On Administering the Lord’s Supper
§ L Labour to prepare your own hearts for the ordinance with all possible care.- — Begin
with some suitable reflections for the early in the week. — Pray earnestly for divine assistance, and let the day before be common* ly observed as a day of solemn fasting and prayer.
2. Choose some evangelical, and generally some comfortable subject for sacramental days, and bestow some extraordinary trouble on the sermon, especially the devotional parts of it. — Sometimes, however, a faithful address to those who are under a religious profession to walk worthy of it, is extremely proper.
3. In the interval between the close of the general service and the administration of the ordinance, be very earnest with God for his presence, and labour to come to the table as devout as possible. — Much depends on the temper with which things are begun. 4. Introduce the administration with some extempore meditations on some select texts of scripture; — generally such a text as hath some connexion with the subject, or at least the or dinance. — In these addresses avoid critical niceties by all means, and pursue a strain the most pathetic.
5. In the prayer before receiving the elements, as well as in all the rest, be modefate* ly short; — dealing much in confession of sin; — this may generally be connected with your extempore discourse before. — Takeue care to introduce a variety of thoughts in prayer and speaking. — In prayer before the cup renew your covenant engagements. — Drop some pious hints afterwards, before you receive the cup, as well as while you are breaking the
110 LECTITRBfl 0?r PRBAGHIN6.
bread and pouring out the wine. — Here tt may be proper to take passages of scripture to ex* plain, enforce, &c. — After singing, conclude with thanksgiving, and be particular in praying for the church of Christ in general, and especially that to which you are more immediately related.
6. While the elements are being distributed generally continue in silence, in order to give room for the exercise of secret devotion. — -Make a pause before receiving the elements, and exhort others to do so. — Address a word now and then chiefly to spectators, remember them also in prayer; — it is of|en the means of cherishing good impressions.
§ 7. Look round the church and congre< gation after you have dispatched what is more. immediately your concern, and lift up your heart for particular persons as your eye singles them out, and as their concerns may require. — Throughout the whole ordinance cultivate a social temper, and give the soul room to expand and soften itself into the most friendly sentiments, — not only towards those present, but the whole church of Christ. And do not forget those under persecution for religion, the afflicted, the dying, the poor, vacant congregations, &c.
4 8. After the ordinance is over retire, if possible immediately; recollect as much as you can of your meditations, and sometimes write them down with all the improvements that may be suggested to your minds.
§ 9. Let the whole of your discourse on a
sacramental .day be particularlj spiritual and heavenly, — and as far. as the infirmities of nature will allow, let every moment of it be devoted to God with the utmost zeal and care.
10. Lastly, in your retirement, after you have been at the Lord’s table, consider what you can do more for God. — Perhaps then you may find some schemes of usefulness dart into your mind, as well as things of importance with regard to your own souls, and the congregation, that had not before been thought of — And take great care to act according to the resolutions you have formed, and without tle least delay.