COMPANION TO THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper BEING HELPS TO THE DUE AND PROFITABLE OBSERVANCE BY THE REV. JAMES COCHRANE, A.M. ONE OF THE MINISTERS OF CUPAR-FIFE "This do in remembrance of me."-1 COR. XI. 24 PATON AND RITCHIE 3 SOUTH HANOVER STREET, EDINBURGH MDCCCL PREFACE. THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is one of the positive ordinances of the Gospel. Jesus Christ himself instituted it; instituted it at the most solemn conjuncture of His history; instituted it with the view of its being statedly celebrated by His people in all ages down to the close of time. No Christian can therefore neglect it. To do so is virtually to renounce our Baptism, and live without God, and without hope in the world. What commandment of our blessed Redeemer may we be expected to honour, if His dying commandment is perseveringly set at nought by us? But it ought to be our earnest wish, not only to observe this ordinance, but to observe it with due seriousness and solemnity. The season of communion is one of special devotion. We ought, then, if ever, to cherish holy thoughts-to occupy the mind with holy aspirations-to surrender the heart to holy desires and resolutions. It is with this view that the present little work has been composed. In the Church of Scotland, the custom has been observed for centuries, not only to set apart special Sabbaths for the dispensation of the ordinance, but to occupy several other days with religious services suitable to the occasion of solemn communion. The Author has availed himself of this circumstance, and drawn up conformably thereto, a series of Meditations, Prayers, Scripture Readings, and other exercises. His idea is, that intending communicants should set apart one hour on each of the days and seasons numbered and specified, and use the portion of the work so marked as the manual or guide of their devotions on that occasion. He believes, that if the reader will do this thoughtfully, prayerfully, devoutly, he will not only be led to comprehend more accurately the nature of the ordinance; but, what is of far greater consequence, be made experimentally to feel its unspeakable value in impressing and edifying the soul. The work has been drawn up by the author for the benefit of his own congregation, and especially for those amongst them who are young in the Christian life. It is his earnest prayer, that these, and all others into whose hands the following pages may come, may derive benefit from their perusal; and with this view he commends them to the blessing of Him who can order to His own glory, and the good of souls, even the feeblest and most imperfect attempts to serve Him. CUPAR-FIFE, November, 1849. COMPANION TO THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. I.-SABBATH BEFORE THE COMMUNION. MEDITATION. HAD I the prospect of going into the presence of an earthly sovereign, or even of one of my fellowmen only a little more exalted in station than myself, I would think it right to make some preparation for such an interview. But I propose going into the presence, and sitting down at the table of the Great God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Surely, then, it is incumbent on me to seek due preparation of heart for so holy an exercise. I am a dying yet immortal creature. The doom of man was pronounced long ago, "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return;" and, from what I feel in my own body, and see in the world around me, it is sufficiently obvious that I am liable to the stroke of death. But there is something in me which cannot die. The body may become the occupant of a coffin, and be turned to dust in the grave; but this soul, which feels and thinks, must continue to feel and to think on. Death is but the laying down of this fleshly tabernacle, that the soul may become conscious of the realities of the spiritual world. And a time of awakening is coming even for the body. All who are in their graves must hear the voice of the Son of man, and come |