Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

54-6 Acceptance of the State IIF.
but to draw Water out of them. The Sacrament
of the Lord’s Supper is in a fpecial Manner appoint¬
ed for thefe Ends. ’Tis not only a folemn publick
ProfeJ/ion^ and a Seal, of our Union and Commu¬
nion with Chrift : But ’tis a Means of moft intimate
Communion with him ; and Jlrengtbens our Union
with him, our Faith, Lore, Repentance, and other
Graces, i Cor. x. 16. cfhe Cup of Blejfing, which
we blefs, is it not the Communion of the Blood of
Chrift ? tfhe Bread which we break, is it not the
Communion of the Body of Chrift ? And Chap,
xii. is- We have been all made to drink into one Spi¬
rit. Give your fdves unto Prayer -, open your Mouths
wide, and he will fill them. By thefe Means the
Baanches in Chrift may be further nouriihed, grow
up, and bring forth much Fruit.
A fewenth Benefit is, The Acceptance of their
Fruits of Holinefs before the Lord. Tho’ they be
very imperfed, they are accepted, becaufe they fa¬
vour of Chrift the blefied Stock, which the Bran¬
ches grow upon ; while the Fruits of others are re¬
jected of God, Gen. iv. 4,5. And the Lord had Re-
fpett unto Abel, and to his Offering: But unto Cain
and his Offering he had not Refpedt. Compare Heb.
xi. 3. By Faith, Abel offered unto God a more ex¬
cellent Sacrifice than Cain. O how defeBime are the
Saints Dufies in the Eye of the Law i The Belie¬
ver himfelf cfpies many Faults in his beft Performan¬
ces ; yet the Lord gracioufly receives them. There’s
no Grace planted in the Heart, but there’s a Weed
of Corruption hard by its Side, while the Saints
are in this lower World. Their very Sincerity is
not without Mixture of Diffimulation or Hypocnfy,
Gal. ii. 13. Hence there are Defeds in the Exer-
cife of every Grace 3 in the Performance of every
Duty :