ing to do the duty required, and to take the best care so to prepare ourselves, that the performance may be accepted by God.? It may now be proper to explain the nature of those duties which are required of those who come to the Lord's Supper. The first duty is to repent us truly of our former sins. We should examine our lives and conversations by the rule of GOD's commandments;" and whereinsoever we shall perceive ourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there we must bewail our own sinfulness, and confess our guilt to Almighty God. Having examined our lives and confessed our sins before God, and humbled ourselves under the sense of our natural depravity and actual guilt, we should then turn our thoughts upon the only means by which we can be redeemed from our sins, and reconciled to GOD. The means of our deliverance from sin, and restoration to the divine favor, are provided in the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. In him we have redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins." Him hath God set forth to be the But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.-1 Cor. xi. 28. r Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Lam. iii. 40. s Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.-2 Cor. vii. 9, 10. t For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.-Psalm li. 3.. u Col. i. 14. propitiation for our sins." He is the Mediator between God and Man. He gave himself a ransom for all. He is our advocate with the Father. By his death we are reconciled to God; He has made our peace with the Father through the blood of his Cross.a It is a comfort to us, under the sense and burthen of our sins, to consider, not only that we have a Saviour and Redeemer, but that he has given humble and penitent Sinners the most gracious invitations and encouragements to come to him for pardon and salvation. Come unto me (says the blessed Jesus,) all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. And he tenderly declares, that He came into the world, on purpose to call sinners to repentance; and to seek and to save that which was lost.e The consideration of these gracious declarations and encouragements, together with the sense of our own vileness and misery, will prepare us to come to Christ, with a true and lively faith; neither trusting to our own merits, nor distrusting the mercies of God, but casting ourselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus Christ; in a stedfast reliance that through his w Rom. iii. 25. y 1 John ii. 1 a Col. i. 20. c John vi. 37. e Luke xix. 10. x 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. d Luke v. 32. blood we shall receive the remission of our sins, and being justified by faith, shall have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. But then we must remember, that the redemption of Christ consists in his delivering us, not only from the guilt of our sins past, but also from the power and dominion of sin for the time to come. Christ gave himself for us, not only that he might redeem us from all iniquity, but likewise that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. He was manifested, not only to take away our sins, but also by his blood to purge our consciences from dead works to serve the Living Gods: No persons then must hope for any benefit by the death of Christ, but they who will take the redemption, which he wrought, whole and entire, and receive him as a Saviour, not only from the guilt but from the dominion of sin. None must hope for the par-. don of his sins past, but he who sincerely desires to be delivered from them for the time to, come.. And therefore having begun the work of repentance in the confession of our past sins, and the humiliation of our souls under a sense of them; we must continue and perfect it, by solemnly professing, in the presence of God, our earnest desires to be de-. f Tit. ii. 14. 8 Heb. ix. 14. livered from the power of sin, and our resolutions, through the assistance of his grace, to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, while he shall please to continue us in this world. When, upon examination, we think we have reason humbly to trust that we truly and earnestly repent of our sins, and are in love and charity with our neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of GOD, and walking in his holy ways, we must then draw near without fear, and take the holy sacrament to our comfort; firmly believing that Almighty GOD, for the sake of our blessed Redeemer, and in regard to the merits of his death, will mercifully pardon us, and graciously receive us as worthy commu nicants. We should behave with all possible reverence and devotion, when we present ourselves amongst our brethren who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. With hearts impressed with penitence, with faith, with reverence and love, our principal business at the altar should be to give most humble and hearty thanks to GOD the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for all the blessings vouchsafed unto us, but especially for the redemption of the world, by the death and b Tit. ii. 11, 12. i For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.-2 Tim. i. 7. passion of our Saviour Christ both GOD and man. To the ever blessed TRINITY We should, at all times, but more especially at these opportunities of commemorating the inestimable love displayed in the redemption, be most thankful; ascribing continual praise to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who created, redeemed, and sanctifieth us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The obligation of receiving the Holy Communion stated, and the various pretences for neglecting it, considered and refuted. FROM the foregoing account of the holy Eucharist, it appears that it is the highest and most important act, of Christian worship. It is the memorial of the passion and death of our blessed Redeemer, made before the Almighty Father, to render him propitious to us, by pleading with him the meritorious sufferings of his beloved Son. It is a sensible pledge of God's love to us, who, as he has given his Son to die for us, so has he given the precious body and blood of Christ, to be our spiritual food and sustenance. And as the bread of this world, frequently taken, is necessary to keep |