aration for it. Reading and thinking much on the subjects here proposed, may through God's blessing be useful to promote their habitual preparation for the holy supper. Christ's body and blood herein exhibited are pure and holy things, and should be received in prepared and cleansed hearts. His body never saw corruption in the grave, nor will be mixed with it in hearts where corruption is allowed. It lay in a virgin's womb, and in a virgin sepulchre, and will still be entertained in virgin souls and affections; in hearts purified and consecrated to God. In these Christ chuses to reside, and not in those where sin and the world, with the lusts thereof, are harboured. Oh, had we grace to maintain and cherish the fear of God, and the love of Christ habitually in our souls, we might, without much pains, be prepared for coming to him at his table. Did we always bear in our minds, that sacramental occasions are solemn appointments, and Bethel meetings with God, for renewing covenant, and entertaining fellowship and communion with him, we would guard more against formality creeping in upon us in our preparations for, and in our attendance upon this ordinance, than, alas, we do. Oh, such formality will provoke the Master of our solemn feasts to withdraw from them, and then what poor, dry, melancholy, and lifeless things will they be? What are sacraments without Christ's presence in them? O let us never be satisfied with communion sabbaths, without communion with Christ in them. On the other hand, if we would keep up communion with Christ in these ordinances, let us beware of relying on our previous pains or preparations, either for our right performing of our duty, or for our acceptance in it: For we are never more ready to miscarry, and to be disappointed, than when we are guilty of this resting. Sundry go to the Lord's table with great humiliation for sin, and yet come away without comfort: Why? because they make a Christ of their sorrow. O what worth can we see in our best preparations, confessions, prayers, tears, humiliations, &c. if we compare them with the law of God? We have more cause to be ashamed of them, than to lay any stress on them. Could we renounce all selfconfidence, and disclaim all our provision, in point of dependence, and cast ourselves wholly on Christ for strength, through-bearing, and acceptance, we would have better success at the Lord's table, than commonly we have. We are never more fit for this holy table, than when we are most humbled, and most ashamed of ourselves, because of our unfitness for this solemn approach; and we are never less fit, than when we think ourselves most fit and prepared for the duty. A holy deniedness to all self-sufficiency, and a deep sense of unworthiness and unfitness, is the best preparation we can attain to for this solemn ordinance. Let us make holy David our pattern, when going to partake, Psal. Ixxii. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. And let us pray with the spouse, Cant. iv. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof flow out. AMEN. DUNDEE, August, 1747. CONTENTS. EDITATION 1ft.-Heb. xi. 7. A crucified Jefus the Page 2d.-2 Pet. ii. 4. Fallen Angels punished, and fallen Men 3d.-Pfalm cxlvii. 20. Britain's Gofpel mercies Subject of Praise, 27 31 The condefcenfion of the great God to Chrift our Rock, fmitten and ftreaming, Chrift pierced for our Sins, a Heart affect- 8th.-Luke xxii. 61, 62. Chrift's lock to Peter melted his Christ's fufferings worthy to be remem- Communicants oft in ftraits betwixt two 12th.-Phil. iv. 19. Rich Supplies in Christ for all our Needs, 50 54 An astonishing match betwixt lovely Chrift and loathfome creatures, 24th-Ifa. liii. 8. A view of Christ stricken by many hands 25th.-Gal. ii 20. A particular and appropriating Faith in 26th-1 John iv. 19. God's preventing Love the Cause of III 28th.-Rev. i. 5. Chrift's Love in pouring out his Blood for us, calls for Songs of Praise to him, 29th.-Luke xv. 18, 19. The Humble Confeffions and Plead- ings of a penitent returning Prodigal, 30th-Song i. 4. Our remembering of Chrift's Love at his 31ft-Ifa. liii. 5. Chrift's Wounds by our Sins fhew the evil Nature of Sin, and call for Revenge upon it, ADVICE Ift-Gen. vi. 1. A Call to perifhing finners to come into the Ark of a crucified Chrift for fafety, with di- 28.-Rev. iii. 20. Chrift's ftanding and knocking at the door 3d.-Rev. iii. 20. A view of the Extensiveness and Solemnity of Chrift's calls to open to him, and the bleffed Provifion he 4th-Prov. ix. 5. Chrift the Bread of Life, excellent foul- food, with directions how to come and eat it, 6th-Matth, xxii. 2. A Call to come and fign the Marriage Contract with Christ at his table, with directions in doing it, 7th. Lam. i. 12. A Call to view Chrift's dreadful fufferings 4145 9th.-Heb. vi. 18. Chrift our only City of Refuge, with di- rections how to flee to it from the Avenger of Blood, 10th.-John iii. 14. A call to view Chrift nailed and lifted up on the Crofs, with suitable thoughts and affections, 11th-Exod. xiv. 15. A Call to Communicants, under doubts and fears, to go forward to the Red fea of Chrift's blood, 12th-John xii. 32. Chrift lifted up on the Cross, a noble Engine for drawing souls to him, with directions to look for 13th-John i. 36-xix 5. A call to behold the Man Christ Jefus under various fufferings, 14th.-Job xxxvii. 14. Directions to ftand ftill and confider God's wondrous Works displayed in the Sacrament, 15th.-Rev. xxii. 2. Chrift our Tree of Life. infinitely pre- ferable to Adam's tree in the earthly Paradise, with direc- tions to view and make use of this bleffed Tree, 16th.-la. xxxii. 2. Christ our only Hiding place and Covert from storms of wrath, with directions to get into it, 17th-1 Kings xix 9. Communicants fhould be ready to ac- count to God of their errand at the Lord's table, 18th-John v. 6. Communicants must come sensible of their Diseases, with Faith in Christ's healing Power, and Marks 19th —Exod. xii. 14. How to improve a Communion Sabbath as a Memorial of Chrift's Death, Refurrection, and Bene- 20th.-Jer. iii. 19. A Sinner's taking hold of God's Cove- nant, furmounts all the Hindrances and Difficulties in the 21ft. Luke v. 26. Communicants are to recollect and confi- der what strange things they have seen at the Sacrament, 22d-Luke vi. 21 The Bleffedness of true fpiritual Hunger, with the good things provided to fill the Hungry, 23d-Pfalm cvii. 2. Redeemed Souls are under special obli gations to give thanks and fing praise to their Redeemer, A fhort Chriftian Directory; confifting of forty Scripture Di- |