Page images
PDF
EPUB

dained it:-as he would very eafily perceive, that all this was defigned as a very powerful motive to humble him before God, to give him an abhorrence of fin, which could not be forgiven without the lofs of the life of an innocent creature; and lastly, that it was intended to lead him to the love of God, who would be reconciled to him upon fuch gracious terms: I fay, the most ignorant Ifraelite could understand this end of facrifices, and perform the duty required of him, as well as the most learned master in Ifrael.

Even fo every Christian, even the most unlearned, is capable of understanding, (if it be not plainly his own fault) and of performing, all the duties of a worthy communicant.

For when he is informed, that this is the true Chriftian facrifice,-the only means of rendering our perfons and all our prayers acceptable to God, of obtaining the pardon of our fins, the affistance of God's grace, and everlafting happiness after death: when he fees that done before his eyes that Jesus Christ himself did; who the fame night in which he was betrayed, having devoted himself an offering and a facrifice to God for the fins of the whole world, did inftitute this holy facrament, by taking bread and wine, and blessing them, and making them, by that bleffing, the true reprefentatives of his body and blood, in virtue and power, as well as in name:

When

When he is made fenfible, that this fervice was ordained by Chrift himself, not only as a teftimony of his great love for his poor creatures, but as a means whereby he would communicate all the benefits of that death which he was then going to fuffer; and by which he would apply the merits of his death to all people and ages of the world:

Laftly; when he is affured, even from Christ himself, that whofo eateth and drinketh this his flesh and blood after this holy manner, dwelleth in Chrift and Chrift in him; that fuch a one has a right to eternal life, and that God will raise him up at the last day:

Let a man, I fay, be never fo unlearned, yet he will eafily understand,―That he is not to look upon and receive this bread and wine as common food, but as holy representatives of Chrift's body and blood, made fuch by an efpecial bleffing of God;-that he is to receive it in remembrance of the death of Christ, and to believe affuredly, that the bleffing of God will attend his doing fo; for it being God's own ordinance, he cannot but bless it, and him who obferves it.

And when he is informed, that the Lord Jefus commanded this fervice to be observed until his coming again, (that is, to judge the world) he will easily conclude, that he ought to prepare himself against that day, by this holy ordinance, that he may meet his Lord

John vi, 26.

and

and Judge as a friend, at whofe table he has been so often received and entertained.

A Christian, I say again, let him be never fo unlearned, will eafily fee, that this holy facrament is most proper to prepare him for that great day, and the account he is then to give;-that it is defigned to humble him, to bring him to repentance, to make him fearful of offending God, and to make him very thankful for all his mercies.

It will put him often in mind of the fad effects of the fall of man, and of the fin occafioned thereby; fince no less a facrifice than the death of Chrift would fatisfy the justice of God.

He will easily fee what he must expect, if he lives and dies in fin unrepented of, even the feverest punishment,

He will eafily perceive, that these are blessed opportunities, and never to be loft, of renewing his baptifmal covenant, which he knows he has broken, and of making his peace with God.

For he cannot but be convinced, that it must be one of the most prevailing arguments with the Divine Majefty, to reprefent unto him the death of his Son, who died to redeem us, and to restore us to his favour, befeeching him to remember his Son's death in heaven, for our good, as we do on earth in obedience to his command.

And

And lastly, a Christian, let him be never fo unlearned, must know, and be convinced, that the oftener he presents himself before God, to plead his Son's death, in this holy manner, the more pleasing it will be to God, the more graces he will receive from him, the stronger will be his faith, the furer his hopes, and the firmer his pardon.

He will also very eafily fee, what duties are required to make him a worthy receiver of this facrament.

He will understand, for instance, that fo folemn a service, and a fervice upon which his falvation depends, cannot be well performed without fome thoughts and confideration.

And a very little confideration will convince him, that he must confefs and forfake those fins, which coft Jefus Chrift his life, to prevail with God to pardon them;-that he is to go to the facrament with a full purpose of leading a Chriftian life;-that if he does fo, he may depend upon God's mercy through Jefus Chrift; that the remembrance of Chrift's death ought to be very dear to him;—and that he is bound to forgive, and to love, and to do good to others, fince God is so good and fo kind to him.

Every Christian must see, and acknowledge, the neceffity of these qualifications; and that whoever goes prefumptuously to the Lord's table without them, will receive a curse instead of a blessing.

I fay,

I fay, prefumptuously; that is, without thought, without concern, and without doing what he is able, to become a worthy

communicant.

For this is our great comfort, that God expects no more of any man, but that he make an honeft ufe of that measure of grace and light which he has given him.

If a man does fo, though he may have his fcruples, and his fears, yet he cannot be in danger, no more than a dutiful child can be in danger from a father who fees him doing his best to please him.

But, forafmuch as many are apt to go to the Lord's table without due confideration, and too many do make the trouble of examining and preparing themselves a reason for their not going fo often as they should do, (that is, as often as they have an opportunity;) it will be proper to confider what preparation is required of thofe that would go worthily to the Lord's Supper.

Our Church has indeed given us a short and fure rule and anfwer to that question, provided we take pains to understand it; but the truth is, it is too often mistaken, both by those that are prefumptuous, and by those that are lazy, and not difpofed to confider.

By the prefumptuous, it is made a matter of mere form; and by the lazy, it is looked upon as a burthen, and to be avoided as much as poffible. Both these are greatly mistaken, and

betray

« PreviousContinue »