior, or of his prince, upon some matter of great 
 importance, in order to behave as he ought, he 
 would endeavour to call in all that attention and 
 presence of mind of which he was capable. 
 
 When, therefore, we are to come into the pre- 
 sence of God, and, at his holy table, to comme- 
 morate the most amazing instance of divine good- 
 ness ever shown to the sons of men, of which 
 also we ourselves profess to be partakers ; when 
 we are, if I may so express it, personally to co- 
 venant and transact with God, on matters of no 
 less importance than the eternal salvation of our 
 souls, it well becometh us attentively to consi- 
 der how we are prepared for such an approach. 
 
 No body can determine what precise time is 
 necessary to prepare every man for the Lord's 
 Supper : that must, in a great measure depend 
 on a person's situation in the world, as I for- 
 merly observed. A man who is just turning 
 from the ways of sin, has to examine himself, 
 and repent of the whole course of his past life. 
 Young people, when they first approach the 
 Lord's table, to take their baptismal vows on 
 themselves, and ratify, by the consent of their 
 own hearts, what their parents early did for them, 
 haVfc more to do, in this view, than those who 
 are holding on in the ways of God, and have for- 
 merly " tasted of the heavenly gift." 
 
OROLR TO PARTICIPATION*. IGi 
 
 A good life, or a constant endeavour to livo 
 answerably to the death of Christ, rs the best, 
 and has been usually called an habitual prepara- 
 tion for the Lord's Supper. But, in this light 
 also, every one has something that needs to be 
 set right, something wrong that ought to be a- 
 mended, or wanting that needs to be supplied ; 
 and therefore, some time, in reason, should be 
 set apart for serious recollection. 
 
 u : -Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us 
 " from all iniquity, and purify to himself a pe- 
 " cuHar people, zealous of good works." The 
 first part of preparation, then, is to consider, 
 how consistent we have -lived with the ends of 
 Christ's death ; what sins need to be repented 
 of: what remains of guilt to be pardoned, or 
 irregular passions to be subdued. Thus it is 
 needful to think on our former ways. 
 
 By the death of Christ also, the covenant of 
 grace and mercy, through which we hope to be 
 saved, was at first ratified : by our coming to 
 the Lord's table, we profess to adhere to this 
 covenant, and, on the terms thereof, plead ac 
 ceptance with God. Very proper, therefore, it 
 is, that we consider how far we have fulfilled, or 
 come short of the terms of this covenant. The 
 commemoration of the ' death of Christ affords 
 an opportunity of renewing these engagements, 
 and of bringing ourselves under new and stricter 
 obligations to perform them. 
 
 In the death of Christ, we see a display of 
 the divine goodness, into which the angels them- 
 selves, with earnestness and wonder, desire to 
 
 P 
 
162 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 look ; the Son of God leaving all that glory 
 which he possessed in heaven, and coming to 
 earth, and, after a life of sorrows, and well ac- 
 quainted with grief, submitting to an ignomi- 
 nious and painful death, to save us from eternal 
 misery. Justly therefore ought we to stir up our 
 souls, and all that is within us, gratefully to re- 
 member this unspeakable gift. An ingenuous 
 person would be ashamed to commemorate a 
 great obligation with indifference. When Da- 
 vid the king called to remembrance the mer- 
 cies of God to himself and house, his heart was 
 -so full of gratitude, that words could not express 
 all that he felt ; so that he was obliged to vent 
 himself in broken speeches, saying, " Who am 
 " I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that 
 " thou hast brought me hitherto ? And this was 
 ** yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; 
 •• but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's 
 " house for a great while to come: and is this 
 l < the manner of men, O Lord God ? And thou, 
 " Lord, knowest thy servant, and vrhat can thy 
 " servant say more unto thee ?*" At other 
 times, " Be stirred up, O my soul, and all that 
 " is within me, to bless God. — Awake, O psal- 
 *' tery and harp, to praise him ; myself 1 will 
 " awake early—What shall I render to the Lord 
 u for all his benefits towards me ?" 
 
 5. How do I purpose to behave after the 
 Lord's Supper ? This question is of great im- 
 portance ; for many imagine, that all that is in- 
 
 * 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19, 20 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION'. IGo 
 
 tended by this religious service is over when 
 they depart from the Lord's table : forgetting, 
 that there they come under new engagements ; 
 afterward they must fulfil them: there they put 
 on good resolutions : in time to come, they must 
 reduce them to practice. 
 
 In whatever other light we view the Lord's 
 Supper, if we fail of this purpose, we come short 
 of the great end of it For the great design of 
 Christ's death and resurrection (as the apostle 
 assures us) was, that he might be the Lord of 
 the dead and of the living; t. e. that they which 
 live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, 
 but unto him that died for them, and rose again. 
 One principal design, therefore, of our Lord's 
 Supper is, that the steady belief and affectionate 
 remembrance of the death of Christ, impressed 
 on our minds, might be a constant and power- 
 ful motive to love and obey him, who loved us, 
 and gave himself to death for us. 
 
 What will it avail us to have pretended, be- 
 fore our coming to the Lord's table, that we 
 were sorrowful and deeply humbled for our 
 sins, if afterward we return to the practice of 
 them ? The latter end of the man, who after 
 some partial reformation, or some stated sea- 
 son of devotion, returns to his former sins, is 
 worse than the beginning. We can only prove 
 our professions of love to Christ to be sincere, 
 and ourselves to be his friends, by doing those 
 things which he hath commanded" us. 
 
 To partake of the Lord's Supper is not only 
 a duty, but also a mean of grace, and of promo- 
 
164 TKE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAM IN ATIONj 
 
 ting holiness in our hearts and lives : since we 
 profess, by coming there, to be not our own, 
 but bought with a price, it is designed to excite 
 us to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, 
 which are God's. A person, then, who comes 
 to the Lord's table with no serious purpose 
 henceforth to walk circumspectly, or who de- 
 parts from it with no endeavour to put this re-< 
 solution in practice, is little better than he who 
 stays away : he is like the ground, that, being 
 often watered, bringeth forth nothing but briars 
 and thorns, whose end is to be burned. 
 
 These questions, I hope, seriously proposed 
 by every person who comes to the Lord's table, 
 and answered by his own heart, might greatly 
 contribute to enable us to profit by the Sacra- 
 ment of the Supper. I might have added some 
 other useful questions, that might be asked, 
 with great advantage, in this view. Such as, 
 
 What benefit have we reaped from the former 
 occasions on which we partook of the Lord's 
 Supper ? Wliat fruit have we brought forth 
 thereby ? 
 
 How consistently have we lived with the re- 
 solutions which we put on at the Lord's table, 
 of behaving ourselves as became the disciples 
 of Christ ? Or, What hath been the cause why 
 we have not made improvement proportional to 
 what might have been expected from us ? 
 
 In what condition am I. now to partake of this 
 ordinance, compared to what I have formerly 
 been ? The Lord puts his people in remem- 
 
IK ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 165 
 
 brance of what they once were, in order to ex- 
 cite them to diligence and watchfulness. " I re- 
 " member thee, the love of thine espousals, and 
 •• the kindness of thy youth, when thou went- 
 •• est after me in the wilderness. — Israel was 
 " holiness to the Lord, and the first fruits of his 
 »•' increase."* Our Lord also complains of the 
 church, that she had left " her first love."f 
 
 We should, therefore, ask ourselves, Do I 
 now more carefully discharge the duties which 
 God requireth of me ? and have I more delight 
 in the performance of them than formerly ? 
 
 Do I make conscience of my relative duties 
 in the stations and offices in which God hath 
 placed me ? and do I perform them as from the 
 heart ? 
 
 Am I able more successfully to overcome 
 the temptations of this world ? to subdue pride, 
 malice, or resentment? Can I, from the heart, 
 forgive an injury done to myself? and, have I 
 more pleasure now in doing good offices to 
 others ? 
 
 Have I 'any quarrel with any man ? Is it not 
 my duty, in the sight of God and of his people; 
 to forgive him, ere I adventure to come and of- 
 fer my gift on his altar? Or, have I done inju- 
 ry to any person, of whom, in the same spirit, 
 1 ought to ask forgiveness ? 
 
 As we are all liable to self-deceit, it would 
 be a good rule to begin this duty of stlf-exami- 
 nation with the prayer of the holy Psalmist : 
 
 Rev. 
 
106 
 
 " Search me, O God, and know my heart : try 
 '• me, and know my thoughts : and see if there 
 " be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the 
 " way everlasting."* And, if it were gone a- 
 bout with care and attention, it would make 
 such discoveries of many infirmities, and trans- 
 gressions in the sight of God, as to induce us 
 to conclude, in the words of the same devout 
 person, " Who can understand his errors? 
 u cleanse thou me from secret faults : keep 
 u back thy servant also from presumptuous 
 ••' sins."f 
 
 This necessary duty of self-examination 
 should by no means be so understood, as re- 
 stricted to the Lord's Supper, and never prac- 
 ticed but with a view to that institution. For 
 1:0 office of religion is more really beneficial, or 
 better calculated to promote our progress in the 
 Christian life. The frequent exercise of this du- 
 ty would produce very salutary and comfortable 
 effects on those who are employed in it. For, 
 when we thus make diligent search, we will 
 see what things are amiss in us that need to be 
 amended : when we commune with our own 
 hearts, we will find out what is our infirmity ; 
 and to be thoroughly acquainted with the dis- 
 ease, goes a great way to lead us to the cure. 
 On inquiry also, the answer of a good con- 
 science towards God will afford us solid ground 
 of continual rejoicing. 
 
 • V^.rr) csxxix. 03, C4. \ Psahn xix. 12, 13, 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 167 
 
 * THIS duty of preparation may be reduced to 
 these four heads, meditation, examination, sup- 
 plication, expectation. And if I mistake not, they 
 are all given us in one verse; and though not di- 
 rectly applied to this ordinance, yet to this among 
 other ways of our intimate communion with 
 Christ : t "I will pour upon the house of Da- 
 N vid, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 11 the Spirit of grace and of supplications, and 
 " they shall look upon me whom they have 
 " pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one 
 " mourneth for his only son. and shall be in 
 " bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness 
 11 for his first born." There is (1. ) Meditation : 
 they shall look upon him ; this is no otherwise 
 to be performed but by the meditation of faith. 
 Our looking upon Christ is by believing medi- 
 tation. Looking argues the fixing of the sight; 
 and meditation is the fixing of faith in its act- 
 ings. Looking is a fixing of the eye ; faith is 
 the eye of the soul ; and to look is to fix faith 
 in meditation. And there is (2.) Examination, 
 which produceth the mourning here mentioned. 
 For though it is said, They shall mourn for him ; 
 it was not to mourn for his sufferings ; for so 
 he said, " Weep not for me ;" but to mourn 
 upon the account of those things wherein they 
 were concerned in his sufferings. It brings to 
 repentance ; which is the principal design of 
 this examination. (3.) There is Supplication ; 
 for there shall be poured out a spirit of grace 
 
 * From Dr. Owen's Discourses on the Lord's Supper. 
 ■I Zech. xii. 10. 
 
168 THE PREVIOUS SELi -EXAMINATION, 
 
 and supplication. And (4.) there is Expecta- 
 tion ; which is included also in that of looking 
 unto Christ. 
 
 1 . The first part of this duty of preparation con- 
 sists in meditation : and meditation is a duty, in 
 which by reason of the vanity of our own minds, 
 and the variety of objects which they are apt to 
 fix upon, even believers themselves do find as 
 great a difficulty as any. 
 
 I shall only mention those special objects 
 which our thoughts are to be fixed upon in this 
 preparatory duty ; and you may reduce them to 
 the following heads. 
 
 (1.) The principal object of meditation in our 
 preparation for this ordinance, is the horrible 
 guilt and provocation that is in sin. There is a 
 representation of the guilt of sin made in the 
 cross of Christ. There was a great representa- 
 tion of it in the punishment of angels ; a great 
 representation of it is made in the destruction of 
 Scdom and Gomorrah ; and both these are pro- 
 posed unto us in a special manner,* to set forth 
 the heinous nature of the guilt of sin ; but they 
 come very short, nay, give me leave to say, that 
 hell itself comes short of representing the guilt 
 of sin, in comparison of the cross of Christ. 
 And the Holy Ghost would have us mind it, 
 where he suith, " He was made sin for us."f 
 See what comes of sin, saith he, what demerit, 
 what provocation there is in it ; to see the Son 
 of God praying, crying, trembling, bleeding, 
 
 ' 2 Pet. u. 4 5 5,5. | 2 Cor. v. ?.l. 
 
IX ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 169 
 
 dying, God hiding his face from him ; the earth 
 trembling under him ; darkness round about 
 him ; how can the soul but cry out, O Lord is 
 this the effect of sin ! is all this in sin ! Here 
 then take a view of sin. Others look on it in 
 its pleasures and the advantages of it ; and cr}', 
 Is it not a little one ? as Lot of Zoar. But look 
 on it in the cross of Christ, and there it appears 
 in another hue. All this is from my sin, saith 
 the contrite soul. 
 
 (2.) The purity, the holiness, and the severity 
 of God, that would not pass by sin, when it was 
 charged upon his Son. "He set him forth to 
 " declare his righteousness."* As there was a 
 representation of the guilt of sin, so there was 
 an everlasting representation of the holiness and 
 righteousness of God in the cross of Jesus Christ. 
 He spared him not. And may the soul say, Is 
 God thus holy in his nature, thus severe in the 
 execution of his wrath, so to punish, and so to 
 revenge sin, when his Son undertook to answer 
 for it ? How dreadful is this God ! how glori- 
 ous ! what a consuming fire ! It is that which 
 will make sinners in Zion crv, " Who anions 
 u us shall dwell with the devouring fire*? who 
 '< among us shall dwell with everlasting burn- 
 " ings V-\ Consider the holiness and the severi- 
 ty of God in the cross of Christ, and it will 
 make the soul look about him, how to appear 
 in the presence of that God. 
 
 (3.) Would you have another object of your 
 
 Rom. iii. 25. f Isa. xxxiii. H. 
 
1T0 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 meditation in this matter ; let it be the infinite 
 wisdom and the infinite love of God that found 
 out this way of glorifying his holiness and jus- 
 tice, and dealing with sin according to its de- 
 merit. " God so loved the world, as to send 
 " his only begotten Son.* And herein is love, 
 " love indeed ! that God sent his Son to die for 
 " for us."f And the apostle J lays it upon the 
 manifold wisdom of God. Bring forth your 
 faith ; be your faith ne *^r so weak, never so lit- 
 tle a reality, do but realize it : and do not let 
 common thoughts and notions take up and pos- 
 sess your spirits : here is a glorious object for 
 it to work upon, to consider the infinite wisdom 
 and love that found out this way. It was out 
 of love unsearchable. And now what may not 
 my poor sinful soul expect from this love ? what 
 difficulties can I be entangled in, but this wis- 
 dom can disentangle me ? and what distempers 
 can I be under, but this love may heal and re- 
 cover ? There is hope then, saith the soul, in 
 preparation for these things. 
 
 (4.) Let the infinite love of Jesus Christ him- 
 self be also at such a season had in remem- 
 brance. " Who loved me, and gave himself for 
 " me."| " Who loved us. and washed us in 
 " his own blood." II " Who, when he was in 
 u the form of God, and thought it no robbery 
 u to be equal with God, humbled himself, and 
 u became obedient unto death, even the death 
 "■ of the cross."^" " This was the grace Of our 
 
 * John iii. 16. t 1 J<> hn iv - 10 X E P h - »"• 10. & Ga! 
 
 iii. 10. I! Rev. i. 5. 1 Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 171 
 
 c * Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, 
 •• yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye 
 " through his poverty might be rich."$ The all- 
 conqueriug and all endearing love of Christ, is 
 a blessed preparative meditation for this great 
 ordinance. 
 
 (5.) There is the end, what all this came to ; 
 this guilt of sin, this holiness of God, this wis- 
 dom of grace, this love of Christ ; what did all 
 this come to ? Let the apostle tells us, " He 
 u hath made peace through the blood of his 
 u cross."f The end of it all was to make peace 
 between God and us ; and this undertaking is- 
 sued in his blood, that was able to do it, and 
 nothing else ; yea, that hath done it. It is a very 
 hard thing for a soul to believe, that there is 
 peace made with God for him, and for his sin ; 
 but really trace it through these steps, and it 
 will give a great deal of strength to faith. De- 
 rive it from the lowest, the deepest pit of the 
 guilt of sin ; carry it into the presence of the 
 severity of God, and so bring it to the love of 
 Christ; and the issue which the scriptures testi- 
 fy of all these things was, to make peace and 
 reconciliation. 
 
 Some may say, that they would willingly 
 meditate upon these things, but they cannot re- 
 member them, they cannot retain them, and it 
 would be long work to go through and think of 
 them all ; and such as they have not strength 
 and season for. 
 
 Cor. vlii. 9. f Co1 - »• 20 - 
 
%72 THE PREVIOUS SEEF-EXAMINATI-ON, 
 
 I answer 1. My intention is not to burden 
 your memory, or your practice, but to help 
 your faith. I do not prescribe these things as all 
 of them necessary to be gone through in even- 
 duty of preparation ; but you all know, they are 
 such as may be used, every one of them singly 
 in the duty ; though they that would go through 
 them all again and again, would be no losers by 
 it, but will find something that wall be food and 
 refreshment for their souls. But, 
 
 [2.] Let your peculiar meditation be regula- 
 ted by your peculiar present condition. Sup- 
 pose, for instance, the soul is pressed with a 
 sense of the guilt of -any sin, or of many sins ; 
 let the preparative meditation be fixed upon the 
 grace of God. and upon the love of Jesus Christ, 
 which are suited to give relief unto the soul in 
 such a condition. — Is the soul burdened with 
 an insensibility of sin ? doth it not find itself so 
 sensible of sin as it would be ; but rather that it 
 can entertain slight thoughts of sin ? let medita- 
 tion be principally directed unto the great guilt 
 of sin as represented in the death and cross of 
 Christ, and to the severity of God as there re- 
 presented. Other things may lay hold on our 
 carnal affections ; but if this lay not hold upon 
 faith, nothing will. 
 
 I have one rule more in these meditations; 
 doth any thing fall in, that doth peculiarly affect 
 your spirits, as to that regard which you have 
 to God "? Set it down. Most Christians are poor 
 in experience ; they have no stock : they have 
 not laid up any thing for a dear year or a hard 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. i73 
 
 lime : though they may have had many tokens 
 for good, yet they have forgotten them. When 
 your hearts are raised by intercourse between 
 God and yourselves in the performance of this 
 duty, be at pains to set them down for your own 
 use ; if any thing do immediately affect your 
 spirits you will be no loser by it ; it is as easy 
 a way to grow rich in spiritual experiences as 
 any I know.— This is the part of this duty of 
 preparation, which, with the rules given, may 
 be constantly so observed, as to be no way bur- 
 densome nor wearisome to you ; but very much 
 to your advantage. The other duties I shall but 
 name, and so have done. 
 
 2. There is examination. Examination is the 
 duty which most have commonly spoke unto, 
 that have treated any thing about preparation 
 for this ordinance. It respects principally two 
 things, viz. Repentance and Faith. 
 
 Our examination as to repentance, as far as 
 it concerns preparation unto this duty, may be 
 referred to three heads. 
 
 [l.j To call ourselves to account, whether 
 indeed we have habitually that mourning frame 
 of spirit upon us> which is required in them 
 who converse with God in the cross of Jesus 
 Christ. t6 They shall look upon him whom they 
 have pierced, and mourn." There is an habitual 
 mourning frame of spirit required in us; and 
 we may do well to search ourselves about it, 
 whether it is maintained and kept up, or no ? 
 whether worldly security and carnal joys rlo not 
 
£74 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAM INATIOX, 
 
 devour it? For spiritual joys will not do it. 
 Spiritual joys will take off nothing from spiritual 
 mourning^ but worldly security, and carnal joy 
 and pleasures will devour that frame of spirit 
 
 [2.] Our examination as to repentance res- 
 pects actual sins, especially as for those, who have 
 the privilege and advantage of frequent and or- 
 dinary participation of this ordinance. It respects 
 the surprisals that have befallen us, (as there is 
 no man that doth good and sinneth not,) since 
 we received the last pledge of the love of God 
 in the administration of that ordinance. Friends, 
 let us not be afraid of calling ourselves to a strict 
 account. We have to do with him that is greater 
 than we, and knoweth all things. Let us not be 
 afraid to look into the book of conscience and 
 conversation, to look over our surprisals, our 
 neglects, our sinful failings and miscarriages. 
 These things belong to this preparation, to look 
 over them, and mourn over them also. I would 
 not be thought to myself or you to prescribe an 
 hard burden in this duty of preparation. It is 
 nothing but what God expects from us, and 
 what we must do if we intend any communion 
 with him in this ordinance. I may add, 
 
 £3.] Whether Ave have kept alive our last re- 
 ceived pledges of the love of God ? It may be 
 at an ordinance we have received some special 
 intimations of the good will of God. It is our 
 duty to keep them alive in our spirits ; and let 
 us never be afraid we shall have no room for 
 more. The keeping of them makes way for what 
 farther is to come. Have we lost such sensible 
 
IN' ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 1 i* J 
 
 impressions ? there is then matter for repentance 
 and humiliation. 
 
 Examination also concerns faith : and that 
 In general and in particular. In general : Is 
 not my heart hypocritical ? or do I really do 
 what in this ordinance I profess ? which is pla- 
 cing all my faith and hope in Jesus Christ for 
 life, mercy, salvation, and for peace with God. 
 And in particular, Do I stir up and act faith to 
 meet Christ in this ordinance ? I shall not en 
 large upon these things that are commonly spo- 
 ken unto. 
 
 The third part of our preparation, is sup., 
 plication : that is adding prayer to this meditu 
 tion and examination. Add prayer, which ma\ 
 inlay and digest all the rest in the soul. Pray 
 over what we have thought on, what we have 
 conceived, what we have apprehended, what we 
 desire, and what we fear : gather all up into sup- 
 plications to God. 
 
 There belongs unto this duty, expecta- 
 tion also; that is, to expect that God will an- 
 swer his promise, and meet us according to the 
 desire of our hearts. We should look to meet 
 God, because he hath promised to meet us there ; 
 and we go upon his promise of grace, expect- 
 ing he will answer his word and meet us. Not 
 going at all adventures, as not knowing whether 
 we shall find him or not ; God may indeed then 
 surprise us, as he did Jacob when he appeared 
 unto him, and made him say, " God is in this 
 u place, and I knew it not." But we go where 
 we know God is. He hath placed his name up- 
 
1-76 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 on his ordinances, and there he is ; go to them 
 with expectation, and rise from the rest of the 
 duties with this expectation. 
 
 This is the substance of what might be of 
 use to some in reference unto this duty of pre- 
 paration for this great and solemn ordinance, 
 which God hath graciously given unto any of 
 you the privilege to be made partakers of. 
 
 Have we failed in these things, or in things of 
 a like nature ? Let us admire the infinite pa- 
 tience of God, that hath borne with us all this 
 while, that he hath not cast us out of his house, 
 ihat he hath not deprived us of these enjoyments, 
 which he might justly have done, when we have 
 oo undervalued them, as far as lay in us, and 
 despised them ; when we have had so little care 
 to make entertainment for the receiving of the 
 great God and our Lcrd Jesus Christ, who comes 
 10 visit us in tins ordinance. We may be ready 
 to complain of what outward concerns, in and 
 about the worship of God some have been de- 
 prived of. We have infinite more reason to ad- 
 mire, that there is any thing left unto us, any 
 name, any place, any nail, any remembrance in 
 the house of God ; considering the regardiess- 
 ness which hath been upon spirits in our com- 
 munion with him. " Go away, and sin no more, 
 >•' lest a worse thing befal us." If die re be in 
 any, that have not risen up in a due manner in 
 this duty, any conviction of the necessity and 
 usefulness of it, God forbid we should be found 
 winning against this conviction. 
 
in order to participation. 177 
 
 * Case of conscience. 
 
 J low may a professor* who f tars lest his ex- 
 periences are counterfeit and not genuine graces, 
 come to such a satisfaction concerning his state, 
 as shall encourage his continued reception of the 
 Lord's Supper ? 
 
 This question, which so much regards 'all 
 members of Gospel churches, is taken into con- 
 sideration upon account of the following letter, 
 
 H Reverend Sir, 
 44 T AM a young person, who have had a reli- 
 ** X gious education, and have had hopes that 
 4; it was not entirely in vain ; though 1 desire to 
 '* be ashamed, that I-have improved it no better. 
 »'•' I should be very much obliged to you, if you 
 rt would form a question, and answer it, as soon 
 H as possible, from the following, broken ac- 
 ■■ count of myself. 1 was under convictions. 
 a when I was very young ; but they were too 
 %i often stifled by me. But since that, I have 
 " returned, and did believe God had begun a 
 **' good work on my soul. I then thought it my 
 H duty to give myself up to the Lord in a pub- 
 " lie manner, was received into a church of 
 %i Christ, have often found pleasure in attending 
 " upon those ordinances, and in particular have 
 u found comfort at the Lord's table. Though it 
 " has not been always the same with me when 
 i( there, yet I have hoped, that when the ordi 
 
 * Fron Pi-:e am) Hayward's Cases of Consc'eivr^ 
 
178 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 ' l nance was not so comfortable, it was a hurn- 
 
 (i bling one. I am often in darkness about my 
 
 " state, and am ready to fear lest I should have 
 
 " deceived myself : but desire still to seek God> 
 
 ki and would esteem an interest in Christ above 
 
 44 all the perishing riches of this vain world, nay? 
 
 u above ten thousand worlds. But, sir, I know 
 
 " not what to think of myself after all. If there 
 
 " is a false faith, a false love, a false hope, a false 
 
 '•' humility, and the like, perhaps mine may be 
 
 •< no better. Is it my duty to go to the table of 
 
 ; * the Lord, if I have no real love to him, and 
 
 " no true faith in him ? Is not this an ordinance 
 
 '$ of love ? And when we attend upon it, is not 
 
 Ci this a time to put faith in Christ in exercise ? 
 
 " But if my faith and love are false, what must 
 
 " I do ? Am 1 not deceiving myself and others, 
 
 " and mocking God? Surely none ought to go 
 
 *•• to this ordinance? who have not a change 
 
 a wrought in them ; and if there be a false plea- 
 
 *• sure in such an ordinance, as well as a false 
 
 •* faith, how can I know that mine is not so \ I 
 
 •• fear I lean too much to outward duties. I 
 
 •• should esteem it a favour, if you would, sir? 
 
 •'•' shew me what is true faith? true love? &.c. and 
 
 •• what is the difference between them and false 
 
 ••' experiences, that I may know in some mea- 
 
 •'•' sure how it is with me. If I belong to 
 
 *• Christ? 1 desire to honour him both living 
 
 :' and dying. " 
 
 This letter plainly expresses the doubtful 
 state of many a serious Christian? that has had 
 the enjoyment of gospel ordinances for a consi- 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 1 79 
 
 durable time, and has been admitted into the pe- 
 culiar privileges of church-fellowship. For I 
 doubt not but that there is many a person whose 
 heart reasons after this manner : ** I hope I have 
 received the grace of God in truth, and do now 
 make a public profession of it : but oh ! when 
 1 hear that even professors may deceive them- 
 selves with false instead of true hopes, with a 
 false instead of a true love, I am afraid of myself, 
 lest all my experiences should have been of this 
 kind. And since there is so much perplexity in 
 my case, so much deceitfulness in my heart, and 
 so much confusion in my mind concerning my- 
 self, how shall I come to know whether it is my 
 duty to go on receiving the Lord's Supper, as 
 usual ? 1 am afraid all is not right between God 
 and my soul ; and if. after all, it should appear, 
 that my faith is a false faith, my hope a false 
 hope, my humility a false humility, and the like, 
 it is plain I have no right to partake of the Lord's 
 Supper. Though indeed I have a visible right 
 to the ordinance by reason of my profession and 
 church-membership, yet I am afraid 1 have no 
 spiritual right to it. Had I not then better sus- 
 pend an attendance upon the Lord at his table, 
 lest I should go on deceiving myself and others, 
 until I can gain a clearer satisfaction concerning 
 my state * And if I should thus withhold for a 
 time, how shall J arrive at this desired satisfac- 
 tion, or how shall I attain to a well-grounded 
 persuasion that my experiences are true and 
 genuine graces, not spurious and counterfeit?" 
 In this way of reasoning, many a conscien- 
 
180 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION. 
 
 tious professor and serious Christian often per- 
 plexes himself about his present duty ; while 
 the mere nominal Christian, the hypocritical pro- 
 fessor, has generally no doubts upon this head, 
 but goes on in the outward participation of gos- 
 pel privileges, to the deceiving of others, and the 
 hardening his own heart more and more. May 
 the Lord enable me to speak to this important 
 point with faithfulness and clearness ; and may 
 the blessed Spirit set it home upon each of our 
 hearts for our humiliation or consolation. 
 
 In order therefore to answer this question, I 
 must desire all who make a visible profession, 
 to look closely into these four things : 1. Look 
 into your conduct and practice. 2. Into the na- 
 ture and ground of your doubts and jealousies. 
 3. Into the frame and temper of your mind with 
 respect to the Lord's Supper. And, 4. Into 
 the tendency of those experiences you feel in 
 yourselves. 
 
 1. Look attentively into your conduct and 
 practice. For we must take that as a general 
 rule in ail cases, which the apostle lays dow r n,* 
 € * If we say we have fellowship with him, and 
 u walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. 
 " But if we walk in the light, as he is in the 
 " light, we have fellowship one with another ; 
 */ and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans- 
 " eth us from all sin." Be careful therefore to 
 put these two suppositions faithfully to your- 
 selves. If you walk in darkness, that is, if you 
 - . ■_ ■ — ■.»..,- .* x 
 
 * John y.e, 7 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICTP AT I OX, 1 8 I 
 
 go on knowingly and willingly in the path of 
 sin, or in the omission of known incumbent du- 
 ty, vou may take it for granted that all your pre- 
 tensions are vain, that your profession is hypo- 
 crisy, and though you are church-members, and 
 so have a visible right to all the ordinances of the 
 church, yet you are strangers to Christ, his 
 truth, and Spirit. Your allowed practice of any 
 known sin, whether secret or open, gives your 
 profession the lie : or, as the apostle strongly 
 expresses it, you lie and do not the truth. But 
 if, on the contrary, it is your real desire to walk 
 in all the statutes and ordinances of the Lord 
 blameless : if you desire to be found in the way 
 of your duty, to watch, strive, and pray against 
 sin ; if you are sincerely desirous to honour and 
 serve the Lord from a principle oflove to him, 
 and from a sense of his love to you ; then you 
 have real spiritual fellowship with one another, 
 and with the church of God ; and will happily 
 find, that the blood of Jesus Christ, represented 
 in the sacrament, cleanses you more and more 
 from all sin. I hope this is the case with the 
 young person who wrote this letter ; for there 
 are many things in it that seem to prove the sin- 
 cerity of his profession ; such as these : he de- 
 sires to seek God ; esteems an interest in Christ 
 above all the perishing things of this vain world, 
 nay, above ten thousand worlds : is a 'raid that 
 he leans too much to his own outward duties* 
 and has a desire to honour Christ both living 
 and dying. Surely this is not the language 
 of an unregenerate heart. " Thus then let all 
 
182 
 
 professors inquire into their conduct and prac- 
 tice. 
 
 2. Inquire into the nature and ground of these 
 doubts and jealousies. You say you are often in 
 darkness about your state, and are ready to fear 
 that you have been all along deceiving yourself;, 
 and understanding that there are such things as 
 false experiences, false faith, false hope, false 
 humility, false delight, and the like, your suspi- 
 cions are strengthened, and your heart is dis- 
 couraged. Now, I say, ask yourselves what is the 
 reason of these doubts and suspicions? I know 
 that Satan and an unbelieving heart will unite 
 to cast a damp upon the mind, and inject a sur- 
 mise with special strength and weight. But 
 perhaps it is only a surmise that is injected, 
 which does not offer any particular reason for 
 its support. Now if these injections and surmi- 
 ses offer nothing to ground themselves upon, 
 they are not to be attended to, but to be resist- 
 ed and rejected. You are in this case to take 
 the shield of faith, in order to quench these fie- 
 ry darts of the wicked one. Whensoever such 
 jealousies seize your mind, ask that question 
 seriously, which the Psalmist put to himself, * 
 " Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and 
 '* why art thou disquieted within me.'" Do not 
 hearken to the suggestion, unless it gives some 
 sufficient reason for its support. 
 
 But if your mind offers any reason for these 
 doubts and fears, then look attentively to them. 
 
 ■ = 
 
 • Psal xlii. 5. 
 
I.N ORDER TO PARTICIPATION 7 . I 8 J 
 
 Perhaps you will say, " Oh, I see much reason 
 to doubt, for I feel much corruption in my 
 heart, much deadness and carnal security, much 
 vanity and selfishness, and every abomination 
 in me, while I experience but little of love to 
 God, or faith in his Son." And are such things 
 as these the true reasons of your fears ? You 
 have then great ground to hope that all is well 
 with you. For this is an intimation, that the 
 Lord has enlightened you into a knowledge of 
 yourself; has given you a view of the plague 
 of your own heart, and does not suffer you to be 
 contented under the pre valency of any corrup- 
 tion. This sort of doubt is so far from rendering 
 your experiences the more suspicious, that it 
 rather proves all you feel, that is like faith, hope 
 and love, to be true and genuine : for this jea- 
 lousy proceeds upon a spiritual sight and con- 
 viction of your own un worthiness, guilt and 
 corruption. 
 
 Again, look into the tendency of these suspi- 
 cions. Which way do they work ? Do they 
 not tend to make you more humble and watch- 
 ful ; and while you thus walk in the dark, do 
 you not therefore walk the more slowly and 
 cautiously ? Do they not make you more desi- 
 rous after true grace and greater enlargement 
 in duty ? Do they not make you long more 
 for holiness ? if they work this way, you have 
 great reason to conclude, from the ver}- na- 
 ture of your suspicions, that your hearts are 
 right with God. and principled with his saving 
 grace 
 
184 
 
 3. Inquire into the frame and temper of your 
 spirit with regard to the Lord's Supper. Why 
 do you desire a continued enjoyment of this 
 privilege ? What is it makes you want to have 
 free access to this ordinance i Is it to subserve 
 some temporal interest r Is it to make a justify- 
 ing' righteousness of this privilege ? Or is it that 
 you may be the better esteemed among Chris- 
 tians or professors ? If it be, then you have 
 sad reason to fear, that you have no real right to 
 the ordinance. 
 
 But do you desire the continued enjoyment 
 of this privilege to testify your love to Christ, 
 to have your sins subdued., to have your graces 
 strengthened, your affections for Christ inflamed, 
 and to have some sweet enjoyment of him along 
 with the saints of God ? In a word, are your 
 views and desires conformable to the designs cf 
 Christ, in appointing this spiritual ordinance ? 
 If they arc, how dark soever your frame may be, 
 how dubious soever you may be as to your 
 state, or how much soever you complain under 
 the power of corruption, you may come and 
 welcome to the Lord's table ; since your designs 
 and desires in coming are to behold that which 
 Christ therein exhibits, and to receive what 
 Christ has to bestow. This ordinance was 
 particularly designed to comfort and establish 
 such as are worried by the temptations of Sa- 
 tan, and oppressed by their tyrannizing cor- 
 ruptions. 
 
 As therefore you have a visible right by be- 
 ing a church member, and under no church 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 18 
 
 censure, you ought to account that you have 
 a real right to it ; because the Lord draws forth 
 your desires, and directs your views to that, 
 which isthe very design of this sacred institution. 
 Come then, and welcome : continue your atten- 
 dance ; for you are welcomed to the table by 
 Christ himself, as well as by his church. 
 
 Lastly, Inquire into the tendency of those ex- 
 periences you feel in yourselves* In looking 
 over the particulars of the letter which occasion- 
 ed this question, I find there are five fundamen- 
 tal graces of the Spirit mentioned : concerning 
 all of which, our friend desires to know how he 
 shall be satisfied, that they are true and genuine, 
 namely, faith, hope, love, humility, and spiritual 
 pleasure. It is true, there is a counterfeit to 
 each of these in the hearts and experiences of 
 temporary believers, and mere notionalists. But, 
 if you would know whether yours are true or 
 false, look into the tendency and working of 
 them in your hearts. It would require much 
 time and several discourses to enter deeply into 
 the consideration of each of these graces, and 
 to set forth the evidences and marks of their be- 
 ing either spurious or genuine. But I shall en- 
 deavour to run through them in as brief a man- 
 ner as I can, suggesting a few thoughts that may 
 give some satisfaction concerning the truth of 
 each of them. 
 
 1. Look into your faith. You sometimes feel 
 motions in your heart, that have the appearance 
 of faith in, and reliance upon, the Lord Jesus. 
 But, as there is a false faith, you are afraid yours 
 
 R 
 
186 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 may be such. Consider then, and ask yourselves 
 such questions as these : whether your faith is 
 only notional, or whether it be joined with a 
 serious concern for yourselves; about an interest 
 in Christ and his salvation. Again, inquire 
 whether you go to Christ for sanctification, as 
 wellas for justification; inquire likewise whether 
 the reason of your application to Christ be an in- 
 ward conviction of your own guilt, corruption, 
 and helplessness, or whether it be only a flighty 
 affection, without any seriou s insight into your- 
 selves. Now you may be sure, that if your souls 
 act towards Christ from a serious concern for 
 holiness as well as for happiness, proceeding 
 from an inward knowledge of yourselves, and 
 founded upon the free encouragement of the 
 Gospel, you may be sure your faith is true and 
 genuine. 
 
 2. As to your hope. You have at seasons 
 some pleasing hope in your souls concerning an 
 interest in Christ, and the possession of his sal- 
 vation. You not only fly to Christ, but you have 
 received some hope in your souls that he will 
 save you with an everlasting salvation. Take no- 
 tice then what is the foundation, and what is the 
 tendency of this hope. 
 
 Observe what is the foundation of this hope. 
 If it be grounded upon an imagination of the ex- 
 cellency of your duties, and the goodness of your 
 heart, it is a hope that will make you ashamed ; 
 because it betrays your ignorance of your 
 own imperfections and corruptions. But if it 
 be founded upon the freeness of divine grace, 
 
I\ ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. ISP 
 
 the riches of divine love, and the faithfulness of 
 the divine promises, it will stand the trial, be- 
 cause it proceeds from the love of God shed 
 abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit, * 
 
 Again, Look into the tendency of your hope. 
 If it tend to make you careless under the power 
 of sin, or more careless about walking with 
 God, because you have a prospect of being hap- 
 py for ever, this is all wrong : such a hope is 
 certainly spurious and presumptuous. But if, on 
 the contrary, it is your heart's desire to glorify 
 God. to fly from sin, and to increase in holiness, 
 the more your hopes grow, this is a token 
 your hope is genuine ; for he that has a gos- 
 pel hope inhim, " purifies himself even as Christ 
 is pure," f 
 
 3. As to your love. You feel some outgoings 
 of affection to Christ, to his ordinances, to his 
 people ; but you fear lest all this may be coun- 
 terfeit ; and so it is, if this your love be con- 
 sistent with delighting in sin : but if your 
 affection for Christ teaches you to cleave unto 
 the Lord, to delight in his ordinances, and to 
 love his people on account of their being such, 
 and if it make you the more willing and desi- 
 rous to serve and honour the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 it is surely a genuine love. 
 
 4. As to your pleasure and delight in spiri- 
 tual things. You sometimes feel a delight in 
 divine ordinances, a secret pleasure in atten- 
 
 Rom. v. 5. f 1 John iii. 12. 
 
188 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 ding upon the means of grace, because they are 
 sweet and comfortable to your souls ; but fear 
 lest this likewise should be false. Indeed we 
 must acknowledge^ that even a hypocrite may 
 have a pleasure in enjoying the means of grace, 
 as we are told,* concerning the hypocritical Is- 
 raelites, that they sought God daily, delighted to 
 know his ways, and even delighted in approach- 
 <ng to God. But what was the reason and ground 
 of their delight ? It was because they hoped by 
 such services to make atonement for their sins, 
 and bring themselves into the divine favour by 
 their own duties, as appears,! Wherefore have 
 we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Where- 
 fore have we afflicted our souls, and thou tahest 
 no knowledge ? They had such a high opinion 
 of their duties, that they thought it strange God 
 did not smile upon and reward them for their 
 religious services. But now ask yourselves this 
 question, What is the reason of your delight in 
 divine ordinances ? Is it from a hope of being 
 justified thereby, or of laying God under some 
 obligation to you ? Do you take pleasure in 
 them merely because they are suited to your 
 own sentiments, or because they convey a plea- 
 sure to your ears? Then indeed it may be 
 counterfeit. But if your pleasure in approaching 
 to God is, because you desire and hope to find 
 him in his ordinances, because you would re- 
 ceive supplies from, and enjoy communion with 
 him, and would be brougnt nearer to him, and 
 
 * Isa. lviii. 2. f Isa. IviiL 3. 
 
1\ ORDT.R TO PARTICIPATION. 189 
 
 be made more like him, you may then be sure 
 that your pleasure and delight are genuine. 
 
 Lastly, as to your humility. You find some- 
 thing within you that looks like a proper humi- 
 liation before God and his people; but your fear 
 is, lest this likewise should be spurious and 
 counterfeit. To be satisfied as to this matter, 
 seriously inquire into the nature of your humili- 
 ty, whether it be feigned, or forced, or whether 
 it arises from a real sight and conviction of your 
 own meanness, guilt, and pollution, as before 
 God. There is a kind of voluntary humility, 
 which some are very fond of; striving to repre- 
 sent themselves before their fellow Christians 
 as very contemptible and polluted, as very ig- 
 norant and weak, professing themselves to be 
 such before men, when they know in their own 
 consciences they would not chuse their com- 
 panions should have that opinion of them ; but 
 they do it on purpose that their friends may 
 think them very modest and self-abased. It is 
 evident at first thought, that this humility has a 
 most hateful pride at the bottom of it ; and those 
 that are given to it, and fond of it, have great 
 reason to suspect themselves ; as they would 
 certainly be suspected by their friends, could 
 they see through the disguise. 
 
 But true humility is an unfeigned, unforced 
 thing : the person that has it is really low hi his 
 own eyes ; he sees and laments before God his 
 own guilt, weakness, and impurity ; he confesses 
 himself, in the sight of God, as the chief of sin- 
 ners 5 and the more he sees of the grace of God 
 b 2 
 
190 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 in Christ, the more he admires at it, is affected 
 with it, yea, and is humbled by it. None are 
 more humble in reality than those, who can view 
 and receive the grace of the gospel as entirely 
 free. The truly humble person, the more he sees 
 of the divine glory, and the more he beholds of 
 the riches of grace, the more he lays himself 
 low at the divine foot-stool. He says with Job,* 
 " I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, 
 " but now mine eyes see thee ; wherefore I 
 " abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.'' 
 This is that broken spirit and contrite heart which 
 God will not despise. But God does and man 
 too would, despise a feigned? voluntary, and af- 
 fected humility. Inquire therefore whether your 
 being abased is thus sincere or feigned. 
 
 Once more, look into the depth of your hu- 
 mility. Perhaps you are low in your own eyes, 
 merely because of some particular defects of ca- 
 pacity or knowledge; or chiefly because of some 
 enormities or irregularities in your practice. If 
 this be all, it is not sufficiently deep. But if that 
 which makes you self-abased, is a view of your 
 own spiritual emptiness and poverty, a view of 
 the corruptions of your nature, and the sins of 
 your thoughts and affections; and you see your- 
 selves in such a light, as to be heartily willing 
 to receive all solvation as a gift entirely free, and 
 to be truly thankful for every degree of hope 
 you are favoured with, as utterly undeserved 
 and unprocured by you ; then you are among 
 
 * Job xlii. 5, 6. 
 
IS ORDER TO PARTICirATK.v'. \9l 
 
 tiit number of those, whom Christ, first of all, 
 pronounces blessed, saving, Blessed are t/ie poor 
 in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.* 
 
 Thus inquire into the genuineness of your 
 experiences, and look up to the blessed Spirit 
 to enable you to pass a right judgment upon 
 them. The whole is this ; if that faith* hope, 
 love, delight, and humility you experience in 
 yourselves, tend to wean you more and more 
 from sin and the world, to win you over to em- 
 brace and admire the free grace of the gospel, 
 and to make you depend upon and delight in 
 Christ both for justification and sanctification, 
 your graces are true and genuine, not spurious 
 and counterfeit. 
 
 But, after all that can be said upon this search- 
 ing subject, I know that in many cases no clear 
 satisfaction can be given or received in a way of 
 self-examination. There is a necessity that God's 
 Spirit should shine upon his own work to as- 
 sure us that we are the children of God. There 
 is so much darkness in our minds, deceitfulness 
 in our hearts, and perplexity in our thoughts, 
 that the clearest cases will sometimes be clouded, 
 and the brightest evidences obscured. 
 
 You will say then, What must a poor soul 
 do in such circumstances ? When he cannot 
 gain the satisfaction he wants by reason of the 
 Spirit's withdrawment, must he abstain from 
 the peculiar privileges of church fellowship ? 
 Must he desist from a regular reception of the 
 
 * Matt. v. 3. 
 
192 
 
 Lord's Supper, until these matters be cleared 
 up to satisfaction ? 
 
 I shall give my answer to this in the applica- 
 tion, which shall be, (1.) for encouragement, (2.) 
 for reproof, (3.) for warning. 
 
 I. For encourage ment. Let me here speak a 
 free word to such poor doubting souls. Let me 
 ask you, are you conscious of indulging and 
 embracing any secret or open sin ? Do you har- 
 bour any sinister or worldly views in desiring 
 to eat of the children's bread? Do you want 
 to make a justifying righteousness of this spe- 
 cial ordinance ? I hope you can answer in the 
 negative to these queries, by saying, that, so far 
 as you know your own hearts, you would not, 
 you dare not. If so, then you do not impose 
 upon the church, or pervert the design of the 
 ordinance in your reception of it. 
 
 Do you still say, ? Oh, but I fear, and have 
 great reason to fear, that I have been a self- de- 
 ceiver ; for I cannot come to any clear evidence 
 of the truth of my graces and experiences!" 
 And do you therefore think it your duty to de- 
 sist, upon this account, from attending at the 
 Lord's table ? Think again, what would be the 
 consequence, if every doubting soul were to rea- 
 son in this manner. If none but those that were 
 free from doubts would attend, I fear that very 
 few would be found at the Sacramental feast. 
 Our churches are thin enough already ; many- 
 gracious persons keep themselves from the fel- 
 lowship of a church upon the same account. And 
 how few, very few, svould honour Christ by such 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 19J 
 
 a profession of his name, if all were to act upon 
 this plan ? And what will you say as to the pas- 
 tor himself? Do you think him to be always free 
 from such doubts, fears, and perplexities of 
 soul ? If you do, you are very much mistaken. 
 And what if he should absent himself every 
 time his heart is dubious and perplexed ? This 
 would run church ordinances into confusion in- 
 deed. It is therefore abundantly evident, that a 
 serious church member should not absent him- 
 self from the Lord's table, because of his doubts 
 and fears. No, no : doubting, distressed souls, 
 should rather come, that their doubts may be 
 scattered, their faith strengthened, and their com- 
 forts restored. Come and welcome, so that you 
 come with views and desires to meet with Christ, 
 to see him, to receive from him, and to testify 
 your regard for him, as the chief desire and only 
 hope of your souls. You need not fear receiv- 
 ing any damage by coming unworthily, if you 
 come with such views as these; but may rather 
 hope to find Christ and his love there shed a- 
 broad in your hearts. 
 
 2. I have now a word of reproof to many 
 serious Christians. I cannot but find fault with 
 several for being always upon the complaint. 
 You harbour your doubts and fears, you encou- 
 rage them ; your souls refuse to be comforted ; 
 you are always making scruples, raising objec- 
 tions, and seem to be resolved not to be satisfied 
 with the plainest evidences. Such a temper as 
 this is surely dishonourable to Christianity ; it 
 is grieving the good Spirit ; and it is ungrateful 
 
194 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 to God, who has given you some tokens of his 
 love. Because he has not given you all the grace 
 and comfort he has to others, you will therefore 
 continually suspect his love. But I must leave 
 this charge to every one's own conscience ; and 
 while I heartily pity those, who are truly in dark- 
 ness and distress of soul, 1 must say that those 
 are much to be blamed, who are fond of recom- 
 mending themselves to their fellow Christians 
 by making themselves appear as very dark and 
 discouraged. Those who are this way inclined, 
 do insensibly sink themselves lower and lower, 
 and provoke the Spirit of God more and more 
 to withdraw his enlightening and comforting in- 
 fluence. Once more. 
 
 3. A word for warning and conviction. Re- 
 member there are three sorts of church mem- 
 bers : those who have their evidences clear, and 
 graces in exercise ; and those who are under 
 darkness and doubts ; and those who mind none 
 of these things, so as they can but keep up a 
 visible profession, and maintain their credit a- 
 mong Christians. These last are very easy and 
 satisfied ; they have no scruples nor doubts; and 
 think it enough, if they can but keep themselves 
 from falling under censure of the church, or of 
 their fellow professors. Let rae tell you, that 
 such as these, it is to be feared, are tares among 
 the wheat. — These have great reason to suspect, 
 that all is not right with them. And though I 
 would do and say all I could to encourage the 
 serious, dubious soul ; yet I must proclaim, that 
 such carnal gospellers are in the most dangerous 
 condition. They receive this Sacrament only to 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 1QJ 
 
 keep the name alive ; and, by continuing in this 
 way, they stifle the convictions of their own con- 
 sciences, harden their own hearts more and more, 
 and are in danger of falling into sin and hell from 
 all their profession and privileges. If these lines 
 come into the hands of any such, oh, that they 
 may be made to strike home to their conscien- 
 ces ; and remind them, that the case of the se- 
 rious, fearful, and dubious soul, who comes with 
 trembling and concern to the table of the Lord, 
 is abundantly preferable to theirs, who boldly 
 claim a privilege with no higher view, than to 
 support the name they bear in the eyes of others. 
 May the Lord convince and deter such, while 
 he comforts and encourages the feeble-minded 
 by his word and Spirit. 
 
 *LET a man examine himself , and so let him. 
 eat, says the inspired apostle. Come, then. O 
 my soul ! call thyself to an account, whether thou 
 art in any measure that • which God expects 
 every worthy communicant should be. 
 
 Have I knowledge to discern the Lord^s body ? 
 am I apprised of the nature and end of this or- 
 dinance ? has not the minister bestowed upon 
 me labour in vain, when he opened these mys- 
 teries to me ? Has what I have read and heard 
 about this matter, given me a tolerable notion of 
 it ? I know a man may have knowledge enough, 
 and yet eat and drink unworthily ; but yet, with- 
 out some good measure of understanding, he 
 cannot be an acceptable communicant. 
 
 * From Dr. Jabez Earle's Sacramental Exercises. 
 
196 
 
 Have I therefore knowledge to discern the 
 Lord^s body? Have I knowledge to understand 
 that the body which is figuratively exhibited 
 here, is the human nature of no less a person 
 than the Son of God, the Lord of glory,* by 
 by whom all things were made, by whom they 
 all consist,f and by whom they are governed ? % 
 How stupendous is the love of God, in not spa- 
 ring his own Son ! How mighty must he be, 
 to save to the uttermost all who come unto God 
 through him ! What infinite merit must there 
 be in his obedience \ what infinite virtue in his 
 atoning blood ! 
 
 Do I understand the nature of the gospel-co- 
 venant, the covenant of grace, of which the Sa- 
 craments are seals ? 
 
 Do I know how the first covenant was bro- 
 ken f into what a sad condition the fall of our 
 first parents brought their wretched offspring ? 
 how it pleased God, in infinite mercy, to enter 
 into a new covenant, through a Redeemer, in 
 which he has provided for his own honour, and 
 our happiness ? Do I understand who is the 
 Mediator, and what are the promises and bless- 
 ings of this covenant ? Read with care the sum- 
 mary which we have of them, in Heb. viii. 10, 
 11, 12. 
 
 Do I understand the relation that this sacra- 
 ment bears to that covenant : that it is instituted 
 by the Mediator, to whom " all power is given 
 both in heaven and earth :"* that it is designed 
 
 * 1 Cor. ii. a f Col. i. 16, 17. J Epb. i. 22. $ Matt. 
 xxviii. 18. 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. \h)7 
 
 to represent the blessings he has purchased, with 
 the manner in which they were procured, and 
 are applied : that I am at the Lord's table, to 
 " shew forth his death :" that the broken bread 
 represents his body, which was broken for us ; 
 and the wine his precious blood, which was 
 shed for us; 6 f and by which, not only the re- 
 mission of sins, but every other blessing pro- 
 mised in the gospel, was purchased, and secured 
 to every real believer:"* that our eating that 
 bread, and drinking that cup, signifies that fidu- 
 cial feeding upon him who is that (and more) to 
 our souls, than bread, the " staffof life, and wine 
 " that cheers the heart," is to our bodies? 
 
 Do I understand how it seals the covenant 
 to every worthy receiver : how hereby God obli- 
 ges himself to be their God, to pardon their sins, 
 sanctify their souls, and at last bring them to 
 eternal happiness and glory : how therein they 
 engage themselves to him, thankfully accepting 
 what he offers, and cheerfully complying with 
 what he demands : that herein we open our 
 mouths to God, and swear that we will be his 
 in the bonds of an " everlasting covenant, that 
 *• shall not be forgotten," accepting him, and 
 resigning ourselves f 
 
 Do I know of what advantage this ordinance 
 is to every worthy communicant ; how it is de- 
 signed to confirm their faith, to inflame their 
 love, purify their consciences, and comfort their 
 souls ? 
 
 * 2 Cor. i. 20. 
 
 s 
 
198 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 Do I understand how it produces these effects; 
 not in a natural way, nor merely in a moral one, 
 but by the powerful influences of the Spirit, dis- 
 pensed, and to be expected, in a devout attend- 
 ance upon the appointments of infinite wisdom 
 and goodness ? — Let me put to my soul, that 
 question which my Saviour put to his disciples, 
 u Hast thou understood all these things:" 
 
 I must confess, my apprehensions of these 
 things are too dark and confused : but I dare 
 not deny the grace of God, who has given me 
 some acquaintance with these awful mysteries ; 
 and I hope I do desire to improve in knowledge, 
 and am willing to receive instruction. 
 
 u And, O that God would teach me what I 
 yet know not, and lead me farther into the know- 
 ledge of all necessary truth ! Oh that he would 
 " shew me his covenant;"* and help me to 
 u grow in grace, and in the knowledge of my 
 u Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ !"f that he 
 would reveal to me, by his Spirit, those " deep 
 " things of God, which the natural man receiv- 
 " eth not, because they are spiritually discern- 
 " ed !"J " O Father of lights, who giveth wis- 
 u dom liberally, and upbraidest not, make me 
 " to know the love of Christ which passeth 
 *' knowledge, and help me to comprehend with 
 " all saints, the breadth and length, and depth 
 " and height of it !"|| Amen. 
 
 Consider, O my soul ! that mere knowledge 
 is not a sufficient qualification for the holy com- 
 
 * Psalm xxv. 14. f 2 Pet. iii. 14. \ 1 Cor. ii. 18. II Eph- 
 jii. 18, 19, 
 
IM ORDER TO PARTICIPATION'. 199 
 
 munion. If I have knowledge to discern the 
 Lord's body, and want faith to feed upon him, 
 
 I shall return from his table disappointed and 
 ashamed. My blessed Lord has toid me, that 
 " except I eat his flesh, and drink his blood, I 
 M have no life in me."* Now. this I know must 
 be by faith, not after a corporal and carnal man- 
 ner : let me therefore put that question to my 
 soul, which my Saviour put to his disciples, 
 " Where is thy faith?" Do I believe in an un- 
 seen Jesus ? Do 1 really believe that he is the 
 Son of God, and that he died, was buried, and 
 rose again, according to the scriptures ? Do I 
 heartily approve the method which God has ap- 
 pointed for man's salvation, that " being justi- 
 
 II fied by faith, he should have peace with God 
 " through our Lord Jesus Christ ?" Do I hear- 
 tily " submit to the righteousness of God, and 
 " rejoice in God through him by whom we have 
 " now received the atonement?" Do I earnestly 
 desire to " be found in Christ, not having mine 
 " own righteousness, &c. but that which is 
 " through the faith of Christ, the righteousness 
 " which is of God by faith," that Christ may 
 be made unto me righteousness? Do I believe 
 that ''Christ died for my sins,"and so was " made 
 '• sin (a sin-offering) for me, that I might be made 
 ;< the righteousness of God in him ?" Do I tru- 
 ly desire to lay the stress of my hopes upon the 
 mercy of God in Christ ; and, under a con- 
 
 * John vi. 53. 
 
-00 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAM'INATIOX, 
 
 sciousness of guilt, apply to that " blood which 
 cleanses from all sin ?" Can my soul make her 
 applications to him, and derive from " his ful- 
 ness even grace for grace ?" Am I in any mea- 
 sure acquainted with this mystery ? and can I 
 understand, by any experience of my own, what 
 the apostle meant when he said, " I live ; yet 
 '; not I, but Christ liveth in me?"* What 
 should he do at a royal feast, that cannot taste of 
 the provision ? Am I therefore taught of God to 
 believe in Jesus ? 
 
 " Lord, I believe: help thou mine unbelief!" 
 I hope I have " tasted that the Lord is gra- 
 " cious." I can remember when I sat un^ 
 der his " shadow with great delight, and his 
 " fruit was sweet unto my taste." " My soul 
 " has followed hard after him," and I have rea- 
 son to remember his love more than wine. But 
 alas ! I have too much occasion for that prayer r 
 " Lord, increase my faith ! without controversy, 
 " great is the mystery of godliness ;" and I am 
 too often apt to stumble at the cross : my temp- 
 tations to unbelief often find me much sorrow- 
 ful employment ; and, at best, my faith is but 
 weak and languid. O my God ! " perfect that 
 " which is lacking in my faith ;" and when I 
 find its strength, I shall not doubt its reality. 
 
 I must also inquire concerning my repent- 
 ance. An impenitent communicant, I know, 
 must be an unworthy one. That I am a sinner, 
 is a matter past question : and that, as such, I 
 
 * Gal. ii, 9.0- 
 
TN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 201 
 
 am exposed to the displeasure of God, so that 
 if he should enter into judgment with me, I 
 could not stand, is what I know and believe : 
 yea, that the least sin I ever committed, deserves 
 the wrath and curse of God, both in this world 
 and that which is to come. But, all this is gene- 
 ral and common ; let me therefore, O my soul ! 
 press the matter close and home. 
 
 Have I laid these things to heart? have my 
 convictions been affecting ? have I not only 
 known but felt these things ? have I been weary 
 and heavy laden under a sense of sin ? have I 
 groaned and trembled under the apprehension 
 of God's displeasure ? has u destruction from 
 " the Lord been a terror to me, has my flesh 
 " trembled for fear of him. and have I been a- 
 " fraid of his judgments?" yea, have I been 
 ashamed of sin, as a nauseous, loathsome thing, 
 contrary to the nature and law of God, and my 
 own happiness too, which consists in conformi- 
 ty to God, and enjoyment of him? has the re- 
 membrance of my sins filled my heart with grief, 
 and my face with shame, especially considering 
 how it has been committed against a God of in- 
 finite love and goodness ? does this thought give 
 a peculiar accent to my grief, that I have sinned 
 against a bleeding, dying, Jesus, and a forbear- 
 ing and forgiving God ? and does the apprehen- 
 sion of pardoning mercy through a Redeemer 
 promote in me the most kindly relentings, ac- 
 cording to that, Ezek. xvi. 63. 
 
 In the next place, have I been influenced by 
 these convictions, to take up a hearty and sin- 
 
202 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 cere resolution of better obedience ? do 1 hate 
 every false ivaij ? and have I a respect to all 
 GocPs commandments ? Oh ! let me remember, 
 that nothing is repentance that consists with an 
 habitual love to any sin, or an allowed aversion 
 to any instance of duty? or branch of holiness. 
 Is my heart and life changed ? He that is the 
 iame after repentance as he was before, can 
 never be accounted a true penitent. 
 
 my conscience ! be faithful : have I " put 
 w off the old man with his lusts, and put on the 
 r% new man? which, after God, is created in righ- 
 * teousness and true holiness?" 
 
 1 hope it is thus with me in some measure, 
 that though I offend in many things. I allow my- 
 self in nothing that God in his word disallows. — 
 But? alas ! my repentance is far short of what I 
 know it should be, and wish it were. 
 
 " Oh that he, whose gift repentance (as well 
 as faith) is, would carry on the work which I 
 trust is begun ! Lord, open my eyes, that I may 
 see more of the evil of sin ! strike this heart, 
 ibis rock, that it may more freely bleed at the 
 remembrance of my past follies ! confirm my 
 resolutions, that I may have i( nothing more to 
 " do with idols;" but may be :< stedfast and 
 " immoveable, and aiway abounding in the work 
 " of the Lord ! search me? and try me, and see 
 u if there be any wicked way in me, and lead 
 " me in the way everlasting." 
 
 I must also examine myself concerning my 
 >ove, an essential and comprehensive grace. If I 
 do not sincerelv love the Master of the blessed 
 
TN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 203 
 
 feast, unci all the regular guests, I cannot be wel- 
 come. Come, then, O my soul ! is thy •• heart 
 " circumcised to love the Lord thy God with 
 ;i all thy heart and with all thy soul?* this is 
 " the first commandment." Canst thou truly 
 -av, that thy desire is towards him, and thy de- 
 light in him ? dost thou love '* not in word and 
 u in tongue, but in deed and in truth r"f Has 
 iie the pre-eminence in thy soul ? Canst thou 
 sav, " Whom have I in heaven but thee, and 
 * : there is none upon earth that I can desire be- 
 u sides thee .'"J Is Christ precious to thee, be- 
 vond comparison and competition • and canst 
 thou truly say, <•' Yea, doubtless, I count all 
 •• things but loss for the excellency of the know- 
 ;i ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ;"§ 
 
 Is this thy love to him a rational love, the ef- 
 fect of serious thought, and deep conviction of 
 his transcendent excellency ? Has the Spirit of 
 God opened thy eyes, to see that he is the " Chief 
 " of ten thousands, and altogether lovely :" and 
 canst thou tell what the church's " beloved is 
 " more than another's beloved :" 
 
 Is it a constant and fixed love ; not a sudden 
 flash or transient passion, but a rooted, settled 
 thing ; a vigorous flame, which many < k waters 
 " cannot quench, nor the floods drown it?" and 
 though thy love to some dear creatures may un- 
 happily be more passionate, yet art thou come 
 to a point, that thou wilt sacrifice the dearest 
 object rather than part with " him whom thy 
 
 Deut. sxx. 6. + 1 John Hi. 18. i Psal. lxxiii. 25. $ Philip. 
 
204 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION. 
 
 " soul loves?" — But to bring the matter to a 
 more certain issue, is thy love practical ? this is 
 an infallible test ; for my Lord has said, " Ye 
 " are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I com- 
 " mand you ;"* dost thou count his " yoke 
 " easy, and his burden light r" are none of his 
 " commandments grievous ?" dost thou delight 
 to do his will, and hast thou chosen his " testi- 
 " monies as an heritage for ever?" dost thou 
 find his love sweetly constraining thee to the 
 severest instances of self denial ? and art thou 
 fully purposed, in a better strength than thine 
 own, that thou wilt lt follow the Lamb whither- 
 " soever he goes," whatever it costs thee If it 
 be thus with thee, thou mayest cheerfully sav, 
 " Lord thou that knowest all things, knowest 
 " that 1 love thee!" 
 
 And, as a yet farther evidence, dost thou 
 " love thy neighbour as thyself?" hast thou a 
 real love for all men, and a special peculiar one 
 to thy fellow Christians ? is there no man for 
 whom thou dost not most heartily wish well, 
 whatever provocations he has given thee, or in- 
 juries he has done thee ? though thou hast many 
 enemies. has no man an enemy of thee ? if there 
 are those that u hate thee with a cruel hatred," 
 canst thou appeal to God that the hatred is not 
 mutual and reciprocal ? canst thou sincerely 
 pray; " Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive 
 " them that trespass against us ?" 
 
 And as to the people of God dost thou honour 
 
 * John xv. 14. 
 
IK ORDER TO PARTICIPATION'. 205 
 
 and delight in them ? hereby " we know that 
 •• wc have passed from death unto life, because 
 w ' we love the brethren ?"* dost thou love every 
 soul where thou seest the image of Christ ? is 
 not thy love confined to those of thy own party 
 or persuasion ? but is it unrestrained and large, 
 as that catholic church of which thou art a mem- 
 ber ? does this love engage thee to all proper 
 acts of kindness, and expressions of brotherly 
 Jove ! dost thou pity and help, to the utmost of 
 thy power, all those whom Christ calls brethren, 
 with this view, that what thou dost for them, 
 terminates ultimately upon him, according to 
 Matthew xxv. I Canst thou read the first epis- 
 tle of John, and thy heart not condemn thee ? 
 
 I hope my love is sincere. 
 
 (i But, O my God, how weak and how im- 
 perfect is it 1 I even hate myself, that I can love 
 thee no more : I abhor myself, that I love thy 
 Christ no better ; and blush to think that I am 
 no more kindly afTectioned to those whom thou 
 hast loved with an everlasting love, and with 
 whom I hope to live and converse for ever. 
 
 My only comfort is, that I would love thee, 
 I desire to Love thee, I long to love thee, even 
 as thou wouidst be loved. — Lord ! kindle my 
 spark into a name, and let that flame be strong 
 and steady : and especially grant that my obe- 
 dience may prove my love to be of the right 
 kind : •'• How can J say I love thee, if my heart 
 " be not right with thee." And for thy sake. 
 
 1 John iii. 1 i, 
 
206 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATl IN 
 
 may I love my neighbour, especially the happy 
 members of that glorious family, to which it is 
 my highest honour to belong : O may I love 
 them as myself, and in honour prefer them be- 
 fore myself, and think no office of love too mean 
 for me to stoop to, in imitation of him, " who 
 ** came not to be ministered unto, but to minis- 
 u ter s* this I pray, that my love may abound 
 M more and more ;"f and being hearty and fer- 
 vent in this request, is, I hope, an evidence that 
 I do truly love thee. Oh ! let me not be mista- 
 ken, for the sake of Christ. 
 
 I must also examine myself concerning my 
 new obedience. This, I know, is the ultimate 
 test of all my pretences : without it, faith, re- 
 pentance, love, &x. are empty names, and insig- 
 nificant shadows. Is the will of God my law, 
 his word my rule, and his glory the end of all 
 my actions ? Do I allow myself in the commis- 
 sion of no known sin, or omission of no known 
 duty ? Is it my constant care to u keep a con- 
 " science void of offence, both towards God and 
 u towards man :" Can my closet, my family, 
 my shop, my companions, as well as the public 
 assemblies of God's people, bear me witness, 
 that, notwithstanding my unallowed failings, I 
 do endeavour to walk in all the " ordinances 
 " and commandments of God blameless r" Am 
 I willing to know my duty, and careful to do 
 it; am I thankful for instruction, and reproof 
 too ; and do I count them my friends that tell 
 
 * Matt. $x. 28- f Philip, i. 9. 
 
IN* ORDER TO PARTICIPATION. 207 
 
 me the truth ? Are my remaining corruptions, 
 and my many failings, matter of humiliation to 
 me ? Do I pray for daily grace, as heartily as 
 for my daily bread"? And can I appeal to the 
 Searcher of hearts, that 1 am never more in ear- 
 nest, than when I pray that 1 may be " perfect 
 in every good work to do his will*;" that I 
 may be cleansed from all ' ; filthiness both of 
 flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the 
 fear of the Lord f ; that I may be sanctified 
 wholly, and my whole spirit, soul and body, 
 be preserved blameless to the coming of our 
 Lord J ?" 
 
 I hope it is thus with me in some measure — 
 " But, O my God ! let me not be deceived. 
 If my obedience be feigned, or partial, or legal ; 
 if it do not exceed '• that of the Scribes and 
 Pharisees ; if I have a form of godliness with- 
 out the power, or a name to live while I am 
 dead;" discover to me the truth of my case, that 
 I may be upon a right bottom, and may get 
 that •• gospel holiness, without which I cannot 
 see the Lord." If there be a good work begun, 
 O carry it on to the day of Jesus ! and let the 
 solemn ordinance I am preparing for, be a means 
 of my spiritual nourishment and growth in 
 grace." 
 
 I hope I have been impartial in my self-ex- 
 aminations. — And though, upon review, I find 
 abundant matter for humiliation: yet I cannot 
 conclude myself a hypocrite, but must enter- 
 
 • Heb.iin.21. j 2 Cor.vii.l. \ 1 Thess. v. 23, 
 
208 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, 
 
 tain some u good hope through grace," that I 
 am a sincere, though very imperfect Christian, 
 and shall be a welcome guest at the Lord's 
 table. 
 
 That which now remains, is that I put my- 
 self in as good a posture as may be, to meet my 
 Lord at that solemnity ; that I may not provoke 
 his displeasure, nor disappoint my own expecta- 
 tions. To this end I must see that every grace be 
 in lively and vigorous exercise, lest having " in 
 my flock a male, I should vow and sacrifice to 
 the Lord a corrupt thing #." 
 
 I am sensible, faith is a principal and leading 
 grace : it is the substance (or confident expec- 
 tation) (t of things hoped for, and the evidence 
 of things not seen : without faith it is impossi- 
 ble to please God f ." I cannot question the be- 
 ing of a God, and the certainty of a future state, 
 which are the great principles of natural religion, 
 and pre-supposed to ail revealed. I believe that 
 kk God is, and that he is the rewarder of all them 
 that diligently seek him J. But this is not e- 
 nough ; my Lord has said, " Ye believe in 
 God, believe also in me § :" no knowledge of 
 the only true God is sufficient to eternal life, 
 while men are ignorant of '* that Jesus Christ 
 whom he has sent ||." — Come, then, O my soul! 
 let thy faith in him be strong and lively : Have 
 I not abundant evidence, that Jesus is the Mes- 
 siah, the Christ of God, that " him hath God 
 the Father sealed." The Scriptures of the Old 
 
 Mai. i. 14. f H eb. »• h 6 - I Hc ^ xi - 6 - 
 
 $ John xiv. 1. I John xvii. 3. 
 
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATION'. 209 
 
 Testament testify of him *, To him " Moses 
 and all the prophets bear witness f . In him 
 there was a full and exact accomplishment 
 of every promise and prediction : he is the 
 substance of all the legal shadows ; and to him 
 referred are the types, &c. : he was evidently 
 the Promised Seed, the Shiloh, the Branch, &c. 
 of the ancient fathers, who u waited for the con- 
 solation of Israel J." 
 
 Consider, O my soul ! what a glorious testi- 
 mony God bore to him by a voice from heaven ; 
 by vast numbers of great, public, and uncontest- 
 ed miracles ; and, finally, by raising him from 
 the dead : of which he appointed competent 
 witnesses, men of ability and integrity, who 
 could not be imposed upon in so plain a mat- 
 ter, and who could never be supposed to prac- 
 tise upon the world, because there was no in- 
 terest in view that should engage them in so 
 base a design ; and it is utterly impossible that 
 holy and prudent men should be guilty of the 
 blackest villainy, in prospect of nothing but mi- 
 sery and ruin. 
 
 Besides, did not ' l God also bear them wit- 
 ness, both with signs and wonders, and divers 
 miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost & ?" To 
 which may be added this other consideration, 
 that that doctrine must needs be from God, 
 which has so visible and peculiar a tendency to 
 make men God-like in the temper of their 
 minds, and course of their actions ; that gospel 
 
 * John vi. 27, and 39. f Acts x. 43. i Luke ii. 25. 
 
 § Heb. ii.4. 
 
 T 
 
210 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMIN ATIOK, 
 
 must needs be the grace of God, which teaches 
 us so effectually, " that denying ungodliness 
 and all worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
 righteously, and godly, in this present evil 
 world."* 1 find, by the records of past ages, 
 and the observations I have made in the com- 
 pass of my own acquaintance, that the best 
 Christians have been the best men. And, O 
 my soul ! canst thou not bear thine own testi- 
 mony, that the interest of God in thee, bears a 
 constant proportion to the measure of thy faith 
 in Christ Jesus? Dost thou not always find, 
 that when thy faith is ready to fail, the good 
 u things that remain are ready to die?"f And, 
 on the contrary, is thy heart ever so pure, and 
 thy life so clean, as when thy faith is vigorous 
 and lively ? Now, can any thing be more incre- 
 dible, than that the Great God should make use 
 of an impostor to renew his own image upon 
 the souls of men? 1 will as soon believe any 
 absurdity, as that the most holy God should 
 erect and support his kingdom in the world 
 by a lie, and destroy the interest of the devil 
 by arts and methods perfectly hellish and dia- 
 bolical. 
 
 Come, then, O my soul ! " be strong in 
 feith, giving glory to God."J 'Tis true, be- 
 lieving is hard work ; but consider whence the 
 difficulties arise ! from a corrupt heart, and a 
 malicious enemy ; and let this thought be a 
 farther evidence to the credibility of the doc- 
 
 * Tit. ii. 11, 12. f Rev. iii. 2. ± Rom. iv. 29. 
 
) PARTICIPA'I ION. 21 1 
 
 trine of the cross. Why should the disinge- 
 nuousness of an evil heart, make such mighty 
 opposition to the work of faith ? If it were not 
 the work of God, the enemies of God would 
 never make such efforts to hinder it : Satan 
 would cherish his own creature ; the world 
 would love its own ; and the flesh would nexer 
 express such a reiuctancy against the gospel, if 
 : : v. ere not spiritual in its tendency, and divine 
 i:i its original. Therefore, O my soul ! let me 
 form arguments out of difficulties, and pave my 
 way with the very stumbling-blocks that arc 
 thrown in it. 
 
 It is indeed an astonishing thought, that God 
 should assume the human nature, and, in it die : 
 " without controversy, great is the mystery of 
 godliness," &c. * But let not this stagger thee. 
 Consider seriously; that the more awful and 
 surprising the mysteries of the gospel are, the 
 more likely they are to be from God, who can 
 scarce be supposed to declare any thing but 
 what was extraordinary, and out of the reach of 
 unassisted reason, with such a solemn pomp, 
 and train of mighty works, as were wrought to 
 confirm the mission of our Lord. It would have 
 been matter of suspicion, if Ghrist and his dis- 
 ciples had preached nothing but what the Pa- 
 gan Philosophers taught, and the Jewish doc- 
 tors owned, And it should recommend the 
 doctrine of Christ to a considering unpre- 
 judiced mind, that it was to the Jews " a 
 
 1 Tim, iii. 1G. 
 
212 THE PREVIOUS SELF-EXAMINATION, &C. 
 
 stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolish- 
 ness." * 
 
 Are not these things so? Come, then, O my 
 soul! believe, and be established. Believe 
 what Jesus testifies to thee in his holy ordi- 
 nance : 4t This is my body broken for you ; 
 and this is the blood of the New Covenant, 
 which was shed for you, for the remission of 
 sins." 
 
 But, O wretched man that I am ! " who 
 shall deliver me from this evil heart of unbe- 
 lief?" It is not bare external evidence, that 
 will produce a divine faith. Faith, I know, is 
 the work, the mighty work of God, and pro- 
 duced in the heart by no less power than that 
 which " raised up Jesus from the dead : it is 
 not of ourselves ; it is the gift of God.f 
 
 " And therefore, O my God ! I turn me un- 
 to thee, in whose hand my heart is, and who 
 canst prevail against the united force of my 
 confederate enemies ; and not only begin, but 
 carry on the " work of faith with power. I 
 believe : Lord ! help mine unbelief," and H per- 
 fect that which is lacking in my faith." Not 
 only propose the object, but open my eyes, that 
 I may no more question what the Gospel reveals, 
 than what my eyes see, (i that believing in him 
 whom I do not see, I may rejoice with joy un- 
 speakable and full of glory." 
 
 * 1 Cor. L 23. f Eph. i. 20. and ii. 8. 
 
[213] 
 
 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS AND IN WHAT MANNER 
 WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 
 
 *T Proceed now to consider with what aflfec- 
 JL tions or dispositions we ought to approach 
 the Lord's Supper, if we would wish worthily to 
 partake of it. Upon these our own comfort, and 
 the blessings of God also very much depend : 
 for neither can the elements of bread and wine 
 of themselves confer grace, nor the hand or in- 
 tention of the pastor or minister sanctify the of- 
 fice. When the sinner is going on in his tres- 
 passes, as he regards iniquity in his heart, he 
 can hope for no acceptance with God ; the Lord 
 will not hear him. 
 
 Whatever was the restricted meaning of the 
 Corinthians, eating and drinking unworthily, it. 
 would be unreasonable to conclude, that in no 
 other sense could Christians now be said to eat 
 and drink unworthily. They very probably ate 
 and drunk with intemperance, pride, and un- 
 charitableness : while one was hungry, another 
 was drunken, and treated their poor brethren 
 with contempt, who had no suppers of their 
 own, nor houses where they might eat at home. 
 
 But if we understand the word worthily, in 
 the proper sense, that is suitably ; as the person 
 to be remembered is possessed of so much dig- 
 nity and excellence, and the blessings which we 
 have received from him very precious, to com- 
 
 * From Dr. Duncan's Devout Communicant's Assistant. 
 T 2 
 
214 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 mem orate him worthily or suitably, to the end 
 of this institution, must include affections. 
 Thus worthily to commemorate an act of friend- 
 ship, or generosity, or benevolence, implies our 
 having an esteem of the person, and a thankful 
 sense of the obligation which he laid on us. To 
 remember suitably a paient or friend deceased 
 or absent, always means our having that affec- 
 tionate sense of duty and of friendship that is 
 worthy of such a character, and of the obliga- 
 tions which we have received from him. For 
 the same reason, to partake as we ought of our 
 Lord's supper, implies the following sentiments, 
 affections, or dispositions. 
 
 1. That we partake of it with faith; which 
 respects not only our belief of the truth of this 
 great event, the death of Jesus the Son of God ; 
 but also the end of his death, and our making 
 application to it. 
 
 A person who comes to the Lord's table 
 ought, in reason, to be as firmly persuaded of 
 the truth of the death of Christ, as the beloved 
 disciple was when he stood by the cross and saw 
 him crucified, and his side pierced with a spear ; 
 or as the Apostle Thomas was, when with his 
 fingers he felt in Christ's hands and his feet the 
 print of the nails wherewith he had been fasten- 
 ed to the cross, and thrust his hand into the 
 wounds made in his side by the spear. 
 
 We must in like manner believe the end of 
 Christ's death ; not only that he died as our 
 master, to witness a good confession, and ratify 
 his doctrine, and- as a King to lay a foundation 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKL. 215' 
 
 for his kingdom in his sufferings ; but also, that 
 he laid clown his life as the propitiation for our 
 sins, and is employed in heaven in making in- 
 tercession for us. For, it is certain, the whole 
 strain of the New Testament considers the death 
 of Christ as a proper sacrifice for sin ; that is, 
 makes mention of his sufferings as a considera- 
 tion for which the wisdom and justice of God 
 have thought fit to grant forgiveness to the peni- 
 tent. John Baptist laid clown his life, or, in a 
 very eminent manner, suffered in support of his 
 doctrine ; as did the holy martyr Stephen, and 
 the apostle James, the brother of John, also suf- 
 fered in confirmation of those truths and that 
 doctrine which they preached ; and yet no writer 
 of the New Testament ever called the death of 
 any of these eminent and worthy persons, a sa- 
 crifice or propitiation for sin. 
 
 The particular employment of fdith. at the 
 Lord's table, is, with the consent of the heart, 
 thankfully to accept and ratify, on our part, the 
 terms of mercy published through the death of 
 Christ ; and there to make application to God 
 for the pardon of sin, for the sake of the death of 
 which we then commemorate. For "the blood 
 " of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin. Jesus Christ 
 a is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever ;" 
 as mighty to save us now, as if we had made 
 application to him while bleeding on the cross. 
 ;i He is able to save to the very uttermost, all 
 " that come to God through him, seeing he ever 
 iC liveth to make intercession for them." 
 
 When devout persons do thus, with faith in 
 
216 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 the death of Christ, with holy contrition and sor- 
 row for sin, and sincere purposes of amend- 
 ment, make application at the Lord's table for 
 the forgiveness of past transgressions, they have 
 great reason to hope that they shall obtain it. 
 
 2. We ought to partake of the Lord's Supper 
 with love and thanksgiving, for the great bless- 
 ings brought to us by the death of Christ. 
 
 Great blessings require suitable returns and 
 expressions of gratitude. The Jews, when they 
 celebrated the passover, were wont to sing a 
 hymn of praise, called by them the Great Hallel, 
 or Hallelujah, in thanksgiving to God, who had 
 in so remarkable a manner delivered their fore- 
 fathers from the devouring angel, and from the 
 slavery and oppression of Egypt. With much 
 juster reason ought the disciples of Christ to 
 commemorate with praise and thanksgiving, the 
 great salvation which he hath brought us by his 
 death, from more terrible evils, of which the 
 deliverance out of Egypt was but a faint em- 
 blem. For, by the sacrifice of Christ, the peni- 
 tent is delivered from the guilt and dominion of 
 sin, from the fear of death, and the power of Sa- 
 tan, as well as from the dread of eternal misery ; 
 enemies far more dreadful than the Egyptian 
 task-masters, or Pharaoh and all his host. On 
 this account, the Lord's Supper, in ancient 
 times, was called the Eucharist ', or the feast of 
 thanksgiving. 
 
 Proper, therefore, it surely is, on such an oc- 
 casion, that our hearts be filled with gratitude, 
 and our mouths with praise. 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 21 7 
 
 To God the Father, who, as original Judge, 
 and Sovereign of the World, did, of his own 
 goodness, remit the punishment which he might 
 justly have executed on us sinners ; and in mer- 
 cy sent his Son to be the propitiation for cur 
 sins. 
 
 To the Son also ought we to ascribe thanks- 
 giving and praise, even as we honour the Fa- 
 ther ; that he so cheerfully undertook the im- 
 portant work of our salvation, and behaved with 
 so much affection and constancy in it ; bore so 
 much contradiction of sinners against himself, 
 yet neither failed, nor was discouraged, till the 
 great end of his coming was accomplished. 
 
 If temporal favours, whose nature is perishing 
 and unsatisfactory, claim returns of duty and 
 gratitude, how much stronger a sense of love 
 and praise ought to possess our hearts at the 
 remembrance of the unspeakable gift of God ? 
 On such occasions it well becometh us to be- 
 stir every tender, every devout and grateful af- 
 fection of our souls, saying, in the language of 
 the psalmist ; H Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
 •* all that is within me bless his holy name, and 
 " forget not all his benefits ; who forgiveth all 
 " thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, 
 li who crowneth thee with loving kindnesses 
 11 and tender mercies.'' 
 
 3. Sorrow for past sins, and sincere purpose 
 of amendment. Repentance is an indispensable 
 condition of our forgiveness. It consists in ge- 
 nuine confession of our sins, in contrition and 
 sorrow for them, and purposes, by the grace of 
 
218 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 God, wherein we have done iniquity, that we 
 will do no more. Yet, according to the terms 
 of the gospel, nothing is esteemed true repent- 
 ance, but that which issues in change of life 
 and conversation. The best proof to our own 
 hearts that our profession of repentance is sin- 
 cere, will be our afterwards bringing forth the 
 fruit of righteousness. 
 
 We commemorate the death of Christ as the 
 only ground of our hope of that forgiveness 
 which is published to the penitent. And, when 
 w r e compare ourselves with his death, and re- 
 member what strict obligations it layeth on us 
 to depart from iniquity ; and, at the same time, 
 consider how far we have come short of that 
 justice, goodness, or purity which the law of 
 God requires, and to which we are bound as 
 the disciples of Jesus: this will shew us with 
 how good reason sorrow ought to fill our hearts, 
 for having so ill requited his love. 
 
 In this view, it well becometh us to take up 
 the words of the penitent prodigal, " I will arise 
 " and go to my Father, and say unto him, Fa- 
 " ther, I have sinned against heaven and in thy 
 i; sight, and am no more worthy to be caiied 
 " thy son;" and tp acknowledge, that if God 
 should strictly " mark iniquity," or plead against 
 us the breaches of our covenant, we, on our part, 
 have forfeited all the blessings of it. As the re- 
 view of our past lives ought justly to fill us with 
 sorrow and dread of punishment on account of 
 our sins, it well becomes us to deprecate the 
 Wrath of God, and implore forgiveness of our 
 
"WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 219 
 
 transgressions, and, in sight of the cross of 
 Christ, to renew our engagements to watch 
 against sin more carefully, and to " walk before 
 * ; him in holiness and righteousness, all the 
 " days of our life." 
 
 The particular test of the sincerity of those 
 resolutions will be our vowing and striving 
 against " the sin that doth most easily beset us." 
 This is indeed " purging out the old leaven, 
 " that we may keep the feast with the unleaven- 
 " ed bread of sincerity and truth." 
 
 4. The Lord's Supper ought to be celebrated 
 with love and charity, maintaining communion 
 with all, who, in every piace call upon the name 
 of the Lord Jesus, with credible sincerity. 
 
 This is too generally misunderstood : for, 
 many look on communicating as a mark of their 
 party, not as an evidence of their being Chris- 
 tians ; and, whenever any small difference in 
 opinions arises, all angry weak men are earnest 
 to add exclusive articles of faith, and straiten 
 the terms of communion, so as to seclude from 
 the fellowship of the saints others who really 
 believe in Christ, and are, in the general course 
 of their lives, serious and unblameable. This 
 is, indeed, shutting up the kingdom of heaven 
 against men. 
 
 Yet nothing is more inculcated by our holy 
 religion than this charity, which is the badge of 
 Christ's disciples. Therein we are taught, that 
 Christ is the propitiation for our sins, not for 
 ours only, but for those also of the whole world ; 
 that he is to redeem to himsell a glorious church 
 
220 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 out of every kindred, tongue, people, and na- 
 tion : that all, who in every place call on the 
 name of the Lord Jesus, and hold communion 
 with him as the head, are members of that 
 Church, which is his body ; and, as redeemed 
 by the same precious blood, partakers of the 
 same grace, sanctified by the same Holy Spirit, 
 and heirs of the same eternal inheritance, all the 
 real members of that church, have communion 
 one with another. 
 
 Christians therefore, when they commemo- 
 rate the death of Christ, the head, ought to do it, 
 professing love and charity for all the members 
 of the body. This is maintaining the " unity of 
 " the spirit in the bond of peace, as there is 
 " one body and one spirit ; one Lord, one faith, 
 " one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who 
 " is through all, above all, and in us all." Thus 
 the apostle expresses this communion : " We 
 being many are one body, and* one bread, for 
 we are all partakers of that one bread."* 
 
 In a special manner ought every one, who 
 approaches to the Lord's table, to do it in terms 
 of forgiveness with all men, as the gospel hath 
 made our forgiveness of others a necessary con- 
 dition of our own acceptance with God. " If 
 " thou bring thy gift to the altar, and remem- 
 " berest that thy brother hath ought against thee, 
 " leave thy gift before the altar, go thy way, first 
 " be reconciled to thy brother, and then come 
 u and offer thy gift." — " But if ye forgive not 
 
 * 1 Cor. x. \7. 
 
WHAT MANNiiR \VY. AKil TO PARTAKE* 221 
 
 k ' men their trespasses, neither will your Father 
 " forgive your trespasses."! 
 
 5. With sincerity. This the apostle calls 
 <• drawing near with a true heart," and " keep- 
 " ing the feast with the unleavened bread of sin- 
 " cerity and truth." 
 
 A person may be said to be sincere, when his 
 motives are single, and his outward conduct, in 
 word and action, agreeable to the sense and per- 
 suasion of his heart. This, instead of being one 
 virtue, or particular good disposition, is rather 
 what animates and influences all the virtues of 
 the Christian life, and gives worth to every part 
 of a good character. Sincerity makes our pro- 
 fessions of friendship to be relied on by men, 
 and renders our piety acceptable before in God 
 Christ. The want of it, or hypocrisy, infects the 
 whole of a man's religious conduct, and renders 
 it an abomination to him that seeth the heart. 
 Thus the Pharisees made great noise about re- 
 ligion ; but their hearts were not right with 
 God : while without they were as whited sepul- 
 chres, within they were full of putrefaction and 
 rottenness. 
 
 That sincerity wherewith we ought to cele- 
 brate the Lord's Supper implies, that our faith 
 in Christ be unfeigned, and our outward pro- 
 fession consistent with the inward persuasion of 
 our minds : that our motives are upright in par- 
 taking of it. That is to say, that we are per- 
 suaded that the gospel is the wisdom of God, 
 
 Matt. v. 23. vi. 1J. 
 
 u 
 
222 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 and the power of God unto salvation; that Christ 
 crucified is the only propitiation for sin. We 
 come to his table, to make open profession of 
 this belief. We set to our seal to this, that God 
 is true, and declare that we hope for salvation 
 through him alone, whom <jod hath sent. For 
 as " with the heart man believeth unto righ- 
 " teousness," so V with the mouth confession is 
 "made unto salvation." 
 
 Our motives, in so doing, ought to be, that 
 we may approve ourselves unto God ; express 
 our gratitude for his unspeakable gift ; manifest 
 our love to Christ, who Joved us, and gave him- 
 self to the death for us ; to contribute what we 
 can, that the memory of his love may be pre- 
 served in the world to generations yet to come, 
 and a powerful and abiding sense of it cultivated 
 in our own hearts, that we -may thereby be made 
 more conformable unto his death. 
 
 Our love to God is sincere, when our constant 
 endeavour is to approve ourselves to him, and 
 our desire, carefully to avoid whatever would 
 offend him. 
 
 Our repentance or sorrow for sin is sincere, 
 when we purpose fervently to watch against all 
 temptations, with no secret reserve afterward to 
 return to the commission of any sin. To such 
 persons, who, with these dispositions, draw near 
 to this ordinance, we may say, .in the words of 
 the Psalmist : " He that hath clean hands and a 
 "pure heart, 'who hath not lift up his soul to 
 " vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 223 
 
 u the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness 
 H from the God of his salvation.*" 
 
 It will be proper to observe,, ere we leave this 
 part of the subject, that, when we speak of dis- 
 positions requisite to communicate worthily, the 
 meaning is not as if we could acquire them on- 
 ly for this end, to partake of the Lord's Supper; 
 neither does it mean that every one can possess 
 them in an equal degree, or that no person 
 should come to the Lord's table who is convin- 
 ced that he does not possess them all : but the 
 meaning is, that these are the dispositions and 
 characters of good Christians. Every one ought 
 to endeavour to acquire them, and not neglect 
 to partake of the Sacrament, because he has not 
 yet fully attained them ; but should devoutly 
 employ this ordinance as a mean to acquire and 
 perfect all those holy affections, that may render 
 him worthy of communion with God in this 
 world, or meet for the enjoyment of him in hea- 
 ven. 
 
 He alone can relish the pleasures of friend- 
 ship who in some degree, is possessed of senti • 
 ments and dispositions of friendship ; yet both 
 sentiments and dispositions may be greatly cul- 
 tivated and improved by mutual intercourse of 
 affection and good offices. In like manner, the 
 pure and unmixed delight that accompanies a 
 devout and religious life, is only found of them 
 that take pleasure therein : but these joys may 
 be greatly heightened, and our relish of them 
 
 Psalm xxiv. 4, 5. 
 
224 VJITU WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 increased, by a diligent and careful use of the 
 means of grace. " Then shall I praise thee," 
 said the Psalmist, " with uprightness of heart, 
 " when I have learned thy judgments." 
 
 * IT should be our concern, to let none of that 
 time run to waste, which we spend in the house 
 of our God, but to improve every minute of it 
 to some good purpose. And as to the spaces, 
 or intervals, that may be between one ordinance 
 and another, it will be proper to fill them up with 
 pious thoughts and ejaculations. This may be 
 a means to render those ordinances, that are over, 
 the more useful to us, and to prepare us for such 
 as w e are to be found in. As soon therefore, as 
 the rest of the public worship is ended, you may 
 speak to yourselves in some such language as 
 this. 
 
 " Now the Lord furnisheth a table for us in 
 i; his house, and setteth thereon the choicest 
 li dainties. There will be bread, which strength - 
 " eneth man's heart, and wine, that maketh it 
 c ' glad ; bread which came down from Heaven, 
 " that a man may eat thereof and not die ; wine, 
 '< which whosoever drink eth, hath eternal life. 
 
 il There the crucified Jesus, and all the bless- 
 " ed fruits of his sufferings and death, will be set 
 " before us. And behold! though vile, andsin- 
 '» ful, and utterly unworthy of such a favour, I 
 " am invited to be a guest! The Spirit and the 
 " bride say come, and let him that heareth say 
 
 * From Dr. Owen's discourses on the Lord's Supper. 
 
vVHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. £25 
 
 ;, come, and let him that is athirst come ; and 
 " whosoever will, let him freely take of this spiri- 
 l < tual provision. With what satisfaction, delight 
 " and joy ; with what admiration of the love of 
 i l God in Christ; and with what thankfulness 
 " and praise shouldest thou, O my soul, accept 
 " of the invitation ! 
 
 " Oh ! may I be aright prepared for this feast, 
 H When the king shall come in to see the guests, 
 " let me not be found without a wedding gar- 
 '"ment. Forbid it, O Lord, that I should ea: 
 "and drink at thy table, in token of friendship 
 " with thee, and secretly purpose to go on in sin 
 "and rebellion against thee. Give me to be 
 " found in all the duties now incumbent on me ; 
 " and to hunger and thirst after all the good 
 "things thou hast prepared forme. And O 
 " bless me with all spiritual blessings in heaven- 
 '•'ly places in Christ. On his grace I depend 
 '•' for assistance ; I trust to his merits foraccep- 
 "tance." 
 
 And now being come to the table, and look- 
 ing on the bread, and on the cup, let them lead 
 your thoughts to the Lord Jesus, and fix them 
 on him as one, who came from heaven that he 
 might give his flesh, and shed his blood for the 
 life of the world. 
 
 " Although thou hast sinned, O my soul! and 
 by sin destroyed thyself, yet there is hope. In 
 God is thine help. He has laid help on one that 
 is mighty; mighty to save. In this was mani- 
 fested the love of God towards us, because he 
 sent his oniv begotten Son into the world, that 
 v 2 
 
226 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IX 
 
 we might live through him. Behold what man- 
 ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us ! 
 
 iC He spared not the angels that sinned ; but 
 cast them down to hell; and delivered them 
 into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judg- 
 ment. The Son of God did not come from 
 heaven with a design to take hold on them, or 
 help and save them, no, but with a view to our 
 salvation ; and took part of our flesh and blood, 
 that he might deliver us from all the evils, which 
 our sins had brought upon us, and raise us up 
 to endless bliss and glory. 
 
 " Hosannah to the Son of David ; Blessed is 
 he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Ho- 
 sannah in the highest. God is the Lord which 
 hath shewed us light. Thou art my God, and 
 I will praise thee. Thou art my God, I will 
 exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord ; for 
 he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 Come, and let us offer the sacrifice of praise unto 
 God, the fruit of our lips, and call upon his 
 name. Let the heart qf them rejoice that seek 
 him, seek the Lord and his strength; seek his 
 face for evermore; remember his marvellous 
 works that he hath done." 
 
 Who knows but that while engaged in such 
 exercises as these, your hearts may grow warm 
 within you : while you are thus musing, the 
 sacred fire of devotion may be kindled in your 
 breasts. This is certainly a very proper means 
 to prepare our minds for those public prayers 
 and thanksgivings in which every communicant 
 is to join ; and as when these are over, the next 
 
.'. HAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 227 
 
 thing to be attended to, is the breaking of the 
 bread; so this rite setting Christ before us as 
 suffering and dying for us, we may spend the 
 time it takes up in thus speaking within our- 
 
 I es. 
 
 *' Thou art now, O my soul, to fix thine eye 
 on the blessed Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, 
 suffering and dying for thee. This he did now 
 more than seventeen hundred years ago, and he 
 has instituted this rite, the breaking of this bread, 
 to preserve the memory of it ; and it now pre- 
 sents it to thy thoughts. Lord help me to turn 
 aside and see this great sight ; may I view it on 
 all sides : view it thoroughly, and with a be- 
 coming temper. What more amazing ! what 
 more affecting! 
 
 " See here a righteous and innocent person. 
 given up into the power of his blood-thirsty ene- 
 mies, to be crucified and slain by their wicked 
 hands, as if he had been the vilest of malefac- 
 tors ; nay, see here, the only begotten Son of 
 God bruised, and put to grief by his beloved 
 Father. 
 
 '< Who can say how great his sufferings were! 
 what an agony was he in when he prayed again 
 and again unto God. with strong crying and 
 tears, " O my Father, if it be possible, let this 
 cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, 
 but as thou wilt :" and when he was so depress- 
 ed with sorrow and amazement; when such was 
 the distress and anguish of his soul, that iiis 
 sweat ran from him like great drops of blood ! 
 
228 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 44 How shall we account for these sufferings 
 of the Holy Jesus, the Son of God, his beloved 
 Son, in whom he was well pleased ! Where were 
 the bowels of his Father ! nay, where his jus- 
 tice ! The scripture answers, God commendeth 
 his love towards us, in that while we were yet 
 sinners, Christ died for us *. He spared not his 
 own Son, but delivered him up for us all f. 
 And this he might do without any injustice, or 
 want of affection to him ; for Christ also hath 
 loved us, and hath given himself for us, an of- 
 fering, and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smell- 
 ing savour J. 
 
 " See then, O my soul, this love of God, this 
 grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Lord, give 
 me to know more of this grace; raise in me the 
 highest thoughts of this love. Oh ! may I feel 
 that it constraineth me henceforth to live, not 
 unto ni} self, but unto him that died for me, 
 and rose again." 
 
 And now the bread being broken, it is next 
 presented to the communicants, and the words 
 of our Lord Jesus are repeated, Take, eat, this 
 is my body which is given and broken for you. 
 This may lead us to add as follows. 
 
 " \\ hat words do I hear ! with what mournful 
 pleasure should I receive them ! Is not this the 
 same as if the blessed Jesus were saying unto thee, 
 O my soul! Let all thy fears and doubts, of the 
 forgiveness ofbin through my sufferings and death > 
 immediately vanish ; and know, assuredly, that 
 
 * Rom. v. 8. f char) viti. S3. $ Eph. v. 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 229 
 
 as my body was given and broken upon the cross* 
 so it was for thee that this was done ; for thee I 
 suffered; for thee I was crucified : for thy good ; 
 for thy salvation : And I am willing, heartily 
 willing, to be thy Saviour. " To this end I was 
 born, and for this cause came I into the w r orld, 
 and made my soul an offering for sin." And 
 I now give thee this bread, the symbol of my 
 body given and broken for thee, in token of my 
 calling on thee to look to me, with hope and joy, 
 for all the blessed fruits of my sufferings and 
 death : 4t be not faithless, but believing." 
 
 " And surely it will become thee to say, in 
 "■ return, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbe- 
 " lief. Mine iniquities testify against me, and 
 " my transgressions, which have been multiple 
 *' ed. Ah, how have 1 despised the command - 
 ' ; ments of God, and done evil in his sight. It 
 •' is of his mercies, that I am not consumed* 
 "But why should the sense of my sins cause 
 "my heart to despair, when thou, O blessed 
 i4 Jesus, the hope of Israel, and the Saviour there - 
 '* of, callest to all the ends of the earth, to look 
 " unto thee, that they may be saved ; *, to come 
 " unto thee, that they may have rest .f 
 
 " Encouraged therefore, not only by thy 
 " word, but by this sensible pledge of thy fa- 
 " vour, which thou here givest me, I now fly to 
 " thee as my Saviour. In thee alone I trust: 
 " Lord, save me, or I perish. To thee I now 
 " look for repentance, and the forgiveness of all 
 
 * Isa. xlv. 22. j W»tt. xi 
 
230 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 * c my sins ; for a righteousness to justify me ; 
 •* for thy Spirit to sanctify me ; for reconcilia- 
 " tion and peace with God, and all the blessings 
 '• thou hast purchased. 
 
 " To thee I now solemnly and heartily devote 
 *f myself. Lord, I am thine ; fully resolved, in 
 " an human dependence on thy grace, to spend 
 " all my days in thy service : and I now take, 
 " and eat this bread, in token of my acknowledg- 
 " ing thee as my Lord, and of my trusting and 
 ii hoping in thee as my Saviour." 
 
 If there be any time between the receiving of 
 the bread, and the other part of this ordinance, 
 it may be employed in some such thoughts as 
 these : 
 
 " Thou hast now named the name of Christ, 
 ' let it be thy care, O my soul ! to depart from 
 ' all iniquity. Like one of his familiar friends, 
 
 * thou hast been eating of his bread, give proof 
 ' of thy loving him, by keeping his command- 
 1 ments. Be concerned to approve thyself to 
 1 him, as his disciple indeed, by continuing in 
 ' his word, living in his service. Let thy con- 
 
 * versation be as it becometh his gospel ; so as 
 ' to adorn this doctrine of God our Saviour in 
 1 all things. As thou hast received Christ Jesus 
 ' the Lord, so walk in him, rooted, and built 
 ' up in him, and established in the faith, a- 
 
 * bounding therein with thanksgiving. O may- 
 < est thou never forget that he is thy Lord, but 
 6 daiiy worship and serve him. Always re- 
 ; member that he is thy Saviour : the life which 
 ' I now live in the flesh, J live by the faith of 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 231 
 
 ; - the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him- 
 " self for me. 
 
 " O Lord ! do thou enable me to maintain a 
 Xi constant dependence on thy grace, and grant 
 " that I may find it sufficient for me in all diffi- 
 " culties and trials. O thou blessed Jesus ! thou 
 -"almighty Saviour! keep that which I have 
 <; committed unto thee against that day. Pray 
 u for me, that my faith may never fail ! Lord, 
 " increase and strengthen it : perfect that which 
 " is lacking in it. Fulfil all the good pleasure 
 li of thy goodness, and the work of faith with 
 u power. May ks actings be more vigorous 
 **< and lively, in the remaining part of this duty, 
 " than they have been in that which is now over. 
 4i Mine eyes are unto thee, O Lord, have mer- 
 " cy upon me." 
 
 Our meditations and ejaculations, relating to 
 the cup, should be suitable to the several things 
 that our Lord observed, as he presented it to his 
 disciples; as that it is the symbol of his blood, 
 which he shed for us, for the remission of sins; 
 that this blood, of which the cup is the appoint- 
 ed symbol, is the blood of the new covenant ; 
 and that agreeably to this, the cup is also to be 
 considered as the token and seal of this cove- 
 nant, in Christ's blood, both on God's part and 
 on ours. 
 
 The considering the cup, as representing the 
 blood of Jesus shed for us, and for many, for 
 the remission of sins, " that whosoever believ- 
 u eth, through him might be saved," may leatf 
 us to express our thoughts in such words a^ 
 these : 
 
232 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 " Thou art now again, O my soul! to view 
 c the crucified Jesus ; for he is again evidently 
 
 • set forth before thine eyes, as crucified among 
 ' us. Behold the price of thy redemption, the 
 
 < forgiveness of thy sins; not corruptible things, 
 4 as silver and gold, but the precious blood of 
 ' Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and 
 ' without spot. How great is that salvation, 
 ' which was purchased by the Son of God at 
 
 • so dear a rate ! how shall I escape if I neglect 
 
 • it ! 
 
 " But be not cast down. O my soul ! why 
 
 • shouldst thou fear, and not hope in the Sa- 
 { viour of all men, even of every one who belie- 
 
 < vcth, when he assureth thee, that he suffered 
 ' and died for thee, and again calleth on thee to 
 ' look to him for all the blessed fruits of his 
 i sufferings and death ; nay, again presenteth 
 ' them unto thee ! 
 
 " Do not forget that he who was delivered for 
 ' thine offences, was raised again for thy justi- 
 ' fication ; and that, as by his blood, that biood 
 ' which he shed for the remission of thy sins, 
 
 • he entered into the 'holy place, heaven itself, 
 
 • now to appear in the presence of God for 
 6 thee ; so he is able to save them to the ut- 
 ' termost, that come unto God by him, see- 
 
 • ing he ever iiveth to make intercession for 
 » them." 
 
 " O may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 c the Father of glory, enlighten the eyes of my 
 ' understanding, that I may know what is the 
 ' hope of his calling ; what the exceeding richer 
 
w it a t 'm a n N r.£. we are to partai:l. £ 3 Z 
 
 *• of his grace, in his kindness towards me 
 " through Jesus Christ ; how very desirable 
 f< that blessedness is, which is now set before 
 '•' me. 
 
 " Had no more been said of the blood of Jesus ? 
 " than that it was shed for the remission of sins, 
 " it might have been thought, that the being 
 " saved from wrath through him, is all I am to 
 il look for. But how shouldst thou wonder, O 
 " my soul ! at the gracious words which pro- 
 *•' ceeded out of his mouth ! This is ?ny blood 
 " of the new covenant : words evidently design- 
 u ed to encourage thy hopes of the sum of all 
 •• blessedness, the having the Lord for thy God, 
 *• in covenant with thee. 
 
 " And now thou art not merely to view, but 
 u receive Christ by faith, as having once suffer- 
 (i ed for sins, the just for the unjust, that he 
 " might bring thee to God ; that God, of an 
 '* enemy, might be thy friend ; that his covenant 
 '•' of life and peace might be with thee ; that all 
 ■•' the exceeding great and precious promises in 
 *• in his word, promises of the life that now is, 
 81 and of that which is to come, might be thy 
 *' portion. In Christ they are yea, and in him, 
 '•amen; ratified and confirmed by his blood. 
 
 " Now thou art to look up to God in the hea- 
 •• vens, as sitting en the throne of his grace, 
 kl holding out the golden sceptre, inviting thee 
 ••' to draw near, and in how condescending, how 
 " kind, and moving a manner! incline thine ear; 
 ,$ come unto me ; hear, and thou shalt live, and 
 
 X 
 
234 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 '•' I will make an everlasting covenant with thee. 
 ■'•' even the sure mercies of David.* 
 
 *' Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this ! let 
 '•' angels, as well as saints, stand amazed at the 
 u love of God, in giving his Son ; and the love 
 " of Christ, in giving himself to suffer and die 
 " that we might partake of this blessedness. Oh 
 u how rich is God in mercy ! how great is the 
 u love wherewith he hath loved us! how ex- 
 '•' ceeding abundant is the grace of our Lord Je- 
 *' sus Christ! shouldst thou not love him who 
 u first loved thee ! 
 
 " What is there, O my soul ! of greater im- 
 *' 4 portance than this, the having God's covenant 
 '* with thee. Thy life ; thy all ; thy peace and 
 ■ ii comfort, in this world, and eternal blessedness 
 " in the other depend upon it. Happy is he that 
 u hath the God of Jacob for his help ; whose 
 u hope is in the Lord his God, who made hea- 
 " ven, earth, and sea, and all that is therein ; 
 " who keepeth truth, and shall reign for ever, 
 4 * even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations !" 
 
 ^ And what can do more to silence all thy 
 * 6 . fears, nay, to fill thee with all joy, and peace in 
 •* believing ; and even give thee to abound in 
 li hope of this unspeakable privilege, through 
 " the power of the Holy Ghost, than that, which 
 •** thy blessed Saviour has observed concerning 
 " his blood ? 
 
 " Thy sins, O my soul, have been many, thy 
 
 ■'• guilt has been great ; but be of good com- 
 
 ■ , ..-..■ j. . — 
 
 • Isaiah 1y. 5. 
 
V.UA'I MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 2oJ 
 
 ;; fort ; the blood of Jesus was shed for thee, 
 " for the remission of thy sins : if therefore thou 
 " confessest and forsake'st them, even the faith- 
 " fulness, as well as mercy, of God, may encou- 
 *' rage thy hopes of forgiveness,* 
 
 " Thou hast rebelled against the most high 
 '• God, the possessor and Lord of heaven and 
 " earth ; and there is nothing thou canst do to 
 " merit his favour ; but dost thcu repent of thy 
 " wicked es and choose the things that please 
 " him, it is no presumption in thee to take hold 
 " of his covenant, and look for all the blessings 
 " it speaks of; for this blood, which was shed 
 ••' for the remission of thy sins, is also the 
 " blood of the covenant, the price of these 
 *•' blessings. 
 
 tt And should it not remove every discourage 
 u ing thought, to behold the Lord Jesus pre- 
 '* senting thee with this cup, the symbol of his 
 '* blood, and commanding thee to receive it, as 
 (i the new covenant in his blood. It is a sensible 
 '• pledge of God's favour to thee 5 the seal, as 
 ' l well as token of his covenant 5 and designed, 
 " not merely to lead thy thoughts to the gra- 
 *• cious declarations and promises of the word : 
 i% but to excite and strengthen, thy faith and thy 
 ** hope in them, and to serve as a witness for 
 " God, that there shall not fail one word of all his 
 u good promises. 
 
 " Make use then, O my soul, of that liberty 
 " that is granted thee, to enter into the holiest by 
 
 • 1 John i. 9. Prov. xxvil 13. 
 
236 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 " the blood of Jesus; that blood by which be- 
 *' himself is entered ; and go boldly, though with 
 6i reverence and godly fear, to the throne of 
 " grace, that thou mayest obtain mercy, and find 
 " grace to help in time of need. 
 
 " And now, O Lord, I draw near to thee. O 
 " may I do it with a true and upright heart ! in 
 " thy favour is life. Thy loving kindness is bet- 
 wi ter than life. My flesh and my heart may fail ; 
 " and all things here will fail : but if I have thee 
 " for my God, in covenant with me, my happi- 
 u ness will be secure and lasting ; for thou wilt 
 " be the strength of my heart and my portion for 
 * ; ever. This is all my salvation, and all my 
 4w desire. 
 
 H I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine 
 *' iniquity will I not hide ; to me belongeth con- 
 44 fusion of face, because I have sinned against 
 ,: thee, I am not worthy of the least of all thy 
 V mercies ; if thy compassions had failed, how 
 <l very miserable had I now been! who am I, 
 " O Lord God ! whence is this to me, that thou 
 *' shouldst speak of making with mean everlast- 
 " ing covenant, ordered in all things and sure ; 
 41 but such are the riches of thy grace, that as 
 il in thy word thou settest this blessedness be- 
 u fore me, so this cup is presented to me to en- 
 " courage my hopes of enjoying it. 
 
 11 Ar.d now having full assurance of faith be-. 
 " ingfirmly persuaded of the efficacy of the blood 
 " of Jesus ; that blood which he shed for the re- 
 " mission of my sins, the blood of the new co~ 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARC TO PARTAKE. 237 
 
 " venant, I receive, and drink of this cup as the 
 u symbol of this blood and as the token and 
 " seal of this covenant and this I do for a tes- 
 " timony of my taking thee for my God and 
 " dedicating myself to thy service. 
 
 " O Lord thou art my Lord, my lot, my 
 portion the life of my soul; the father of mer- 
 cies ; the God of all comfort. All my springs 
 are in thee. In thee will I put my trust. In thee 
 will I boast all the day long. I will praise thy 
 name for ever. In this alone will I glory in, 
 understanding and knowing thee. Thy mercy, 
 O Lord, is in the heavens : thy faithfulness 
 reacheth unto the clouds. Thou exercisest lov- 
 ing kindness, judgment and righteousness in 
 the earth. Thou wilt abundantly satisfy thy 
 people ; thou wilt make them to drink of thy 
 pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life 
 In thy light .shall we see light. 
 
 * I now yield myself unto thee as thy ser- 
 vant; all the powers and faculties of my soul, 
 and all the members of my body, as instruments 
 of righteousness unto God. I now enter into thy 
 covenant and into thine oath, that I will be thine : 
 and will walk in thy ways, will live in thy ser- 
 vice. I now solemnly engage to make thy word 
 the rule of my life, and thy glory the end of my 
 living. 
 
 '■' O take away all iniquity, and receive me 
 graciously : turn not away from me. but rejoice 
 over me to do me good, and put thy fear in my 
 heart, that I may never depart from thee. Thou 
 who art the God of peace, that hast brought 
 a 2 
 
238 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 again from the dead our Lord Jesus, through the 
 blood of the everlasting covenant, make me 
 perfect in every good work to do thy will, work- 
 ing in me that which is well pleasing in thy sight, 
 through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. 
 Amen." 
 
 These devotional exercises relating to the cup, 
 may prepare your hearts for the praises as well as 
 prayers which are to be offered up to God in pub- 
 lic, after the receiving it. 
 
 I speak of praises as well as prayers, because 
 it appears from the history of the institution of 
 the Lord's supper, as might have been observed 
 in the review, that Christ and his apostles sang 
 an hymn before they left the house in which he 
 had instituted it. * We cannot say, whether 
 this was the hallel of the Jews, which began at 
 PsaL cxiii. and ended with Psal. cxviii. ; or a 
 part of it only ; or some other hymn more suit- 
 ed to his new institution. But, be this as it will, 
 as the reason of things led the Jews to sing prai- 
 ses to God, when they had eaten the passover, 
 so it should much more lead Christians to do 
 the same, on their having received the Lord's 
 supper : for no instance of the love and grace 
 of God is equal to that, which this ordinance 
 sets before us. 
 
 But the laudable custom that prevails amongst 
 us, makes it needless to insist on the proof of 
 this point. The Church of England, in her com- 
 munion service, directs communicants to say, or 
 
 * Matth. xxv7. 3?. Mark xiv. 26. 
 
WHAT M ANKER WE ARC TO PARTAKE. 2J e J 
 
 sing, " Glory be to God on high, and on earth 
 11 peace, good will towards men : we praise 
 " thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glo- 
 " rify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great 
 M glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the 
 u Father Almighty." The Presbyterians also 
 have various collections of hymns for their use 
 at the Lord's table. I shall transcribe a few lines 
 from Dr. Watts, because of their suitableness to 
 that which I have observed concerning the sa- 
 cramental cup. 
 
 Hope in the Covenant. 
 
 HOW oft have sin and Satan strove 
 To rend my soul from thee, my God ! 
 But everlasting is thy love, 
 
 And Jesus seals it with his blood. 
 
 The oath and promise of the Lord 
 Join to confirm the wondrous grace ; 
 
 Eternal power performs the word, 
 
 And fills all heaven with endless praise. 
 
 Amidst temptations sharp and long 
 My soul to this dear refuge flies : 
 
 Hope is my anchor firm and strong, 
 While tempests blow and billows rise.. 
 
 The gospel bears my spirits up ; 
 
 A faithful and unchanging God 
 Lays the foundation for my hope 
 
 Tn oaths, and promises, and blood. 
 
 Hymns, B. J. exxxix. 
 
-40 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 The new Covenant sealed, 
 
 THE promise of my Father's love 
 Shall stand for ever good ; 
 He said, and gave his soul to death, 
 And seai'd the grace with blood. 
 
 To this dear cov'nant of thy word 
 
 I set my worthless name ; 
 I seal the engagement to my Lord, 
 
 And make my humble claim. 
 
 Thy light and strength, and pard'oing grace 
 
 And glory shall be mine ; 
 My life and soul, my heart and flesh, 
 
 And all my powers are thine. 
 
 B. III. 3. 
 Here in thy courts I leave my vow, 
 
 And thy rich grace record , 
 Witness, ye saints, who hear me now, 
 
 If I forsake the Lord. Psal. cxvi. 
 
 Unless John xvii. is one of Christ's Sacra- 
 mental prayers, we cannot plead his example for 
 praying after receiving of the cup. But since 
 there is no colour of reason for thinking that 
 this duty is then improper, or unseasonable, why 
 should any be for breaking in upon the custom 
 of concluding this feast with prayer, which so 
 generally prevails? * 
 
 And now the public worship being over, all 
 
 that remains is for every communicant to make 
 
 ■ - - ■ ■ ■ a . 
 
 • Oratio conviviun dirircit. Tertul. Apol. 
 
VilAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 241 
 
 the most serious reflection on what he has done,, 
 and to be found in such exercises of the heart 
 in his retirements as are suitable to his case. 
 
 If Deists as well as Christians, they who de- 
 ny, as well as they who believe the gospel of 
 God concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, 
 are among the communicants, they may put 
 such questions as these to themselves. 
 
 " Is this that I have done to be justified ? 
 have I acted honestly, and with a regard ta 
 truth ? were I in Turkey, or in China, might L 
 not join with the Mahometans, or Pagans in. 
 their superstitions, as well as join with the Chris- 
 tians in this, which they look upon as the most 
 solemn institution of what they call their Reli- 
 gion? may not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
 nego be justly applauded for the bravery and 
 nobleness of their spirits in hazarding their lives 
 rather than fall down and worship the golden 
 image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up"? and 
 may not I as justly be condemned for being 
 governed by the basest principle in receiving 
 the sacrament with no other view than that I 
 may obtain the favour of others ? Is it fit upon 
 any consideration whatever to be found in any 
 act of false worship, and to do honour to an im- 
 postor ? 
 
 " But why should I thus speak of Jesus of 
 Nazareth, who, if the histories of him in the 
 New Testament be true, was a man without 
 guile ; and approved of God, as a teacher come 
 from Him, by many miracles, and wonders and 
 signs, which were openly done by him, and at 
 
242 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 length declared to be the Son of God by his re- 
 surrection from the dead fi 
 
 " This institution, indeed, sets him before us 
 as crucified ; but is this the only notion under 
 which I oughtj in reason, to consider him ? had 
 he been a deceiver of the people, must there not 
 have been a full end of all faith in him, and re- 
 gard to him, upon his having been put to death, 
 and in so infamous a manner? but is it not cer- 
 tain that Christianity very much prevailed, and 
 that the number of his disciples mightily in- 
 creased for many years after his crucifixion ? and 
 is it not also certain that men in those times, 
 could not reasonably hope for any worldly ad- 
 vantages from professing themselves Christians; 
 so far from it, that this was the way to endanger 
 the loss of their estates, their friends, their liber- 
 ties, and even their lives ? what then should 
 lead such multitudes to this, but the full evi- 
 dence they had of the truth of Christ's resur- 
 rection ; and that he was indeed exalted by the 
 right hand of God, to be a prince and a Saviour, 
 to'give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of 
 sins ? 
 
 " When this was the case, have I no cause 
 to suspect that there is some passion, some pre- 
 judice or other, that has hitherto blinded my 
 mind, and hindered the light of his gospel from 
 shining upon me ? will it not be prudent, is it 
 not necessary, to examine my heart with all pos- 
 sible care, that I may discover the secret springs 
 of my carriage ? 
 
 •< Was not the author and finisher of the 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 243 
 
 Christian's faith for this purpose manifested, 
 that he might destroy the works of the devil ? 
 and sin and iniquity being the devil's work, did 
 he not come into the world to save his people 
 from their sins, and to bless them in turning 
 away every one of them from his iniquities ? is 
 not this, the leading us to holiness in heart and 
 in life, the end of the doctrine he taught, and is 
 it not proper to answer this end ? should not 
 this recommend it to us as a doctrine worthy of 
 God, and profitable to men ? and yet is not this 
 that which makes me unwilling to receive it. 
 and acknowledge the divine authority of its 
 teacher? but if this be so, does not my reason, 
 my conscience condemn me? and must I not 
 conclude that the God of truth does also con- 
 demn me ? and that I may escape his righteous 
 judgment ought I not immediately to fall down 
 on my knees, and pray, Lord pardon the sinb 
 of which I have been guilty, and give me to do 
 thy Willi that I may know of the doctrine of Je- 
 -sus, whether it be of thee or whether he spake 
 of himself?" 
 
 Let the Deists make the experiment, and I 
 am apt to think they will find that their giving a 
 satisfactory answer to these questions will shew 
 that it is highly reasonable for them, to resolve 
 either to go to the Lord's table no more, or to 
 observe his institution for the future with other 
 affections and to a different purpose than they 
 have ever done it before. 
 
 And that it may be the same with another 
 sort of communicants, those I mean who pro- 
 
£ 1-4 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, -AN*D I.N 
 
 fess to believe the gospel of Christ, but do not 
 obey it, such as call him, Lord, Lord, but know- 
 in their consciences that they do not the things 
 that he saith ; let them, as is meet, reason with 
 themselves after some such manner as this. 
 
 " Wherein is it better with me than with a 
 Deist ? what benefit may 1 expect from partak- 
 ing of the sacrament, which he may not look 
 for ? we are acted by the same principles and 
 aim at the like ends in that which we have done* 
 I may say as well as he, that it was not inclina- 
 tion to this duty, affection to Christ, a desire to 
 shew respect to him, a concern for -my spiritual 
 advantage, or any thing of this nature, that 
 carried me to the Lord's table, no ; but the love 
 of this world, and a regard to its profits, its 
 pleasures, or its honours. Had it not been to 
 please my friends, or to gain the reputation of a 
 pious man, or to qualify me for such an office, 
 or for some end like these, I had thought no- 
 thing of eating this bread and drinking this wine. 
 
 " But what hypocrisy and folly have I been 
 guilty of! I may have imposed on my fellow 
 communicants ; but be not deceived, O my 
 soul, God is not mocked. He who searcheth 
 all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations 
 of the thoughts, cannot but know all the springs 
 oi my actions ; even my most secret sins are not 
 hid from his eyes, and whatsoever I sow that 
 shall I also reap. 
 
 " What an evil servant have 1 been ! I have 
 trodden under foot the Son of God, I have count- 
 ed the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 245 
 
 and done despite to the Spirit of grace : and I 
 may justly be thought worthy of the sorest 
 punishment. What a wonder of mercies is it 
 that my Lord did not come and cut me assun- 
 der, and appoint me my portion with hypocrites, 
 where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ! 
 " But hitherto, O Lord, thou hast kept 
 silence, and waited to be gracious unto me. 
 Should I go on to despise the riches of thy good- 
 ness, forbearance, and long-suffering, and not 
 be led thereby to repentance, what can I think 
 but that I shall treasure up unto myself wrath 
 against the day of thy wrath, and revelation of 
 thy righteous judgment, who wilt render to 
 every man according to his deeds ? 
 
 u Blessed be thy name that life and the day of 
 grace are still afforded me, and that I have some 
 sight of the danger I am in : impress my heart 
 with a more afTecting sense of it. May my flesh 
 tremble for fear of thee. May I be so afraid of 
 thy judgments, as not to dare to take one step 
 more in the way of sin. 
 
 *' But why, O Lord, should I give up all 
 hopes of being saved when I yet hear of a Sa- 
 viour: and when his blood which cleanseth from 
 all sin, is yet set before me : and when I yet 
 enjoy the ministry of reconciliation by which I 
 urn assured that thou art in Christ reconciling 
 the world unto thyself, not imputing their tres- 
 passes unto them, and beseechest me to be re- 
 conciled unto thee. 
 
 " What amazing love and grace is this ! Lord 
 give me to feel that it constraineth me to throw 
 
2 4G WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, AND IN 
 
 down my arms immediately, and yield myself 
 unto thee : and O have mercy upon me accord- 
 ing to thy loving kindness, according to the 
 multitude of thy tender mercies, in Christ, blot 
 out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly 
 from mine iniquities, and cleanse me from my 
 sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God! and 
 renew a right spirit within me. Let 116 iniquity 
 any longer have dominion over me ; but break 
 all the cords of my sins, wherewith I have been 
 holden : set my soul at liberty, by the power 
 of thy grace ; make me thy servant, and help 
 me to spend the remainder of my days in thy 
 service." 
 
 It may be some who fear that they are among 
 this sort of communicants may be secretly mov- 
 ed, while thus praying, to add with pleasure and 
 joy ; and now, O Lord, thou givest me my 
 heart's desire, and hast not withholden the re- 
 quests of my lips. For now I feel the holy fire 
 kindling in my breast, and am made willing to 
 be thine. Thou art my portion, saith my soul, 
 therefore will I hope in thee. Thou art my 
 rightful Sovereign, and I now submit myself 
 unto thee. Other lords, in time past, have had 
 dominion over me ; but by the assistance of thy 
 grace, thee only will I serve for the future. O 
 that my heart may be right with thee, stedfast 
 in thy covenant; and that having my fruit unto 
 holiness, my end may be everlasting life, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 But 4his leads our thoughts to the truly pious; 
 
WHAT MANNER WE ARE TO PARTAKE. 247 
 
 for it cannot justly be said of any other persons, 
 that their hearts speak such language : and the 
 proper workings of their minds, when retired, 
 after they have been at the Lord's table, may be 
 thus expressed : I have lifted up my hand unto 
 the most high God, and I cannot go back. I have 
 sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep his 
 righteous commandments. I love my master, 
 and 1 will not go out free. Lord to whom shall I 
 go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life : I love 
 thy service, and am fully resolved never to 
 leave it. Ft is profitable unto all things, having 
 promise of the life which now is, and of that 
 which is to come. 
 
 " Rut knowing that I am in an evil world, in 
 which I shall meet with many temptations to 
 forget God, and deal falsely in his covenant, and 
 being sensible that the flesh is weak, and ready 
 to comply with them, I dare not trust in my 
 own heart, nor place any confidence in my own 
 strength j but I fly to thee, my blessed and al- 
 mighty Saviour. Thou art the Mediator of the 
 new covenant, and a witness of mv oath ; be 
 thou a surety for me, and help me by thy Spirit 
 to act agreeably to all my solemn engagements. 
 Lord, confirm me unto the end. Perform tlv 
 good work begun in my soul. Keep me by thy 
 power through faith unto salvation. 
 
 H How great is that blessedness which has 
 been presented to me at the Loid's table ! all 
 the fruits of his sufferings and death, all the 
 blessings of the new covenant. Look diiigent- 
 
248 WITH WHAT DISPOSITIONS, &C. 
 
 ly, O my soul, lest thou fail of this grace of 
 God. Fear lest thou shouldst so much as seem 
 to come short of it. Seek after a bright and 
 continued evidence of thine interest in this bless- 
 edness : that Christ is thy Saviour, and that the 
 Lord is thy God in covenant with thee. This 
 will be the way to have that cheerful heart which 
 doth good like a medicine, and to be rejoicing 
 in all thy tribulations with joy unspeakable and 
 full of glory. 
 
 u Press then, O my soul, toward the mark 
 for this prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
 Jesus. Be not slothful in business, but fer- 
 vent in spirit, serving the Lord. Give all dili- 
 gence to add to thy faith virtue ; and to virtue 
 knowledge ; and to knowledge temperance ; and 
 to temperance patience, and to patience godli- 
 ness, and to godliness brotherly-kindness, and 
 to brotherly-kindness, charity. 
 
 •' O that these things may be in me and abound, 
 that I may be neither barren nor unfruitful in 
 the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus 
 my calling and election being made sure, I shall 
 go on my way rejoicing, and an entrance shall 
 be ministered unto me abundantly into the ever- 
 lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. To him be glory both now and for 
 ever. Amen. 
 
[ 249 J 
 
 WHAT SHOULD BF. THE COMMUNICANT S SUBSEQUENT 
 LIFE AND WALK. 
 
 * r | ^HE conclusion of this treatise is in- 
 X tended as some exhortation, directing 
 us how we ought to behave after the perform- 
 ance of this religious duty. 
 
 It is necessary to say somewhat on this part 
 of the subject, for the sake of some who sin- 
 cerely wish to approve themselves to God ; yet. 
 oft-times, after they have been at the Lord's ta- 
 ble, are ready to distress themselves with ima- 
 ginary fears about the state of their souls, and 
 with doubts whether they have profited by that 
 solemn ordinance. 
 
 Let us hear then " what God the Lord will 
 11 speak ; for he will speak peace to his people, 
 " and to his saints, but let them not return to 
 11 folly.' 'f According to the declarations of the 
 gospel, " if we confess and forsake our sins, 
 " God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
 44 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' 
 There is no positive promise, that every time 
 that a person partakes of the Lord's Supper, his 
 sins shall be forgiven : yet, from the tenor of 
 the covenant of mercy, a devout Christian who 
 has humbly confessed, and sincerely forsaken 
 his past transgressions, andj at the table of the 
 Lord, earnestly implored the forgiveness of them 
 
 * From Dr. Duncan's Devout Commu'-.ics.m": Assistant 
 *. Psalm hx sv. 8. 
 
 Y 2 
 
250 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNICANT^ 
 
 for the sake of that death which he there com- 
 memorates, has good reason to hope, that if he 
 return not to the love and commission of sins 
 thus repented of, they shall never rise in judg- 
 ment against him : yet this comfortable hope 
 ministers no sort of encouragement to the man 
 that goes on in his trespasses. 
 
 Some modest timorous persons are ready to 
 distress themselves with fears lest they have of- 
 fended God, by their approach to his holy ta- 
 ble ; and are apt to conclude they have not en- 
 joyed communion with him, because they were 
 not able to come with all that fervency of love, 
 or melting of affections, of which they have 
 read, or with which they themselves have some- 
 times been favoured. 
 
 Such persons ought carefully to consider, 
 that we may enjoy real communion with God, 
 ihough it is not sensible. The power of God 
 realty supports us every moment, though we 
 are not sensible of it. Almighty God hath 
 thought fit, in great condescension to our weak- 
 ness, to maintain communion with us in the use 
 of means. We carry on correspondence with 
 our absent friends, when we see them not, by 
 messages or letters, or exchange of kind offices, 
 and expressions of affection and regard to them : 
 even so, by reading and hearing the word of 
 God, by the use of the holy sacraments, by me- 
 ditation and prayer, we preserve intercourse or 
 conversation with heaven ; and that communion 
 is real when those means are blessed to enlarge 
 oar knowledge, establish our faith, or amend 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 12^1 
 
 our lives. These improvements in religion arc 
 gradual, but we cannot pretend tliat the pro- 
 gress is always sensible. 
 
 Our natural food is really blessed to us, when 
 it strengthens our bodies for the ordinary func- 
 tions of life, though we cannot pretend sensibly 
 to distinguish what particular parts were most 
 subservient to that purpose. Thus ought we also 
 to judge of our religious improvement by par- 
 taking of the Lord's Supper* Our spiritual food 
 is blessed to us, when we are thereby strength- 
 ened in the Christian life ; that is to say, are 
 more confirmed in the faith, enabled more to 
 k)ve God, have more pleasure in doing good, 
 live above the temptations of this world, and, 
 from the heart can more cheerfully forgive an 
 injury, though we are not favoured with those 
 warm affections and fervent desires, which are 
 no where promised to attend this ordinance at 
 all times, and which the best of men oftener 
 wish for than enjoy. 
 
 So that we may safely conclude, if our mo- 
 tives were sincere in coming to the Lord's ta- 
 ble, we have been accepted of God; and the 
 most solid proof to ourselves of our having 
 reaped benefit from it, will be the good fruits 
 which it shall afterward produce on our hearts 
 and lives. This will be a source of joy more 
 lasting than that which flows from momentary 
 warm emotions of the soul, on which many lay 
 so great stress. 
 
 We do not usually depend so much on re 
 Rotations and professions of friendship from peo r 
 
252 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNICANTS 
 
 % 
 
 pie who are easily heated, and moved to warm 
 expressions, as from those who are calm and se- 
 date, whose purposes seem to proceed from 
 principle and established affections. The for- 
 mer soon fly off; while the effects of the latter 
 continually remain. Even so it is in religion ; 
 for the natural dispositions work the same way 
 in both. 
 
 The conduct of two of the disciples of Christ 
 compared together, will illustrate this matter. 
 
 The holy apostle Peter sat at the Supper of 
 our Lord on the first appointment of it, and 
 made as warm professions of love and zeal for 
 his Master as words could possibly express* 
 t; 1 Lough all men forsake thee, yet will not I ; 
 " yea, though I should die with thee, yet will I 
 " not forsake thee — I am ready to go with thee 
 " both to prison and to death." Nicodemus 
 was a disciple of Christ, but secretly, for fear 
 of the Jews. At first he made no open pro- 
 fession, but came to Jesus by night. Yet 
 we find afterwards, that Nicodemus made a 
 very rational and steady defence for Christ, 
 when he was accused by the rulers, and said, 
 " Doth our law judge (condemn) any man be- 
 H fore it hear him, and know what he doth ? "* 
 And. when all the disciples had fled, and, alas ! 
 this zealous and warm apostle Peter denied his- 
 Lord and master with oaths, modest Nicode- 
 mus continued stedfast, attended the dead body 
 of Jesus* and brought spices and ointments to 
 embalm him for his burial, f 
 
 * John vii. 5\ r i John xix. 29, 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 253 
 
 H such a timorous modest person was even 
 persuaded that he had not been so well prepa- 
 red, or in such good disposition as he ought to 
 have been, when he approached the Lord's ta- 
 ble, the consequence is not that, therefore, he 
 ought to be discouraged from the service of 
 God, or from attending again on this duty. If 
 we were not all imperfect, and had not things 
 about us that needed to be amended, the helps 
 of religion, and the means of grace, would be 
 unnecessary ; but the disciples of Christ should 
 reason in this ease, as an attentive scholar would 
 do with respect to any lesson prescribed to him, 
 or pattern of writing set him by his master. If 
 his imitation or endeavours, at one time, came 
 short of what he wished, he would attend, and 
 study, on another occasion, to come nearer to 
 his master's directions. Thus also must we, by 
 care and perseverance in our duty, strive to ar- 
 rive at " the measure of the stature of the ful- 
 " ness of a perfect man in Christ." 
 
 Let us even carry this supposition to the 
 greatest height, that a person, going on in sin, 
 had rashly approached to the Lord's table, with- 
 out due consideration of the importance of that 
 duty, without contrition and sorrow for past 
 sins, or careful resolutions of amendment of life; 
 yet such a person ought not to be driven to des- 
 pair, as it is no where said, that unworthy com- 
 municating is an unpardonable sin. He ought 
 rather to be exhorted speedily to arise and re- 
 new himself by repentance, that the thoughts of 
 his heart may be forgiven him. When the holy 
 
254 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNICANT'S 
 
 apostle Peter preached early at Jerusalem the 
 guilt of that people in having killed the holy- 
 One and the just, and having desired a murderer 
 to be granted unto them, he did not bid them 
 despair of mercy, but says, " I wot that through 
 " ignorance ye did it." And he adds, " Re- 
 " pent therefore, and be converted, that your 
 " sins may be blotted out, when the times of 
 " refreshing shall come from the presence of the 
 " Lord." 
 
 2. In our attendance on the offices of religion, 
 and the use of the means of grace, we ought al- 
 ways to refer them to the great end for which 
 they were appointed, and judge of our profiting 
 by them according to the degrees in which that 
 is promoted. The great end of religion is to 
 present us at last perfect in Christ Jesus. How 
 is this perfection described ? 
 
 The precepts of our religion oblige us, by 
 every tie, to love the Lord our God, with all 
 our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, 
 and with all our mind. The best test of their 
 love is, that it induce us to keep his command- 
 ments, and delight in the law of the Lord after 
 the inward man. The wisdom that is from above, 
 is pure, and peaceable, gentle, and easy to be 
 entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, with- 
 out partiality, and without hypocrisy. It indu- 
 ceth us to put on bowels of mercy, humbleness 
 of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing 
 one another, and forgiving one another. It ani- 
 mates also by the most affectionate considera- 
 tions to the practice of all the duties incumbent 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 255 
 
 on us in the relative stations in which providence 
 hath placed as. 
 
 We ought frequently to turn our thoughts to 
 these great lines of duty, and, by our conformi- 
 ty to them, we will be best able to judge of our 
 profiting by the Gospel. This will produce per- 
 manent and lasting effects, and be a much bet- 
 ter foundation of peace, and far more to be de- 
 pended on, than the fleeting emotions of the soul, 
 that bring forth no fruit. By this also, our light 
 will be made to shine before men ; and by our 
 good works, which men behold, we will be able 
 to put to silence those, who would be ready to 
 speak against us as evil-doers. For the licen- 
 tious spirit of this age, has, in some men, even 
 come the length of speaking contemptuously of 
 those who dare put on the decent appearance of 
 religion. 
 
 3. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Cul- 
 tivate and cherish in your souls, those devout 
 impressions of the love of God and of Christ, 
 and that sense of the evil of sin, which you had 
 while you sat at the Lord's table, within sight 
 of the cross of Christ. You cannot perhaps ex- 
 pect that these impressions will always be so 
 warm, as they then were ; yet without affecta- 
 tion of preciseness or singularity, study to act 
 consistently with them, and carefully avoid every 
 thing that would extinguish or suppress them. 
 
 Nothing can contribute more to keep them 
 alive, than being mindful of the duty of secret 
 prayer, and resolving statedly to attend to it. 
 There is an inseparable connexion among all 
 
256 
 
 the virtues and duties of the Christian life, so 
 that the study of one of them helps to the prac- 
 tice of another. Thus diligence in our callings 
 contributes to sobriety, temperance to justice, 
 and the love of God sweetens our tempers with 
 benevolence and good-will toward all men. But 
 a constant attention to the duty of prayer has a 
 very great influence on them all. It cherishes in 
 our souls a sense of the love and fear of God ; it 
 strengthens the belief of our constant depen- 
 dence on him ; it awakens a care to please him; 
 and makes us watchful against doing any thing 
 to our brethren that would forfeit the approba- 
 tion of our own hearts, or prevent our accep- 
 tance with God. 
 
 The religion of Christians has enjoined the du- 
 ties of piety and morality with equal authority. 
 The first duty is to, " Love the Lord thy God with 
 4< all thy heart," said our blessed Saviour, is a 
 great commandment : " The second is like un- 
 14 to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy- 
 u self *. — These ye ought to have done, and 
 '• not have left the other undone." It is there- 
 fore necessary, that we should always remem- 
 ber, that our attendance on the duties of one ta- 
 ble of the law, will not atone for the neglect of 
 those of the other : But the Christian, who 
 would act consistently, must be careful that his 
 performance of the duties which he owes to God 
 be no hinderance to those of his relative stations, 
 
 * M-atth. xxii. 3S. and xxiii. 23. 
 
oL«t sequent life an-u walk. ^5 7 
 
 and that his duty to his neighbour do not inter 
 fere with the offices of religion. 
 
 4. As to aged persons, it is very reasonable, 
 that people in the decline of life, who are in 
 some measure disentangled from several of the 
 cares of it, should apply themselves with greater 
 diligence to the offices of religion : in order to 
 rectify what hath been amiss in their hearts and 
 lives, and to redeem time, that hath been mis- 
 pent ; that so, when their Lord cometh, they 
 may be ready. 
 
 It is particularly incumbent on such persons 
 to do what they can to recommend religion to 
 others, especially to young people, by manifest- 
 ing what cheerfulness and quiet of mind godli- 
 ness brings along with it ; how it supports them 
 under age and infirmities ; what blessed pros- 
 pects it sets before them in a better world ; 
 and, under all the increasing frailties of na- 
 ture, induces them to make every allowance, 
 which is not sinful, to others who are youngefr 
 than themselves, or may in opinion differ from 
 them. 
 
 Many fail in this important article, who, while 
 they seem to be more than ordinarily employed 
 about religion, indulge a peevish or censorious 
 temper. This gives unfavourable impressions 
 of devotion, and makes others ready to imagine, 
 that the natural effect of such exercises is to ren- 
 der those sour and melancholy who are most 
 employed in them : or else, that such people, 
 when they could not relish what they once call- 
 ed the pleasures of life, have fled to the officer 
 
 Z 
 
25$ Vv HAT SHOULD BE 'J'H£ .COMMUMC Ant's 
 
 oi' religion, that, under pretence of zeal, they 
 might vent their spleen and ill nature against all 
 those whose conduct is not directed by their hu- 
 mour. 
 
 It is of great consequence to be able, from 
 our own experience, to recommend religion to 
 those who may come after us. This is the most 
 effectual method of promoting theinterest there- 
 of to generations yet to come. What the aged 
 are able to say of the importance and advanta- 
 ges of a religious course of life, and the evident 
 good effects it hath produced on themselves, 
 will be a testimony for godliness in the mouth 
 of two witnesses. This, indeed, will make 
 " the path of the just as the shining light, 
 " that shineth more and more unto the perfect 
 '.' day." 
 
 In this manner did David the King bear wit- 
 ness for the service of God : " I have been 
 " young, and now am old, yet I never saw the 
 ;< righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging 
 ** bread ** — My heart and my flesh fail ; but 
 " God is the strength of my heart, and my por- 
 H tion for ever f." The same testimony aged 
 Joshua, the leader of Israel, gave to the cause 
 of religion: " And behold, this day, I am going 
 " the way of all the earth; and ye know, in all 
 " your hearts, .and in all your souls, that not 
 < l one thing hath failed of all the good things 
 *! which the Lord your God spake concerning 
 " you; all are come to pass unto you, and not 
 '« one thing hath failed thereof. J" 
 
 • Psalm xxxvii. 25. f Ixxiii. 26, % Josh, xxiii. 14. 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. l -2.)H 
 
 5. It is very fit that young people should 
 early partake of the Lord's Supper; but it is of 
 great consequence, in what manner their first 
 approach is made. Early impressions abide long. 
 Care ought, therefore, to be had, that their first 
 coming to the Lord's table be their own choice, 
 as the effect of their having been properly in- 
 structed in the principles of religion, and par- 
 ticularly in the nature of this duty ; that they 
 should neither be brought to it in a careless ir- 
 reverent manner, nor terrified with dread and 
 horror of this ordinance. It ought to appear to 
 be the work of love, rather than of fear ; that 
 the}- may draw near to God as children to an af- 
 fectionate father, and, from the choice of their 
 own hearts, dedicate themselves to his service 
 and obedience, and ratify, over the memorials 
 of the death of Christ, the obligations which 
 their parents came under for them in baptism. 
 
 When this duty is performed, care should be 
 taken to direct their after behaviour; for too 
 many are apt to think, the whole that is meant 
 by partaking of the Lord's Supper is over, when 
 they come from the table. No body imagines, 
 when he rises from prayers, that all his Chris- 
 tian labour is at an end. Even so, though to 
 partake of the Lord's Supper is a very necessa- 
 ry and important office, it is but the perfor- 
 mance of one duty ; but never should be gone 
 about, as unconnected with the other duties of 
 religion ; for it really implies an obligation care 
 fully to attend to the'm all. 
 
260 W-HAT SHOULD BE TJfE COMMUNICANT'S 
 
 Young people should be directed to consider 
 religion as what will make them happy, will lay 
 a foundation of great peace in their minds, ei- 
 ther by subduing their irregular passions, or di- 
 recting to the right application of their best af- 
 fections, comforting them at present in the ap- 
 probation of their own hearts, and in the hopes 
 at last of acceptance with God. 
 
 The princples of piety and religion carefully 
 instilled, will animate them to perform, with 
 love and great delight, the duties which they 
 owe to their parents and relations. They will 
 excite them to do good to all within their pow- 
 er, to relieve the distressed, and comfort the af- 
 flicted ; as the disciples of the blessed Jesus, 
 who went about doing good, that they may be 
 called the children of their Father which is in 
 heaven. 
 
 These impressions of piety will induce them 
 to love and shew regard to all good men, to en- 
 deavour to imitate their example, and make 
 them disregard or avoid the society of all wick- 
 ed and profligate persons. No friendship is safe, 
 but what is founded in virtue ; the company of 
 worthless men is dangerous and infectious. 
 i( He that walketh with wise men, shall be wise ; 
 " but the companion of fools shall be destroy - 
 <l ed. *" Goodness only is the object of es- 
 teem ; power and riches may be the objects of 
 envy and covetousness, but never can be of es- 
 teem. 
 
 * Prov. xiii. 20. 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 261 
 
 Finally, to keep awake all those good senti- 
 ments and dispositions, it will be necessary, 
 that young people, as^n expression of their love 
 and trust in God, make secret prayer their dai- 
 ly employment. This will preserve on their 
 minds, a sense of Providence, and a belief of 
 his all-seeing eye ; a sense also of their own 
 weakness, of the manifold dangers and tempta- 
 tions with which they are surrounded, and their 
 need of the mercy and protection of God, and 
 be a means of obtaining them. 
 
 While they persevere in this course of life, 
 they have the greatest security, that the constant 
 and affectionate care of their heavenly Father 
 will ever watch over them. In all events, he 
 will be their guide, their friend, and their pro- 
 tector ; though father and mother should for- 
 sake them, the Lord wili take them up. 
 
 Thus pleads King Pavid, his early acquaint- 
 ance with religion, as a ground of hope, that in 
 frailty and age God would not forsake him : 
 •'' O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, 
 " and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous 
 " works. Now also, when I am old and gray- 
 •' headed, O God, forsake me not. *" This 
 also was the last and most important advice he 
 gave to his son Solomon: '• And thou Solo- 
 " mon, my son, know thou the God of thy fa~ 
 il ther, and serve him with a perfect heart, and 
 M with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth 
 H ail nearts, and uuderstandeth the imaginations 
 
 • PsalxnlxNi. 17.18. 
 
262 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMiMUNIC ANT's 
 
 " of the thoughts : If thou seek him, he will 
 " be found of thee ; but if thou forsake him, he 
 " will cast thee off for ever.f" 
 
 * HAVING hitherto led you on from the 
 nature of the ordinance to the dispositions ne- 
 cessary for partaking of it, and the frame where- 
 in we should approach the Lord's Table, I 
 would conclude the whole with some considera- 
 tions of what sort our after consideration should 
 be, and by what means we may be enabled so 
 to walk, as becomes our profession. This be- 
 ing the great end of the ordinance, that its in- 
 fluence may abide with us, and that it be not 
 looked upon as a ceremonious visit, which we 
 may forget till the time returns again. And 
 here I solemnly admonish all you, who have 
 partaken in these holy mysteries, to take heed 
 to yourselves, lest you lose the things you have 
 wrought. Remember Judas, who no sooner 
 received the sop, but Satan entered into him ; 
 and, though he so often had eat and drank at 
 Christ's Table, was a son of perdition, and be. 
 trayed his master. — And therefore if, as we have 
 engaged, we would take Christ for our master, 
 and live as his faithful and covenant servants, 
 or rather brethren and friends, then must we 
 show forth the following conversation. 
 
 1. We should go forth into the world pro- 
 fessing his name. We must not be ashamed 
 
 | 1 Chron. xxviii- 9. 
 
 • Ilawels,. Communicant's Spiritual Companion. 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AXD WALK. ' llh* 
 
 of Christ, nor his cause ; we should speak for 
 his honour, and glory in his cross. Profession 
 now becomes peculiarly demanded from us as 
 Communicants ; and whilst in these evil days, 
 vital Christianity and real religion is branded 
 with every opprobrious name that an ungodly 
 world, who know not the truth, can invent: we 
 must heartily welcome these reproaches, and 
 Walk so as to deserve them : not silent, hiding 
 our heads, sealing up our lips, and leaving the 
 world to their own ways, but by an open decla- 
 ration, at every proper season bearing testimo- 
 ny against them, that their works are evil; bold- 
 ly rebuking vice by word as well as practice ; 
 having no fellowship with the unfruitful works 
 of darkness, but separating ourselves from all 
 intimate society with every brother who walketh 
 disorderly, whose conversation agrees not with 
 the simplicity of the gospel. This will make 
 us singular, it is true ; we shall be unlike the 
 world, and displease the world ; but wherefore 
 did we meet at Christ's Table, but to make 
 our solemn declaration to him, that we are not 
 of the world, even as he is not of the world? and 
 how shall we dare be so unfaithful, as to go 
 forth and mix again familiarly, and as bosom 
 friends, with those who are enemies to the cross 
 of Christ, who glory in their shame, who mind 
 earthly things ? To take up our cross, and fol- 
 low Christ, was our sacramental vow. But 
 how unfaithfully have many of you hitherto per- 
 formed it ? How utterly strangers are you this 
 Jay to any reproach or shame for Christ's sake* 7 
 
264 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUVICANT's 
 
 Where is your cross that you have borne in the 
 world? Alas! you go from the Lord's Table 
 and return again to the world just as before, lost 
 in its cares, pleasures and vanities; and how 
 then should the world possibly have any quar- 
 rel with you? Ye are of the world* and there- 
 fore the world loves its own. You never by 
 your professions disturb the slumbers or secu- 
 rity of the unawakened souls around you; the 
 form of a ceremonious duty will reprove no- 
 body, unless there be afterwards something 
 more of profession, than this mere act of com- 
 municating. But be sincere, and then you can- 
 not escape ; go into the world, speak as a chris- 
 tian, profess your views, live for Christ, and 
 then the world and you will have no longer fel- 
 lowship; for if you are thus chosen out of the 
 world, the world cannot but hate you. Let. 
 this, brethren, comfort you who bear forth 
 Christ's name in the world, as well as at his Ta- 
 ble ; the cross is an honourable badge, to be 
 reproached for righteousness' sake is happiness. 
 The remembrance of our surrender to Christy 
 will make us count ail things light and easy ; 
 and suffering as a christian, we need not be a- 
 shamed; we know in whom we have believed ; 
 we know under whose banners we have taken 
 the Sacrament to fight; and God forbid we 
 should quit our colours for shame, reproach, 
 evil report, dishonour or reviling, yea, though 
 we were called for his sake to prison or to death. 
 2. We must practice as we profess. Going 
 forth to give up our whole bodies, souls and 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 26<3 
 
 spirits to Christ, and to walk worthy the high 
 vocation wherewith we are called, we should 
 carry away with us impressed upon our hearts 
 the vows we have made, that so whenever sin 
 would tempt us, we may have this answer to 
 make, How shall I do this wicked thing, and sin 
 against God, who have but lately so solemnly 
 given up myself to him ? If Christ hath been 
 pleased to take us for his own, shall we rob him 
 of the purchase of his blood, and dishonour him 
 who hath so highly exalted us ? surely this 
 would be as ungrateful as guilty. The eyes of 
 the world will be upon us, and they are piercing 
 and quick. If they see our conversation to be 
 nothing different from their own, they will say, 
 What do ye more than others ? and what advan- 
 tage will this give to the adversaries of the Lord 
 to blaspheme "? " These, say they, are your 
 " Communicants ; here they are all devotion, 
 " but go home with them from Church, and you 
 " see them as passionate and proud, as covetous 
 " and worldly, as vain and trifling, as false and 
 " deceitful, as any of their neighbours. — And 
 if this be the case with any of you, brethren, 
 what a curse will it bring upon you ? what a 
 disgrace will it be to your profession ! and how 
 will religion be wounded, even in the house of 
 its friends, by your unbecoming conversation ? 
 May not the adversaries of the Lord then be 
 hardened in their sins, and confirmed in their 
 prejudices, whilst they see, under the outward 
 cloak of profession, that rank hypocrisy iurks 
 within : and saving outward appearance, that 
 
266 
 
 you are neither more humble, more holy, more 
 mortified, more heavenly- minded than them- 
 selves ? Surely it were better for such an one, 
 unless mercy restore him, that a millstone were 
 hanged about his neck, and that he were cast in- 
 to the midst of the sea, than that ever he ap- 
 proached the Table of the Lord. But if you 
 would not have this heavy guilt lying upon your 
 souls, then you must labor to adorn the doctrine 
 of God your Saviour in all things, by such an 
 unblameable conduct, that they who seek occa- 
 sion against you may be disappointed, and find 
 no evil thing justly to say of you. Your lives 
 should be as the light of the morning, which shi- 
 neth more and more unto the perfect day, and 
 your works such as may glorify your Father which 
 is in heaven. Then, if men speak evil of your 
 good conversation in Christ, these adversaries of 
 the Lord shall be found liars ; and all who will 
 inquire even here, will detect their malice ; and 
 in the great day of the Lord, they shall be cover- 
 ed with confusion, and receive the reward of ly- 
 ing lips and a deceitful tongue, in the lake 
 which burnetii with fire and brimstone, which is 
 the second death. 
 
 3. We must go forth particularly to exercise 
 the duties of our respective stations and rela- 
 tions in life. Herein especially the power of reli- 
 gion is shewn forth ; a passionate master, a fret- 
 ful mistress, a haughty husband, a self-willed 
 wife, a cruel father, an undutiful son, a slothful 
 servant, or a false friend, none of these can 
 have any just pretensions to real Christianity* 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 267 
 
 To suppose it possible, would be supposing a 
 contradiction possible, that light and darkness, 
 Christ and Belial could agree. Particularly 
 watchfulness will be needful. In every family 
 lies the greatest proof of the sincerity of the 
 members of it: they will prove their fidelity to 
 Christ by their love one towards another, shown 
 in the conscientious discharge of their several 
 relations ; the master ruling with gentleness, 
 the servant laboring with cheerfulness and fide- 
 lity ; the husband kind and tender, the wife 
 meek and obedient ; the father mixing parental 
 affection with correction, the son manifesting 
 filial love with dutiful submission, and so in 
 every other case. This will make our houses 
 temples ; and the charity, forbearance, patience 
 and submission, shown one to another in such 
 families, will be the most convincing proof that 
 Christ really dwells under that roof : and such 
 it is required of Communicants to be : and to- 
 wards those who are without, the same spirit 
 must show itself. 
 
 (1.) In the uprightness of all our dealings, in 
 our intercourse with the world : We shall not go 
 beyond^ or defraud our brother in any matter > but 
 rendering to every man their dues, shall owe no 
 man any thing. We shall do our work as under 
 the bonds of the covenant, not with eye service, 
 as men pleasers, but as the servants of the Lord, 
 doing the will of God from the heart. We shall 
 deal with each other in the simplicity which is in 
 Christ, renouncing every hidden work of disho- 
 nesty, and abhorring the appearances of fraud 
 
268 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COM&UXIC ANT's 
 
 and injustice. And thus walking under an high- 
 er principle than the world is ever acquainted 
 with, even under the eye, and as in the presence 
 of a heart searching God, shall convince even 
 those we cannot convert^ that there is a power 
 in the religion of Jesus Christ to do that which 
 nothing upon earth can do besides. 
 
 (2.) We must show it in the meekness of our 
 conversations. The power of religion is glori- 
 ous, when it tames the impetuosity of our pas- 
 sions, softens our severity into mildness, and 
 puts a bridle both on our hearts and tongues. 
 Coming from the table of a meek and lowly Je- 
 sus, we must needs learn of him to be meek and 
 lowly of heart, if we would find rest unto our 
 souls. It is strange hypocrisy to come with pre- 
 tence of seeking the wisdom that is from above, 
 which isjirst pure, then peaceable^ gentle^ easy 
 to be entreated, and going home to disturb all 
 around us by our passions and perverseness ; 
 instead of gentleness, to be a lion in our house, 
 and frantic among our servants ; instead of easi- 
 ness to be entreated, implacable and unmerci- 
 ful ; this is not to partake of the Table of the 
 Lord, but the table of devils, for these are the 
 dispositions of Satan. Let this thing, brethren, 
 be seriously attended to, let it appear what 
 Christ at his Table hath done for you, by the 
 change wrought in your temper, by the mild- 
 ness, sweetness, compassion^ forbearance and 
 gentleness of your conversation. 
 
 (3.) Be temperate in all things. In the world* 
 that its anxious cares -and concerns do not en- 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 26 9 
 
 gage you immoderately. In your body, that you 
 deny its cravings, making no provision for the 
 flesh, by sloth, drunkenness, gluttony or plea- 
 sure, to fulfil the lusts thereof : They that are 
 Christ's, have both crucified the world and the 
 flesh with its affections and lusts. A worldly co- 
 vetous Communicant, a drunken intemperate 
 Communicant, a lewd and carnal Communicant, 
 what a contrast ! How absurd ! Can we re- 
 ceive the body of Christ in one hand, whilst we 
 grasp the world in the other ? Can the same 
 eyes that have looked upon a crucified Saviour, 
 indulge wantonness or be greedy of gain ? can 
 these hearts that have been made the temples of 
 the Holy Ghost, erect the altar of mammon 
 there, or entertain those vile affections which 
 must defile the sacred place ? Let it appear then 
 that you are now no longer debtors to the flesh, 
 to live after the flesh ; that the world is crucified 
 unto you, and you unto the world ; that you have 
 higher enjoyments than flesh or sense, and no- 
 bler prospects than earth can give you ; and 
 this may well make you dead to the love of 
 worldly things, and temperate in the use of 
 them. 
 
 (4.) Show forth your love to your brethren. 
 As good stewards of the manifold gifts of God, 
 according as God hath given to every one, let him 
 minister the same to him that lacketh. Do we 
 abound in riches ? let us abound also in libera- 
 lity. Have we but little ? let us show our dili- 
 gence to give of that little. The trifle we contri- 
 bute at the Table, should be as the first fruits, 
 A a 
 
270 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNICANT'S 
 
 to sanctify our other gifts, in token that we do 
 them all in Christ's name, and for his sake. But 
 there are other and far greater demonstrations of 
 love, which we are called to exercise towards our 
 brethren, than the relief of their poverty, such as 
 bearing the infirmities of the weak, condescend- 
 ing to the meanest, ready to help them with our 
 presence, advice or influence, where any or all 
 of these may be necessary ; counting none be- 
 neath our notice or regard ; seeing the unspeak- 
 able condescensions of Christ to us, who, though 
 he was in the form of God, and thought it no 
 robbery to be equal with God, yet humbled him' 
 self and made himself of no reputation, and took 
 upon him the form of a servant. Have we really 
 seen him come not to be ministered unto, but to 
 minister ? Have M e seen his love in giving his life 
 a ransom for us ? How ought we then to love 
 one another, yea, to be ready, to lay down, if 
 need be, our lives for the brethren, for how dear 
 oughtthose bodies to be to us, for which Christ's 
 body was given ? How precious ought those 
 souls to be in our eyes, for which Christ's soul 
 was sorrowful, even unto death ? This universal 
 love to all, but especially to those who are of the 
 household of faith, we must bring into exercise, 
 that so all men may know we are Christ's disci- 
 ples, by that unfeigned affection we bear one to- 
 wards another. 
 
 (5.) Our conversation after this ordinance 
 should be more heavenly. What hath a Chris- 
 tian any longer to do among the tombs of this 
 world, who is come from remembering a living, 
 
SUBSEQUENT JL1FE AND WALK. 271 
 
 dying, risen and ascended Saviour? Our con- 
 versation, says St. Paul, is in heaven, from 
 whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Have we there remembered his coming 
 again ? what have we then to do but to make 
 ready for it, that our affections being set on 
 things in heaven, not on things on earth, w r e may 
 welcome the day of his appearance and glory. 
 Here is the grand evidence of a Christian. Others 
 direct all their aims, pursuits and designs after 
 the things which are seen, and are temporal ; he 
 seeks always the things above, the things which 
 are unseen to others, but realized by faith to 
 him, and most important, because eternal. See 
 that this be your experience, that every time 
 you communicate, you find the effects of it thus 
 evident, in lifting up your hearts after Christ in 
 the heavens ; in quickening your preparation to 
 meet him in the clouds, and continually making 
 you more ready and disposed for that inheri- 
 tance among the saints in light, which in the or- 
 dinance was sealed to you, and to which you 
 were called. 
 
 Such should be our conversation after every 
 sacramental occasion, that all who see us maj- 
 take knowledge of us that we have been with 
 Jesus ; and behold from our walk the bright- 
 ness of the grace communicated to us, making 
 us shine as lights in the world, like Moses"* face 
 w r hen he came down from the mount of vision. 
 I would to God this was more the case ; and that 
 all who have been joined to the Lord in bonds of 
 outward communion with him, were thus one 
 
272 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COjUMUNIC ANT'S 
 
 spirit with him ; walked more as Christ walked. 
 I am very sure it is the great grief of every tru- 
 ly Christian heart, whenever they behold the 
 contrary, and see these spots at our feasts, feast- 
 ing themselves without fear ', for whom is reserv- 
 ed the blackness of darkness forever. May you 
 and I fear for ourselves, and give greater dili- 
 gence to make our calling and election sure, con- 
 tinuing to walk thus as persons professing god- 
 liness. In order to which, we shall find the 
 following means most highly conducive ; and I 
 pray God you may have such desires thus to 
 give up your hearts to God, as heartily to ex- 
 ercise yourselves unto godliness in all the 
 ways the Spirit points out to you ; and these are 
 chiefly, 
 
 1. Watchfulness. 
 
 c 2. Prayer. 
 
 &. The Word. 
 
 4. The Company of l i v e l y Christians. 
 
 1. To walk as becometh your Christian pro- 
 fession, you must be watchful. The enemies 
 whom you renounce are mightier than you, 
 wise, watchful and ensnaring. — The devil con- 
 tinually spreads his toils, and is never perhaps 
 busier with us than after such a season, when 
 the fervor of devotion being somewhat abated, 
 our hearts are more exposed to his attacks ; 
 then he would step in, tempt us to return unto 
 folly, follow his insinuations with some bait laid 
 in our way, and so work upon the remainders 
 of corruption within us, in order to betray us 
 into his hands. Thus after the sop, Satan en- 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 27 V 
 
 tered into Judas* As not ignorant therefore of 
 his devices, we should especially beware of se- 
 curity. Let not him that putt eth on the armour, 
 boast as he who taketh it off. When the cold 
 turf cov ers our head, then the wicked will cease 
 from troubling, and the weary have perfect rest ; 
 but here every step we take we are among lions, 
 and must stand on our watch-tower, fearing al- 
 ways, and working out our salvation with that 
 trembling and care which can only secure it. A 
 holy jealousy is the great preservative against 
 falling away. The moment we begin to slum- 
 ber, our watchful adversary is ready to take ad- 
 vantage against us : but blessed is the man whom 
 his Lord when he cometh shall find watching. 
 
 2. Prayer is the greatest means of preserving 
 the influence of this ordinance upon our hearts. 
 This is closely connected with the former, 
 watchfulness and prayer go together ; we must 
 pray that we may watch, and continue watching 
 unto prayer. It is not enough once to draw nigh 
 unto God. but we should daily be keeping near 
 to him, and upon our knees in our closets acting 
 over again that surrender which we have made 
 at the table. Prayer is the breath of the divine 
 nature, of the new creation begun in us, and 
 by it we should be offering up our souls daily 
 to him. from whom cometh our salvation. By 
 prayer we should seek to maintain an holy frame 
 of spirit, appearing solemnly and frequently hi 
 secret in God's presence, that we may habitual- 
 ly walk under the sense of it. Whoever hath 
 any experience of divine things, will find his 
 a a 2 
 
274 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNIC ANl's 
 
 constant need, and the gracious influence of ear- 
 nest and importunate prayer ; such an one can- 
 not but pray, all his soul depends upon it, he 
 knows he shall quickly grow careless the mo- 
 ment he becomes prayerless ; and therefore he 
 remarks the smallest decays in private prayer, 
 stirs up his soul to the lively exercise of it, and 
 pleads for the Spirit to blow up the fire of all 
 holy graces in his heart. To neglect prayer, or 
 to perform it with an habitual negligence and 
 formality, is a most suspicious sign that all ap- 
 proaches to God at his table were mere matters 
 of form, the work of a day, not the spiritual ex- 
 ercises of the heart, desiring nearness to, and 
 communion with God ; for where this is the case 
 in one ordinance, it must be so in another : they 
 who long to see Christ at his table, are daily set- 
 ling him before them, when they bow their 
 knees at his footstool ; and this both prepares 
 the way before, and keeps alive the sense of 
 what they have found at Christ's communion 
 afterwards. Pray therefore, 1 beseech you, with- 
 out ceasing, as you hope to stand fast, as you 
 would be true to your engagements, as you pro- 
 fess the name of Christian, as you would walk 
 as Lecometh your profession, as you would 
 show forth the sincerity of your surrender to 
 Christ by the discharge of your several relations 
 in life, as you would have your conversation in 
 heaven, 1 beseech you be diligent in private 
 prayer ; else you will dishonour your vocation, 
 you will walk in disobedience, as do others ; 
 you will have your conversation upon earth, you 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE A XT) WALK. 2?\> 
 
 will be a slave to the world ; and notwithstand- 
 ing all you may do besides, your fall will be 
 more dreadful, and your ruin most inevitable. 
 You must pray or perish. 
 
 3. The word of God is another great means 
 to keep us from falling. Herein we must exer- 
 cise ourselves day and night. Out of it we must 
 be taught the way wherein we must go. This 
 must be the guide to our feet* and the lantern to 
 our paths ; and in our course to glory, be our 
 map and chart. Communion seasons are places 
 of refreshment in the way, to strengthen us for 
 our journey : Christ in the Word is the way it- 
 self, in which after such refreshment we are to 
 walk. To the Word therefore you must apply, 
 to know more perfectly the mind of God, that 
 you may follow it more faithfully ; and if you 
 have been sincere with Christ, you will do so ; 
 1 made haste, and delayed not to keep thy com- 
 mandments ; you will keep the scriptures upon 
 your heart, rising up and lying down ; they will 
 be daily in your hands at any season of leisure, 
 and particularly before you set yourself to the 
 exercise of prayer. This is the way to be taught 
 of God, and instructed in the way that you 
 should go. You will find thus your heart built 
 up, more determined for Christ, and more sted- 
 fast in his service ; having set his command- 
 ments ever before you, and being stedfastlv pur- 
 posed through grace not to sin against them. 
 
 4. Lastly, The company of lively Christians 
 is a choice means and wondrous help to keep 
 alive the serious impressions made upon th? 
 
276 WHAT SHOULD BE THE COMMUNICANT'S 
 
 soul. As iron sharpen eth iron, so does the cou?i- 
 tenance of a man his friend. — Experience will 
 best confirm the truth of this observation. Man 
 is by nature social, needing the help one of ano- 
 ther ; and Christians more so than other men, 
 Mho have new and stronger bands than nature 
 to unite them, and have many enemies that none 
 others know. To associate therefore for the pur- 
 poses of religious improvement, is not more 
 comfortable than necessary ; How can one be 
 warm (done? says the Prophet. But when we 
 join to exhort, reprove, rebuke, and admonish 
 one another, then the fire catches from heart to 
 heart, each receives some quickening, or con- 
 solation, or correction from the other's expe- 
 rience and conversation ; and thus the commu- 
 nion of saints before the Lord is still maintain- 
 ed, till the season returns when we shall come 
 together again in God's house, and renew the 
 bonds of union and fellowship one with another. 
 Let me therefore recommend it to you to seek 
 the company of those, whose course and con- 
 duct is most holy, heavenly, and zealous ; to be 
 free one with another ; to open your hearts, as 
 Christians, in that mutual confidence, which 
 none but real Christians have any experience 
 of, to delight in social prayer, and be desirous 
 to join in it whenever you have opportunity. A 
 conduct indeed, which, to those who know no- 
 thing of heart-religion, is always unpleasant or 
 offensive ; but which all, who have seriously set 
 their souls to seek the kingdom of God in the 
 first place, have found both most necessary to 
 
SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND WALK. 277 
 
 keep alive their holy purposes, and most con- 
 ducive to the comfort as well as edification of 
 their souls. 
 
 In this way you will always be progressing in 
 Christian knowledge and experience, and becom- 
 ing riper for glory as you advance towards it. 
 You will be walking in an holy conformity to 
 your profession, and approving your fidelity to 
 Christ your Master. And thus from eating and 
 drinking at Christ's table below, you will shortly 
 go to drink with him the new wine of eternal 
 consolation in the kingdom of your Father. 
 
 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM THE 
 SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE Lord's Supper is the ordinance our 
 Saviour has peculiarly set apart to keep up the 
 remembrance of his sufferings and death. There 
 we see the loving and lovely Jesus laying down 
 his life as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins ; 
 and shedding his precious blood to purchase for 
 us a happiness large as our wishes, and lasting 
 as eternity. We see the Lord of Life suffering 
 a painful, an ignominious, an accursed Death ; 
 that by thus fulfilling the condition of the cove- 
 nant of redemption, he might secure grace and 
 glory, and every good thing, not to us onl'v, but 
 
 ' From Dr. Erskine's Theological Dissertations. 
 
278 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM 
 
 to an innumerable multitude, which no man can 
 number \ of all tongues, and kindreds, an(l na- 
 tions, and languages. We behold the height and 
 depth, the length and breadth of divine love to 
 a perishing world: of the Father's love, in in- 
 flicting upon him such unparallelled sufferings, 
 that we might not suffer ; of his own love and 
 condescension in cheerfully bearing them. We 
 behold the Son of Man glorified, in bearing that 
 load of wrath, without fainting under it, which 
 would have sunk a whole w 7 orld in irrecoverable 
 misery. We behold God glorified in him, and 
 all the divine perfections shining with united 
 lustre, the justice of God sweetly combining 
 with his mercy to punish our Surety, that we 
 the offenders might be forgiven. From a deep 
 and heart-affecting sense, that we, and all the 
 children of men, who obtain salvation, must be 
 wholly indebted to that amazing transaction for 
 obtaining it, we are made to say, " God forbid 
 that we should glory, save in the cross of Christ. 
 We will remember thy love more than wine : 
 we will rejoice in thy salvation ; and iii the name 
 of thee, our God, will we lift up our banners : 
 for thou, Lord, hast made us glad through thy 
 work, and we will triumph in the works of thy 
 hands. Thanks be unto God for his unspeaka- 
 ble gift : and blessed be he who hath come in 
 the name of the Lord to save us. Hosannah in 
 the highest. 
 
 Ask your own hearts, Christians, are you 
 in any danger of remembering these things too 
 much ? And if you remember them at all, can 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 279 
 
 you do it in any better method than that which 
 infinite wisdom has prescribed ? 
 
 Suppose a Friend, who has received a deadly 
 wound in defending us from danger, should, 
 when about to expire, present us with his pic- 
 ture, and recommend it to us with his dying 
 breath, to keep it as a token and remembrance 
 of his friendship and affection, what would gra- 
 titude oblige us to do? Would we cast it into 
 some by- corner out of sight ? Would we suf- 
 fer it to be sullied with dust ? or buried under 
 lumber, neglected and forgotten ? Would we 
 not rather hang it in our chief room ? W r ould 
 we not honour it, not only by care to preserve 
 it from abuse, but by frequent looks, thereby 
 to renew, and, if possible, to increase an affec- 
 tionate remembrance how much we were in- 
 debted to our departed Friend ? — Can we then 
 pretend to honour our Redeemer^ when we an- 
 swer his care in providing and recommending 
 his Supper as a representative of his death, by 
 a contrary care, in seeking pretences to lay it 
 aside ? 
 
 The Lord's Supper is a visible badge of our 
 Christian profession. — Nature has taught man- 
 kind, and God himself has confirmed it, that 
 every religion should have some solemn rite 
 whereby it may be known to the very eye, from 
 other religions. Circumcision, the passover, &c. 
 under the Mosaic economy, were all intended 
 (not excluding other ends) to be signs between 
 God and his people, i. e. rites whereby they 
 might be distinguished from idolaters : and 
 
280 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM 
 
 therefore a terrible threatening was levelled a- 
 gainst the neglecters of these rites, that soul 
 must be cut off from his people : he has put off 
 the badge of my people, and therefore must not 
 share in their privileges. All this being highly 
 rational, Christianity has its distinguishing rites, 
 as well as Judaism had. 
 
 Prayer, thanksgiving, and such-like holy ex- 
 ercises, are common to almost all religions, and 
 observed by the Jew, the Turk, and the Hea- 
 then, as well as the Christian. — Baptism we re- 
 ceive in our infancy, and without our own con- 
 sent; and is therefore rather a proof of God's good- 
 ness to us than an evidence of our Christian profes- 
 sion. But by partaking of the Lord's Supper, 
 we distinguish ourselves from all who despise the 
 gospel of Christ, and testify, in the most public 
 manner our regard to a crucified Saviour, our 
 concern to keep up the remembrance of his 
 death, and our resolutions to adhere to him and 
 his cause, while by others it is disregarded and 
 set at naught. 
 
 Our Lord, well knowing how reluctant we are 
 to undertake any thing difficult, although for the 
 sake of him who was our best Benefactor, would 
 not burden us with a number of troublesome 
 ceremonies: and therefore he only appointed 
 this one ordinance, by which we should openly 
 declare ourselves on Christ's side, and proclaim 
 to the world our grateful, affectionate sense of 
 his unparalleled love. Ought we not, then, to 
 be frequent in thus openly confessing Christ 
 before men, while too many are ashamed of him 
 
THE SCRIPTURES A NO ANCIENT FATHERS, 281 
 
 and his words in this adulterous and perverse 
 generation ? 
 
 The Lord's supper is also intended as a seal 
 and confirmation of the fulness and freedom of 
 the offers of grace in the everlasting gospel. For 
 as really as the minister offers the bread and 
 wine to the communicants, so really God the 
 Father offers Christ, the bread of life, to every 
 one of us for the nourishment of our souls. — 
 And are there any, whose faith is so lively and 
 vigorous, that they seldom need the help of this 
 ordinance to strengthen and increase it? 
 
 Is not the Lord's supper an ordinance, in 
 which God is often pleased to vouchsafe special 
 communion with himself, and his Son Jesus 
 Christ ? Does it not greatly tend, through the 
 divine blessing, to strengthen the communion 
 of the mystical body of Christ, and to warm and 
 enlarge our affection to all who love our Lord 
 Jesus in sincerity ? Does knot often prove meat 
 indeed, and drink indeed, to the fainting soul; 
 a means to convey large measures of spiritual 
 nourishment and growth in grace ? Indeed, suit- 
 able impressions of Chrisfs loving us, and giv- 
 ing himself for us a sacrifice and an offering to 
 God, of a sweet-smelling savour, are the great 
 means by which holy dispositions are begun, 
 carried on, and perfected in the soul. And 
 what can tend more to awaken a lively sense of 
 these things, than beholding the symbols of the 
 broken body and shed blood of Christ? How 
 many, who went to the Lord's table feeble and 
 f aint-hearted, have received such.plenteous com- 
 B B 
 
282 FREQUENT COMMUNIC A-TING PROVED FROM 
 
 munications of light and life from the glorious 
 head of influences, that they have been made 
 to renew their strength, to mount up with wings 
 as eagles, to run and not be weary, to walk and 
 not faint ? 
 
 Who is there amongst us, -whose need of the 
 Lord's supper, for one or other of the above 
 purposes, does not frequently return? Has, then, 
 God provided for us so rich an entertainment*? 
 Does he allow us often to regale ourselves with 
 it ; yea, even invite us in the most warm and 
 earnest manner? And, is it not a- contempt of 
 the goodness and condescension of God, and 
 injuring our own spiritual interests, to neglect 
 any opportunity of sitting down at the table of 
 the Lord? * Our soul-necessities," says the ju- 
 dicious Mr. Willison,*, " do call for frequen- 
 cy in partaking : for we are oft ready to forget 
 Christ, and therefore we oft need this ordinance 
 to bring him to our remembrance. We are oft 
 subject to spiritual deadness, weakness of faith, 
 and decays of grace ; and therefore have fre- 
 quent need of this ordinance for strength and 
 quickening. There is ground to fear, that the 
 unfrequent celebration and participation of this 
 blessed feast, which Christ hath prepared for us, 
 is an evil that many in his church are charge- 
 able with, and for which the Lord may plead a 
 controversy with us. How can we expect but 
 he will depart from us, when we stand at such 
 a distance from him, and come so seldom near 
 
 -^ — - - — - — ^ 
 
 * Sacramental Catechism, p, 86. and Preface, p. 9. 
 
MIL SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT EATHERS. 283 
 
 him in the method he hath appointed ? Can we 
 look for the smiles of Christ's countenance, 
 when we live so much in the neglect of his dy- 
 ing words? Is it any wonder our hearts are so 
 hard, when we are so seldom applying the blood 
 of Christ for softening them I or that our graces 
 be so weak and withered, when we so little use 
 the means for strengthening and cherishing 
 them? Is not the frequent use of this ordinance, 
 in the way Christ hath appointed* an excellent 
 help to soften our hearts, renew our repentance, 
 strengthen our faith, inflame our love, increase 
 our thankfulness, animate our resolutions a- 
 gainst sin, and encourage us to holy duties; 
 and shall we willingly neglect it? It is no won- 
 der that we complain we miss what we aim at 
 and expect in this ordinance, when we are so 
 little sensible of former neglects. It is a sad 
 sign our receiving of the sacrament is not right, 
 when it leaves not in us earnest breathings for 
 the like opportunity. It is impossible for us to, 
 meet with Christ, and taste of his sweetness and 
 fulness in this ordinance, and not long for ano- 
 ther meeting." 
 
 The two preceding paragraphs abundantly 
 prove, that if frequent communicating can- 
 not be urged as absolutely necessary, it may 
 safely be recommended as highly expedient 
 and beneficial. But, perhaps, upon inquiry, 
 we shall find in scripture an express injunction 
 of frequency in partaking of the Lord's supper. 
 Fou that a prince should require a tribute to be 
 paid him by every one of his subjects, and yet 
 
*84 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED EROM 
 
 never express what sum should be paid, and at 
 what time, is incredible. In like manner, I 
 cannot easily bring myself to believe, that our 
 Lord should require his church, to the end of 
 the world, to eat bread, and drink wine, in com- 
 memoration of his death, without specifying 
 how often he would have it done. — The Jews, 
 though they understood not the utmost signifi- 
 cation of the Paschal rite, yet had full direc- 
 tions how often, and in what day, they were to 
 sacrifice and eat the lamb. If, then, the word 
 €)f God has assigned no precise time for partak- 
 ing of the Lord's supper, will it not follow, that 
 the gospel is more obscure than the law ; and 
 that our Lord, when he took the vail from off 
 Moses's face, covered with a thicker vail his 
 own ? 
 
 We are told of Peter's converts, * that they 
 continued stedfastly in the apostle' *s doctrine r 
 and In fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and 
 in prayer. The words »*•*« *pr»«r>fM*«i which we 
 render continued stedfastly, properly denote con- 
 stancy , or perseverance in an exercise, or wait- 
 i?lg continually upon any thing, as appears from 
 the use of the same word, f And, therefore, 
 whatever is meant by breaking of bread, it is 
 plain they were as constant in that, as in attend- 
 ing on the apostle's doctrine, and in public 
 prayer. 
 
 It is said of the same persons, % And they,. 
 
 * Acts, ii. 42. f Acts, i. 14. vi. 4. viii. 13. and x. 7. Rom- 
 xii. 12. andxiii. (5. i Acts, ii. 46. 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 2&0 
 
 continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 
 and breaking bread in a house, did participate the 
 food with gladness and singleness of heart. 
 
 Suppose we were to retain the common trans- 
 lation, breaking of bread from house to house. 
 that would tx no conclusive argument, that the" 
 Lord's supper is not intended; for the multi- 
 tude of the faithful might render it inconvenient 
 for aii to partake of the sacrament in one house, 
 and on that account it might have been dispense 
 ed successively, in different houses. 
 
 From this jpassage, it is probable, that the 
 church at Jerusalem received the Lord's sup- 
 per every day. 
 
 The next passage to our purpose is, * And 
 upon the first day of the week, when the dis- 
 ciples came together to break bread, Paul preach- 
 ed unto them, &c. 
 
 Surely one design of their meeting was to 
 break bread, i. e. to celebrate the Lord's sup- 
 per. This was with them therefore one part of 
 the sanctification of the Sabbath ; and perhaps 
 their thus remembering the death of Christ on 
 that day, is none of the least causes of its being 
 termed the Lord^s day. It adds probability to 
 this, that Chrysostom \ terms the Sabbath the 
 day of bread. 
 
 That in ail church- meetings the Lord's supper 
 was dispensed, is further evident from the first 
 epistle to the Corinthians. J The apostle had said 
 
 * Acts, xx. 7. f Chrvsost. Horn. y. de Resvrr, 
 \ 1 Cor. xi. 20, 21. 
 
 ■ b 2 
 
286 FREOJJENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM 
 
 that their meeting together was not for the better,, 
 but for the worse; this he proves from their be- 
 having themselves so in these meetings, that they 
 neither did nor could eat the Lord's supper as 
 became that holy institution. When ye come to- 
 gether therefore into one place, this is not to eat 
 the Lord's supper, i. e. it is not so to do it as 
 that sacred action ought to be performed. Now, 
 this argument evidently supposes, that when- 
 ever they assembled together, they came to eat 
 the Lord's supper ; for otherwise their coming 
 together, so as not to eat the Lord's supper, 
 would be no proof that their coming together 
 was for the worse. Had the apostle charged 
 the Corinthians, as guilty in some particular 
 meetings in which the Lord's supper was im- 
 mediately concerned, we had then understood^ 
 that it was not a constant exercise in their wor- 
 shipping assemblies ; but, on the contrary, he 
 charges them with profaning the Lord's supper 
 in all their meetings; and what is termed com- 
 ing together, -vtr. 17. coining to the church, ver. 
 18. coming to one place, ver. 19. is termed com- 
 ing together to eat, ver. 33.* Which shews, 
 that whenever the Christians met together in 
 one place for religious exercises, eating of bread 
 was a part of their employment. 
 
 Pliny, in his epistle to the emperor Tra- 
 
 * Coming together to dat, is an expression as liable to be 
 perverted tor excluding the iairy from the cup., as Luke, xxiv. 
 10. and Act£» ii. 42. But none, to ward offthat silly argument, have 
 ever said that the passage has ncr relation to the sacrament. Why 
 -hen ne#J they j,ay so in these other instances ? 
 
rilE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 287 
 
 jan *, wrote about the year of Christ ] 10, which 
 was only six years after the death of the evan- 
 gelist John, acquaints the emperor, that he 
 had found nothing to allege against the Chris- 
 tians, but their obstinacy in their superstition ; 
 and that it was their custom to meet together on 
 a set day before it was light, and to sing a 
 hymn to Christ as God, and to bind themselves 
 by the sacrament, that they would commit no 
 wickedness. 
 
 Justin Martyr, who wrote A. D. 155, is ano- 
 ther witness f> On the day, says he, that is call- 
 ed Sunday, all the Christians meet together, be- 
 cause that is the day of our Saviour's resurrec- 
 tion, arid then we have read to us the writings of 
 the prophets and apostles. This done, the presi- 
 dent makes a speech, exhorting the people to 
 practice what they have heard. Then we all join 
 in prayer; then bread, wine, and water, are 
 brought forth, and the president having again 
 poured out prayers and praises to God, there is 
 a distribution and communication made of the 
 sacramental elements. Last of all, those that are 
 willing and able, contribute what they think fit 
 
 for the relief of the indigent. How exactly 
 
 does this account of the worship of the primitive 
 church tally with that of St. Luke . r J 
 
 Tertullian, who lived about A. D. 200 ||, 
 takes notice of some who declined receiving the 
 sacrament on the stationary days (Wednesday 
 
 * Plin. Epist. lib. 10. ep. 97. Seque sacramento obstringere, &c,. 
 
 f Jastin Martyr, Apol. I. sect. 96, 97. ti &i rey »\/cy ktyz/utvn 
 
 r>u&* } &.c. $ Actsii. 42. B Tertullian de Orat.cap. xiv. p. 136, 
 
288 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PRO VED FROM 
 
 2nd Friday) for fear of breaking their fast; and 
 blames them for this as a foolish scruple — This 
 passage not only proves that he thought it a du- 
 ty incumbent on the faithful to communicate as 
 often as possible, but that it was then a common 
 practice, to communicate on other days as well 
 as Sundays. 
 
 Minutius Felix, who flourished A. D. 230, 
 speaks of the Christians assembling to eat on 
 the solemn day *. 
 
 Cyprian (A. D. 250.) tells us, that daily com- 
 munions were the common practice of his tiuief. 
 And Fortunatus, his contemporary, made use of 
 the fourth petition of the Lord's prayer as an ar- 
 gument for communicating daily. 
 
 Victorinus Petavionensis (A. D. 290.) tells 
 us, that it was usual on the Lord's dav to receive 
 the Sacrament J. 
 
 Basil, about the year 372, recommends com- 
 municating every day ; and informs us, that it 
 was the practice of the church of Caesarea, where 
 he was, to celebrate the sacrament four times 
 a-week, viz. on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, 
 and Saturday ||. 
 
 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, who was con- 
 temporary with Basil, or whoever is author of 
 the tract, in his works, de Sacramentis, justly 
 blames the infrequent use of the Sacrament 
 
 * Epulas die solenni coeunt. Min. Fel. p. 30. -f Cyprian de 
 
 Orat. Domifl. p. 209. 210. ed. Bcned. Eucharistian quotidie ad ciijum 
 salut:s.accipirr.ns, &c. \ Vict. Petav. de Fabric. Mundi, ap. 
 
 Cave, r>. 103. Die dominico cw. gratiarum acticne ad nanem exea- 
 mus. * I' Basil, ep. 289 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIEXT FATHERS. 289 
 
 among the Greeks, where some communicated 
 only once a-year ; and seems to intimate, that 
 daily communions were in use at Milan*. 
 
 St. Hierom tells us, that they were likewise 
 kept up in his time, (i. e. about the year 390.), 
 in the churches of Spain, and at Rome f. 
 
 Augustine (about the year 410) tells us, that 
 the eucharist was received by many on Satur- 
 day, as well as the Lord's day, every week ; and 
 by some even daily J. 
 
 These passages are more than sufficient to 
 prove, that during the first four centuries, the 
 sacrament of the Lord's supper was dispensed 
 even oftener than once a- week, and that it was 
 a constant branch of the sanctification of the 
 Sabbath. We next inquire after the practice of 
 the reformed Churches. 
 
 In Bohemia, the holy Supper is usually cele- 
 brated four times a-year. They dispense it of- 
 tener when the need of the faithful requires it ; 
 but thus often they enjoin it to be dispensed for 
 the sake of uniformity ||. 
 
 A national synod of the Protestants in France, 
 met at Charinton 1644, give it as their judg- 
 ment, *? That though the Lord's supper is dis- 
 pensed in their church only four times a-year, 
 greater frequency would be desirable, the reve- 
 rence requisite at the Lord's tabie being pre- 
 served, that so saints might increase in faith, 
 
 * Ambros. de Sacram. lib. v. cap. 4. p. 449. 
 •\ Hieronym. ep. 52. ad Lucin. 
 } August!,!, ep 118 adjanuar. 
 
 II Account of the church order and discipline in the unity of tie 
 brethren of Bohemia, chap. iii. sect. 4. 
 
290 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED PROM 
 
 through frequent partaking of the Sacrament 
 as the primitive church did.*" 
 
 The Lutherans have a communion every 
 Sunday and holiday throughout the year.f And 
 though the number of communicants is often 
 but small. J yet it is usual among them to com- 
 municate three or four times a year. J 
 
 The church of England enjoins, that " in 
 every parish-church, and chapel, where Sacra- 
 ments are to be administered within this realm, 
 the holy communion shall be ministered by the 
 parson, vicar, or minister, so often, and at such 
 times, as every parishioner may communicate 
 at least thrice in they ear." || 
 
 From the form of dispensing the Sacraments, 
 composed by Calvin for the use of the church 
 of Geneva, it appears, that the Lord's day pre- 
 ceding, intimation was made to the people, that 
 they might prepare for that holy ordinance ; and 
 that strangers, who inclined to communicate, 
 might converse with the minister. On the Sa- 
 crament-day, the minister, at the end of the ser- 
 mon, explained the design of that ordinance, 
 and how it ought to be received : or, if he judg- 
 ed it necessary, spent his whole sermon on that 
 subject. How often in the year the Sacrament 
 was dispensed, is not there mentioned; but 
 from Caivin's zeal to revive even weekly com- 
 municating, it is probable it was at least once a 
 
 * La Discipline des Englises Reformes de France, cap. xii. sect. 4. 
 
 •\ Johnson's Unbloody Sacrifice, Part ii. p. 151. 
 
 j Calvoer de Tic Eccl. t. i. p. 75'<l. 
 
 $ Buddei Inst. Theol Dcgm lib. v. cap. 1. sect. 19. 
 
 ji Canon xxi. of the Province of Canterbury. 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT TATHER3. 291 
 
 month : especially as Calvin approved the Book 
 of Common Order of the English church at 
 Geneva, where Knox was minister; which book 
 takes notice, that the Lord's supper was com- 
 monly used by them once a month, so oft as the 
 congregation think expedient.* 
 
 The Greek church celebrate the Sacrament 
 every Sunday, and solemn Festival, in their 
 great churches, and the laity are obliged to re- 
 ceive it four times a year, f 
 
 The 29th of April 1560, the great council of 
 Scotland laid their orders upon six ministers, 
 whereof Mr. John Knox was one, to commit to 
 writing their judgment touching the reforma- 
 tion of religion. Upon this they drew up the 
 first book of discipline, and presented it to the 
 great council, May 20, 1560. 
 
 Their opinion touching the times of dispens- 
 ing the Lord's Supper, they give in these 
 words : J " Four times in the year we think 
 •'• sufficient to the administration of the Lord's 
 table, which we desire to be distincted, that the 
 superstitions of times may be avoided, so far as 
 may be ; for your Honours are not ignorant how 
 superstitiously the people run to that action at 
 Pasche, even as if that time gave virtue to the 
 Sacrament ; and how the rest of the whole year 
 they are careless and negligent, as if it apper- 
 tained not unto them, but at that time only. 
 We think therefore most expedient, that the 
 
 • Book of Common Order, Sec. Preamble to chap. x. 
 
 t Smith's Account of the Greek Church. 
 
 $ First Book of Discipline, chap. xi. sect. 5. of Dunlop's edition- 
 
292 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED PROM 
 
 first Sunday of March be appointed for one 
 time to that service; the first Sunday of June 
 for another -; the first Sunday of September for 
 the third ; and the first Sunday of December 
 for the fourth. We do not deny, but any seve- 
 ral kirk, for reasonable causes, may change the 
 time, and may minister oftener ; but we study 
 to repress superstition." 
 
 It is alleded, that i6 the primitive Christians 
 were so eminent in religion, and so well prepa- 
 red for the sacrament, that weekly communions 
 might, in their time, be highly expedient ; but 
 that in our degenerate times, the case is altered? 
 and our frequently partaking, considering our 
 low attainments in grace, would be highly dan- 
 gerous." 
 
 But, if our attainments are so low, is there 
 not a cause? And what cause more probable, 
 than our seldom attendance on that ordinance, 
 which our Lord intended as the principal means 
 of keeping up a lively sense of his dying love? 
 Besides, as Calvin well observes,* the weaker 
 our graces are, the greater is our need of fre- 
 quent attendance on this ordinance, to strengthen 
 and increase them. It ought also to be remem- 
 bered, that even the primitive church had spots 
 in their feasts of charity. St. Paul does not 
 describe a Christian deportment in the church- 
 
 * 'Quo enim majore imbecillitate -premimur, eo rnajus ac frequen- 
 lius in eo exerceri debemus, quod turn ad confirmandam tidem nos- 
 tram, turn etiam ad sanctitatem vitae promovendam nobis usui esse et 
 potest et debet. — Calvin de Ccena Domini, in Tract. Theol. Genev 
 1617. fol.p.5. 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 29 
 
 meetings of the Corinthians : but he no where 
 advises them to communicate seldomer, but on- 
 \y enjoins them to do it in a more becoming- 
 manner. 
 
 <c The Jewish passovcr was Celebrated only 
 once a year : therefore, f* say some. *f the Lord's 
 Supper, which comes in its place, should be dis- 
 pensed no oftener." To this I reply, in the 
 words of Mr. Charnock,* The passover indeed 
 was annual. God fixed it to that time ; but they 
 had their daily sacrifices in the temple, which 
 were types of Christ, and remembrancers to 
 them of what was.-in time to be exhibited. We 
 have no ordinance settled by Christ in comme- 
 moration of his death, but this only. 
 
 But the argument on which most stress is 
 laid, is, that frequency will lessen the solemnity 
 of the ordinance, and bring it into contempt. 
 They argue thus: " Affections are wound up 
 to a higher pitch by the novelty and rarity of 
 any thing, whereas, the commonness of a thing, 
 however excellent it be, causes them to flag and 
 cool. Scarcity advanceth, plenty abateth, the 
 value of every thing. Those acts of worship, 
 which are frequently, are also slightly perform- 
 ed ; and since we cannot preserve both, we had 
 better part with frequency than reverence. For 
 we shall more honour our Lord, by partaking 
 of his supper more reverently, though less fre- 
 quently, than more frequently, with less reve- 
 rence. — To this I reply, 
 
 * Ci?*rnock's Works, vol. II. n. 756 
 
 Cc 
 
294 FREQUENT CO.M MUXIC ATING PROVED FROM 
 
 (I.) If frequent communicating is a duty, 
 then danger of doing it with less advantage 
 does not lessen our obligations to that duty. 
 For whatever danger there is, God foresaw it, 
 but yet did not see meet to guard against it, 
 by enjoining us to communicate seldom. Shall 
 we then pretend to be wiser than God ? Have 
 we found out better means for securing the 
 honour of his institutions, than the means pre- 
 scribed and practised by those w ho were under 
 the infallible guidance of his Spirit ? Have not 
 attempts of this kind proved the source of the 
 worst corruptions in Popery ? Reason has no 
 power to dispense with, or to derogate from the 
 positive laws of God, on pretence of doing 
 them a service. It is blasphemous presumption, 
 though it may put on a cloak of humility, to 
 judge that a sufficient reason to hinder thee from 
 frequent communicating, which our Lord did 
 not judge a sufficient reason to hinder him from 
 commanding it. If thou thus judge the law, 
 thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Is 
 there, in the whole Bible, any express or tacit 
 dispensation from frequent communicating, if 
 we happen to imagine, that frequency will lessen 
 our reverence? Disobedience to Christ is no 
 part of the respect we owe to the Lord's table. 
 To obey is better than sacrifice. Our Lord did 
 not say, Honour the sacrament, or dread it, or 
 admire it, or adore it, but partake of it. We are 
 not therefore at liberty to substitute any other 
 mark of respect to this ordinance, in room of 
 partaking of it How singularly unfortunate is 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 29.*» 
 
 the command, Do this in remembrance of me, 
 to be disobeyed from too much regard ? 
 
 (2.) Conjecture is lighter than experience. 
 Let us then see, whether the objection is veri- 
 fied or disproved by matter of fact. And here, 
 on the one side, the history of the primitive 
 church, for more than three hundred years, 
 proves, that constancy and reverence happily 
 conspired together to God's glory, and his 
 church's benefit. But, on the other hand, when 
 succeeding ages attempted, by lessening the 
 frequency to increase the reverence, the conse- 
 quence was, that by degrees, the very being of 
 the ordinance was in danger of being lost, and 
 a multitude of the most terrible mischiefs, and 
 particularly a general decay of the power of god- 
 liness, overspread the Christian world. 
 
 (3.) Does not the Bible speak strongly on the 
 solemnity of prayer, and the danger of rashness 
 in speaking to God ? And does it not tell us, 
 that the word, when heard unworthily, is a sa- 
 vour of death unto death ? Shall we then pray 
 seldom, and hear the word seldom, that we may 
 do it with the greater solemnity : and so not ex- 
 pose ourselves to the danger of praying unwor- 
 thily, and hearing unworthily ? Would not this 
 way of reasoning be fallacious, if applied to pray- 
 er, and hearing the word ? And is it not equally 
 so, when applied to the sacrament ? The godly 
 will not quit their reverence to the Lord's table 
 upon any the greatest frequency, as appears by 
 their uniting frequency and reverence in other 
 religious institutions. And the shew of reve 
 
396 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM- 
 
 rence the ungodly bring, to it, is not worth the 
 preserving ; and much less is it worth the pur- 
 chasing at so dear a rate, as the depriving saints 
 of this ordinance. 
 
 (4.) Prayer, hearing the word, &c. are not less 
 useful by reason of their frequency. Those who 
 abound in them most, find most benefit in them. 
 The same may be said of meditation, self-ex- 
 amination, and other religious exercises. Why, 
 then, should it be supposed, that rareness in re- 
 membering Christ's death in the sacrament, 
 should add to the effect of that ordinance ? — - 
 Novelty, it must be owned, adds a force to every 
 thing. Fulness brings cheapness on the very 
 bread of life ; yet who would infer from this, 
 that it ought to be with- held till famine enhance 
 the price . ? Or, that we ought to be seldom in 
 preaching the great and heart- affecting truths of 
 the gospel, lest by oftener insisting on them, 
 they should affect less ? 
 
 1 shall conclude this head, with the words of 
 Mr. Charnock : * £i To be frequent in commu- 
 nicating, is agreeable to the nature of the ordi- 
 nance, and necessary for the wants of a Chris- 
 tian. By too much fasting we often lose our 
 stomachs. Too much deferring does more hurt 
 than frequent communicating. The oftener we 
 carefully and believingly communicate, the more 
 disposed we shall be for it. If it be worthily 
 received, it increaseth our reverence of God, 
 and affection to him. And that is the best re- 
 
 * Charnock, ubi supra, and p. 747. 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 297 
 
 verence of God, which owneth his authority. 
 Christ's death fs to be every day fixed in our 
 thoughts ; and to help our weakness, there should 
 be a frequent representation of it to our senses, 
 in such a way as Christ has instituted, not as 
 men may prescribe." 
 
 Calvin handles this subject with great accura- 
 cy, in his Institutions. * He tells us, it was 
 then the practice, to receive the communion but 
 once a-year, and that in a formal, superficial 
 nianner.f And after having urged frequent 
 communicatingfrom the design of the ordinance, 
 and the practice of the apostolic and primitive 
 church, he adds, " And doubtless the custom 
 of communicating only once a-year, is the in- 
 vention of the devil, whoever was the instru- 
 ment of introducing it." And a little after : 
 li Our practice ought to be the very reverse. 
 Every week at least, the Lord's table should be 
 spread before the assembly of Christians, and 
 the promises upon which they should feed, there 
 opened up to them. None, indeed, should be 
 forced to it, but all should be exhorted and en- 
 couraged. J" 
 
 * Lib. iv. cap. 17. i 44.-46. 
 
 ■}• Hsec abunde ostendunr, sacramentum non institutum ideo fuisse, 
 ut semel quotannis acciperetur, idque perfunctorie, ut nunc commu- 
 nitermoris est. y 44. 
 
 J Et sanehaec consuetudo, qux semel quotannis communicare jubet, 
 certissimum est Diaboli inventum cujuscunque tsndem ministerio iri- 
 vectafuerit. Et paulo post : Longe alr.er factum oportuit. Singulis 
 ab minimum hebdomadibus proponenda erat Christianorum ca-tui 
 mensa Domini, declarandx promissiones, qux nos in ea spiritualiter 
 pascerent. Nullus quidem necessitate cogendus, sed cohortandi 
 omnes et stimulandi. $ 46. 
 
298 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED FROM 
 
 Mr. Baxter, in his Christian Directory, part 
 II. p. 101. having proposed the question, u How 
 often should the sacrament be now administer- 
 ed., that it neither grow into contempt nor 
 strangeness ?" He thus answers it. 
 
 Ordinarily., in well-disciplined churches, it 
 should be still every Lord's day. For, (1.) 
 We have no reason to prove, that the apostles' 
 example and appointment in thio case was pro- 
 per to those times, any more than that praise 
 and thanksgiving daily is proper to them : and 
 we may as well deny the obligation of other in- 
 stitutions, or apostolical orders, as that. (2.) 
 It is a part of the settled order for the Lord's 
 day's worship; and omitting it maimeth and 
 altereththe worship of the day, and occasioneth 
 the omission of the thanksgiving and praise, and 
 lively commemorations of Christ, which should 
 be then most performed ; and so Christians, by 
 use, grow habituated to sadness, and a mourn- 
 ing, melancholy religion, and grow unacquaint- 
 ed with much of the worship and spirit of the 
 gospel. (3.) Hereby many lamentable cor- 
 ruptions of this ordinance have grown up. even 
 by an excess of reverence and fear, which sel- 
 dom receiving doth increase, till they are come 
 to worship bread as their God. (4. ) By seldom 
 communicating, men are seduced to think all 
 proper communion of churches lieth in that sa- 
 crament, and to be more profanely bold in abu- 
 sing many other parts of worship. There are 
 better means, by teaching and discipline, to keep 
 the sacrament from contempt, than the omitting 
 
THE SCRIPTURES AND ANCIENT FATHERS. 299 
 
 or displacing of it. (6.) Every Lord's day is 
 no oftencr than Christians need it. (7.) The 
 frequency will teach them to live prepared, and 
 not only to make much ado once a-month, or 
 quarter, when the same work is neglected all 
 the year besides ; even as one that liveth in con- 
 tinual expectation of death, will live in continu- 
 al preparation ; when he that expecteth it but 
 in some grievous sickness, will then be frighted 
 into some seeming preparations, which are not 
 the habit of his soul, but laid bye again when 
 the disease is over. 
 
 But yet I must add, that in some undisciplin- 
 ed churches, and upon some occasions, it may 
 be longer omitted, or seldomer used. No duty 
 is a duty at all times. And therefore extraor- 
 dinary cases may raise such expediments, as may 
 hinder us a long time from this, and many o- 
 ther privileges. But the ordinary faultiness of 
 our imperfect hearts, that are apt to grow cus- 
 tomary and dull, is no good reason why it 
 should be seldom, any more than why other 
 special duties of worship and church-communion 
 should be seldom. Read well the epistles of 
 Paul to the Corinthians, and you will find that 
 they were then as bad as the true Christians are 
 now, and that even in the sacrament they were 
 very culpable ; and yet Paul seeketh not to cure 
 them by their seldomer communicating. 
 
 Mr. Jonathan Edwards, of Northampton in 
 New- England, in a book , entitled, Some Thoughts 
 concerning the present revival of religion, says, 
 
500 FREQUENT COMMUNICATING PROVED, &?('. 
 
 iC It seems plain, by the scripture, that the primi- 
 tive Christians were wont to celebrate this me- 
 morial of the sufferings of their dear Redeemer 
 every Lord's day ; and so. I believe, it will be 
 again in the church of Christ, in days that are 
 approaching." 
 
 F I N I S.