ed, keep yourselves in the love of God. We must fee to it, that our love towards GoD be fupreme and ardent. We ought thus to reafon: "Has God given me fuch evidences of his tranfcendent love, and shall I not cordially love him in return? He is worthy of all my esteem and of all my affection; and therefore, I will love thee, O Lord my ftrength, Pfalm xviii. 2. And as we love GOD who hath begotten, so must we love thofe that are begotten of him-conduct ourselves towards them in an affectionate manner, and do all things which tend to their peace and edification.For words can scarcely exprefs how much our peace with God may be deftroyed by living in a state of enmity with our neighbour.

8. We must not be too timid or fearful in our walk, or, in other words, appear always to be filled with distress, and going bowed down; as if there were no joys, no fatisfaction, to be found in the fervice of God. No; confider, that the great God is your Father and your covenant God. That you have for your Mediator, your Head, your Lord, your Hufband, your Elder Brother, an all-fufficient, faithful and merciful High Prieft,-and the Holy Spirit, who is invincible in his operations, for your Leader, your Teacher, your Earneft,-walk then as those who are of noble extraction: come boldly out for God and his caufe: let the world fee, that between you and them there is an effential difference; and that you belong to that chofen generation, that royal priesthood, that holy and peculiar people, who will fhew forth the praifes of God. In this way you might poffibly bring them to conviction.

9. When you have been partaking at one ordinance, let your hearts long for another communion fcafon, that you may again behold your God, in his

fanctuary. This would be an evidence that your hearts were fixed, and that it was your chief defire to enjoy the favour of God, and intimate communion with him.

These are the feveral parts of our conduct after a communion fabbath, which we thought neceffary to mention. We now proceed to the THIRD thing proposed, which was, to answer fuch questions as weak believers may propose, relative to certain points contained in this and in the two preceding lectures.

Firft, Perhaps ONE may fay, "I am convinced that I ought thus to be prepared for an approach to the table of the Lord, and thus to deport myself: but I know very little by experience, and therefore I cannot difcharge thofe duties in the manner which has been recommended." To this we reply,

1. This must be matter of fhame and humiliation to you. You muft, on this account, lie low before God; for you have abundant means of inftruction and admonition, but you do not attend to them: seem to be opposed to them, and yield too much to the gratification of the flesh.

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2. Enquire whence this arifes. Is it not from a careless, irregular, and worldly walk and converfation? There are, perhaps, fecret fins, with which you are yet unacquainted: or, if they have been difcovered to you, you have not been enough on your guard against them, and have too readily yielded to the force of temptation.

3. You do not frequently enough retire from the world, and go to God in fecret, in order to examine your hearts; and, from a consciousness of your untender deportment, you are afraid thus to engage in this work. But were you only to begin in faithfulnefs, and were you to fuffer your hearts to speak,

they would accuse you of many things, and say,—In fuch and fuch inftances you were not faithful; you dealt not fincerely; you fuffered yourselves to be feduced from duty, to engage in worldly purfuits; and thus made yourselves conformable to the world. It is a bad fign when a Chriftian is fo averfe from felf-examination: it is an evidence that all is not right with him, that he is in a fimilar fituation to the merchant, who is afraid to look into his accounts, because he fears the balance may be against him. But when it is well with the Chrif tian, he is perfectly willing to lay open his heart before God;-and who can tell, but, if you were also to enter on this bufinefs, in an unreserved manner, with prayer and fupplication to God, he might let you fee the wicked ways that are in that are in you, and lead you in the way everlafting? Improve then the opportunity which this facrament offers, for engaging in this duty, to which it is well adapted.

4. But perhaps there are fome whose doctrinal knowledge is but small, and for this reafon have not been able to engage in the duties which have been recommended, how defirous foever of it they may be. It should be the bufinefs of fuch, to endeavour, as time and opportunity permit, to obtain more information. Are you unable to make researches for yourselves?—we remark, that many pious men have written on the fubject of the Lord's Supper, with a view, in particular, to lead and direct fuch as you are. Make use of their writings; read them with attention and with a tranquil mind: examine every part; apply it to your own cafe: perhaps you will find fomething fuitable to it; fomething which will affect your fouls. Or perhaps, by this mean, God may expofe to you fome of the evils of your heart,

with which you have been hitherto unacquainted.

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If this be the case, lay down your discovery to God;-thank him for it:-earneftly pray, that the inftruction which you have received may tend to your conviction, and that your knowledge may be more promoted. Or, is your heart awakened and affected?-improve the moment;-bring your hearts, thus moved, before the Lord;-fincerely make a furrender of them to him; but by no means let fuch an opportunity flip: who can tell how much you may profit by it,-what affiftance from above you might receive. But you' are not fufficiently attentive when you read: you pass over truths in a light and cursory manner; and if do not immediately find any thing applicable to your cafe, you discontinue the enquiry.

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Secondly, ANOTHER probably will fay, "I have, agreeably to the qualifications which I poffeffed, and the defire which God gave me, been seeking to prepare myself. I have made a furrender of myself unto God. I have alfo approached his table. But it has not pleased the Lord to meet with me: I was barren and dry when I went and when I returned from that ordinance. And yet the Lord knows how much my foul wifhed it had been otherwise. How muft I, in this cafe, CONDUCT myself after a communion ?"

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1. ACKNOWLEDGE, with reverence, the fovereignty of God in the difpenfation of his favours. imparts them at fuch times, and in fuch measures, as pleases him:-and when you entered into covenant with him, you made no ftipulation in what ways he should lead you,-whether in light or in darkness; you gave that over into the hands of Jehovah. Continue to act upon the fame principle,

fully poffeffed of a belief that he is infinitely wife and good.

2. Confider that the Lord may have reasons for his treatment of you, with which you are at present unacquainted. You may be too intent upon the senfible participations of divine grace, or upon having fpecial discoveries of God's love. Now in the facrament

you are called to exercise faith, and to express your love to him; and if it please him to make you returns of his love, you will have reafon to rejoice: but this wholly depends on his good pleasure.

3. Confider that the reafon of God's dealing thus with you may be, that in your preparatory exercises you harboured fome fecret fins, and that God defigns to make you more engaged in detecting them. If this be the cafe, his leading you in this way bleffing, and will tend to advance you in holiness.

4. Confider that perhaps, in your approaching the table, your faith was not suitably exercised; that through diftruft you kept at a distance from him; that through unbelief and the arts of Satan, you were afraid to give the Lord your hand, and enter with joy into his fanctuary, and to truft his faithfulness and loving kindness. Whilft the Eternal freely offers to us life and falvation, he will have us, with equal freeness, to accept of them.

5. Confider, once more, that the Lord deals thus with you to excite you to continue cleaving unto him—and saying, "Although it hath pleased thee, Lord, to subject me to barrenness and darkness, yet ftill I will adhere to thee. To whom shall I go? Thou alone haft the words of eternal life. With thee all fulness dwells. Even under all my discouragements I would rather continue to lic at thy feet, than to return again to the world." Yes, he deals thus with