cause the virtues of the heart are the only ones that are of value in the fight of God, and indeed the beft foundation and fecurity for a good life; yet they are only those that may be called the virtues of the life, of which human, and even christian focieties can properly take notice. If we go beyond this, we have no fufficient data, or evidence to proceed upon, and are in danger of obftructing the progress of virtue rather than promoting it.

Any person, therefore, who supports what we call a decent character in life, and who, if he were interrogated, would profess faith in Chrift and obedience to the gospel, is a proper member of the christian church on earth; the discipline, exercises, and various advantages of which are calculated to perfect his character, and, by degrees; to fit him for being a proper member of the church of the first born written in heaven.

From the whole I conclude that, if a perfon, at the time that he proposes himself

to

to church communion, really intends to live as becomes a chriftian, he need not have any fcruple about joining in the ordinance, tho' he fhould queflion, or even believe that, if he fhould then die, he would not be fit to enter into heaven; and that his fellow chriftians, if they fee no reason to question his fincerity at the time, have no authority to refuse him, though they have the fame idea of his flate.

If we go upon other principles, and climate a man's fitness to be received into church communion by his fitnefs for heayen, it appears to me, that no man who hath the leaft doubt about his falvation ought to communicate. For, as the apoftle argues in a fimilar cafe, Rom. xiv. 23. Hì that doubteth is damned if he eat. Whereever religion, or morality is concerned, we certainly ought not to act without the full conviction of our minds; and should refrain from acting at all, if we have any doubt concerning the propriety of our conduct; more .efpecially in this cafe, where there is fuppofed to be very great

hazard

.

hazard in communicating, and none at all in not communicating.

The very idea of the nature and defign of the Lord's fupper, as it is understood by the orthodox diffenters, appears to me to be utterly inconfiftent' with the spirit of christianity. If we judge of the fitness of a person for church communion by his fitnefs for heaven, every candidate declares, in the face of the world, that he thinks himself a favourite of God, and ripe for future glory; and the church, in confidering whether they fhall receive him or not, are judges of his everlafting flate; which implies fuch a degree of affurance on one fide, and encourages such a spirit of haughtiness and cenforioufnefs on the other, as appear to me not to belong to christians, who fhould be clothed with humility, and judge nothing before the time; and who should leaft of all ufurp the office of Chrift, to whom that kind of judgment is committed.

If

upon

If the righteous difclaim their good works at the day of judgment, can it be fuppofed that they will plead and proclaim them here? I fhould therefore think, that, to act this principle, and at the fame time preserve any appearance of the humility of chriftians, no person fhould, directly or indirectly, propofe himself for church communion. Others fhould propofe it to him, and if he did confent, it fhould be with great reluctance. For, of the two, it would be rather more decent for others to fay, Sir, we think you to be a "child of God, and fit for heaven, as well ourselves,” and for him to be perfuaded by them to think fo well of himself; than that he should firft pay himself that compliment, and then convince them that it was juft.

as

66

That the idea of fuch a tribunal and fuch pretenfions should have occurred to any but Pharifees, would furprize me, if I did not imagine, that I could account for it, by the history of the corruptions of christianity.

Obfervations

SECTION III.

Obfervations on the Lord's Supper being called a fign, or feal of the covenant of grace.

SOME

OME divines have affected to call the Lord's fupper a fign and feal of the covenant of grace. If by a fign of the covenant of grace, be meant nothing more than a memorial of the bleffings of the gofpel, I can have no objection to the term, because I suppose that this rite was expressly instituted for that purpose. When we do any thing in remembrance of Chrift, we do it in order to take occafion from it to recollect what Chrift has done and fuffered for us, that he might accomplifh the gracious fcheme of our falvation, or our deliverance from fin and mifery. Our Lord, alfo, calls the bread his body, and the wine his blood, apparently with a view to our recollecting, in a more especial manner, the last and most perfect

inftance