I am enabled to bring forth any fruit meet for a gofpel faith, repentance, and love; thefe I blefs God for, as a part of any duty and hap piness, and defire to look on them as proofs of faith, (if they are worthy to be fuch) and no otherwife.

Minifter.] This is well. But do you find your foul always in a good frame and temper, without haltings, flips, or excurfions?"

Chriflian.] Sir, I dare not fay I do: for I muft with forrow acknowledge, that at fometimes my thoughts are polluted, my words are unfavoury, without edification, my actions not adorning the doctrine of the gospel of God my Saviour; but fuch as I fear may prove a grief and fnare to others. My fpiritual relish of God's word is very insipid, and its authority not so sensibly powerful; fo that I am unready to any thing that is good, even like a dead man, as if my religion had no life nor foul in it.

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Minifter.] Well; but when you thus fall into fin, or fail in your duty, what do you think of yourself and ways? How are you affect. ed therewith?'

Chriftian.] When I am in this deplorable condition, my foul is much disturbed, my joy and peace of conscience are gone: but when I am a little rouzed out of this finful lethargy, my heart is then melted with forrow for my folly and mifcarriage, and I addrefs myself to God with the greatest fear and fhame, humbly imploring him to renew a right Spirit within me.

Minifier.] Well, friend, if your confcience confirms what your tongue has uttered, you have expreffed enough to evidence the fincerity of your obedience to God, and that you are a found believer; and a fincere convert. And I hope you have faith alfo in Jefus Chrift, the mediator; without a due refpect to whom our faith and good affections will not deferve the name of being truly evangelical and faving.'

Chriftian.] Through grace, I defire to acknowledge and embrace the Lord Jefus Chrift, upon the terms on which he is offered in the gofpel; to believe all his doctrines, as my teacher and guide; to truft and depend upon him, as the "High-prieft of our profeffion, who makes atonement by his facrifice and interceffion." And I defire to fubmit to his government, as Lord and King of his church.

Minifter.] These are very confiderable attainments, and include the fubftance of faving-faith. But are ye fenfible how you arrived to this good difpofition and frame of mind? Do you imagine it was natural to you, or the refult of the improvement of your natural reafon, powers, or faculties ?"

Chriftian. Oh, Sir, I dare by no means ascribe that to nature, which is only the effect of divine grace. If I have any measure of fanétification, it is only by the gift and grace of God; for I have had too much experience, that by nature I am alive to vanity and fin; but dead and lifelefs to God, and to all real goodness; that I am darkness; folly poffeffeth my foul; I am at enmity with God, and altogether unable

to will, or to do what is pleasing in his eyes; having a great contra riety in my heart to the way of falvation proposed in the gofpel of Chrift.

Minifter. And have you taken up. ftrong refolutions, that, by the help of God, and the assistance of his bleffed Spirit, you will endeavour to persevere in the faith and practice which you have now declared, to your life's end?'

Christian.] Sir, there is nothing that I more dread than apostatiz ing, or relaxing in my duty and profeffion, and that I should have a backfliding heart from the Lord; and I earnestly watch and pray against every symptom and degree thereof.

Minifter.] Do you think, that by your own ftrength and ability, you have power to preferve and continue in the faith and obedience of the gospel, against the many temptations and corruptions that affault us, and the lamentable mifcarriages of those who seemed pillars in the house of God?'

Chriftian.] I have no confidence in my own ability, Sir, I affure you; but do wholly rely on the Rock that is higher than I; even upon him who hath promised, that he will perfect a good work begun to the day of Chrift. I reft upon him, who is the author and finifber of our faith; I beg his holy Spirit, to inftruct, guide, affift, and comfort me. And I earnestly defire and purpofe, (by the grace of God) to expect those aids, in a constant and univerfal attendance upon God in his ordinances, with an honeft, humble, and believing heart.

Minifter.] Thefe are all plain evidences of the faving grace of God: which I beseech the Lord may always continue, and grow in your heart; that fo you may have a full affurance of his love, who hath dealt fo graciously with you.'

Chriftian.] The Lord grant, that in the fenfe of his love to my foul, I may walk worthy of his grace. And now, Sir, by what has been faid, do you think I may presume to feed on Jesus Christ at his table, and receive that bleffed feal of my Redeemer's love;

Minifter.] You know I told you, that a man may be a true Chriftian, and yet may not be fit to partake of this holy ordinance: because he may believe unto falvation, and yet be fo ignorant of this mystery, as not to be able to make a due application of it to his own foul.'

Chriftian.] Ah, Sir, I would willingly be informed, what is neceffary to be done by a found believer, in order to the partaking of this bleffed ordinance ?

Minifter.] Firft, He must confider, that the elements and matter of this ordinance, are not common bread and wine after confecration, but fet apart to a holy ufe, and fo to be received with an holy understanding and fear. And therefore the Corinthians were blamed by the apostle, for their ignorance and irreverence, 1 Cor. xi. Again, that thefe elements, fo bleffed and fet apart by Chrift's appointment, do represent a crucified Redeemer; and we are to partake of them

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with love, as a memorial of his death; and with faith, as the feal of the promise, and the means appointed by God, to convey the benefits of Christ crucified to the foul.'

Chriftian. Sir, these confiderations raise up my defires to come to the Lord's table, which I hope to be a partaker of, with the fame fentiments that you have now laid before me; and that I fhall feast mine eyes on that lovely object, which is fo full of love; and that my eye will fo deeply affect my heart toward my holy Redeemer, that I may meet with my bleffed Lord in all the ways of his appointment. Minifter Again; you ought to fet your foul upon felf-examination, that fo you may be fenfible of your wants and defects, and come to Chrift for a fupply of the graces of his holy Spirit; that you may exercise faith, love, repentance, and all other graces, with fuch warmth and vigour, that Jefus Chrift may delight in you, and you in him; and there may be a mutual and joyful renewing of your covenant of love and obedience to your bleffed Saviour.

· Chriftian.] Sir, we cannot fuppofe that there fhould be the actings and exercises of grace, where the habits are wanting, no more than there can be motion without life: but it is ufually faid, that the holy Sacrament is a quickening, cherishing, comforting, and confirming ordinance.

Minifler.] No doubt but the worthy prepared receivers of this bleffed banquet, have by a due participation found their love inflamed, their faith ftrengthened, their obedience confirmed, their humility increafed; so that they have appeared vile in their own fight, and have had an utter deteftation of all fin, and an earnest expectation and defire after the glorious appearance of their blessed Lord and Redeemer.'

Chriflian Sir, fince the benefits and bleffings are fo great, it makes me the more earnestly long to be a communicant in these facred mysteries

Minifter. It is the duty of all Chrift's minifters, to give the facramental bread of life, and the cup of confolation, to thofe who hunger and thirst after Jefus Chrift, and his righteoufnefs and kingdom. And now I have told you your duty, I fhall be willing to declare to you the nature and the circumftances of this bleffed ordinance.'

Chriftian Sir, I muft confefs I am not fo well inftructed herein; and if I may not be too troublesome, would be very glad to understand what this holy ordinance is, and why it is call a facrament.

Minifter.] It is a feal of the covenant of God in Chrift, wherein, by certain cutward figns, inftituted by our Saviour, Chrift and all his benefits are fignified, conveyed, and fealed to the worthy receiver. The word facrament hath been anciently used, both to fignify baptifm and the fupper of the Lord; and was taken up by the ancient fathers, from the oath by which the Roman foldiers were fworn to their duty, and were not admitted to be foldiers, until they

had folemnly taken that oath or facrament. It is called by several other names in fcripture, namely, breaking of bread, Acts ii. 42. the Lord's table, 1 Cor. x. 21. the communion, 1 Cor. x. 16.'

Chriftian.] Pray, Sir, how many facraments were in tituted under the New Testament, and by whofe authority were they appointed? Minifter.] There are only two, baptifm, and the Lord's fupper? and they were ordained by the fole and immediate authority of Jefus Chrift; and those other five which the Papifts have added, and called by that name, as order, or ordaining of priests, pennance, marriage, confirmation, and extreme unction, or anointing at the hour of death; all these were neither immediately inftituted by Christ, nor have the proper ends of a facrament.'

Chriftian,] What are the elements to be used in the facrament of the Lord's fupper?

Minifter.] Bread and wine, and no other, Luke xxii. 19. 20. And all communicants are to receive both of them, notwithstanding the bold and facrilegious practice of the Papifts, who give the people the bread, or wafer only, none but the priest receiving both the bread and the wine. And this without any found reafon, or fcripture warrant; and they may as well corrupt, totally aboliû, or add to any of the ordinances and inftitutions of Chrift Jefus, as prefume to do this.'

Chriftian.] What refemblance or congruity is there between bread and wine, the figns, and what is fignified by them in the Lord's fupper?

Minifter.] Bread is fo neceffary, that it is often put for all kind of food, and neceffaries; and the leaft morfel of it is completely bread. Thus Chrift is food, and all neceffaries to the foul; and every worthy communicant receives a whole and complete Chrift: And as corn is not bread, till it be bruifed or ground; fo Jefus Chrift had not been food for us, if he had not been bruised with wounds and forAnd as bread is the common food of all people, fo is Jefus Christ of all real Chriftians. Again, as bread being a folid body, may properly denote the body of Chrift; fo wine, being liquid, may represent his blood: And as wine is preffed from the grape, fo the blood of Jefus was forced out by his agony, and the wounds of the crofs.'

row.

Chriftian.] May not the bread and wine at our common tables fignify the fame thing?

Minifter.] No; because this is folemnly fet apart, and confecrated to facramental ufe by prayer and bleffing, and by applying the words of our dear Redeemer ufed in the inftitution of this ordinance.'

Chriftian. Is not the bread and wine after confecration tranfubftantiated, or transformed from the fubftance of bread and wine, into the real fubstance and effence of the body and blood of our Saviour; VOL, VI.

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fince Christ's own words are, This is my body, &c. This is my blood,

&c.

Minifter. No, by no means; this being a Popish error, attended with many abfurdities and idolatrous practices. But it is the body and blood of Chrift, in the fenfe that Chrift fpake it; but he did not fay. This is no longer bread in fubftance, but the very fubftance of my body. And fuch phrafes are often used in scripture, and yet not always to be taken in a ftrict fenfe, no more than that Rock was Christ, and I am the true vine, the door, the shepherd,' &c. Moreover, Chrift intended it for a facrament, that is, a fign of what it reprefents; now it cannot be the real body of Chrift, and the fign of it alfo. Again, our fenfes of feeing, fmelling, and tafting, affure us that it is bread and wine, and no way fubftantially changed after the words of confecration. And if we must deny our fenfes in this, we may as well doubt whether these words, This is my body, &c. be recorded in holy fcripture, though we fee them there."

Chriftian.] If the bread and wine be not the body and blood of Chrift really and fubftantially, how then doth the true believer, in receiving, eating, and drinking them, receive, eat, and drink the body and blood of Chrift?

Minifter. By receiving thofe elements fo confecrated, as figns, feals, and conveyances of Chrift and his benefits to the foul; and a true Chriftian hath them conveyed to him thereby, as really as a writing under hand, feal, and witneffes, can convey lands, or other benefits, which are not really in the writings themselves.'

: Chriftian.] What are the actions of the Minifter, in adminiftering this ordinance?

Minister.] After bleffing the bread, he breaks it, and delivers it to the communicants in the words of Jefus Chrift, fignifying thereby a crucified Jefus, who was wounded for our tranfgreffions. He then pours out the wine in the fight of the congregation, and delivers that to them alfo, after blefling it in the words of Chrift. And hereby is reprefented to us, our dear Redeemer fhedding his blood for us; which is the facrifice of atonement, whereby we obtain remission of fins. In which action, the minifter, ftanding in Chrift's ftead, as his minifter, (wherein Chrift is prefent, and by his Spirit and authority) doth as really tender and bestow himself and benefits, as if he had spoken the fame words in his own visible perfon.'

Chriflian.] But fay fome, fince our Saviour reftrained this ordinance to the time of his coming; he being come in the Spirit, it is now at an end, and abolished.

Minifter.] If these enthusiasts mean the coming of the Spirit, in its fanctifying operations; then it seems, that it was appointed only for unbelievers; and that the difciples, who communicated with Chrift at the inflitution thereof, had not the Spirit, but were unbelievers; which is falfe and abfurd. If they mean the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, or the pouring it forth in an extraordinary meafure; the