THE LORD'S SUPPER. FENCING TABLES. DISCOURSE IV. WE are now, my brethren, about to commemorate the most important event that ever happened upon earth: an event accomplished upwards of feventeen hundred years ago, but never to be forgotten: an event that extends. its happy confequences to the remoteft periods of eternity: I mean, the fufferings and death of Jefus Chrift, our adorable Redeemer. Chrift crucified is now to be evidently set forth before your eyes. You are called to contemplate him by faith, 66 coming from Edom, with "dyed garments from Bozrah, travelling in "the greatness of his ftrength, mighty to fave." In this amazing tranfaction, you may behold falvation wrought out for fallen man, in a manner confiftent with the honour of the divine perfections. In Chrift Jefus, mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kiffed each other. This great falvation wrought out by the Son of God is the admiration of angels; they defire to pry into this mystery of redeeming love. It is the envy of the fallen angels, who have no lot nor part in it: well does it therefore become us, to whom the bleffings of falvation are freely offered, to celebrate the memory of redeeming love, in obedience to our Saviour's dying command, "Do this in remembrance "of me." But in what manner are we to remember the death of Chrift? What are the qualifications of worthy communicants, and who are debarred from this table? This will appear, if we confider fome of the chief ends of this facred inftitution, In the first place, this ordinance was appointed to be a memorial of Christ's sufferings and death, and of the ineftimable bleffings which he hath purchased for his church, by fhedding his blood upon the crofs. Therefore, all thofe are debarred from this holy table, who are grofsly ignorant of the doctrine of the gofpel, and of the ends of Chrift's death. For fuch perfons to partake of the Lord's Supper, would be a folemn mocking of God, and deceiving their own fouls, feeing they cannot difcern the Lord's body. 2. This ordinance was appointed to be a badge of our chriftian profeffion, to testify to the world, that fo far from being ashamed of the cross of Chrift, we glory and triumph in it. We triumph in it as the fole foundation of our hope of eternal life. At the Lord's Table, we folemnly acknowledge that we have forfeited our title to life, and confeffing our fins, lay our hand upon the head of the great facrifice of atonement. Therefore I debar from this holy table, all infidels who deny the Lord that bought them, all those who are ashamed of the cross of Christ, and truft in themselves that they are righteous before God. 3. This ordinance was appointed to promote the fpiritual nourishment and growth in of true christians, and therefore fuppofes L grace a principle of spiritual life being already received and implanted in the heart. Therefore I debar from this holy table, all unconverted finners, who have never experienced the mighty power of divine grace quickening their dead fouls, and uniting them to Christ by a living faith. As many as profefs to be the difciples of Jefus, without being thus united to Chrift, may be compared to dead and withered branches, and can receive no more benefit from coming to the Lord's Table, than a dead man can from meat and drink. Where there is no principle of life, it is impoffible to derive nourishment or refreshment from the beft of food. 4. This ordinance was intended to promote union and brotherly love among those who profefs to be children of the fame Father, redeemed by the fame Saviour, animated by the fame Spirit, and heirs of the fame glorious hopes; and therefore I debar from this holy table, all thofe, who, inftead of cherishing kind affections, harbour malice and ill-will in their breafts against their fellow chriftians. Hear to this purpose our Saviour's own decifion, (Math. v. 23, 24.) "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembereft that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave "there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and "then come and offer thy gift." 5. Another end of coming to the Lord's Table, is to renew our covenant with God in Christ, to engage our fidelity to him, and to receive the feal of his faithful promises to us. For all the bleffings and privileges which Chrift has purchased and promised in the gospel, are fealed in this ordinance to the worthy receiver, and therefore it is called the new teftament or covenant in his blood. And the language of our appearance at a communion table, is, that we highly value an intereft in this covenant, which is well ordered in all things and fure; that we are fenfible we greatly need the bleffings of it; that in order to receive these bleffings, we are refolved to ftand to the terms of this covenant; and that we "join ourselves "therefore to the Lord in a perpetual cover |