exercise of these graces x, by ferious meditation y, and fervent prayer z. Q. 172. May one who doubteth of his being in Chrift, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord's fupper. A. One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the Sacrament of the Lord's fupper, may have true intereft in Chrift, though he be not yet affured thereof a; and in God's account it, hath if he For even Chrift our paffover is facrificed for us. v. 8. Therefore let us keep the feaft, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of fincerity and truth. x 1 Cor. xi. 25. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. v. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. v. 28. But let a man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Heb. x. 21. And having an high priest over the house of God: v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies washed with pure water. v. 24. And let us confider one another, to provoke anto love, and to good works. Pfal. xxvi. 6. I will wath mine hands in innocency: fo will I compafs thine altar, O Lord. y I Cor. xi. 24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, seat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. V. 25. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. be z 2 Chron. xxx. 18. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manaffeh, Iffachar, and Zebulun, had not cleanfed themselves, yet did they eat the paffover, otherwise than it was written: but Hezekiah prayed for them, faying, The good Lord pardon every one v. 19. That prepareth his heart to feek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleanfed according to the purification of the fanctuary. Matth. xxvi. 26. And as they were eating, Jefus took bread, and bleffed it, and brake it, and gave it to the difciples, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body. 172. a If. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. i John v. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the fon of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may be. lieve on the name of the fon of God. Pfal. lxxxviii. throughout. Pfal. ¡lxxvii. to v. 12. v. 1. I cried unto God with my voice: unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me. v. 2. In the day of my trouble I fought the Lord; my fore ran in the night, and ceafed not my foul refused to be comforted. v. 3. I remembered even God be duly affected with the apprehenfion of the want of it b and unfeignedly defires to be found in Chrift c, and to depart from iniquity d: in which cafe (because promises God and was troubled: I complained, and my fpirit was overwhelmed. Selah. v. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled, that I cannot fpeak, &c, v. 7. Will the Lord caft off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? v. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? v. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Jonah ii. 4. Then I said, I am caft out of thy fight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. v. 7. When my foul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. are heardeft the voice of my fupplications, when I cried unto thee. Pfal. lxxiii. 13. Verily I have cleanfed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. v. 22. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beaft before thee. V. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou haft holden me by my right hand. b If. liv. 7. For a fmall moment have I forfaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. v. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlafting kindnefs will I have mercy on thee, faith the Lord thy Redeemer. V. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have fworn that the waters of Noah fhould no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke 10. For the mountains thee. v. c Phil. iii. 8. Yea doubtlefs, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord: for whom I have fuffered the lofs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. v. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Pfal. x. 17. Lord, thou haft heard the defire of the humble: thou will prepare their heart, thou wilt caufe thine ear to hear. *Pfal. xlii. 1. As the hart panteh after the water-brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God. v. 2. My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God: when fhall I come and appear before God? 5. Why art thou caft down, O my foul? and why art thou difquieted in me? hope thou in God, for I fhall yet praife him for the help of his countenance. V. 11. Why are thou caft down, O my foul? and why art thou difquieted within ne hope thou in God, for I fhall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. fhall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither fhall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. Matth. v. 3. Blessed are the poor in fpirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v. 4. Bleffed are they that mourn for they fhall be comforted. Pfal. xxxi. 22. For I faid in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou ས. d 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation are made, and this facrament is appointed for the relief even of weak and doubting Chriftians e) he is to bewail his unbelief f, and labour to have his doubts refolved gi and, fo doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord's fupper, that he may be further ftrengthened b. Q. 173. May any who profefs the faith, and defire to come to the Lord's fupper, be kept from it? A. Such as are found to be ignorant or fcandalous, notwithstanding their profeffion of the faith, and defire to come to the Lord's fupper, may and ought to be kept from that facrament, by the power which Chrift hath left in his church i, until they foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity, If. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Pfal. lxvi. 18, If I regard iniquity in my heart: the Lord will not hear me. v. 19. But verily, God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. V. 20. Bleffed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. è if. xl. 11. He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bofom, and fhall gently lead thofe that are with young. v. 29. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increaseth ftrength. v. 31. But they that wait upon the Lord, fhall renew their strength: they fhall mount up with wings as eagles; they fhall run and not be weary, and they fhall walk and not faint. Matth. xi. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour. and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matth. xii. 20. A receive bruifed reed fhall he not break, and smoking flax fhall he not quench, till he fend forth judgment untovictory. Matth. xxvi. 28. For this is my blood of the new teftament, which is fhed for many, for the remiffion of fins. f Mark ix. 24. And ftraightway the father of the child cried out, and faid with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. g Acts ii. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the reft of the apoitles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts xvi. 30. And he brought them out, and faid, Sirs, what muft I do to be faved? h Rom. iv. 11. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteouf nefs might be imputed unto them alfo. I Cor. xi. 28. But let a man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 173. 1 Cor. xi. 27. to the end. Wherefore, whofoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord receive inftruction, and manifeft their reformation k. Q. 174. What is required of them that receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper in the time of the adminiftration of it? 4. It is required of them that receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance 1, diligently observe the facramental elements and actions m, heedfully discern the Lord's body n, and affectionately meditate on his death and fufferings o, and thereby ftir up themselves to a vigo Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. v. 28. But let a man examine himfelf, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. v. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lord's body. v. 30. For this caufe many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep. v. 31. For if we would judge ourfelves, we should not be judged, &c. to the end of the chapter. Compared with Matth. vii. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither caft ye your pearls before fwine, left they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rent you. And with 1 Cor. chap. v. to the end. And with Jude v. 23. And others fave with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garments spotted by the flesh. And with 1 Tim. v. 22. Lay hands fuddenly on no man, neither be partakers of other mens fins: keep thyfelf pure. k 2 Cor. ii. 7. So that contrariwife, ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, left perhaps fuch a one should be fwallowed up with evermuch forrow. 174. Lev. x. 3. Then Mofes faid unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord fpake, faying, I will be fanctified in them that come nigh rous me, and before all the people I will be glorified.-Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. Pfal. v. 7. But as for me, I will come into thy houfe in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 1 Cor. xi. 17. Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not, that you come together not for the better, but for the worse. v. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. v. 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. m Exod. xxiv. 8. And Mofes took the blood, and fprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. Compared with Matth. xxvi. 28. For this is my blood of the new teftament, which is fhed for many for the remiffion of fins. n 1 Cor. xi. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lord's body. • Luke xxii. 19. And he took bread, rous exercise of their graces p; in judging themselves q, and forrowing for fin r; in earnest hungring and thirt ing after Chrift, feeding on him by faith t, receiving of his fulness v, trusting in his merits w, rejoicing in his love x, giving thanks for his grace y; in renewing of their cove nant with God z, and love to all the faints a. bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, faying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. p 1 Cor. xi. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. I Cor. x. 3. And did all eat the fame fpiritual meat; v. 4. And did all drink the fame fpiritual drink: : (for they drank of that fpiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Chrift). v. 5. But with many of them God was not well pleafed; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. v. II. Now all these things happened unto them for enfamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. v. 14. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. q 1 Cor. xi. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. r Zech. xii. 10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the spirit of grace and of fupplications, and they fhall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they fhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only fon, and shall be in bitternefs for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. Rev. xxii. 17. And the Spirit and the bride fay, Come. And let him that heareth, fay Come. And let him that is athirft, come and whofoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Q. 175. John vi. 35. And Jefus faid unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me, fhall never hunger. and he that believeth on me, fhall never thirst. v John i. 16. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. w Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righte oufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith. x Pfal. lxiii. 4. Thus will I bless thee, while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. V. 5. My foul fhall be fatisfied as with marrow and fatnefs; and my mouth fhall praise thee with joyful lips. 2 Chron. xxx. 21. And the children of Ifrael that were prefent at Jerufalem, kept the feaft of unleavened bread feven days with great gladnefs: and the Le vites, and the priests praised the Lord day by day, finging with loud inftruments unto the Lord. y Pfal. xxii. 26. The meek shall eat and be fatisfied; they shall praise the Lord that feek him; your heart fhall live for ever. z Jer. 1. 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thi therward, faying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that fhall not be forgotten. Pfal. 1. 5. Gather my faints together unto me: thofe that have made a covenant with me by facrifice. a Acts ii. 42. And they continue Ledfaftly |