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.