The crucified Jesus, or, A full account of the nature, end, design and benefits of the sacrament of the Lords Supper with necessary directions, prayers, praises and meditations to be used by persons who come to the Holy Communion / by Anthony Horneck ...

CHAP. XVII. (Book 17)

Of Eating and Drinking unworthyly in this Or∣dinance, and the Guilt, the unworthy Recei∣ver incurs thereby. (Book 17)

The CONTENTS.

Both good and bad Men frighted witb the thoughts of Eat∣ing and Drinking unworthily, but the good without just cause. Wherein unworthy Eating and Drinking doth not consist, shewn in Thirteen particulars, with the reasons of the assertion: and wherein it doth consist. The danger of unworthy Eating and Drinking, proved to lie in making our selves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. How Men involve themselves in that guilt, discovered. A great difference betwixt Receiving unworthily, and being not worthy to Receive. The great imprudence and Weakness of those, that are loath to depart with their Sins, and there∣fore are unwilling to come, for fear they should make them∣selves guilty of the Death of Christ, and of Damnation. The impudence and boldness of others, who come to this Sacrament, receive unworthily, and are not concerned at their danger. The Joys and Comforts which arise from Receiving worthyly. The Prayer.

I. THough from the Premises, the Reader may easily guess, what is it to Eat and Drink unworthyly, and though in Ch. 4. some general notions concerning it have been laid down, yet since it is a point, which frights, not only bad Men, but even some of those, who are otherwise piously inclin'd, from coming to the Lord's Table, it will be necessary to give a distinct explicati∣on

it, that neither the bad may think, they gain any thing by abstaining, nor the good be discouraged from coming. As bad Men have no sense of Spiritual things, which makes them live merrily in neglect of command∣ed Duties, so not a few of those, whose hearts are ten∣der, are apt to discompose their minds with needless scruples, whereby they too often deprive themselves of the comforts, they might reap from God's Ordinances, and besides, expose themselves to strong Temptations of the Devil, who takes pleasure to see good Men in con∣fusion, hoping, that one time or other they may fall in∣to his net, and when they know not how to extricate themselves out of their Labyrinths, will shake of the Yoak of all Religion, and become his Votaries, run into the the other extream, and turn either careless or Prophane. To prevent these and other dangers, it will be conve∣nient to discourse of this Eating, and Drinking unwor∣thily, first, Negatively, what it is not, and secondly, what it is, and wherein the sin consists. And therefore.

II. To Eat and Drink unworthily, is not, 1. To Eat and Drink at this Table with a weak Faith. By a weak Faith I mean such a belief of the truth, and necessity of the things commanded in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, as makes the Soul ready, and willing to do the things, required of her, but is attended with great fears, and doubts, with wavering, and inconstancy; and this weakness proceeds not so much from want of will to submit to Christ, as from want of understanding ei∣ther the extent of the Grace of God, or the nature of the Gospel of peace, or the design of God in his Provi∣dences, or the Latitude of true Christian Liberty, which defect must needs cause great mistrusts of our safety, danger of being scandaliz'd with little things, and unsted∣diness in Holy Duties, as we see, Rom. 14. 1, 2. &c. yet this weakness of Faith doth not make a Man an un∣worthy receiver.

1. Because Christ is willing to receive such into favour,

and he express'd this willingness in his kind behaviour to the Man, we read of Mark 9. 22. Who believed indeed, but waveringly, and soon after cryed out, and said, with Tears in his Eyes, Lord! I believe, help thou my unbelief. The Disciples of our Lord, upon their first adhering to him, were at the best but weak in Faith, and therefore Christ calls to them so often, O ye of little Faith, yet he doth not therefore reject them. He cherish∣es the very Seeds of Faith, and when it is no bigger than a grain of Muster-Seed, he makes much of it. Though the Branches of it be but tender, yet he doth not Root up the Tree, or Command the Husbandman to cut it down, lest it should cumber the Ground, or throw it into the Fire: To which purpose there is an Excellent Character given of him, Esa. 40. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd, and gather the Lambs with his Arms, and carry them in his Bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. There are Lambs in his Flock as well as Sheep, and as these two require various management, so both may be confident of his tenderness. All Stars do not shine alike, yet even those, that give not so great a brightness, shall be preserved, as well as the greater Luminaries. Love is an acceptable present to him, and though in some, like fire under green Wood, it burns but dimly, yet he'll quench it no more, than he will the more blazing Flames. But then when I say, he will not frown on those, that are weak in Faith, I do not mean, such as have no saving, no working Faith, and as refuse to work the work of God, such are Infidels, not Men weak in Faith. Weakness of Faith supposes rea∣diness to good works, but the various doubts, which at∣tend it, cause this weakness. That there are such Per∣sons, as Children in Grace, St. John assures us, 1 John 2. 12. Yet even their Sins, he is willing to forgive for his Names sake.

2. Because this Sacrament was instituted for the strengthening of our Faith. The weak in Faith are call∣ed, and invited to it, that they may grow more robust,

and lively; and to this end Christ offers himself in this Ordinance as Spiritual Meat and Drink, that living up∣on him, and feeding upon him, we may be brought up to greater perfection; that our Souls may follow him with greater alacrity, Grace may become more active, and Faith more solid, and more defecated from Hypocrisie; And as here we contemplate Christ, so we behold his extraordinary Faith in God, that seeing it, it may give us courage to tread in his steps. His Father's promises to him, as Man, and Mediator, were great, and large, and extensive. God had promis'd, that he should be King of Heaven and Earth, that all Power should be put into his hand, and that he should be as it were, his Lieutenant-General; Ask of me, saith he, Psal. 2. 8. And I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession, thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potter's Vessel. There was little probability of the per∣formance of these promises, when he was mocked, de∣rided, scourged, beaten, bruis'd and crucified, when he was made liker a Worm than a Man, the reproach of Men, and despised of the People, when all that saw him laugh'd him to scorn, and did shoot out their Lips, and shook their Heads, saying, He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him, let him deliver him, seeing he de∣lighted in him, when many Bulls compass'd him, and strong Bulls of Basan did beset him round, when they gaped upon him with their Mouths, as ravening and roaring Lions, when he was poured out like Water, and all his Bones were out of joynt, when his Heart was like Wax, and melted in the midst of his Bowels, when his strength was dried up like a Pot-sherd, and his Tongue cleav'd to his Jaws, and he was brought into the dust of Death, when Dogs compass'd him, and the Assemblies of the wicked did enclose them, when they pierc'd his hands and his Feet, as David describes his misery,* 1.1 yet in the midst of all these disasters, he believ'd the promise of his Father would be punctual∣ly fulfill'd, which makes the Author of the Epistle to

the Hebrews say, that for the Glory set before him, the promis'd Glory, He endured the Cross, and despised the shame, Heb. 12. 2. His Faith bore him up under all these Floods of ungodliness, so that he is not only the Author, and Finisher, but also the example of our Faith, an Example set before us in this Holy Sacrament, that we may light our Candle by his Fire, strengthen our Faith by his Plerophory and Confidence, and if this be the end of his being represented in this Ordinance, the weak in Faith cannot be excluded, nor can weak∣ness of Faith make a Person an unworthy Receiver.

Nor, Is it want of a total purity, or of freedom from all Sin, that makes a Person an unworthy Receiver; It's true, the Gospel commands those, who mean to receive worthily, to purge out the old leaven, 1 Cor. 5. 7. And putting off the old Man with all his deceitful Lusts, Eph. 4. 22. and whoever hopes to be partaker of the benefits of Christ's death, his purpose at least must be serious, and unfeigned, without partiality, and Hypocrisie, to re∣nounce all Love and Affection to a sinful Life; but still there is a great difference betwixt destroying the Reign∣ing power of Sin, and being free from all Sin; of the former, the aforesaid passages must be understood, and the worthy Communicant must in sober sadness mor∣tifie, and resolve to mortifie the Imperial Power of Sin in his Soul, so as not willingly and wilfully to yield un∣to the sinful dictates of the Flesh, or of the World, but to prefer his God, and what he requires, before his own Temporal advantages: But from thence it follows not that the worthy Receiver must not be so much as sub∣ject to errors, and inadvertencies, and falls by surprize, and before he can well recollect himself; and therefore the want of such spotlesness, is not it, that makes a Man Eat and Drink unworthily at this Table.

1. Because this Feast is not instituted for Angels, but for Men. Angels have no need of such encourage∣ments

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to Virtue, they being determin'd to Goodness. Were Men free from all Sin, they would not stand in need of this Ordinance, which is intended to make sin∣ful Men good, and good Men better. Those that are whole need no Physician, but the sick; and as Christ is the Physician in this Sacrament, so they are the sick he in∣vites to come to him. The best Man that is, though he labours under no Chronical distemper, yet he hath ail∣ings still, and infirmities about him, which want the Physicians hand, and Medicine, which is here most Gra∣ciously tendr'd to him.* 1.2 The Scripture of the Old Testament calls Man Enosh, infirm, weak, sickly, and though good Men are arriv'd to a far better state of health than Hypocrites and grosser Sinners, yet who, even of the strictest mortals can say, I have made my heart clean, so that no spot shall be seen there? This Sacrament therefore being ordained for Men, it must be granted, that it is ordain'd for sinful Men, not to encourage them in Sin, but to make them hate it, not only the bigger stains, but even the relicts of it, that re∣main in the Regenerate. To this end Christ's Ago∣nies and exquisite Torments are set before us in this Sa∣crament, the Torments, I mean, our Sins, inflicted and brought upon him, that that sight may terrifie us, and fill us with abhorrency of that, which hath made the Son of God so miserable.

2. No Sinners are excluded from this Sacrament, that are willing to reform their Hearts, and Lives. Those that with Ephraim, will have no more to do with Idols, take with them words, and turn unto the Lord, say∣ing, Take away▪ all our iniquity, and receive us Graciously, so will we render the Calves of our Lips; Ashur shall not save us, neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, ye are our Gods, as it is said, Hos. 14. 2, 3. Such are call'd by the great Shepherd of the Sheep, not stub∣born Sinners, but penitent Sinners; not obstinate Sinners, but tractable Sinners; not Sinners that will be miserable, but Sinners, that long to be deliver'd from their misery;

not Sinners that are resolved to walk on in the Imagina∣tion of their Hearts, but Sinners who are ambitious of a clean Heart, and of a new Spirit; not Sinners that will keep their Sins, but Sinners that are weary of them; not Sinners who still find Sweetness in their Sins, but Sin∣ners who are sensible of the Bitterness of them; not Sin∣ners who make a Mock of Sin, but Sinners to whom Sin is a Grief and Burthen; not Sinners that make a Cove∣nant with Hell, but Sinners that break that Covenant, to be the Lord's Free-men: So that, not to be free from Sin, is not to eat and drink unworthily.

Nor, 3. Doth all Dulness in holy Duties make a Man an unworthy Receiver. There is a Dulness, indeed, which proceeds from an Aversion to the holy Commands of the Gospel, from a voluntary Stupidity of Mind, and want of Relish of Spiritual Things; and this, without all peradventure, is very prejudicial to the Soul, and a bad Preparative for the Communion, and no small Im∣pediment to the Grace of God. But there is a Dulness, which is the Result of Faintness, when the Spirits are spent, and the first Intenseness of the Mind is worn out: In such Cases, a Dulness and Deadness may easily rise, but much against our Wills, and, to be sure, without our Approbation. Nor is this Dulness to be seen only in Temporal Concerns, but even in Spiritual Duties and Devotions. When the first Heat of Devotion in the Morning is over, and the Spirits of the Blood, which were the Porters that serv'd to carry up our Prayers on high, are in some measure tired, the Soul that, after this, applies her self to the holy Communion in the publick Congregation. may want that Liveliness and Briskness of Thought, Desire and Affection, be∣cause the first Flames, which were strongest in the Morning when we rose, are spent. Now, This Dul∣ness doth not make a Person an unworthy Receiver: And the same Judgment we are to make of that Dulness which rises from natural Imperfections and Sicknesses, incident to good Men, as well as bad; such as Lethar∣gies,

Dropsies, Scurvy, Consumption, and other Distem∣pers, which are either beginning, or are come to a considerable Strength: Neither the one, nor the other, if they seize us at the Communion, do make us unwor∣thy Receivers.

1. Because God doth not judge of us so much by the present Liveliness and Activity of our Spirits, as by the Sincerity of our Souls. Where the Soul is bent to please God, doth not regard Iniquity in her Heart, and pre∣serves so much of Fear upon her Mind, as makes her, that she would not offend God wilfully, though it were to gain the Kingdoms of the World; is willing to be better inform'd, to have her Errours discovered to her; is desirous to be strengthen'd in the Inward Man; is still ready to embrace any Good, suggested to her from the Word of God, or the Ministers of his Ordinances; there the Soul hath reason to bless God for the Sincerity that is in her, and to believe, that, notwithstanding her present accidental or involuntary Dulness, he will meet her in this Sacrament with a favourable Aspect, bid her welcome, and give her the glorious Blessings she expects in the Holy Communion: For, if there be first a willing Mind, it is accepted according to what a Man hath, and not according to what he hath not, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 8. 12. If that Soul finds a present Dulness, is willing to be rid of it, is so far from being pleased with it, that it is her Burthen, would be more lively in her Desires if she could; there God will certainly spread open his Arms to her, and receive her.

2. Because God rejects no Person for what he can∣not help. I know, this is the common Plea of all un∣converted Sinners: When they are exhorted to close with God, and to cashier their known Sins, or are re∣proved for continuing in them; the String they harp upon is this, That they cannot help it. But, not to mention that, by thinking or saying so, they make God a Lyar, who saith, they can help it if they will use the

Means the Holy Ghost prescribes; 'tis evident to all wise and considerate Men, that this pretence of Impos∣sibility is nothing but Resolution and Obstinacy to con∣tinue in the State they are in. And therefore, when I say, that God rejects none for what they cannot help, the meaning is, for what he sees and knows they cannot help: As a Christian who, upon the account of his Con∣scientiousness, is cast into a Prison or Dungeon, God will not reject him for not frequenting the publick Or∣dinances; so here, for the Dulness that seizes upon pious Christians in their holy Performances, God will not withdraw his Kindness; especially where he sees that ei∣ther the faintness of their Spirits, or the prevailing Di∣stempers in their Bodies, baffle all their repeated and re∣iterated strivings to be lively and affectionate in their Addresses to God, and particularly in the holy Commu∣nion. In this case, God regards rather the brave Inten∣tion of the honest Believer, and his swimming against the Stream, than the Want of what he desires: Nor will he condemn him for not doing that which he would do, and cannot. And the same is to be said of those blasphe∣mous Suggestions I mention'd, and gave an Account of, Chap. 14. Sect. 7. ¶. 4. They being things which no Man can help, (for, Who can hinder the Devil from tempting him?) if detested, they cannot make the Per∣son that resists and abhors them an unworthy Receiver, though they should fly or dart into his Mind in the Act of Receiving. All that can be done to them, is, to abo∣minate them when they come in; and though they may be the Devil's Sin, who frames these fiery Darts, and shapes them on his Anvil, yet they are not Sin to the as∣saulted Person, who saith, I renounce the Devil, and all his Works. There is no fighting of them with Swords and Spears; they are not to be cut in pieces with Knives or Axes; are not to be expelled by Forks and Wea∣pons: Resistance, and Detestation, and Prayer, and Declarations of our contrary Belief, is all the Force that can be used; and while this is done, the Soul is safe un∣der all those Skirmishes of the Enemy. Nay, Who can

promise themselves a greater Welcome to this Ta∣ble, than those that resist Temptation? Resistance is a Vertue, and a Sign the Soul is touched with a Sense of God: 'Tis a Character of Grace, and Abhorrency of Evil, a Fruit of the Spirit; and those that are led by the Spirit, cannot but be worthy Communicants. What∣ever Temptation we meet withal, while we consent not, we preserve the Safety of our Souls: And though it is true, that these blasphemous Suggestions come in sometimes so thick, and so fast, and make those strange Impressions on the Mind, that the Patient cannot well tell whether he consents to them, or not; yet it being, in a manner, impossible we should consent to things our very Nature abhors, and which we know to be against the common Principles riveted in our Souls, he that feels them, hath reason to believe that he consents not to them, though for the present they stun him: However, when he recovers out of his present Fright and Con∣sternation, if deliberately he rejects them, 'tis enough: And though they should follow him Twenty Years to∣gether, yet, if he resist and detest them Twenty Years together, they cannot make him an unworthy Commu∣nicant.

4. Impossibility of forgetting an Injury doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver. By not being able to forget an Injury, I mean, not being able so to put the Matter of Fact out of our Minds, that we shall never think of it, or remember that such an Injury was done unto us. 'Tis true, the uncharitable Man, as he is a Stranger to Christ's Religion, so it cannot be supposed that he will meet with any kind Entertainment at the Lord's Table: And whoever would not go away empty from this Or∣dinance, must from his Heart forgive the Offender who hath either wronged or disparaged him, or wounded his good Name: Nay, so far he must forget the Injury too, as not to exercise Revenge when it lies in his power; nor must he remember it with Wrath and Passion, or ill Language, or with an Intent or Resolution to with∣draw

from him the charitable Offices of Humanity, or with renewing his Grudge and Hatred to him, or with making the Remembrance an Argument and Motive to desist from the Good he intended him; for he must not forget to do good to Enemies, and such as have de∣spitefully used him. And though no Person is, by the Law of the Gospel, obliged to make a Person who hath been notoriously ••alse and treacherous to him, his Bo∣som-friend and Familiar, or to trust him again without Fear or Suspicion, except he sees, and is sensible of the Offender's sincere Repentance; yet still the Injury must be so far forgotten, as not to deny or refuse to help the Offender in things we can conveniently and easily serve him in. But to think sometimes of the Injury done to us, with Pity and Compassion to the Offender; or not to be able so to extinguish the Thoughts of it, that it shall not so much as beat upon our Minds again: This, I say, doth not make a Person an unworthy Receiver.

1. Because God doth not intend the Destruction of our Faculties, whereof Memory is one: Never to re∣member an Injury, or not to be able so much as barely to think of it, supposes Destruction of our Memory. All that God intends in our Reformation, is the Destruction of our evil Qualities, and the Irregularities of our Fa∣culties. His Design is not to annihilate our Minds, but the evil Thoughts that are apt to take up their Lodging there▪ not to abolish our Wills, but the Perverseness and Stubbornness that cleaves to them; and consequent∣ly, not to destroy our Memories, but the Revenge, and Hatred, and Malice, and secret Grudges, which are apt to harbour there. Even then, when God presses upon us the Destruction of the Body of Sin, it is not that we are to kill our Natural Bodies, but the Mass of Corru∣ption that lies in them. And though Christ bids us cut off our Right Hand, yet he means no more than that the Sins should be resected which cleave to it: And that is the the meaning too of pulling out the Eye; i. e. the evil Looks, and unchaste Desires, and foolish Concupiscences, which are

apt to incorporate with that Organ. So that he who can so far rase an Injury out of his Memory, as to de∣stroy his own ill-Will, his ill Designs, his evil Inclina∣tions to the Offender, which are written there; his not being able totally to obliterate that such a thing was ever done to him, need not make him afraid that he shall be an unworthy Receiver in this Ordinance.

2. This Sacrament will help us totally to forget the Injury; or, if not totally to forget it, yet totally to for∣get requiting the Offender according to his Demerits; and so to forget it, that the Remembrance shall cause no Commotion, no Disorder, no Tumults, no Risings in our Minds. For here we are told, and here we are made to see, how God, that hath far greater reason to stand upon Points of Honour than any Mortal Man, freely and graciously forgives and forgets our Sins and Offences against him, in the Blood of his Son, blots them out like a thick Cloud, and, notwithstanding all the Wrong we have offer'd to him, is willing to pass by the foulest Trespasses; willing to open his Gates to us, though we have lock'd our selves out; willing to vouchsafe us his Smiles again, though we have forfeited the Light of his Favour; and willing to adopt us for his Children, though we have lived like Prodigals; which must needs be a great help to make us forget the Wrongs we have suffer'd from unreasonable Men: And there∣fore, he that is not able totally to forget, ought to come, that by this great Example of God's forgetting his Offen∣ces, he may be persuaded totally to forget his Neigh∣bour's Trespasses.

5. Worldly Business, either a Day or Week before a Man receives, doth not make him as unworthy Receiver. By Worldly Business,* 1.3 I mean lawful Busi∣ness; not Playing, or Drinking, or go∣ing to Stage Plays, or mis-spending our Time, &c. but such Business as appertains to an honest and lawful Calling, or Business considered abstractedly

from the evil Concomitants of it: For lawful Business is one thing, and the way of managing of it is another. A Man may manage even his lawful Business sinfully, and run himself into Danger; but following it without Sin, as it may happen that the Day or Week before he may have greater Occasions than ordinary to look after it, as this need not hinder him from an holy Life, so neither can it be a just Impediment to his Receiving worthily.

1. Because it is our Duty to mind it on such Days of the Week as God hath permitted us to work in; which makes the Apostle enjoyn us to do our own Business, and work with our Hands, without making any distinction in Days, 1 Thes. 4. 11. 'Tis true, where publick Authori∣ty, either Civil or Ecclesiastical, appoints a Day in the Week to be kept holy, or a Festival, or a Fast, or where a Person, by a Vow, hath consecrated a certain Day in the Week, to spend it entirely in religious Duties, there Working ought to be forborn; for Magistrates ought to be obeyed, and a Vow doth bind the Soul. But set aside these Cases, the Command to work extends to all Days, except the Lord's Day; and therefore, he that is to receive the holy Sacrament on the Lord's Day, is not necessarily obliged to abstain from minding his lawful Business the Day before.

2. Lawful Business doth not, need not hinder a Man from preserving holy Thoughts, holy Desires, and holy Affections, if his Soul were acquainted with any before. A good Man, in the midst of his lawful Business, will keep God in his Eye, that he may not sin against him, that he may do what is just and righteous in his sight, and that at Night he may reap Comfort from a Review of his Actions of the Day. Lawful Business is consistent with watching against Temptations, and keeping our selves unspotted from the Pollutions of the World; and this St. James calls Pure Religion, Jam. 1. 27. And if this pure Religion be joyned with our Business, I do not see

how our lawful Business, if we mind it the Day or Week before, can make us unworthy Receivers.

3. No Man hath so much lawful Business, but, if he pleases, he may find time to retire, and enter into his Closet, and walk with God. Where a Man pretends that his lawful Business allows him no time for Devotion, 'tis to be feared he either tells a Lye, or he manages his lawful Business very ill, or imitates the carnal Sort of Mankind, who, when they have spent the whole Day, or the greatest part of the Day, in Fooleries, and need∣less Business, give out, they have no time, and can find no time for God's Service. A Conscientious Man, if he be really so, will take heed how he conforms to the World in this particular; and if he manages his Affairs with discretion, I question not but he will find time to ask his Heart what it is that is nearest to him, whether God, or the World; what his chief Aim or Design is, whether to be rich, or to be good? And as he will find time to ask himself such Questions, so he will find time for pious Exercises, whereby his Soul may be brought to a serious Sense of the Mystery proposed in this holy Sacrament; and if he do so, his lawful Worldly Busi∣ness the Day or Week before, as it need not discourage him from coming to this holy Table, so it need not fill his Head with Doubts and Fears, that coming to it, ha∣ving been engaged in much Business the Day before, will make him an unworthy Communicant.

6. Worldly, Crosses, Troubles and Disappointments do not make a Man an unworthy Receiver. I do not deny but Crosses and Troubles of the World, if they fill the Mind with Torments, and mistrustful Cares; if they depress the Understanding, make it lie groveling on the Earth, and mind little else but Second Causes; if they possess the Soul with despairing Thoughts, drive it into Discon∣tent, draw it away from Heaven, render the Promises of God insipid to her, and do so far prevail with her that the future Joys, and the Bliss of the other World,

are insignificant things to her; these Effects do not look very amiable in the sight of God, are no very tempting Objects to the Son of God, the Master of this Spiritual Feast; and are so far from being Allurements of his Blessing, that they are like to procure his Curse: But I consider Worldly Crosses, as abstracted from all these Abuses; and, as such, they cannot make a Person eat and drink unworthily.

1. Because, What were the Communicants under the first Persecutions of the Church, but so many afflicted, distressed, troubled, and evil-entreated Christians? Their Crosses were great, their Afflictions heavy, and their Pressures grievous; they were in daily danger of losing, not only their nearest Relatives, but their Lands, Houses, Possessions; they were hunted, pursued, dri∣ven from their Dwellings; the Heathens were set against them; the Jews were their Enemies; they were re∣proached; they were made Spectacles to Angels, and to Men; they were tormented; they were committed to Wild Beasts; they were harassed, beaten, bruised; they were wrongfully accused of Treason, of Sedition, of Atheism, of murthering their Children, of promis∣cuous Copulations, and of other Crimes; they were ha∣ted, branded with odious Names; they were charged with being the Causes of Plagues, Inundations, Famine, &c. Yet nothing of these discouraged them from com∣ing to this Table; they came to it to chuse, and thought themselves the fitter to approach, because they were made conformable to Christ in his Afflictions.

2. A Man may have such Crosses, and yet be very Conscientious. 'Tis far from being impossible to be af∣flicted, and yet good; miserable, and yet serious; de∣stitute, and yet religious; hated, and yet a Lover of God. In the midst of the greatest Troubles, a Man may put his Confidence in God, praise him for his Good∣ness, rejoyce in him, because he hath promised him E∣ternal Life; keep his Tongue from Evil, and his Lips

from speaking Guile; take occasion from his Troubles, to consider the Emptiness of Sublunary Comforts, the Permanency of Spiritual Consolations, the Sweetness of God's Favour, the Beauty of God's Providences, the Wisdom of his Dispensations, the Happiness of Lazarus in the midst of all his Sores and Boyls, the Designs of God to make him humble and patient, and to fit him for Eternal Happiness. And where a Person makes this use of his Afflictions, there is nothing can dispose him better for receiving the holy Communion.

3. This Sacrament is an excellent Help to bear our Troubles and Misfortunes with a contented and chear∣ful Mind: For here the Lord Jesus is represented to us as dumb under all Reproaches, unmoved at all the bit∣ter Language that is given him, silent under the Rage of Enemies, meek••under the foulest Accusations, giving his Back to the Smiter, and not opening his Mouth un∣der the Scorns and Derisions of his Adversaries, conten∣ted under all his Losses, courageous under all the Ca∣lumnies that False Witnesses invent against him, satisfied with the Will of God, bearing his Cross without mur∣muring, answering calmly to his Oppressors, patient under his Scourges, ready to do good to those that came to apprehend him. And is not this a powerful Motive to bear what Providence thinks fit to inflict upon us? And therefore, Crosses and Worldly Troubles, separa∣ted from the ill Management of them, cannot make a Person an unworthy Receiver. Where Men storm and fret, and burn with Revenge under an Affliction, will be their own Carvers, will be vindicated their own way, that way that Flesh and Blood suggests, and will rid themselves of their Trouble by unlawful Means; these, indeed, if they receive, they eat and drink unworthily: But that is not a necessary Effect of the Affliction, but a Product rather of their Wickedness and Carnality, which, instead of being cherished, must be cut off, and mortified.

7. A Man's having formerly received unworthily, and coming again afterwards to the holy Sacrament, with a great Sense and Abhorrency of his former unworthy Receiving, doth not make him an unworthy Receiver. For,

1. If it did, we might as well say, that he who hath sinned grievously, cannot safely venture on a true Re∣pentance: To have done ill, is no Bar to a sincere Re∣turn, but a Motive to it; and though the Sin be never so great, yet if he can so order and manage his Remorse, that it may be hearty, kindly, and attended with a real and universal Change of Life, and Love to Goodness, he hath no reason to despair of Pardon; this being the great Comfort of the Gospel, That Repentance and Remis∣sion of Sins should be preached in the Name of Jesus, among all Nations, beginning at Jerusalem, saith our Saviour, Luk. 24. 47. And that which will illustrate this Saying, is the Story in Sophronius,* 1.4 of two old Men of exemplary Holiness, who travelling, and tired with their Journey, the Heat of the Weather also being great, they retired into a Sta∣ble or Barn that was hard by; where thinking to be pri∣vate, contrary to Expectation, they found three Young Men caressing of an Harlot: However, not discoura∣ged with that ill Company, they retired into a Corner of the Barn, and there read the holy Evangelists. The Harlot, at once surprized and charmed with their Se∣riousness, drew near, and sat down by one of them, who thrust her away, wondering at her Confidence to joyn her self to their Company: To which she replied, I beseech you, thrust me not away from you; for though I am laden with Sin, and have made a very ill use of the Means of Grace, yet I find not that Christ drove the Harlot from him, that kneeled down at his Feet. One of them soon answer'd her, saying, That Harlot whom Christ received, did not con∣tinue an Harlot. To which she instantly made this Re∣turn, From this time forward, I seriously renounce this evil Life of mine, and nothing shall divert me from the greatest

Severities of Religion. She was as good as her word, re∣ceiv'd Instructions and Comfort from the old Men, fol∣low'd their directions, and retired from the World: And therefore if a Man have received unworthily, and truly laments and deplores his former presumption, ap∣plies himself to newness of Life, and is transform'd into a Christian temper, he may lawfully return to that Ta∣ble, and there receive and expect remission of Sin, where formerly he swallow'd Death and Poyson; and tho' his Guilt hath been of a very deep Dye, yet Repentance, if unfeigned, hath that Almighty Power, that it can make Ethiopians white, and Deformity amiable: But then,

2. He that hath received unworthily, and comes to be sensible of it, and thereupon Receives again; had need watch, and take heed, he do not return to his former folly, for fear God be tired with pardoning, and speak Peace no more, for he will speak Peace unto his People, and to his Saints, but let them not return again unto folly, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 85. 8. Implying, that the Peace of God is not to be had at all times, especially after fre∣quent contempt. There are offences which provoke God to say, as it is, Judg. 10. 13. Ye have forsaken me, wherefore I will deliver you no more, The Peace of God is no trifle, which Men may play withal, and command when they please; God makes another-guise account of it, where it is lost, it's not a very easie matter to regain it; and so much we may guess at from the examples of good Men, who, through strong temptations, have fall'n in∣to any great Sin; It hath cost them much labour and pain to recover, and God hath on purpose with-held his Peace from their Souls a long time, that they might learn how to prize and preserve it with greater care, af∣ter its return: It's folly to think, God is such a one, as we our selves, or that he is as willing to part with Peace, and Pardon, as we to have it, when ever we stand in need of it. As it is one of the greatest comforts Man can expect of God, so he expects it should be managed

with prudence and cautionsness. It doth not lie like a drug upon his hand, which he is willing to be rid of, whenever we are pleased to take it off: If we know not how to prize it, there are those that will, and by those few God can be glorified, while others bewail the loss of it in outward darkness.

8. A Law-suit that is depending, doth not necessarily make a Man an unworthy Receiver.

1. If the Law-suit be begun for small things and trifles, such as any wise and impartial considerate Man, were he consulted with, would judge to be trivial, and of no great importance; or if it be commenced upon the account of Revenge; or against persons who are known to be insolvent, only to have our Will and base humour gratified, and to have the satisfaction of throw∣ing the Indigent wretch into Prison, or if it be mana∣ged in a sinful way, with opprobrious Language, and bitter Expressions, false Accusations, suborning of Wit∣nesses against the adverse Party; or with harbouring Malice, Hatred, or secret Grudges in our Hearts, against him; and we feel no Godly sorrow for it, i. e. Do not resolutely, upon the account of Christian Love and Cha∣rity, quit and renounce these evil companions of our Souls, and yet come to this Holy Table; there, without all peradventure, we Eat and Drink unworthily, because we Eat and Drink without consideration of the Love of Christ, and the conditions of the Pardon, we expect by his Cross; and the dangerous Meat we have swal∣low'd, is not vomited up but lies raw and undigested in our Bowels, which must needs be a bar to the Grace and Mercy of God, and our own Comfort. But then,

2. If the Law-suit be commenc'd, upon the account of something that's of great importance, either to our Selves or Friends, or Heirs; if there be no other way to come to our Right, and ordinary references will not do; if it be merely to obtain reparation for the Dama∣ges

we have sustain'd, or are like to sustain; if these Suits be carried on with Meekness, with Justice, with using honest and lawful Means, with Candor and In∣genuity, without addition of the hidden things of disho∣nesty, without supplanting the other Party, without wounding his good Name, or mis-representing things of his side, without catching at Bulrushes, or taking advan∣tages of his infirmities; if the ground and motive of the Enterprize be only, that our Neighbor, and we, may both be satisfied in the case, that's in dispute; if the Suit be managed without Pride or Passion, with Gentleness and continuation of our wonted Civility, Kindness and Charity to the Party we are at Law with, and do not upon that account, forbear the Respect we formerly shew'd him. In this case our coming cannot be pre∣judicial to worthy Receiving; for as it is impossible, but Contests and Disputes will arise, and the Law of Nature requires, that Justice should be done to every Man; it must necessarily follow, that there must be Courts of Judicature, and that God not only permits, but appoints them too. It's certain, that God, in the Jewish Theocracy, ordain'd such Courts; and human So∣cieties not being able to subsist without them, natural Equity requires, there should be such things in all civi∣liz'd Nations, whereby Contests may be decided, Con∣troversies ended, Differences superseded, and every Man come to his Right; and tho' St. Paul, 1 Cor. 6. 1, 2. &c. finds fault with the Corinthians for going to Law; yet the reason why he blames them, is, partly because they quarrell'd about smaller Matters; partly because in their Law-Suits, they forgot the Law of Charity; and partly because they did all this before Infidels and Ido∣laters, and would not refer their Disputes to indifferent Men that were Christians, but impleaded one another before Judges that were Pagans; whereby the Gospel was reproach'd, Religion blasphem'd, and Christianity traduc'd, and strangers were induced to believe, that the Gospel gave Men no better Principles, than either Indaism or Heathenism, nor rais'd them to higher Vir∣tues,

than what Nature and Custom had taught others, that were not of that Religion: Nay, it's evident from the whole Discourse, that he allows their going to Law before the Saints, as it is said, v. 1. i. e. before Christians, only that was too mild a course, they thought; that was not the way to triumph over the Adversary, or to have him punish'd, and be made a publick Example; and this ill Nature St. Paul reproves, and justly forbids, and commands them, rather than do so, to suffer them selves to be defrauded, and to take wrong, v. 7. Christ indeed, Matth. 5. 40. in that saying, If any Man will sue thee at the Law, and take away thy Coat, let him have thy Cloak also seems to condemn all going to Law; but the very expression he uses, shews, that he restrains the unlawfulness of it to certain cases; i. e. if the matter be small, inconsiderable, and of no great moment, such as a Coat, or a Cloak, and other things of the same nature; and indeed it is a very lamentable case, to see how ma∣ny of our People sue their Neighbors for pitiful Debts, and cast them into Prison; for proof of which, a Man need go no farther than the Marshalsea, a thing not to be thought of without horror. Besides, Christ, in the foregoing Verses of that Chapter, enters into a discourse against recompensing Evil for Evil; and to extirpate that devilish temper of Revenge, would have us deny our selves to a very high degree, rather than think of re∣warding Evil with Evil; and to this purpose, instances in another Man's going to Law with us out of Spleen and Malice, in which he would not have his Disciples follow or imitate such Men, but rather than return the like injury, suffer and bear with their unjust Acts, lea∣ving Vengeance to him, who hath said, I will repay; so that Christ doth not absolutely condemn going to Law, but only in these two eases. 1. If the Concern be small, and of no great moment, or consequence: And, 2. If we cannot go to Law, without Animosities, Grudges, and revengeful Thoughts and Desires against our Neigh∣bours.* 1.5 And hence it was, as a Learned Man of our Church observes, upon James 2. 2.

That the Christians, even under the Heathen Emperors, very early erected Courts of Judicature among them∣selves, in which Causes were decided, and Differences about Meum and Tuum determined: And though the Assemblies spoken of in St. James, are usually interpre∣ted of Religious Assemblies, yet he very judiciously shews, that it is more probable that they were Assem∣blies upon the Account of hearing and deciding Causes betwixt Man and Man, because Judges are expresly mention'd, Vers. 4. And these Judges had Seats or Bench∣es elevated, and higher than the Pavement, on which they sat; and had their Foot-stools also, under which the Poor were ordered to sit, Vers. 3. From whence we may guess, what kind of Partiality they used; the Poor Plaintiffs or Defendants were order'd to sit in the lowest Seats; the Richer were permitted to sit with the Judges, or the more honourable Men; which argued too great a Respect of Persons, and was contrary to the Jewish Rule, and, indeed, against the Law of Nations, which condemned all Partiality in Judgment, and gave the Poor as free Admittance to the Bar as the Rich, and required equal Consideration of both States and Condi∣tions; All which not being easily applicable to Assem∣blies where the Word was preached, and the Sacra∣ments administred, 'tis in a manner necessary that we apply it to Courts of Justice, where Civil Affairs and Matters were debated: And if so, going to Law could not be absolutely unlawful; and consequently, the Rules and Conditions above-mention'd being observed, com∣ing to this Table during the Contest, and while the Law-Suit is depending, cannot make a Man an unwor∣thy Receiver.

9. Knowing that other Men are not in Charity with him, doth not make a Person an unworthy Receiver. This I have known to be the fear of otherwise well-minded Chri∣stians; while their Relations, Friends and Acquaintance have been angry with them, and averse from being re∣conciled

to them, they have forborn to receive, for fear they should eat and drink unworthily. But,

1. If it be, indeed, through our own fault, that others will not be friends with us; if we have given the Of∣fence, and will not humble our selves to the offended Party, nor acknowledge our Faults, nor make them Re∣stitution, or Satisfaction, or Reparation for the Injury; and if thereupon, he that is offended will entertain no charitable Thoughts of us; there the Case is plain, that if we come to eat and drink at this holy Table, we come with unrepented Sins upon our Backs, because we receive, living in the Omission of a known Duty. He that might quench a dangerous Fire, and will not, is guilty of all the Mischief that ensues upon it: And he that can shut the Sluce, thereby to prevent the Inunda∣tion of his Neighbour's Garden, and wilfully forbears to do it, hath an Hand in all the Hurt and Damage that his Neighbour's Ground receives. As in the Law, Exod. 21. 29. if the Owner of the Beast knew that his Ox did use to push with his Horns, and did not keep him in, he was charged with the Man's Death that followed upon it; so he that hath given just Occasion to others to be dis∣pleased with him, and will apply no Remedy to heal the Breach, doth not only sin, but makes himself acces∣sary to the Uncharitableness of his Neighbour, and be∣comes Partner with him in his Sin: And such a Person is a very unfit Guest at his Master's Table. But,

2. If other Men hate us without a just Cause, and we have given them no Occasion of Ill-Will or Displeasure against us; or, having offended them by Words or A∣ctions, if we have tried all rational and prudential Means to re-gain their Friendship, and to recover their Chari∣ty, and after all this, they will not be reconciled, there their Sin and Obstinacy must not, cannot hinder us from our Duty. Indeed, if they that are so stiff, and will hearken to no Terms of Peace, come to this Table, they sin with a witness; but their causless Hatred cannot have

the same Effect in us, it being not with their Sins, as it is with a sort of fore Eyes, whose poysonous Steams will infect those that look upon them; but the Arrows they shoot, light upon their own Heads. If it were not so, all the Apostles must have been unworthy Receivers, for all the World clamour'd against them; they were hated by Heathens, hated by the Jews, reviled by Strangers, re∣proached by their Country-men; and there was greater hopes to reconcile Fire and Water, Light and Darkness, than of reconciling some People in the World to them: Yet did not this Hatred and Surliness of others make them unworthy Communicants. If my Neighbour will throw himself down from a Precipice, why should that hinder me from walking in a plain Path? And if others will be wicked, why should that be an Impediment of my being good? 'Tis true, Christ, Matth. 5. 23, 24. tells us, If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there re∣member that thy Brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy Gift before the Altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift: Which Words seem to import, that if another Man be not in Charity with us, our Devotion cannot be accepted, till he be reconciled to us. But these Words of Christ must be explained by Vers. 22. which brings in the Discourse, Vers. 23. for there our Saviour tells us, I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause, shall be in danger of the Judgment; i. e. He that conceives Anger against his Neighbour, and hopes to escape the Guilt of Sin, must have a very just Cause for it, viz. There must be a just Cause given him by his Neighbour; and then it follows, If thy Brother have ought against thee, i. e. have ought against thee justly, which thou hast given just Oc∣casion for, first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then offer thy Gift. So that it is not another Man's bare having ought against us, that makes us unworthy Receivers; but if he have ought against us that we have been the just Cause of, if we have kindled his Anger by something that we have injuriously said or done against him, there till we seek to be reconciled unto him, our Gifts, and

what we offer to God, must needs be odious to him, because they are offer'd with an Heart that is not right with him: But where we have either done nothing that he can take just Exception against, or have done our Duty, and what became our Place and Station, without any Intent of doing him harm; or if, in case of an Of∣fence given, we have, by proper Means and Addresses, sought to be at Peace with him, and notwithstanding all this, he will still have ought against us; there his Ha∣tred, and the whole Guilt of it will fall upon his own Pate; nor can his Insolence or Ill-Nature darken the Light of God's Love and Favour to us, who sees we have done what became Christians, and honest Men; and though it will not satisfie the angry Man, yet his Choler cannot deprive us of the kind Looks of our Fa∣ther which sees in secret, nor make us unworthy Re∣ceivers.

10. A Man's having, as he supposes, received no Benefit by this holy Sacrament, and coming to it again, doth not ne∣cessarily make him an unworthy Receiver: For,

1. A Man may really be the better for having been at this Sacrament, and yet, for the present, may not be sensible of it, because he may measure his not being bet∣ter, by the want of some particular Qualifications he is desirous of, and over-look those Advantages he hath in good truth received by the holy Communion. Many a pious Christian is the better for this Sacrament, though he is loth to believe it; for his coming to this Table ei∣ther strengthens him in his Hatred of Sin, and in his Love to Religion; or advances him in Humility, Pa∣tience, Readiness to forgive Injuries, and in Charity; and yet because he feels not just after it, those lively De∣sires, those earnest Breathings after God, that Fervour of Spirit, that Ardency in Prayer he expected, he may think he receives no Benefit, because he doth not get what at present he most desires, and feels not those Ex∣cellencies and Accomplishments which are most upon

his Mind; yet all this while there may be an actual Growth of Goodness in him, his other Graces may be established, his Cautiousness of offending a merciful Re∣deemer increased, his Obedience and Self-denial advan∣ced, his Faith of another Life augmented, his Resolu∣tions to shun the very Appearances of Evil fortified; all which, upon a strict Search, and View of his Inward Man, he may find: And therefore I may justly con∣clude, that if he receives the Benefit God thinks sit for him, though he receives not the Benefit he desires, that that Supposition of his, of receiving none at all, cannot make him an unworthy Receiver.

2. 'Tis possible we may receive no Benefit at all by frequenting this Ordinance; and we may know we do not, if we are the same in our Lives we were before. If the Cross of Christ doth not draw us after him; if it leaves us without Desires to be like him, or doth not check the Sins we have been fond of; if it does not make us stand in awe of God any more than we did before; if it work no Love to God, no Charity to other Men's Souls and Bodies in our Hearts; if after it, we rush into Sin as easily as before; if it prove no Bridle to our sinful Appetite, no Curb to our covetous Desires; if it re∣strains us not in our Affections to the World; if it gives us no Courage to resist, no Boldness to withstand those Lusts which were dear to us; (but still this is clearly our own Fault▪ and for want of considering the Argu∣ments and Motives the Cross of Christ affords us to die to Sin, for want of thinking on the Design of Christ's Death, and for want of taking pains with our selves, for want of reflecting on the Force of Divine Love, and for want of earnest Prayers and Addresses for the powerful Assistance of God's Spirit:) If it be thus with us, we have reason to be afraid God will not rejoyce over us when he comes to view our Souls in this Ordinance. However, All this need not be an Obstacle to our Re∣formation: If we have done ill, 'tis our Interest to awake out of Sleep, and to redeem the Time: If we have re∣ceived

no Benefit before, upon our Amendment we may: If we have done the Work of the Lord negli∣gently, upon our Reformation, God may may turn our Captivity, as the Streams in the South. It is with this Sa∣crament as it is with a rich Mine, which yields no Pro∣fit to the Owner, till he works it. The Benefit Men receive here, is the Effect of Labour: They must be disposed and qualified for this Gift; and that which qualifies them, is, to quit that Slothfulnes they were guilty of.

11. Communicating with Persons that receive unworthily, doth not necessarily make a Person an unworthy Receiver. For,

1. Every Man shall bear his own Burthen, Gal. 6. 5. If another be wicked, how can his Wickedness unsettle my Faith, or disorder my Devotion, except I consent to his Impiety, or suffer my self to be enticed by it? E∣very Man's Sin is a personal thing, (except in case of Scandal) and the Offender only shall feel the Smart of it: He that is free from the other's Offence, shall be freed also from the Penalty due to the Offence; and then what hurt do I receive by an ill Man's communi∣cating in my Company? I may eat with a Leprous, with a diseased, with a Gouty Man, at a common Table, and yet not participate of his Distemper: And why should I share in his Guilt at the Lord's Table, when I both abhor it, and keep my self from the Infection? The Soul that sins shall die, is God's standing Rule, Ezek. 18. 20. The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father, nei∣ther shall the Father bear the Iniquity of the Son; the Righ∣teousness of the Righteous shall be upon him, and the Wicked∣ness of the Wicked shall be upon him. If therefore I ap∣proach with a practical Faith, and another with Unbe∣lief, or, which is all one, with a Faith without Works, shall his Unbelief make the Faith of God of no effect? Rom. 3. 3.

2. What Hurt did the Guests receive at the Wed∣ding-Feast, Matth. 22. 11, 12. by eating with the Man who had no Wedding-Garment? Were they rejected by the Master of the Feast, because they feasted in his Company? No; All that came adorn'd with a suitable Temper, and in whose Spirit there was no Guile, re∣ceived the Caresses of the King; and none but the pro∣fane Wretch felt the Thunder of the Prince's Anger; of him alone 'tis said, Bind him Hand and Foot, and take him away, and cast him into Outer Darkness, there shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth: As he was singular in his Sin, so he was singular in his Punishment: His coming unprepared did not divest others of their Garments, nor did his Misery reach those that sate down with him: Their own Faith saved them, while the other's Infideli∣ty condemned him: The Master doth not so much as frown upon the rest, doth not so much as give them an angry Word; nor doth he expostulate with them, why they would bear him Company: They charitably believed he was a good Man, because he was invited with them; and their Charity made their own Sacri∣fice acceptable, while the other's was Abomination to the Lord.

3. If I see another Man, whom I know to be, or to have been a notorious Sinner, kneel down by me at this holy Table, he must not therefore be an Object of my Scorn, but of my Pity and Compassion. I can make an excellent Use of seeing him in my Company, for I can pray for him, and beg of God that he would over∣awe his Spirit with a Sense of the Death of Christ, and strike him into Repentance and Humiliation. I can in∣treat my Heavenly Father to give him a Sight of the Er∣rours of his Ways, and Resolutions never to profane that Cross again, on which the great Redeemer of the World suffered. I can pray that his Sight of the Bleed∣ing Jesus may work upon his Soul, and fill his Heart with holy Compunctions, and his Eyes with Tears.

I can pray that, after this Communion, he may take heed, and sin no more; that the Solemnity may leav•• such a Fear upon his Spirit, that he may dread to of∣fend God, more than putting his Hand in the Fire. And where I do so, I do at once exercise my Pity, and raise mine own Devotion; I imitate Christ on the Cross, praying for his Murtherers, and, with him, become a Sollicitor for those that have derided and spit upon him. And this, sure, cannot make me an unworthy Receiver.

4. Who hath given me a Key to other Men's Hearts, whereby I can judge, at the Receiving of the Eucharist, that my Neighbour receives unworthily? How do I know, but that he who was vicious a Week ago, may become a Penitent that Day? Or, Who assures me, that he who did cast God's Laws behind him Yesterday, may not this Day cry out, O wretched Man that I am? Who bids me trouble my Head about another's Recei∣ving, when I have enough to do with mine own Heart? And while I give my self liberty to judge another, is it not a very great Sign that I am not very sensible of mine own Vileness? If I am truly concern'd about mine own spiritual Welfare, I shall not be at leisure to dive into other Men's Lives and Consciences. My own Sins will be Burthen enough to me, that I shall not need to concern my self about another's Business. If I give my self to Censoriousness at such times, I lose my Charity and Humility: And if the Rule be, to esteem others better than our selves, I do not very heartily obey that Precept while I suffer my Mind to dwell upon other Men's Faults and Errours. Christianity bids me to have humble Thoughts of my self; and if I think that all that receive with me, may be, for ought I know, better than my self, I assuredly prepare for God's Fa∣vour, who ever gives Grace to the Humble.

5. If Judas the Traytor was present at this Sacra∣ment, as well as the other Apostles; and his being pre∣sent,

did not make the rest unworthy Receivers; why should I think that a wicked Man's coming with me to this Table should make me one? That Judas was pre∣sent at this Sacrament, we have the concurrent Testi∣mony of three Evangelists; for they all confess that Je∣sus sate down with the Twelve, to the Eating of the Passover; and while they were eating, Jesus admini∣stred the holy Sacrament to them: So St. Matth. 26. 26. As they were eating, Jesus took Bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my Body. So St. Mark, 14. 22. And as they did eat, Jesus took Bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat, this is my Body. Nay, St. Luke is more express, 22. 19, 20, 21. And he took Bread, and gave Thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my Body, &c. But, behold! the Hand of him which betrays me, is with me on the Table, &c. St. John, indeed, tells us, that Judas having received the Sop, in the Passover, he went immediately out, Joh. 13. 30. But since the Evangelist mentions nothing of the Sacrament, his Silence about Judas's being present at the Sacrament, can be no Argument; and his Words may justly be con∣strued thus, Having received the Sop in the Passover, and stay'd till the Sacrament was administred to him and the rest of the Disciples, he immediately went out. For the Sacra∣ment being administred by Christ, while they were eat∣ing the Passover, by the Sop, St. John must needs be sup∣posed to understand both the Passover, and that which was, without Delay, subjoyned to it; i. e. the Sacra∣ment. And whereas it is objected, that the Sacrament could not have been conveniently administred if the Traytor had been present, that is a Supposition which contradicts the Matter of Fact recorded by the Evange∣lists: And who can judge so well of the Convenience and Inconvenience of Things, as Christ himself? If Christ thought it convenient to give it him, who shall say, it was not so? Nor could the Disciples be much surprized at it, when they had so often heard their Ma∣ster say, that the T••r••s and Wheat must grow together until

the Harvest; and that the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Church-Militant, was like a Net, containing good Fish and bad. And though the Words Christ used in this Sacra∣ment, This is my Body, which is given for you; and This is the New Testament in my Blood, which is shed for you, for the Remission of Sins, cannot be directly applied to Judas; yet since these Blessings are promised conditio∣nally in other places of Scripture, they might belong to Judas conditionally, in case he repented, or brought forth Fruits meet for Repentance; as they belong'd to the other Disciples absolutely, because their Hearts were sincere, and without Hypocrisie. Nor is it strange, that Christ should say in the presence of Judas, I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of the Vine, until the Day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom: For there is nothing more common in the Writings of the Apo∣stles, when they address themselves to a whole Church, than to apply to them in general the Promises of the Gospel, though true Believers only have a Right in them. We remember, without ceasing, your Work of Faith, and La∣bour of Love, and Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Sight of God, and our Father: Knowing, Brethren, Beloved, your Election of God; and ye became Followers of us, and of the Lord, &c. saith St. Paul to the whole Church of the Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 1. 3, 4, 6. in which we may suppose there were divers Hypocrites, to whom these Elogies could not properly belong: And there∣fore, when Christ spake these Words to the Disciples, Judas being present, it was enough that they belonged to the major part of them; and those that were quali∣fied for that Mercy, might appropriate it to themselves. It is confessed that Christ, Matth. 7. 6. saith, Give not that which is holy unto Dogs: But it is evident from the Connexion of the Words, that that Saying is to be un∣derstood of Reproof, or Fraternal Correction; which is to be superseded where Men are incorrigible, and Mockers of Religion, and, after several Admonitions, instead of being better, become worse, and scorn the Truth of the Gospel; a Precept of the same Import with

that of Solomon, Prov. 9. 8. Reprove not a Scorner, lest he hate thee. If it were to be understood of publick Or∣dinances, it might be applied to the Preaching of the Word, as well as to the Sacrament; and it would fol∣low, that wicked Men were to be banished from the one, as well as the other; which is absurd, and contra∣ry to the practice of the holy Apostles. And what if Christ calls Judas a Devil? Joh. 6. 70. Devils, 'tis true, are incapable of Receiving this Sacrament; yet we must not think that he calls him so upon any other Account, but his Hellish Qualities: For which Reason he says of all other wicked Men, that they are of their Father the Devil, Joh. 8. 44. Nay, in his Reproof to Peter, who was against his Suffering, he calls him Satan, or Devil; because to be against his Suffering, was to joyn with the Devil, who, of all things, dreaded that Death, as the Ruine of his Empire. So that Judas was still a Man, though a wicked Man; yet not so wicked, but that he was still capable of Repentance; and in giving him this Sacrament, he declared him so: And though he recei∣ved nothing but the external Elements, yet in being ad∣mitted to the external Symbols, he had an Item given him, that if he had come with unfeigned Faith and Re∣pentance, he should have received the Promise too. And that Christ offered him these Symbols, was to tell his Followers how it would be with their Congregations in time to come; and how Wolves, as well as Sheep, would present themselves at this Table. But it is usually pleaded, that if it be granted that Judas was present at this Sacrament, yet still he had a good Out-side, he was far from being a scandalous Sinner; so that the Congre∣gation could not be offended. But this Argument is of no weight at all; for, whether he were a scandalous Sin∣ner, or no, as long as Christ had declared him a Devil, and a Traytor, it was as much as if he had been a scan∣dalous Sinner; and the Disciples might be as confident of it, as if they had seen him run into Excess of Riot. So that Judas being present at the Sacrament, and his Presence not interfering with the worthy Receiving of

the other Disciples, it follows, that another Man recei∣ving unworthily, cannot make us, that come with sui∣table Vertues, unworthy Receivers. And yet, after all this, I would not be understood, as if scandalous Sinners were not to be separated from this holy Table, by those whose Office it is to forbid and hinder them: For tho' Christ suffered Judas to be present, thereby prophetical∣ly to fore-tell, how in future Ages, notwithstanding all the Care that should be taken, Hypocrites and Sinners would mingle with the Good and Sincere in this Sacra∣ment; yet this contradicts not the Commission he gave to the Apostles, to do all things decently, and in order; of which orderly part, this is one great Rule, 1 Cor. 5. 11. If any Man that is called a Brother, be a Fornicator, or Co∣vetous, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard, or an Ex∣tortioner, with such an one, no not to eat. 'Tis confessed, that this is to be understood of common Meals: How∣ever, the Consequence is very easie; if we are not to eat with such at common Tables, we are to forbear eating with them at the Lord's Table: But then 'tis fit withal, that the Church should excommunicate such Persons first, that there may be a Mark set upon them, whereby we may know them to be so, and avoid their Company. If the Church, either by reason of the Multitude of such Sinners, or for want of sufficient Information, cannot, or, through Neglect, doth not; a private Christian is not therefore to be scandalized at such Persons when they come to the Sacrament, nor think himself therefore an unworthy Communicant because such are present, there being no publick Mark set upon them, whereby he is au∣thorized not to eat with them. The Church, indeed, doth as good as formally excommunicate all such, when, in her Admonition or Exhortation before the Sacrament, She declares, Therefore if any of you be a Blasphemer of God, an Hinderer or Slanderer of his Word, an Adulterer, or be in Malice or Envy, or any other grievous Crime, repent you of your Sins, or else come not to this holy Table, lest, after the Taking of this holy Sacrament, the Devil enter into you, as he enter'd into Judas, and fill you full of all Iniquities, and bring

you to destruction both of Body and Soul: But though this be a kind of general Excommunication, yet except the particular Persons be taken notice of, and branded by the Church, a private Chrstian must judge charita∣bly of those that come; and if he do so, their Impiety cannot hinder him from being a worthy Partaker of the Sacrament. I have been the longer upon this Point, because I have known it to be a great Scruple, that hath hinder'd many from coming to the Lord's Table, being possessed with Fear, that if they should meet with such Persons there, they should eat and drink unwor∣thily

12. Eating and Drinking at this Table, with some scru∣ples upon the Mind, doth not necessarily make a Man an un∣worthy Receiver. By a scrupulous Conscience, I do not mean an erroneous, nor a doubtful Conscience, the former being, when a Person thinks that his Duty, which is directly against the Word and Will of God, as it was with the Jews, Joh. 16. 2. The other, when a Person doubts, whether such and such Actions be lawful or un∣lawful, as it was with those Christians, Rom. 14. 23. But a scrupulous Conscience proceeds from fear, and fear caus'd by slight and weak Arguments, whereby a Per∣son is satisfied, that such a Thing or Action is his Duty but Melancholy, or the Devil, or Converse with scru∣pulous Persons, inject some Thoughts, which makes a Person fluctuate or waver in his performance: For ex∣ample, a Man, conscious of his own wants, knows, that coming to the Lord's Table is his Duty, and according∣ly he comes, yet comes with fears in his Mind; fears caus'd either by what he hath read, or by what he hath heard, or by what he hath seen in others; fears that suggest to him, that he should not have come, be∣cause he hath not every thing that he observes in other good Christians. Now, I say, that eating and drinking with such scruples upon his Mind, doth not make him an unworthy Receiver.

1. Because, notwithstanding these scruples, he may be sincere in his Faith and Love, he may sincerely de∣sire, and be sincerely willing to keep himself unspotted from the World, and to embrace the Wisdom, which is from above, first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be entreated. He may, for all this, deliberately chuse Ho∣liness, as the better part, and his Faith may be carried out to embrace Christ, as his Mediator and Governor▪ and he may actuate his Love so, that he shall be afraid of the appearances of Evil; and if it be thus with him, notwithstanding his little scruple, he may be, and will certainly be, a welcome Guest at this Holy Table; for God judges of us by the sincerity of our Hearts, not by every little accidental fear that may surprize us, and to discompose a timorous Mind. And therefore,

2. Such scruples may lawfully be rejected, opposed, and banish'd out of our Minds, without danger: Nay, they ought to be resisted, and a Christian in this case is obliged not to harbour them, and to be resolute in stop∣ping his Ears against them, especially where he finds so good a foundation in himself, as I mentioned in the foregoing Paragraph. To give regard to them, is the way to multiply them; and to ruminate upon them, is to let in, or to open the Door to greater per∣plexities. Nor is this to act against Conscience, but ac∣cording to the true Rules of Conscience, for a Scruple is a needless Fear, and without just ground, which Fear can bring no obligation upon the Party thus assaulted: And it is observed by experience, where Persons use a kind of Violence to expel such Scruples, they strength∣en their Faith and their Conscience, fit themselves for greater Duties, and become more expedient in their Jour∣ney, to the City of the living God.

13. Want of great Knowledge doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver. It's confessed, that some knowledge is necessary in order to a worthy Receiving, for this is Eternal Life, that they know thee the only true God, and him, whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ, Joh. 17. 3. But the

knowledge requisite lies within a small compass, and he that knows no more than the six Fundamental Principles laid down by St. Paul, Heb. 6. 1, 2. knows enough, in order to a comfortable Communion. Those Principles are, 1. Repentance from dead Works, That Repentance from our known Sins is absolutely necessary. 2. Faith towards God, That God must be believ'd, according to the Revelations he hath vouchsafed to Mankind, in his Word, and that the things contain'd in that Book are infallibly true. 3. The Doctrine of Baptism, That we are Baptiz'd in the Name of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and thereby have given our selves up to his Service. 4. Laying on of hands, That the Holy Ghost, whereof that laying on of hands in Confirmation is an external Sign, is certainly dispensed and bestowed in some measure on all those that are Baptiz'd, whereby they are enabled to fight against Sin, the World, the Flesh and the Devil. 5. Resurrection of the Dead, That there shall be a Resurrection of Men's Bodies, wherein they shall be reunited to their Souls, and appear before God's dreadful Tribunal, to give an account of their Lives and Actions. 6. Eternal Judgment, That in the last Day, the controversie of Men's Happiness, or Un∣happiness, shall be decided, and Men shall be either sent into Eternal Life, or into Eternal Fire. He that knows there Six Principles, and believes them, and is re∣solv'd to act accordingly, hath knowledge enough to fit him for a worthy participation of this Ordinance; for these are sufficient Motives to remember the Death of the Son of God, with holy Resolutions to follow him, that we may be partakers of his everlasting Bliss. But that a Man must needs be a competent Scholar, and understand the whole Mystery of Godliness, and be able to give an account of the nicer Points of Divinity, and to answer the harder Questions about the manner and nature of those Things, which God hath revealed; This is not necessary: Ignorance of the abstruser Pro∣blems of Theology, doth not make a Man an unwor∣thy Receiver. For,

1. So much Knowledge is only necessary, as serves to make us Practical Christians, and a small stock of Knowledge will do that; and he that knows, that Man∣kind was lost by Adam's ••all, and stands in need of a Saviour, to reconcile them to God; and that Christ Jesus the Son of God, who being in the Form of God, as∣sumed our Nature, and died for us, is that Saviour, who is both able and willing to reconcile us to an offended God, upon the reasonable terms of turning from a sen∣sual and sinful Life, and making his Life and Precepts the Rule of our Conversation, whereupon we shall be pardoned, and obtain Eternal Life. He that knows these few particulars, (and how easily are they learned and imbibed!) knows enough to make him a Practical Christian, if he will but act according to these Princi∣ples, and this unfeigned willingness makes him a worthy Receiver; for this Sacrament, as hath been often hinted in the Premises, is to increase our Practice, to augment our Love to Holiness, to strengthen our Resolutions to follow Christ, to cleanse us from that filthines which naturally besets us, and to enlarge our Graces; and since that Knowledge, I have mentioned, is a suffici∣ent Preparative for all this, it must be a sufficient Prepa∣rative for the Holy Sacrament.

2. Much Knowledge very often hinders Men from the Practical part of Religion. It need not do it, and it ought not to do it, but we see it frequently doth: for Men are apt to be taken with fine Notions; and while their Delight runs all that way, they forget too often to delight greatly in God's Commandments. This is too evident in many Men, who are great Scholars, who satisfie themselves with this, that they know more than the Vulgar, and neglect those severer Parts of Pra∣ctical Religion, which many of the Vulgar do conscien∣tiously observe; and many an ordinay Man, that knows little more than his Creed, but makes that Creed an inforcive to Obedience, is in a happier condition, than

the greater Literati, who trouble their Heads so much about Controversies and Criticisms, that they bestow little time upon Mortification. In the Primitive Ages, when Men knew not much, they practis'd more; as, since Knowledge hath increas'd, Men's practices have much degenerated from the simplicity of the Gospel: Not that I commend Ignorance in the Laity, as they do in the Church of Rome, but, I think, a little know∣ledge improv'd into great severity of Life, is safer, and more beneficial, than great skill in Divinity, without suitable Fruits of Righteousness. So that upon a review of the whole, I may safely conclude, that want of great Knowledge doth not make a Man an unworthy Re∣ceiver.

III. From what we have said, it will be easie to guess in the next place, what it is to Eat and Drink unwor∣thily: For from Negatives, Affirmatives may be inferred without any great difficulty; and tho', after this Dis∣course, I might spare my pains in setting down the par∣ticulars, yet to assist the Weak, and to conform my self to the meanest capacity; I shall explain the Nature of this unworthy Eating and Drinking, in the following Observations.

1. To Eat and Drink unworthily, is to Eat and Drink by force. By Eating and Drinking by force, I mean, coming to this Sacrament, either because the Law of the Land Commands it, or because our Superiors, under whose Command we are, or from whom we expect some Gain and Benefit, or, in case of neglect of their Orders, apprehend some danger or injury to our Tem∣poral Concerns, will not be satisfied without it: Not, but that a Servant, or whoever is under a Command of others, ought to give heed to the Pious Counsel and Advice of those that are above him, take it into consi∣deration, and make advantage of that opportunity, to apply himself to the serious practice of it, and thereup∣on consu••t with Divines, and with his own Conscience,

how to make his Calling and Election sure; but where a Person is altogether passive in the thing, regards more what his Superiors say, than what his Conscience feels, and comes more to please those which are above him, than to discharge his Duty; where his chief motive is to give content to those, whose Favour he is loth to lose, where he would certainly neglect coming, were it not for the danger of prejudicing, what is very dear to him in the World; there, I say, he Eats and Drinks unwor∣thily: For,

1. Such a Person stands more in awe of Man, than of God. God's Command cannot make him do that, which Human Injunctions can. Dust and Ashes pre∣vail more with him, than the Holy One of Israel. Man's Anger and Displeasure moves and affects him more, than the Indignation of a jealous God; and with what Eyes can the Almighty look upon that Wretch, whom he sees more concern'd to please a poor Grashopper, (so Man is call'd, Es. 4. 22.) than him that sits upon the Circles of the Earth? How can he but set his Face against that Communicant, whose slavish temper he spies at his Ta∣ble; whose Heart sticks close to the Earth, and makes no great account of him, who daily courts him by his Favours? How can he but frown upon that Creature, whom no Charms of an Almighty Love can melt, and the threatning of Man can affright into any thing? Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall dye, and of the Son of Man, that shall be made as Grass? And forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the Heavens, and laid the foundations of the Earth? saith God. Isa. 51. 12, 13.

2. Such a Person, his outward Man only receives the Holy Sacrament. His Soul, for which this Feast is chiefly prepared, receives nothing. The Brute only appears at the Table, the Angel stays away▪ God ex∣pects the Master at this Banquet, not the Slave. The Body is not capable of this Sacred Food, the Soul is

the proper Guest: This is it, that can expect refresh∣ment at this Board; and he that comes to feed his Bo∣dy only, knows not yet what this Ordinance was in∣tended for; where a Man brings nothing but his Body to this Love-Feast, leaving his Soul enslaved to the Pro∣fits of the World, or to the Will of Mortal Men, he must needs receive unworthily; for God's enemy, which is the World, engrosses that part, which should appear before God, and behold, and be ravish'd with his ex∣cellent Greatness and Goodness, and with the admira∣ble designs in spreading the Royal Table for him. To what purpose is the Carkase, while that, which should animate it, is engaged another way? Can the Shell please God, who hath so often declared, that he will be satisfied with nothing but the Kernel? And in vain doth he require the Heart, if the outward frame were Sacrifice sufficient. So that what Christ saith, Joh. 6. 63. may justly be applied here, tho' with some variation of the Sense, It's the Spirit that quickneth, the Flesh profits nothing.

2. To Eat and Drink unworthily, is, to make this re∣ceiving a matter of custom only: Where Men approach, because it's fashionable, to observe the decorum of their being Members of a Church more, than to grow in a Spiritual Life, and know no other enforcive, or can give no account of any other, but this, Because it is usual for Men, who are Baptized, and profess themselves Christians, and go to the Publick to do so; there they must needs Eat and Drink 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, undecently, or unwor∣thily: And this is the case of many ignorant People, both in City and Country, who come for company-sake; and because their Neighbors use to do so, who think it not a Province belonging to them to know, or dive into the mysteries of Salvation, but trust to it, that God is merciful, and will save them, though they know not why, or how; whose Affections are bound up with the Earth, and will be sensible of no higher Felicity, than what a good Crop, and a full Purse, affords. Now,

that to receive with no higher Aims, or from no better Principles, is, to receive unworthily, will appear from hence:

1. Because such Persons receive, without being affect∣ed and touched with the Riches and Treasures opened, revealed, discovered and offered in this Sacrament; Treasures greater than those the Wise Men laid down at the Feet of the Infant Saviour; Treasures beyond all Gold, and Myrrh, and Frankincense, and all the Gums the Happy Arabia yields; Treasures of higher value than those the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon the Great; Treasures richer than those the King of Judah shewed to the Babylonian Ambassadors. To shew their Excellen∣cy above all Earthly Treasures, were to prove that Light is better than Darkness, and a Ball of Diamond than a piece of Turf, or that the Wisdom of a Minister of State exceeds that of a Sucking Babe: For, if it be true, as without doubt it is, that God was crucified, or that he who was God humbled himself to an ignomini∣ous Death for our sakes, and that this Love, with all its Benefits, is proclaimed in our Ears, and tender'd to our Souls in this Sacrament; there is not a Child, but must grant, that all that this World affords must be mere Pe∣bles to it. And as this Treasure of the World's Redem∣ption is the rich Mine discovered in this Sacrament, so he whom Custom and Company only brings to it must needs receive unworthily, because he sees not, he feels not, he is sensible of no such Treasure; which, if he were, he would go to it as a poor Beggar, almost star∣ved, goes to a rich Man's House, there to receive a vast Sum of Money, beyond his Expectation; and come wondering at the Honour that God intends him, won∣dering at the Favour God designs him, wondering at the Riches he shall be presented with, wondering at himself what God should see in him, to be thus liberal and bountiful to him; wondering to see what God hath provided for him.

2. Such a Man eats and drinks in this Sacrament, as if it were common Bread and Wine that is set before him; he approaches, and makes no more of it, than if it were a private or ordinary Table; he considers not what this Bread and Wine represent, and, as the Apo∣stle's Phrase is, discerns not the Lord's Body; discerns not that the Body of him who was the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is pointed at in these Elements. 'Tis true, materially considered, it is the same with the Bread and Wine set upon our Tables at home; but the signification of it makes it Celestial Food, separates it from common Use, raises it above vulgar Diet; and the Stamp God sets upon it, makes it truly the Bread of the Lord, and the Cup of the Lord. He whom Custom only carries to the House of God, distinguishes not the Mysteriousness and Holiness of this Food; which, if he did, he would touch it with the same Awe and Reverence that the Woman, troubled with a Bloody Issue, touch'd the He•• of Christ's Garment, Quaking and Trembling, Mar. 5. 33.

3. To eat and drink unworthily, is, to receive without true Repentance. Where Men either do not think it requisite to leave their Sins, or pretend that they do part with them, when they do not; where they mistake the pre∣sent Damp that is upon their Spirits, for a Change of Life; or the melancholy and sullen Humour that hath surprized them, for the new Nature Religion is to give them; or forbear the external Acts of their Sins they have formerly hugg'd, and run out into, but are not re∣solved to mortifie their secret Desires after him; where they mistake their Act of Preparation, for the Act of pulling down the Strong Holds of Iniquity, so that their Lusts and Love to Sin remain; where they give the De∣vil leave to retire a while, but are loth to take their E∣verlasting Farewel of him; and therefore, after the House is swept and garnished, even after Receiving, open the Door to him again: Where it is so, there Men eat and drink unworthily. For,

1. Such Persons, instead of doing Honour to Christ, affront him, are still in League with that which killed him; pretend Sorrow for their Sins, yet secretly espouse them; give out they have sent them a Bill of Divorce, but still keep close Correspondence with them; would make God and Men believe that they are Christ's Ser∣vants, when they are still his Enemies; would persuade others that they have brought their Necks under his Yoak, when the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or that which bears rule in their Souls, is their Carnality and Sensuality. In this Sacrament a most solemn Profession is made, and ought to be made, of our Weariness of a sinful Life; which is the reason why the Church, in her Publick Office, doth particularly address her self to such Persons as find it; and to such, that comfortable place of St. John is usually applied, If any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Fa∣ther, Jesus Christ the Righteous, 1 Joh. 2. 1. that is, If any Man sin, so as to be truly weary of it; or if he hath sinned, and feels such a Remorse, that he detests himself for ha∣ving done so, and thereupon bids Defiance to the Works of Darkness; We have an Advocate that will plead for us, prevail with God not to cast us away because we have forsaken him, and, by his Merits, make our Repentance valuable, that it shall prove a Propitiation for our Sins. But he that professes Weariness, yet is not tired with his sinful Course, not only mocks God, but gives himself the Lye; and seems to fancy, that he who dwelleth on high sees not the secret Intrigues and Intentions of his Soul: Which is Profanation of Religion.

2. Such a Person destroys the End for which he pre∣tends to come to this holy Sacrament; for that End is, Growth in Grace: And how shall he grow in Grace, that is unresolved to part from those Sins which do so easily beset him? These things are, and cannot but be, Obstacles and Impediments to that Growth: And Worms and Caterpillars are not more noxious to young Trees, than these unrepented Sins are to this Growth;

and a Man may as well hope that an Elm in his Ground will, within a few Years, be tall enough to over-shadow his whole House, when there is nothing but Rock at the bottom. Unrepented Sins make the Heart mere Stony Ground: Goodness may peep forth, but, having no Earth, it must necessarily wither, and come to nothing. People may pull and hale a Ship with their Arms long enough, before they can make it move, while the An∣chors are not taken up▪ Their unrepented Sins are the Anchors that keep the Soul fixed to Earth and Hell; and to think Grace will move or advance while that An∣chor holds it, is to imagine that an House will be built without Materials; or a Field bring forth Corn, that was never sown, or never felt the Labour and Industry of the Husband-man. The End must ever be procured by the Means; and they only betray their Folly and Simplicity, that talk of adding to their Faith, Vertue; and to Vertue, Knowledge; and to Knowledge, Temperance; and to Temperance, Godliness; and to Godliness, Patience; that have not escaped the Pollutions of the World, through Lust, 2 Pet. 1. 4, 5. This is to invert the Method of Grace; and to expect that a Tree should begin to grow at the Top before it hath a Root, or that Bread should be ba∣ked before the Oven be heated. These Pollutions must first be removed; and the Ground being cleared of the Rubbish, you may go and superstruct the intended E∣difice.

4. To eat and drink unworthily, is, to eat and drink without sincere Resolutions of Obedience. This is consequent to the former Article, for Obedience is a necessary Con∣comitant of Repentance; and when the Repentance ends not in Obedience, the Repentance is a Cheat. A Man may, by some Reasons and Arguments, be pre∣vail'd with to part with Sins that are of the bigger sort, when he thinks of coming to this Sacrament; but ex∣cept he, at the same time, seriously resolves to obey Christ in every thing he commands him, and particularly, in things which are levell'd against his Worldly Interest.

and is heartily willing to endeavour after those Vertues which are the proper Characteristicks of his Disciples, he certainly deceives his own Soul. To shake Hands with scandalous Sins, and to think that now the Work is done, without an holy Readiness to venture on those Graces which render'd the Apostles and the Primitive Believers what they were, i. e. amiable in the Sight of God; such as Humility, Meekness, Overcoming the E∣vil with Good, &c. In a Word, to lop the most luxuriant Branches of the evil Tree, and not to take care that it may bring forth good Fruit, is, to do the Work by halves, and the Way to eat and drink unworthily. For,

1. Such Persons continue in Rebellion against God. What is Rebellion, but not to obey when we know his Will, and have all possible Opportunities to know it? If God will have me do a thing, and I pass it by, as if I heard him not; and when it is often inculcated and pressed upon me in Sermons, and my Memory refresh∣ed with the Duty, and yet still I look upon it as need∣less, or a thing which doth not concern me; what is this but Obstinacy? And I need not tell you, that Re∣bellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15. 22. Thus Samuel tells Saul, upon his Disobedience to the Com∣mand of God, of extirpating the Amalekites. 'Tis pro∣bable, Saul had his Excuses, and thought God might not mean it in that rigid Sense that the Prophet's Words imported; or, that if he executed part of the Order, it would be sufficient: But these are not things that avail much with God; notwithstanding all this, the Prophet calls his Neglect, Rebellion. I know, and am sensible, that a very worthy Communicant may sometimes igno∣rantly neglect a Duty, and yet preserve an Interest in God's Love; because, as soon as he comes to know his Errour, he doth not encourage it in himself, but re∣forms it. But this differs very much from Disobedience to things peremptorily commanded, and which, every Day that we hear or read the Word, are represented

to us, as necessary: Here, not to resolve to do those things, is, opposing our Wills to God's Will; and though we do not do it openly, yet, in effect, we do it; and whereas God thinks such a Vertue necessary to Salvation, we will not think it so; and, notwithstanding his assu∣ring us, that without such Accomplishments, we cannot inherit Eternal Life, we fancy we may: And what is this, but crossing the Will of God? And how much does this want of Rebellion, and thinking our selves wi∣ser than God? And surely, these are not very good Qualities to dispose a Man to eat and drink worthily at this holy Table.

2. Such Persons discover their Desires to be their own still, their own Masters, their own Governors, and at their own dispose; contrary to the express Assertion of the Holy Ghost, That they who pretend an Interest in Christ's Blood, are their own no more. And the Reason is exceeding strong; for, saith he, ye are bought with a Price, 1 Cor. 6. 19. 20. He that redeems a Slave out of Turkish Captivity, redeems him with this Intent, That for the future he shall not do his own Will, but his Ma∣ster's that hath ransom'd him. The same we must think of the Son of God, who, we may suppose, would ne∣ver have freed us from the Devil's Yoak by a voluntary Death, to give us leave to do what we list; but that we might be at his beck, and act like Persons that have, in a manner, nothing to do with our selves, but are to mind only what our Master who bought us would have us do. Now, he that comes to this Sacrament without sin∣cere Resolutions to obey Christ in those commanded Virtues, which may cross, or go against his Interest, discovers his Regret at the Mystery of Redemption, dis∣likes Christ's redeeming him, for this End, that he might not be his own, betrays his Wishes, and could have been contented that he had redeemed him upon softer and more favourable Terms; and, in a manner, declares and expresses his Desire that he would be his own still, after that wonderful Price that was paid for him; which,

though unthinking Men do take no notice of, yet he that searcheth the inward parts of the Belly doth, and can∣not look upon such a Person as a worthy Receiver.

5. To eat and drink unworthily, is, to eat and drink without a Speculative Esteem of Christ Jesus. Where Men are not satisfied, or not persuaded that his Love deserves sacrificing all to his Interest; and, in case Times of Trouble and Persecution should come, are unresolved to hate Father and Mother, Wife and Children, Lands and Houses, even Life it self, for Christ; and with this Irresoluteness come to this holy Sacrament; they cer∣tainly want that which must make them worthy Recei∣vers. For,

1. He hath expresly told us, that he that loves Father or Mother more than him, is not worthy of him, Matth. 10. 37. And if such a Person be not worthy of him, how can be worthily receive him in the Sacrament? Not to be worthy of him, is, to have no part in the Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and reserved in Heaven for his faith∣ful Servants. It is to have no Share in his Intercession, no Right to his Comforts, no Right to the Act of In∣demnity he hath published for the Benefit of those who adhere to him in all Dangers, no Right to his Promises, no Right to the Privileges he communicates to those that continue with him in his Temptations, no Right to the exceeding Greatness of his Power towards them that be∣lieve. And how can Christ dwell in such a Person, that looks upon the Pelf of this World, and his outward Ac∣commodations, as greater things than his Favour; that is ashamed of him in a sinful and adulterous Generation; and is more taken with the Things that are seen, than with the Things which are not seen, though confirmed by Divine Promises, and a Thousand Miracles? So that it is evident, that he that comes not to this Sacrament with Resolutions and Desires to value him above all, can∣not be a very worthy Receiver.

2. Such a Person undervalues his miraculous Love, and is supposed to esteem it no more than the Love of a Servant, or the Love of an ordinary Friend. He doth not value it as the Love of Him, in whose Power it lay to make him everlastingly miserable; he values not the unparallell'd Condescention that appears in it, the infi∣nite Humility that shines in it, the inexpressible Grace and Favour that runs through the whole Frame; prefers Dross and Dung before it, contrary to the Apostle's Example, Phil. 3. 8. will not understand the Need he has of Christ, nor the dreadful Consequences of his Sin; nor what it is to be freed from the power of the Roar∣ing Lion, and from Condemnation, from Eternal Mour∣nings and Lamentations, from being swallowed up by the fierce Anger of the Lord: Mercies so great, and a Love so much beyond all that this World affords, that God thought the very hearing of it would make Men ••eap for Joy, and immediately leave all, and follow Christ.

6. It is, to eat and drink without sincere Reconciliation to our Neighbours, who have offended or provoked us to Anger. Where either our Forgiveness is slight and su∣perficial, or we forbear to vent our Sp••een, and Malice, and Ill-will, for a time, with an intent, when a fair Opportunity offers it self,* 1.6 to let the Party feel the weight of our Anger; like Joab, who was a great Master in the Art of dissembling, and could connive at the Injury Absalom had done him, give him fair Words, fawn upon him, and introduce him to the King; but when a convenient time came, re-pay'd it home with a witness. Where we are either averse from Reconcilia∣tion, or make but a shew of it, and eat and drink at this Table, we cannot be supposed to eat and drink worthily. For,

1. In this Case, we can have no hope that God will be reconciled to us, God's Reconciliation to Man de∣pending upon Man's reconciling himself to his Neigh∣bour; so that where this is wanting, the other is impos∣sible, as is evident from Matth. 18. 35. He that can have no just Hope of God's being reconciled to him, comes to this Sacrament to very little purpose; or if he come with Hopes of his Favour, he must hope that God will prove false to his Word; which can never make him a worthy Receiver: So that his Hope can be no other than that of the Hypocrite; the Character of which we have, Job 8. 13, 14. His Hope shall be cut off, and his Trust shall be as the Spider's Web. He shall lean upon his House, but it shall not stand: He shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. An ill-grounded Hope must needs be a bad Preparative for this Table, where nothing is so ac∣ceptable as Sincerity; and both the Reconciliation and the Hope of Mercy being destitute of this Qualification, the Soul is under very ill Circumstances. A sound Hope, we are told, makes not ashamed, Rom. 5. 5. The Hope we speak of cannot but cause Shame and Confusion, when God shall demand of us, how we could have the Courage to hope for his Mercy, when he hath expresly told us, that he is resolved to shew none, as long as we are unacquainted with it, in Offences and Trespasses committed against us by our Neighbours.

2. Add to this, That a Person communicating under such Circumstances, shews, he hath something that is dearer to him than God's Reconciliation; even his Lust, and Ill-Nature. And what is this, but to prefer Dark∣ness before Light; the Suggestions of the Devil, before the Motions of God's Spirit; a blustering Passion, be∣fore the Meekness of the Holy Jesus; Bondage, before the Freedom of the Gospel; and a Blast of Honour, be∣fore the soft and still Voice of the Holy Ghost? 'Tis true, If such Persons were asked whether they do so, they would have the Confidence to deny it; for Men are

loth to have their Sins anatomiz'd, and drawn in their native Colours; but God still judges of us by the tenden∣cy and complexion of our Actions, not by the soft and plausible Names we put upon them; and if our Acti∣ons speak so much, God passes his Verdict of them, ac∣cording to what he finds at the bottom. Tho' we may be unwilling to speak out, yet God is not afraid to de∣clare what he sees, and finds; and therefore, where Men will not be heartily reconciled, and yet venture to Eat and Drink at this Table, God's judgment of us can be no other than this, That our perverseness and ill humor is dearer to us, than his being reconciled to our Souls, and surely such a person cannot Eat and Drink very worthily.

7. It is to Eat and Drink without any serious Thoughts. Where we come to this Table with Thoughts as loose, as they were in a Tavern or Market place; where we take no care to contract those Beams of our Minds, so as to unite, and fix them on the Scene before us; or on som∣thing relating to it, whether it be our being Created af∣ter the Image of God, and our Apostacy from that state, and the ruin and misery which came with that violent Stream; or the great necessity of being renewed to that Image, and the way that's opened to that Renovation by the Blood of Jesus; or the Honour and Privileges God offers us by his Son; or the advantages we receive by being Christians, and having an interest in the be∣nefits of his Passion; or the Glory of the other World, which we are made capable of, by the Death of him, who was the Lord of Glory; or the Holy Ambition we see in the Saints of old, to be made partakers of that Glory; and their Industry and Care, and Pains, they took to attain unto it, and the Joys they found in the remembrance of Christ's Sufferings; or the Attributes of God, his Wisdom, Holiness, Justice, Mercy, Power, Love and Good-will to the Children of Men, all which appears in the Sacrifice offer'd for us, &c. As these par∣ticulars are the most proper objects of our Thoughts at

such times, so he, that lets the thoughts of his Trade, Business, and other worldly Concerns, to engross his Understanding, and go in and out at their pleasure, doth not come with that Respect and Reverence, requisite in the participation of this Ordinance. Not but that such Thoughts may accidentally, and by the wicked diligence of evil Spirits, that always hover about us, invade the Mind upon such occasions; but it's one thing, to be sur∣priz'd with such imaginations contrary to our design and purpose, and another to give them Entertainment, without any serious opposition of their importunity. Not the later, but the former, makes the Communicant an unworthy Receiver. For,

1. Hereby the Holy Spirit is excluded from taking possession of our Souls, a Guest the Soul hath reason to make preparation for, and from whose Presence, it may date its fruitfulness and happiness. Serious Thoughts in∣vite him to our House, and are the best attractives of that Glorious Light▪ These are the Bed where he sows his noble Seed, and on these, he moves more power∣fully, than he did on the Waters of the first Creation; by these we caress illapses, and court his kinder irradia∣tions. As God's Majesty is described, Psal. 104▪ 3. That he makes the Clouds his Chariot, and walks upon the Wings of the Wind, so it may be said of Holy Thoughts in this Sacrament, they are the Chariot and Vehicle, on which the Spirit of the Holy Jesus makes his entrance into our Soul▪ These dispose the Soul for his Gracious Commu∣nications, and put her into a capacity of being Blessed and Enlightned by him; where he spies these, he ad∣dresses himself to the Soul, in the language of the Spi∣ritual Bridegroom, Cant. 5. 1. I am come into my Garden, my Sister, my Spouse. I have gathered my Myrrhe with my Spice: I have eaten my Hony-comb, with my Hony, I have drank my Wine with my Milk: Eat, O friends; yea, drink abundantly, my Beloved: Which are nothing but Rhetori∣cal Expressions, of the Gracious Influences, the Spirit of God is willing to confer on the Soul, that makes prepa∣ration

for him, sweeps the House of the Rubbish of vain Imaginations, and, by Pious Contemplation, makes the Chamber ready for his Entertainment; and tho' these Expressions run all in the strain of the Perfect Tense, yet, in Holy Writ, the Perfect and the Future Tenses are used promiscuously; and as the Future many times stands for the Perfect, so the Perfect Tense very often stands for the Future, and the future Blessings are expressed by what is past, to assure us of the certainty of them, and that the Soul hath no more reason to doubt of them, than if it did already actually enjoy then.

2. Want of serious Thoughts is a kind of prophana∣tion of this Ordinance. Profanation of Holy Things, consists not only in reviling and reproaching, or actual perverting them, to what is ill and forbidden; but also in not using of them with that decency and seriousness, which ought to be the proper Concomitants of them. The Jews therefore, Mal. 1. 12, 13. are said to profane the House of the Lord, not because they turned it, as their Fore-fathers, into a Den of Thieves, or Mansion of Idolatry; but because they did not bring suitable Ob∣lations, and those, they brought, were brought with an unwilling Mind; and they look'd upon the Service of God, as tedious and wearisome, and did not offer such Incense as was pure, nor such Sacrifices as were whole and sound, and without blemish. And certainly, not only he prophanes God's Name, that tears it with his Oaths, and Curses, and Blasphemies, but he also, that gives it not the Honour that is due to it: Profanation of the Lord's Day, is not only to sit Drinking and Re∣velling at home, or to spend it in Play and Sports, and Pastimes, and Rioting and Drunkenness, but not to san∣ctifie it by publick and private Devotion; and if so, not to bring Holy Thoughts to this Ordinance, to the Al∣tar of God, and to the Cross of Christ, must be a Pro∣fanation of these Mysteries, as he that puts no Oil to the Lamp, extinguishes its Light, as much as he that blows it out. Holy Thoughts are part of that Honour

and Veneration we owe to this Ordinance; and as Men count it an affront, not only to be beaten, but not to have that respect given them, which is due to their Rank and Quality, so God hath for greater reason to look up∣on it, as a profanation of this Sacrament, where Men bring not with them Thoughts pertinent to the Maje∣sty and Holiness of the wonderful Things manifested and represented here; and he that profanes this Ordi∣nance, cannot be supposed to Eat and Drink wor∣thily.

IV. But it is not enough to give an exact description of the Sin: the danger of it, is the next thing we must speak of: And this, St. Paul says, 1 Cor. 11. 27. is, ma∣king our selves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. A great guilt certainly! to be counted a murtherer of the Son of God, and to be reckon'd among Jews and Infi∣dels, that embru'd their hands in the Blood of the ever Blessed Jesus; for so much the Apostle's words import; and if the unworthy Receiver incurs this guilt, he needs no other argument to discourage him from his Sin and Impiety. The Charge is dreadful; nor must we there∣fore think, that it is only spoke, in Terrorene, to fright Peo∣ple, as we terrifie Children, with strange things; not that there are such things in being, but to make them desist from their unlucky Enterprize or Frowardness. No, God need not make use of Bugbears, nor must we imagine, that what he saith, hath the least shadow of untruth. As dreadful as this Charge is, he means what he says, and speaks what he thinks, and unworthy Re∣ceiving is neither more nor less, than making our selves guilty of the Body and Bl••••d of the Lord Jesus: And how this is done by him that Eats and Drinks unwor∣thily, deserves consideration.

1. He that Eats and Drinks unworthily, makes him∣self guilty of denying, that the Body and Blood of Christ was sacrific'd for him. As they that dishonour the Christian R••ligion, by their covetousness, and unrighteousness,

and lewd practices, are said, To deny the Lord that bought them, 2 Pet. 2. 1. because they live, as if Christ had not bought them, or had not redeem'd them from Ini∣quity: So the unworthy Receiver, being loth to mortifie his known and voluntary Sins, even in the act of Recei∣ving, denies that Christ was Sacrific'd for him. His unwillingness to reform, is a tacit denial of the Mercy, and a Sign that he doth not believe it heartily: For the Holy Ghost supposes, that he, who believes it with any seriousness, will be affected with it, and stand amaz'd at this Act of God, even at this infinite, immense▪ un∣searchable and incomprehensible Love: that he who needs not the society of Men or Angels, and can be Etenally happy without them, should yet have that value and respect for Mankind, who were his Prisoners, and had forfeited their Lives to his Justice, were the objects of his Wrath, and had justly deserv'd to be banish'd from his Gracious Presence for ever, as to find out a remedy, whereby they might be restored to his Favour, freed from their slavish Condition, and admitted to his Bosom, and such a Remedy, as might at once assert his Justice, and declare his Mercy, and, in order thereunto, free∣ly, generously, and without compulsion, part with the Eternal Son of his Bosom, prepare a Body for him, a Body which might be capable of Dying, and fall a Sacrifice at once; assert God's just Anger against Sin, and keep off the fatal blow from Man; at once defend God'ds Right, and establish Man's Felicity, and there∣by put the poor miserable Worm in a capacity of be∣coming Heir to the Riches of God, who was an Heir of the Treasures of Wrath; and a companion of Bles∣sed Spirits, who had deserv'd to howl with Apostate Spirits; a Child of Light, who was a Son of Darkness; and a Servant of Righteousness, who was a Slave of Sin. I say, the Holy Ghost supposes, that he that seriously be∣lieves all this, will think nothing too good for God, will not stand out against so great a Mercy, will fight no more against so great and so good a Master, but will submit to him, be ready to run at his Commands; give

himself up to the Will of so great a Benefactor, and will be hearty and sincere in serving him. Now, the un∣worthy Receiver being so far from doing this, so far from turning to God with all his heart, and with all his mind, that he refuses the Dominion of God, will be a Slave to his Sin still, and had rather obey the Devil, than this most bountiful Master, who hath done so much for him; by doing so, denies that Christ's Body and Blood was sacrific'd for him; for if he believ'd it, he could not do as he doth; and tho' he may protest by all that's Good and Sacred, that he believes it, yet Words and Compliments will not absolve him; and if talking were believing, no Man, that professes Christianity, would ever be damn'd: What doth a Malefactor's plead∣ing at the Bar, that he is not guilty, signifie, when the Evidences are strong, and the Matter of Fact is prov'd against him? Belief, that doth not touch the Heart, or renew the Mind, or spiritualize the Affections, is mere Infidelity; and where this Belief is not to be found, the Sinner is accused of denying the Mercy he pretends to believe: And to this purpose, saith the Apostle, They pro∣fess that they know God, but in their works they deny him, Tit. 1. 16. So that the unworthy Receiver, i. e. He that receives, and yet will not reform, whatever his Profes∣sion may be, in his Actions he denies, that Christ was Sacrific'd for him; and therefore makes himself guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

2. He Eats and Drinks unworthily, makes himself guil∣ty of jesting with the Body and Blood of Christ; As the Fa∣thers of the Council of Eliberis speak: He plays with the most tremendous things,* 1.7 for, in coming, he seems to confess, that by the Death of the Son of God, his mise∣rable Soul was redeem'd, and a Pardon purchas'd for him, and the Heavens made to bow to him, and the good Will of God procur'd, to save him for ever, and yet he doth not think all this worth forsaking a sinful Lust, or shaking a pleasing

Dalilah from his Bosom; and what is this, but playing with the Body and Blood of Christ? Should a Man make a very curious Harangue in commendation of his Neigh∣bour, compare him with Salomon, for Wisdom; with David, for Sincerity; with Jonathan, for Faithfulness; with Josiah, for Piety; for Generosity, with Moses; for Chastity, with Joseph; for Patience, with Job; with St. Paul, for Courage; with St. Peter, for Zeal; with Absolom, for Beauty; with Zacheus for Charity; with Abraham, for Hospitality; nay, with Angels for clear∣ness of Understanding; and for Purity of Life, with Se∣raphim: And when he hath done, abuse and reproach him, or do that, which he cannot but know, must be offensive and irksome, or prejudicial to him, gives the Spectator just occasion to think, that all that flanting Panegyric was only a jocular thing, design'd rather as an essay of Wit, than as any real affection to the Vir∣tues of the commended Party. The unworthy Recei∣ver doth in effect the same; for, his coming to this Sa∣ment, is a tacit Commendation of Christ's Crucified Body and Blood, whereby he seems to applaud the wonderful Works that Christ hath done for him, and to proclaim to all the standers by, what an Obligation that Death is, to mortifie the body of Sin, and to be true and faithful to him, that did not count his Life dear, to do him good; and yet having no real purpose with∣in, whatever external Declaration he may make, to be∣come a new Man; but after he hath been at this Table, when temptations assault him, temptations to his former sins, yields to them as easily as ever, plainly declares, he was in jest, when he seem'd to magnifie this Munifi∣cence of his Saviour; and from hence it must follow, that he is guilty of playing with the Body and Blood of Christ.

3, He that Eats and Drinks unworthily, seems to wish that Christ may dye again, and upon that account, is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord; for in that Christ's Death is not efficacious to pull down the

strong holds of Sin in him, or rather, in that he will not let that death prevail with him, to the mortifying of his sinful Lusts, he seems to wish for an iteration of that Death, which may be more powerful, and have a greater influence upon the destruction of his Sin. It is a Decla∣ration, as it were, that the Death of Christ, as the case stands, doth no good upon him; and therefore, since the Death of the Son of God must be the means to break the power of Sin in him, he stands in need of another death of that Saviour, which may do greater miracles upon his Soul, or sinful Temper. Christ's Death, indeed, must break the reigning power of Sin; but then, a Person, in whom this effect is to be wrought, must apply that Death, think upon it, warm his Heart with the Consi∣deration of it, ruminate upon the Motives of it, and upon the greatness of his own Sin, that occasioned it, and upon the vast Advantages that flow from that Death, and be restless with God, to make it effectual to his Soul: For to think that this Death will do the work without our Labour or Industry, or pondering the weight and moment of it, is to imagine, that God will deal with us, as with Brutes, that have no understanding. As Christ died once in the end of the World, so his Death spreads his Virtue to all Penitents, from the be∣ginning to the end of the World. But wherever it works a serious Reformation, it must be improv'd by Faith, and Thoughts, and Prayer, and Contemplation; and should Christ dye a thousand times, if these means be neglect∣ed, his dying so often would signifie little to the incon∣siderate Spectator. This is the monstrous Fancy of some Men, that they hope, the Mysteries of Religion will, or must change their Hearts, without any trouble of their own; which Conceit must needs make them con∣temptible in the sight of an All-wise God, who sees them neglect the Powers and Faculties he hath given them. The unworthy Receiver therefore, finding no good by this Death of the Lord Jesus, for it makes no alteration in his Life for the better, looks, as it were, for a new Sacrifice for Sin; and since he will not be

purged from his known Sins, by the Blood of Jesus, which hath been already spilt, if he hath any hopes of being purified from his Sin, in order to the obtaining of Eternal Happiness, seems to desire a more effectu∣al Death of that great Mediator, which may, against his Will, drag him away from his sinful courses, and thereby would have Christ suffer, and be kill'd again; and consequently, makes himself guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

4. He that Eats and Drinks unworthily, kills the Lord Jesus: You will say, This is impossible, Christ being in Heaven, and incapable of any such Act of Violence. No more could Saul, if you understand it according to the Letter, persecute him, after he was glorified; yet the voice that came to him, in his way to Damascus, said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Act. ••. 4. The same may be said of an unworthy Receiver, he cannot, strictly speaking, kill the Lord Jesus; yet being unwilling to venture up∣on a change of Life, under all the Abjurations of a bleeding Redeemer, that stubborness is Death to Christ, as God said to the Jews, Ezek. 6. 9. I am broken with your whorssh Heart: So may the Saviour of the World cry to the Communicant, that comes to remember his Death, and will not die to his known Sins, Thou piercest, thou woundest, thou killest me, by thy obstinate and refractory temper, as we say of a tender Father, that the ill course his disobedient Son takes, is death to him, because it is as grievous to him, as if one should attempt to take away his Life. The unworthy Receiver, by being loth to con∣form to the Rules of the Gospel in his Practices, even while he beholds, as it were, Christ Crucified for his Sins, does an Act so unworthy, so disrespectful, so inju∣rious, that it is as much, as if he made attempts upon his Life; nay, he kills the preventing Grace Christ affords him, and slays the good motions whereby Christ lives in him. Christ is said to be in us, as we are Christians; and the unworthy Receiver, being desirous and willing to maintain and keep his darling Sins, doth thereby drive Christ out of his Heart, and kill him in his own

Soul; for Christ, and Love to a sinful Life, are inconsi∣stent and incompatible things. These destroy his Life in the Soul; and therefore, in this Sense also, the un∣worthy Receiver makes himself guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

5. He that eats and drinks unworthily, consents to the Murther the Jews were guilty of when they killed the Lord of Life, and approves of that barbarous and inhumane Act; and therefore is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. He is supposed to consent to that Murther, that is not sorry for if: And how can he be sorry for it, that is not sorry for his Sins, which were the principal Cause of it? The unworthy Receiver being supposed to be one that doth not heartily shake hands with a sinful Life, and is loth so to renounce his known Sins, as to tear them from his Heart; we cannot imagine that he is hear∣tily sorry for them, for his Sorrow hath not those Ef∣fects which Godly Sorrow is said to have, 2 Cor. 7. 11. For this same thing, when ye sorrowed after a Godly sort, what Carefulness it wrought in you! Yea, what clearing of your selves! Yea, what Indignation against Sin! Yea, what Fear, i. e. of offending God! Yea, what vehement Desire! Yea, what Zeal! Yea, what Revenge! The Tree is known by its Fruits: And if Sorrow for Sin must be discovered by such Effects, and these Effects appear not in the Com∣municant; as he cannot be thought to eat and drink worthily, so in not being sorry for his Sins, he doth not appear sorry for the Murther the Jews committed upon the Body of our Saviour; his Sins being the Cause of that Murther. And doth not this look like Consent, or Approbation of that Murther? You will say, How can any Man be sorry for Christ's Death, when that Death is our greatest Comfort; and what Consolations the pious Soul feels, it feels by virtue of that Death? Shall a Man be sorry for that, which God had ordain'd, ap∣pointed and design'd for the Relief and Redress of our Misery? If Christ had not died, we had been ever wretched and unhappy, and must have looked for no

Friendship from above; and therefore, to charge Men with being guilty of his Death, because they are not sor∣ry for it, seems to be both against Scripture and Reason. Is any Man sorry for a Treasure he finds in the Field? Or sorry for an Estate that falls to him by the Decease of a Relation? Or sorry for an Act of Oblivion which a gracious Prince imparts to Offenders, whereof himself is the Principal? But to this, the Answer is very easie; for the Benefit of Christ's Death, and the Mercy God intended Mankind by it, must be carefully distinguish∣ed from the Instrumental Causes whereby Christ was brought to his Death; which were, partly our Sins, and the barbarous Cruelty of the Jews. The Benefit that came by the Death of Christ, a Christian, most certain∣ly, ought not to be sorry for, but hath reason to re∣joyce in, Day and Night: But that he was so inhu∣manely murther'd by the Jews, and that our Sins were such abominable things in the Sight of God, that, to ex∣piate them, God was moved to give up his own Son to the lawless Rage of those cruel Enemies; this requires our Grief and Sorrow. That the Jews did commit a very heinous Sin in crucifying Christ, is evident from St. Peter's Discourse, or Sermon, to the Murtherers, Act. 3. 17, 18, 19. For, though God hath decreed that Death, as an Expedient to reconcile Man to himself, and de∣creed not to hinder the Jews in pursuing their wicked Designs and Purposes, but to make that Death an Anti∣dote against Everlasting Death; yet that doth not ex∣cuse the Jews from the Guilt of Sin in killing of him, whose Cruelty God was resolved to turn to the Good of all true Penitents, and sincere Believers; nor a Chri∣stian from an hearty Sorrow, that his Sins were the de∣serving Cause of it. So that a Christian may at once rejoyce in Christ's Death, and be sorry for it; rejoyce in the unspeakable Mercies procured by it, and be sor∣ry that those stubborn Wretches did with that Cruelty dispatch him; or rather, that his Sins did arm those de∣sperate Sinners to put the Lord of Life to death; for the Jews could have had no power to murther him, but

that the Sins of Mankind, crying aloud for Vengeance, enabled them, and gave them Strength, and ministred Occasion to do it. So that he that is not heartily sorry for his Sins, is not heartily sorry that the Jews did mur∣ther him; and therefore, the unworthy Receiver, not being heartily sorry for the Sins he hath lived in, con∣sents to that Murther of the Jews, and, upon that Ac∣count, makes himself guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Our Church therefore, in her Confession be∣fore the Sacrament, obliges all those that come to receive to say, We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our Mis-doings. Now, he that is heartily sorry for his known Sins, will watch and strive against them, and take heed he doth not, through Carelesness, rush into them again; which the unworthy Receiver not being from the Heart resolved to do, involves himself in that Guilt we speak of.

The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice.

I. HEre I cannot but take notice of the great Errour of the First Council of Toledo, celebrated about the Year 400. after Christ, which made a Canon, that he who had no Wife, but, instead of a Wife, a Concubine, ought not to be kept or debarred from the holy Communion, provided that he content himself with one Concubine, and add no more. 'Tis evident that such a Conjunction is Filthi∣ness and Uncleanness, condemned by the Apostle, Gal. 5. 19. Marriage it is not; and Carnal Copulations without it, are mere Fornications; as we see, Heb. 13. 4. And therefore such Persons, if admitted to the Commu∣nion, could not but eat and drink unworthily. Nor doth it mend the matter, that Leo I. Pope of Rome, ap∣proved of that Canon; for that only shews, that Popes are as fallible as other Men; nay, more subject to mis∣take, as they are very jealous of their Riches, and Gran∣deur, and Temporal Interest. Bellarmine, to excuse this

Fault, alledges, that by Concubine in that Canon, was meant, nothing but a lawful Wife, only married, and taken without a Portion, or publick Solemnity. But this Conjecture must be false, because, both in the Civil and Canon-Laws, Concubines are Persons distinguished from lawful Wives, and but a better Name for Whores. And as that Concil did very ill to admit such Persons that were known to live in such Sins to the Sacrament, so they did as ill to prohibit Ministers Widows, if they married again,* 1.8 or took a second Hus∣band, the use of the Communion; as if an honst Mar∣riage were more scandalous than Fornication. And though a Bishop or Pastor of the Church is ordered by the Apostle, 1 Tim. 3. 2. to be the Husband of one Wife, yet how doth it follow from thence, that his Widow, when he dies, must never marry again?

II. There is a great difference betwixt Receiving un∣worthily, and being unworthy to receive, Every Man that thinks himself unworthy to receive these Mysteries, is not therefore an unworthy Receiver. Alas! If we go to the Worthiness of the Person that comes to this Ta∣ble, Who of us can be said to be worthy to come before so holy, so jealous, so great a God? Or, Who of us is worthy of that incomprehensible and diffusive Love, re∣presented to us in this Ordinance? If we reflect on the marvellous Purity of the Divine••Nature, Who of us can be thought worthy to approach it? The best of us have reason to cry out, at the sight of that Tremendous Ho∣liness, Unclean, Unclean: There are few of us, who have not reason to complain, (to use the Words of Thomas de Kempis) that they are yet so carnal, so worldly, so un∣mortified in their Passions, so full of disorderly Motions of the Flesh, so unwatchful over their outward Senses, so often entangled with vain Thoughts and Fancies, so vehemently inclined to external Comforts, so negligent of the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, so prone to immoderate Laughter and Immodesty, so indisposed to Tears and Compunction, so strongly inclined to the

Ease and Pleasures of the Flesh, so dull to Strictness and an holy Zeal, so curious to hear News, and to see gau∣dy Sights; so slack to embrace what is humble and low, so covetous of Abundance, so niggardly in giving to pi∣ous Uses, so close in keeping what Providence hath be∣stowed upon them, so inconsiderate in speaking, so un∣bridled to Silence, so loose in Manners, so covetous af∣ter Gain, so greedy after the Meat which perishes, so deaf to the Word of God, so apt to sit still, so slow to labour, so watchful to idle Tales, so drowsie in God's Service, so hasty to make an end of their Prayers, so in∣constant in Attention, so cold in Devotion, so unde∣vout in the holy Communion, so quickly discomposed, so seldom wholly gathered into themselves, so suddenly provoked to Anger, so ready to take Displeasure at their Neighbour's Actions, so prone to judge, so severe in Re∣prehension, so jolly in Prosperity, so impatient in Adver∣sity, so often purposing much Good, and yet perform∣ing little. There are very few of us, who have not rea∣son to deplore such Defects as these; and then, Who can be worthy to feast with the King Invisible, Immortal, Blessed for evermore? But it is God that makes us wor∣thy: He will not count us unworthy if we strive against these Errours, if we labour to conquer them, if we will not be Friends with them, if we proclaim War against them, if we are resolved, whatever we venture, to be rid of them, if we will not hug them in our Bosoms, if we will open the Everlasting Doors, and let the King of Glory come in; if we will hate what he hates, and love what he loves, and will continue our Hostility a∣gainst those Lusts which interfere with his just Right and Prerogative. He will not go to the utmost rigour with us. He will deal gently with us, liker a Father, than a Judge. To let us go on in our Offences, without Re∣morse, or a serious Care to please him, he cannot; and such is his Holiness, that he must not. He considers our Frame, that we are Dust; and therefore will not take advantage of every accidental Miscarriage: But he con∣siders withal, that he hath given us his Gospel, and E∣verlasting

Motives, and his Holy Spirit, whereby we may certainly master the Corruptions we find stirring in us, though not immediately, yet by degrees; if we are but willing, and labour, and wrestle, and are active, and do not suffer our selves to be overcome by Laziness, and the Satisfactions of this present World: And upon these Terms, he is willing to count us worthy Receivers. O Sweetness incomparable! O Condescention ineffable! beyond all that Kings and Princes express to their Sub∣jects! What Christian that is acquainted with this Frame, this Spirit, this humble and tractable Temper, this Re∣solution, and this Willingness, and that feels these Cha∣racters in his Soul, can, after all this, forbear coming, upon a pretence of being unworthy? Coming to this holy Table with such Purposes, with such Designs, with such Qualifications, let him be confident that his Father, his Saviour, his Redeemer will bid him welcome. This spiritual Frame, Christian, will make thee worthy: Thou comest not to this Sacrament to give God any thing, but to receive a Blessing from him: Thou comest not hither to contribute any thing to his Happiness, but to open thy Mouth wide, that he may fill it: Thou comest not hither to proclaim thy Perfections, but to have thy Imperfections supplied: Thou comest not hither to boast of thy Cleanness, but to be washed from their Sins: Thou comest not hither to glory in thy Merits, but to receive an Alms at thy great Master's Hands; his Grace, his Love, his Compassion will make thee worthy: Thou comest not to give him an Account of thy Riches, but as an hungry Beggar, that wants Bread, to feed on the hidden Manna. All that is required of thee, is, to look upon thy Redeemer as thy greatest Friend, and to use him like a Friend, to make his Friendship an Enforcive to love him; and so to love him, as to hearken to his Counsels, to be govern'd by his Directions, to bid fare∣wel to all things that will destroy that Friendship, to re∣pent of thy Unkindnesses to him, and to prefer his Ad∣vice before that of Flesh and Blood; to hearken to his Instructions, more than to the false Suggestions of the

World; and so to remember that thy Sins have contri∣buted to his Crucifixion, as to punish them with Frowns and Mortifications. If thou art willing to this, he will supply thy Defects, he will satisfie thy hungry Soul, he will feed thee from his Storehouse, and make thy Soul Partaker of his purchased Possession: Let not thy Un∣worthiness discourage thee. 'Tis confessed thou art a poor, vile Worm, a Sinner, a wretched Creature, not worthy of the least of all his Mercies, not worthy to be taken notice of, not worthy of the least Glimpse of his Favour; but still, if he is pleased to count and esteem thee worthy, it is Contempt of his Love if thou dost not accept of this gracious Offer, and come and li••t up thine Hands towards his holy Oracle. If thou wilt but look upon thy Sins as Enemies; and if they do assault thee, wilt vigorously oppose thy self against their At∣tempts; and if they do surprize thee once or twice, wilt renew thy Courage against them, and do any thing ra∣ther than yield to them, and set up this Resolution in thy Heart, that the Lord shall be thy God, thou shalt be worthy; he will give thee Grace, which shall make thee worthy: His Flesh shall nourish thy Soul; his Blood shall enrich the Ground of thy Heart; his Pre∣sence shall give thee Life; his Assistance will make thee spiritual; his Spirit will enable thee to rejoyce in him that made thee, make thee a worthy Conqueror, wor∣thy of the Tree of Life, and worthy of that Pardon he hath purchased for thee on the Cross, when in his own Body he bore thy Sins upon the Tree, that thou being dead to Sin, mightest live unto God.

III. Among the various sorts of Persons that are loth to come to this holy Sacrament, those betray strange Imprudence, as well as Obstinacy, that are loth to part with their Sins, and therefore are loth to come, for fear they should eat and drink unworthily, and make them∣selves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and eat and drink their won Damnation. But, O Genera∣tion of Vipers! Who hath told you that this is the way

to escape the Wrath to come? Who hath been so wise, as to inform you, that this way you may flee from the Indignation of the Lord? In what Scripture have you read, that your not coming to this Sacrament, because you are loth to prophane it by your Sins, will save you from Perdition? 'Tis very true, and you are in the right, when you suppose, that your Refractoriness to Reforma∣tion and Amendment, makes you unworthy Receivers: But can you imagine that you are ever a whit the safer for not coming? Will not the Sins you live and conti∣nue in, do your Work for you, and make you Heirs of Damnation? The wilful Neglect of this Sacrament is a damnable Sin: And can you think that your not com∣ing will make your Condition more easie and tolerable? 'Tis true, you pretend you will not prophane it, and therefore do not come: You are sensible it requires Re∣formation; and because your Circumstances will not permit you to lead better Lives, you are loth to add to your Danger, by eating and drinking unworthily. But when your not coming to this Sacrament makes you mi∣serable, as well as your coming and receiving unwor∣thily, 'tis strange that the Point of adding some Grains to the Bulk of your Misery, should make you afraid of coming. I will not deny, but Eating and Drinking un∣worthily doth, in some measure, aggravate the Evil a Man lives in, because he adds Scorn to his Impiety; but as long as his Impenitence without coming, and his com∣ing unworthily, do both involve him in the Danger of Damnation, it is a foolish Plea, to preted you dare not come, for fear of aggravating your Condemnation; as if Damnation were tolerable, and the Degrees of it on∣ly intolerable. But we see what you drive at: You hope, some time before you die, and when you will not have those Opportunities of sinning that now you have, you may receive it, and save your Souls at last. But to hear Men talk of what they shall do hereafter, when they have not one Minute of their Lives at their Command, is so ridiculous, that it needs no Answer. This is certain; your Sins are sweet, and your evil Lives

make you fit to live in the World, and therefore you will not come. But will this Argument hold Water, do you think, when God shall plead with you? Surely, your Sins are very precious things, that you dare refuse com∣ing to this holy Ordinance for them. The Scripture calls them Filth and Poyson; for so they are in the Eyes of an holy God: And are they dearer to you, than the Love of God? They are perfect Leprosie: And had had you rather be full of Sores and Boyls, than come hither to be made clean? They crucified your Saviour: And will you keep that which murther'd him? They are the Disgrace and Reproach of your Souls: And will you delight in your Infamy? They are the things that separate betwixt a glorious God and you: And will you uphold that fatal Distance and Separation? They ex∣clude you from the Kingdom of Heaven: And will you be content with that Exclusion? Are you wise and un∣derstanding Men: And will you not open your Eyes, and see your Danger? What do you call Contempt of God, if this be not it? What do you call slighting of Incomprensible Mercy, if this do not deserve that Name? Can you hope for God's Pardon at last, that refuse to accept of it in this Ordinance? Do you believe you have Souls, and that it is your Interest to secure them against Mischief: And will you prefer a few airy, volatile Joys before their Safety? Sinner, When is it that thou dost intend to reform? Is it when an angry God looks thee in the Face, and an evil Conscience upon thy Death∣bed presages thy future Torments? Is it possible that an offended God will then fly into thy Embraces, whom thou didst not care for all thy Days? Behold, in this Sacrament, the Son of God doth not only offer to re∣concile thee to thy God, but shews thee the way too, how it shall be effected to thy Content and Satisfaction: Here he offers to enrol thy Name among the Friends of God; but it is impossible to make thee God's Friend, while thou maintainest thy Enmity against him: To leave thy Sins, and to come to this Sacrament, are one and the same thing; these two are inseparable, to di∣vide

them, is, to divide Light from Fire; which im∣plies Impossibility. Oh, think therefore! Till I come to this Ordinance, God will be my Foe; and should I be snatch'd away while God is so, who will plead for me when I come to appear before God? I will arise there∣fore, and go to my Father, &c.

IV. As squeamish as some Sinners are, there are others that dare come and receive unworthily, and be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and be no more concern'd, than if they had committed any trivial or indifferent Action: Such are they who are the same af∣ter they have received, as they were before; vitious be∣fore, and vitious after; revengeful, lascivious, unclean, malicious, proud, Boasters, intemperate, Back-biters, implacable, unmerciful before, and after too; nor doth the threatning that they make themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus fright or discompose them. Lord! How stupid a thing is Sin! How hard, how insensible doth it make the Heart! What Venom doth it shed upon the Soul! Who would imagine that Men could be so perverse, Men that live under the Go∣spel too, as to be guilty of murthering Christ? Mur∣thering of Christ! You will say, Who can murther him now he is in Glory? What Bug-bears are these, to fright poor silly, ignorant People with? So easily do Men slide from Hypocrisie, into Prophaneness; and from Prophaneness, into the Scorner's Chair! But, What if Christ be in Heaven, and out of the reach of thy Baseness and Malice? If Christ interpret thy Con∣tinuance in known Sins, after thou hast been viewing his Death and Crucifixion in this Sacrament, as mur∣thering of him; how great, how heinous, and of how deep a Dye must thy Sins be! What Guilt, what Loads, what Mountains of Wrath must we suppose, dost thou lay, and pull down on thy Shoulders! Who can tell so well the venomous Influences and Tendencies of thy Sins, as he that perfectly understands the poysonous na∣ture of it? If he saith, that it amounts to murthering of

him, Will thy laughing at the Conceit excuse thy Folly when his Anger shall be kindled? Need he value thy Flouts and Jeers, that hath Flames and Vengeance at command, to lash thee into better Manners? It is im∣possible he should be mistaken in his Verdict of things: And wilt thou say, he doth not speak what is true? Art thou wiser than he; Or dost thou see farther into things than he? Must his Wisdom be modell'd by thy shallow Reason; Or shall a Creature dispute the Oracle of its Creator? If he sees and knows that thy wilful Impenitence runs so high, as to make an Attempt upon his Life again, wilt not thou believe him, or darest thou charge him with a Lye? The Holy Ghost, speak∣ing by St. Paul, protests so much: And wilt thou add sinning against the Holy Ghost to all thy Offences? Believe it, Sinner; 'tis Death to the Lord of Life, to see a Creature, for whom he took such pains, wallow still in those Sins after Receiving, which he was suppo∣sed to abjure in Receiving. 'Tis Death to him, to see thee more tender of keeping thy Word with a Man that must die, than with him that lives for ever. 'Tis Death to him, to see thee wilful in breaking that solemn Pro∣mise thou madest under his Cross, and didst seal with drinking of his Blood. Thou dost in this Sacrament make a Covenant with him, and oblige thy self, as thou hopest to have a share in his Merits, that thou wilt be guided and governed by him, who, to the Astonish∣ment of Men and Angels, died for thee, (and there cannot be a more sacred Tye;) and to see thee violate that Oath, and break through that Vow, into Damna∣tion, into that Damnation from which he came to re∣scue thee; this is Death to him, and a new Attempt upon his Life; and if thou darest be so barbarous, so inhumane, as to do so, Heaven and Earth will be Wit∣nesses against thee; and that very Blood which thou prophanest, will be a Witness against thee; and all the Saints that see thee prophane that Blood, will be Wit∣nesses against thee; and it is enough to make the Lord repent that ever he died for such a Wretch. O

then, play not with these Mysteries; for it will be hard for thee to kick against the Pricks. But,

V. Let the worthy Receiver rejoyce in the midst of all these Terrours. These Thunder-bolts do not reach him. These Threatnings do not concern him. He is safe under all these Storms: They will not fall on him, to crush him. These Hail-stones will not bruise his Head: This Weight will not sink him. He can pass through all these Messengers of Death, and fear no E∣vil: Even he, who sees greater Comfort in a crucified Saviour, than in this gaudy World; and can admire the Mercies purchased by his Death, while others stand gazing on stately Buildings, and sumptuous Palaces: Even he, who makes Conscience of performing what he promises to a glorious God; and feels Desires in his Breast to be more and more conformable to the holy Life and Example of Christ Jesus; and to whom no In∣terest is so dear as that of a crucified Saviour, who loves as he loves, without Hypocrisie or Dissimulation. Let such a Soul be glad in the Lord, and believe, that God will command his Loving-kindness in the Day-time, and in the Night will cover him with the Shadow of his Wings. Let him not be disquieted, nor think God hath forgotten him, when his Soul is bowed down to the Dust, and his Belly cleaves unto the Earth: Christ, the Son of God, will certainly manifest himself unto him, be present with him, pour Grace into his Heart, and Comfort into his Soul; give himself to him, be his Hiding-place, compass him about with the Songs of Deliverance, and say unto him, I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the Way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine Eye. Such a Person receives Christ indeed, receives him with all his Blessings, and with all the Spoils he recovered of the Enemy: He receives him with all the Wealth he hath fought for, and purchased with his B••ood. He receives him with all the precious things he hath laboured for in the Sweat of his Brows. He receives ••im laden, and abounding with glorious Pro∣mises,

which shall, by degrees, be all fulfilled in him; for they belong to him, they are his Right, they are his Portion; Christ will make him worthy to receive them. He shall ask, and his Master will give: He shall seek, and find too: He shall knock, and the Lord Jesus will answer; and though he may knock often, yet, at last, the Gates will be opened to him. The Everlasting Door, the Gate of Grace and Mercy shall be unlocked to him, and he shall get more Grace, greater Strength, larger Influences; his Incomes shall be greater, his Revenues more plentiful: He will open the Windows of Heaven to him, and refresh his Ground with kindly Showers; They shall drop on the Pastures of the Wilderness, and the little Hills shall rejoyce on every side. Such a Receiver is like to abide in Christ, and his Word like to abide in him. He may be sure of his Love, sure of his Friendship, sure of his favourable Looks. For him Christ laid down his Life indeed; and he may be confident that he is one of his little Flock, for he hears his Voice, and is willing to be gui∣ded by him: For him the Saviour of the World hath prepared a sure Refuge, a Munition of Rocks, where he shall dwell securely, free from the stormy Wind and Tempest. Such a Receiver believes in him, and he shall not die: Nay, Though he were dead, yet shall he live: Because Christ lives, he shall live too: And though his Life be hid with Chrst, in God; yet when Christ, who is his Life, shall appear, then shall he also appear with him in Glory. His Faith shall at last be turned into Fruition, his Hope into Vision, his Expectations into Enjoyment. He shall see Christ at last in his Majesty: He shall see him in his Wedding-Robes: He shall sit down with him at last, at the Supper of the Lamb, and lean on his Bo∣som; and the Angels will say, Behold, the Disciple whom Jesus loved. He shall walk with him in shining Gar∣ments; and the King's Daughter, which was all glo∣rious within here, shall be all glorious without too: Her Glory shall be the Joy of Saints, and the Envy of all wicked Men. Such a Person rejoyced in his lig••t

here, and he shall be decked with Eternal Light. He that is the Light of both Worlds, shall be his Everlasting Companion, and Darkness shall not annoy him. In a Word, Christ will lift up the Light of his Countenance upon him, and he shall be safe.

The PRAYER.

O Great and admirable Saviour! who hast said, I will give unto him that is a thirst, the Fountain of the water of Life, freely; my Soul thirsteth for thee, my Flesh longeth for thee in a a dry and thirsty Land. where no water is, to see thy Power and thy Glory! I am unworthy to re∣ceive so Glorious a Guest into my Soul! I am unworthy to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord! Unworthy of the least Crum that falls from thy Table! The Angels, purer than the Sun, think themselves unworthy to Praise and Glorifie thee; How unworthy then must I think my self to receive thee, the sweetest, and the brightest Being, into my House! yet thou offer∣est to come, and make thy abode with me. What Bounty is this! Whence is it, that the Sovereign King of Heaven and Earth will come and dwell in me, who am a sink of Misery, a stye of uncleanness, a den of filthiness! How unworthy am I of this astonishing Saviour! I freely confess, that I have de∣served to be plunged into the depth of Hell, rather than to re∣ceive thee, the Glory of Heaven and Earth, into a Heart so defiled, so polluted, so corrupted with Sin and Misery! Yet, since thou dost freely offer me this unspeakable Mercy, Come, Lord, and make thy Residence in my Soul. I desire to re∣ceive thee with all Love, and Purity, and Devotion! To this end, destroy in me all that is contrary to thee, and enrich my Soul with all suitable dispositions to receive thee! I hate my Sins, I renounce them, I desire to think of them with horror, because they were the cause of thy Torments, and of that death thou sufferedst on the Cross; I would hate them, as the Angels, and the Saints of Heaven do. I am sensible, thou art wor∣thy of all Honour and Glory, and from my Heart wish, that I never had offended and dishonoured thee! O that I had some∣thing of that Sorrow I see in thy Soul, when thou madest thy Soul an offering for Sin! Thy Soul was exceeding sorrowful,

even unto death. It was my Sin that caused that Sorrow, O let me participate of that Sorrow! O Jesu! my Light, my Righteousness, my Sanctification, my Redemption! Open mine Eyes, that I may see the vast Mercy, offered me in this Bles∣sed Sacrament! Give me that Repentance, that Faith, that Love, which may make me a worthy Receiver of thy Benefits! I humble my self before thee, I throw my self down at thy feet. I give my self to thee, I dedicate my Thoughts, my Words, my Actions, my Understanding, my Will, my Affections to thy Service! Set up thy Kingdom in my Soul. Destroy my inordinate Self-Love, my Anger, my Pride, and all my disorderly Inclinations. Let thy Humility, thy Charity, thy Patience, and all thy Graces reign in me! Where thou art, there is Heaven. If thou art in me, I shall not fear what Man, or Devils can do against me; for thou wilt hide me in the secret of thy Presence from the Pride of Man, thou wilt keep me secretly, in a Pavilion, from the strife of Tongues. Blessed be the Lord, who hath shewed us his marvellous Kindness; I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever, with my Mouth will I make known thy faith∣fulness to all Generations. Amen, Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 22. 6, 7. 8, 9. &c.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  See Chap. 15. Sect. 5. ¶. 1.
• * 1.4

  Sophr. vel Mosch. in prat. Spir. cap. 31.
• * 1.5

  Dr. Hammond.
• * 1.6

  •• Sam. 14. 31. com∣pared with 2 Sam. ••18. 14.
• * 1.7

  Council. Eli∣ber. c. 3. Ne lusisse de∣communione Dominicâ vi∣deantur.
• * 1.8

  Cap. 8.