John Shower explains that as it is our duty and privilege to celebrate the Lord's Supper, we should come to it with repentance, love, gratitude, and joy. The Lord's Supper is a covenant of fidelity between God and man in which we express public love and honor to our Savior and the emphasis is not on the efficacy of our faith but on His actions. Shower's eight discourses will help us as we meditate on the meaning of the Supper in devotional love.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: Discourses before and after the Lord's Supper
1. Union to Christ, and the New Creature (2 Cor. 5:7)
2. Christ Going to Gethsemane (John 18:1-2)
3. Spiritual Washing (1 Cor. 6:11)
4. The Communion of Christ's Body and Blood (1 Cor. 10:16)
5. The Sin and Danger of Unworthy Receiving (1 Cor. 11:29)
6. Christ's Last Passover and Its Accomplishment (Luke 22:15-18)
7. The Feast of Christ's Love (Song 2:4)
8. Christ's Cure of a Disciple's Weak Faith (John 20:27-28)
Part 2: Questions about Salvation, Assurance, and the Lord's Supper
9. How Much Assurance Is Necessary to Come to the Table?
10. Two Sacramental Questions on Our Duty to Take Communion
- Are All Baptized Christians Bound to Partake of the Lord's Supper?
- Why Do So Many Good People Live in Neglect of This Ordinance?
11. Four Sacramental Questions on Those Unworthy to Take Communion
- Is the Lord's Supper a Means of Converting Souls?
- Should I Partake If Unworthy Communicants Are Admitted to the Supper?
- What Is an Unworthy Receiver of Communion?
- What Is the Danger of Unworthy Receiving?
12. Wasn't Judas Present at the First Celebration of the Lord's Supper?
Part 3: Sermons Related to the Lord's Supper
13. The Purposes of Receiving the Lord's Supper
14. The Cross of Christ, a Christian's Glory (Gal. 6:14)
15. The Promise and Oath of God (Heb. 6:16, 18)
16. Christ's Love for Us Like the Father's to Him (John 15:9)
Appendix: A Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer
About the Author: John Shower (ca. 1657-1715) was a prominent nonconformist minster. Born in Exeter, he was encouraged to preach by Thomas Manton after receiving his education in Exeter and Taunton. He ministered in exile in Holland and later returned to London, where his church relocated twice due to its expanding congregation.
