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bound in a folemn covenant to be the Lord's, and have actually found their expectations answered; as the fear of incurring the guilt of violating their facramental engagements, has proved an happy prefervative against thofe temptations to which they would otherwife have fallen a prey, and an important means of eftablishing and quickening them in the ways of God.

Strange indeed, then is it! that you should not merely have omitted, but abfolutely precluded this advantage, as indeed you have done every other, which perfons expect from this ordinance,

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than" what you had mentioned as belonging to it, by faying that their "expectations are unreafonable, "enthufiaftical, and fure to be difappointed." What is there unreasonable or enthusiastical in fuch an expectation as this? Or, on what authority will you affert, it is fure to be difappointed?

A further advantage refulting from the celebration of this rite, which you have omitted, is, that it tends to excite the utmoft abhorrence of fin, and confequently the greatest care, in watching against it, and the warmest zeal in our endeavours to oppose it; as we have here the most lively affecting view of its evil nature, of its dreadful confequences, and of the divine difpleafure against it, in the fufferings which the Son of God endured, to make an atonement for it.

The Lord's Supper is alfo admirably adapted to promote the Chriftian's comfort, and peace of mind, amidst the various trials of life, and efpecially, under that load of diftrefs and fear, which the confciousness of guilt occafions. What can be conceived to afford fo much, or fuch folid comfort to an heart burdened with grief, of any kind, as the view which this ordinance gives us, of a Saviour's love, and of the unspeakable everlasting bleffings which are the fruits of his crofs? What can adminifter fuch

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peace and joy to a mind overwhelmed with a fenfe of guilt, as the difcovery of that blood which cleanseth from all fin;' and that abundant mercy of God which is vouchfafed to all penitent believing fouls, through the mediation of his Son?

Further, the Lord's Supper is, I apprehend, an eminent means of enjoying the prefence of God and the Redeemer; and of having fellowship with the

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Father, and with his Son, Jefus Chrift.' You have not merely omitted this, in mentioning the advantages of celebrating this rite, but you have, elfewhere, excepted againft it (or rather, against a grofs mifreprefentation of the matter) in the following words" This opinion of a divine virtue, and the prefence of the divine Being, in the facrament, and of the communicants having, confequently, a "more immediate intercourse with God upon this occafion, would neceffarily make it appear a very "folemn and awful thing to communicate, because it was an appearing before God.” p. 41.* And in another paffage, which I may properly confider along with this, you exprefs yourself thus (p. 50.) -By diffenters, the receiving of the facrament "was confidered as a kind of receiving Chrift, in "fe myftical, though not in a proper and carnal "fenfe. And fo long as there remains a notion of

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any peculiar prefence of Chrift in the facrament, "and confequently, the idea of fome extraordinary "virtue being communicated by it, it is no wonder that a long train of awful ideas accompany every thought about the Lord's Supper, and that it is approached by us with an undue and fuperftitious

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* To this you add the following fentence: They would naturally apply to this purpose, a faying that was current amongs the Jews, and which we find in Mofes, that no man can fee God and live; man being a finful creature, and God infinitely holy." I make no remark on this paffage, but this, that I don't understand the meaning of it in this connexion. "reverence."

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"reverence." Some of the expreffions which you have used in this paffage, are calculated (I would not willingly fuppofe, defignedly) to convey falfe and injurious ideas, concerning the fentiments of the dif fenters on this fubject. Surely, Sir, you must know, if not, you might eafily have known, that the perfons whom you cenfure, do not imagine, that God is, in any other fenfe "prefent in the factament," than as he is with good men in general, in attending his inftitutions; nor do they pretend to a "more "immediate intercourfe with him," than in other exercises of devotion. Is not God, in a special sense, prefent with good men, when devoutly engaging in fuch exercises? Have they not intercourfe with the Father of their fpirits, on fuch occafions? And is not every religious fervice," an appearing before God?” Why, then, are thefe expreffions objected to, as applied to the Lord's Supper? You will probably urge, that they are understood in a more awful fenfe, in reference to the Lord's Supper, than to other duties; for you add, "This would make it appear

a very folemn and awful thing to communicate." I answer, it is not from an apprehenfion of any peculiar prefence of God, in this ordinance, that any entertain the most formidable ideas of it, but from the nature of the profeffion made in it, and the dan ger of receiving unworthily. I readily acknowledge, that many are unreasonably terrified at the thoughts of this inftitution: but is it not a folemn and awful thing to communicate, confidered merely as an appearing before God, as in other religious exercifes Is there nothing folemn and awful in that profeffion, which even you allow is implied in at ading this rite? If not, why do you fay there is? You yourself, Sir, haye applied the word folemn to this ordinance, at leaft half a dozen times; you have ufed it in your

* See p 30. 56, &c.

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very definition t; and you have even afferted, that this way of profeffing one's Chriftianity, is more folemn than any other ‡.

As to "the presence of Chrift in the facrament," you have no foundation to infinuate, as you seem to do, that any diffenters, fuppofe any real prefence of his in the elements themselves; much lefs fuch a peculiar prefence, as to alter their nature, and make them any other than real bread and wine; they only believe that Chrift is prefent with his people by his Spirit, when they worthily attend his fupper, fo as to blefs it to them, and render it a means of fpiritual benefit. Nor do they tuppofe any "extraordinary "virtue is communicated by it," if by this is meant any physical effect of the bread and wine upon them, or any kind of benefit effentially different from that which they expect from other means of religion; much less that it is to be received by the mere act of partaking of the elements: they only maintain, that the serious attendance upon this ordinance, is one very eminent means, among others, of promoting real religion in the foul, and of obtaining those fupplies of grace, from Chrift, which are requifite, in order thereunto. And as to their "receiving Chrift" in this inftitution; I know not, that they adopt this phrafe with peculiar reference to the Lord's Supper; if they use it in this connexion at all, it is not any otherwise than as they use it in general, not " in a "mystical fenfe" (as you exprefs it) any more than "in a proper and carnal fenfe," if by this term you mean any thing more than in a fpiritual, or figurative fenfe. By receiving Chrift, as far as I understand the sentiments of thofe that are called orthodox, among the diffenters; they only mean, embracing him by faith, in the feveral characters he fuftains, and accepting the various bleffings which he be

+ p. 27. . p. 30. 34.

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stows on all true believers. And I cannot help thinking that they are fully vindicated in the use of thefe and the like expreffions, and in their application of them to the Lord's Supper, by a fcripturewarrant. Has not Christ promised that he will be with his church always, even to the end of the world*?' Has he not declared, that where two or three are met together in his name, he is in the midft of them+?' Now, when can Christians be faid to meet together in his name [εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα] if not at his table, when in a peculiar manner, the desire of their fouls is to his name, and the remembrance of him? When, therefore, may they expect the benefit of their mafter's prefence, if not on fuch occafions? To have intercourfe," or communion with God, and with the Redeemer, is a privilege, which all true Christians are encouraged to hope for, in the exercises of devotion, particularly in their focial fervices, when they have fellowship with each other, which they may more especially be faid to have in the Lord's Supper, which is called the communion of the body of Chrift. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift ||.' The Lord's Supper, is a feast upon a facrifice. "As "the Jews feafted upon their pafchal lamb, after it

had been firft prefented to God, fo do we, facra"mentally, and by faith, upon ours §." Now as they who partake of the facrifices offered to idols, or dæmons (as the apostle takes notice) had fellowship with thofe dæmons; fo thofe who partake of that which was facrificed to God, have fellowship with God. And as the bread in this ordinance, is called the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup, the communion of the blood of Chrift,' it

* Matt. xxviii. zo. 1. John i. 3.

+ xviii. 20. + If. xxvi. 8. Grove on the Lord's Supper, p. 52. 56.

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