The benefits thereof.

The Church tells us, that the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby, is the ftrengthening and refreshing of our fouls by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine; for as bread and wine confidered only as natural food, ftrengthen and refresh our bodies; fo this bread and wine confidered and taken, as memorials of the body and blood of Christ, our mafter, lead us, by their peculiar tendency, to all fuch thoughts and practices, as are indeed the improvement and health of our Souls: and in the ordinance our Souls are ftrengthened by the moft folemn exercife of our faith, and other religious acts; and by that fupernatural grace, which we receive from this fpiritual food, to enable us for the better performance of our Chriftian duty for the future, our Souls are also refreshed by the comfortable affurance, thereby given us, of God's favour and gracious goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the myftical body of his Son, which is the bleffed company of all faithful people; and are alfo heirs thro' hope of his everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most pre-, cious death and paffion of his dear Son.

Now I 1 Tim. iv. 7 Heb. v. 14. 4 John vi. 55. 2 Cor. xiii. 9. Phil. iv. 13. Pf viii. 32, John iv. 9. John xiii 1.

Cor. xii. 13.

cxxxviii. 3. Mait

6

xxv. 29. 5 Rom. Eph. v 3. 1 John

71 John v. 11.

1

John ii 25. John

vi. 51, 54, 57, 58. Tit. i. 2. Tit. iii 7. Heb. xiii. 22, 23, 24.

Heb. vi. 17, 20.

Now, from the foregoing account of this Sacrament, you are to understand, How to be that when you come to the Lord's

received.

Table you are to eat the bread in remembrance that Chrift's body was broken for you, and to drink the wine in remembrance that Chrift's blood was fhed for you; esteeming and receiving these elements, not as common bread and wine, but as confecrated to represent the body and blood of Christ, to all fpiritual intents and purposes; and firmly believing that you fhall verily and indeed partake of all thofe graces and bleffings, which Chrift merited for mankind by his death, and which this facrament was defigned to convey to every one, that comes holy and clean to fuch a heavenly feaft, in the marriage garment required by God in holy Scripture.

We are taught by the Church, that it is reHow to pre- quired of them who come to the pare for the Lord's Supper, to examine themLord's fupper. felves, whether they repent them truly of their former fins, stedfaftly purpofing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's mercy, through Chrift, with a thankful remembrance of his death; and to be in charity with all men. And all perfons are more efpecially to examine into the fate of their fouls, before they come to the Lord's fupper; becaufe without repentance we are not capable

of

of that pardon, which is here offered us; 'nor can any but believers difcern the Lord's body in this Sacrament, 4 or reap any fpiritual advantage from receiving it. 5 It is a facrifice of praife for our redemption by the death of Chrift, and therefore we are to receive it, as by faith, fo with thanksgiving; 6 and forafmuch as it is a feaft of love, and fignifies the conjunction of Chriftians in one fpiritual body, 7 it is neceffary that those, who receive it, fhould be in charity with all men. 8 Nevertheless, tho', upon examination, a man fhould not find himself thus qualified that will not excuse him from receiving; because as the graces now called forth to be vigorously exerted, ought to be the standing temper and habit of our minds; and as one chief defign of this facrament is to confirm and fortify us in them; he who abfents himfelf, upon pretence of wanting them, does only wickedly plead one great fault in defence of another, and is therefore the more inexcufable.9

The receffity of frequent

Some people have acquired fuch a way of thinking, as to believe, the peril of unworthy receiving Communion. to be fo great, that a man had better stay away, than run the hazard thereof.

The

Matt. xvii. 3. I Cor. x. 21. I Cor. v. 8. Rom i. 4. I Cor. xi. 29, 30, 31. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Heb. x. 22, 29. 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19, 20. 5 Mark vi. 16. John viii. 24. 6 Heb. xiii. 15. Eph. v. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 5. 71 Cor. x 17. I Cor. xii. 12, 13. Rom. xii. 5. 8 Eph. V 2. I john jv. 11. John xiii. 34. John xv. 12. Heb. xiii. 16. XXX. I. 2 Chron. xxviii. 13. Rom. vi. 1.

91

The danger is great indeed to thofe, who will prefume to eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, rafhly and unadvisedly: but it is no lefs dangerous to them, who stand out in difobedience 4 to the laft and dying command of their dearest Saviour, 5 and reject his invitation to fo many great and fpiritual advantages, 6 upon pretence of that danger, which it is in their own power to avoid, 7 the refult whereof is, that there can be no compounding in this cafe; and that our fafety confifts in refolving to do the duty required, and take the best care fo to prepare ourselves, that the performance may be accepted by God. I will not fay that no accident whatsoever fhould interfere with our obfervance of this duty; but when any unavoidable impediment interpofes, the omiffion occafioned thereby is to be remedied as foon as poffible.9

Let us now look into the nature of those The Duties duties, which are required of all of thofe who who come to the Lord's Supper, to make them worthy partakers of that holy Table: in the first place let us confider, that to repent us truly of our for

receive.

xxi. 27

mer

11 Cor. xi. 27, 30.' I Cor x. 21, 22. Matt. xxii 11, 12, 13. 2 Chion. xxxi 18, 19, 29. Pfalm 1. 16. Prov. Eccl. v. 1. 4 Matt. xxii. 2, 8. 5 1 Cor. xi 23, 24. Matt. xi 28. Ha. lv. 1. John vii. 37 John v. 40. John vi 35, 68. Prov. ix 6. 7 I Cor. xi. 31. Pf. xxxii. 5. 2 Chron, xxx. 8 8 1 Cor. xi. 8. Ifaiah Iv. 6, 7. Prov. xxviii 13. 9 Numb. ix. 10, 11, 6, 7, S. 2 Chron. XXX¿ I, 46

mer fins, is to examine our lives and converfations by the rule of God's commandments ;9 and whereinfoever we shall perceive ourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail our finfulness, 1and confefs it to Almighty God, 4with full purpose of amendment of life: 5and if we fhall perceive our offences to be fuch, as are not only against God, but also against our neighbour, we must then endeavour to reconcile ourselves unto them, and be ready to make reftitution and fatisfaction, according to the utmost of our power, for all the injuries and wrongs we have done; which is no other than what we are obliged to by common justice: but charity goes farther, and requires us to be as ready to forgive those who have offended us, 6 as we would have forgiveness of our offences from God. And when, upon examination, we find that we truly and earnestly repent of our fins, and are in love and charity with our neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from thenceforth in his holy ways,

we

9 Lam. ii. 40. Pf. cxix. 59. Pf. lxxvii 6. 2. Cor. xiii. 5. Gal. vi. 4. 24 Cor. vii. 9, 10. 11. Pf. ii. 17. Joel ii. 12, 13. 4 Luke xv. 21. Pf. li. 3. Joel i. 9. 5 PT. cxix. 106. 1 Peter iv. 1, 2. Acts xxvi. 20. Matth. iii. 8.

Phil. i. 11. 5 Matt. v. 23, 24. Rom. xii. 18. 1 Tim. ii. S. Luke xix. 8, 9. 10. 1 Sam. xii. 3. Ezek. xxxiii. 14. 15« Eph. iv. 32. Col. iii. 12, 13. 7 Luke vi. 37 Matt.

vi. 12, 14, 15.