The Forty-First Sacrament, September 2, 1733
I DESIRE thankfully to own, that I have been enabled to keep closer to God for some time towards the close of the last month than ordinary. Yesterday was a season of sweet communion with God. I found it good for my soul to draw near to him, and to converse with him by fasting and prayer. This day I have been endeavouring to promote the interests of practical godliness by my preaching and exhortation from those words, “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Tim. ii. 19.
At the table of the Lord, my meditations were fixed on those words of Isaiah, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” Isa. xliv. 3. I observed the persons to whom the promise was made. It represents naturally what we are — “dry ground;” and what we are by grace — “thirsty;” longing for gracious assistance and spiritual communications. And God’s Spirit is represented by “water,” to signify how refreshing and how fructifying it is; and for the effects, it was to make them grow as the grass, and even as willows by the water-courses, the flourishing of which is very remarkable. I referred to the promise also to the rising generation, and recommended fervent application to God through prayer.
In breaking the bread, I particularly insisted on the obligations that we are under to depart from all iniquity. And O how contemptible and vile does the dearest lust and corruption seem when compared with the favour of the Lord Jesus Christ!
In pouring out the wine, I spoke particularly of resolution for Christ, and that we should look around in our various circumstances to find opportunities of serving him. And just before I received, I had such views of approaching glory as I have seldom known; so that I even longed to lay down my head in the bosom of Christ, and to die there. I record it, admiring the riches of Divine grace therein to so vile a creature. God has lately owned my ministry to the conversion of several souls; and now he meets me in ordinances, and gives me more than ordinary communion with him. The Lord grant that I may not be high-minded, but fear; and that I may quietly wait for the salvation of God. I am sure that if I ever performed any action of my life with a full consent of soul, it was that by which I this day gave up my soul unto the Lord; and it is that with which I now record my humble resolution, in his strength, of being invariably and eternally his. Amen.