An Earnest Exhortation to a Frequent Reception of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: Particularly Addressed to Young PersonsPark, James Allan
Religion
An Earnest Exhortation to a Frequent Reception of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: Particularly Addressed to Young Persons
Park, James Allan
Lord's Supper; Lord's Supper -- Frequency of communion; Sacraments -- Efficacy
“_All_ Christian people _must_ come to this holy supper. They,
indeed, that are in a state of sin must not come so, but yet they
_must_ come; first, they must quit their state of death, and then
partake of the bread of life. _They that are at enmity with their
neighbours_ must come, _that_ is no excuse for their not coming; only
they must not bring their enmity along with them, but _leave it_,
_and then come_. _They that have a variety of secular employments_
must come; only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections
behind them, and _then come and converse with God_. If any _man be
well grown in grace_, _he_ must needs come; because he is excellently
disposed to so holy a feast: _but he that is but in the infancy of
piety had need to come_, _that so he may grow in grace_. The
_strong_ must come, lest they become weak; and the _weak_, that they
may become strong. The _sick_ must come to be cured, the _healthful_
to be preserved. _They that have leisure_ must come, because they
have no excuse; _they that have no leisure_ must come hither, that by
so excellent an act of religion they may sanctify their business.
_The penitent sinners_ must come, that they _may_ be justified; _and
they that are justified_, _that they may be justified still_.” {19}
Such are the arguments, my dear Sir, by which I have convinced myself of
the _absolute_ duty of _frequent_ and _regular_ communion; and so far am
I now from considering the attendance upon the holy altar as a burden,
which one cannot but fear is the case with too many, I am sensible, that
to be _permitted_ to perform this _duty_ is a _high_ and _inestimable
privilege_, as well as a duty. I have now, therefore, myself arrived at
this determination, never to turn my back upon the holy table, when it is
prepared for my reception. From this practice I have derived a peace of
mind, a steadiness of motives to good conduct, and a consolation under
the pressure, both of sorrow for the loss of friends, and of frequent
pain and bodily infirmity; which by the grace of God, I trust, no worldly
considerations could now induce me to relinquish or forego, by a contrary
conduct.
I cannot do better than close what I have to say upon this most
interesting subject, with the conclusion of a sermon, of one, {20} who is
as bright a luminary of our venerable church at this day, as the pious
and most excellent Prelate, whose works I have lately quoted, was in the
seventeenth century. I quote from a sermon preached on this subject, at
the Magdalen Chapel; and if there be any thing in what the devout
preacher has said, applicable to your own case, I trust your good sense
will make and improve the application.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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