ATTENDANCE ON IIOLY COMMUNION.
T. JOHN tells us in to-dav's Epistle that " God hath given unto us eternal lire, and this lire is in IIis Son. IIe that hath the Son bath lire, and he that hath no the Son hath hot lire." Yet in the text the Son Himself, our Saviour, sorrowfully and solemnly expostulates with His own brethren, "Ye will hot eome to that ye might have lire." " He came unto His own, and IIis own reeeivcd Him not." We knov from history, as a matter of fact, that they did hot reeeive Him, that they did hot eome fo Him when Ite came to them; but IIe says in the tex that they would not corne, that they did hot wish to corne, imp]ying that they, and none else but they, were the cause of their hot coming. Does if hot seem a plain natural instinct Ihat every one should seek his own good? AVhat then is meant by First Suuday after Easter.
this umvillingness to corne for the greatest of goods, lit"c; an unwillinguess, which, guidcd hy the light oi Scripture and by experience, we can confidcntly affirm to prevail af this day as widcly and as fully as in the age in which Christ said it? Hcrc is no question oi a comparison oi good with good. Ye cannot account for this uneoneern about Christ's iit, by allczinZ that xvc havc a sufl]eicnt treasure in out hands already, and therefore are hot interestcd by the ncws oi a greater. Far fro if; for is uot the world continually takin away its own girls, vhatevcr they are? and does if hot thcreby brin home fo us, does if hot importuuately press upon ug, and weary us with the lesson oi ifs own nothingness? Do we not confess that eternal lire is the best oi all conceivable gits, belote which noue other deservc fo be mentioncd? 3"et we livc to thc world. Nay, and sin also warns us hot fo trust fo ifs allurements; like the old prophet oi Bethel, su is forced fo bear witness against itself; and in the naine of the Lord fo denounce the Lord's judgmeuts upon us. XVhile if seduces us, if stings us with rcmorse; and even whcn the sense of guilt is overcome, still the misery of sinning is inflicted on us in the iuward disappointments and the temporal puuishmeuts which commonly follow upon transgression. Yet we will not corne unto Christ that we nmy bave lii%.:Further, if is hot that God treats us as servants or slaves; tIe does hOt put a burden on us above our strength: IIc does hot rcpel us ff'oto His Presence till we lmve preparcd some offcring" fo bring" bcfore Him, or havc madc some g'ood prog'ress in the way of lire.:No; IIe has beun Itis dealings with us with special, spontaneous acts of merey. Itc has, by an inconceivable g'ooduess, scnt lIis Son to be or lire. Far ff-oto asking" any gift a.t out hands in thc first instance, He has from our infimcy taken us in charffc, and freely givcn us "all thins that pcrtain unto lire and godliness." IIe has ])een ttl'ell5 with us in the very morning of our days, and by Lhe fulness of Iris g'raee has antieipa.ted the firsç stirrings of pride and lust., while as 3-et sin slept withi us. ]s iç noç so? Whaç more eould have been done for us? Yet, in spiLe of all this, men will noç eome unto Him thaç they may have lire. So sçrang'e is this, thaç floughtfld persons are somerimes tempted fo suppose thaç çhe mass of mankind do noç suffleiently knov¢ what their duty is; thaç they need teaehing, else they would be obedienL. And others fimcy that if the doeçrines of the Gospel were set before them in a foreible or peïsusive manner, this would serve as a means of rousing them fo an habiçual sense of their truc sçate. ]3uç ignorance is noç the true cause why men will noç eome to Christ. Who are these willing outeasts ff'oto Chrisç's favour, of whom I speak? Do noç think I say a stroag thing, my brethren, when I tell you thaç I ara speaking of some o those who now hear me. ot that I date draw the line any where, or imagine that I tan 'ive any rule for knowing for certain, jusL who corne to IIim iu heart and spirit, and who do not; but I ara quitc sure that many, who would shrink ri'oto ivin np their interest in thc Gospcl, and who profess fo east their lot with Christ, and fo trust in tIis death for their salvation, nevertheless do noç rcal]y socle Him that thcy may have lire, in spire of thcir fitir specehes. This I say I ara too well cnabled fo lcnow, bccausc in tiret soit is, that lIc has shown us hozo fo comc fo IIim, and I sec that men do tot comc fo IIim in that way which IIc has pointed out. He has shown us, that to corne to IIim for lire is litcral bodîly action; hot a mere figure, hot a mcre movement of the heart towards Him, but an action of the visible limbs; hot a merc secret faith, but a coming" to church, a passin on along thc aisle to His holy table, a lcneelin down thcrc before IIim, and a receiving of the gif of eternal lire in the form of bread and wine. Therc can be no mistaking IIis own al»pointmcnt. He said indced, "'Hc that cometh to Me shall never hunger;" but thon IIc explained what this coming was, by adding', "" IIe that cateth [e, even he shall livc by Me." If then a man does hot seek IIim whcrc tIe is, there is no profit in seekin Him where He is not. lVhat is the good of sittin aL home seeking Him, when is Presence is in tl:e holy Eucharist? Such pervcrseness is like the sin of the Israelites who went to seek for the mann, at hot IIe who givcs thc g'ift, prcscribe the place and mode of giving it Observe how plain and cogent is the proof of what I have been saying. Our Lord dcclares, "Except ye eat Ihc tlesh of the Son of A[an, and drink His blood, ye have no litb in you:" no lire, lire being thc gift He offcrs in thc text; also IIc says of the bread which He had broken, " 5lis is My ]3ody;" and of the eup, "This is)Iy Blood " is it hot very plain, then, that if we refttse to eat that Bread, and drink {hat Cup, we are refusing to comc unto Him that we may bave ]ife? The true reason why people will hot corne fo this Holy Comnmnion is this,—thcy do hot wish to lead relig'ious lives they do hot like fo promise to lead religious lires; and they think that that blessed Sacrameng does bind them to do so, bind them fo lire very much more strictly and thoughtfully than they do at present. Allow as much as we will for proper distrust of themselves, reasonable awe, the burden of past sin, imperfecg knowledge, and other causes, still after all there is in anost cases a reluctance fo bear, or af least to pledge themselves to bear, Christ's yoke; a reluctance to give up the service of sin once fiw all; a lingering" love of their own ease, of their own will, of indolence, of carnal habits, of the good opinion of men whom they do not respect; a distrust of their perseverance in holy resolves, grounded on a misgiving about their present sincerity.
his is why men will no eome o Chris for lire; they know ha He will no impr Himself fo hem, unless flaey eonsen to devote themselves to Him. In wha wa¥ does IIe offer IIimself fo .hem in Hol¥ Communion? through the eommands and sanetions of the Iaw. Firs, we are warned againsL seereL sin, and ealled Lo self-exmninntion; a week's preparntion follows; then, when fhe rime of eelebration is corne, wc hear Lhe Commandmênts read, we are solemnly exhorted to puL off every thing" whieh may offend God; we eonfess our sins and out deep sorrow for them; lastly, after being" admitted Lo Lhe Saeramen, we expressly bind ourselves to the service of out Iord and Saviour. Doubtless thi« i is whieh the unrenewed hear eanno bear, le very notion of giving" up sin algogether and once for all. And thus, though a raeions voiee e 3- ever so distinetly from the altar, "Corne unto Iê, and I will refresh you;" and thoug, h iL be ever so true tha this rêfi-eshmenL is nothing" short of lire, eternal lifb, yeL we reeolleeL the words whieh follow, "fake Iy yoke upon you, and learn of Ie,'" and we forthwith murmur and eomplain, as if fhe gifg were mosL unraeious, laden wih eondi- Lions, and hardly purehased, merely beeause i is offered in t.ha.L way in whieh alone a righteous Iord eould offer iLthe way of righteousness. lXlen had rather g'ive up fhe promise Lhan implieate Lhemselves in fhe fhreaf.s whieh surround iL. Brig'h and aLraeLive as is Lhe Lreasure presented to us in Lhe
Gospel, still the pearl of great 1)rice lies in ifs native depths, af the bottom of the ocean. We sec if indced, a.nd know ifs wort.h; but hot many date plunge in fo bring if thence. Vhat reward offered fo the diver shall overcome the imminent peril of a frightfid.death? and those who love sin, and whose verv lice consists in habits and practices short of relig'ious, what promised 1)rizc can rcconcilc thcm fo the certain destruction of what thcy delight in, the necessa T annihilation of all thcir most favourite indulgences and cnjoyments which are contrary fo the rule of the Gospel? Let us hOt suppose that any exhortations will induce such men to change their conduct; they confess the worth of the soul, their obligation fo obcy, and their peril if they do not; yct, for all this, the present sacrifice required of them is too mueh for them. They may be told of their Lord's love for theln, Ilis self-denying merey when on earth, Itis ri'ce gifts, and His long-suffering since; they xvill hOt be influeneed; and why? because the fault is in their heart; they do hot like God's service. Thej know fidl ,ell wlmt they would have, if they might choose. Christ is said fo have donc ail things for us; "Far from it," say thcy, " He is hOt a Iediator suited fo our case. Give lice, give holiness, give truth, give a Saviour fo deliver ff'oto sin; this is not enough: no, «e want a Saviour fo deliver i» sin. This is our need. If is a small thing fo offer us lifc, if if be in the wa.y of God's commandments; if is a mockery of our hopes fo call
A [['ll([tT]l(C that a ri'ce g'ift, whieh is, in face, a heavy yoke. We wan to do nothing af all, and then the ift will be ri'ce indeed. If out hearts mnt be ehnng'ed fo fi us for heaven, le them be ehaned, only le us have no trouble in the work ourselves. Le the ehane be par of the work donc for us le us literally be elay in the hands of the porter; le us sleep, and dream, and wnke in the mornin" new men; le us ]lave no fenr and relnllin, no workin on salvation, no self-denial. Let Chris suflbr, bu be i ours o rej«fiee only. Wha we wish is, o be a case; we wish fo bave every thing out own way; we wish o enjoy 1)ol llis worl(l and the nex; xve wish ¢o be lmppy all a once. If he Gospel promises this, we aeeep i; but if hot, i is bu a bondge, i bas no persuasiveness, i will reeeive no aeeepfanee ri'oto us." Sueh is fhe language of men's hear[s, flaough [heir [ongues do no ut[er if; language mos un[hankfiel, mos profime, mos sinfifl. OEhese refleetions I reeomlnend o the serlous attention of [hose who lire in neleet of Holy Communion; but, alas I lnus no qui [he subjee withou addressing some cautions ¢o hose who are in the observance of i. I woul(l ha none of us had need of cautions; but the bes of us is in warçare, and on his rial, and none of us ean be he worse for fhem. brethren, ha [here is a peril af[aehed o the unwooEhy reeeption; for ¢his is the very excuse whieh mauy plead for hot reeeiving; but if often happens, as" in other matters,lso, that men have fears when they should not fear, and do hOt fear when they should fear. A slight consideration will show this; for what is the danger in communicating? that of coming fo it, as St. Paul ilni)lies, witho»t fear. It is evident then, that, ill spire of what was just now said, when persons are in danger of reeeiving if unworthily, they commonly do not really feel their danger for thcir very danger consists in their hot fearing. If they did truly and rèligiously fear the blessed Sacrament, so far they would not be in danger of an unworthy reception. Now it is plin when if is that persons are in danger of receiving if fearlessly and thoughtlessly; hot when they recèive if for the first tilne, but when they have often received if, when they a.re in the habit of receiving* if. This is the dangerous tilne. When Christian first cornes fo Holy Communion, he cornes with awe and anxiety. At least, I will not stppose the case of a person so little in earnest about his soul, and so profane, as to dèspise the oMinance when he first attends if. Perhaps he has no clear doctrinal notion of the sacred rite, but the very title of it, as the Sacrament of his Lord's Body and Blood, suffices fo make him serious. Let us believe that he examines himself, and prays for grace to receive the gift wooEhily; and he feels af the rime of celebration and afterwards, tht, having bound himself more st%tly to religious life, and "received Divine influences, he has more to answer for. But after he has repeated his attendance sevcral rimes, this fear and revercncc wcar away with the novelty. As ho begins to bc familiar "with thc words of thc 1)rayers, and the order of the Service, so does he both hear and rcceive with lcss cmotion and solemnity. If is not that he is a worse lnan than he was at first, but he is exposed to a greater temptation to be poçane. IIe had no dccper religious lwiuciple when he first communicated than he has-now (l)rohably hot so dcep), but his want of ac(luaintance with the Service kept him ri'oto irreverence, indiffcrence, and wandcring thoughts: but now this accidcntal s.q_çeguard is removed, and as he.has hot succeeded in aequiring" any habitual reverence from former seasons of communicating, and lins no clear knowledge of the lmturc of the Sa.cramcnt fo warn and check him, he is exposed to his own ordinary hardncss of heart and unbclief, in circumstances much more perilous than thosc in which they are ordinarily displayed. If if is a sin to neglect God in the world, it is a greater sin fo neglect Him in clurch.:Nov is the time when he is in danger of hOt discerning. the Lord's Body, of receiving the gift of lilb as a thing" of course, vithout awe, gratitude, and self-abasement. And the more constant he is in his attendance at the sacred rite, the greater will be his risk; his risk, I say; that is, if he neglects fo be jealous over himself, to watch himself narrowly, and to condemn and hate in himsel the faintest risings of coldness and irreverenee; for, of course, if he so acts, the less will be his risk, nd the greater will be hi seeurity that his hear will no betrav him. Bu I spenk of those who are no sufficientlv aware of thcir danger, and hese are many. Ilere, too, let me mention another sin of similar character into which communients are ap fo fall; oic. n forgetfidness, aftcr communicating, tha they lmve communieatcd. Eveu when we resist the coldness which frequcut communion lnny occasion, and strive to posscss out minds in as profound a scriousness as we felt wheu the rite was new to us, cven then there is offert a painfid difference betwcen our feeling belote we have attcndcd it, and nfter. We are diligent in preparation, we are careless in rctrospect; we dismiss from out memory what we cherished in out expectations; we fox, et that we ever hoped and feared. But considcr; when we bave solcmn thoughts about Holy Communion only till we hrve corne fo it, what does this imply, but that we imagine that we have received the benefit of it once for all, as a thing donc nd over, and that there is nothing more to seek? This is but a formal way of worshippiug; as if we had wiped off a writin which was agailast us, and there was au end of the marrer. But blessed are those servants who are cvcr expecting Him, who is ever coming to them; whethcr He corne « at even or at midnight or at cock-crowing or in the morning; ' whereas those who first corne fo Him for the gift of grace, and then neg'leet to wait for ifs progressive aeeomplishmen in fleir hearts, how profanely they aet! i is as if o receive tle blessin in moekery, and then fo eas i away. urely, after so.rea, privilee, we oug'ht fo behave ourselves as if we had partaken some Divine food and medicinc(if grea things may be compared fo ordinau'), whieh, in ifs own inscrutable way, and in its own good rime, will "prosper in the thin whereunto God sends it"—thc fruig of the tree of lire which Adam forfeited, which had tha virtue in if., thag i was put out of his reach in haste, lcsg he should take and e:t, and live for ever. IIow earnest, then, should be out eare lest this ga'aeious treasure which we carry within us should be 1,»sg bv out own fitult, by the unhcalt.hy exeitements, or the listless indolence, fo which out nature invites us! "'Quench nog the Spirit,'" says the Apostlc; surely out privilege is a burden heavy go beai; before if turn fo a prineiple of lire and srength, till Chris be forlned in us perfectly; and ve the while, what cause have we fo wateh, and pray, and fidlll ail rig'hteousness, till the da 3" dawn, and the day-star arise in out hearts! Nor let. us suppose that by once or twiee seeking" God in this gracious ordinance, we can secure the gift for over: "Seck the Lord and His strength, seek IIis face cvcrmore." The bread which cornes down from hetven is like the manna, "daily bread," and that "till He corne,'" till His "kingdom corne." In His eoming af the end of the wodd, ail our wishes and prayers res and are accomplished; and in IIis present communion we havc a stay and consolation meanwhile, joining fogefher the past and future, rcrninding us that He bas corne once, and promising us that He will corne again. Vho can livc any lime in the world, plcasant as if may seern on first enterin it, without discovering that if is a wearincss, and that if" this lile is worth any thing', it is because it is fhc passage to anothcr? If needs no g'rcat religion fo fccl this; if is a scll-evidcnt fruth fo fhose who have rnuch cxperiencc of fhe vorld. The only rcason why all do hot fccl if is, flair fhey have hot lived long" cnough fo fecl it; and those -ho feel it more than othcrs, have but bcen throvn info circumsfances fo fcel if lnorc. But while fhe limes wax old, and ihe colours ol earth fidc, and fhe voice of song is brought low, and all kindreds ol the earth can but wail and lamenf, fhe sons of God lift up tiroir hcads, for their salvafion drawcfh nigh. Nature fails, the sun shines nof, and fhe rnoon is dira, the sfars fifll from heaven, and the foundations ol the round -orld shake; but the Altar's light burns evcr brig'hter; fhcre are sights fhere 'hich the many cannot see, and all above the tumults of earth fhe command is heard to shov forth the Lord's death, and fhe promise that the Lord is coming. "Happy are the people that are in such a case!" who, when wearied of fhe fhings secn, can turn with good hope to fhe fhings unseen; yea, "" blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God!" '" Corne unto Me,"
He says, "" all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest is better than toil; peace satisfies, and quictness disappoints hot. These are sure goods. Such is the cahn of the heavenly /[erusalem, which is the mother of us all; and such is their calm worship, the foretastc of heaven, who for a season shut themselves out from the world, and seek Him in invisible Presence, whom they shall hereafter see face fo face.