should live under the abiding impression of God's invisible presence that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do". that his eyes are over them" continually-that he "searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins of the children of men "-and that he will one day " bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, (Eccl. xii. 14.) It is under this deep and solemn impression that communicants, after having partaken of the Lord's Supper, are habitually to attend to the duty of self-examination, and to the duty of spending some portion of every day in the study of the Holy Scriptures. This latter duty they are to practise, not merely for the purpose of obtaining a more thorough knowledge of their own hearts, but also for the purpose of more fully acquainting themselves with God-with the revealed counsels of his will-and with the exceeding riches of his grace. Nor are the Scriptures to be only searched and read. They are to be the subject of much serious and profound meditation. This is to form another of those employments in secret, in which communicants are habitually to engage. They are to meditate on His perfections, as displayed both in his works and in his word, and, in particular, as set forth in that glorious plan of salvation, to which, in all its parts, their thoughts are so affectingly directed in the ordinance of the Supper. They are to meditate, moreover, on the personal interest which they themselves seek after, or actually possess, in a plan so glorious; and on all the loving-kindness and tender mercy that He has, in numberless instances, manifested to them individually. We need scarcely add, that all these secret exercises are to be accompanied and consecrated by frequent and fervent prayer. Without this, none of the others can be successfully or profitably conducted. It is as indispensable to the right discharge of these, as we have already seen it to be to the growth of all the Christian graces-which, indeed, are inseparably connected with the various secret duties to which we have now been adverting. Communicants can never be inattentive to the duty of praying to God in secret, without acting inconsistently with the profession which they have made by seating themselves at a communion table, and without neglecting one of the most important means by which the holy ordinance in which they were there engaged, is rendered conducive to their spiritual improvement and comfort. Having, in these several ways, endeavoured to point out the general conduct which those who partake of the Lord's Supper should be careful afterwards to maintain, it is obvious to remark how salutary the exhibition of such a conduct must be to the interests, not only of the individuals themselves, but also of the whole Christian commonwealth, and indeed of the world at large; and that an opposite conduct must, to all these parties, be, in an equal degree, prejudicial. That communicants may be stirred up to greater diligence and zeal in such a life of faith, and holiness, and comfort, as that which has here been described and recommended, it will be profitable to them often to look back on the feelings which they experienced, and on the resolutions which they formed or ratified, during the actual service of communion. Should they, on such a review, discover that they have, in any degree, fallen from their steadfastness, and from the high standard which they had proposed to themselves, of Christian excellence and devotedness, the discovery, while it is certainly fitted to fill them with humility and godly sorrow, is also fitted to stir them up to fresh activity, and to make them betake themselves to the discharge of all their duties, and to the fulfilment of all their pious engagements, with an ardour and fixedness of purpose, so much the greater than before, in proportion to the feeling of more entire dependence which they have been led to entertain on the supporting, directing, and sanc tifying influences of that "God who worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure." To encourage them in the arduous and important duties to which they are called, and to prevent them from being overcome by the formidable opposition which they may still have to encounter, it will, moreover, be expedient and necessary for them, not only to reflect that they are encompassed with "so great a cloud of witnesses," as those who have already, through faith, overcome the world, and obtained the promised inheritance of eternal life, but to be constantly in the habit of " looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God," (Heb. xii. 1, 2.) And, finally, to encourage them in the work which their divine Master has assigned to them, let them often look forward to the certainty and glory of his second coming, when, being made "like him," they "shall see him as he is;" when they shall not only behold, but be made partakers of his glory; and when they shall not only be admitted into his fellowship, but shall participate in the fulness of his joy," (Rev. iii. 21.) 1 CHAPTER IX. ON THE DUTY AND DESIRABLENESS OF A FREQUENT It cannot admit of a reasonable doubt, that the observance of the Lord's Supper is a duty of perpetual obligation. This appears to be as unquestionable as that it was originally instituted by our Lord himself— that its future observance was enjoined by his express commandment-or that it was designed to be observed in remembrance of Him, and, in particular, to show forth his death. "For as often," says the apostle," as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." But while this passage is of itself sufficient to esta~ blish the perpetual obligation of the ordinance, there is not either in this or in any other passage, any express precept, or even any general direction, as to the frequency with which it ought to be observed. It is sufficiently evident, however, from a careful examination of various passages in the Book of the Acts, and in some of the epistles, that, among the primitive Christians, the celebration of this holy ordinance was an event of very frequent occurrence. We have a proof of this, among the very first notices which the pen of inspiration has left us with respect to the character and usages of these early converts to the faith of the gospel. We are informed that, after the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, the effect produced through the preaching of the apostle Peter was such, that to the Church "there were added about three thousand souls," and in describing the state of the Christians immediately after this, and before giving the narrative of any of the subsequent events, the sacred historian tells us that "they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," (Acts ii. 42.) Now, it seems almost impossible not to suppose that these words—especially when taken in connexion with the verses which follow-were intended to delineate the general character of the primitive Christians during the very first weeks of their history. When it is stated, therefore, that even then they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine, and in breaking of bread, the conclusion naturally is, that this was a thing which was of frequent occurrence. The question, indeed, still arises, What was the thing to which this expression was intended to refer? There can be no doubt that this, or some equivalent expression is, in various instances, employed in reference to the solemn and peculiar ordinance of the Supper-as will be manifest from several texts which have already been quoted. There are other instances, it is true, in which the expression may more naturally be understood to refer to an ordinary meal, or to the exercise and interchange of ordinary hospitality. These two things, however, seem to be separately alluded to in the passage now under review. In one of the concluding verses, the Christians are spoken of as "breaking bread from house to house;" and other particulars are recorded as to their social usages and deportment. But, in the first-mentioned verse, the breaking of bread is spoken of in connexion with their steadfastness in the Apostles' doctrine and in prayers ; and it may therefore be most naturally understood in reference to that holy ordinance of which, outwardly, the breaking of bread is so conspicuous a part. If this reasoning be correct, then it must necessarily follow, on the ground already stated, that, among the primitive |