life and ardour than not to pray at all? A&t the fame part in regard to preparing for the Lord's Supper. Let it be to you a caufe of forrow, that you are so spiritless when engaged in it. But fuffer not yourselves to be baffled. Go with that cold and lifelefs heart to God, and fay; "Lord, thou art our witnefs, what our inclinations were: thou knowest that our wishes were, to have been more fincere in the work; but thou haft not been pleased to fend the fweet influences of thy Spirit into our fouls. We leave the work with thee. Pardon what thine holy eyes have feen amifs whilft we have been engaged in performing it." Perhaps the Lord may meet you at his table, either now or at some future time; and even though this should not be the cafe, let it be your conftant study to continue faithful in duty.

Do you ftill object and fay, " If we engage in preparation, and are so faint and lifeless that we can find no fatisfaction in it, but inftead of affording comfort, it occafions diftress;-seeing the Lord looketh on the heart, and if that be not right, nothing that we do can be acceptable to him."

It is true, the heart is principally to be attended to in duty; and the work of preparation is both agreeable and eafy, if we cordially engage in it: but if, on the other hand, this be not the cafe, let it not tend to distress and alarm you, who thus complain; for your very complaint is an evidence that you cannot reft in any external duties, and that you are not fatisfied unless your hearts be wholly engaged in them. Yes, from your complaint it appears, that the chief defire of your fouls was, and now is, to have fellowfhip with God. Continue then in the use of means, depending on the Lord for his bleffing. It often happens, that we begin with a dull and fluggish

frame, but as we proceed we become more lively and animated. And though it may be otherwise, let no your confidence be shaken; much less absent yourfelves from the table of the Lord. Follow the example of the woman of Canaan, who, though Jesus once and again feemed to reject her fuit, ftill persevered in her request until fhe obtained this testimony from him, O woman, great is thy faith! Thus muft you also perfevere in faith-This will be well pleasing to the Lord. Do you find, that at best you exercise it, like your other duties, very imperfectly? enter this important circumftance in the diary of your experiences. It will probably tend to keep you from pride, when to your other deficiencies you behold this annexed. Go therefore to the ordinance: present yourselves to God, and to the Lord Jesus, juft as you are at your peril, ftay not away. Behold, the Lamb of God, who was SLAIN for your fins, ftands already at his table, and reaches out to you the fceptre of his grace and favour-Touch it with a holy boldness. Who can tell but he may now make peculiar manifeftations of his love and faithfulness to your fouls.

May the Eternal himself by his Spirit teach you and qualify you for every good work, and make you to taste that he is good; and whilft you are seeking to be prepared to hold communion with him here in grace, may he prepare you for the marriage fupper of the Lamb in glory: THERE you will never complain of languor or of dulness: but will always rejoice in him, in the moft lively experience of his divine love.

AMEN.

ТНЕ.

PIOUS COMMUNICANT.

Lecture XIII.

ON THE CONDUCT NECESSARY TO BE OBSERVED BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD, ON A COMMUNION SABBATH.

HAVING, in the preceding lecture, exhibited the manner in which a Chriftian ought to be prepared for an approach to the table of the Lord, we now proceed to confider the CONDUCT proper to be observed by the believer on the day on which the holy Supper of the Lord is administered. And in doing this, we shall,

1. Make fome previous admonitory remarks; and, 2. Then confider the subject itself; or, in other words, point out what that conduct is which is proper to be observed on a communion fabbath by thofe who are about to approach the table of the Lord. FIRST. We remark,

That the children of God ought to be on their guard left they come forward in a CARELESS and INCONSIDERATE manner, without a becoming reverence of mind, or a due sense of the folemnity of the ordinance. When we have to do with the God of heaven and earth, we must watch the heart with Vol. II,

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