der in the last Day. All Temporal Judgments, though they fpeak God's Displeasure at Sin, yet they are intended, withal, for the Offender's Reformation. And to this purpofe Elihu fpeaks excellently well, Job, 33. 19, 20. 26. He is chaften'd also with pain upon his Bed, and the multitude of his Bones with strong pain; fo that his life abhors Bread, and his Soul dainty meat bis flesh is confumed away, that it cannot be feen; and his bones that were not feen, stick out. He looks upon Men; and if any fay, I bave finned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver bis Soul from going to the pit, and his life hall fee the light. And therefore, if this Judgment which falls upon an unworthy Receiver, inftead of foftning and melting his Heart, doth but harden him; there the Judgment is fo far from expiating his Offence, that it haftens and aggravates his everlafting Condemnation; and this very Sin will be remembred in Hell, and double his Shrieks and Agonies. And this is rational to believe; for when God, by that Temporal Judgment, cannot reclaim him, the last Remedy that God makes ufe of, to bring him to a better Mind, is loft, his Folly is incorrigible; and as that Judgment was a Talent he fhould have improved into Repentance, fo dif-regarding it, and making no other ufe of it, than Pharaoh of his Plagues, and becoming more fetled upon his Lees, he juftifies God's Proceedings against him in the laft Day, which, though they feem fevere to the Sufferer, who is loth to feel the pain, yet they are reafonable; and he whom Temporal Judgments could not reclaim, must know at last, to his coff, there is no jefting with the Anger of an infinite Majefty.

The

The Preceding Confiderations, reduc'd to farther Practice:

1.THE Apostle is in the right, when he tells us, Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a confuming Fire. Indeed, to the Tractable and Docile, who confider his Providences, and take notice of his Loving-kindness; who fee the Vanity and Uncertainty of the World, and build their Neft among the Stars of Heaven; who are fenfible of the danger of walking after the Flesh, and deliberately chufe to walk after the Spirit, who run away from Sodom, get themfelves out of Babylon, will not be infected by the Sins of the World, and earnestly defire to be strengthen'd in the Inward Man, with all Might To fuch he is all Kindnefs, all Love, all Mercy, all Light, all Compaffion, all Charity; as we fee in the Parable of the Prodigal, where the Father's Acts towards the penitent Sinner are fo full of Sweetness, fo full of Affection and Tenderness, that nothing can be imagin'd 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 obftruct it by their Ingratitude; and hope to enter into Heaven, notwithstanding their neglect of purifying their Hearts and Lives; nay, can come to this Sacrament, and will not be divorc'd from thofe Sins, which here they profess an unfeign'd Sorrow for. Such Perfons fhall know, and feel, that God is jealous, and that the Lord revenges; the Lord revenges, and is furious; that the Lord will take Vengeance of his Adverfaries, and referves Wrath for his Enemies, Nah. 1. 2. He is, indeed, flow to Anger, and doth not wilfully afflict the Children of Men ; but boldnefs in Impenitence wakes his Vengeance; and where his Patience tempts them to greater Wantonnefs, there Ꮓ

that

is no dallying with their Errors. These things haft thou done, faith God, and I kept filence, and thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch an one as thy felf; but I will reprove thee, and fet them in order before thine Eyes, Pfal. 50. 21.

II. Because it is fo dangerous to eat and drink unworthily, yet that ought not to difcourage any Perfon from cating and drinking in this Sacrament. Worthy Eating and Drinking here, is not dangerous at all; fo far from being dangerous, that it is a Duty, and beneficial, and a Key to the choiceft Mercies. And if it were dangerous, why should it fright any Soul from coming? 'Tis dangerous to go to Sea: Yet doth the Sea-man therefore forbear his Voyage? 'Tis dangerous to climb a Tree: Yet doth the Husbandman therefore let his better Fruit drop down, without getting up to gather it? 'Tis dangerous to fight against a numerous Enemy: But is the Soldier therefore dif-heartn'd from venturing into the Battle? 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 Earneftness: So that if worthy Eating and Drinking were dangerous, it were an Invitation to an ingenuous Temper to apply himself to it: But in this there is no danger. What danger can there be in Repentance? What danger in doing the Will of God? What danger in performing our Duty? What danger in ferious Endeavours to cleanfe our felves, that we may be pure, even as God is pure? What danger in cating and drinking with lively Faith in the Promifes of the Gofpel? What danger in making the Love of God, and the ferious Contemplation of it, a motive and occafion 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 felves with Knives and Lances, or in running a Sword into our Bowels: And who but a Mad-man wilk do fo? There is nothing fo good, rothing so safe, nothing fo found, nothing fo 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 finful Eating and Drinking. Let Men feparate the Sinfulness. from the Duty, let them pare away that poysonous Rind, and there is no Danger; and you may eat and drink at his Table with as little danger, as you eat and drink at home; there is no Danger here, but what you make your felves: The Danger rifes not from the Eucharift, 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 caft out that old Leaven, and you may feed as peaceably, as contentedly, as fecurely, as Children under their Father's Wings, as People that fit under their own Vine, and under their own Fig-Tree.

The PRAYER.

Free

Fefu! whom 1 fee coming toward me in this Sacrament, not with Balm, and Myrrhe, and Spices, but, with that which is infinitely better, even with the Balfom of thy Blood, to anoint me, to wash me, and to make me whole, to make this blind Creature fee, and this lame Man to walk, this Dumb to speak, this Deaf to hear, and to dignifie this Beggar, even, the weakest in thy Flock, the poorest in thy Houfe, the meanest Perfon in thy Spiritual Kingdom! What hall I fay of this Merey? What can I think of it? Thou art both the Giver, and the Gift; the Feeder, and the Food; the Guest, and the Feast; the Offerer, and the Oblation: 0 deal with me after thine infinite Goodness! I have deferved to be left, to be forfaken, to be rejected, to be caft away from thy Prefence! But, O! let not this miferable Beggar go away from thy Door without an Alms; fcatter thy Bounty, and let me gather it. The poorer I am, the greater Object I am af thy Pity! O bring my Heart to thee to reform it; I come to offer my Soul to thee; be thou entreated to renew it by thy

Holy Spirit. Bring me to a more lively and nearer conjuntfion with thy felf, that I may become a living Member, incorporated into thy Myftical Body, and may live not longer by mine own Spirit, but by Thine, which is the Spirit of my Spirit, the Soul of my Soul, and the very Life of my Life. Thou art my Sun, from whofe Beams I must receive the Light of Grace, Thou art my Fountain, from which I must draw Living Water. Thou art the Root, from which I must receive Sap of increase. Thou art my Head, from which I must receive Life and Being. O let me feel the force of this Sacrament in my Soul, Power against Sin and Satan, and ability to ferve thee. Corroborate my Spirit, that ĺ may obtain Victory; put of the anxious Cares of the World, and put on Foy, flowing from Kemiffion and Pardon of my Sins. I am fenfible, that Thy Table is the frength of my Soul, the Sinews of my Mind, the Band of my Confidence, my Health, my Light, and my Recovery. Being fprinkled with thy Blood, Ifhall be able to turn to fight the Armies of Aliens, the Armies of my Spiritual Enemies, and prevail against them, and go on from Virtue to Virtue, till I fhall Hunger and Thirst no more in thy Everlasting Kingdom. Amen, Amen.

CHAP.