SERMON IX.

What worthinefs for the facrament is requifite.

[From KETTLEWELL on the Sacrament.]

LUKE XIII. 26, 27.

Then fhall ye begin to Jay, We have eaten and drunk in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our Streets:

But he fhall fay, I tell you I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

IT a

T is not the doing of a thing, but doing it in a fit and proper manner, that will fender our fervices acceptable in the fight of God. And this is in no inftance more exemplified, than in the receiving of the facrament of the Lord's fupper. Many do receive it, and yet perhaps find not that benefit which they expected from it: they are not advanced thereby in their spiritual concerns, but are ftill ftrangers to the love of God in their fouls, and alienated from VOL. III. L

the

the ways of the kingdom of God. All which, together with the true caufe and reafon thereof, is intimated to us in the words of my text, Then shall ye begin to fay, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou haft taught in our fireets: But he shall Say, I tell you I know ye not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.

Therefore it highly concerns us, not barely to do these things, but to take care in what manner they be done. If I incline unto wickedness in my heart, fays the pfalmift, the Lord will not hear me. And the apoftle tells us, ke that eateth and drinketh unworthily, not only receiveth no benefit thereby, but he becometh guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

I fhall therefore make it my bufinefs at this time to fhew, what difpofitions and qualities do become us, when we approach to the Lord's table. In the facrament of the Lord's fupper, we commemorate the fufferings and death of our bleffed Saviour, and the benefits conferred upon us thereby; we confirm the new covenant with God, of -pardon and remiffion of fins, upon our repentance and amendment of life; and we

renew

renew the covenant of love and friendship with our brethren and all our fellow chrif tians. And all these religious ends fhould be answered, with a religious temper, and a devout carriage and deportment: and then they are treated by us as they ought to be, and as their worth requires; and fo we may expect to receive the benefits intended to us thereby.

Thus doth a worthy receiving of the holy facrament, confift in answering its facred ends, with facred and suitable carriage and difpofitions. And therefore, that we may fee what behaviour is worthy of it, it is fit that we run over thofe feveral ends, and inquire what tempers every one of them requires of us.

And thefe ends are chiefly three:

I. To remember Chrift our bleffed Lord and Saviour, and particularly his dying for us; and this calls for love, joy, gratitude, obedient refolutions, and fuch like tempers..

II. To confirm the new covenant with almighty God of pardon and forgiveness upon our repentance and amendment; and this is not worthily done by us, unless we come to it in fincerity and faithfulness, and with

full purpose and performance of that

repentance and obedience, which we therein profefs and make promise of.

III. To confirm a league of love and friendShip, with all our brethren and fellow chriftians; and this requires, that we lay aside all envy, hatred, and malicious thoughts, and come to it in peace and forgiveness of all those who have any ways offended us.

If we believe all thefe things which Christ our great prophet hath revealed to us, and our faith fhews itself in these tempers, and carries us on to these performances; then we are worthy communicants, and have those qualities which will render us welcome guefts at the Lord's table, and acceptable to him at all other times.

I. I fay, One end of our eating bread and drinking wine at the Lord's fupper, is, To remember Chrift, not only as our prophet and teacher, but as our bleffed Lord, Saviour, and benefactor; and above all his benefits, particularly to remember his dying And this, to do it worthily, calls

for us.

for

for love, joy, gratitude, refolutions of obedience, and other fuch like tempers.

The remembrance of any thing absent, and long fince past, brings it back into our minds, and gives a fort of presence to it. And therefore when things are brought to remembrance, they fhould work upon us, and affect us, as if they were before us. When we remember our Saviour Chrift then, at this holy feast, we must bear the fame mind towards him, as we should do if we saw him, and were converfing with him; and that will confift in these things which follow. We muft honour him, and refolve to obey him, as he is our Lord and mafter; and love him, and delight in him, and give thanks to him, as he is our friend and benefactor; and be humbled under the fenfe of our unworthinefs, and abhor our fins, as they brought him to bleed and to die for us; and refign up our felves, both fouls and bodies, to his ufe, as we are bought with his blood, and are thereby become his own purchase.

More particularly ;

ONE temper of mind which the commemoration of the death of Chrift in the holy