am what I am. It is service which is its own recompence-work which is its own wages. In helping to feed others, we may feast ourselves; for our Master hath provided that the mouth of the ox be not muzzled when-he treads out the corn. For my part, I would not exchange the pleasure of converse with the scriptures and divine things, for all the delight of the sons and daughters of men, and the peculiar treasure of kings and provinces. It was a noble saying of the Marquis of Vico, Let their money perish with them, who esteem all the wealth of this world worth one hour's communion with God in Jesus Christ. In doing this, I hope I can truly say, my desire and design is to contribute something to the faith, holiness, and joy of those that in this ordinance have given up their names to the Lord Jesus: and if God, by his grace, will make this endeavor some way serviceable to that end, I have what I wish....I have what I aim at; and it will not be the first time that praise hath been perfected, and strength ordained out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. In this essay I have an eye particularly to that little handful of people among whom I have been (in much weakness) ministering in these holy things now seventeen years; during all which time, through the good hand of God upon us, we have never once been disappointed of the stated solemnities, either of our new moons or our sabbaths. As I designed my Scripture-Catechism, and the other little one that followed it, to be a present, and perhaps ere long it may prove my legacy, to the young ones, the lambs of the flock-so I recommend this to the adult, and leave it with them, being desirous that the sheep we are charged to feed, may go in and out, and find pasture: and I earnestly wish that both these may prove successful expedients to preserve some of those things they _ have been taught, from being quite forgotten; and that, after my decease, they and theirs will have those things always in remembrance. And lastly, I send this abroad under the protection and blessing of heaven-with a hearty prayer to God to forgive what is mine, that is, whatever is amiss and defective in the peformance....and graciously to accept what is his own, that is, whatever is good and profitable; hoping that, if God pardon my defects and infirmities, my friends also will overlook them-and that, if he favorably accept my endeavors through Christ, they also will accept them: for, truly, it is the top of my ambition to approve myself A FAITHFUL SERVANT TO CHRIST AND SOULS, MATTHEW HENRY. Chester, June 21, 1704. 1. We call it the Sacrament; that is, a sign and an oath.... 2. The Lord's Supper; a supper, our Lord's Supper....3. The Communion; having in it communion with Christ, 1. It is a commemorating ordinance, in remembrance of the person of Christ as an absent friend-and of the death of Christ as an antient favor: hereby we pre- serve the memory of it in the church, and revive the re- membrance of it in our hearts....2. It is a confessing ordi- nance: we profess our value and esteem for Christ cruci- fied-and our dependance upon, and confidence in, Christ crucified....3. It is a communicating ordinance: Christ and all his benefits are here communicated to us, and are here to be received by us.... 4. It is a covenanting ordi nance-it is the New Testament, and the new covenant, All things are ready (opened in many particulars)-therefore 1 What it is to examine ourselves, illustrated in six similitudes, particularly six questions to be put to ourselves: -What am I?-four enquiries by which to find out what our spir- itual state is: two directions what to do thereupon....2. What have I done?-twelve questious to be put to our- I. In what method we must renew our covenant with God: 1. We must repent of our sins, by which we have render- ed ourselves unworthy to be taken into covenant: three I. Of meditation, opened in general: it is thought engaged, |
