CHAPTER VII. ON THE DUTY AND IMPORTANCE OF SELF-EXAMINATION EVERY person acquainted with the history of our Lord, must be aware, that, so far as has been recorded, there never was a time when he addressed to his disciples so solemn, so prolonged, so copious, and so affectionate a discourse, as that which he delivered immediately after he had instituted among them, and administered to them, the ordinance of his Supper. The first part of that discourse was delivered to them before they left the guest-chamber in which the ordinance had been dispensed, and is recorded in the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel by the Evangelist John. The last part of it was delivered after they had retired with him, as is supposed, to the mount of Olives, and is recorded in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of that Evangelist. There is no part of sacred Scripture, perhaps, with which Christians in general are more familiar, or which they are accustomed more frequently to peruse, than these chapters-together with that sublime and most affecting prayer which follows them, and in which, after praying that he himself might be glorified by the Father,. he prayed most copiously and fervently, not only for the disciples who were, at that moment, around him, but also for all those who should afterwards believe on him "through their word." And while all must be aware how anxiously our Lord exhorted, and how affectionately he sought to comfort his disciples, in the situations to which we have now referred, it will also be remembered that, after all that he had said while there, he took occasion that same night-the very night in which they had partaken of his Supper-to admonish them with the greatest earnestness and solemnity, to watch and pray that they entered not into temptation. Now, it is very true that one reason why our Lord was so full and emphatic in his admonitions to his disciples at the time here alluded to was, his knowledge that he was soon to be taken away from them, and that they were to be subjected to the most formidable trials of their principles and fortitude, after his removal. Independently, however, of the particular trials to which they were about to be subjected, in consequence of his death, there was enough in their circumstances, as placed in a "world" which "lieth in wickedness," to make the maintenance of the faith and love which they had so lately pledged at his table, a matter of no ordinary difficulty. Even while seated at the Paschal supper, he had solemnly admonished them that one of them should betray him, and had thus significantly pointed out the necessity of attentively inquiring and ascertaining whether, at the time, they were really in the exercise of those feelings and affections toward him, which it was their duty to cherish. And, when the most pressing of their dangers and discouragements were over, he still said to one of their number, what, though specially designed for that individual, was evidently meant as a question for the serious consideration also of all the rest, "Lovest thou me? Lovest thou me?" It is obvious therefore, that different, in many respects, as our outward circumstances may be from those in which our Lord's disciples were placed, immediately after the first dispensation of his Supper, there is still the greatest need for our being admonished as to the genuineness and activity of all the religious feelings with which our participation of that holy ordinance may have been attended. It has been shown, under a previous chapter, that the benefits to be derived from the Lord's Supper, by those who worthily partake of it, consist, partly, in the increase and enlargement of those holy, humble, grateful, and benevolent feelings which it is so peculiarly fitted to awaken. This being the case, if it was necessary that we should consider well whether it was in the exercise of these feelings that we sought to approach that holy ordinance, it is not less necessary, after having partaken in it, that we should consider whether these feelings have there been invigorated; and whether, if any of them have been in a feeble and languishing condition, this be ascribable to any cause over which we ourselves possess at least some degree of control. 1. We may consider, then, in the first place, whether our feelings of reverence and gratitude toward God were suitably awakened, and whether they appear to have been in some measure strengthened by our participation in the ordinance of the Supper. We are not now considering the fitness of the ordinance to awaken these feelings, nor the benefits which our souls must derive from their increase. This is what has been done already. But we are called upon to consider the important matter of fact, whether these feelings were suitably awakened, and, as far as we can discover, sensibly strengthened within us. Was the thought of God's unspotted holiness, of his infinite righteousness, and of his inflexible justice, displayed and magnified as all these attributes have been in the sufferings and death of his own dear Son, vividly presented to our minds, and devoutly dwelt upon, while we were engaged in the celebration of the Supper? Did we devoutly contemplate his ineffable abhorrence of sin, and his unalterable determination not to suffer it to escape his righteous judgment, and contemplate, at the same time, his not less ineffable and unalterable love towards the souls of men, sinful as they are? If these things have not been seriously contemplated, they cannot be supposed to have deeply affected us; but if they have been thus contemplated, have they been productive in our souls of any corresponding effects? It is not, indeed, the mere strength of any emotion that will determine whether it be, cr be not, truly gracious in its nature--that is, truly the fruit of the Spirit of grace. But as it is the natural tendency of every regenerate soul to grow in grace, so it is natural to expect that its gracious emotions should be enlivened by the distinct contemplation of those objects by which they are originally inspired. If, therefore, we have either not contemplated at all those divine perfections to which allusion has now been made, or if the contemplation has not been productive of any suitable feelings of soul toward the God of salvation, then have we the greatest reason to be humbled and alarmed. If, on the other hand, however, these feelings, derived from a scriptural view of his perfections, have acquired, at the table of communion, any accession of liveliness and strength, then has one great end of communicating been obtained, and we have the greatest reason-still, indeed, for humility-but, along with this, for gratitude and hope. 2. It is an important duty for us to examine, in the next place, whether our participation in the Lord's Supper has suitably awakened toward Christ our feelings of adoration, gratitude, confidence, and love.After what has been already stated, there can be no doubt that these are the feelings which the contemplation of his character and achievements as our Redeemer, and of the motives, so to speak, by which he was influenced, is fitted to awaken; and the question therefore is, whether these feelings have actually been produced by communicating at his table? Did we there feel that he was made known to us, in the breaking of bread? "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he there talked with us," as it were, "and while he opened to us the Scriptures?" Were any suitable affections produced in our souls by the thought of his amazing condescension and mysterious humiliation? by the thought of his spotless innocence, his perfect, yea infinite righteousness? by the thought of his zeal for manifesting the honour, magnifying the law, and upholding the authority of God? by the thought of his holy concern at once for the avenging of sin and for the deliverance of sinners from condemnation? by the thought of all that he himself had to endure, both of ignominy and of agony, in order that these ends might be reconciled and accomplished? by the thought of the triumphal success with which all his efforts and sufferings have been crowned? by the thought of the unlimited and unquenchable love toward the souls of men, by which he still continues to be animated? by the thought of all the inexhaustible fulness of merit which is treasured up in him for the justification of them who believe? and by the thought of that second and glorious appearing, when he shall come to judge the world in righteousness, to gather his saints from the four winds of heaven, and to conduct them into the kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world? Surely we were neither so heedless as not to meditate on these things, nor so insensible as not to be affected by them? And how did they affect us? Can we say, that while we were musing on these things, the fire of devotion and gratitude burned within us? Can we say that, while at the table of the Lord, "our meditation of him has been sweet?" Did we consider well the cause that we had to love him? Can we say, that if our feelings were not of the most rapturous kind, they were, at least, most sincere, reverential, and affectionate? Can we say, that if the warmth of our affections toward him was not such as it ought to have been, or such as might have been expected, this was to us the subject of deep humiliation and regret? that there was nothing for which we more fervently prayed than that we might be enabled to love him more heartily and that we felt anxious to discover the nature, and to obtain the removal, of those impediments by which |