The Communicant's Companion
hand, if thou have ought against any, if thou be the party offended, then forgive. Lay aside all uncharitable thoughts, angry resentments, and desire of revenge, and be in readiness to confirm and evidence your love to those that have injured you; and then, if they will not be reconciled to you, yet your being reconciled to them, is sufficient to remove that bar in your way to this ordinance. In short, strife and contention, as far as it is our fault, must be truly repented of, and the sincerity of our repentance evidenced by amendment of life, and then it needs not hinder us; as far as it is our cross, it must be patiently borne, and we must not be disturbed in our minds by it, and then it need not hinder us. And that law-suit which cannot be carried on without malice and hatred of our brother, had better be let fall, whatever we lose. Law is costly indeed, when it is followed at the expense of love and charity.
3. If the true reason of your absenting yourselves so often from the Lord's
Supper be, that you are not willing to take that pains with your own hearts, and to lay that restraint upon yourselves both before and after, which you know you must if you come; if, indeed, you are not willing to have your thoughts so closely fixed, your consciences so strictly examined, and your engagements against sin so strongly confirmed, as they will be by this ordinance; if this be your case, you have reason to fear that "the things which remain are ready to die, and your works are not found filled up before God." It is a sad sign of spiritual decay, and it is time for thee to "remember whence thou art fallen, and to repent, and do thy first works."
Time was, when thou hadst a dear love to this ordinance, when thou longedst for the returns of it, and it was to thee "more than thy necessary food: such was the kindness of thy youth, such the love of thine espousals;" but it is otherwise now. Do you now sit loose to it? Are you indifferent whether you enjoy the benefit of it or not? Can you live contentedly without it? You have reason to fear lest you are of those that are drawing back to perdition. Having "begun in the spirit, will you now end in the flesh?" What iniquity have you found in this ordinance, that you have thus forsaken it?
Has it been "as a barren wilderness to you, or as waters that fail?" If ever it were so, was it not your own fault? Return, therefore, ye backsliding children, be persuaded to return; return to God, return to your duty, to this duty; be close and constant to it, as you were formerly; for I dare say, "then it was better with you than now."
Those that, by the grace of God, do still keep up a love for this ordinance, should contrive their affairs so, as if possible not to miss any of their stated opportunities for it. Thomas, by being once absent from a meeting of the disciples, lost that joyful sight of Christ which the rest then had. It is good to have a nail in God's holy place. Blessed are they that dwell in his house; not those that turn aside to tarry but for a night, but those that take it for their home, their rest for ever.
Yet, if God prevent our enjoyment of an expected opportunity of this kind; though we must lament it as an afflictive disappointment, yet we may comfort ourselves with this, that though God has tied us to ordinances, he has not tied himself to them, but by his grace can make providences work for the good of our souls. It is better to be, like David, under a forced absence from God's altar, and have our hearts there, than to be, like Doeg, present under a force, "detained before the Lord," and the heart going after covetousness. It is better to be lamenting and longing in the want of ordinances, than loathing in the fulness of them.
Chapter 4. Helps for SelfExamination Before We Come to this Ordinance
ow earnest soever we are in pressing people to join themselves to the Lord in this ordinance, we would not have them to be "rash with their mouth, nor hasty to utter any thing before God." It must be done, but it must be done with great caution and consideration. Bounds must be set about the mount on which God will descend, and we must address ourselves to solemn services with a solemn pause. It is not enough that we seek God in a due ordinance, but we must "seek him in a due order," that is, we must "stir up ourselves to take hold on him." "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel."
Those that labor under such an habitual indisposition to communion with God, and are liable to so many actual discomposure's, as we are conscious of to ourselves, have need to take pains with their heart, and should, with a very serious thought and steady resolution, engage them to approach unto
God.
Now, the duty most expressly required in our preparation for the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, is that of self-examination. The apostle, when he would rectify the abuses which had sullied the beauty of this