A Body of Practical Divinity

(2.) Love to the Saints. This is a Love-Feast. Tho' we must eat this Supper with the Bitter Herbs of Repentance, yet not with the bitter Herbs of Malice. Were it not sad, if all the Meat one eats should turn to bad Humours? He who comes in Malice to the Lord's Table, all he eats is to his hurt: He eats and drinks Damnation to himself, 1 Cor. 11.29.—Come in Love. It is with Love as it is with Fire: You keep Fire all the Day upon the Hearth, but upon special occasions you draw the Fire out larger. So tho we must have Love to all, yet to the Saints who are our Fellow-Members, here we must draw out the Fire of our Love larger; and we must show the Largeness of our Affections to them, by prizing their Persons, by choosing their Company, by doing all Offices of Love to them; counselling them in their Doubts, comforting them in their Fears, supplying them in their Wants. Thus one Christian may be an Eben-ezer to another, and as an Angel of God to him. The Sacrament cannot be effectual to him, who doth not receive in Love. If a Man drinks Poison, and then takes a Cordial, the Cordial will do him little good. He who hath the Poison of Malice in his Soul, the Cordial of Christ's Blood will do him no good: Come therefore in Love and Charity. And thus we see how we may receive the Supper of the Lord, that it may be Effectual to our Salvation.

(2.) Love to the Saints. This is a Love-Feast. Tho' we must eat this Supper with the Bitter Herbs of Repentance, yet not with the bitter Herbs of Malice. Were it not sad, if all the Meat one eats should turn to bad Humours? He who comes in Malice to the Lord's Table, all he eats is to his hurt: He eats and drinks Damnation to himself, 1 Cor. 11.29.—Come in Love. It is with Love as it is with Fire: You keep Fire all the Day upon the Hearth, but upon special occasions you draw the Fire out larger. So tho we must have Love to all, yet to the Saints who are our Fellow-Members, here we must draw out the Fire of our Love larger; and we must show the Largeness of our Affections to them, by prizing their Persons, by chusing their Company, by doing all Offices of Love to them; counselling them in their Doubts, comforting them in their Fears, supplying them in their Wants. Thus one Christian may be an Eben-ezer to another, and as an Angel of God to him. The Sacrament cannot be effectual to him, who doth not receive in Love. If a Man drinks Poyson, and then takes a Cordial, the Cordial will do him little good. He who hath the Poyson of Malice in his Soul, the Cordial of Christ's Blood will do him no good: Come therefore in Love and Charity. And thus we see how we may receive the Supper of the Lord, that it may be Effectual to our Salvation.