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Condition is dreadful, and every Page in Scripture is terrible against fuch, whether they come or not; but to the peni tent and humble Soul nothing is difmal or aff ighting in this Holy Feaft; there are none condemned for unworthy reReceiving, but fuch who deferve it for continuing in their Iniquities; and this impenitence renders even their Prayers an Abomination unto the Lord. Though they never partake of the Body and blood of Chrift, they are in equal Danger with thofe who eat and drink unworthily; nay, I might lay in greater, because the one ufeth the Means in Obedience to our Saviour's Command, and the other wil ully neglects that which would prevent his Damnation, if rightly confidered, and timely applied to. The fureit Way, I say, to prevent our Damnation, is to receive the Sacrament more frequently than Men ufually do, that by a conftant Participation of this Spiritual Food of the living Bread which comes down from Heaven, their Souls may be nourished in all Goodness, and new Supplies of God's Grace and Holy Spirit may be continually derived to them for the purifying of their Hearts, and to enable them to run the Ways of God's Commandments with more Conftancy and Delight than they did before. So that the true Confequence of Eating and Drinking unworthily, fhould rather excite our Care and Diligence in this Duty, than delude us with falfe Reafonings, to fuch a Neglect as will certainly increase our Damnation; it being certain, that God will never caft any Man into eternal Flames for friving to do his Duty as well as he can. If there be firft a willing Mind, (faith the Apostle) it is accepted according to that a Men bath, and not according to that he bath not, 2 Cor. viii. 12. Neither ought we to think fo unworthily of the Son of God, who came into the World to fave Sinners, that he would inftitute this Ordinance to be a Snare to entangle our Souls with. It was not ordained for Angels, or for glorified Saints, but for humble and penitent Sinners, to bring them home to God; it being a Seal of their Pardon, and a refreshing Declaration of our Heavenly Father's Readiness to forgive the chiefeft of Sinners for Jefus's Sake, who graciously calls upon all who are wearied

wearied and oppressed with the Guilt and Burden of their Sins to come to him, and he will refresh them, Matt. xi. 28. Chrift came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance, Matt. ix. 13. And confequently fuch as account themfelves most unworthy, are thofe very Perfons whom Chrift doth here call and invite to the Sacrament, when deeply fenfible of their Unworthinefs. Were we not Sinners, were we not conceived and born in Sin, we should not need fuch Means and Inftruments of Grace as Sacraments are; but being by Nature born in Sin, and the Children of Wrath, we are hereby made the Children of Grace, and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.' They that are whole (faith Christ) have no need of a Phyfician, but they that are fick. This being the Cafe of all Mankind, with respect to their Spiritual Life, there is no other way to free ourselves from this Death of Sin, but fpeedily to apply ourselves to this Heavenly Phyfician, who came into the World to feek and to fave thofe that are loft and ready to perish; and the very Senfe of our own Unworthiness, is of all other Arguments the beft Qualification to reco nmend us to God's Favour and Mercy, fince we know that he refifteth the Proud, [and prefumptuous Sinner] but never denies his Grace and Favour to the Humble and Meek. As often then as we come to the Holy Communion with fuch an honeft and true Heart, as to exercise our Repentance towards Ged, our Faith and Hope of his Mercy, through Chrift, for the Forgiveness of our Sins, and our Love and Charity for all Mankind; fuch a Temper and Refolution of Mind as this, will doubtless render us worthy Partakers of thefe Holy Myfteries, and prevent us eating and drinking Damnation to ourselves. Nay, I farther add, that any Perfon thus difpofed or qualified, may come (if it fhould be required) at an Hour's Warning, as fafely as he may come to Church, and fay his Prayers, or to hear a Sermon. The Dueness of Preparation doth not so much depend upon our fetting afide fo many extraordinary Days for the forcing ourselves into a religious Pofture of Mind, as upon the plain natural Frame and Difpofition of our Souls, as they conftantly ftand inclined to Virtue and Good

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nefs, through the general Course of our Lives. From whence I infer, that a Multitude of Business, or a Man's being deeply engaged in the Publick Affairs of this Worid, cannot be any juft Plea or Pretence for his not coming to the Holy Communion; because all Bufinefs is confiftent with the Duties of Religion, pro

Men of great Bufinefs, either publick or private, are not thereby excufed from frequent

Communion, vided we govern our Affairs by Christian Principles: For though fuch Men have not Leifure for fo much actual Preparation, yet they may have that habitual Preparation, upon which the great Strefs ought to be laid in this Matter: Nay, even the confcientious Difcharge of a Man's Duty in his Bufinefs, may be one of the best Qualifications to recommend him to God, fince every Man ferves God when he follows his Calling with Diligence, and observes Justice and Honefty in all his Dealings; and confequently, the greater Danger and Temptation he is exposed to through the Multiplicity of Bufinefs, the more need hath he of God's Grace and Affistance, which are abundantly communicated to us in this Holy Ordinance. So that Men of Business, if they have any ferious Thoughts of another World, ought more especially to lay hold on fuch Opportunities which fecure the Salvation of their Souls; for as they who have Leifure ought to Receive constantly, as the beft Improvement of their Time; fo they that are engaged in many worldly Affairs, ought to come the oftner to the Holy Communion, and learn how to fanctify their Employments. But to proceed. The other Branch of a Communicant's Duty is to examine whether he hath a lively Faith in God's Merthro' Chrift. Examine yourfelves whether ye be in the Faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. This Sacrament of the Lord's Supper being only appointed for fuch Believers as own their Baptifm, and profefs the Faith of Chrift crucified, and understand the fundamental Articles of the Chriftian Religion, contained in the Apostles Creed, and alfo the End and Defign of this Holy Inftitution. The Benefits of our Saviour's Death and Paffion in this Sacrament are indeed freely offered unto all,

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but only effectually to Believers. As many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe in bis Name, John i. 12. And this is Life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent, John xvii. 3. All that Chrift hath done and fuffered for us Men, and for our Salvation, can never profit us, unless we have Faith to believe it: That which muft render the Benefits and Bleffings of the Gospel effectual to our Salvation, is our Faith in Chrift. Verily I fay unto you, (faith our Saviour) be that heareth my Words, and believeth on him that fent me, bath everlasting Life, and fhall not come into Condemnation, but is paffed from Death unto Life, John v. 24. The ancient Churches accounted those only faithful that had received the Lord's Supper; and the Germans allowed none to come unto their Sacrifices who had loft their Shields; nor does our own Church allow, that any of us should come to this Chriftian Sacrifice without the Shield of Faith. Draw near with Faith, (fays the Priest) and take this Holy Sacrament to your Comfort. And this Faith for the object hath God's Mercy, through Chrift, as the Fountain and Foundation of all those infinite Bleffings and Comforts which we gain by his Manifeftation in the Flesh; and if we enquire into the Caufe and Reason of fo much Mercy and Goodness to Mankind, no other can be given but the Riches of bis Mercy, Eph. ii. 4. And if we further enquire how this Mercy became ours, the Anfwer is plain, It was through Christ, by whom all the Bleffings of this Life, and those of a better are purchased for us, and must be obtained through the Merits and Interceffion of the Holy Jefus, by him we were redeemed, and according to the Riches bis Grace, we have obtained Remiffion of our Sins, and through him at last we shall be glorified.

And to this our Faith we must join a A thankful Remem- thankful Remembrance of his Death, and brance of his Death of thofe Benefits which we receive thereby. Our gracious and merciful Lord (faith holy David) bath fo done his marvellous Works, that they ought to be bad in Remembrance, Pfal. cxi, 4, But especially this Work of

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our Redemption by Jefus Chrift, which to forget were an Ingratitude bafer and viler than ever Heathens or Publicans, the very worst of Mankind among the Jews, were known to be guilty of towards their Benefactors, Matthew v. 46. Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins, 1 John iv. 10. This is a Mercy far above all other Mercies, nay, it is even this which fweetens all other Mercies to us: Had there been no Redemption, our Creation had only made us cap ble of endless Torments, and it had been better for us never to have been born, than to inevitable Ruin; which must have been our Lot and Portion, had not the Son of God, by his own Oblation of himself, once offered upon the Crefs, made a full, perfect, and fufficient Sacrifice and Satisfallion to God for the Sins of the whole World.' The Confquences of this Redemption are fo infinitely great and valuable, that it as much furpaffs our Understanding as it does our Merits. This we are to declare and to publish to all the World, what God hath done to fave Mankind from that Damnation which they had deferved, and to restore us again to that Happiness and Glory, which we could never expect or hope to enjoy, had not Chrift died for us. O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul, Pfalm lxvi. 16. Praise the Lord, O my Scu!, and forget not all his Benefits, who forgiveth all thy Sins, and healeth all thine Infirmities, and faveth thy Life from Deftruction, and crowneth thee with Mercy and Loving-kindness, Pfal. ciii. 2, 3, 4. With what Joy and Thank uineis then fhould every good Chriftian commemorate this exceeding Love of God in the Salvation of Sinners by Jefus Chrift! This was the proper End and Defign of this Inftitution, to perpetuate this wonderful Love of Chrift in laying down his Life for us. Do this Our Obligations to a in Remembrance of me, faid our Saviour a frequent Communion. little before his Crucifixion; which being a folemn Command of our Mofter and only Saviour, thus dying for us, we cannot refuse Obedience hereunto, without being guilty of the moit horrible Ingratitude and Contempt

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