A TREATISE

ON

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

PART II.

DESIGNED TO ASSIST THE COMMUNICANT IN DEVOUTLY RECEIVING AND IMPROVING IT.

PART II.

CHAPTER I.

ON PREPARATION FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER.

IT is very desirable not to enter on any spiritual service with a careless and heedless mind; and the more solemn the duty is, the more needful and desirable is a due preparation for it. The common decencies of life, teach men that, when invited to the table of a monarch, or to associate with princes and their earthly superiors, they should appear with suitable marks of respect, and so behave as may best please and honour those who have invited them. Much more when invited to the nearest communion with the King of kings, should Christians seek so to act as may please him. If David, under the Legal Dispensation, attending the sacrifice of a slain beast only, felt it right to say, I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I compass thine altar, O Lord; surely we, in commemorating the actual sacrifice of

the Son of God, should make similar preparation. These general considerations are much strengthened, when we remember the danger of unworthy receiving, and the benefits of a due reception. We need not, however, merely infer the duty on these general grounds. There is an express direction of the apostle-Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Preparation may be considered in two respects; that which is requisite before our first reception of the Lord's Supper, and that which it is desirable to make whenever we afterwards receive it. We will consider the first now, and the other in a subsequent chapter.

The time of first communicating is a critical period in a man's life, which may much affect his future communions, as well as his whole future life. If we then duly receive, it may be a blessing to us ever after.

With respect to the PERSONS who ought to communicate, we may notice, that to be a right partaker of the Lord's Supper, a man must be a SINCERE CHRISTIAN; one who is sensible that he is a fallen, sinful creature; feels the guilt and corruption of his own heart; has repented of his sins; knows that there is only one way of salvation, by faith in Christ; is looking to him for that salvation, and desires above all things to win Christ, and be found in him.

Bishop Taylor justly remarks, "He that is not freed from the dominion of sin, he that is not really a subject of the kingdom of grace, he in whose mortal body sin does reign, and the Spirit of God does not reign, must at no hand present himself before the holy table of the Lord-He is God's enemy, and

therefore cannot receive his holy Son." The Lord's Supper is designed "for the strengthening and refreshing of the soul," and not for the first communication of spiritual life.

But as this is a point of some difficulty, and one which is generally left to each individual to decide for himself, it may be well to enter more into particulars.

As to OPEN SINNERS, the case is perfectly clear; every Christian concurs with the exhortation of our church: "Therefore, if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of his word, an adulterer, or be in malice, or envy, or in any other grievous crimes, repent you of your sins, or else come not to that holy table; lest after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."

The primitive churches were very particular on this point. "Let no Judas," says Chrysostom, "no lover of money, be present at this table; he that is not Christ's disciple, let him depart from it. Let no inhuman, no cruel person, no uncompassionate man, or unchaste, come hither. I speak this to you that administer, as well as to those that partake.".

Indeed it is both prejudicial and unprofitable to the wicked. Just as the rain that falls upon a rock, does not penetrate, and soften, and fertilize it, but ever runs off from it; so the wicked, by their sinful and hard hearts, repel that gracious influence which would otherwise enter and bless their souls.

But while the case is clear as to open sinners, there is a large class of persons, in the main, of a