pects, 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 obferved or forgotten, And this concern muft proceeds from a fense 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 restitu tion for the injuries that we have done, so far as it is poffible; and of a fettled refolution to amend our hearts and lives, wherever it is wanting. More than this we cannot do; and lefs than this God cannot accept. For it would be giving us a licenfe to disobey him, if he allowed us to come to his table, and profess to have fellowship with him, while we walked in darkness*. Mere infirmities indeed, and undefigned frailties, provided we strive against them with any good degree of honeft care, and humble ourfelves in the Divine presence for them, fo far as we are fenfible of them, will not provoke God to reject us, as unworthy receivers, though, in ftrictness, we are all unworthy. For if fuch failures as these made persons unfit, nobody could be fit. And therefore there 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 fin, cannot safely come to the holy facrament: nor, which I beg you to observe, (can he fafely stay away. For, as the hypocrify of profeffing amendment falfely at God's table is a great fin; 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 fafe no way. But let him refolve to quit his wickednefs 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, tho doubtless it would be the juftest 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, * John i. 6. renew renew his good purposes more firmly, pray for help from above with more earnestnefs, watch over himself with more prudent care: then go again to God's altar, thankfully commemorate his pardoning love, and claim anew the benefit of his gracious covenant. Following this courfe honeftly, he will affuredly gain ground. And therefore fuch, as do not gain ground, do not follow it honeftly; but allow themselves to go round in a circle of finning, then repenting as they call it, and communicating, then finning again: as if every com munion did of courfe wipe off the old fcore, and fo they might begin a new one without fcruple; which is the abfurdeft, the moft irreligious, the moft fatal imagination that can be. II. The next thing, required of them who come to the Lord's Supper, is a lively faith in God's mercy through Chrift, with a thankful remembrance of his death. And the faith neceffary is a fettled perfuafion, that, for the fake of the meritorious obedience and fufferings of our bleffed Redeemer, God will pardon true penitents; together with a comfortable truft that we, as fuch, have an intereft in his merits. But here again you muft obferve, that different perfons may have very different degrees of this perfuafion and truft. Some may be weak in faith; may have caufe to fay with in the gospel of St Mark, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelieft; and yet their pray'ers, like his, may be graciously heard. Others may be strong‡, and increases, till they abound in faith ||. And such have great reafon to be thankful to God for themselves; but furely they ought not to judge hardly of their brethren, who have not advanced fo far. The rule of judging, both in the catechifm and the fcripture, is not by the pofitiveness, but the liveliness, of our faith that is, the fruits of a Chriftian life, which it produces for faith without works is dead. If we cannot fhow the evidence of thefe, the higheft confidence will do us no good; and if we can, we need have no doubts concerning our fpiritual condition; and though we have ever so many, provided we perceive no fufficient reafon for them, we may celebrate this holy ordinance very fafely. For fuch weaknesses in our natural temper and spirits are no way inconsistent with having, *Rom. xiv. 1.. : + Mark ix. 24. Rom. iv. 20. ¶ James ii. 17. § Luke xvii. 5. having, in our fixed and deliberate judgment, that full truft in God's mercy, which the Communion-fervice requires; and we cannot take a more likely method, either to perfect our repentance or to strengthen our faith, than receiving the facrament frequently. Our catechifm teaches further, that our faith in Chrift muft be accompanied with a thankful remembrance of his death. And furely, if we believe, that he died to fave us, we must be thankful for it. But then the measure of our thankfulness must be taken from the goodnefs and conftancy of its effects, not from that fenfible warmth and fervency, which we cannot, ordinarily fpeaking, feel fo ftrongly in spiritual things as in temporal; and of which bad perfons may at times have very much, and good perfons little. For that is the true thankfulnefs, which produces love. And this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments *. But there is one commandment, as I have fhewn you, peculiarly connected with this ordinance. And therefore our catechifm fpecifies it feparately, and in exprefs terms, by requiring, III. That we be in charity with all men. For we can have no fhare in the love of our Creator, our Redeemer, and Sanctifier, unlefs, in imitation of it, we love one another; and, as the goodness of God is univerfal, so must ours be too. Receiving the holy communion was indeed intended to increase the degree of it; but the reality we must have, before we are worthy to receive. And we must show it is real, by forgiving them who trefpafs against us: by affifting, as far as can be reasonably expected, thofe who need affiftance in any kind; by our hearty prayers for thofe, whom we can help no other way; by faithfully performing the duties of our feveral ftations and relations in life; and by condefcenfion, mildness, and humanity towards every perfon, as occafion offers: all which duties, and particularly that of forgiveness, have been explained to you in their proper places. Thefe then being the difpofitions requifite for receiving the holy facrament, as indeed they are for obtaining eternal happiness; we are all greatly concerned to examine ourselves, whether we have them or not; and should have been concern 1 John v. 3. ed ed to do it, though this ordinance had never been appointed. But we are now more especially bound to it with a view to this ordinance; both from the nature of it, and from St Paul's pofitive injunction: Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup*. The principal subjects of our examination are comprehended under the three heads juft now mentioned. But as to any particular method to be taken, or time to be spent in it, or in any further preparation subsequent to it, we have no command it is left to every one's prudence and voluntary piety. They who live in a conftant practice of religion and virtue, are always fit for the facrament; and may, if the call be fudden, by reflecting for a few moments, fufficiently know that they are fit. Perfons who live in any fin, may as quickly know that they are not. And it is only in doubtful cafes, that any length of confideration is neceffary to fatisfy us about this matter. But it must be extremely useful for all perfons, not only to be attentive to their ways constantly, but to look back upon them frequently; much more frequently than almost any one receives the facrament. And as things, which have no certain feason fixed for them, are very apt to be neglected; we should fix upon this, as one certain season for as particular an inspection into the ftate of our hearts and lives as we can well make, and can hope to be the better for; joining with it suitable meditations, refolutions, and devotions. But then in the whole of this work we must be careful, neither to hurry over any part thoughtlessly, nor lengthen it wearifomely. And in our examination we must be especially careful, neither to flatter nor yet to affright ourselves; but obferve impartially what is right in us, thank God, and take the comfort of it: acknowledge what is wrong, beg pardon, and amend it. For without amendment, being ever fo forry will avail nothing. The last thing to be mentioned in relation to this holy facrament, is our behaviour at it, which ought to be very ferious and reverent; fuch as may fhow, in the properest manner, that, to use the apoftle's words, we difcern or distinguish the Lord's body f; look on the action of receiving it, as one of of no common nature, but as the religious memorial of our bleffed Saviour's dying for us, and by his death establishing with us a covenant of pardon, grace, and everlasting felicity, on God's part; and of faith and holiness, on ours. With this important confideration, we fhould endeavour to affect our hearts deeply and tenderly; yet neither to force our minds, if we could, into immoderate tranfports, by which we shall only bewilder and lofe, inftead of benefiting, ourselves; nor exprefs even what we ought to feel, by any improper fingularities of gefture; nor yet be dejected, if we have lefs feeling, and even less attention to the service, than we have reafon to with. For fuch things may be, in a great measure at leaft, natural and unavoidable. Or, fuppofing them faults; they may be, and often are, the faults of fuch perfons, as, not*withstanding, are, on the whole, very worthy communicants. They may be, for a time, useful means of keeping us humble and watchful; after that, God may delive rus from them; and fhould we continue all our lives afflicted with them, it would never hinder our receiving all the necessary benefits of this ordinance. God grant that both it, and all his other gracious inftitutions, may contribute effectually to build us up on our most boly faith in a fuitable practice, that fo we may ever keep ourfelves in the love of God; and on good grounds look for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift, unto eternal life *. * Jude, ver. 20, 21. HAV [AVING now, through God's mercy, carried on these lectures to the end of the catechifm, and in fome meafure explained to you every part of Christian faith and duty VOL. IV. 3 S compre |