pleasure? If affliction is God's controversy, should we not seriously examine" wherefore he contends with us?" I fear the joy of many is a despising the chastening of the Lord," and a "going on frowardly in the way of his own heart!"

If the Lord afflicts for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness, "then to improve the holiness of his people, is the end of trials; and we should pray for the accomplishment of this end.— God might have effected it, without revealing his design in our trials; but he has revealed it, that we might pursue it. Sincere Christian ! do not look up to those persons as slanderers of religious experience, who have the most lofty conceptions of God, and the most lively expressions of joy in afflictions; but consider holiness as thy end. Alas! how many fine sayings do we hear about the love of God and an interest in Christ, from the lips of those, whose habitual temper is covetous, selfish, proud, envious and daring. Let us see their tempers altered;-let them come out of the furnace purged from the love of money, over-reaching, distrustful anxiety, carnal affections and worldly compliances. Let us see the churl become liberal; the unfeeling, sympathising; the worldly man, spiritual; the contentious, peaceable; the proud, humble; the censorious, suspecting himself; the man of evangelic sentiments, evangelic in his disposition, conversation and walk,-then we may say, his affliction is sanctified. Let the lukewarm come out of the fire, zealous for God; the trimming man, faithful; and the lax man, strictly upright; let us behold numbness purged from the conscience; sin from the affections, and negligence in duty succeeded by a persevering and dutiful activity for God's glory. Let us behold the man more diligent in God's house, more spiritual in his conversation, more self-denying in duty, more upright in his walk, more tender in his conscience, and more concerned for the cause of God; and we will confess that he has profited by his afflictions; for his holiness is advanced!

No. CLXVII.-THE LORD'S SUPPER.

"THE Lord's supper," is the title given to the sacrament. And among ideas implied in that appellation, it supposes, that God's children, the guests at that table, are a friendly society. If several are invited to a feast, it supposes some intimacy in general; and if frequently together at a feast, some union and agreement with each other. This is the case with believers at the Lord's table, they are a friendly society. A friendship with Christ and God in him. Does a man invite his enemies to his best feast? No, nor does he mix friends and enemies together. If any come to the Lord's table who are not friends to God and his people, their own pride, or the devil sends them; but God never "bade them to the supper." God invites none but friends; and he invites all who are such. Am I a friend

of God?" Am I a friend to his saints? Then I am welcome to the Lord's supper. Friendship with God is founded on the electing love of God, a covenant relation to him, a resemblance to him, and an experience of his favour in Christ, through the Holy Ghost. And a friendly union with the saints, is founded in an agreement in sentiments, in resemblance to each other in spiritual disposition, in interests, in hopes and prospects, in condition and aims.

As God's people have the same wants returning, the same enemies and the same privileges, in general; so they have the same duties. But when do we find a man loving all his friends alike, and discovering the same tokens of his friendship alike, to all bis guests? Even so acts Christ; some at the feast, like John "lean on his bosom," and others like the ten other disciples share his favour with less apparent endearment. When a man invites a number of friends to a feast, do they all feel equally friendly to him. Seldom or never. And so it is at the Lord's table; some come with warmer hearts and firmer regards than others. May I approach the table, with a just value for the feast, a greater love to the guests; but the greatest love to the master of the feast. How unsuitable the temper of that person who comes with ill-will towards the guests! Is not this an affront to the master of the feast? I am not bound to be friendly to the sins of Christ's friends; but to their persons, as he himself is. In the other world, all will be affection and harmony; but in this, friendship is very imperfect, even among the friends of the Redeemer!

It is "the Lord's Supper!" He is the author of it, and the commemoration of his person, love, actions, and sufferings, is the design of it. Can I refuse his invitation, which is so kind in its intention? Can I disobey authority founded on redeeming love? Is it possible to vindicate such conduct to God, to man, and to my own conscience? Is it not rebellion, folly, and ingratitude? Is it not a violation of duty-a breach of the tenderest obligations, and an evident neglect of my own best interests? If I stay away, do I not treat an earthly friend with more respect than Christ, by accepting the invitation of the former, and slighting that of the latter? And, surely, if we go away from the Lord's table, and misrepresent the master of the feast, or rail against his friends, we must displease him. If a nobleman invited us to dine with him, our vanity might publish this among all our friends. And should not our grateful affections publish the greater condescension of divine love? If the nobleman had rescued us from miserable captivity, and once a-year invited us to a feast, to commemorate our happy deliverance, were not this an additional favour? What is human love and kindness— what is human temporal deliverance, compared with the deliverance of a soul, by such a redeemer, by such a price, and to such an end? As it is the Lord's Supper, ministers, deacons, and private members, should beware of discouraging any of those from coming to the

feast, whom Christ invites; or of making any welcome, who are refused by Christ. It is not the ministers, the deacons', or the churches', but the Lord's Supper.

Our dispositions at the feast should become its author, its nature, and design, its guests, and the obligations we are under to the Lord himself. We should be sensible of, and grateful for, the benefit; and manifest a temper cheerful, affectionate, and satisfied. How unbecoming would it be, at the feast of a friend, to appear dull, morose, and sour! Would not all think you dissatisfied? If you appeared surly and suspicious, that you was not welcome, but only asked out of form, would not such a conduct be extremely affronting and ungrateful? But how much worse, to suspect Christ's sincerity! How vilely unsuitable to appear at his table, as if it were to hear one's sentence of death, or to seal our damnation! How criminal to eat the bread with indifference towards Christ, or drink the wine without valuing his blood! What mockery! What hypocrisy! What an accumulation of guilt!

The Lord's Supper is a feast for believing minds-a feast for the mind: the love and favour of God-redeeming love! The person and offices of Christ! Pardon, justification, security, peace, and communion with God. It is a principal feast, as was supper among the Jews, and as is dinner with us. The feast is prepared at infinite

expense, and the master of it is "Lord of all!" It is "the LORD'S Supper." If, then, my views of it are wrong, my expectations low, my dispositions unsuitable, I need not wonder at my not benefiting by it. If a man, invited to a feast, feels indifference towards the master, ill-will towards the guests, or satisfies himself at home, and sits down to the table, without appetite, to his friend's food, or a dislike to it, can such a person enjoy the feast? If I love the Lord and his saints, he invites me to it. This invitation is particular, not general. On what pretence can I refuse his invitation?

And is my mind refreshed by spiritual objects at my Lord's table? If not, is not there a cause? The blessings exhibited are such as the mind of a sinner needs. Without them I am undone. If they are not suited to my mental taste, heaven itself could not prove agreeable to me. If these things do not render me happy, can any thing else afford satisfaction? And if not, my mind must be changed, and I be miserable. The fault is and must be in me. If I do not meditate and pray over my own condition, and necessities as a sinner, the wonderful love and death of the redeemer, the greatness, variety, number of blessings flowing from him, the suitableness and freeness of these favours to every believing sinner, and to me in particular, on believing, how can I come with a proper frame of mind to enjoy this ordinance? This ordinance is spiritual in its author, objects, blessings, duties and designs. If our views and dispositions are spiritual, the whole to us, must prove a mere formality, a shadow, a farce.

The Lord's Supper affords experimental evidence of the absolute

need of the Holy Spirit's influences. Without his influence, what effect hath it upon the ungodly? It deceives them with false hope, and a mortal peace. It renders their damnation more certain, by making them more easy in the way to it. Best of favours! without thee a man may read and hear the word, yea, and sing; be baptized, and take the Lord's Supper, without benefit; yea, with an eternal injury! Without thee, the death of Christ can do me no good, nor Heaven itself be attainable or even desirable! Without thee, no good can be enjoyed-no good can be done. And what relief can a godly man obtain in the Lord's Supper without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit? None at all. The force of temptation is not broken; the strength of corruption is not abated; the soul is not consoled in distress, nor the coldness of the heart removed by all that bread and wine represent, or the minister declares, without the concurring energy of the Holy Spirit.

Yea, the Lord's Supper itself, will injure the Christian rather than benefit him, without the Spirit's light and energy. He eats and drinks without cheerfulness, without gratitude, and without profit. This cherishes unbelief. He is tempted to doubt whether he is a Christian, or whether ordinances are beneficial. This increases his fears. He seems the worse for his advantages, and the poorer for his plenty. Being weakened in his faith, his carnality is strengthened. Worldly affections are invigorated. Presumption, too, often follows. The soul attends the Lord's Supper with indifference, as a thing of course. Thus formality enters and reigns, God is dishonoured, Christ is slighted, and the soul is miserable.

But a fourth thing which manifests the necessity of this gracious agent, is, the efficacy which believers find in the Lord's Supper at different times. What humbling views and effects it produces! To one, sin and self appear as they are. What encouragement another feels from the love of God, so displayed. So certainly, so freely, so fruitfully! Here-desire of the favour and image of God kindles and increases; there-repentance for pardoned sin, and zeal for the glory of God, vie with each other. Here-the troubled conscience is pacified; vile affections are purified; fears are dispersed, and wavering minds are established; there-the snares of life are broken, the fears of death are conquered, and the prospects of eternity welcomed. Here-sin becomes more hateful, Christ more suitable, duty more easy; there-God more known, and heaven more desirable.

If the king grants a pardon to a criminal, who has a mortal disease, how poor is the favour! but, if he forgives him, and sends a physician to heal him, the blessing is important indeed, because health and life qualify him to enjoy pardon. And whatever we may hear and know of Christ's atonement, unless we know it as the ground of our expectation of the Holy Spirit, we are none the better; but much the worse :-John xvi. 14, 15. Forgiveness, and a qualification to enjoy it, are blessings indeed!

No. CLXVIII.-NEGLECT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

WHAT can be the reason why so many, apparently upright Christians, neglect the Lord's Supper? Is it pride? Do some think a christian society too poor, too few, or too mean and despised? They do: but still the poor have the gospel preached to them, and God regardeth not the rich more than the poor; but "God resisteth the proud," whether rich or poor! And dost thou despise God in his people?-and in his ordinance? "He that despiseth me, shall be lightly esteemed," saith the Lord, "but them that honour me, I will honour."

Is it shame? What will my relations, friends, or neighbours think of me, if I join such a society? And let me ask thee, what will thy conscience say to thee in moments of trial, and the hour of death? What will Christ say to you, when you appear before him? And what will you say to him? You know his mind; "He that is ashamed of me, and my words, in this adulterous generation, of him will I be ashamed, before my Father, and his holy angels!" Remember! Time makes no change in his mind: he is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

Is it fear? the fear of man? What! forgetting the Lord thy Maker, art thou more afraid of disobliging a man, a worm, than of disobeying the God in whose hand thy breath is? How wilt thou settle this with thy judge? After thy judgment, this will be the account of thee, "He was speechless!"-"The fear of man bringeth a SNARE; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Those who fear man more than God, are courageous indeed; or rather desperate, to venture on the displeasure of God, to please a dying creature! But they have no courage for God and their souls; no! here they are cowards, where courage is necessary and honourable: "but the fearful shall have their part in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Is it creature love? Does this keep thee from the Lord's Supper? Dost thou say, if my wife, or my husband were converted, I would take it; but they are not, and it is unpleasant to go without them : it would hurt their minds. Or does thy brother, or sister, nephew or niece, friend or neighbour, dissuade thee, or bias thy mind, to neglect it? Where then is thy integrity, and faithfulness to Christ? Where is thy love to him? Hear and tremble! "He that loveth father or mother, wife or children, or life more than me, is not worthy of me, and cannot be my disciple." And dost thou say, "I trust I do love him?"" If ye love me, keep my commandments." Any other evidences without this, however various, numerous, and esteemed, they stand for nothing with Christ, but evidences of thy insincerity. They cannot satisfy thy own conscience. Christ commands you one way, your friend another; and "his