Man may think He has promised less, than Another thinks He has. But on the other hand, to magnify the Meaning of figurative Expreffions into Certain Benefits never fpoken of plainly in other places; fo as to annex to this One Duty fuch Bleffings and Privileges as belong only to the whole Syftem of Christian Practice, is an Error (fuppofing it one) of quite another Nature. It feems to me to pervert the Design of the Gospel; as it leads Men to make Themselves eafy in the Performance of This, as diftinct from Thofe Duties, upon which our Acquittance at the Day of Judgment is conftantly and uniformly put. It is apt to make Them expect what GOD has never promised: and, not refting here, it tends to make Them negligent of thofe Great Matters of the Gospel, without which He has declared None to be entitled to the Promifes and Privileges of it.

If therefore, the Manner, in which I have chofen to treat this subject, should appear to fome to ftand in need of any Apology; This is the only One I can perfwade My felf to make, That I have no Authority to add to the Words of Chrift, and his Apostles, upon this Subject; nor to put any Meaning or Interpretation upon Thofe Words, but what is agreeable to the Common Rules of Speaking in like Cafes, and to the

declared

declared Defign of the Inftitution itself: Nay, That it would be, in Me, a finful PreSumption to amuse Christians with greater and higher Expectations, than They, who alone can be depended on, as far as I can judge, have given them any reason to entertain. If I have arrived at the full Meaning of what Our Lord, and his Apoftles, have taught about it; I have what alone I ought to aim at: and it will be of little importance, from how many and how great Men I differ. This I can fay with Truth, that, whenever I differ from Them, I do it with a great Concern on my own part, and a great Refpect towards Them: fo far from being inclined to it, or pleased with it, that it would have been a Pleasure to Me not to have found a neceffity for doing it; and will now be a Satisfaction to Me to be fet right in any Point, small or great, in which I may have judged amifs.

But, how different foever from Mine, the Opinions of Any may be; through the ftrength of a long Prepoffeffion, or of a Superior Judgment: yet certainly, All who (in the Apostle's phrafe) love our Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity; (or, as the word is, in Incorruption;) and who defire to be no wifer about his appointments, than He himself was; and are content to expect no more from bis Inftitution, than He himself put into it; will join with Me at least in the one only Method

of

of Examining into the Nature and Extent of it. And all fuch perfons will be candid in judging Another, even fuppofing Him in an Error: when it is fo plain in this Cafe, that Nothing could lead him into it but a fincere Defire that the Doctrine of Chrift alone should prevail, in a Matter, which must depend upon His Will, as far as He has decla red it; and can depend upon Nothing else.

In a word, I have here endeavored to represent One of our Lord's Inftitutions, in its original Simplicity. And if what I have done shall prove at all fuccefsfull in removing any Error, or Superftition, from this part of Chriftianity; I fhall efteem my Pains well bestowed. The best Prefervative against the chief attempts of Unbelievers, I am perfuaded, is to fhew the Religion of Chrift to the World, as He left it: and the greatest fervice to Chriftianity, is to remove from it whatever hinders it from being feen as it really is in itself. Nor can I think any Time more truly seasonable to guard against Supertition of any fort, than when Infidelity is making it's Efforts: Which is ever seen to draw its main Strength from the Extravagancies and Weakneffes of Chriftians; and not from the Declarations of Christ, or his Apoftles.

APL AIN

A

PLAIN ACCOUNT

OF THE

NATURE and END of the SACRAMENT of the LORD'S SUPPER, &c.

M

Y present Design is to give as good Inftructions as I can, to honest and well-difpofed Chriftians, for the right Performance of that Duty, which is now generally called, Receiving the Sacrament: but, in the most antient phrafe, was called partaking of the Lord's Supper. And, as what I am now writing is intended for Those who have a fincere Defire of knowing what is their Duty,

in this Cafe, in order to practise it in a Manner fuitable to the original Defign of it; and a Will to exercife, with all due Serioufness, their Right of judging for Themselves in This and all other Duties of Religion in which They are concerned: I fhall endeavor to lay down what I have to say, in fo plain and intelligible a Manner, that Every Christian, capable of thinking at all upon this Subject, may be able immediately to see whether It conveys to Him the true Notions of this Duty, left us by Chrift and his Apostles, or not; and fo either receive it, or reject it, as He fhall find Cause.

PROPOSITIONS.

I. The Partaking of the Lord's Supper is not a Duty of itself; or a Duty apparent to Us from the Nature of things: but a Duty made fuch to Chriftians, by the pofitive Inftitution of Jefus Chrift.

My Meaning is not, That this particular Duty was inftituted by Chrift, without any previous Reafon inducing Him to do it; but

that