Communion Thoughts.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860. Excerpt: ... The duties of the communicant, it is sufficiently obvious, are essentially the same which are incumbent upon all. Our obligations to God and to our fellow-men do not depend on our acknowledging their existence. The law of Christ is the rule of life prescribed for us by Divine authority, and our neglect of one among its precepts surely does not excuse us from obedience to the others. Still it is true, that every right action we perform gives a pledge of consistent action in future; and that a falling into sin involves more of disgrace, and more of moral injury to ourselves and others, the higher our characters have previously stood. To ourselves, there is danger that the greatness of the fall may produce discouragement, instead of salutary penitence; and those who behold are liable to be hardened in sin, and tempted I to disbelieve and scorn the power of virtue and I 14 158 The Christian's Walk. religion. The offences of professed disciples "give occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." The most mournful wounds which religion has received have been " in the house of her friends." The believer, then, who in a sincere and humble spirit has joined the Church of Christ, cannot be indifferent to the question, What course of life should I pursue, that it may be consistent with the profession that I have made? What duties are yet before me, and how am I to discharge them? The duties of the Christian's life may be classified under the divisions of instrumental, passive, and active. Of these, the second class has already received our notice, in the preceding section. The instrumental and the active duties remain for us to consider. Under the former may be named the reading of the Scriptures, self-examination, and prayer, together with the observance of th...