his children how to ferve him; and yet there are many whole nations where the true God is neither known nor worshipped.

But we need not go fo far for examples:Are there not perfons who, by forfaking the laws of God, forget that they are Christians, and live like heathens; forget that they are men, and live like beafts? Therefore God, who knows our frailties, has in great mercy commanded us to remember the bleffings of Christ's death, by a way eafy to be understood, eafy to be performed, and yet dangerous to be neglected.

II. Now; that the receiving of the Lord's fupper is one of the eafieft duties to be understood, is what I next come to fhew.

Though people for the most part own that to receive the facrament is a neceffary duty, because it is a means of grace and falvation, and they know that to expect falvation without using the means is not reasonable; yet they look upon it as a duty very hard to be understood; and this is often to them a reason for not setting about this duty. They have a reverence for this facrament, but then it is such a reverence as they have for fome great prince, of whom they never expect to know more than the name.

Now, I will endeavour to fhew you, that there is nothing required to be known concerning the facrament of the Lord's fupper, but what any perfon of the most ordinary understanding,

derstanding, who does but defire to know his duty, may comprehend, and that without much study or learning.

To fatisfy you that it must be so, do but confider-that the Lord's fupper is a pledge to affure us of the love of God for all mankind;-that Jefus Chrift, who appointed this facrament for the benefit of all mankind, knew that the greatest part of men were unlearned, and not able to understand, or remember, any thing that is difficult;-that therefore he must require fuch things as well-meaning perfons, without much learning and study, might know, or else the greatest part of men could never know their duty. And indeed fo it is in this very facrament: there is nothing required by Chrift to be known, but what any ferious perfon may know, to the falvation of his foul, as well as the most learned.

When Jefus Chrift was going to be made a facrifice for the fins of the whole world, he ordained this facrament to keep up' the perpetual memory of his precious death until his coming again. Hear the very words of Chrift himself by his apostle St. Paul: The Lord Jefus, the fame night that he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Now, what is there in this command that requires much learning to understand? Does

f 1 Cor. xi. 23.

not

not every body at firft fight apprehend, that that which is required of Chriftians is, to meet together, to break and eat bread after a religious manner; that is, with prayer and thanksgiving;-to do this in remembrance of Chrift's death;-and to believe affuredly, that God's bleffing will attend their doing fo?

Here seems to be no difficulty in this; and yet he that understands this, knows as much as is neceffary to be known, as much as the gofpel requires to be known, concerning this duty.

It would but diftract you to no purpose to use more words. If you do but know what Chrift has commanded, and do but refolve to do it to the best of your power, believing that God can and will blefs his own ordinances, you know enough to have his blessing, and that is what the wifeft will be well content with. I will only, therefore, give you one plain inftance to make this easy to your understanding:

Naaman an Affyrian," being afflicted with a leprofy, was advised to go into the land of Ifrael, to a prophet of God, for a cure. He did fo. The prophet only orders him to go to the next river, the river Jordan, and wash himself in it seven times. This displeased the man very much, thinking with himself, that if a little common water could heal him, there was no need of coming fo far for it. Now

VOL. IV.

• 2 Kings v.

D

here

here was his ignorance and fault:-he did not confider, that though the water of Jordan could not cure him, yet God's bleffing upon the prophet's directions might do it. And when his fervants prevailed with him to follow the prophet's orders, he found himself cured in a moment.

Now, to apply this:-Christ commands us to receive this facrament, and when we do fo, to remember, that he died for the good of all mankind that would obey his commands. He bids us believe this, and that he will blefs us if we do our best.

Why now, what have we to do, but to confider what Chrift has commanded, to resolve to do our parts, and to believe and truft his word and goodness, that a bleffing will follow our doing fo?

We may, indeed, do as Naaman did, raise objections, and doubt whether it is likely that the doing fo common a thing can procure us fuch great benefits as we are promised we shall receive thereby; but then we should be much to blame, and should hinder our own happinefs. It is not mere bread and wine, but bread and wine made the body and blood of Jefus Christ in effect and power, though not in substance, that can procure us the bleffing we defire.

So that whoever knows thus much, knows enough to come worthily to the facrament, and shall be a worthy partaker of themoft

bleffed

bleffed body and blood of Chrift, provided his heart be right, and that he will do his best according to his knowledge.

III. And this brings us to the third particular: That as this duty is most eafy to be underftood, fo it may be worthily and fafely performed, and received, by the most unlearned Chriftian, to his great comfort and benefit.

We have a very plain, and a very short direction, by which we are to fit ourselves for this facrament: we are to repent us truly of our fins past; we are to come to the facrament with a full purpose of leading a Christian life for the time to come; we are to rely upon God for pardon and grace for the fake of Christ, whose death we then remember;-and we are to forgive, and to love, and to do good to others, fince God is fo good and fo kind to us.

Whoever can but do these things, nay, whoever will but do his best to do them, will be a worthy partaker of the Lord's fupper, which is the greatest encouragement and comfort that the heart of man can defire. For God expects no more of any man, but that he make an honest use of that measure of grace and understanding which God has given him.

Let a man's understanding be never so mean, his faith weak, and his ability for the present fmall; yet, if he is but heartily convinced that he is a finner; if he is forry that he is so, and defires that God would pardon him, and refolves but to do what he can to please God,