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tation of his Love, which, juft before his appointing this holy Sacrament, He fo earnestly and affectionately enjoined his Followers, as the distinguishing Badge of their Profeffion. This is my Commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater Love hath no Man than this, that a Man lay down his Lifor his Friends. Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you". Hereby fhall all Men know, that ye are my Difciples, if ye have Love one to another. Then befides; commemorating his Love jointly, as the Servants of one Mafter, and Members of one Body, partaking of the fame Covenant of Grace, and the fame Hope of everlasting Happiness, muft, if we have any Feeling of what we do, incline us potently to that reciprocal Union of Hearts, which indeed the very Act of communicating fuggefts and recommends to us. For we, being many, are one Bread and one Body: for we are all Partakers of that one Bread o.

Another Grace, which this Commemoration of our Saviour's Death peculiarly excites, is Humility of Soul. We acknowledge by it, that we are Sinners; and have no Claim to Pardon or Acceptance, but through his Sacrifice, and his Mediation, whofe Merits we thus plead, and fet forth before God. And this Confideration muft furely difpofe us very ftrongly to a thankful Obfervance of his Commands, to Watchfulness over our own Hearts, to Mildnefs towards others. For we ourfelves alfo have been foolish, disobedient, deceived: and not by Works of Righteousness, which we have done, but according to his Mercy, God hath faved us, which He foed on us abundantly through Chrift Jefus our Saviour.

And as this Sacrament will naturally ftrengthen us in all thefe good Difpofitions, we cannot doubt but God will add his Bleffing to the Ufe of fuch proper Means, especially being appointed Means. For fince He hath threatned Punishments to unworthy Receivers,

John xv. 12, 13, 14. Tit, iii. 3, 5, 6.

John xiii. 35.

1 Cor. x. 17.

He

He will certainly beftow Rewards on worthy ones. Our Saviour hath told us, that his Flesh is Meat indeed, and his Blood is Drink indeed: Suftenance and Refreshment to the Souls of Men. When he bleffed the Bread and Wine, He undoubtedly prayed, and not in vain, that they might be effectual for the good Purpofes, which He defigned fhould be attained by this holy Rite. And St. Paul hath told us, if it needs, more exprefsly, that the Cup, which we blefs, is the Communion, that is, the Communication to us, of the Blood of Chrift; and the Bread, which we break, of the Body of Chrift: that is, of a faving Union with Him, and therefore of the Benefits

cured us by his Death: which are, Forgivenefs of our Offences; for He hath faid, This is my Blood of the New Teftament, which is fhed for the Remiffion of Sins: Increase of the gracious Influences of the Holy Ghoft; for the Apostle hath faid, plainly speaking of this Ordinance, that we are all made to drink into one Spirit": and everlasting Life; for whofe eateth his Flesh, and drinketh his Blood, dwelleth in Chrift, and Chrift in him, and He will raife him up at the laft Day". Whence a Father of the apoftolic Age, Ignatius, calls the Eucharift, the Medicine of Immortality; a Prefervative, that we should not die, but live for ever in Jefus Chrift.

But then what hath been already hinted to you must be always carefully obferved; that thefe Benefits are to be expected only from partaking worthily of it: for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, St. Paul hath told us, is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lordy, that is, guilty of Irreverence towards it, and eateth and drinketh Judgment to himself. Our Tranflation indeed hath it, Damnation to himself. But there is fo great Danger of this laft Word being understood here in too ftrong a Senfe, that it would be much fafer, and exacter, to translate it, (as it is often tranflated elsewhere, and once in a few

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Verfes after this Paffage, and from what follows ought undeniably to be tranflated here) Judgment or Condemnation: not to certain Punishment in another Life, but to fuch Marks of God's Difpleasure as He fees fit; which will be confined to this World, or extended to the next, as the Cafe requires. For receiving unworthily may, according to the Kind and Degree of it, be either a very great Sin, or comparatively a small one. But all dangerous Kinds and Degrees may with Ease be avoided, if we only take Care to come to the Sacrament with proper Difpofitions, and, which will follow of Course, to behave at it in a proper Manner.

To thefe Difpofitions our Catechifm proceeds. But more is needful to be known concerning them than can well be laid before you now. Therefore I fhall conclude at present with defiring you to obferve, that no Unworthiness, but our own, can poffibly endanger us, or prevent our receiving Benefit. Doubtless it would both be more pleafing and more edifying, to come to the Table of the Lord in Company with fuch only as are qualified for a Place at it: and they, who are unqualified, ought, when they properly can, to be reftrained from it. But we have neither Direction nor Permiffion to stay away, because others come who should not: nor can they ever be fo effectually excluded, but that Tares will be mixed among the Wheat: and attempting to root them up may often be more hurtful than letting both grow together until the Harvest ». Nay, fhould even the Stewards and Difpenfers of God's Myfteries be unholy Perfons, though it be a grievous Temptation to others to abhor the Offering of the Lord", yet that is holy ftill. They fhall bear their Iniquity: but notwithftanding, all the Promifes of all God's Ordinances are Yea and Amen, fure and certain, in fefus Chrift, to as many as worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

a I Cor. x. 21. 1 Sam. ii. 17.

Matth. xiii. 28-31.

2 Cor. i. 20.

John iv. 23.

C 1 Cor. iv. 2.

LE C

LECTURE XXXVIII.

W

Of the LORD'S SUPPER.

PART III.

HAT Qualifications and Difpofitions are required of them who come to the Lord's Supper, the Scripture hath not particularly expreffed: for they are easily collected from the Nature of this Ordinance. But our Catechifm, in its fifth and laft Anfwer concerning it, hath reduced them very justly to three: Repentance, Faith, and Charity.

I. That we repent us truly of our former Sins, ftedfafly purpofing to lead a new Life. For as we are by Nature prone to Sin; and the youngest and beft among us have in more Inftances than a few been guilty of it, the lefs the better: fo in Chriftianity, Repentance is the Foundation of every Thing. Now the Sorrow that we ought to feel for the leaft Sin, must be a very serious one: and for greater Offences in Proportion deeper. But the Vehemence and Paffionatenefs of Grief will on every Occafion, and particularly on this, be extremely different in different Perfons. And therefore all, that God expects, is a fincere, though it may be a calm, Concern for every paft Fault, of which we are confcious, and for the Multitudes, which we have either not observed or forgotten. And this Concern must proceed from a Senfe of Duty, and produce the good Effects of an humble Confeffion to Him in all Cafes, and to our Fellow-Creatures, in all Cafes needful; of Reftitution for the Injuries that we have done, fo far as it is poffible; and of a fettled Resolution to amend our Hearts and Lives, wherever it is wanting. More than this we cannot do; and less than this God cannot ac

cept.

cept. For it would be giving us a Licence to disobey Him, if He allowed us to come to his Table, and profefs to have Fellowship with Him, while we walked in Darkness. Mere Infirmities indeed, and undefigned Frailties, provided we ftrive against them with any good Degree of honeft Care, and humble ourselves in the Divine Prefence for them, fo far as we are fenfible of them, will not provoke God to reject us, as unworthy Receivers, though in Strictnefs we are all unworthy. For if fuch Failures as thefe made Perfons unfit, Nobody could be fit. And therefore they will be no Excufe for omitting what Chrift hath commanded: nor can be any Reason why we should not do it with Comfort.

But whoever lives in any wilful Sin, cannot fafely come to the holy Sacrament: nor, which I beg you to obferve, can he fafely ftay away. For, as the Hypocrify of profeffing Amendment falfely at God's Table is a great Sin; fo the Profaneness of turning our Backs upon it, because we will not amend, is to the full as great a one and it is the mereft Folly in the World to chufe either, as the fafer Way; for a wicked Perfon can be safe no Way. But let him refolve to quit his Wickedness and when he is thoroughly fure, fo far as he can judge from a competent Experience, that he hath refolved upon it effectually, then he may as fafely receive as he can fay his Prayers. And fuch a one fhould come, not with fervile Fear, as to a hard Mafter; but with willing Duty, as to a merciful Father. Nay, fhould he afterwards break his Refolutions, though doubtless it would be the jufteft Cause of heavy Grief, yet it would not prove that he received unworthily, but only that he hath behaved unworthily fince he received. And the Thing for him to do is, to lament his Fault with deeper Contrition, renew his good Purposes more firmly, pray for Help from above with more Earneftness, watch over himself with more pru

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