ness to communicate in such a carnal frame and spirit. So that their sin in "eating the bread, and drinking the cup of the Lord unworthily," consisted in coming irreverently; yea, it would seem from the 21st verse of this chapter, that some of them came drunk to the Lord's table, by which they profaned the remembrance of the Lord's death, undervaluing the means by him appointed, to partake by faith with him, in all the blessings of his sacrifice and redemption.

This being, though a brief, yet a true state of their case, no marvel for the arousing the careless, alarming the secure, to awaken the sleepy, to put backsliders upon considering their sin; and even for the bringing the truly spiritual amongst them to use this ordinance aright, the apostle uses this alarming, solemn, awful, tremendous sentence, sounding in their ears as pronounced by him like a thunder-clap, which one would suppose must make the guilty members of this church tremble: "Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup

of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”

I

come, secondly, to shew what unworthy receiving is, as it respects us.

Without all doubt, this scripture, as well as all other, was written for our use, and we ought to attend to the end and design of the Holy Ghost in it, and may look upon it as a cautionary direction, given for the keeping up in our minds a proper reverence and esteem of Christ's holy institution, and as a preventive from our profaning the table of the Lord.

To eat this bread, aud drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, is to eat and drink for unworthy ends and purposes, as all are, which do not answer the end and design of Christ in the institution. Hence we may safely say, to receive the Lord's Supper as a qualification for an office, is to treat this sacred ordinance with contempt, seeing it is a prostitution of it, and is not agreeable to the nature and design of it.

To come to this ordinance with real love and delight in our hearts to siu, which we live in, connive at, and secretly

indulge, is to come unworthily. Also, to live in the neglect of secret communion with God, neglecting secret and social worship and duty in its various branches, is to come unfit for this feast, which is a spiritual banquet, in which spiritual persons feed upon, and feast with "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Whosoever, without a consideration of the Majesty of Christ in whose presence we are, and who is both the author and subject of this ordinance; without a true and saving knowledge of Christ, faith in him, and love to his name, cause, and people, come and "eat of this bread, and drink of this cup," eat and drink unworthily for such come in an unworthy, irreverent manner, and coming thus, must come for unworthy ends and purposes, and consequently must receive unworthily.

It is also to receive unworthily when we rest in the ordinance, expecting that from it which we can only have from Christ. To which may be added, that unworthy receiving is charged by the

E

apostle, not only upon the professing, but also upon the regenerate Corinthians, who for this sin fell under the chastening hand of God, that they might not be condemned with the world to an eternal punishment. (See verse 32d of this chapter.) Though they were redeemed from eternal punishment, and renewed by the Holy Ghost, yet some of them were guilty of unworthy receiving.

The words before us, therefore, should be a directory, that we come before the Lord at his table, to worship him with reverence and godly fear: "for our God is a consuming fire." If it be asked, what property or perfection of God is expressed by this word consuming fire? I answer in the words of Dr. Owen, 'It is the holiness of God, the purity of God's nature,

that can bear no corrupt nor defiled thing. It is set forth by that metapho'rical expression, "a consuming fire." As

fire is the most pure and unmixed ele'ment, and so powerful of itself as that 'it will consume and destroy every thing that is not perfectly of its own nature; so is God, saith the apostle, "a con

6

'suming fire:" and in all your serving "of him, and approaches to him, labour 'to obtain a frame of spirit that becomes them who have to do with that God 'who is so pure and holy,' he being jealous of his glory, observant of his people, before whom all things are naked and open. It is one title given to the Lord and master of this feast. He is "the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire."

The words of our text, without all doubt, concern and belong to elders, officers, and churches, and each individual who communicates at the Lord's table.

It should put elders, or pastors, upon searching into, and laying before the church the true use of this ordinance, that in their explaining the symbols and memorials of Christ's broken body and shed blood, they may through the Holy Spirit's influences, lead the church to behold Christ," as evidently set forth as crucified amongst them."

As it respects officers in churches, who are helps to the minister, assisting him at