The Communicant’s Spiritual Companion

by Thomas Haweis

In 'The Communicant’s Spiritual Companion', Thomas Haweis (surname rhymes with “pause”) has provided us with a practical and heart-searching manual for determining who is a worthy participant of the Lord’s Supper. After helpfully considering what a sacrament is, Haweis outlines the twin dangers of either neglecting or thoughtlessly partaking of this ordinance. As Haweis makes clear, a participant who profits from the Lord’s Table is one who has “found acceptance with God through the righteousness of the Savior, and . . . experienced the mighty power of His grace on their souls.” Having established who a worthy participant is, Haweis next gives valuable directions regarding what should be considered before, during, and after Communion. In two concluding chapters, Haweis offers various models of prayer for the Christian who struggles with it and then provides brief meditations on key select passages of Scripture. In short, the design of The Communicant’s Spiritual Companion is to strengthen the Christian through an examination of the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and the Word, three essential means of grace. Table of Preface The Nature of a Sacrament An Invitation to the Communion Self-Examination, a necessary duty before we come to the Lord’s Supper Considerations proper at the Time of the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper Directions for the Communicant’s daily Walk with God after receiving the Lord’s Supper Directions for Prayer Meditation Subjects for Meditation Conclusion Thomas Haweis (1734–1820) was one of the leading ministers of the eighteenth-century evangelical revival within the Church of England, chaplain to the Countess of Huntingdon, and one of the founding fathers of the London Missionary Society. “The aim of this rich and searching little book by eighteenth-century Anglican minister Thomas Haweis is to awaken in us a serious concern for eternity and a genuine interest in the means of grace. It not only points us to Jesus as the only hope for sin-sick souls, but will help you better understand and appreciate the Lord's Supper, which seals to us the blessings of His covenant of grace. Read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest!” — Lee Gatiss, director of church society and adjunct lecturer in church history at Wales Evangelical School of Theology

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2013

About the author

Thomas Haweis (c.1734–1820), (surname pronounced to rhyme with "pause") was born in Redruth, Cornwall, on 1 January 1734, where he was baptised on 20 February 1734.
As a Church of England cleric he was one of the leading figures of the 18th century evangelical revival and a key figure in the histories of the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, the Free Church of England and the London Missionary Society.

~ Wikipedia

Reviews

[Justin Genus · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

At a minimum, you’ll think more about what the Lord’s Table is and how to benefit from it. While some may quibble with a leaning toward the “spiritual presence” view of the Table, I found Haweis’s writing to be a helpful corrective against the “ONLY A SYMBOL” emphasis in modern evangelical churches.

When I come to the table now, I have a much clearer understanding of what I am receiving and how I should respond and prepare to benefit from it.

A bonus is the prayer helps and communion meditations at the end of the book. They toe the line between elevated and pretentious (modernizing the language would have helped), but will challenge you to ask if you’ve had such high thoughts of the gospel.

[Andrew Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for the Lord’s Supper and it was an excellent and edifying help.

[Peter Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a warm hearted book encouraging Christians in their approach to the Lord’s Supper. It is particularly helpful in showing how believers can prepare for the Lord’s Supper, our attitude during the Supper and our response afterwards. The final chapters contain some helpful prayers and meditations.
The language is a little old fashioned, but this doesn’t hinder the book’s helpfulness.