But what is the point to be proved? Not that the remembrance of Chrift is one end of this inftitution, for that I readily grant; but that this remembrance is the fole or chief and ultimate end of it. And I deny that this appears from any of the paffages referred to.

It is plain indeed that the remembrance of Christ, is the only end of the institution, that is spoken of in exprefs words. For he did not fay, "This do that you may be found in this or that duty, as that you may "love me, for instance;" but only, "This do in remem"brance of me:" But may not more be implied in his · words than they exprefs? Is it not thus in several instances of the fame nature with this? How frequently are hearing, knowing, confidering, &c. the only things mentioned; and with a defign to put us upon thofe duties, and that carriage to which these acts should in reafon be leading us? Nay, thus it is as to the remembrance of God. For the words of Solomon, "Remember now "thy Creator in the days of thy youth," Eccl. xii. *** are readily understod as meaning the fame as if he had faid, "Fear God, keep his commandments, in the days of thy youth," ver. 13. For it cannot be thought that he reccommends this remembrance, as what alone and by itself, will be of any fervice: No, but as a means leading to fuch an end. And by a parity of reafon we may fay, that Chrift did not inftitute fuch rites, and command us to observe them in remembrance of himself, and fo recommend this remembrance to us, as what alone, and by itself will be of fervice to us; no, but as proper to lead us to fuch duties as are agreeable to the nature of this remembrance..

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It appears from the account that St. Paul gives us of the behaviour of the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xi. 20, &c. that they did not go fo far as this, the serious remembrance of Chrift at his table. For, not difcerning the Lord's body, that is, not confidering the facramental bread and wine, as fignifying his body and blood, they did eat and drink as at a common meal, or as if this were only the continuation of a foregoing entertainment, and even without obferving the rules of temperance; and, eating and drinking thus unworthily, they were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, or, of an high offence

and indignity against his body and blood; and fo were eating and drinking damnation, or judgment to themfelves; that is, profaning this ordinance, they laid themfelves justly open to the displeasure of Almighty God, P. 64-67.

And it must be owned, that we are not to think, that they who eat this bread, and drink this wine in a serious remembrance of Christ, do act fo unworthily, and fo unfuitably to the inftitution, as thefe Corinthians.

And, as they are not, like them, profaning this ordinance, they have not the leaft cause to fear " any of those threatenings “of St Paul, which belong only to those who do fo" profane it, p. 122.

But I cannot fee the force of our author's reafoning, viz. "That he who does truly difcern the Lord's body, "by remembering it in the most serious manner, has there"fore performed this one duty in a proper manner," p. 88. He has not indeed been eating and drinking unworthily, in the apostle's sense of the phrafe; but, as the not being as wicked as fome other men are, is no proof of a person's being righteous, fo his not behaving at the Lord's table as the Corinthian finners behaved themfelves, is no proof of his performing the duty in a proper manner, fo as to answer the end of it.

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There are degrees of unworthy receiving, and they may eat and drink unworthily, though not in St Paul's fenfe, who do not imitate the Corinthians in "the one particular inftance of their indecency. Whatever temper or behaviour, at the time of eating and drinking, "is utterly unsuitable to the design of the duty, muft, "in its degree, come under the cenfure of this paffage, P. 80. Suppofing therefore that there be a serious, and in this sense, a religious remembrance of Christ, that is, there is fome regard to his inftitution, yet if this remembrance has no good effect upon us, and does not lead ús to those duties to which in reafon it should lead us, as we have a temper and behaviour unfuitable to the design of the duty, fo we are in fome measure, unworthy receivers, though not in that degree, as the Corinthians

were.

Befides," to perform the duty fo, as that it may be
B

"of advantage to us, is, in other words, to perform "it worthily; or in a manner fuitable to the nature and "end of it," p. 79.. And from this it follows, by the rule of contraries, that to perform the duty fo, as that it cannot be of any advantage to us, is to perform it unworthily, or in a manner unfuitable to its nature and end. And from these things we may argue the neceflity of being found in other duties befides a serious remembrance of Christ, when we are at his table: For a remembrance of him that is alone, and has no good effect upon us, like a faith that is alone without works, is dead, and cannot profit us, James ii. 17, &c.

It is true, as the author speaks upon another occasion, "We are not to confound duties; and make that pecu"liar to the holy communion, which was never made pe"culiar to it by Christ, or his apostles; which is proper "for every season of our time, and every part of our life, "and which would have been equally a duty, whether "it had pleased our Lord to inftitute the holy commu"nion or not," p. 76. But what is peculiar to the holy communion? Nothing, as I fee, but the obeying the command of Chrift, in obferving the rites which he has inftituted, vix, the breaking of the confecrated bread, and the taking and eating of it, as the fymbol of his body, given and broken for us, together with the receiving and drinking of the confecrated cup, as what he gives us as the fymbol of his blood, "the blood of the new covenant, "fhed for us and for many, for the remiffion of fins;" and as being the token and feal of this covenant, both on God's part, and on our's. For, as to even the remembrance of Chrift, in which the effence of this duty is made to confift, p. 103. it cannot justly be faid to be peculiar to the holy communion: for fince whatever we do in word or deed, we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, Col. iii. 17. we are certainly to remember him in all we do.

The very fame duties may be fuitable to different ordinances, which are not peculiar to any one of them. Thus it is as to the duty of preparation for the worship of God, which our author juttly speaks of as not peculiar to the holy communion. For though not peculiar to it, yet, as he rightly obferves," it is and muft be, al

ways of great ufe to Christians," p. 76. And it suits all other ordinances as well as this. The fame may be faid of that faith in Chrift, and that covenanting with God, of which I fpeak in the review. These are duties, which "may be done every day, and every hour," p. 176. when we are praying to God, or reading or hearing his word, as well as when we partake the facrament: But it must be owned, that they are fuitable, though not peculiar to this ordinance, because its rites, as we fhall fee, direct and encourage us to these duties in particular; fuitable, did I fay, nay, they are neceffary to render it ufeful and advantageous to us: for then, and then only, when the remembrance of the benefits of Chrift's body broken, and blood shed, is the mean of leading us to these duties, it is one mean of procuring thefe benefits, p. 159.

I agree with our author, that there is a mistake in calling the "Lord's fupper a renewal of the new cove46 nant on our part," p. 164. For we cannot infer, from our partaking of this facrament, that we have been covenanting with God, and that he is our God, in covenant with us. And the like we may fay of faith, or believing in Chrift; we cannot conclude, that we have been found in this duty, from our having been eating and drinking at his table.

But it may reasonably be thought, that as the facramental cup is always to be confidered, as will be fhewn, as the feal of the new covenant, on God's part, fo, anfwerably to this, we are always to receive it in token of our hearty and thankful acceptance of this covenant, and of our giving up ourselves in covenant unto God in return. It may likewise be thought, that as Chrift is always set before us, in the facrament, as having given his body to be broken for us, and as having fhed his blood for us, fo it is always our duty to look to him by faith, for the benefits of his body broken, and blood shed, whenever we partake of this bread and this wine.

And where we are found in these duties, when observing the facramental rites, we not only remember the benefits flowing from Christ's fufferings and death, but actually partake of them; not all, indeed, but fome of thefe benefits, and those fo confiderable, as that we may look upon them as the pledge and earnest of the rest.

"To fay that this communion is the actual partaking "of all the benefits of Chrift's body broken and blood "fhed; or in other words, of his living and dying for

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our good, is to put that upon one fingle act of religi66 ous obedience, which is by our bleffed Lord made to "depend upon the whole fyftem of all virtues united," p. 158. But this no ways affects me; for I do not fay, that this communion is the actual partaking of these benefits: And I do not put this partaking of them, upon this one fingle act of obedience, the obferving the facramental upon

rites, no; but that which the gospel puts it upon, vix. That faith in Jefus Chrift, which conftrains us to give up ourselves in covenant unto God as his fervants; and where there is this faith, there is the whole system of all virtues united.

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It is the fame, as to the remiffion of our paft fins through Jefus Christ. "If it be asked, (fays our author page 144.) do we not partake of this benefit, by our partaking of the Lord's fupper worthily? I mult an86 swer, no ; if the gospel be true." This alfo is no good objection to any thing that I affert. For I do not fay that we partake of the remiffion of fins, by partaking of the Lord's fupper, no; but that on fuppofition that we do believe in Christ, and covenant with God, when we partake of the Lord's fupper, we then partake of this benefit: and thus it evidently is, if the gospel be true; for "he that believeth on him is not condemned," John iii. 18. And the covenanting with God, being the fame with yielding ourselves to him as his fervants, fuppofes, or includes the "forfaking our wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, and the returning to the Lord." And as to every one who does this, he may be fully affured, that God has "mercy on him, and abundantly pardons him,” Ifa.lv. 7.

It follows," For in that, (the gofpel,) no pardon of "paft fins is promiféd, or given, unless to thofe juft converted, renouncing their fins, and baptized into the "Christian faith; or to thofe, who have finned after bap"tifm, actually amend their lives," page 144. But it ought to be observed, that wherever there is that faith in the Lord Jefus, which leads us to the covenanting