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 Practice.

I. HEre I cannot but take notice, how little the things which are not seen with our Bodily Or∣gans, though of the greatest Consequence, are minded by the Generality, even those that pretend to believe them. Damnation is, certainly, the most dreadful thing imaginable; yet most Men make so little of it, that the Fear of losing Twenty or Thirty Pounds discomposes and disorders them more than the Apprehension that they shall lose the Light of God's Countenance for ever. What can we imagine to be the Reason of it? Surely, it must be, because it is not seen: And therefore Peo∣ple do not heartily believe it, nor seriously think of it. And yet, when a thing is very certain, and God hath spoke it, and we have all the Assurances that the thing is capable of, that it is so, though it cannot be seen with the Eyes of Flesh; yet being certain, the Thoughts of it surely might effect, and work upon, and discompose the Soul, in a manner, as much as Sight and Sense. But here lies the Misery; the greatest part of Men are un∣thinking Animals; they believe, but think not; they think, but not of that which concerns them most. This makes Damnation only a big Word to set off a violent Passion, but it frights not; nay, is so far from frighting, that not a few do barbarously wish it to their own Souls; yet still, not only Faith, but Reason, saith, there is such a thing; and the Justice of a Supream Being requires so much: So that he that will be frighted with Damnation,

must first deliberately examine the Reasons which may convince him of the Being and Reality of it, and then reflect and ruminate upon the Terrour and Consequen∣ces of it: And if this be done, and the Divine Assistance, which must co-operate with all spiritual Endeavours, to make them effectual, be heartily implored, Sin, Vanity and Lust, and foolish Desires must necessarily fall, and faint before it, and a Change of Life cannot but follow, and a Man's Carefulness to please God must needs be the happy Consequences of it.

II. The Penalty God inflicts upon unworthy Recei∣vers, shews how God would have us value and esteem what he hath done for us in Christ Jesus. The Death of Christ for poor Sinners God looks upon to be so great a thing, that he expects that every Soul, upon hearing of it, and sufficient Demonstration of the Truth of it, should be so surprized with the Mercy, as imme∣diately to throw off the Works of Darkness, and put off the Old Man, with all his deceitful Lusts, and to be∣come an obedient Subject of Christ's Kingdom. God sets that high Value upon it, that he expects that every Soul, to whom the News comes, immediately lay Force upon the Kingdom of Heaven, rejoyce that he is made capable of Pardon, and an Inheritance incorruptible; and for the Glory set before him, fall to work, and seek first the Kingdom of God, and the Righteousness there∣of: And therefore, for any Person who professes him∣self a Christian, to entertain this Message coldly, lazily, and with Indifferency, is an Act so unworthy, so dero∣gatory from the Sublimity and Excellency of the Fa∣vour, that we need not wonder if he lashes this low, slavish and pitiful Temper of ours with the severest Ven∣geance. Can we think, because we have no extraordi∣nary Esteem of the Mercy, that God will set light by it because we do? Oh! Let us entertain it with the pro∣foundest Respect, and the deepest Veneration; and think our selves the happiest Creatures living, that we have this Act of Divine Bounty and Charity revealed to

us. But then, it is impossible we should think our selves so, except we walk worthy of the glorious News, and transcribe on our Lives the glorious Zeal, and Fervour, and Sincerity of the Apostles, and Primitive Believers.

III. As this severe Threatning, denounced against un∣worthy Receivers, is the strongest Dissuasive possible from Eating and Drinking unworthily, so it is no just Discouragement to Receive with sincere Desires, and Resolutions to become conformable to Christ's Holiness. God frights from sinning, not from doing well; from wronging our own Souls, not from Endeavours to save them; from Impenitence, not from true Repentance. All that is to be done, Christian, in this Sacrament, in order to Receiving worthily, is, to lay and prostrate thy self at the Feet of Jesus, and to cry, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? Speak, Lord, for thy Servant hears. Such humble Souls escape the Danger, and may be con∣fident of a gracious Look from the King of Saints. But then, if we fall down before the Throne and the Lamb, and make this Profession, let it come from the Heart, and let our Tongues speak what our Minds think, and our Wills mean to stand to; and let our Desires to be one with him, be such as Simplicity dictates, lest our Hearts and Tongues not going together, we may be found Lyars, and fall into Condemnation. And, Oh that every unworthy Receiver would consider what Damnation means! Consider it, thou dull and careless Man; and then tell me, whether Christ requires any thing unreasonable of thee to prevent it? Thou that runnest from an House on fire, and from a Land-flood, or Deluge, that threatens to overwhelm thee; wilt not thou do all thou canst to escape Damnation, that De∣luge of God's Wrath, and that Fire of his Anger which no Man can quench? Should this Damnation be thy Portion at last, we may easily imagine what thy Wishes will be; the same that all inconsiderate Souls are very full of, when they have ruin'd and undone themselves: Oh, that I had been wise before the Fact, and come to the

Lord's Table with a better Frame; put on the Lord Jesus, and made his Vertues and Graces my Study, my Delight, and my Pattern! But these are the Wishes of Fools: And, I did not think it would come to this pass, is a Saying, which we look upon as a Character of a weak, and a Childish Understanding. Both he that receives unworthily, and he that never received yet, both have yet Opportunity to turn from their evil Ways. Therefore, Seek ye the Lord, while be m••y be found: Call ye upon him, while he is near. Let the Wicked forsake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have Mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abun∣dantly pardon, Isa. 55. 6, 7.