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 ...

The Preceding Considerations reduced to farther Practice.

I. THE Apostle is in the right, when he tells us, Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a Consuming Fire. In∣deed, to the Tractable, and Docile, who consider his Providences, and take notice of his Loving-kindness; who see the Vanity and Uncertainty of the World, and build their Nest among the Stars of Heaven; who are sensible of the Danger of walking after the Flesh, and deliberately chuse to walk after the Spirit; who run away from Sodom, get themselves out of Babylon, will not be infected by the Sins of the World, and earnestly desire to be strengthen'd in the Inward Man, with all Might: To such he is all Kindness, all Love, all Mer∣cy, all Light, all Compassion, all Charity: as we see in the Parable of the Prodigal, where the Father's Acts towards the penitent Sinner are so full of Sweetness, so full of Affection and Tenderness, that nothing can be imagined more kind, or loving, or favourable. But Men who undervalue the Methods of Salvation, will be happy their own Way, make light of that which they ought to prize above their Lives, are unconcern'd about the Sins that cost the Eternal Son of God his Life; will needs dream of God's Mercy, while they obstruct it by their Ingratitude; and hope to enter into Heaven, not∣withstanding their Neglect of purifying their Hearts and Lives; nay, can come to this Sacrament, and will not be divorced from those Sins, which here they profess an unfeigned Sorrow for. Such Persons shall know, and feel, that God is Jealous, and that the Lord revenges; that

the Lord revenges, and is furious; that the Lord will take Vengeance of his Adversaries, and reserves Wrath for his E∣nemies, Nah. 1. 2. He is, indeed, slow to Anger, and doth not wllfully afflict the Children of Men; but Bold∣ness in Impenitence wakens his Vengeance; and where his Patience tempts them to greater Wantonness, there is no dallying with their Errours. These things hast thou done, saith God, and I kept silence, and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self; but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine Eyes, Psal. 50. 21.

II. Because it is so dangerous to eat and drink unwor∣thily, yet that ought not to discourage any Person from eating and drinking in this Sacrament. Worthy Eating and Drinking here, is not dangerous at all; so far from being dangerous, that it is a Duty, and beneficial, and a Key to the choicest Mercies. And if it were dange∣rous, why should it fright any Soul from coming? 'Tis dangerous to go to Sea: Yet doth the Sea••man there∣fore forbear his Voyage? 'Tis dangerous to climb a Tree: Yet doth the Husband-man therefore let his bet∣ter Fruit drop down, without getting up to gather it? 'Tis dangerous to fight against a numerous Enemy: But is the Soldier therefore dis-hearten'd from venturing in∣to the Battel? Danger helps us to look to our Steps; and if there be Difficulty in an Attempt, it whets our Courage, and makes us fall on with the greater Force and Earnestness: So that if worthy Eating and Drink∣ing were dangerous, it were an Invitation to an inge∣nuous Temper to apply himself to it: But in this there is no Danger. What Danger can there be in Repen∣tance? What Danger in doing the Will of God? What Danger in performing our Duty? What Danger in se∣rious Endeavours to cleanse our selves, that we may be pure, even as God is pure? What Danger in eating and drinking with a Lively Faith in the Promises of the Go∣spel? What Danger in making the Love of God, and the serious Contemplation of it, a Motive and Occasion to grow in Grace? If there be any Danger, it is in the

Unworthy Eating and Drinking at this holy Table; and in that, indeed, there is as much Danger as there is in cutting our selves with Knives and Lances, or in running a Sword into our Bowels: And who but a Mad-man will do so? There is nothing so good, nothing so safe, no∣thing so sound, nothing so innocent, but Men may cor∣rupt it by their evil Inclinations: So they may abuse God's Name, and Day, and Word, and Ordinances, and the Duty of Prayer, and the Ministry; and what not? Unworthy Eating and Drinking, is a sinful Eat∣ing and Drinking. Let Men separate the Sinfulness from the Duty, let them pare away that poysonous Rind, and there is no Danger; and you may eat and drink at this Table with as little Danger, as you eat and drink at home; there is no Danger here, but what you make your selves: The Danger rises not from the Eu∣charist, but from your Hearts. That which makes it dangerous, is, your Love to Forbidden Fruit while you eat and drink here. This you harbour, this you che∣rish; and that makes your feeding dangerous: But cast out that old Leaven, and you may feed as peaceably, as contentedly, as securely, as Children under their Fa∣ther's Wings, as People that sit under their own Vine, and under their own Fig-tree.