86:t (afes about tl,e Lords Supper. ~eft. 96. Is tbe Sacrament of the Lords Srtpper a (onwrti1~ Ordinance~ Anfw. you mull difiinguiih 1. Between the Conv<rflon of Infidel, without the Church •nd of Hypocrites within it : 2· Between the p-,imary and the [econdary intention of tb,e Infii. Luke 22. T9· tuter. 3· Between the primary duty of the receiver, and the rvmt. And .Co I conclude, 'Cor. u. '4· ,. Th•t God did not comm•nd Mmi!\m to give Infidels ihe Lords Supper to convert them to Chriflianity. Aft. 2 . g 7 , 38 • ~-He requircth us t~ give it to none but thofe that. profefs the~felves. convened from Infi· f\latth.:i. 1 9, dehty and a ftate of WJCkcdnc:fs, and to none that profcfs not true [avmg fatth and repentance. 3• God never commanded or allowed any Infidel to demand or n.ceive it to his convcrfion. J Cor. 10 ' 16 • 4.God commandeth the Pafiors of the Church, to deliver it to Hypocrites, (who at the 11e.aJt ~~:~·. ~;~3~, are Infidels or Impenitent and ungodly) if they profcfr faith and rcpcmance, and defire or re– JS. quue tt. 1 Ur. 11• 27~ 5• There is mm;h in the nature of the Sacrament, which tc:ndeth to the convedion of an 11y.. 28, 19,30. pocrite. 6. And Ood often bldfeth it to the converfion of hypocrites ; fa that it m•y thence be f•id to be his [econd.1ry intention. 7· But yet he that knoweth himfclf to be a meer hypocrite, or void of faving faith •nd repen– tance, lhould not come firfi: and immediately to the Sacrament, to be Converted by it : But Chould firfi: fa long hear, read, mcditat(and pray, till he Repent and believe, and his Hearr confent to the Covenant ofGod : And then he fuould come with penitent Contrition, and folcmnly renew his Co· venant in this Sacrament) and there receive a fealed pa'rdoh. Q\:1elt. 97. Mtiflno mml come to t/,e Sdcranient , tiJaC is uncertain or doubtful · of the {i1zcerity of ],is faitiJ and repentance ~ ' AH[tr, 1 • HE thatIs fuie of his unfoundnefs and hyp~c'rif.e 010uld nqt come. ICor.u:2s, . 2.Hethat upon tryal ,Js not fore, butyc:t .,.s far as be caJt underftand his oron 1 '' 3I. lie"rt "'rel {ife, doth judge himfdf an Impenitent hy'pocrite, fhould ufe odier means to kno~ him.. {elf cr:rta'inly, and fullic:r to Repent before he come::rh. And though fame melancholy and ·timerous perfons be 'falily petfwaded that thC-~ a_ re lrripeniten_r, yet it i~ better that fuch forbear the Sacrament, while they ufc other mca11S for thc::tr betrer acquamtance wuh themfdves, than that all the hypo– crites and wicked impenitent people be tola that it is their duty to cm;ne, if rhey can but make them· felves uncCrtain whethex they be impenitent or not. , 3• But he that after the bcft endeavours he c._n ufe"tO know himfe1f, can fay, I am not certain that I ·truly Repent, but a1 far as I can k._noro my hear~ I do ; is not J~. be hinde~ed from the Sacrament by that uncertainty. J, for fcw_of the beft attam to a full. cert·unty of thetr own fincerity. 2. And all that can be expeCted fro Ill us IS, that we proceed accortlmg to the. brft of our underjltJndingJ, and the beft acquaintance with our fclves that _we_can get. 3• And otherwife it would keep us from all other duties proper to true Chrifi:ians ; As from thanksgiving for our Jufi:ification, Sanctitication, Adoption, &c. . . 4 . He that only crrcth about tbe Na,tur~ bf trUe faith a~d repentanee, and not about the teality of it in himfelf, 010uld not be kept away by that error : As If he can fay, [ A1 far as I ~(_no,. my heart, I amwilliNg to part with tvery 4._nown fin, and to _'<.now every .fi't that I may part with it ; BJ~t I am afraid this is 1zot true Repentance] or he that fatth, [I btluve the Go[pel to be trHe, -and I .Jm njUi 11 g tp have Cbrift 14po1t ~it Covenant _terms, an~ wholly t1 refign my filf unto him; b11tl am afraid yet that I am mt a true beltever]. Thts perfon lS truly pemrent, and 15 a true believer, and there-– fore cught to come. '5· The Cafe de e.ffe, whether a man be a true Chri~ian or not, is in order before the cafe de 2 cor.tJ. 1 ,6. fo'ire, whethtr he be certain of it, or nor. He that is _an Hypocrite is. bound by God firfi to k._now that he is fo, and then toRepem, and then toCommum.cate. .He that ts fincere, is bound by God, to k._nuw that he is ftncete, and to be thankful, and to commumcate : And mans neglect of one duty, will not make God change his L~ws, which llill bind them to all this at once. .O!:Jelt.
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