dent 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 themfelves to go round in a Circle of finning, then repenting, as they call it, and communicating, then finning again: as if every Communion did of Course wipe off the old Score, and fo they might begin a new one without Scruple: which is the abfurdeft, the moft irreligious, the most 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 Sake of the meritorious Obedience and Sufferings 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 must obferve, that different Perfons may have very different Degrees of this Perfuafion and Trust. Some may be weak in Faith; may have Caufe to fay with Him in the Gospel of St. Mark, Lord, I believe; help thou mine Unbelief; and yet their Prayers, like His, may be graciously heard. Others may be strong, and increafe, till they abound in Faith. And fuch have great Reafon to be thankful to God for themselves: but furely they ought never to judge hardly of their Brethren, who have not advanced fo far. The Rule of judging, both in the Catechifm and the Scripture, is not by the Pofitiveness, but by 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 fhew the Evidence of these, the highest Confidence will do us no Good: and if we can, we need have no Doubts

concerning our fpiritual Condition; and though we have ever fo many, provided we perceive no fufficient Reason for them, we may celebrate this holy Ordinance very fafely. For fuch Weakneffes in our natural Temper and Spirits are no way inconfiftent with having, in our fixed and deliberate Judgment, that full Trust in God's Mercy, which the Communion-Service requires : and we cannot take a more likely Method, either to perfect our Repentance or to ftrengthen our Faith, than receiving the Sacrament frequently.

Our Catechifm teaches further, that our Faith in Christ must 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 Goodness and Conftancy of its Effects, not from that fenfible Warmth and Fervency, which we cannot, ordinarily fpeaking, feel fo ftrongly in fpiritual 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 Command

ments.

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 Share in the Love of our Creator, our Redeemer, and Sanctifier, unless, in Imitation of it, we love one another: and, as the Goodness of God is univerfal, fo muft ours. 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 fhew it is real, by forgiving them who trespass 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 h 1 John v. 3.

7

can

can help no other Way; by faithfully performing the Duties of our feveral Stations and Relations in Life; and by Condefcenfion, Mildnefs, 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 Sacrament, 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 concerned 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 fo let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup1.

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 other further Preparation fubfequent 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 Sacrament; and may, if the Call be fudden, by reflecting for a few Moments, fufficiently know that they are fit. Perfons, who live in any Sin, may as eafily and 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 conftantly, but to look back upon them frequently; much more frequently than almoft any one receives the Sacrament. And as Things, which have no certain Seafon fixed for them, are very apt to be neglected; we should fix upon this, as one certain Seafon for as particular an Infpection into the State of our Hearts and Lives as we can well make, and can hope to be the better for;

joining with it fuitable 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 ourfelves 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 laft Thing, to be mentioned in Relation to this holy Sacrament, is our Behaviour at it; which ought to be very serious and reverent; fuch as may fhew, in the propereft Manner, that, to use the Apoftle's Word's, we difcern or diftinguifh the Lord's Body; look on the Action of receiving it, as one 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 everlafting Felicity on God's Part, and of Faith and Holiness on ours, With this important Confideration, we should endeavour to affect our Hearts deeply and tenderly: yet neither to force our Minds, if we could, into immoderate Transports, by which we fhall only bewilder and lofe, inftead of benefiting ourselves; nor express even what we ought to feel, by any improper Singularities of Gefture; nor yet be dejected, if we have less Feeling, and even lefs Attention to the Service, than we have Reason to wifh. 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 notwithstanding are, on the Whole, very worthy Communicants. They may be, for a Time, ufeful Means of keeping us humble and watchful: after that, God may deliver us from them and fhould we continue all our Lives afflicted with them, it would never hinder our receiving all the neceffary Benefits of this Ordinance.

* 1 Cor. xi. 29.

God

God grant that both it, and all his other gracious Inftitutions, may contribute effectually to build us up on our most holy Faith in a fuitable Practice, that fo we may ever keep ourselves 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.

LECTURE

H

The Conclufion.

XXXIX.

AVING now, through God's Mercy, car

ried on thefe Lectures to the End of the Catechifm, and in fome Meafure explained to you every Part of Chriftian Faith and Duty comprehended in it, I have only one Instruction more to add, but the most important of all for you to remember and confider well: that, if ye know thefe Things, happy are ye, if ye do them *; and miferable are ye, if ye do them not..

We all know indeed by Nature, in a great Degree, what Manner of Perfons we ought to be in this World: and therefore, if we fail of being fuch, are in a great Degree inexcufable. For how little Teaching foever fome may have had; yet our Saviour's home Queftion will reach even them: Yea, and why even of your felves judge ye not, what is right? The Work of the Law is written in the Hearts of Men, their Confcience alfo bearing Witnefs. Being reasonable Creatures, we are evidently bound to govern our Paffions, Appetites, Fancies, and whole Behaviour, by the Rules of Reafon. And who doth not fee, that Sobriety, Temperance and Mo-. . Rom. ii. 15.

* John xiii. 17..

b Luke xii. 57% 0 4

defty,