By the late Rev. THOS. ADAM, Wilton.
I do not go to the Lord’s table to give, but to receive; not to tell Christ how good I am, but to think how good he is. I have a great many sins and wants to tell him of, more than would take up the whole day; and when I have told him all that I know of myself, it is not the half, but a very little of what he knows of me. I bring myself, that is sin, to him, believing that he will be all to me, and do all for me that is in his heart; and I know it is a very compassionate one. I go as a sinner to the Saviour. To whom else should I go, with my blind eyes, foul leprosy, hard heart, and rebellious will? You tell me I must have I know not how many graces and qualifications to go to the sacrament with; but I cannot stay for them: my wants are urgent: I am a dying man. My Lord, with his known kindness, says, “Come: do this: remember me.” His invitation is qualification enough; and I long to feed on him; to thank God for him,
to take him into my heart. I will go to behold him crucified, and his blood poured out for me, in spite of all my sins and fears; and, though all the saints on earth stood up with one mouth to forbid me, I go to put myself under Christ’s wings, and fly to him for refuge from the monster sin, ready to devour me.
I go to the sacrament to know God and myself; to wonder at the reconciliation of strict punishment with free pardon; to see the greatness of my sin, and the greatness of my hope, in the greatness of the sacrifice therein represented; to sin no more, because I believe there is no condemnation for my sin; to be raised as high as heaven, and humbled in the dust; to be astonished at the mystery of Christ crucified, and to profess that I know less of God than ever.
Let me be daily thinking of the sacrament, daily in a state of preparation for it, daily living upon it, resolving to secure my portion in the love therein exhibited, by receiving it in faith and humility, as love and undeserved mercy, making it my pattern, and dreading the sin which could be expiated with no less a sacrifice.
“Do this in remembrance of me.”—Remember who I am, and what thou art; remember me as thy Saviour; remember me as thy Master; remember my love; remember thy obligations; remember me as hating sin; remember me as bearing thy sin; remember me, and fear not; remember me, and sin not; remember me, to live for me, by me, with me.
The day before the sacrament—Knowing and assuredly believing the promises of God made over to me for the forgiveness of sins through faith in the blood of Christ; I do, from a detestation of my sinfulness, and a hearty sense of my want of pardoning grace, accept his covenant of rest and peace: trusting in him for the accomplishment of my whole salvation, in the way of gospel-holiness, by his Spirit; and resolving, without delay, to put myself into his hands for that purpose. And may the God of mercies keep me steadfast in this faith and engagement, and carry me on from strength to strength, that I may be one with him, and with my Saviour, and live for him, and love him with all my heart, and with all my soul.