(8.) We are, at the Lord’s supper, to renew our covenant with God. That this may be rightly understood, we must consider what it is for a believer to enter into covenant with God, which he is supposed to have done before this; and that consists not in our promising that we will do these things that are out of our power, or, that we will exercise those graces, which none but God, who works in his people, both to will and to do, can enable us to put forth; but it consists in our making a surrender of ourselves to Christ, and depending on him for the supply of all our spiritual wants, humbly hoping and trusting that he will enable us to adhere stedfastly to him, working in us all that grace which he requires of us; which blessing if he is pleased to grant us, we shall be enabled to perform all the duties that are incumbent on us, how difficult soever they may be. This is an unexceptionable way of entering into covenant with God, as it contains an acknowledgement of our own inability to do that which is good without him, and desire to give the glory of all to him; on whom we stedfastly rely, that we may obtain mercy from him to be faithful.
Moreover, to renew our covenant, is to declare, that through his grace, we are inclined stedfastly to adhere to our solemn dedication to him, not, in the least, repenting of what we did therein; and, that we have as much reason to depend on his assistance now, as we had at first, since grace is carried on, as well as begun by him alone; and accordingly, while we express our earnest desire to be stedfast in his covenant, we depend on his promise that he will never fail us, nor forsake us: And we take this occasion, more especially, to renew our dedication to him, as it is very agreeable to the nature of this ordinance, in which we have the external symbols of his love to us, which lays us under the highest obligation thereunto.
(9.) We are, in this ordinance, to shew our readiness to exercise a Christian love to all saints; which consists, more especially, in our earnest desire that all grace and peace may abound in them, as in our own souls; that hereby we may have occasion to glorify God together, and shew our mutual concern for the spiritual welfare of each other. We are to bless God for the grace they are enabled to exercise, though, it may be, we cannot exercise it in the same degree ourselves: And, as for others, we are to sympathize with them in their weaknesses, grieve for their falls and miscarriages; and be very ready to make abatements for those frailties and infirmities that we behold in them, which we ourselves are sometimes liable to, especially if they are not inconsistent with grace, in which case we should cast a mantle of love over them, not knowing but we may be exposed to, and fall by the same temptations.
This love is to be expressed, more especially in this ordinance; inasmuch as we are to consider all saints as members of Christ’s mystical body, children of the same God and Father, partakers of the same grace with us, fellow travellers to the same heavenly country, where we hope to meet with them at last, though now they are liable to the same difficulties with ourselves, and exposed to those assaults and temptations that we often meet with from our spiritual enemies. This expression of our love, though it be more immediately and directly extended to the same society, that joins in communion with us; yet it is not to be confined within such narrow limits, but includes in it the highest esteem for all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, though their place of abode be remote from, and they are not known to us in the flesh.
II. We are now to consider the duty of Christians after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper; and that consists in enquiring, how they have behaved themselves therein? and, whether they have any ground to conclude, that they have been favoured with the special presence of God in this ordinance, whereby it has been made a means of grace to them?
As to the former of these enquiries relating to the frame of our spirits, while engaging in this solemn duty, we shall sometimes find, that it has been such as affords matter for deep humiliation and self-abasement, in the sight of God, when we reflect upon it; particularly,
1. When our minds and affections have been conversant about those things, which are altogether unsuitable to the work we have been engaged in, and, instead of conversing with Christ in this ordinance, we have had our thoughts and meditations most taken up with worldly matters; or, if they have, indeed, been conversant about religious affairs, yet we may, in some measure, see reason to blame ourselves, if these have been altogether foreign to the great end and design of the ordinance we have been engaged in. There are many portions of scripture, or heads of divinity founded upon it, which we may employ our thoughts about at other times, with great advantage; yet they may not be altogether suitable, or adapted to our receiving spiritual advantage by, or making a right improvement of Christ crucified, as the nature of this ordinance requires.
2. They behave themselves unbecomingly, in this ordinance, who meditate on the thing signified therein, to wit, the dying love of Jesus Christ, as though they were unconcerned spectators, having only an historical faith, and content themselves with the bare knowledge of what relates to the life and death of Christ, without considering the end and design thereof, viz. that he might make atonement for sin, or their particular concern herein, so as to improve it, as an expedient for the taking away the guilt and power thereof in their own souls.
3. We may reflect on our behaviour in this ordinance, when we have given way to deadness and stupidity, without using those endeavours that are necessary for the exciting our affections; when a subject so affecting as Christ’s pouring out his soul unto death, being wounded for our transgressions, despised and rejected of men, bleeding and dying on the cross, and, in the midst of his sufferings, crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, has not had an efficacy to raise our affections, any more than if it were a common subject?
4. We have reason to blame our behaviour in this ordinance, when we have attended on it with a resolution to continue in any known sin, without being earnest with God to mortify it, or desiring strength and grace from Christ, in order thereunto, and improving his death for that end. Thus we have reason, sometimes, to reflect on our behaviour at the Lord’s supper, with grief, and sorrow of heart, as what has been disagreeable to the nature of the ordinance we have been engaged in.