QUESTION L as christians have proper opportunity : It represents our commit- nion with the Lord Jesus' Christ in his death, and the benefits which are derived from it, such as the pardon of sin through his sacrifice of atonement, &c. and it represents also our communion with oneanother in those benefits, or our joint participation thereof, according to the apostle's description of it; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ t We are all partakers of that one bread. The other parts, privileges, or offices of christian commu- nion, shall be mentioned, when there is need of it, in distinguish- ing constant and occasional communion. Now among all the ordinances of Worship it is in our partaking of these two, viz. baptism and the Lord's-supper, that special christian communion chiefly consists. But when we use the words christian commu- nion, we have most frequently a regard to the Lord's supper, be, cause our communion with one another, and joint participation of the blessings of the gospel, is most plainly represented thereby ; and by the frequent repetition of it, our christian communion or holy fellowship is maintained in a more explicit and honourable manner. - Havingconsidered briefly the nature of christian com- munion, we must enquire now into the general termsof it. As in order to hold an inward and spiritual communion with Christ and his people, we must be sincere believers, or real christians ; so every person seeking visible communion with the church of Christ should satisfy his own consciencewith nothing short of real christianity : But christians and churches not being able tosearch the heart as Christ and conscience can, the term of our visible communion with christians is a credible profession of real christianity, or a professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, as the apostle expresses it ; 2Cor. ix. 13. that is, such an outward profession of inward and hearty christianity, as gives just and credible evidence that this profession is sincere, and that the per- son thus professing is ahearty christian ; Rom. x. 9, 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart, that Godhash raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If a man pro - fess christianity in'any manner or form of profession soever, and yet make it plainly and openly appear by other parts of his con- duct, that his profession is not sincere and hearty, he has no right to salvation according to this text, and has always been deemed unworthyof christian communion in all the scripture history, and in the best and purest ages of the church. Those that profess they know God, but in works deny hint, are to be counted abominable among all christians; Tit. i. 16. It is not therefore real and inward christianity in the heart that can give any man a right to communion in outwardordi- n 3
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