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"When ye come

and many fleep." Thus

he came, took, eat and drank to excefs. "together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the "Lord's fupper; for in eating every one taketh before anonungry and another "ther his ownd has left the awful mifcarriages of this church upon record, not for our imitation, but for our warning and caution. This is the reafon St. Paul administers fuch fevere rebukes. "What, have you not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the church of God? What shall I fay to you? fhall I praife you in this? I praise you not." Hence he declares to them, that for this caufe, the judgments of Heaven had fallen upon them. "For this cause, many " are weak and fickly among you, they came together, "not for the better, but for the worse." The ordinance as managed by them, was so far from being honored, or improved for their edification and fpiritual bene fit, that it was difgraced and they themselves fuffered the teft injury, and were exposed to the just condemnation of God. This shows us that duties not performed in a manner agreeable to the will of Heaven, are not confidered as duties at all, neither can they meet with the divine approbation. The Apoftle declares that these people, whatever they might pro"fefs did not eat the Lord's fupper." Many a prayer has been faid, when the perfons did not pray; many a facrament received, and yet not duly celebrated. God requires not merely a respect to the matter, but likewife to the manner of performing duty in order to his acceptance. A fincere heart and well informed mind will be attentive to, and very careful on this head.

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The apostle after testifying against the dreadful misconduct of thefe Chriftians, refers them to the original inftitution of it by Chrift. He acquaints them with the nature of the ordi. nance in all its parts. He ftates before them the author of it, the time when it was instituted, the prayers to accompany it,

the facramental fymbols and actions, the temper of the heart, the views of the mind, and every thing appertaining to the right and worthy celebration of the fame. Next he proceeds to reprefent to them the fin and danger of an unbecoming and difhonorable participation of it. This he does in the preceding

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In the one he fays, "Who

and fubfequent verses to our text. "soever fhail eat the bread of the Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." And in the other, "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and "drinketh damnation to himself; not difcerning the Lord's "body." A very concife explication of these words is all we can attend to at prefent. The principal things contained here in are, what is meant by the terms unworthily, and worthily ; what to be guilty of the blood of the Lord? what is that damnation, that unworthy partakers eat and drink to themselves?

First, in regard to the word unworthily. All are unworthy in a certain fenfe. All are unworthy of the favour and the grace of God; unworthy of the leaft of all his mercies. There is no merit in any finner, fanctified ot unfanctified. The original fignifies an unmeetness, unfitness, unfuitableness, unprepa redness. To eat and drink unworthily is to attend upon the ⚫rdinance in an unprepared and unfuitable manner; in such a temper and under the influence of such habits and practices as are altogether unbecoming the nature, ufe and end of the inftitution. Both coming unfitly, and staying away, are heinous and condemning fins; but the Apoftle feems to intimate that the former is the most bafe and aggravated.

The word worthy fignifies an attendance upon this facra ment in a way of preparedness and meetness according to the gofpel. Perfons are worthy receivers in the fight of Gody. when they come prepared, having fome proper measure of christian knowledge, fuitable frames of mind, meet defires, and a due fenfe of their need of the foul purifying blood

and the juftifying righteousness of Chrift.

A chriftian may

be a worthy receiver who approaches the facred table with reverence, humility and devotion, under a feeling fenfe of his finfulness and great unworthiness, tho' he has many fcruples fears and doubts refpecting his ftate. Affurance of grace how. ever defirable is not neceffary to a worthy and acceptable performance of this duty. Even a degreee of backwardness, dullness and deadness in the fervice, if these things be involun. tary and lamented, do not render us unworthy receivers. One defign of the ordinance is to ftrengthen the weak, encourage the fearful, diffipate our glooms and doubts, and increase our hopes. Wherefore all who have been faithful in felf-examination, humbling themfelves for their fins, cafting their fouls upon a crucified Redeemer, and endeavoring after a due preparation of heart, although they ftill find much corruption and perplexity of spirit, yet they ought to come; the weak in faith we must receive.

Secondly, we are to enquire what is intended by being guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Unworthy partakers implicitly approve of the conduct of the Jews in crucifying the Saviour of the world. It is implcitly defpifing and rejecting his atonement, mediation and righteousness. It is like ftabbing the master at his own feast. And unless deep repentance take place, damnation will be the confequence. Many who killed the prince of life, denied and delivered him up in the presence of Pilate, were brought to evangelical repentance by the preaching of Peter at the gate of the temple called Beautiful If the fins of those who actually imbrued their hands in his blood were pardoned, then furely unworthy partakers, however grofs and wicked their participation may be, tho' they should fo far dishonor the ordinance as to drink common healths at the table, which has been done in modern times, yet even these wretches of profanity, upon their repentance, may obtain forgiveness. Unworthy partaking is far diftant from the unpar

ahis Saviour, defirous to renounce himself and his own righte ufnefs, and to rest upon the mere mercy of God as revealed in the Gospel, refolving to deny every carnal luft, to strive against every unruly paffion, and to walk with God in duty; then he ought to draw near to the facred board and partake of the fymbols of his Lord's fufferings.

Secondly, the word examine, fignifies to try or prove, and this is his own perfonal duty. It is not enough that he is examined by the minifter or representatives of the church howe ver they may approve of him or not; this is an injunction incumbent upon each individual. This is not a fervice to be performed once in a perfon's life, but it is ordained as a standing preparative to the facrament. It is true there may be more or lefs time for this performance according to a variety of providential incidents, yet it ought ever to be remembered as a preparative duty. Let a man examine himself as to the disposition of his heart, the prevailing tenor of his life, his thoughts, words, and actions; his faith, love and repentance; mourn over and confefs to God what is amifs, and folemnly purpose a better and more circumfpect conduct in future, and "fo let him eat "of this bread and drink of this cup." Let him pass thro one duty to another that Chrift may be obeyed and his own fpiritual interest promoted.

Thirdly obferve, self-examination is a common duty, fomewhat like prayer, incumbent upon chriftians at all times. "Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith, prove your ❝ own felves. Let us fearch and try our ways. I commune "with mine own heart said Asaph, and my spirit made diligent "fearch." But it is here conftituted and made a special duty previous to our attendance upon the Lord's fupper. Can any christian approach the table without previous prayer; fo neither let him do it without felf- examination, left he be found disobedient to God, and it prove to him as a barren ordinance.

Fourthly obferve, the most important part of this duty, o wit, the manner in which it should be performed. It is not i matter fuddenly to be rushed into, without ferious thought or confideration, nor haftily passed over as of little moment. Choose a proper place of retirement, and time for the purpose, and enter not upon it, as is the cafe with too many, with pre. poffeffions and preconclufions in your favour. Engage in it with some proper understanding of the scriptures, and a determination they shall be the standard of the trial. Confider well the operations of your own minds, and how you have felt your hearts inclined to good or evil; whether you have yielded to temptations or refifted them. Let your fouls be awakened and aroufed to all attention in the investigation of yourselves, your tempers and lives. Be impartial and honest as far as poffible in the fearch, Accompany all your reflections with folemn and fervent prayer. Strive with your reluctant hearts and compel them to the work. Keep them from wandering and trifling, and especially guard against deceit. "Keep thy "heart with all diligence for out of it are the iffues of life."

A fifth obfervation is, that we fhould attend to the things about which we should examine ourselves. These are elegantly fummed up in our fhorter catechifm in the answer to this quef tion, "What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord's "fupper? It is required that they examine themselves of their "knowledge to difcern the Lord's body, of their faith to "feed upon him, of their repentance, love and new obedi"ence, left coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment "to themselves." The compend is important and the arrangement beautiful. The firft matter of this examination is of our knowledge. The apoftle fully fuggefts to us that we must have a competency hereof to difcern the Lord's body. Know ledge may be confidered as of two kinds, doctrinal and experi mental. By the former is meant an understandig of the truths of the gofpel; by the latter an acquaintance with the power of

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